thecommich

Maximize your marketing spend with a video tag-along

2011-10-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

"Efficiency" is not a word you often associate with the term "Marketing." Yet, when marketing professionals are efficient in the use of their budget, and think outside the box for branding, the results are usually pretty awesome.

Consider the uber-successful e-zine Rue Mag. For the fashion editorial section of their recent anniversary issue, Rue Mag's production team explored the neighborhoods of SF - seen below in one of the greener-tinged areas of the city.

Here's the kicker: not only did they bring the usual gaggle of stylists, makeup artists, photographers and models - they let Oskari Polho (one of Ampliphi Media's favorite videographers) come along for the ride. As a result, they not only got great fashion shots for their editorial pages, but also a fun and interactive video that chronicles the models' adventures around the city - and actually shows off the clothing in motion. Which, for an internet-based readership, is just the thing to provide extra value that simply can't be replicated by traditional magazines.

Credit roll from the Vimeo post of Oskar's video

Who else benefits from this kind of collaboration? The band that gets credit for the video's musical background - and even the photography company that took care of the fashion shots. Even thecommich was lured into the cross pollination party in an effort to big up Oskar!

Now each company - from Oskar, to The Soft White Sixties, to The Rhoads, can all proudly share this same video on Facebook and Twitter - which of course equals more readership and greater branding reach for Rue Magazine.

From fulfilling a bare necessity ("we need a fashion shoot for this issue") to a slam dunk social marketing campaign that benefits everyone who participates in it - at the cost of one videographer and a few hours of editing. Is that a budget spend that makes sense to you? Sure does to us.

Comments? Suggestions? Violent reactions? Weigh in below!

Bianca Gonzalez - The Life of A Super Talk Show Host

2011-09-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Thecommich doffs her hat to Bianca Gonzalez - a long tall drink of brown beauty and vivaciousness, and a mainstay for ABS CBN talk shows such as SNN, Pinoy Big Brother, Entertainment Live, and Y-Speak.

An in-demand host, model, magazine editor, and active participant in Filipino youth affairs, Bianca continues to impress with her seemingly unflappable style. Let's take a closer look at the woman Twitter peeps call @iamsuperbianca - and to borrow her trademark term, let's do it now na.

Thecommich: What made you decide to become a TV host? Was this a childhood dream of yours or did you just stumble upon it?

I definitely just stumbled upon it. It was solely because of my brother JC that I got into hosting. I was a junior in college, working part time in production in ABS-CBN as a brainstormer and also modeling on the side, when I was asked if I wanted to try out being "on TV". I don't sing nor act nor dance, and my brother was a host, and so I said, "I guess I can try out hosting". It all started from there. It really came as a surprise not just to me but to my high school friends as well, because I am a painfully shy person.

2) Describe a working day in the life of Super Bianca.

A day in my life is sometimes crazy and sometimes super chill. Very much like my personality! I still have hosting work in ABS-CBN 3-4 times a week, and corporate hosting jobs every so often. I just recently became Editor-at-Large of Meg magazine, and that entails my attending shoots, planning meetings, copyediting pages, and writing articles!

No matter how busy my day is, I still make it a point to work out. I either run or do Pilates. During my free time, my priority is having dinner or watching a movie with my friends, and during my alone time, I love writing for my blog and blog hopping or checking different sites for news. When I have a few days off from work, even my friends know that that automatically means an out of town or out of the country trip!

I (also) attend field visits for UNICEF Philippines. Just last year, it was such an honor to be appointed Special Advocate for Children. A dream of mine! Yaay!

thecommich: Who do you consider your mentors in the business? What is the best piece of advice you've received?

I have learned from people I work with. Karen Davila and Ryan Agoncillo, from whom I learned to research, research, research, and how to voice my opinion. From Toni Gonzaga, Mariel Rodriguez, and Luis Manzano I learned the importance of listening, working with a team, being yourself and having fun while on the job.

I was so lucky to have been spotted by the King of Talk - Boy Abunda, and he has been handling my career ever since I started in 2004. He is probably the one I can call a mentor. Best advice he gave me, that I feel not only applies to being a host, but to life as well, "to be interesting, you have to be interested."

thecommich: What is your proudest moment as a TV host? Conversely, are there any embarrassing/crazy moments you'd rather forget?

Many embarrassing moments! But the great thing about TV hosting now is that it is not as stiff as it used to be. Now, laughing on air, fumbling with words, talking off cam, are more acceptable. Its all part of being more friendly, real, and "approachable" for the viewers.

Proudest moment is probably when I was asked to do SNN. At that time, Kris Aquino was leaving all her talk shows, and out of all the hosts they could get to take her place, I was chosen. By Ate Kris, by the management, by Tito Boy. To this day, even now that the show is over, it is still so surreal to me. It's like a validation that I must be doing something right. It was never my dream to be on TV, and so I look at every opportunity given to me as a huge blessing!

thecommich: What's next for you? Any projects you're excited about or anything you want to do in the near future?

Now that SNN is over, I am going back to the Saturday entertainment news show I host called E Live. Also, in a few months, the new season of Pinoy Big Brother is going to begin, which we are all excited about! I am excited for so many possibilities to come, even though here in the country, talk shows are very limited and its really drama that rules the airwaves.

I still dream of hosting something regionally, to be able to represent the Philippines! I hope to be a host for as long as I can and for as long as I am given the chance to do what I love.

Any questions or comments for Bianca? Weigh in below!

BizTechDay adds content and value to its website through video

2011-09-14T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thecommich is proud and happy to announce that the videos Ampliphi Media produced for BizTechDay are ready for public consumption!

BizTechDay touts itself as "the most insightful voice of news, events & research for Small Business, Mobile and China Technology." Recently, Founder Edith Yeung had an idea to add compelling content on these industries as a part of their regular blog feed. The result is a series of interesting and informative interviews with some of the hottest names in App creation, movers and shakers in the Small Business world, and experts in the burgeoning China-US tech relationship.

Thecommich with Rebecca Fannin

Thecommich's personal favorites from the series include a high-level interview with Rebecca Fannin, author of Silicon Dragon, on China's rise from tech copycat to tech innovator; thoughts on user-generated content from Squidoo founder Megan Casey, and the special relationship between Shanghai and sister city San Francisco from China SF's Ginny Fang.

This is a great example of how a video for your company need not be a cheesy 3-minute explanation of why people should hire you. If you give valuable content that people want to see, the sales process takes care of itself. Check out more at www.biztechday.com.

Comments? Feedback? Love to hear it. Weigh in below!

Two words: "Production Value"

2011-08-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

A tale of two videos: both about trick bikers. Both showing impressive athletic and technical skill by two of the world's top professionals. Both set to a musical background. Which one would you rather put your screen credit on?

The first one, which looks like it's captured by a home video camera, shows the rider executing some pretty amazing stunts along the streets of London. Notice how the light changes from one scene to the next - the editor doesn't care about time of day, only about the quality of the trick being shown. Also, notice how every scene employs the same camera angle: perpendicular to the subject with the obstacle in the foreground and the biker on the upper third. In cases where the obstacle is a roof, a fisheye lens is used. OK, not bad. I'm sure this video inspired a legion of floppy haired teens to try and break their legs in new and novel ways.

Now check out this gem of a film featuring pro rider Danny Macaskill:

In fairness, this was professionally filmed and edited by a television station. But notice how much more production value was put into this piece. First off - a narrative. A lone rider comes into an abandoned ironworks building, with music in the background that speaks of "falling from high places" and being fed up with the status quo. As the song lyrics describe the highs and lows of life, camera angles come in extremes as well: shooting from directly below the rider; from above his head, through a set of stairs; following his movement as he jumps from the top of a roof to the ground below. Although the film may have taken days to shoot in the outdoors, the light quality is kept uniform (NOT an easy thing to do when working on location inside multiple structures). Every effort was made to scout the location and find creative angles to attack the stunt. It even has the rider "creating" the jumps - cutaways of tamping down soil for a ramp, clearing out debris from a roof, or practicing on a (literal) high wire (Most likely a small army of builders and production assistants standing on the other side of the camera did the actual work).

In summary: Not all video is alike. The production with thought, budget, and time put into it wins all the time. The challenge is in finding the right mix of the three to suit your needs and limitations.

What other videos have you watched recently that contain great production value? Weigh in below!

Do you want these guys doing your video?!

2011-08-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Neil Galang, for sharing this scary/hilarious video after reading the previous post on how to choose one (wisely). I feel like putting on my Mommy Hat after this video and saying, "See? This is what happens when you don't listen to me. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS!"

Please enjoy.

Finding the Right Videographer - 5 Questions to Ask

2011-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Finding the right videographer is somewhat like online dating: you have to know what you're looking for, otherwise might just end up with an inbox full of undeserving, unattractive, antisocial weirdos, some of whom are trying to take advantage of you.

There are a few ways to vet your videographer - one of them, obviously, is his/her online portfolio. But here is an interesting fact - many good videographers are not necessarily talented online designers or editors. I use one videographer whose online presence is sadly lacking (maybe because he's so busy shooting?), but whose talent behind the camera is unquestionable. Conversely, someone with great programming and Photoshop skills might wow you with his whiz-bang website - but looking at the actual content of the video may make you realize he is that most insidious being, a dilettante. That's the guy who has a ton of hobbies, a lot of things he is "pretty" good at, but never really spent the time or effort to be excellent at any of them, and certainly not at videography. In the photography world, he is known as a Fauxtog.

So here are some questions you can ask any potential hire to help separate the good guys from the goats:

1) WHAT KIND OF EQUIPMENT ARE YOU BRINGING?
This is a great way to gauge how experienced someone is with an on-location shoot. If you've given your basic objective (e.g. a 5 minute video, shot mostly indoors, with shots of the office, interviews of the boss and some clients), your guy should already know that means a full light kit, sound equipment, tripod, reflectors and probably a PA or two to help set up and keep track of shots.

In an on location shoot, preparation is everything. You waste valuable time, effort and money if you don't have all the equipment or manpower you need to get a good result. A good videographer will tell you everything he has on hand, what he needs to rent (important because YOU will be paying the rental fees), and what he needs for contingency. Someone who uses the phrase "wing it" after this question is asked should immediately be shown the door.

2) WHO DO YOU WORK WITH?

We all know not to go to a dentist for an appendectomy. A videographer is there to capture the moment in a compelling and clear way. His editor, scriptwriter and producer bring the entire video to life. Sometimes a videographer is also a good editor. Rarely is he a one man band, capable of all aspects of production. Never is he a pirate. Oh... wait....

Understanding who he is collaborating with, and understanding how experienced THEY are, gives you a better grasp of what to expect from the final product. Does he have someone with him to track the good takes, move things along on schedule and coordinate the next shot - or is he leaving all those "trivial" details to you? Is someone else asking the questions in the interview, or is he sticking a camera in your face and telling you to talk? Is the final edit going to be performed by him or by his old college buddy who used Final Cut for his semester of broadcasting? Check the team's names online (LinkedIn is a great place) and see their work too.

3) WHAT WAS YOUR LAST PROJECT?
Now we find out whether this guy just does wedding videos, or if he has what it takes to create a professional grade, well thought out video that investors and consumers want to see. Don't get me wrong - lots of videographers do weddings as a way to augment income in the not so busy months. But, obviously, you don't need everyone to see your wedding video. You DO need everyone - or at least the right people - to see your business video.

A good video guy has been around long enough to do it all - the wedding, the corporate video, maybe a fashion show or TV pilot. I love using guys who have done news coverage - they are alert and fearless in their efforts to catch the perfect shot. People who used to be in film are also great, provided they are not so artsy that the thought of doing corporate videos causes them to roll their eyes or fidget uncomfortably. If the last project your videographer mentions is something for school, or for a friend, or for his church, then sorry - he is not the guy you need.

4) HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Here's the thing: many, many people will tell you that it is "cheaper than ever" to create a quality video. This is true. "Cheaper," however, does not mean free. Nor does it change the rules of video, which state that dark places must be lit (properly), sound must be captured (properly) on a microphone, shots must be edited (rigorously), and that a great eye for shots is born from experience.

So if your potential videographer is telling you he can create an amazing 5 minute video in under $500, ask yourself: what is he scrimping on to get that deal to you? Most likely that means an inexperienced crew, iffy quality equipment, lackadaisical editing, or just general lack of knowledge. Maybe he wants to get you this price in the hopes that you will hire him again? That's counting pre-hatched chickens dude, and you know what everyone says about THAT.

I'm not saying that there is a base price for video, or that super expensive videos will 100% get you super awesome results. I'm just saying you can't buy a second hand Toyota Yaris and expect it to drive like an Audi.

Do you want to pay for this...

...or this?

5) IF YOU WEREN'T WORKING ON THIS VIDEO, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?

Some people might consider this a trick question, a Pandora's Box of subconscious yearning, a veritable maze of reasoning from which the hapless service provider might never emerge from alive. But honestly - this is a great way to see where this person's aspirations and ambitions are going. Is this person really about capturing good product, or is he using this as the next jumping off point for joining the next season of Big Brother?

Call me crazy but when I hire someone, I want to make sure the person who gets the job is more knowledgeable and passionate than I am regarding whatever it is I'm hiring them for. Otherwise, why bother? The responses I would like to hear from this question are (in no particular order):

- I would be working on the pilot to my own TV series (see Variety Society SF)
- I would be traveling the world capturing crazy food/customs/environment on video and hopefully turning it into compelling short films (see: Eat, Learn, Move from Rick Mereki)
- I would be shooting for a huge client that I can't name but has given me creative cache to make the most amazing video possible which will earn them millions of website hits and qualified customers galore. (see upcoming Ampliphi Media website ;-)

IN SUMMARY:

Don't just judge a videographer by what you see on YouTube or his website. Professionalism, experience, attention to detail, and the ability to work with others are traits that are just as important - if not more - than getting a rock bottom price for video services.

What else would YOU look for in a video provider? Weigh in below!

Think like a Silicon Valley CEO

2011-08-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

Thecommich has had amazing opportunities to sit and talk with some of the most talented, brilliant minds in cinema and business. Last week, a dozen or so stars in the App and Startup universes converged at Biz Tech Day headquarters in San Francisco to talk about their newest projects and their thoughts on the industry.

You'll have to tune into Biz Tech Day in the coming months to find out more - but there are some commonalities I noticed in speaking to these talented guys and gals. Do you have what it takes to be among their ranks?

PASSION - in her interview, Edith Yeung of Biz Tech Day made a great point when talking about what Chinese businessmen need to know about the US tech market: "These (US) people don't care how much money you can make with an idea. They care about how passionate you are about it. They want to see how much you are personally investing in your company." This if of course not to say that money is not an objective. It just shows that desiring money is not the starting point for disruptive, exciting ideas.

LISTENING TO EXPERIENCE - almost every interviewee in the mobile space was asked how they thought up their app. Invariably the answer went something like "I was sitting in [location] and [having lunch, talking to a friend, looking for a store] when I thought, wouldn't it be great if [incredible new idea for an app]". Unlike our ivory tower notion of intellectuals and other great thinkers, today's App gurus are sourcing their ideas from real life experiences. They work and go about their day like we do - except, that when they have a "wouldn't it be great if...." moment, they actually take the time to figure out how that can translate into a usable tool that they can create. If we all thought like this, we'd already probably be riding in flying cars and talking to each other with our minds.

NUANCED THINKING - "Is there a tech bubble?" is one of the most asked questions for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and definitely a hot topic among the ones we interviewed. What's interesting is the manner in which our interviewees tackled the question. Most had been around for the first big dot com bust, and could make direct comparisons not only with the amount of money being given to new companies (tens of billions in the late Nineties, compared to hundreds of millions today), but also to the type of investor that was raising the funds (non-tech investors then, vs. highly attuned VCs specializing in the tech space today). Digging deeper into an issue and making distinctions that are easily missed in today's sloganeering, sound bite culture are important to thought leaders. They should be important to the rest of us, as well.

CONSTANT OBSERVATION - Thought leaders take lots of cues from what's going on in the market place. They look for trends and patterns in what people are watching and buying. They look at what's in the news. They listen to people commenting on the blogosphere. Every interviewee was asked roughly the same questions - Are we in a tech bubble? What about China? Where is the market going? No matter what the answer, they backed up their response with a slew of observations on market behavior, economic statistics, and personal experience. Even their gut instincts have facts to back them up. Good observation skills not only keep us informed and opinionated, they make decision making and action that much more timely and effective.

What other traits do you think belong in this category? Weigh in below!

The incredible rotating corridor from Inception

2011-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Thecommich swears on her life - a fantastic, thought provoking blog post on Silicon Valley thought leaders is in the works. BUT, in the meantime, check this awesome video out.

It's an in-depth look on a minute-or-so long scene from Inception that took more than 6 months to build and an incredible amount of effort and thought to pull off. For all my video production fans out there - you ever think you're stuck in a monstrously difficult shoot, watch this video and think again.

SF Artists Attempt to Bring Variety Back to TV

2011-06-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

One thing you'll never be able to fault Sam Jack for is a lack of vision. The videographer and veteran of the 48 Hour Film project is launching his most ambitious mission to date: an attempt to bring back the late night variety show to San Francisco viewers. In Living Color, SNL and Kids in the Hall are templates of sorts for Jack's Variety Society, set to air soon (with the help of sponsors, hopefully VERY soon) on San Francisco's KOFY.

Thecommich met Sam a few years back on the production of a brilliant but yet to be released indie film. Ever a supporter of small businesses with big dreams, she decided a blog post might be in order. Sitting across from the "Yawning Zombie" - as he was called on set way back when - I found a passionate and focused dude with a real jones for entertainment. Here are some snippets of the convo:

THECOMMICH: What possessed you to start the Variety Society?
SAM: I grew up in the Bay Area and always loved the diversity in the people and their talent. I also grew up being a BIG fan of sketch comedy and late night shows. I've always wanted to be involved in a show like that.

Also, why are there only late night shows coming out of LA and NY? There's tons of celebrities, actors, performers and musicians that either call the Bay home, or come through on their touring schedule. I thought, if there's a way to tap into that, to bring a show from the SF Bay Area to a national stage would be the ultimate.

Finally, you only see actors, comedians sometimes, musicians and filmmakers on late shows. What about other performers? Community organizations? Non profits? Innovative start-ups? Tech-savvy entrepreneurs? I'd like to break through that - hence the slogan"bringing variety back to late night."

For instance: check out magician David Blatter as he takes a nail through the nose:

THECOMMICH: Who is the core group that works with you? How did you all come together?

SAM: I've been working with Justin Lanelutter, the head writer, Frank Slodysko, audio technician, Colin Murray the director; George Brendon Fox VI, the assistant director. We came together to work on the 48hr Film Project where you have to write, shoot and edit all in 2 days. Over the years we realized we've galvanized quite a crew of production people, why not formalize it into something we can call our own.

Dave Chappelle: Future guest?

Colin and I founded a video production company Viral Media Network, in 2010. We wanted to create a real network, of filmmakers, production staff & content. The host, Dan Sullivan and I are neighbors. He told me he was an improv actor, so we started talking about collaborating and discovered that we had a vision to do a late night talk show.

THECOMMICH: Name 3 guests you would love to have on Variety Society

SAM: The first 3 that come to mind would be Mike Rowe, Dave Chappelle & Robin Williams. All three either live in the Bay area or stay here a good part of the year. Not only are they all funny, but they all started small & continue to not let their success take over them. For music guests, I would love to get Zion I, Crown City Rockers & Green Day on the show.

THECOMMICH: What are the challenges putting up a show like this in San Francisco?

SAM: Basically money related. None of us are trust fund babies or have ties to venture capitalism so now we are trying to get sponsorship. What we need is medium to larger companies to believe in us enough to take a small risk. The best part for them is they get advertising out of it. We'll take that money, make a quality produced show and produce some compelling advertising, as commercials and incorporated into the show.

THECOMMICH: In one sentence - why should people watch your show?

SAM: Because we're not your typical late night show, and you're going to see guests you won't see on other late night shows: we're bringing variety back to late night.

Interested in performing, sponsoring or otherwise being a part of Variety Society? Check out their new Promo Video and head over to their website to contact them.

We'll leave you (as most variety shows do) with a musical performance by hip hop group The Dime. Best of luck to the Variety Society!

A Sinner, A Saint, and Some Awesome Branding

2011-06-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

Thecommich has been blessed with a career for which, among other things, she must drink alcohol and enjoy it. And never has the enjoyment been mixed with so many geeked out "OMG THIS IS AWESOME" moments as when she visited the St. George Spirits tasting room in Alameda last week.

Inside the distillery

"Basic Training" tasting menu

I came over to talk shop with them about promotional possibilities with Ploom (super exciting! Deets to follow). St. George Spirits is over 30 years old, but as the artisinal attitude toward food, fashion and drink continues to sweep the nation, the brand is definitely on "It" status at the moment. And why not? After all, they produce over 50,000 bottles of premium liquor a year - ranging from their signature Eau de Vie, to vodka, whiskey, tea-infused and coffee liquers, and absinthe. These are all on the menu at the tasting room - thank God for small pours and big glasses of water!

But the main reason I love St. George is the fearless abandon with which the company embraces its craft - and its personality. As with every great branding exercise, it's all in the details. The distillery sits in a decommissioned Navy hangar overlooking the Bay. Coming in feels like being transported into a punk rock version of Willy Wonka's factory. There is a devil on the wall, his beard ticking right and left with each passing second. There is a 2 headed baby doll (I hope it's a doll) marinating in a bell jar full of vodka. There is a sign that says "Emotional Support Begins Here" and points to the liquor tasting station. And I'm only at the building's entrance.

old logo from the Navy

Through the tasting room you can see the gleaming copper stills where the magic happens. Upstairs, another awesome experience - the old officer's club lounge now has a bar in the shape of a plane's wing. Seats are from old commercial airplanes and still have their center consoles and seatbelts. The walls have old school wet-plate portraits of St George bottles, or paintings of pinup girls on old airplane parts. The company even took the emblem of the squadron that was once housed in their distillery and worked it into their logo.

good warning

The staff comes off as the closest thing I've seen to a motorcycle gang of distillers - edgy, tattooed and face pierced, unafraid of the status quo, incredibly well versed in all things distillery related and fiercely loyal to each other and their work. You can see their eyes light up when they describe the painstaking methods they use to distill the essence of every fruit into their liquor. Andie and Sascha, who took me through the tasting, are employees anyone would beg to hire for their company. Passion for their work oozes through everything they do. They told me with pride that the tasting station is only run by people who have actually worked at the distillery - never outsiders who are hired to deal with guests.

James talks shop while absinthe clouds a glass

All in all I was floored, and not just by the absinthe. It was a joy to behold people that create a great product, putting their personality and their guts out for a brand they believed in. Definitely a great lesson in branding for me, and an inspiration to all brands who just want to do what they do and be themselves doing it.

BTW: The tasting room also has a special Friday evening tour (called Special Ops. See? Brilliant). For $20 you can go through the distillery, learn about the history of the building and St. George, and do a full tasting. Call ahead to reserve spots.

If Fonts Were People...

2011-06-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ampiphi Media's favorite graphic designer Victoria Montilla scours the web constantly in search of inspiration (and sometimes, just a couple of laughs). In this video she scored bonus points for also teaching us the value and personality behind fonts. TRY not to bust out when you see WingDings. I dare you.

Brand Zombies - They're Aliiiiiive!

2011-05-31T16:22:00.000-07:00

In the post-~~apocalypse~~ recession landscape, it's refreshing to be able to note the comeback of some old brands that people didn't think would ever make it to the top of consumer consciousness again. They may be half-eaten and stinky, with their guts hanging out and dragging on the ground... but like our enduring obsession with the walking undead, sometimes you just can't keep a good brand down.

Thecommich lists our favorite re-animated brand monsters:

Penn, his Vans, and his bagel

VANS
In 1982, a young actor by the name of Sean Penn sported a pair of checkered slip-on "surfer" shoes in the slacker movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Thus began the love affair that every boy with a portable board had with Vans sneakers. The company, begun by Paul Van Doren in 1966, soon began making its signature canvas shoes available in every department store that would sell them - creating a huge demand for trendy, colorful shoes for teens. What followed, of course, was a flood of cheaper copycats that diluted Vans' consumer base and branding cache. Added to the fact that Vans had way too many fingers in too many pies (they had a line for skaters, surfers, wakeboarders, and motocross; high tops, mid rise and low tops, slip ons and... what were we talking about again?), the company was pushed over the limit and had to file for bankruptcy as early as 1983.

By 1985, although all debts had been repaid, the brand entered a long and painful slump. New sneaker companies like Nike came in to replace canvas with cutting edge technology and space age shapes. Emerging globalization enabled other brands to create shoes cheaply abroad, while Vans struggled to make ends meet at their Orange, CA factory. Eventually the brand sold out to an investment bank and closed the factory.

Vans Aura snowboard boot

Act 2 came as something of a surprise in a new and exciting sport: snowboarding. With the skate market now flooded with shoes, Vans boosted sales almost singlehandedly by creating a boot for the US, Japan and Europe snowboard market. It also started sponsoring key activities within the skater market again - erecting skater parks, and launching the Vans Off The Wall tour for a 360-degree music and skate experience.

Without losing its original teen lifestyle focus, Vans successfully made itself relevant again - and also kept its cred with the now-older generation that still love the shoes' look and shape. Today, my 31 year old husband, his younger cousins, his uncle, and his dad all wear Vans, and nobody thinks this is weird.

BURBERRY

I love using this brand as an example because a) it's one of the oldest brands out there, and b) it's one of the only brand that have successfully gone from luxury to blue collar and back again (Sorry Tommy Hilfiger, not you).

Burberry was founded in 1856, and for decades was THE name in British style and sensibility for the noble class. Their coats were worn by rugged Brit adventurers, government officers and naval commanders. Their signature checker was a mark of style from London to Paris, and all one needed to do was say "Burberrys of London" to connote the kind of easy elegance that everyone aspired for.

You won't find this in the showroom.

Until the 1970's, that is, when rising economic tides enabled the middle class to finally afford luxury items. Thus began the long "Proletarian Drift" - with the distinctive checker adorning not just ordinary folk, but lower class kids, football hooligans and criminals as well. As late as 2004, you could actually be arrested for wearing a Burberry hat in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Today, Burberry is sprucing up its image with a younger looking line, fresh image models (Emma Watson, see my earlier post), and hosting a big, splashy comeback fashion show in 2009. Sales have leapt ahead in 2011, thanks to new markets opening in (you guessed it) China.

GENERAL MOTORS

Gotta give props to the Big G. From its complete humiliation in 2008 (Company on verge of complete meltdown! CEO forced to abandon personal jet and fly coach to Washington!), GM has not only paid back its debts, it's also posted some non-pathetic profit. Barron's reports that sales this year were up 25% through April - about 5% ahead of the natural average - and still scheduled to grow with new orders coming in from China and the now-un-recessed US economy.

As this ad by Goodby Silverstein shows, Americans may be as cheesy as the burgers that make them fat, but damn if they don't know how to get back up when they get knocked down, so that slow, reflective piano music can play in the background and inspire you, yes YOU, to be a better man.

PLEASE COME BACK FROM THE GRAVE!

In the spirit of wishing redemption to every brand that wants it, thecommich and her compatriots would like to give a shout out to those struggling brands out there who can't... seem... to rise again. To everyone in the gallery below, we salute you, and will think of you fondly on Halloween if you haven't made your comeback yet. (Do you know people or brands who need to be in this article? Comment below!!!)

Lying to his wife gave the best golfer in the world the world's biggest choking spree. oh, the Iron-y.

Worst car in brand perception survey, 2011. Wait, they sell cars?

There's more to the Church than child molesters. But they need to make sure people know that.

I wouldn't worry too much... I have a feeling He'll Be Back

Actually, these guys can stay dead.

Refreshing Your Brand - Is It Time?

2011-05-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Much like popping "the question," gauging the right time for a company re-brand can be tricky. Most business owners fret about cost - is this the right time for my bank account? - and others worry about trying to fix a thing that ain't broke (see the cringe-inducing efforts of Tropicana to "coolify" their brand).

But for many business owners, a brand refresh may just be what the doctor ordered to give sales a shot in the arm, and to get people buzzing again. And, just like the aforementioned "question," your market may already be dropping subtle hints that they're ready.

Have sales reached a long term plateau - or worse, dropped steadily - despite your best marketing and promo efforts? Is your market moving to other places where you are not? (take note: it could be a physically different place, like the new Target down the street, or an online social site you're not yet a part of). Have you been concentrating on one demographic so long that potential new markets are missing you?

Added to this, has your management changed drastically? Have you merged or partnered with other companies? Has your focus or mission changed significantly since your first branding exercise?

If you answered yes to any of the above, thecommich thinks It Might Be Time.

Now, a brand refresh is more than just a change of logo - it is, in fact, a whole new way to present your company. You have to convince the public to see you in a new light, while simultaneously retaining what your loyal market base likes about you. Again, this is tricky. I like to compare it to what the contestants on The Biggest Loser go through. How do you lose 100+ pounds, gain a new perspective on life, change your eating and exercising routine completely, and still keep the same friends as you had when you weighed half a ton? How do you go back to the family that knew you as a heavyweight and convince them that you love them as much now that you're healthy?

Similarly, many brands seem to have difficulty retaining their loyal customers while opening themselves up to new markets. Some exceptions were pointed out by Business Insider, who used J. Crew and Burberry as successful examples of managing to stay traditional yet hip. Both brands nod to their long tradition of luxury basics like trench coats and cashmere sweaters. But they managed to stay relevant by listening to customers - Burberry's staple trench coat is now available in shorter, chicer lengths, and uses hot young "it" girl Emma Watson as its image model. J. Crew discovered that women were buying their sundresses to use as bridesmaid dresses and opened their own bridal line in response.

Are you ready for a brand refresh? How would YOU walk the line between maintaining customer loyalty and opening up in new and exciting directions? WEIGH IN BELOW!!

BOOM! Disruptive Marketing Techniques and Why They Work.

2011-05-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Thecommich has been doing a lot of research on disruptive marketing recently, and is very excited by what she's found. For companies with controversial products (think tobacco, alcohol, anything to do with sex), or brands that have been around so long people have almost stopped seeing them, the power of the unexpected can't be over-emphasized.

Consider a tobacco company called Legal Cigarettes (um...wow), which launched amid the tumult of New York City's decision to ban smoking in all indoor public spaces. Veteran PR spinners Vorticom were tapped to do their marketing campaign - and to their credit, they took the challenge head on. First, they employed super attractive (dare I say "smoking?") "leaners" to stand outside popular restaurants, nursing Legal cigs and freely giving them out to anyone who wanted to bum a smoke. Then they turned the issue on it's head with a "Smoking is Legal" campaign, reminding everyone that the hot button baddie of the day was actually sanctioned to be sold by the government (and mind you, a huge income earner for the American economy). Not only did they have a Smoking is Legal party the week before the smoking ban was put in place, they actually created a website called The Right To Smoke Coalition, effectively tying their product to a cause - albeit one that only a minority of people supported. Did Vorticom's campaign create more smokers? No, and that wasn't the point. The objective was media impressions, and boy did they knock that out of the park. 60 Minutes, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times and a slew of other publications talked about the issue. Was there controversy? Hell yes. But also a 100% increase in sales and a small but vocal minority brought together by a small but vocal brand.

The lesson: as Britney and Lindsay know, "bad" news is still news. You can hate a product or love it, but every company has the right to promote and sell their product to people who want to buy it.

What about a brand that's so ubiquitous you're hard pressed to find ways to make it seem new? In 2009, Burger King launched it's Facebook Whopper Sacrifice campaign, in which you could qualify to win a free Whopper if you de-friended 10 friends from your Facebook profile. What a great excuse for dropping the people you only said yes to because they were friends of your girlfriend (or dropping your parents on the pretext of a newfound capitalistic bent). To rub it in, your new un-friends got an announcement saying they had been traded in for a Whopper. Over 80,000 people removed 250,000 friends in less than a week, and more would have met the same fate if Facebook hadn't put the kibbosh on the whole thing (you didn't expect the control freaks at FB to let people be incented to de-friend non friends, would you?)

The lesson: add a little fun to the mix. The BK people were smart enough to understand that Facebook isn't a wonderland of camaraderie, and that real friends wouldn't be offended (really) by someone giving them up for a burger. And even getting shut down by Facebook was a great way to get BK back on the blogosphere (see "The Lesson" above).

Can disruptive marketing work for your personal or business life? Sally Hogshead seems to think so. The professional marketer and speaker gave a great talk at TED Atlanta on the rules for fascination. Sally contends that the average person's attention span has dropped from 30 minutes back in pre-Industrial days to a mere 9 seconds today - roughly the same span as a gold fish!

So how does one tap into a fishy attention span and reach the human underneath? A "disruptive" way of presenting yourself is the most likely one to work. In the video - which I highly recommend you watch - Sally uses her online dating experience as an example. Taking from real samples of daters who had wanted to meet her, Sally went from "Hi" to "Hey Sexy" and various other lame versions of the same, til she came to this one:

"I have a tan, all my teeth and can easily see my belly button...I'm looking for a girl who appreciates the finer things in life but is willing to settle for me."

Then she goes on to say that after talking to this particular man they started dating and they were engaged to be married. BOOM goes the dynamite!

The lesson: To market yourself to humans, be human. Nobody wants a walking corporate brochure as a friend. Also - in a marketplace filled with identical competitors, the best thing to do is say what you want in the flashiest way possible. Goldfish like shiny things. Give them something to nibble on.

Are there any disruptive campaigns you've heard about and want to share? Comment below! Send us a link! To my Filipino and foreign subscribers, I'd love to know if there are any campaigns in your country we can all take a look at.

The Website Essential Elements Checklist

2011-04-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

I get frequent requests from acquaintances and potential clients to "check out their website" for evaluation. I'm happy to do it, since the act of checking out usually teaches me something about how companies think when they set these sites up. Many businesses, especially if they went online at the start of the Internet boom, haven't updated their site in decades... and this leads to some very sharp losses on customer gain and retention. Others have become so enamored of the latest social media technology that their sites are a dizzying amalgam of bells, whistles, doo-dads and glitter... often at the expense of valuable content and real opportunities to connect with people.

Thecommich is a great believer in Web 2.0 and the potential it has to grow a business - any business - if it's equipped with the right elements and easy to navigate information. Here are a few of my favorite things, which I believe are essential to any website that aims to attract and retain potential clients.

The Call to Action Button
If you are selling a product or service (and most people with a website are), this is the numero uno, goes-without-saying, no-Sh*t-Sherlock thing to have. And it's amazing how many websites don't have one.

A call to action button gives whoever is looking at your website a simple way to buy what you're selling with one click. A service provider wants clients to "Call today", "Schedule a Consultation", "Take Our Survey" or "Pick a Plan That's Right For You." A retailer wants people to "Add to Cart," "Order Now," "Find a Location," or maybe "Tell A Friend." Either way - if you're not directing people to take action, or making it too difficult for them to do so, you are losing money and an opportunity to create a fan.

Where to put the call to action button? When you go to the bathroom, you don't want to spend 10 minutes looking for the flush, do you? Similarly (and forgive the crude analogy), you don't want potential customers going on an Easter Egg Hunt around your website to try and find the best way to reach you. Make the call to action visible and intuitive. Put the "buy now" button right under a photo of the product. Put the "contact us today" button next to your company logo, preferably up top above the "fold" where they don't have to scroll down to find it.

More examples Call To Action Buttons right here.

Live Links
Another must-have that is criminally neglected by many small businesses, live links - otherwise known as hyperlinks - make your site interactive, more informative, and most of all engaging. Business owners freak out a little at the thought that you are linking away from your own website. While this is a legitimate concern (and there is definitely a moderation issue with these links), in most cases, an outbound link can actually gain you more traffic than not having one at all. For one thing, it increases your Search Engine ranking . For another, it shows that you truly care about giving potential clients all the information they need to make up their mind about you. I know a great relationship counselor who specializes in Adlerian Psychology. Would you be persuaded to go to her if you didn't know who Adler was or how his psychology works? Would you go and research these terms yourself if she didn't have the links on her site?

For online resumes and portfolios, live links to your work are a MUST. There is no substitute for being able to see someone's work when it is referenced in a conversation. There is also nothing worse of an impression than when you give someone a mile-long URL to check out and not having that URL click through to the page you want them to get to. DO NOT make anyone have to copy and paste a URL for any work you exhibit online.

Check out The Ten Commandments of Linking

Social Media Buttons
As a resident of San Francisco it still surprises me how often this "debate" comes up among C-level professionals: Whether or not social media is "here to stay." News flash fellas: much like immigrants from the 3rd World, social media has been here long before you thought it was, and is staying long after you think it will. The platforms may change (Friendster to MySpace to Facebook), the channels may vary (Facebook vs. Twitter vs. LinkedIn), but the act of engaging in meaningful conversations with people online is a behavior that nobody is letting go of for the next couple of centuries. So get over it, and put those buttons on.

Which buttons, of course, depends on which channels of social media you are engaged in - and that's not to say you should be on ALL of them. I've found that most companies are happy just curating their LinkedIn account - as JD Gershbein, Owlish Communications' Linked In expert says, this is the "tortoise" channel: slow going, but a winner in the end due to the significant relationships you cultivate. Businesses with a retail offering, or dealing with a chattering class of customer, are probably going to be on Facebook and their awesome new Fan Pages with Store apps. Own a food truck? Go Twitter crazy and build your following as you broadcast your location.

The point is, businesses nowadays need an online component to earn - and keep - new clients. And that online component needs to be easy to find on your site.

Your Blog Page
Do you need a blog? I would say yes. Do you WANT to have a blog? Probably not. Otherwise you'd have one already.

Why does a small business need a blog? The answer to this is so long it's really a subject for another blog post. For now, let me list 3 reasons:

1) Search Engine Ranking
2) Establishing yourself as an expert
3) Having self-published content to refer to in social media

To elaborate, equally briefly:

1) Your ranking is higher with every new post, with every new subject you tackle on your blog, and with every time someone comments on your blog.

2) In a world filled with information and opinion, having your take on an issue or problem involving your industry is of immense value when people are trying to find someone to help them make sense of it all. Similarly, in a world filled with similar retail products, showing a little slice of personality behind a brand is a great differentiator.

3) Remember those links I was talking about earlier? If they are YOUR links, you keep them engaged with you. A published blog post is also a great way to contribute to an online conversation. I'm following a guy on Twitter who one day tweeted how much he hated seeing blatant and uncorrected grammatical errors on the web. Guess who had just written a post on that? I sent my link over - and not only did I get a compliment from my "Twitter buddy", I also got free exposure on his feed (and his 1,000 followers), which hopefully then translated to more hits on this blog.

What other essentials do YOU think should be on every website? Weigh in below. Looking forward to hearing your suggestions.

Best Practices for On-Camera Interviews and Beyond

2011-04-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this post from the perspective of someone who interviews people for a (part time) living on camera, but anyone can use these pointers in day to day job interviews, speaker moderation, or just good old networking. In an age when so much communication is no longer face to face, it's no wonder that less and less people enjoy the art of bringing out the best in other people through conversation. Even pros like Steven Colbert or late night hosts like Jimmy Fallon seem less interested in talking to their subjects and more engaged with setting up the next punchline to showcase their own (sometimes dubious) wit.

An interview is a strange beast: one person controlling the flow of information and discussion for two people. At its best, it looks and feels like a spirited discussion of great ideas between big personalities. At its worst, it can be embarrassing, stilted, boring and even hostile. Rare gems like Jerry Springer love that last kind of interview; personally I'll pass. Journalists like Scott Pelley and notoriously, Mike Wallace, love head-on confrontations with people they believe are in the wrong. (Which kind of interview do you personally enjoy? Comment below!)

Thecommich wants to give the world a Coke, or at least the kind of goodwill that a civilized, informative and fun interview can engender - between host and subject, and within the audience. Herewith, some tips on achieving this:

1. Know your Stuff

This is one of the many corollaries to what I like to call my Very First Rule: Don't be Lazy. Anyone who's interviewed a potential new hire knows that you have to read the person's resume first. If the result of your interview affects someone else's bottom line - the network's ratings, say, or the difference between hiring a good coworker or a drooling idiot - I suggest you do your homework before sitting in that chair.

One word: Google. All you need is a name and that search engine, and chances are you will find good dirt (or at least the dirt you need to formulate good questions - more on that later). Of course, it doesn't hurt to email the person directly and ask. The more you find the better.

If you have the good fortune to be interviewing a mega famous person, you're probably talking to their handler. And you're also probably helping that person promote something - a movie, a book, a leaked sex tape, what have you. Again, do the research. What's it about? What are the reviews like? Did you personally like it? Is there backstage/pre-production gossip on its making?

I always like to talk to my interview subjects for a little bit before going on air, and asking them simple and easy questions like "how's your day been? What are you doing after this taping?" It gives me a chance to see a little glimpse of their daily life, and an opportunity to ask them something more immediate and personal ("...you mentioned you are heading to a soccer tournament. I never realized you liked to play!")

2. Keep it Focused

I mean this in two ways: first, and most obviously, pay attention to who you're talking to. I've seen interviewers fiddling with their hair on stage, making jokes off camera, or not even looking at their subject after asking the question. All no bueno. If you are over the age of 5, I'm pretty sure you can shut up, sit still and listen to someone for 5 minutes.

The second thing is to keep the questions focused, and to stay in control. What makes a good question? Something that is not answerable by a "yes" or "no." You want your subject to open up. Ask why, when, how and where. "Why did you decide to take this project on?" "When did you know you were destined to be a writer?" "Where did you start your martial arts career?"

Remember: as an interviewer, YOU are in control of the conversation. It's YOUR responsibility, not the guest's, to make the segment interesting, informative and on topic. Jon Stewart likes to let his interviewees say whatever the hell they want - but then again his interviewees are Presidents, Nobel Prize winners and Hollywood stars. If you're working with less rarified talent, I suggest you have ways to rein them in. I once interviewed an actress who would not, for the life of her, stop talking. My producer was yelling in my ear to "Wrap it uuuuuuup!", but I couldn't get a word in edgewise. Or at least, I thought I couldn't. In my star struck state I forgot who was really in charge and let her feel comfortable enough to take over. The result was a portion that was way overtime, impossible to edit (because of the non stop nattering) and where I looked like a total moron smiling placidly while this woman ran over me with her mouth.

3. It's Not Just About Facts

Elizabeth Ramsay on Adobo Nation

The most memorable interviews I've had stick in my head for one reason: I felt real emotion from my subject. Sometimes all it takes is one question. Elizabeth Ramsay, the legendary Filipino comedienne, told me once how she had to live in her relatives' garage when she first moved to the US. I asked her, as gently as I could, "how did that feel, especially since you had come from so much success?" She cried and asked me not to continue the line of questioning. I obliged, but every answer she gave after that was thoughtful, nostalgic and touching. Another couple had started a super successful sushi restaurant in LA, after almost 20 years of fighting for American citizenship and making their long way up the culinary ladder. Hearing them talk about their struggles, I don't think there was a dry eye in the studio.

Even job interviews can be much more revealing when you ask questions beyond KPIs and projects accomplished. "How did you feel about leaving your former company?" is a great way to gauge maturity level, and how this person deals with change. "How did you like your former co-workers? How happy are you with your life right now?" People don't stop being human in the office, and the sooner you know what kind of human you're dealing with, the better for your organization.

4. Wrap it Up... With a Bow

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Professional is in the details. Learning how to end an interview smoothly is a detail that takes a surprising amount of practice. Most subjects can sense their time about to end, and try to squeeze in a couple more facts/zingers/non sequiturs at the last minute (which, as I said in my previous post, is really annoying). Sometimes, a swift, brisk (yet polite) interruption is the best way to say goodbye.

Hopefully your classy subject knows the time has come, and lets you lead into goodbyes. In this case, thank them for their time and reiterate what they came to promote ("Thanks Maria, and good luck on your show Maria Goes To Washington!"). For job interviews, for God's sake be nice and let them know when they can expect a result. Give a last big smile, and either wait for "cut" or walk them out the door.

Tah Daah! You're done. Let me know how it went on the comment box below.

How to Give an Awesome On Camera Interview

2011-04-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

This is a topic near and dear to me... not just because I have the great opportunity to interview uber interesting/talented people on a weekly basis for Adobo Nation, but also because I take the art of interviewing very seriously. There are few things in life as brutal as watching a bad interview - where the host interrupts, shouts, is disengaged, or tries to keep the focus on themselves instead of the subject. Equally terrible are subjects that visibly wilt under the cameras, don't sit still, look badly groomed or unprofessional, and can't for the life of them remember what they are supposed to say.

As an interviewer, my job is to ask you the right questions and create a compelling and informative exchange of ideas. As an interviewee, YOUR job is to make sure you've said what you need to say, and come across as a credible and likable source of info. You have a rare chance to be heard, and to make your message stand out - either your own, or that of the company/group you represent. Don't screw it up (no pressure).

Fear not, however: thecommich has heard the plea of many soon-to-be guests and wants to share some tips. Take note - these are for soft, talk-show style interviews... not hard news or editorial interviews for 60 Minutes and the like. That's for another post!

Yay! Good to wear.

WHAT TO WEARThis is a question asked by an astonishing number of men. Women seem to understand intuitively what to bring to an on-cam interview: a bright colored, fitted dress or pant combo that doesn't wrinkle, nice chunky jewelry or a scarf, and natural makeup. That said, women sometimes make the mistake of wearing all black, which makes them look totally washed out (and a bit sinister - see Victoria Beckham). It's not a wake, ladies. And yes, the camera adds 15 pounds on you whatever color you wear. Just accept it and bring on the brights.

Anderson's Awesome Suit

As for the men... well, suffice to say that you will either love or hate the quality of your suits after you've seen how you look on camera. Well cut suits, properly altered to fit, are by far the best thing I've seen on a man in an interview (see Anderson Cooper). Bad off-the-rack suits in cheap fabric is easily the worst. Not only does the shine and wrinkle show up on HD, but the lack of breathability makes for nervous and sweaty subjects. You don't want to wear a whole bunch of powder to hide your damp, red face, do you?

If you can get away with not wearing a suit, awesome. Pick a nice, non-wrinkly shirt (not white, which will make you pasty - nor black, for reasons stated above), well fitting jeans - no plumber cracks! No overhanging tummy pudge! - and for the love of God, no white socks. Especially if you don't know whether or not you'll be seated for the interview.

For both men and women: No pinstripes or small checkered tops. Unless you want everyone staring at the astonishing way your clothes are acting on camera, and not listening to a word you are saying.

HOW TO ACT

Poise and posture - yes

People like to say "be yourself." Easier said than done, especially if you've never been in a studio before (which is essentially a fishbowl with cameras and an audience instead of glass walls). I like to tell my more nervous guests not to look around, not to think about how they are coming across, just to concentrate on what I'm saying so we can have a chat. REAL conversation is the key here... listening and reacting, being present instead of racking your brain for the next talking point. If the host knows what she's doing, she will guide you through the conversation and all you have to do is plug into her.

WTF.... No!

That said - if you have any nervous tics, now is the time to lose them (unless you are talking about Tourette's syndrome). Indulging in leg shaking, pen twiddling, hair tossing or other distracting gestures is no bueno. Ditto for sloppy dressing or TMI displays for the sake of looking "natural" (see Halle Berry). A little practice in front of a mirror or a home video camera can go a long way to helping you get comfortable.

And I hate to be your mother, but this bears repeating: Sit up straight. Look people in the eye when they are talking. Smile. Don't be afraid to laugh. And...relax. It's just TV.

WHAT TO SAY

You have the whole interview mapped out in your head. You've made the talking points. You've done your research. You know the rebuttals to the arguments. Then the host asks a question you hadn't rehearsed. Oh crap, oh crap, oh craaaaaaap what do you do now?

Imagine the questions he had to face.

The first thing to do is NOT do what I just illustrated above, which is pile all your knowledge into a bunch of talking points then panic when the interview isn't going the way you planned.

A good host will actually find a way to go a bit off script - it helps keep things natural and lively. Use the opportunity for you to show your real, human side - audiences have an inborn bull**t meter and they don't like the thought of a corporate mouthpiece (do YOU trust people who only talk in corporate speak?). Of course, now is not the time to admit your sordid past as a drug dealer or sex addict - unless of course you're there to talk about said transgressions (see Tiger Woods). But a few off the cuff remarks and jokes proves that you're down with the homies, and not intimidated by your surroundings.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to find subtle ways to keep things on topic, e.g. "Yes, I love going skiing in Tahoe. Which is why I love working with this energy drink company... I use it all the time when I'm up on the slopes." Boom goes the dynamite.

And, please - if time is up and the interviewer is wrapping up your segment, let her do it. That means, if you haven't hit on every talking point you wanted to bring up, tough. Like a good yoga session, you have to let close gracefully. DO NOT jump in and try to cram a few moment's worth of information at the very end. It's rude, it's crude, and if the show is taping live, it means the end of your sentence could be cut off. Not to mention the production team will not look to kindly on you for it, thus jeopardizing a chance at future appearances.

Any more questions? Comment on this and I'll answer!

NEXT POST: How to Interview on Camera and Look Good Doing It

Attention New Grads Sending Out Cover Letters

2011-03-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this great little post on Twitter today and think it's spot on for teaching people the right way to send a form letter. I admit I'm guilty of some of the faults pointed out by Mr. Heller, and the wheels are cranking right now to make sure those mistakes aren't repeated. Luckily, Heller practically does it for you by re-writing a form letter that he received from a potential hire (don't you love when people provide solutions instead of just bitching about problems??).

Take note - he doesn't say it's bad to send form letters, just that every letter should have depth and research behind it.

Without further ado, thecommich highly recommends this read:

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/a-word-to-the-unwise

Communication Breakdown - or, grammatical errors that drive me nuts

2011-03-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

There are very few things that kill me more than reading a perfect resume from a likely candidate, then seeing her follow up letter that says "with regards to my application..."

Sigh. When did we learn to ignore basics like this? The correct usage of the phrase has so many permutations: With Regard To. In Regard To. Regarding. Why do people disregard these and favor "regards?" The only time you give your "regards" is when you say goodbye.

Similarly: we put the pedal to the metal. Not the petal to the medal. We wait until worse comes to worst. Worst coming to worst is called redundancy. Or maybe, "equally bad." Either way, that first worst and second worst don't ever really meet. Unless it's in liverwurst. Which really is the worst.

We can compliment things that complement each other, but we can't complement someone with a compliment. We can walk the walk and talk the talk, but "walking the talk" is just an idiotic way to say that someone is a man of his word. And just because I didn't say s/he was a wo/man of his/her word, does not mean I don't like women. It just means I'm too smart to be PC at the expense of good copy.

Sometimes there are blessings in disguise - say, a car accident that stopped me from going to a place that just got bombed. But unless that bomb exploded a bank and money started raining from it, there are no blessings in the sky.

If I ask you to confirm that you are attending my party, you can send me an RSVP. Or you can just hit reply to my email and say "yes." Please don't send me an email that says "noted." Because all that says is that you "noted" that I asked if you were coming. Are you coming or not? Forget it, you're not invited anymore. (BTW. "You're" not invited. "Your" dog, however, is still invited. Get it?)

You can be the best (place noun here) of all time, but not of all times (Dana White, I'm talking to you). You can also be a sight for sore eyes. You really DON'T want to be a site for sore eyes. That would be gross.

I can wander around Times Square and wonder at its majesty. I can even wonder about what it would feel like to wander. I cannot, however, be Wander Woman.

So... with regard to communication: words matter. Letters too. In this world of txting and LFMAO stupidity on daily display, coming off like an intelligent and professional person is in the details. These kinds of things aren't caught on spell check. But they ARE easy to remember and apply. As my favorite grammar guru Yoda would say, "There is no try. Only do!"

Why Fonts Matter

2011-03-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

If you've ever had to do a flyer, poster or web page - and more so if you've worked with a graphic designer for any of these - you've probably had the "talk on fonts." How they can make or break a design. How one font "says" something over another. Some people roll their eyes at this and mutter things like "damn design Nazis" or "these artists don't understand I'm on a deadline here." There, there, grumpy executive. I promise these "creative types" are really just trying to help you.

How can a font (otherwise known as "typography") make a difference? Thecommich asked 2 stellar graphic designers to answer this prickly question. Danni Lim is Art Director for J. Walter Thompson in Asia, and Victoria Montilla is a freelance graphic designer (and - full disclosure - Ampliphi Media's go-to gal for all things InDesign). Herewith, a slice of the conversation:

So what's the deal with fonts? Why are they so important?

Danni: The font sets the tone, flavor, image and style of the writing. It also helps direct your eyes toward the flow of the copy. A good typographer obsesses with the details so that readers don't have to.

Victoria: No matter how beautiful things are laid out on the page, if the typography is terrible, people will not want to read the message. A bad font can make something look cheap and slapped on, causing the viewer to become distracted by the aesthetic.

(a note from Thecommich: don't believe them? Check out these bad font choices).

What makes a "good" font?

Danni: Consistency in spacing and shape. One of the things they made us do in typography class was come up with a set of 9 shapes that look like they're from the same family. It was kind of an introduction to us coming up with our own fonts. When a font is consistent, it's more readable and printable in any size.

Victoria: For long blocks of text you want to use a font that's easy on the eye, something like Garamond where the serifs (appendages to the ends of the letters) make it easier to go from word to word. Notice how all books use serif fonts? Sans Serif on the other hand, is good for short, bold headlines.

What are your favorite fonts to use when designing?

Danni: in no particular order (because that would take forever):

1. Adobe Caslon (oh that italic ampersand – one of the reasons I got obsessed with type. )

2. PF Champion Script (it's over-used, but I like it anyway - it prints on paper beautifully and don't get me started on the glyphs)

3. ITC Franklin Gothic (It's consistency is so unbelievably reliable)

4. Gotham (a little more playful than ITC Franklin Gothic, I've been using it more and more

5. Avant Garde (sophisticated and clean)

Victoria: I always seem to go back to Garamond or Mrs Eaves as my serif fonts. They have beautiful letterforms and are so easy to read. Helvetica Neue, Trade Gothic, and Aksidenz Grotesque are my favorite sans serif fonts simply because they have a lot of weights to play around with (light, medium, bold, heavy, condensed, extended, etc.) I like fonts with some variation to it because if they're from the same family they work well together.

And finally - what's some advice you can give to font newbies out there?

Danni: Read and update yourself. Know all the rules before you break them. DO NOT rely on free fonts. Free fonts are done as a marketing tool or by unexperienced hobbyists. They may be fun to play around with but they aren't technically efficient or may be missing character sets.

Victoria: The best rule? K.I.S.S. Play with contrast for visual interest - serif vs sans serif; large type vs small type, etc. Also - There are so many free fonts nowadays that people forget there's an art and history to typography. It's good to understand how the classic fonts were created and what works well together before venturing into more decorative territory.

Social Media Saved My Car From Theft

2011-02-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Peeps, I swear to you I didn't make this up. Not even in my wildest, most self-medicated dreams could I have thought up the sequence of events that occurred in the past 36 hours. The title though says it all... being a Facebookin', Twittering, Craigslist surfin' Bay-Area-Tech girl actually enabled us to get our car back after it was stolen from our driveway.

Act 1 - The Ozzie Open

We get home after dinner and a movie, come through the garage in the usual way, and stay up to watch Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the Ozzie Open. A good end to a good day, says the hubby.

Climb in bed, go to sleep. We think we'll sleep in since we are heading to Alcatraz the next day with the upstairs neighbors. Note: We hear NOTHING out of the ordinary during the Ozzie open, or in our dreams.

Act 2 - What the F?!?

Wakey wakey at 10am. The upstairs neighbors (my sister in law and her boyfriend) are already up and at em, grabbing coffee. Sister asks me if I want some, I say sure. 15 minutes later she comes in through our door and says "I thought you guys had left us". Why would you think that? I ask. "Because your car isn't there."

What the holy F?!!?

Slowly, surely, panic is rising from the pit of my stomach and threatening to burst out the top of my head. This is nothing compared to my husband, who looks like someone just gave him an uppercut to the solar plexus. We sprint outside. Obviously, we find nothing. Out of sheer desperation I do a lap around the block. No, none of our friends had played a prank on us and moved the car a couple of driveways down.

Hubby realizes the awful truth: Our car is stolen. Our only car. With about $2000 worth of drum equipment in the back. And the valet key. And the garage door opener, the garage being where our apartment residents store bikes, snowboards and skis, tools and other fun stuff that is easily stolen and resold at a pawnshop. The garage which leads to all of our apartments, whose doors are not always locked.

We count ourselves lucky they didn't think to open the garage, clean us out and/or cut our throats in our sleep.

Act 3 - Online whining

Hubby immediately shuts himself in his man cave, grabbing insurance docs, calling the police, filling out claim forms (it was his car in the beginning, it became "our" car when I said I Do). Without anything better to do, I whine on Facebook. "Our car got stolen from our driveway" I say on my status message. I give the license no. and say there's a chance someone might see it on the road, to call the police if they do.

10 minutes later, my friend H sees the message, and suggests we put it on Craigslist. "That's how my friend got his stolen motorcycle back" she says. OK, here we go. I post on Craigslist... while I'm at it, I look through ads for drum equipment or people selling cars. I also Tweet the event and hope someone responds.

No luck. Defeated, I escape for a few hours with my sister in law. Hubby is still in his man cave, irascible and uncommunicative. I think it's better to leave him alone for a few hours.

Act 4 - What the F?!?! (PART 2)

Flash forward to evening. Car still not found. Hubby has decided that if it is indeed time to lose a car, the best thing he can do is say goodbye properly. We grab a nice bottle of wine, go out to dinner with the neighbors, and drink to the end of our driving days.

We get home and a message appears in hubby's voice mail. "I think I have your stolen car," the voice says. "It's parked in my driveway."

For the second time... (say it with me) What the F?!!?

Turns out the guy saw our car parked in his spot. It had the sunroof open, stuff strewn around the backseat. He Googled our license plate and found the Craigslist post. He called us within 5 minutes. He even put his car mat on the top of our car since it started raining. There are still good Samaritans in this world after all.

Act 5 - The evidence

The car, thank god, is safe and sound. Some drum equipment missing but not all of them. It looks like the person/people who left it in the driveway intended to come back because they left some souvenirs.

Hubby finds a bag of crappy makeup, woman's clothes, and 2 slips of paper in the backseat. One of them is a release form from the hospital saying the bearer had a hernia. The other is a prescription for Vicodin. They belong to someone named Ashley Wirth. I check Facebook and there are a dozen Ashley Wirths listed, none of them specifying California or San Francisco as their home town. Luckily the prescription should lead the police to her doorstep from the hospital records. (Does someone out there reading this actually know this person? Because we'd love to give you a reward for bringing her in).

In any case - for all you people out there decrying the loss of privacy online, for everyone who thinks Twitter is for twits and hate Facebook (maybe you don't have enough friends?), for those who fear Craigslist because of the sensational murder stories attached to it - Thecommich says, dude, it's not all bad. In fact, it's really mostly awesome. At what other point in history would it be possible for people to help someone recover a car within a day of it being stolen? For a total stranger to Google an anonymous license plate and save me and my husband from months of paperwork, fees and carlessness?

And if social media goes a step further and actually helps us find the idiots responsible for this theft, I will consider all the time I spend incessantly updating, retweeting and blogging completely Wirth it.

Welcome to the world of Emerald Fish

2010-06-23T11:01:00.000-07:00

Every fashionable woman knows that style is more than just buying the trendiest, most expensive piece of clothing you can afford. But for many women, finding something cheap and fun usually means going to Forever 21, enduring a constant barrage of shrieking hormonal teenagers, and sifting through fashions that are way past appropriate for one's age.

Enter Emerald Fish - a great new fashion website from architect Heddie Chu. More than just selling clothes, shoes and accessories, Emerald Fish aims to help women find their personal style and add fun and funky clothes to complement what they already have in their closets. The clothes are sleek, chic and incredibly cheap - a total knockout combination. I know this because I've tried on every item they currently have in their preview trunk sale, and has bought about half of them (and want to buy the other half at some point). But more on their preview trunk sale later.

Thecommich has always been a proponent of using fashion as the ultimate self-marketing tool. With that in mind, I sat down with Heddie over mimosas on a Saturday, and talked a little more about the philosophy and purpose behind the brand.

What was your inspiration for starting Emerald Fish? What does the name mean?

My inspiration was my friends. Cool stylish, very independent girls who work hard and play hard. They all love the Guccis, the Celines and Christian Loubutins, but they are not sure how to mix these up with super cheap fun stuff. I wanted to introduce a source where they can go and get tips on how they can mix and match and buy it right there!

About the name - emeralds are my favorite thing in the world. Fishing is my dad's favorite sport in the world. He passed away recently so I wanted to celebrate the dad and daughter love.

You are an architect and designer by trade. What made you want to open a fashion line?

Actually I studied fashion in Paris Parsons School of Design so fashion was always in my blood. I just didn't like the fake-glamour part of it. I wanted to open up a fashion source that is REAL for real chicks out there. The website is not just about fashion. It's about a lifestyle of all of us out there.

What is your fashion/style philosophy?

Each person has a style. Add onto your style. Don't read 'the Trend' section and follow it. Wear what looks good on YOUR body type. I'd love to wear leggings and flats but I have big legs so NO, it would not look good on me. My philosophy is for style is that you should strive for classy and sexy. That is timeless.

Who designs the clothes? Are there any unique or standout pieces you'd like to mention?

My clothes are from young designers in LA. I love the shirt-dresses. If you have the gams to show off wear them with platform sandals (find a color matches your skin color to elongate the legs) or wear them with wide bottom pants with platform sandals. Can't go wrong. Oh, and you can wear an Hermes or Hermes look-alike scarf on your head. Looks fabulous.

Why are the clothes so cheap!?! Will they be that cheap when they get online?

The concept is cheap & chic and accessibility to customers. Very frequent changes of inventory. The concept will remain once on-line.

And finally - for all you women who are salivating to find out what Emerald Fish has in store when they launch in September -bring your wallet and your friends to their trunk show this weekend, June 26 and 27 at:

Naylor and Chu
1515 Vallejo St. between Polk and Van Ness

Bites and bubbly will be served, and all the prices are wholesale. See you there!

BP vs. Tylenol - or, how to handle a catastrophe without catastrophic PR

2010-05-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone and their mother has already co-opted the oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico and massaged it to create "teachable" moments that relate to particular agendas. From the go-go-Greenies and their continuing campaign to rid the world of fossil fuels, to the fishermen and restaurants of the Gulf demanding recompense for what is sure to be years' worth of earnings down the oily drain.

The one party that doesn't seem to be able to teach anyone anything is British Petroleum. In fact, their attempts at "educating" the public about their problem has only exacerbated the Evil Empire image of Big Oil.

BP CEO Tony Hayward was quoted as saying that this particular 200,000 barrel per day disaster is only going to have a "very very modest impact " on the environment.

Really, Tony?? Tell that to the millions of residents along the shores of Florida, Louisiana and Texas that are losing livelihood, tourism dollars, beach real estate, local animal populations - not to mention fearing for the safety of their drinking water and irrigation systems. (Speaking of tourism dollars, the same article noted that Mr. Hayward had just bequeathed $25 Million to Florida "to pay for an advertising campaign for the state's tourism industry." Crude is the new Coppertone? Come to the Black Gold Coast? WTF??)

This not even considering that BP at first refused to take responsibility for the spill - first accusing Transocean for badly managing the rig, then Halliburton for creating a faulty spigot cap. As their fingers were wagging, marine life was dying, and the oil spill was pronounced bigger than the Exxon Valdez disaster, and could finally be spotted from space.

For a company worth trillions of dollars, you'd think they would have bothered to consult with a decent marketing professional before launching such ridiculously blase, literally oily and crude statements on an informed public.

To think that almost 30 years ago, Tylenol had already set the precedent for turning a tragic event into the ultimate lesson in putting customers first.

In September 1982, 7 people died in Chicago after drinking Tylenol Extra Strength capsules that had been tampered and laced with cyanide. At the time, Tylenol Extra Strength was the leading pain reliever brand on the market. The resulting panic led to an almost 20% plunge in the company's market share. Everyone predicted the death of the brand. Until company chairman James Burke stepped in.

Did James Burke say the lacing of his product caused only a "very very modest impact" on the millions of people who take Tylenol? After all, only 7 people died, and the incidents were confined in one city. Did he put more money toward his advertising to gloss over the accident? Um, no.

Burke understood that a brand is not the sum of its products - it is a trust that's built between consumers and the company that creates the products. That's why, instead of minimizing the event with a glib statement, Burke initiated the biggest recall of a product in its day, complied fully with the federal investigation (offering a $100,000 reward for the capture of the perp), and spent $50 million more dollars to research and execute one of the basic features in today's pharmaceutical products: the tamper-proof seal.

In television interviews (which, sadly, thecommich can't seem to find in any video archive - but trust her she remembers it from her Ateneo PR101 class), Burke was equally and unprecedentedly honest. Asked why the company was going through such extraordinary measures, he merely said "At this point, we won't make any money if we don't."

Result: a year to the day after the killings, Tylenol had gained back its entire market.

Of course, it's arguable that a company that produces oil isn't exactly creating a product - it's just redistributing it. But that's no excuse for insulting the public with fuzzy feel good statements that are patently wrong. If you still want to believe that the impact on the Gulf and the people who live there is "modest", check out the crowd source map that shows personal photos and accounts of jobs and lives lost from the spill.

It may well be that Mr. Hayward is technically correct - that the amount of oil currently in the Gulf, as massive as it is, is only a small drop in the bucket compared to the overall volume of water existing on the planet. But in this post-Tylenol era, consumers expect corporate leaders to take responsibility for their disasters, not utter sound bites that are the equivalent of "your puppy died, but don't worry we'll buy you another one."

Maybe we should ask Tony Hayward to live on the Louisiana coast (on nothing more than his measley $6 million/year salary) while the oil gets cleaned up so he can keep track their very, very modest efforts. Maybe, we should start looking at gas stations that get their product from BP and send them a message by boycotting them. After all, you wouldn't buy a product that may have been laced with cyanide. Would you buy anything from a company that doesn't care if you've ingested it?

Hurts So Good - or, running for the cure of a disease you currently suffer from

2010-04-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Joeline has a chronic disease. Here's a catalog of what she suffers from: abdominal pain and irregularity; bleeding, fever, and anemia; weight loss from malabsorption and joint inflammation. Welcome to the Ulceritive Colitis party!

1.4 million Americans suffer from UC (and its cousin, Crohn's disease) yearly - and that's only the people who have sought help. Because UC and Crohn's affects the colon and intestines, it doesn't lend itself very well to lunchtime conversation. Or any conversation, really. As a result, many sufferers not only bear the physical pain, but a mental burden as well - embarrassment and alienation.

So what does my friend Joeline do? She tells everyone she has the disease. Then she gets her - and her husband's - butt off the couch to run a half marathon and help fund a cure for it.

Like any sane human being, my first reaction was WTF?! I hate running, and I know Joeline does too. And I hate running even when I am not suffering from abdominal pain, bleeding, fever, etc. Joeline is running 14 miles for a condition that she currently has. Talk about a self-starter!

I had to ask her what she was thinking and thought you'd want to know too. So herewith - Joeline Conover on why you should care for her running to cure her disease.

You hate running, and have had Ulcerative Colitis for 10 years. Why choose to run a ½ marathon? And why now?

I’ve known a lot of people that have done races for fun and it always amazed me that they could give that sort of commitment. I’ve had this disease for close to 12 years now - I can’t really do much about it other than hope that someone will discover a cure someday. Scott and I have been meaning to get back into shape lately and I thought it’d be a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone - get in shape and hopefully help to fund a cure for this condition.

Running for worthy causes is not a new thing, but you’re the first person I know that is doing it while they are still afflicted with the condition they’re running to support. How has the support level been?
It's been great, both financially and training-wise. There were quite a few surprise donations from friends or family that also have this disease - unbeknownst to me! Or have a close family member suffering from it. It’s been great to be able to empower people to feel like they’re actually able to do something to fight this.

As for the training, there are a lot of people on my team that also have either Crohn’s or Colitis, so it’s nice to be able to talk openly to others about it.

Will running in this race affect your condition? Did you need medical clearance to do this?
So far it hasn’t. My symptoms are more under control this year than in previous, so I feel pretty good right now. That’s not to say that I won’t have a flare up down the road, especially as the miles increase. I actually noticed yesterday, towards the end of our 5 mile run, that I was getting chills and some stomach cramping. I didn’t bring a water bottle on my run as they recommended, so for now I attribute it to dehydration, but I’m definitely going to keep a close eye on it.

As for medical clearance, I am due for another visit soon. Others on my team have the same disease and some are having symptoms on a daily basis. I’m guessing it’s ok so long as we keep our stress level down. One person actually no longer has a colon b/c the medications didn’t work, so after other surgeries, they finally just connected the small intestine directly to the rectum. And I can’t keep up with this person during our training runs!

What is the most debilitating/annoying part of your condition in your daily life?
Early on the most annoying part was not being able to get instructions from a doctor on what foods you should be avoiding to help your condition. They just don’t know. This disease affects everyone differently. It takes a long time of trial and error, but you will eventually get to know your body and what foods are triggers for you. Unfortunately, one common trigger for everyone seems to be stress. If you can’t control your stress, you’re doomed. A heated conversation or a stressful situation will almost always cause a flare-up for me. So it can be a big hinderance on the social and work life. Especially since it’s not something you can easily explain, like having a headache or being diabetic or something. Those are just easier things to talk about.

What happens if you don’t fork over $5200 at the end of the marathon? Nobody named Fingers coming to bust kneecaps, I hope.
We signed an agreement to raise that amount, so we have to pay it regardless if we raise the donations. I don’t want to see Fingers face to face, so hopefully we hit our goal soon! We are doing well with donations so far, but we still have $1500 to go, so we’ll have to start getting creative on ways to raise donations.

We each have to raise $2600, but since we’re a couple, we have to pull from the same family and social circles, which is tough. So, the earlier we hit our target, the better. We just want to concentrate on the training since that’s time consuming enough! I’m hoping we hit our goal early and ideally even exceed it. I just learned that there is a proposal to cut funds for IBD research next year by the current administration, so it’s more important than ever that we raise money now. Check out the funding issue here.

Fearless forecast: What will your time be at the end of the race?
For now, I’ll just be happy if I finish! I’ll let you know in July what my time was.

Joeline and Scott - thecommich and friends wish you good luck! Smash that donation goal and cross that finish line in a blaze of glory and the soundtrack of Chariots of Fire ringing in your ears.

Help Joeline and Scott run for a cure! Click here to donate.

Adam Carolla needs a head check and we need an apology

2010-04-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

Thecommich rarely reads celebrity blogs, and mostly thinks that to-dos regarding racist comments are hardly worth bothering with (see my last blog about February's Bad Boys). But after hearing from Perez Hilton's website that Adam Carolla said some very interesting things about Manny Pacquiao and Filipinos in general, I feel that demanding an apology is warranted.

For those of you who don't know, Adam Carolla hosts a podcast and recently slammed Manny Pacquiao for not getting drug tested for his fight with Mayweather. That's a fair criticism. However, the trajectory of the conversation went way past fair when he then said that Manny's refusal was a "cultural" thing... that he "prays to chicken bones" and that "the only thing the Philippines has going for it are Manny Pacquiao and sex tours."

Filipinos are the highest growing Asian-American population in the United States, with an average education and income far above the country's average. We live in a country whose nursing and caregiving industries rest squarely on our shoulders. Our soldiers have served American interests since the beginning of the 20th century. My grandfather died defending this country, even though he was a Filipino. And this guy thinks that all we are good for is sex tours and a dude with a good left hook?

What, pray tell, is Adam Carolla good for, aside from his insatiable appetite for sophomoric fart-joking sports obsessed idiocy?

The saddest thing is reading the comments from people on the Perez Hilton website, where many people think this is being blown out of proportion and that Adam Carolla is just practicing free speech. I'm not sure if these people were around for the Don Imus debacle, but I fail to see how calling a Filipino boxer an illiterate chicken-bone worshiper is any different from calling black female basketball players "nappy headed ho's."

There is a petition going on to ask Adam Carolla to apologize. And for once, I think it's valid. If the rest of America wants to pretend it's OK to be racist to Asians, when every perceived African-American slight is dissected to death (again, read my past entry on the so-called racist Australian KFC ad), then we have to bring the fight to CBS, the network from which Adam podcasts. I'm sure they know, if our verbose Mr. Carolla doesn't, that the Filipino demographic's viewership is probably worth more than one has-been blowhard's podcast.

Let's not back down til this sucker is forced to apologize in as public and sincere a manner that he gleefully cast aspersions on us.