This was our third annual Oscar Party and as usual, everyone impressed with their creativity and unique interpretations of how to bring a movie to life in edible form.

This year’s dishes were:

• Fried Chicken & Biscuits (“Precious”)
• Pie in the Sky (“Up in the Air”)
• Popped Up Popcorn (“Up”)
• Brownie/Cookie Combo with the Alphabet on Top (“An Education”)
• Quentin Tarantini with Champagne and Chambord (“Inglorious Bastards”)
• Manischewitz-tini with Vodka and Cranberry Juice (“A Serious Man”)
• Blue Chip Fried Chicken (“Avatar”)
• Vegetable Quiche (“Fantastic Mr. Fox”)
• Beef Bourguignon (“Julie & Julia”)
• Black and White Bean Dip with Homemade Pita Chips (“Blind Side”)

The party was a success, even though some dresses were not. Personally I thought J. Lo looked like bubble wrap and SJP was wearing a nightgown…but without these risk takers what would we have to talk about on Monday morning?!

P.S. Big shout out to the agency for raising $205 for Chilean earthquake victims through our MMC for a Cause Oscar pool and congrats to Megan Svensen on winning!

A little over a week ago I ran out of conditioner and had to run to the pharmacy to pick up another bottle. Routine errand, yes – only this time, I was in New Delhi, India so… same, same but different.

All over Southeast Asia and India there are souvenir stores and tourist traps that sell the same t-shirts, trinkets and tchotchkes. When you wonder aloud what the difference is between all of these shops, the hawkers always say, “same same but different.” I found this to be true in a number of different ways during my last trip to India and particularly with consumer beauty culture.

While there, I couldn’t help but pay attention to ads for beauty products seen on billboards, in magazines or in the daily newspaper. While most of the brands were quite familiar, the RTB or benefit messaging (okay, I’m not your average consumer) was totally lost on me. What’s “hair fall control” anyway?

After coming across the beauty section of the Hindustan Times (runs every Thursday!) and diving into Indian issues of Elle, Vogue and Cosmo, I determined that what women want all over the globe is the same same but different. We desire to feel beautiful (and have others agree), we enjoy the process of beautification and we have fun with products (well, maybe not all of us), and we are continually seeking the latest and greatest beauty solutions. The difference lies in what exactly it is that we’re seeking, or more likely, how we define it and where it falls on our scale of beauty priorities. 

A product that promises “hair fall control” wouldn’t likely catch the attention of an American woman – but one that promises thickness, strength or volume most definitely would. It’s the same same but different, no?

Marketing professionals are taking this data seriously and using the insight to shape their budgets. In fact, according to a research study commissioned by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), which MMC is a proud member of, spending on word-of-mouth marketing is expected to grow from $1.7 billion in 2009 to $3.04 billion by 2013.

Through my Social Media work, I am fascinated by the way information travels on the Web.  For example, take a look at my MMC blog post on Techno-Fashion (which just so happened to include a product recommendation).  As a result of sharing the link on my Facebook page, my brother shared the link on his page.  Then other friends and family members saw the link and shared the content via multiple channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) with their circle of friends.

Developing word-of-mouth campaigns can’t be effective unless you identify concrete measurement parameters upfront.  Technological advances make sharing information as simple as one-click.  Do you know how far your content is traveling?

In a past blog I wrote, I confidently declared I was not a foodie.  However, upon dining at Upper East Side gem, Sfoglia, my taste buds beg to differ.   Yesterday was my sister, Amy’s birthday.  Being the New York City enthusiasts we are, we scoured restaurant reviews for the prime location to celebrate her big day. 

Agreeing on Sfoglia, I was excited because, well, the Web site gallery spoke for itself and they had a six week waiting list for reservations.  After our reservation was secured, I might as well have made their Web site my homepage as I practically perused the site daily.  From the images of rustic décor to the charmingly mismatched tables and chairs—I knew I would love this place.  Amy and I spoke about fifty two times yesterday to discuss our evening attire.  Amy, of course had a beautiful new necklace and birthday-worthy top.  I had…well I had Amy’s closet to choose from—that’s what big sisters are for, right? 

Once we arrived at Sfoglia, the vision before me was better than any Web site could have depicted.   Stacked cans of Italian tomatoes mixed with vintage novels greeted us on a shelf interspersed with the perfect amount of tea light candles.  But what I didn’t realize was once the first bite of orecchiette and sausage hit my lips, I would be transported to a world where food took the lead and ambience was just the supporting cast.  Spicy and savory tantalized my taste buds all at once– I tried the spaghetti squash with ricotta and it was more delectable than I ever thought a root vegetable could be.  And oh the chicken!  Yes I said chicken – cooked under a brick (no clue if that is customary, but it impressed me nonetheless). 

While tin ceilings, exposed brick and mason jars are three of my favorite things, I’m going to have to add meal offerings to that list.  Even though I’ll never stop looking at the interior surroundings of a restaurant before I dine, I am really going to have to start looking at the menu reviews!

Happy Birthday, Amy!! 

It would be far too easy as a smug Canadian to use this blog as a forum to mock the “gee whiz” tone of Today Show segments on poutine (“Canada’s national dish!”) or Brian Williams’ travelogue about bear-watching in the Arctic.

But I won’t. Instead, I’ve been thinking a lot about the brands of the teams from my native country and my adopted one.

Brand Team USA has an overwhelmingly dominant share of voice in the US media – and if that seems completely unremarkable to you, you’ve probably never watched the Olympics on TV from a living room in a “challenger brand” country like mine.

Even in winter sports, Canada can’t historically compete with the superpower athletic teams from Russia, Eastern Europe or America; as a result, Canadian media tend to paint a more dispassionate picture, dividing air time and column inches among all countries’ notable athletes.

It’s got me thinking about all our various brands at MMC. Many are leaders in their category. When those brands enter the PR conversation, “showing up” as the big cheese has both assumptions and implications riding on it.

What if one day a challenger brand turned the tables? I’m reminded of a call I had last week with a cool, smaller client; they came into a PR strategy discussion assuming that humility was the only brand character they could own. I talked to them about Team Canada, who decided to make “Own the Podium” their mission statement in the countdown to these Olympics. Beyond the literal push (to get more Canadian athletes up on the medal podium), it was a seismic shift in brand communication. It was a new call to action for us quiet Canucks: wave our red mittens! Scream at the hockey rinks! Cry at the skating rinks! Sing “O Canada” from the mountaintops!

Own the Podium has attracted a ton of attention and media ink – and yes, it’s made Canada a target of a little trash-talking, as clearly the Americans will own the podium at the conclusion of these games (cue the “Canadian time share” jokes here). But overall it’s been a fascinating conversation ignited by a big, bold, unprecedentedly patriotic branding move – and my favorite part of these Games to follow.

Post a comment on your favorite Olympics media moment here!

On February 12th when my coworker Scott walked into the office, I immediately bombarded him with the question “Did you hear about McQueen?!”. Scott, having lived in London and being its biggest fan, thought I was telling him that the Queen of England died – not what I was talking about. Although, the person who passed away was just as important to me, Alexander McQueen.

Alexander McQueen is one of those great artistic minds. 2006 was the first time I was exposed to his genius and since that moment in time I have never been able to pull myself away. I look at every show, analyze every red carpet outfit and make frequent visits to his store on West 14th. It’s always been a dream of mine to own a McQueen look, unfortunately I’m still young and don’t have the extra cash to spend on it. But will my burning desire to own McQueen last now knowing that he wasn’t the mastermind behind it?

McQueen took fashion to the next level, particularly with his runway shows. He used the runway as a venue to perform through videos, interpretive performance and outlandish accessories/beauty. He wanted to bring his Spring 2010 show to the masses by live video streaming his show. Interestingly this wasn’t the first time I had seen this, since Priscilla of Boston here at MMC had been streaming their show online for the past two seasons. Not many high-end designers believe that a mass audience would understand a high-end fashion show, but McQueen had faith and since I’m not invited to the show – it was a dream come true.

McQueen died on February 11, 2010 just weeks before his Fall 2010 show, but his final show will go on — being shown in Paris on March 9th and 10th via private salon sessions by invitation only.

We are not shy in the Well-Being Group at MMC, so when Kimberly-Clark’s Poise brand posed the challenge of de-stigmatizing light bladder leakage (LBL), we didn’t think twice.

LBL is probably the last women’s health taboo, and it’s more common than you would think. One in three women of all ages and life stages experience LBL, but many women are too embarrassed to talk about it. Interestingly, focus groups conducted by K-C showed that although women were first reluctant to admit experiencing LBL, once the conversation was started among several women, they couldn’t stop talking! One of the other observations from the groups was that humor truly opened the dialogue around this often uncomfortable topic and women were relieved to hear they weren’t alone.

Drawing from these insights, MMC worked with K-C and their digital and advertising agencies to spark a national dialogue about LBL using a light and humorous approach. The integrated campaign, “1 in 3 like me,” included new advertising and the launch of a Web site about LBL that establishes how common it is and helps women embrace the issue and solutions. The brand also enlisted Whoopi Goldberg to star in a candid Webisode series that would make women laugh and open up about LBL. Go to www.1in3likeme.com to check them out.

MMC launched the campaign with a dynamic consumer event in NYC where women were invited to watch Whoopi unveil the Webisodes, learn more about LBL and be among the first to start the conversation! The next day, Whoopi, along with the founder of Women’s Health Foundation, Missy Lavender, continued the conversation on The View.

Despite a snow storm on the day of the event (even Whoopi was snowed in but we Skyped her into the event), the campaign is off to a great start!  Until now, light bladder leakage has received very little media attention, with most press avoiding the topic altogether. As a result of our work, outlets including People, More and Parents covered the campaign and trade press has touted Kimberly-Clark as a marketing force in AdAge and MediaPost. And this is only the beginning! 

Attendees at the event told us that after watching the Webisodes and being around other women with LBL, they felt more comfortable discussing it. The View’s discussion boards have been buzzing with conversation and women have been calling K-C’s consumer hotline just to say thank you.

Although we faced quite a challenge when we developed this program, we couldn’t be more excited by the results and the conversations that we see taking place. Of course, our work doesn’t stop here. We’re now busy preparing for 1,000 parties nationwide with House Party™, taking place on April 10, where women will have the chance to continue this important discussion (and laugh a lot!) with their friends.

What’s the next conversation MMC Well-Being should start?

One of my favorite things about living in New York City is that twice a year the city is host to Fashion Week. The inspiration and creativity hits a high point during these weeks each September and February, and I was thrilled to be a part of Secret’s participation this past weekend. MMC worked to secure the title sponsorship for my favorite deodorant Secret at a New York Fashion Week Media Mixer for Online Influencers. Yes, deodorant can be fashionable!

We launched three new products to key online influencers and industry insiders, as well as communicate the brand’s equity of being “Fearless” by enabling one lucky attendee’s fearless life goal. Some examples of entries included overcoming a fear of flying by taking pilot classes or finally running a marathon with help from a trainer that Secret would provide.

For Secret to be able to add to the inspiration that Fashion Week brings to the New York air was an amazing experience and one that I will not forget soon. Secret is tackling fears one woman at a time.

P.S. After I decided on India as my next destination, friends came out of the wood work proclaiming, “yes, I’ve been there too!” All of a sudden, India is the new mecca for off the beaten track tourism.

This is what I have pieced together so far:

-          Indian food is delicious

-          Indian food will get you sick

-          Mumbai has the potential to be very dangerous: guide might be needed

-          Goa, the beaches where most Bollywood films are shot, is a must see and hippies abound

-          Some parts of India are still very old school and despite the 100+ degree weather, women must wear long sleeves

I have no idea what to expect. But come April, I’ll report back on the awesome adventure that I’m sure to have

In other beauty news, and in greige-like manner, taupes, camels, chocolate browns are showing up as smoky, iridescent eye looks. Awesome time for CG Smoky Shadow Blast! Lips are matte yet “lubricated” as noted backstage in subtle grape, plum and ashen pink.

Major look of the season has been dubbed “destroyed” for that “lived in” effect. We’ve seen that before where hair is blown out and then tugged at to create unfinished, loose ends. Eyes are smudged in and quite imperfect seemingly as if the wearer had a long night out—and never washed up! But we love it anyway and Pat McGrath makes it beautiful.

Stay tuned for Europe!