Love the Nike+" I Am Not A Runner" Ad

I just saw the Nike+ "I am not a runner" ad and laughed out loud. How funny! This ad made me think of when I first started running again four years ago. I remember thinking how hard it was and asking myself why I was doing it. Then of course I acquired what I believe will be a life-long case of running fever. This commercial captures the love/hate relationship that new runners and even some veterans have with the intensely demanding sport. Well done Nike...you sure do know running!

The Rise of Foursquare

How do we know that Foursquare has gained momentum and credibility as the next big social network?

First of all, big consumer brands are getting on board with the technology. Just this week Starbucks announced that it is integrating Foursquare into its Frappacino "Have it Your Way" promotion. Foursquare mayors at Starbucks nationwide are receiving a substantial discount on the beverage through the end of the promotion.

Second, Facebook is looking at geo-location as the next phase of its mega platform. If Facebook is on board with the technology that speaks volumes. There are even rumors of Facebook buying Foursquare though I haven't heard anything to substantiate those rumors yet.

Also, the movers and shakers of business and marketing have adopted the technology. When the influencers are on board the masses usually follow as we saw with the explosive growth of Twitter last year and Facebook's non-stop growth.

Finally, if you do happen to get on Foursquare you may just get sucked in from the sheer fun and competitiveness of the game-like app. Just today I became mayor of a couple of venues and unlocked some new badges and I find myself liking it more and more.

Twitter Tops Social Tools for Social Media Marketers

According to research conducted by Social Media Examiner and reported by eMarketer, Twitter tops the list of most used social media tools by marketers.

The survey, which was administered in January of 2010 asked marketers to identify which tools they use most. The results were as follows:

• Twitter - 88%

• Facebook - 87%

• LinkedIn - 78%

• Blogs - 70%

• YouTube or other video site - 46%

• Social bookmarking sites (i.e. Delicious) - 27%

• Forums - 26%

• Digg, reddit, Mixx, etc - 22%

• Ning sites - 17%

• MySpace - 11%

If you're in marketing and not sure what to think of Twitter or how to effectively use Twitter, my advice is talk with Twitter users and solicit their feedback. I'd be happy to talk with anyone about my thoughts on why Twitter is the preferred network for marketers, including myself.

Dairy Queen Uses Integrated Promotion for Blizzard's 25th Anniversary

I don't always think of Dairy Queen (DQ) as a savvy marketer but I really like their current campaign strategy for the 25th anniversary blizzard promotion.

First of all, the DQ blizzard is a favorite of mine and probably a million others. It is most definitely a DQ cash cow. I am confident that I have been loving the DQ blizzards for the 25 years they've been around!

Now onto the marketing strategy, which integrates old and new media channels. There is a TV ad, online social media effort asking consumers to create Happy Birthday videos for the Blizzard and submit on YouTube. DQ will select the Top 100 videos and reward customers with $25 gift cards. Additionally, DQ is promoting mobile sampling events to happen at various DQ locations where they'll be passing out free product.

This is a good example of an integrated campaign that incorporates online and offline media. And it's a feel good campaign to help DQ customers connect with the brand. Seems like a winning campaign to me.