It was the late ‘70s on a warm autumn day in the far reaches of northern New York. The sun glinted off an island of speckled white sand, framed by well-worn boards coated with a fresh, glossy application of spinach green paint.

I’d arrived at the sandbox, only to hear the voice of my kindergarten teacher Mrs. Garman behind me: “Play nicely with each other, kids. I’ll know if you don’t.”

Years later, those simple words of wisdom still hold true in a different type of sandbox altogether – the multi-agency account. Think back to what you probably heard as a five-year-old, and apply them to your world today:

“There are enough toys for everyone.” Sure, you want to earn some good revenue and make a fair profit on the services you’re providing, but stop making those desperate grasps to steal budget allocations or assignments from another firm. Give your client some credit — if there wasn’t room enough for all of you to have a role, you wouldn’t have been invited to play.

“Take turns.” I know, we all love ourselves, our teammates and our work. But you can’t always be in the limelight. Let the other agencies shine when they genuinely deserve the attention, and compliment them on hard-fought wins.

“Stop your whining.” You lost a piece of the business to another firm? Or a portion of “your” budget was reallocated to another project? Keep your head up and your mouth closed. Clients notice how you react when the chips don’t fall your way, and they base future decisions in part on your character.

“Don’t destroy. Build.” You’ve seen a good idea or an unformed flash of brilliance from another player? Add to it, working with them to craft a better, stronger sand castle. You’ll win points for genuinely caring for your client’s business, versus solely trying to increase your own stake in the game.

“Look out for your friends.” Is there a bully in the box? Band together to keep him at bay until he adapts to the rules.

“Keep that sand in your hand.” It’s too easy to take potshots at a competitor or fling sand in their eyes in a moment of weakness. Operate with class and respect for those around you — insult them, and you insult your client who put them there.

So the next time you’re tempted to plunge the knife into a fellow agency on a shared account, pause and let the image of your kindergarten teacher fill your mind. If a group of sugared-up five-year-olds can figure out how to play together, I’d only hope we could do the same.

Mike McDougall, APR, McDougall Travers Collins

Content originally posted in The Agency Post online (Feb. 6, 2012)

M&M’S – Just My Shell!

That’s right. After over 3,000 votes were cast in our inaugural Super Poll, the M&M’s commercial squeaked by Bud Light’s “Weego the Rescue Dog” and Chevy’s consumer generated “Happy Grad” by a candied shell.

Rounding out the top 5 were two more pups as VW’s “The Dog Strikes Back” ranked 4th and Sketchers’ “GoRUN Mr. Quiggly” took home the 5th spot.

WNY vs USA

How did WNY’s opinion compared to the national vote in USA Today’s Ad Meter?

The Super Poll Champion M&M spot is currently 4th in the USA Today Ad Meter. The USA Today’s number 1 spot, Doritos “Sling Baby,” ranked 22 in the Super Poll. And the USA’s 3rd ranked spot, Chrysler’s “Halftime in America,” was 14th here. 

Here’s how the top 15 Super Poll finishers compare to the USA Today Ad Meter, USA today ranking in [ ]:

1. M&M – Just My Shell [4]
2. Bud Light – “Weego” the Rescue Dog [2]
3. Chevy – “Happy Grad” [11]
4. VW – The Dog Strikes Back [7]
5. Sketchers – GoRUN Mr. Quiggly [8]
6. Hyundai – All For One [N/A* ]
7. Doritos – Man’s Best Friend [5]
8. Hyundai Genesis Coupe – Think Fast [31]
9. Honda – Matthew’s Day Off [15]
10. Chevy Sonic – Joy [N/A**]
11. NFL – Timeline [20]
12. E*TRADE – Fatherhood [17]
13. Chevy Silverado – 2012 [13]
14. Chrysler – It’s Halftime in America [3]
15. Acura – Transactions [14]

*spot ran right before game so wasn’t included in USA Today 

** spot ran right after game so wasn’t included in USA Today

The USA Today poll will end at 6pm today. 

Go Daddy takes on Bud Light Platinum for the Toilet Bowl Championship

63 commercials were ranked in our poll. The last 4 rankings belonged to Go Daddy and Bud Light Platinum, each having two commercials.

In a tag team matchup for the Toilet Bowl Championship, Go Daddy would end up victorious, as their “Body Paint” commercial was easily voted worst. Their “The Cloud” spot fared much better, finishing second to last.

Currently, Go Daddy and Bud Light Platinum also have 4 of the 5 worst rated commercials in the USA Today Ad Meter.  

Click here to see the full results from our inaugural Super Poll. How did your favorite commercial rank? Any snubs? 

BUFFALO, NY — Many tuned into Channel 2 to watch the New England Patriots play New York Giants. Of course, the game is not the only draw. The colorful, funny, creative commercials also bring in people who aren’t football fans.  This year’s ads are helping create what some say is a second-screen Super Bowl.

From a Honda commercial reviving Ferris Bueller, to Careerbuilder and those famous chimpanzees, to a cars.com ad that’s creating buzz for being more creepy than funny. Super Bowl ads have been leaking early on social media sites this year. Joe Russell, a social media expert at Traverse Collins and Company, says it’s not by accident. “That’s where everybody is. That’s where all the customers are.”

At an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot on television, experts say advertisers want more than ever to get some bang for their buck. So they’re turning to social media and smartphones.

Viewers will also see more interactive ads. The Audi commercial “Vampire Party” has already been viewed by almost 3 million people on YouTube and ends with the Twitter hashtag #SoLongVampires. 

Chevy created the first Super Bowl smartphone app. Viewers download it and get a code. If it matches the code on a commercial, viewers can win anything from a pizza to a car.

GoDaddy.com is the first Super Bowl advertiser to put a QR code on the TV screen.

“So people while they’re at the TV can scan the QR code with their mobile phone and be taken to a web site while they’re watching the commercials. So that’s kind of cool,” says Russell.

100 million people are expected to tune into Sunday’s broadcast on NBC. But with well over a billion people on Facebook and Twitter combined, it’s a goldmine for advertisers if a fraction of those people continue to talk about their commercials days after the Big Game. 

“We always preach word of mouth is the best way to market your products or services, so social media is a perfect way to do that,” says Russell.

Once again this year, USA Today is keeping track of which ads are your favorite. The voting in the Ad Meter poll starts right at kickoff on Sunday and ends Tuesday. They’ve teamed up with Facebook this year and you can vote there, too.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/153786/37/Super-Bowl-Ads-Are-Social-Media-Savvy [WGRZ.com]

Betty Ann’s Hearty and Manly Baked Beans are sure to tantalize the taste buds of your house guests:

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. bacon

1 onion, chopped

½ cup ketchup

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 tsp. salt

¼ cup prepared mustard

¼ cup molasses

¾ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

2- 16 oz. cans – red kidney beans

2- 16 oz. cans – pork & beans

2- 16 oz. cans – butter beans

Brown ground beef, bacon & onion.  Drain fat.  Combine & add all ingredients, except beans. 

Stir well.  Add beans.  Stir well.

Bake for 1 hour at 350º.  (She uses a 13” x 9” baking pan.)

Leftovers can be frozen.

She recommends adding pulled pork, mac n’ cheese and coleslaw for an all-around filling meal that is easy to snack on, and easy to go back for seconds, and thirds!

Barb Krellner, our resident Master of All Dips and other fantastical feasts has a few dishes that will surely keep your guests coming back until the Bills earn their way into the Super Bowl:

Reuben Dip

3 pkgs. Wafer sliced corned beef – sliced into strips

16 oz. drained sauerkraut – chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar

Mix into glass pan and bake at 350 degrees. Serve with rye bread.

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

1 – 8 oz. cream cheese

½ stick butter

½ bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

½ bottle of Anchor Bar chicken wing sauce (or any brand)

1 can of chicken breast

½ bag (remaining) of shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat first 3 ingredients in microwave and cream together. Add ½ bottle of Anchor Bar sauce, 1 can of chicken breast drained (break the chicken apart before adding to mixture). Mix together then top with remaining ½ bag of cheese. Heat in microwave until heated through (bubbly).

Philly Cheesy Chili Dip

1 (8 oz.) pkg. Philadelphia Cream Cheese

1 can (10.5 oz.) chili

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Place unwrapped block of cream cheese on microwavable plate; top with chili and cheese. Microwave on HIGH 45 seconds. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with assorted crackers.

Make 18 servings, about 2 Tbs. each.

Barbeque Hamburgers

3-4 lbs. ground beef (chuck)

2-3 cans tomato soup

3 – 8 oz. cans stewed tomatoes

3 green peppers

2-3 medium onions

2-3 tbs. white vinegar

4 tbs. brown sugar

1-2 tbs. worstershire sauce

Bullseye bbq sauce – to taste

Salt & pepper

In large pot, mix tomato soup, stewed tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar & bbq sauce. Simmer while frying peppers, onions & patties.

Fry peppers & onions (with some salt & pepper) in oil. Add to sauce. Make patties. Salt & pepper patties when placing in fry pan.

Fry patties in same fry pan (adds flavor to burgers). Add burgers to sauce and simmer for at least 2 hours.

Makes about 16-20 burgers                        

Peanut Butter Pie

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup milk

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 cup confectioners sugar (optional)

12 oz. Cool Whip

2 graham cracker crusts or chocolate cookie crumb crusts

Combine first 4 ingredients with electric mixer on low speed. Add Cool Whip. Poor into crusts. You can add Hershey’s syrup on top. Store in freezer.

Makes 2 large pies.

OR

1 graham cracker crust

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar (optional)

8 oz. Cool Whip

Blend cream cheese and peanut butter together. Add Cool Whip. Blend until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar gradually; blend. Pour into graham cracker crust. Freeze for 3 hours. Makes 1 pie.

Lisa Braun dropped off these recipes, sure to score a Touchdown at your Super Bowl Party:

5 Layer Mexican Dip

1 can (15-1/2oz.) refried black beans

1 Tbsp. chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup sliced black olives

1 tomato, chopped

Mix beans, chili powder and cumin; spread on bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Top with layers of remaining ingredients, and refrigerate for several hours.

Velveeta Tex-Mex Beef and Potatoes

1 lb. ground beef

1 red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg. (101/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix

½ cup water

4 cups frozen southern-style hash browns

1 pkg. (10 oz.) Velveeta, cut into ½ inch cubes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and Velveeta; mix well. Spoon into 13×9-inch baking dish; cover. Bake for 20 minutes occasionally stir after removing from oven. Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until heated through.

I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering. I could honestly care less about either of these teams because they’re not the Bills or Browns (still need to represent my home team), but it’s easy to get excited about making some seriously unhealthy but delicious dishes.

  Katie Corbut, Account Coordinator

This thermal processing innovator has two distinct, and equally important, secrets to success – an inventive spirit and a devotion to partnership. We gave them a new brand that calls on their customers to help them change the world, communicating both sides of the Harper identity in one fell swoop.