Recently I’ve noticed some of the great marketing ideas behind this organization, in some unexpected places. Last year I remembered seeing Major League Baseball players wear pink wristbands in support of the cause. That’s great, and brings awareness to a completely new market, however, the NFL and its partners went above and beyond. On October 4th, players, coaches, referees, and even sideline staff wore pink, and I mean a lot of pink. Players were wearing pink cleats, pink gloves, and had in pink mouth guards. Coaches had pink ribbons on their shirts, and even the zebras (refs) proved that real men wear pink.  While taking in all of the unusual color on football Sunday, I realized the amount work that had to go into producing custom shoes, gloves, hats, shirts, and mouth guards for a one day event. It was a beautifully executed, league-wide, event.

Bravo NFL, and bravo to the folks at the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month group.

Please visit the link below to donate
http://llswa.convio.net/site/TR/Events/WinterPineappleClassic?px=1054263&pg=personal&fr_id=1080

For those not from the great Northwest, Ivars is a great, and locally owned, place to grab fish & chips and chowder. Last night, I saw an ad on TV for Ivars that told a short (30 seconds) story of the founder’s vision of the future, from his perspective in 1955. According to legend, Ivar Haglund thought the wave of the future was going to be underwater, submarine, travel, and in 1955 he decided to do something about it and install underwater billboards in Puget Sound.

Could this be true?! Who knows? The point is, Ivars has managed to get people interested in this myth, and more importantly, made the Ivars name relevant again. Kudos Ivars…well done.

Now, imagine turning on your phone’s video functionality, pointing it at an intersection, and seeing the closest subway station mapped right there on your screen. Not a satellite image taken in 2006, or a digital recreation, but the actual street that your standing on. (If it’s hard to visualize what I’m saying here, the video below should help you out)

Pretty cool huh? The first Augmented Reality (AR) app has been released into the Apple iTunes store. Right now the app is only meant for those who can speak and read French, and happen to be in Paris, but nonetheless is opens up a world of possibilities. This article from FastCompany.com also mentions the opportunities that might be out there for advertisers, of course.

Recently, I have become a big fan of Honest Teas…not only for their tasty bottled beverages, like Lemon Black Tea and Green Dragon Tea, but also for the way they do business. From the company’s small beginnings in 1998, the small beverage company has been truly honest in how their product is made, and the impact it has on the planet. Lot’s of companies can talk a big “Green” game, but you get the feeling that this company from Bethesda, Maryland truly believes in what they do, and why they do it.

In fact, tucked right next to the company’s mission statement on their website is a section titled, “Aspirations for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)”. Whether it’s buying a product that might be slightly more expensive because it “better addresses the needs of economically disadvantaged communities”, adhering to strict Fair Trade ideals and standards, or, using fully recyclable PET plastic bottles, Honest Beverage company is trying to do right by the environment, and their customers.

Also, from a marketing perspective, the bottle’s are a simple yet effective marketing tool. It gives you all of the usual information about the drink, while peppering in some brand enhancing “Green Speak” that’s easy to read.

My quick P.S.A; If you like tea, and not the sugar-heavy kind you usually find, do yourself a favor and try some Honest tea.

Here’s why. More than ever, prospective employers are making a point to investigate the “real” you. The you that we see on Facebook and the you that enlightens us on Twitter 30 times a day. In fact, my last employer admitted to searching for me on Facebook and MySpace before hiring me. While he was saying this in a joking manor and I doubt it had any say in whether or not I was hired, the point is he did it. And he’s not alone.

So restrict your profile, watch what you post, and watch what you say…because your next employer is paying attention.

This bodes well for the consoles’ Xbox LIVE service that brings new downloadable game content, Netflix movies, and social online gaming to the masses.

See the full Nielsen Article here: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/hottest-june-on-record-for-video-gaming/