Oprah & Cake: Not Just for Late Night Comedy Skits Anymore

August 24, 2009 Marketing
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oprah-winfreyThis is a guest post by our Creative Director, Sarah Rozema-Seaton, working all the way from her new home in Oklahoma City. Thanks for the post, Sarah!

Women all around the world watch or set their PVR devices to watch Oprah each week. This is a woman so powerful that she can take failing business’s and make them into successful empires, just by recommending their product. It has been called everything from “Oprah’s million dollar touch” to “the Oprah effect,” and millions of business are trying to just get a change to hitch a ride on this woman’s coat tails.

CNBC’s story on “The Oprah Effect” took my particular interest. (It may be because I am pregnant and stories on cake will always perk my interest.) The story is about a small Fort Lauderdale cake company called We Take the Cake.

In 2003 business owner Lori, bought this failing business, but she believed the product was good. After rebranding the business, she was still struggling and not turning a profit.

An employee of Oprah’s, who was sent a cake and became a customer of We Take the Cake. She introduced Oprah to We Take the Cake’s signature Keylime Bunt Cake. Oprah was so impressed that it went on her list of “Oprah’s favourite things.” With Oprah’s following of millions, the small cake business over night went from floundering to booming! With Lori and her team finding it hard to keep up with demand for cakes.

This link is worth taking a look at. It’s amazing how one woman has such influence over millions of people. It just takes the cake!

TGIF!

August 21, 2009 Fridays with Kerry
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j0438461In a day of leetspeak overload (internet slang), LOL, TTYL, K, OMG, BRB, ROFL, you certainly can be left feeling lost, out of touch and quite frankly pretty foolish. I tend to feel all of the above and most times have to ask my son Ayden, “What does that mean?” I do however have a favorite: TGIF. 

I think that if you work Monday to Friday on a full time basis then you know and can appreciate what TGIF stands for. Where did this famous acronym come from?

Starting in the United States, it has become a common expression of relief at the end of the workweek and anticipation of relaxing or partying over the weekend. The term was originated by the Akron, Ohio disk jockey Jerry Healy on radio station WAKR in the early 1970s. The phrase was further popularized by the 1978 movie starring Donna Summer, Thank God It’s Friday. The phrase has also become common for advertising and promotional materials. 

My kids would be the first to say, and I am the first to admit, that I am behind the times when it comes to these little helpful letters that seem to speak magnitudes. I guess it’s time to submerge myself into the 20th Century. 

CB005695My TGIF recipe for the weekend ahead:

Roasted Tomato & Sweet Onion Pizza 

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 large Vidalia onion sliced thin
  • 1 large clove of garlic pressed
  • 4 Roma or Plum tomatoes sliced thick (local of course, try Vickie’s Veggies)
  • Sea Salt & Pepper
  • 1 TBSP fresh basil leaves torn
  • 1 flat bread
  • 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese (about 4 ounces)
  • Balsamic Vinegar to drizzle 

Position rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°.  Thickly slice tomatoes; place in small greased baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast at 425° for about 40 minutes or until wrinkly and softened. In a skillet heat1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add onions & garlic and cook for about 5 min. Season with salt & pepper, lower heat to medium-low and cook until golden-brown. Place flat bread on baking sheet. Arrange the onions, tomatoes and basil evenly on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly, 15 to 20 min. Drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar or serve on the side to dip crust in. 

Serve with an Arugula, Pine Nut & Parmesan Salad. 

My choice of beverage to accompany this meal would be a Shiraz or Syrah. Considering this is a lighter style of pizza (without the tomato sauce & meat), if you are partial to white wine, then I would suggest a Pinot Grigio or an Earthy Sauvignon Blanc. 

Happy Friday,

Kerry

Friday’s With Kerry

August 14, 2009 Fridays with Kerry
1 comment

kerry1

Wow! Summer is finally here, and I couldn’t be happier! I was starting to wonder what happened to the good ol’ dog days of summer from when I was a kid? I guess as I age so do the weather trends. It may not be the kind of summer that I remember, but hey, I’ll take it.

One of my favorite things to do on a hot summer day? Chill on the deck, sip on a cold summer cocktail and nibble on some yummy apps that are made from fresh, local ingredients. I am a true wine lover, but I have to admit that my drink of choice when it’s super hot out, is an ice cold (and I mean put in the freezer for an extra 15 min cold) beer! In saying that, I certainly am not opposed to a chilled glass of Rosé.

Rosé wine: Not just for amateurs any more. A light & refreshing summer wine for any occasion.

Most Rosé’s are not the sweet, fizzy stuff you drank when you were young and looking for a cheap, easy wine. It’s classy and wonderfully versatile, whether your mood requires a lighter, fruity wine or a heavier one with some structure.

Tip: To chill your summer bottles in just 20 minutes, fill bucket two-thirds full with equal parts cold water and ice. Submerge bottle up to neck; speed it up a bit more by tossing in a handful of rock salt.

Here’s a quick and easy summer app recipe to go along with the Rosé.

42-15200409Blueberry Brie on the Barbie

  • One large round of Brie
  • 2 Cups of local fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup of orange juice
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic crushed
  • 2 tsp of brown sugar
  • Lemon rind grated
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Place last 7 ingredients in a tin foil plate and place on BBQ on Medium heat, till bubbly and berries are reduced. Approximately 15 min – 20 min. Keep warm on upper rack and grill the Brie round. Once Brie is warmed through, place on platter and drizzle with blueberry sauce. Serve with artisan breads and crackers. Voila!

Shark Week!

August 11, 2009 Social Media
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42-16810972I just had to share this Facebook Connect app from the Discovery Channel because it’s such an innovative use of marketing and social media.

To advertise Shark Week, the folks at DC have created an interactive tool that could have easily been a good, standard trailer, but they’ve made it way better. By interweaving social media with video, the viewer is engaged, having fun, and will remember to watch–or at least to share with all their friends on Facebook, Twitter, and their blog(s).

The idea is this: You go to the site, click the ‘My Story’ link, and the rest is history…as are you when you’re eaten by a shark.

Great promo. Great app. Great fun.

(Here are some stills I took from my computer screen. Sorry for the lack of quality, but you get the idea.)

sharkwk4sharkwk2sharkwk1

Keeping Score Sucks

August 10, 2009 Social Media
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DBU067Recently, I (Bryna) bumped into someone I hadn’t seen for a long time. Rather than engage me in conversation, this individual launched into a litany of their up-to-date personal accomplishments. It was like listening to a resume. And I kept thinking, “Why is this person keeping score?”

In light of the work we at Engine are doing in the field of social media, this experience reminded me of the one thing I hate about social networking: the numbers game.

The quality versus quantity debate is a frequent topic of discussion in the social realm. When trying to market a product or service, don’t you want 100,000 followers on Twitter? Shouldn’t you aim for a million fans on your Facebook page?

The answer is: Size doesn’t matter. Your tribe could have a million members, but your business won’t benefit from the numbers unless you have amongst them some genuinely engaged individuals who you’ve connected with in a more meaningful way. This represents your true online following.

Out of all my fans, friends, and followers, I have about 30 people who I’ve actually connected with. Those people are invaluable sources of information, business, and networking potential (and some have become really good friends), but they’re a small percentage of the people that my brand engages with online.

Does that mean social media isn’t worth the effort? Absolutely not! It’s a phenomenal tool for knowledge sharing, marketing your product or service, and networking with clients and colleagues.

The key is that without real relationships, social media doesn’t work. When numbers become your focus, you’ll fall behind, even though you look like you’re ahead of the competition. .

I like this video commentary by Seth Godin on social networking. It sums up nicely the limitations and benefits of using social networking. As Seth says, “You have to earn the connection.”

Consistency

August 7, 2009 Advertising / Design / Marketing / Typography
2 comments
Pepsi and Coke logos

Pepsi and Coke logos

Coca-Cola – one of the most recognizable logos in the world – is a beautiful example of consistency in branding.

If you attended our Marketing/Branding Seminar in June you would have heard us reciting the consistency mantra. Hey, if it worked for Coke…

Excuse us, we’re new here

August 6, 2009 Uncategorized
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Passing NotesEntering the online world is sort of like walking through the door of a new school on the first day. There’s a sea of unfamiliar people, sites, and sounds.

You might have been the ‘big man on campus’ back home, but now you’re just a face in the crowd.

With thousands of people passing you by, how do you make new friends? Find the right classes? Who are your teachers? And how do you filter all the information?

The online world is big and can be overwhelming. But that’s why we’re here. We aren’t the jock, we aren’t the prep, and we don’t belong to a Breakfast Club. What we are is the friendly face in the crowd.

We’ll show you the ropes.

We aren’t here for the experts (although we’re hoping to inspire you as well). We’re here for our clients.
And we’re here to tell a story–of real people, doing what they love, every day.

In the end, this is only one entrance into our world. Our hope is that someday you use the front door.

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