If you live in one of the nine markets for the new “I’m a Mormon” ad campaign blitz, you’ve likely seen or heard the ads that convey the normalcy of Mormons today. The Twin Cities is among the nine markets that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has selected to test their campaign and I was intrigued from the first TV spot I saw during prime time about a month ago. 

I’ll admit, the first thing my suspicious, former reporter mind wondered was if the church is attempting to pave the way for conservatives’ acceptance of Mitt Romney in 2012, which could make him the first party endorsed Mormon presidential candidate in America’s history. Apparently, I wasn’t alone—Fox News leapt to that same speculation early in the ad campaign. Then I began to mentally cycle through American history and we elected Nixon (a Quaker) and the first-ever Catholic, JFK, to our highest office. And current conspiracy theorists have falsely convinced almost a quarter of Americans that we’ve now elected a Muslim. So a political candidate’s religion might be a non-issue after all.

But seriously, from a purely marketing standpoint, I think the ads are quite good. They feature very relatable (aka: normal) Mormons engaged in a variety of activities and pursuing diverse professional and personal interests while talking about their faith. The ads are well done, convincing (if normalcy is the messaging objective) and intriguing. Apparently, I’m not alone in my interest either. According to Scott Swofford, director of media for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, traffic at mormon.org is up 300 percent since the campaign launch. In test markets like the Twin Cities, traffic has spiked 400 to 800 percent above typical levels since the ads began to run. That’s an unequivocal success, from a campaign measurement standpoint.

With such positive metrics behind its efforts so far, I would expect The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to expand beyond these initial middle American test cities: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baton Rouge, Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Rochester, NY, Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Tucson. So, don’t feel neglected if you don’t reside in one of these test markets. “I’m a Mormon” TV and radio spots, billboards, and public transit and internet ads may soon become part of your everyday consciousness. If you can’t wait, discover what all the buzz is about by visiting mormon.org or find them on Facebook and YouTube.

What do you think of the new “I’m a Morman” campaign?

Read more blogs from SCG’s 41 Stories.

-Steph Haugan

Last weekend, I spent a fantastic long weekend golfing at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota. In the company of eight wonderful people, we enjoyed scenic boating on Gull Lake, delicious food, a few Tangueray and tonics, fun and at times irreverent conversations and of course, golf. Grand View is a magnet for the golfing set (me included) and it didn’t disappoint in terms of challenging courses and stunning views.

My favorite of the top-rated championship courses we played in the Brainerd Lakes area was The Preserve. The perfect summer weather might have influenced my choice, but after finishing 18 holes we decided we needed more and played another 9. With 27 holes under our belt that day, suffice to say we slept well that night—just what we needed to get up the next morning and do it all again at The Pines, another challenging course with stunning North Woods views.

It was the perfect weekend despite learning that my house sitter had called 911 one night when a midnight visitor came banging on the front door. The St. Paul police department (four officers, to be exact) were quick to the scene with flashing lights and scanned the property, but the uninvited visitor had fled. With police report in hand, the officers promised to keep my home on their route going forward.

It struck me upon learning of this incident that golf is very much a metaphor for life. At times, you get in the rough and it takes multiple attempts to clear it. Other times, you hit the ball just right and the connection lands you right on the green with an easy one-putt to the pin. I’m happy to say that last weekend at Grand View lodge was more of the latter than the former for me. An ideal vacation filled with plenty of golf (63 holes!), wonderful connections and easy conversations.

 Read more blogs from SCG’s 41 Stories.

 -Steph Haugan

Here in Minnesota we’ve had quite the active storm season. Several destructive tornadoes, hail the size of grapefruit in some cases, and damaging straight-line winds. I’ve been fortunate and haven’t had serious damage to my home or threat of injury. There was a night in June, however, when I was returning from a walk with my dog and rounded the corner of my street to discover an extremely large branch from the towering, 100-plus-year-old tree in my boulevard had fallen onto my front yard and the driveway of my neighbor’s house. In fact, the gigantic limb was completely covering my neighbor’s driveway, preventing any entry or exit.

As I walked toward the scene I was greeted by another neighbor who heard the branch crack and fall. With my eyes looking downward in disbelief, he redirected my focus upward toward another branch from the same tree that had cracked and was poised to fall. We weren’t quite sure what to do and just then the neighbor whose driveway was obstructed joined the conversation. He informed me he had called Xcel (because there were some secondary power lines near the tree). I wasn’t quite convinced Xcel was the right call, so I quickly went inside to investigate online.

To my surprise, my first Google search for “City of St. Paul MN + tree down in boulevard” directed me to precisely the right page on the City of St. Paul’s website with the after-hours number for the Public Works Department (not the forestry office that handles such emergencies during business hours). “Huh,” I thought. “An informative and useful city government website.”

I expected to get a voicemail but an attentive guy from public works picked up the on the third ring. I informed him of the situation, adding that the fallen branch was a hazard because it was obstructing the sidewalk and that another large branch could fall and potentially hit a pedestrian. He, in turn, informed me that his crew had been cleaning fallen trees and branches all day and someone would be out to take a look at my tree that evening. When I asked whether they would be able to clear the branch that night, he said he couldn’t make any promises due to the day’s high volume of tree cataclysms.

Again to my surprise, two young gentlemen rolled up in a public works truck within a half hour. Upon quickly assessing this was a significant hazard, they called for reinforcements—their supervisor and two other seasoned department members. Minutes later, the crew was deftly and loudly dismembering the tenuous branch and clearing the downed limb, providing an hour’s worth of neighborly gawking. As dusk set it, there was no evidence that anything had even transpired that night.

Prior to this experience, I had dim hopes for a quick and thorough response from my local government to something like this. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that the City of St. Paul suffered a black eye with its pothole patching scandal in which a TV news crew caught city workers slacking off. But this experience showed me the other side of the story—St. Paul city workers springing into action and getting the job done.

Thanks, St. Paul Public Works Department. You guys were great!

-Steph Haugan

Exactly four weeks ago today, I got the call from my longtime friend since 4^th grade, Susan, telling me her father, G. Dennis Lortz Jr., had passed away that day at the age of 70. It was a call I dreaded but knew would be coming soon, as her father had spent the last six months of his life suffering from a rare and fast progressing form of small intestinal cancer. I saw for myself what that horrific disease had done to that once very strong and vital man (he was a former Navy lieutenant and the captain of the Indiana University tennis team) when I traveled to Illinois in April for a last visit with him. Just five weeks later I was again traveling to Illinois with an even heavier heart, this time for his funeral and the celebration of his life.

This past Friday, I received three thank-you cards in the mail—one from Susan, one from her mother Carolyn, and one from her brother Dan. Each one thanking me for my friendship and support during that very difficult time, and making a point to tell me how special it was to their father that I came down to see him before he passed. My response to this is the same thing I said to them at the memorial service: I wouldn’t have been anywhere else.  

You see, Dennis Lortz was the best man I’ve ever known. He was a model husband, father, grandfather and friend. The embodiment of class, patience and kindness. Anyone who knew Dennis and his wife of 48 years were struck by the closeness of their relationship. They were true partners in life and they treated each other with mutual love, honor, gentleness and respect.

That’s not to say Dennis was milquetoast. Quite the opposite. Growing up with this family—tagging along on vacations and working with Dennis and Carolyn at their clothing store in the ‘80s—I frequently found myself in stitches from his dry wit. He was known for his slightly inappropriate but always hilarious observations and commentary. Even as he layed in pain in his hospital bed when I visited in April, we shared quite a few laughs as he inquired with trademark candor about events in my life. But that was Dennis, always welcoming and genuinely interested in others’ well being. In fact, that was the theme of his eulogy, delivered by Susan’s brother-in-law, who noted how Dennis would always seek him out in earnest at large family gatherings to learn about the latest happenings in his life. “How are you?” was never a perfunctory question from Dennis.

Dennis uplifted so many lives during his time here, which was far too short. Every time I think with heavy sadness of the loss his family and friends now feel, I also think of how much everyone he touched has gained. He truly was the best man I’ve ever had the privilege to know.

G. Dennis Lortz Jr.

The other night I was watching TV and an ad really caught my attention. It was the new Kotex ad from Kimberly-Clark that casts an unusually real light on the delicate and often white-washed subject of the monthly cycle in advertising. It was so hilarious, well done and memorable that I couldn’t resist covering it here in this blog—despite it being about a cringe-worthy topic for some. My apologies, if you’re one of them.

The ad begins with a young, female, seemingly non-actor describing with drenched sarcasm how well she relates to stuffy and traditional ads on this subject. With images from traditional ads weaved between her mocking commentary, she relays how she, too, feels like running on a beach, doing cartwheels, twirling in slow motion, dancing joyfully and wearing white spandex when her time comes. She goes on to critique the appealing blue liquid typically used in absorbency demonstrations with a simple statement: “Ooooh, that’s what’s supposed to happen.”

Aside from a few really good chuckles, the ad struck me as genius. While back-handedly admitting that feminine hygiene manufacturers have been grievously out of touch with their female consumer audience in marketing efforts, Kimberly-Clark attempts a shot at redemption by engaging with humor, intelligence and a big dose of reality (without actually showing the ugly truth). That’s the stuff that sales and brand loyalty are made of, I think.

This ad is not the only “coming of age” for the Kotex brand. The TV ad also features a promotional microsite with a memorable URL, UbyKotex.com, where those who are intrigued by the ad can go to further interact with the brand. Once there, visitors can put their stamp of disapproved on out-of-touch ads, submit their own spoof ad captions and share their stories on the topic at hand. The site seems to have struck a chord with its target audience with 10,000 bad ads tagged, 2,000 ad spoofs created and 200 stories shared to date.  Who says the microsite is dead?

If you need a laugh or want to see how a brilliant, strategic ad unfolds, you can watch the TV commercial here.

-Steph Haugan

A couple weeks ago, one of the most formidable publishers of trade magazines in the U.S., Reed Business Information (RBI), announced the closing of 23 of its publications including both print and digital formats. Some of the shuttered magazines (such as Restaurants and Institutions, Professional Builder and Hotels) were the biggest names in their industry and at one time, thriving from an advertising revenue standpoint. Since RBIs announcement, there have been rumblings that new potential buyers are now surfacing to resurrect the closed publications. Stay tuned for news of this nature in the coming days, weeks and months.

As I understand, the closing announcement really didn’t come as a shock to those employed at RBI. The publisher was actively trying to sell off many of its titles throughout the last year, and Folio reported that RBI issued an ominous New Years Eve letter to employees informing them that certain titles that weren’t soon sold would likely collapse. In other words, layoffs loomed on the horizon.  

However, it was heavy news to me personally since I worked for RBI as an editor for a combined 6-plus years at two of the now-defunct magazines, Converting and Graphic Arts Monthly, and provided freelance editing services to Packaging Digest (which thankfully survived the cut as it was recently sold to Canon Communications). In addition to being a loss to the industries these publications served so well through the years, it’s a loss for the many RBI employees who have now presumably been added to the country’s burgeoning unemployment rolls. Many of whom I remember fondly from my days at RBI, especially my former boss Converting’s Chief Editor, Mark Spaulding. I was delighted to read the news online in the aftermath of RBI’s announcement that Mark plans to continue his “Converting Curmudgeon” blog sometime soon in cyberspace. 

Which actually brings me to the marketing-related point of this blog. With severely diminished ad revenues, rising mail costs and the shift from print to web dramatically shrinking the number of trade publications (and newspapers), how does this impact the way we conduct public relations for our clients? Has the traditional press release—once the stalwart method of disseminating client news—gone the way of the dinosaur?  I think the answer is yes and no.

There’s still a place for the traditional press release in the mix of public relations tactics especially if it’s distributed through online services. But it’s become a significantly less effective and less timely vehicle for informing your audience and driving sales. While it’s nice to see your press release in ink on the pages of a trade magazine, realistically the time from distribution to print is typically 2-3 months. By that time, readers have likely already seen your news online and moved on. In this age of immediacy with web publishing, it just doesn’t make sense any more to limit yourself to a printed press release when news about your company and competitors is right at our fingertips on the web.

As a result, social media and self-publishing have become critical components of the “new” public relations. And we’ve seen just how effective it is for our clients who have embraced blogs, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, Twitter, online Q&A forums, RSS feeds, etc. Sure, the credibility factor of having your news published by an objective third party such as a trade magazine still exists. This requires self-publishers to self police (or rather, their agency should play cop) and make sure the content of your news doesn’t cross the line into blatant advertising. If it does, your digital audience will likely turn and run, making your foray into social media far less effective.

Initially, the B2B arena that trade publications serve was slow to jump on the social media bandwagon, believing it was more suited to their B2C brethren. But that’s no longer the case as more and more B2B companies become active in social media and now consider it a vital part of their public relations mix.

What is your company doing to get your news in front of your customers and prospects in the wake of folded trade magazines and their digital properties? 

-Steph Haugan

Eating lunch at my desk recently, I was perusing the news headlines online when one jumped out at me and I just had to click. “This woman spends $47,000 a year on her hair” was the shock-inducing headline of an article from the New York Post. In disbelief, I read every word of the piece.

Turns out, foot model Brandi Irwin, 28, of New York City, is addicted to getting $10,000 long hair extensions—three times a year. Combined with coloring every six weeks at $300 a pop and twice-weekly blow-outs, she indeed racks up $47,000 per year in hair maintenance. The incentive to part with this kind of cash for her coif? She says she turns far more heads with her extensions than her natural (and perfectly fine, in my opinion) hair and enjoys looking like a million bucks. Well, Ms. Irwin, if you keep going like this, you will have spent well over a million dollars on your hair during your lifetime. But perhaps that’s not a problem since the article also stated that Irwin’s parents, who invested well in the stock market, help fund her flowing locks.

At the risk of sounding middle aged (because I am), what has this world come to? I have nothing against looking good and investing a reasonable amount based on your income in personal upkeep. I color my hair, take time in the morning to put myself together as best as possible and even get a little spring in my step when I wear a new addition to my wardrobe for the first time. 

But this doesn’t define who I am (as it seems to with Irwin and others who feel the need to go to such lengths to secure attention). And nothing makes me feel more like “a million bucks” than doing something kind for someone else—especially if that person really needs it. When did our culture turn the corner from placing a premium value on the interior nature of a person to worshipping an unnaturally altered facade?

Maybe the answer lies in our increasingly narcissistic, image-focused culture. This time last year, psychologists and co-authors Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell came out with the book “The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement.” It’s received scores of ink and accolades in the national media since its publishing, and it cites today’s young women who have unrealistic notions of physical beauty as hardest hit by the epidemic. The good news is the book also offers anecdotes to the alarming plague of narcissism in our world. You can get your own cure (copy) here. 

-Steph Haugan

You might be a bit puzzled by this blog’s title, which is a slightly tweaked line from Chicago singer/songwriter Michael McDermott’s lyrically stunning song Tread Lightly (one of my personal favorites). It seems especially appropriate given our early taste of spring here in Minnesota and the fact that McDermott and his wife (talented singer/songwriter Heather Horton, who just released her CD Postcard Saturdays) are making their way to Minneapolis for a show at the Fine Line tomorrow night, March 25.

Every year or so, McDermott makes a tour stop in Minneapolis, leaving many in attendance scratching their heads as to why this guy hasn’t made the “big time” (big time being a relative term, given he’s had an enduring career and is now into his 20^th year writing songs, recording and touring). His latest CD is the critically acclaimed Hey La Hey, which has been hailed as his best to date. Many music critics and fans of gritty storytelling set to captivating musical arrangements often wonder how this passionate and uniquely gifted artist continues to remain somewhat unknown. In fact, Jason Gonulsen with Metromix had this to say last week as music fans in St. Louis had to choose between seeing bigger name David Gray or McDermott on the same night.

Tomorrow night in Minneapolis, McDermott will be pairing up with the extremely talented Dan Navarro, half of the also-enduring musical acoustic duo, Lowen and Navarro. While the duo still tours, Navarro has been stepping out solo more these days as his creative partner and fellow performer Eric Lowen continues to valiantly battle ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease).

So, if you’d like to celebrate the beginning of spring, hear some sweet music and discover one of the music industry’s enduring voices, head to the Fine Line tomorrow night to see Michael McDermott’s show. For those like myself who are well past the college mindset that Thursday is party night and Friday is a throw-away day, it’s an early show. Doors open at 7 p.m.

-Steph Haugan

Michael McDermott and Heather Horton playing in NYC February 2010.

Photo by Mark Seliger, New York.

 I let out a groan the other day when news hit about an air traffic controller at JFK who let his two young children call out instructions from the tower to pilots.  On the Today Show, two pundits interviewed agreed it was an unwise move but differed on whether safety was actually at risk and whether there should be repurcussions for the ATC . Since that airing, the ATC and his supervisor have in fact been put on paid administrative leave pending an FAA investigation. 

Many firmly in the “it’s not a big deal” camp believe the incident was harmless and the ATC never lost control. I tend to lean more toward the FAAs initial statement by administrator Randy Babbitt: “This lapse in judgment not only violated FAA’s own policies but common sense standards for professional conduct. These kinds of distractions are totally unacceptable. We have an incredible team of professionals who safely control our nation’s skies every single day. This kind of behavior does not reflect the true caliber of our work force.”

 It wasn’t long ago we learned about the two Northwest Airlines pilots who overshot MSP airport by 150 miles and didn’t realize their error until they were in Eau Claire, Wisconsin—because they were distracted by their laptop activities. This was yet another move that defied common sense and could have put many lives at risk. Those pilots did lose their licenses.

It seems to me the airline industry needs a reality check and a good dose of internal communications to remind their employees precisely what their product is: safety. Otherwise, the trust we put in the airline industry could be seriously eroded. 

 -Steph Haugan

I’ve never been much of a winter outdoors enthusiast since graduating from the days of sledding down hills with my playmates as a kid. While I’m enjoying the beginning of the Winter Olympics this week like most, I prefer to cheer on the US contenders hearthside near the TV. So when members of my summertime golf league asked if I wanted to join them in last Saturday’s frozen celebration of winter, the 26th annual Chilly Open golf tournament on Lake Minnetonka in Wayzata, my knee-jerk response was, “heck NO!” But after a bit of coaxing I relented, vowing to give it a try as long as it wasn’t 20-below.

Much to my surprise, I’m glad I traded in my seasonal curmudgeon hat for winter-ready head gear and gave it a go. It was a blast. A scene like no other I’ve witnessed during my 10 years here in Minnesota. Pros and duffers alike swatting tennis balls with golf clubs and hockey sticks through narrow nine-hole courses carved out of extremely thick ice with plenty of natural and man-made obstructions. Getting caught in the rough took on a whole new dimension—I’ll never grouse again about lying off the fairway after trying to hit out of two-foot snow drifts.

The Chilly Open was no place for regulation golf. Twelve-somes, eight-somes and the occasional four-some like us teed up for bad golf and lots of laughs. And boy, were there laughs. In keeping with this year’s Olympic-inspired theme “All Around the World,” participants donned costumes, elaborate (mostly Nordic) headwear and even decorated sleds full of beer to celebrate the occasion. Even a few rugged pooches were adorned for the day. Special homage goes to the Viking ship “caddy” that was towing enough libations to last through 36 holes (we only played 9).

Scores aside, the Chilly Open opened my eyes to the potential for winter fun and mayhem here in Minnesota. I’ll still take playing 18 on Minnesota’s many beautiful golf courses on perfect summer days, but in the meantime the Chilly Open is a good excuse to get back in the swing as winter draws near its close and spring closes in.

-Steph Haugan

Tennis ball in the "rough"

A Viking "caddy" ship navigates the frozen Lake Minnetonka