TCBY Store Giveaway Officially Begins

TCBY, The Country's Best Yogurt, is officially collecting entries for This Could Be Yours, The Great TCBY Store Giveaway. Found on TCBY.com, the contest will reward one lucky person with his or her very own TCBY store and is open to all U.S. residents over the age of 21.

To enter, contestants must submit a video, no longer than two minutes, explaining why they should be the recipient of their very own TCBY, why their town is the perfect location, and what they have to offer the brand. Submissions will be judged on creativity, a sense of business acumen, and originality. Video submissions will be accepted between October 5, 2009 and November 30, 2009.

"We're looking for the country's best business owners, and are eagerly awaiting the video submissions; we know they are going to be great," said Steve Willes, Director of Marketing TCBY. "This contest gives us the opportunity to help someone make their professional and personal dreams come true, and we anticipate that he or she will continue the tradition, started in 1981, of serving the country's best frozen yogurt."

Following the initial entry round, TCBY will narrow all video submissions down to 25 semi-finalists. The public will then be given the opportunity to help narrow the list down to 10 finalists, who will go through an informal interview process before the winner is chosen.

"Especially now, it's important for us to champion the entrepreneurial spirit of this country, and invite anyone who's ever wanted to own a TCBY to submit their video" said Michael Ward, President of TCBY. "With the support of an iconic brand and nearly 30 years of history behind the winner, we're certain this will be a great success for all involved."

For more information on This Could Be Yours, The Great TCBY Store Giveaway, and a full list of rules and regulations, please visit www.tcby.com.

About TCBY
Based in Salt Lake City, TCBY, The Country's Best Yogurt has been a frozen yogurt innovator from the day its first shop opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981. Ever since, the great-tasting, low-fat frozen yogurt concept has received an enthusiastic response from an increasingly health-conscious public. With more than 800 locations both in the United States and internationally, TCBY - Best Tasting, Best For You(tm) has long been a healthier alternative for consumers looking for a treat or snack. To learn more check out www.TCBY.com.

AdoptUsKids: November is National Adoption Month

November is National Adoption Month. AdoptUsKids (http://www.adoptuskids.org) shows the importance and benefits of adoption from foster care. 

The mission of AdoptUsKids is to recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States.  Funded by the Children’s Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families, the national photolisting website contains photos and information about children in foster care. A national adoption public service advertising recruitment campaign was launched in July 2004 in a partnership of the Children’s Bureau, the Ad Council, and AdoptUsKids, with the goal of raising awareness of the significant number of children in this country waiting to be adopted. New PSAs have been developed as an extension of this highly successful campaign. The latest series of ads in this award-winning campaign target the African American community, in keeping with the effort to diligently recruit from communities representative of the children in care.  Thirty-one percent of the children in foster care waiting to be adopted are African American; African American children are overrepresented in the foster care population relative to their percentage in the U.S. general population. Because of this, African American children often wait longer to be adopted.

Visit http://www.adoptuskids.org/adoption-and-foster-care-advocacy/ to learn more about adoption from foster care and how to help spread the word about children in care waiting for a forever family.You can search for children in you area by visiting: http://www.adoptuskids.org/Child/ChildSearch.aspx.

We encourage readers to follow @perfectparent (http://twitter.com/perfectparent or http://twitter.com/adoptuskids) and become a fan of AdoptUsKids on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AdoptUsKids.

Finally, there will be a Twitter event at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 10th to discuss the benefits of adoption, and provide information on adoption from foster care. Use the hashtag #adoptuskids to participate.

This campaign is brought to you by Global Influence, the former Momfluence network.

Jon and Kate: Thoughts....

First I must say I started watching Jon and Kate Plus Eight about a year and a half ago. I was on maternity leave, and the my schedule for about a month was in shambles. I was never a real TV watcher, but when you can't sleep, channel surfing becomes your brainless activity of choice.

I was intrigued by this show that depicted this couple and their twin girls and sextuplets. Not sure exactly why I was first intrigued, perhaps it could have been the two day marathon on TLC that drew me in and in two days I was pretty much caught up on their fun activities.

Of course I could have been drawn in by the fact that Kate seemed to always be in control of her eight children. Here I was at home with one new born, and I didn't feel in control. After all, I was always in control of my work environment. Control was my forte. Now that I was out of my element and out of control, my new inspiration came from a lady, Kate, that seemed to manage eight children with what, I observed, minimal help.

And then a bit over a year of watching, it all started to crumble for Jon and Kate. Though people would comment about how "mean and controlling" Kate was, and how "lazy and aloof" Jon was, I thought somehow they balanced each other. They were two data points on the opposites of the spectrum. So all that bickering on TV just reinforced to me, that somehow this bizarre relationship worked for them. Not really sure how, but it worked. I was obviously wrong.

Would I be wrong to also say, that this break up, though it will have a negative impact to the children, is a lot more entertaining than the actual show? I know, I feel horrible for saying that, but it's true. I'm not the only one that thinks that, millions of viewers agree. The rating for the show has increased after the announcement of the divorce.

So I pose the questions that I am often asked: "Who do you think is right? Jon, for wanting the children off the TV show? Or Kate, for wanting to be able to support the children financially?"

Doolittle Offers Discount to You!

Doolittle offers a complete line of stationery and accessories for men,
women and kids, and is the perfect place for easy, online holiday
shopping for almost anyone on the gift list. 

Readers get 15% off anything in the Doolittle Junior (check out the Play Date Cards!) line or the Seasonal collection, which features the... brand new Correspondence Seals.

You can see them here:

http://www.felixdoolittle.com/web/front_junior.aspx

And here:

http://www.felixdoolittle.com/web/front_seasonal.aspx

Readers just need to use the code DoolittleJr when checking out. This code will be active through November 30.

What You Need to Know About Children's Health Care

From the Children’s Defense (www.childrensdefense.org) website:

Join Us In Standing Together for Children:  Congress is debating health reform legislation that could leave millions of children worse rather than better off and fails to fix bureaucratic, unfair barriers to care. This must be changed now!

What We Are Demanding:  Congress and the President must support changes that provide comprehensive, affordable, accessible care for all children no matter where they live. Changes must build on what works in the system and fix what doesn’t work for children now.

Actions You Can Take:  Join children, parents, grandparents and champions for children in a "stroll" to the Nation's Capitol on November 4 or join stroller brigades in cities across the country November 5 through 8 to ensure that our children are not left behind in health care reform. Can't join a stroller brigade in-person? You can also participate in our Virtual Stroller Brigade!

Important Dates and Links:

-          November 4^th: The Stroller Brigade campaign kicks off in the DC and readers in the DC area can sign up here - http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/join-stroller-brigade/washington-dc.html

 

-          November 5^th through 8^th: The Stroller Brigade will travel around the country.  You can find a location near them here - http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/join-stroller-brigade.html

 

-          You can create a Stroller Brigade in their own neighborhood here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/create-your-own-stroller-brigade.html

 

-          You  who do not want to join a Stroller Brigade can help by contacting their member of Congress, spreading the word about the campaign, and sharing their own story: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/take-action.html

-          Fact sheets and more: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/toolkit.html

-          The Stroller Brigade in the news: http://www.childrensdefense.org/helping-americas-children/childrens-health/health-coverage-for-all-children-campaign/stroller-brigade/news.html

The Twitter Blogger Press Conference is Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. EST with the hashtag #strollerbrigade if you would like to join, and I’d love to see you all there!  We will be chatting with a director from the Children’s Defense fund.

Marketing 101 With Fiona Pietruski

As Chief Marketing Officer at SheSpeaks, an online community of smart and insightful  women who come together to share opinions and see the power of their collective voices in action, it’s Fiona Pietruski job to know women. So why not take a few tips from her?  Below you will find a few of Pietruski’s marketing “basics” – just a glimpse of the knowledge she’ll share as a speaker at AdweekMedia’s inaugural Marketing to Women conference this Wednesday, November 4.  Women’s purchasing power is more influential than ever before; don’t miss this opportunity to learn what makes a woman reach into her wallet and spend. Fiona appeared on Connecting Women Radio as well.

Also gain insight into the other sex at the 5^th annual Marketing to Men event tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3!  Both conferences will be held at The Westin Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

What marketers/brands do you admire and “look up to” for their strategies?

Oprah, Etsy, Bloomingdales

What are key marketing tips that you’ve learned that you feel are important to share?

I think it’s crucial to take the “talk with, not at” rule a bit further in today’s marketing communications.  Most marketers have seen the value in truly listening to their consumers and have figured out ways in which to do that to cull information and insights.  The next step is to respond and engage with those consumers – to really enter into a dialogue, to go deeper into the how’s and why’s, and to show that as a brand, you not only want to know what your consumers think, but that you are doing something with that knowledge.  I’ve found the rewards from true engagement to be invaluable, not just for marketing results, but for brand innovation as well.  

What have you learned not to do in your experience as a marketer?

A – Don’t assume.  If you don’t know for sure, ask.  Ask consumers how they’d like your next product packaged, if they like the color, if it works for a purpose they didn’t expect it to.  Too many marketers are still assuming that women want things a certain way, based solely on long-established stereotypes that feel so ingrained, we don’t even identify them as stereotypes anymore.  

B – Don’t go dark.  Don’t start a conversation with your consumers and then abandon it.  Don’t shut down in the face of a new communication method and not even try it.  Don’t stop communicating just because the environment, your category, or your business is suffering.  Keeping the dialogue open will help you address problems and earn consumer trust.

Marketing 101 With Anne Welch

It’s a tough time for magazines, but ELLE’s success only seems to grow, as seen in partnerships with Project Runway, MTV’s The City, and more.  Anne Welch, Vice President and Brand Publisher of Elle Magazine, didn’t play a small part in this – she’s an expert at reaching fashionistas, even in a time when shopping is taboo.  Here are a few of Welch’s marketing “basics” – just a taste of the knowledge she’ll share as a speaker at AdweekMedia’s inaugural Marketing to Women conference next Wednesday, November 4.  Women’s purchasing power is more influential than ever before; don’t miss this opportunity to learn what makes a woman reach into her wallet and spend.  

Anne offers some insight.

What marketers/brands do you admire and “look up to” for their strategies?

Apple – for defining cool
Target – for bringing fashion to the masses
Net-a-Porter – for taking e-commerce to the next level
Louis Vuitton – for remaining true to themselves

What are key marketing tips that you’ve learned that you feel are important to share?

Reinforce our Mission
ELLE has a distinct voice and one that separates us from our competition. It all begins with our mission and resulting editorial product. Over the past year we have solidified our position in the marketplace as the preeminent magazine for a relevant and relatable mix of fashion. While our competition has adjusted their editorial philosophy to the economic climate, ELLE has remained true to the magazine’s fashion mission: offering both practical and aspirational clothing and accessories; highlighting the trends, but never dictating them; and encouraging personal style and individuality.                      

Invest in Research
Consumer insight opens doors. In 2008, ELLE sponsored a ground-breaking study that profiled and identified today’s recession-proof shoppers. This study not only educated advertisers on the three types of women who will continue to shop in the face of the recession, but it also stressed the importance of fashion magazines. On every single measure studied, fashion magazine readers are significantly more qualified than that who do not read them: they spend more, they shop more, and they are more knowledgeable.

Innovate and Take Risks
ELLE is a magazine that has always taken risks—we were the first fashion magazine to launch a companion website and the first to participate in a reality television show. While the competition usually follows suit, ELLE continues to push the boundaries of what a fashion resource can do. Last spring we continued to innovate by launching the ELLE Dailies, a free subscription-based e-mail newsletter delivered to a broad, yet targeted, audience of prime fashion consumers.  In order to provide readers with more of the content they crave, last fall ELLE launched “Fall A to Zee,” an online feature that highlighted creative director, Joe Zee’s, key pieces and trends for the season. Over 400,000 consumers visited the site where they were able to click to buy straight from the advertising or the edit. Back by popular demand, Joe is again curating an alphabet’s worth of trends in Fall A to Zee and the ELLE Dailies have been extended to nine weeks reaching over 1 million opt-in subscribers daily.

With Project Runway, Stylista, and Ugly Betty, ELLE has always looked for creative ways to integrate the brand into television in order to increase brand awareness. Along these same lines, ELLE recently signed on with the Creative Artists Agency  (CAA), the world’s largest talent and branded entertainment agency representing clients such as Dell, Gap, and Coke. CAA will search for new opportunities for ELLE in television, motion pictures, DVD, and digital.

What have you learned not to do in your experience as a marketer?

Never Say Never
Over the last six years, ELLE has methodically moved up the ranks of fashion titles in the US by growing ad pages and share of market. In 2002, ELLE ranked 6th among the 7-book competitive set and had a 12% share of market. Today, ELLE is ranked #1 with 1,652 pages (and nearly 19% share) through October—two more pages than perennial category leader Vogue.

Limit Where the Brand Lives
With a crowded market place and tight consumer dollars, more so than in the past, advertisers have been looking for one thing when seeking media partners: proof of engagement. They want to know consumers are actively pursuing your brand and investing their valuable time and/or resources in it. To keep their experience with ELLE fresh, we are always looking for new ways to engage consumers both in-book and beyond the page. Whether it’s through a branded line of clothing or unique retail partnerships, we know our readers respect our opinion and therefore will seek our content through multiple touch points. Below are just a few examples:

• Licensed Products: In addition to an ELLE branded line of jewelry and eyewear, in Spring 2007, Kohl’s department stores launched the ELLE Contemporary Collection, a line of runway-inspired women’s apparel and accessories. Now available in all 1,000 Kohl’s stores in 47 states, 2009 sales are projected to top $80 million.
• ELLE Edit: ELLE is partnering with the New York store, Edit, to provide a high-end e-commerce area featuring fashion items that can be purchased online or at the store. Planned for a Spring 2010 launch offline and online.
• ELLE Spa: Expected to open in June 2010, ELLE is opening a spa in partnership with the newly renovated Eden Roc hotel in Miami Beach.

• Make Better Platform: ELLE’s year-long Make Better program incorporates everything from in-book content to a social media platform to a DVD series starring model Brooklyn Decker, ELLE’s creative director Joe Zee, beauty/fitness director Emily Dougherty, and a host of fitness experts as they give consumers tips on fitness, fashion, and beauty that will help them make small improvements in their already great lives. 

Follow ELLE Magazine on Twitter.