No, really, Aristotle. Don’t. Please. Aris Georgeson, one of our fabulous Account Executives, moonlights as a comedian every now and again. And last night, at the Funky Buddha Lounge in Boca Raton, he won the South Florida Halloween Comedy Festival! Out of nearly 30 comics, Aris took home the crown – and some cash. So I guess that must mean he’s pretty funny (looking). But seriously, Aris, don’t give up your day job – we love you too much!

One of our graphic artists, Natasha Bonham, has been featured in several ‘green’ blogs for her unique and beautiful artwork made of recycled magazines. She creates collages using tiny scraps from magazines that would have otherwise been thrown away.  
 
Check out the GreenMuze article here and the GreenDiary Article here. 
Congratulations, Natasha!

A blog post with more interesting and entertaining content is forthcoming, but for now, please make a note of brand new office address: 301 Yamato Road, Suite 4100, Boca Raton, Florida 33431.

South Florida. We’ve got sunshine, beaches, palm trees, culture and more retirees than you can count. Many people say it’s a lot like California. The main difference, we’ve found, is that American Idol starts 3 hours later over there…that – and our West Coast clients occasionally call us for changes at 9pm.

Since our client list in the Golden State has grown in the past few months with the opening of several all-new California Superstores dealerships, and the introduction of a couple of new FIAT studios, we decided it was time to open a satellite location.

Tina Patregnani, the senior account executive on those accounts, generously agreed to relocate and take the reigns in beautiful Northern California. With a brand new computer and a gorgeous executive office in Roseville, California, Tina promptly ravaged the inventories of all local Starbucks.

Congratulations Tina – and look out Hollywood! We’re sorry. We know you can probably hear her from there.

The address of our new West Coast office location is:
516 Gibson Dr.
Suite 290
Roseville, CA 95678

And you can now reach Tina at MJS West at (916) 380-3319;
Or just check FourSquare. She probably checked-in recently.

Many of us knew FIAT from back in the olden days (you know, the 70′s and early 80′s). What you may not know is that FIAT actually stands for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, which translates to “Italian Automobile Factory of Turin”. By the time FIAT withdrew from the US in 1984, it didn’t have the best reputation. But now, FIAT -in a new alliance with Chrysler Group LLC – is on its way back, figuratively and literally.

Oddly enough, FIAT actually owns Ferrari, Maserati and Alfa Romeo – so regardless of its historical reputation, they obviously know how to make a quality vehicle. And now, with the Chrysler partnership, their focus will include not only capturing new customers, but also servicing those customers with improved customer care.

What can we expect from the all-new FIAT?

Fuel efficient, low-emission vehicles with all-new technology. These little cars should appeal to the young and fashionable city dwellers. They’re trendy, not unlike Smart Cars – but, unlike Smart Cars, you can actually fit 4 grown adults inside and still put groceries in the trunk.

As of November, Chrysler Group LLC had selected only 130 dealers to represent the FIAT brand in the United States. This group of dealers will be the first to sell the 2012 FIAT 500 subcompact. It will come in three trim levels: Pop, Sport and Lounge. Full power, A/C and cruise control are standard. Premium wheels and a Bose stereo system will be trim level upgrades. There’s also an optional Blue&Me multimedia system similar to Ford’s Sync system. Convertibles should follow soon after. With the right advertising, these vehicles have the opportunity to make a big splash!

We’re lucky to be working with 2 of these brand new dealerships and look forward to marketing the all new FIAT!

Do you want one?

The latest trend in automotive marketing is to pair a new vehicle with their very own mobile device app.

Let’s take a look at what’s out there:
Ford Fiesta iPad App: It’s an interactive sales brochure targeting consumers who are digitally inclined. Basically, it’s a fun way to check out all the new and interesting benefits of the all new Ford Fiesta including quality awards, safety, connectivity, colors and available accessories. Bottom line: it’s a sales tool, not really a ‘must have’.

Audi A4 Driving: Audi takes a different approach, offering a game app. Racing, to be precise. Not only does it promote the new A4, but it’s fun and it’s free. Other racing games include Volkswagen Polo Challenge 3D and BMW Z4 Experience (it combines driving and drawing and will cost you 99¢). You can also check out the free BMW Magazine for the iPad if you want to get in some high octane reading.

Mercedes-Benz Top Trumps: This is more of an enthusiast’s app, showing you 64 original MB vehicles from the MB museum in Germany. A Mercedes-Benz aficionado’s must-have app.

Jeep’s TripCast: This is actually a service-oriented app that seems to be a combination trip-planner/sport-tracker. With over 250,000 “points of adventure” included, this app can help you plan the trip of a lifetime. It also supports photos, video and audio to include in a ‘scrapbook’ feature during your adventure.

Toyota Shopping Tool: “Shopping for your next Toyota vehicle has never been easier with an app like no other…” at least, that’s what the description says. Like the Ford Fiesta app, this is another interactive sales brochure, but it’s a little bit stronger. It allows competitor comparisons, request a quote, social media channels and find-a-dealer (with turn-by-turn directions). So, if you’re shopping for a new car, this free app might be worth a look-see.

Prius Experience: Speaking of Toyota, the Prius Experience app is really four apps in one. With the obvious ‘interactive brochure’ as a basis, there’s also a drawing game, a force-based ‘aerodynamics’ game and something completely different: interact with Prius magazine ads. The next generation of advertising has arrived. Believe it or not, this free app has over 250 5-star reviews.

Nissan cube Accessorizer: Just like it sounds, you can deck out your Nissan cube however you see fit. This one has mixed reviews, but I guess if you’re a fan of the boxy baby Nissan, it’s worth a free download.

Chevrolet Showroom: Like the others of its kind, the Chevrolet Showroom is another interactive brochure with a gallery, dealer locator and payment calculator. It also has links to related youtube content. As a side note, the Chevy Dealer app is an internal-use app for GM dealership personnel. This is among the first productivity apps specifically designed as a sales tool for Chevy dealership employees.

I’m sure there are others I’ve missed and new apps are being launched daily. This doesn’t even include the individual dealer applications that are beginning to show up on a more regular basis in the app store. I guess the term automobile is taking on a whole new meaning.

According to Edmunds Daily the top 10 most requested OnStar destinations in July were:

1. Walmart
2. Holiday Inn
3. Home Depot
4. Walgreens
5. Marriott
6. McDonald’s
7. Bank of America
8. Starbucks
9. Target
10. Hampton Inn

As a side note, even though Walmart is the most sought after location, there are just a little over 4000 Walmarts in the US. On the other hand, there are over 11,000 Starbucks. Odd that people would spend $6 on a single Grande Chocolate Frappicino when they could buy an entire tub of coffee at Walmart for $3 (that works out to about 5¢ a cup).

I LOVE my iPhone! There are so many apps (applications, for those of you not in the ‘know’), I could spend HOURS with only my iPhone to keep me company. There are game apps, travel apps, news apps – even a period-tracker app (which is a step too far, if you ask me).
 
My favorite app, though, is FB (Facebook) of course, but I also like 4Square – which is an app that allows you to “check-in” places. This app is a little “stalker-ish” but a lot of fun, especially if you make a contest out of it with your friends to see who can “check-in” at the most places. There are even local specials if you are the “mayor” of that location (for example, Starbucks gives you $1 off Frappuccinos when you’re the mayor of that location – yummy!).
 
Apps can be a great marketing tool. In a recent AdAge article they say that savvy marketers should jump on the new technology. As a marketer, you must change and adapt and learn that there are new ways to reach your audience. Car dealers are among the most flexible types of marketers. They are most willing to try something new and they’re starting to see the benefits of all kinds of new technologies, including mobile applications.
 
One of our clients, Toyota of Northwest Arkansas, has an app (which I have) and others are soon to follow. You can make an appointment, get directions, see specials, link to their website or even call them at the touch of a button. It’s GREAT. I wish my local Toyota dealer had an app. I check for one all the time, and there are still only a handful of dealers with apps out there. I hope more jump on the bandwagon soon. Check out this article that one of our dealers was featured in F&I Magazine.
 
Pretty cool huh?
 
The AdAge article even says:

To be truly competitive, we must build innovation-driven, shape-shifting, super-fast and customer-centric organizations — and that’s just the price of entry. Beyond that, it’s all about investing in people who love change and learning as a part of their personality. Add an open approach, a passion for innovation and technology and an ability to truly collaborate with others, and we’re on our way to painfully and slowly narrowing the gap. How many such people does your agency or marketing discipline employ today?

 
This totally applies to me: super-fast, customer-centric and of course, I love change. Are you ready for it?

When I graduated college, I rewarded myself with a brand new, bright yellow Mustang. I loved that car. Leather seats, Mach stereo. I hung on to that car well past the last payment. But when my hubby and I bought our house, I gave up my Mustang in favor of a pickup truck…made it easier to load up after a Home Depot run. Plus, I decked it out with navigation, a sunroof, upgraded audio…the works! And I didn’t care if I got a bucketload of soil in my truck bed. Then we had a daughter and the truck soon got traded for a crossover. For whatever reason, I couldn’t bring myself to buy a “minivan”. My only pre-req’s were Rear-Seat DVD and dark leather – not because it’s plush, mind you, but because it’s easier to clean up fruit punch.

Priorities change, I guess.

Well, today, I ran across an article at edmunds.com: 2011 Toyota Sienna, the Ultimate Mommy Mobile?

Seems like the new 2011 Toyota Sienna is the mommy-mobile of the future. Guess I might have to reconsider my ‘no minivan’ rule.