Season's Greetings or, My Obligatory Year-In-Review

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! I would like to share this e-Card with you which I [snail] mailed to all of my clients, before I indulge in a bit of self-reflection.

I am writing this post while on the road with my MacBook Air and a mobile hotspot, somewhere between Daytona Beach Shores, FL and Charlotte, NC. Actually, to be more exact, we are on Route 26 West near Columbia, SC. I spent New Year's Eve with my boyfriend in downtown Orlando, FL and in a few days, we will return to central NJ, all the while listening to audiobooks like Einstein's biography and "7 Habits of Highly Effective People."

Looking back over the year, I've made many changes in 2011 which have allowed me to mobilize my work, explore new parts of the country, and learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur. I am proud to have done my first Bikram yoga class in Chicago, IL, nearly completed a 30-day Bikram yoga challenge, collaborated with fellow bloggers, worked with talented photographers, interviewed a top international dance music producer, established and nurtured several key partnerships, and hired contractors including voice-over talent, a User Interface designer, and PHP developers for some "pet projects" which I expect to be launched next year. I can't believe how much I've grown this year, and I look forward enthusiastically to 2012 in which I will set even more lofty goals for myself and strive to reach them.

If you're still reading at this point -- and I'm honored that you are -- I WISH YOU A FANTASTIC 2012!!!

Till the next post,

-A

Mad Men Yourself: Implications of the Swanky '60s Style Avatar Creation Site

This post is for anyone interested in Web 2.0 technology, trends in social media, graphic design, the TV series Mad Men, or marketing.

It appears I have a knack for finding new "[Insert Title Here] Yourself" services on the web. These Cartoon-Yourself, Yearbook-Yourself, Elf Yourself, and avatar generators let us show off our tweeting, friending, narcissistic selves as profile pictures without seeming the least bit vain (à la myspace). And darn they're fun to use.

The latest is AMC's "Mad Men Yourself," and this one has an interesting backstory.

In case you don't feel like reading my 20-page "Representing and Misrepresenting Yourself on Social Networks" report about online identity, a little background might help. Mad Men is a television series on AMC, now in its third season, which centers on the high-powered world of Madison Avenue advertising agencies in the 1960's. Think David Ogilvy.

The series quickly developed a following in both real and virtual settings, e.g. Twitter, because it appeals to agency/media/marketing people who also happen to be early adopters of Twitter and other social networks. A lot of these creative-types did some really neat things with the characters on the show, and AMC did some really stupid things and then took it back and a year later, wised up and created the following awesomeness, a perfect reflection of the "brand" that is Mad Men, and the "fans" such as Dyna Moe, who created the illustration for the site:

Congrats, AMC. You finally "got it," and your show is saved.

PS - Does the music remind anyone else of the old The Sims when you were in "buy" mode? Ahh elevator music. Never goes out of fashion.

PPS - Eight O'Clock Coffee gets a Brand + in my book for a perfect sponsorship deal:

Estelle + Champagne + Crystal Light = STARLIGHT

I was sitting at home watching TV tonight (not a normal occurance) when I discovered another successful endorsement / partnership deal IMHO.

This one involves British pop singer Estelle and Kraft Foods' powedered drink product Crystal Light. Kraft is using Estelle's song, "Star" to promote their product in the TV commercial, and is offering a free download of the "Star" mp3 at uPumpItUp.com. I couldn't get this song-jingle out of my head, so if you're going to watch it with the volume on, don't say I didn't warn ya.

When you go to the website to download the mp3, you can also find other cool stuff, like this drink recipe:

Starlight

Makes 12 Servings (1/2 cup each)
• 1 single serve packet Crystal Light On The Go Immunity: Cherry Pomegranate
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 bottle (750 mL) champagne, chilled

1. Place drink mix and water in measuring cup; stir until dissolved
2. Add 1/2 tsp mixture to each champagne glass; top with champagne
3. Serve immediately