Rearden Killion

We hate to say goodbye...

2009-10-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

To Blogger, but we must move on. Today, we launched the new ReardenKillion.com which will no longer use Blogger and are asking our new friends and family to please continue to stay in touch by joining our Facebook page. Thank you.

Communications Arts: 50 Years of Excellence

2009-04-07T10:14:00.011-07:00

Communications Arts, probably the creative industry's preeminent bible, just released a retrospective for the past 50 years. They highlight some of the most memorable design, advertising and other creative efforts over the past five decades. These were a few that I found to be rather interesting.

1962: NBC publishes an advertisement announcing that more than two-thirds of their programming will now be in color.
1971: Nike commissions student artist Carol Davidson to design its iconic Swoosh logo. Her fee was $35.
1974: 7-Up unveils the "Uncola" campaign.
1979: Print ad for BMW 7 Series touts that a $30,000 car shouldn't require compromises.
1980: Helvetica typeface introduced.
1983: Wendy's "Where's the Beef" campaign hits airways.
1984: Bartles & Jaymes "...thank you for your support.." of their wine coolers.
1988: Joe Isuzu makes the car company a household brand. 21 years later and the company's market share in the US is non-existent.
1991: GM introduces the Saturn brand. It has yet to be profitable.
2001: Before YouTube and viral videos, BMW launching online film series "The Hire," of which I had something to do with in my agency days, by the way.
2002: Campaign launched to introduce MINI Cooper to the US, which I was also involved with.
2005: Geico introduces "So easy, a Caveman can do it."

New RK Creative Reel

2009-04-03T09:58:00.008-07:00

A perpetual work in progress, today we officially unveiled our new creative reel on our Facebook Page. With the popularity of Facebook and the fact that Pages can now be indexed by Google, it kind of makes you wonder why we need to have a website at all. Think about it and hit us up with your thoughts. To our regular followers, please take a moment to head on over to Facebook and become a fan of Rearden Killion Communications.

Local Advertising, a Bargain

2009-03-20T06:34:00.004-07:00

Katy Bachman at Mediaweek reported that local advertising markets are expected to shrink rather drastically, bringing even more bad news for traditional media. Adversely, interactive venues are expected to grow by as much as 18% by 2013. This is an upside for integration.

When I meet with clients, I always tell them that I still believe in traditional media as a means to feed online programs. No matter the growing popularity of online media, there are still more eyeballs reading papers and watching TV and lower costs means more opportunity to build an online constituency to interact with and nurture online. Not to mention bringing attention and participation to online campaigns in general, where there is already a lot of noise.

We have access to steeply discounted rates for print, radio and TV through our relationship with Google, which is now selling inventory for traditional media. This allows budgets to stretch further and accomplish more. If you can fit it into your budget, a strategic buy of traditional media is a good part of any program, online or off.

Transparency: Not Just a Buzz Word

2009-03-17T06:02:00.005-07:00

Last Saturday, I met with Tampa city councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena at her home on Davis Island. A lifelong resident of Tampa, she lives in the house her grandparents built back in the 1930s. She showed me black and white photos of the red-brick home before there were any neighboring properties that was quite humbling.

Having been born and raised in there, her love for the Tampa Bay area was evident. She is passionate about preserving our environment and focusing on issues that are most pressing to Tampa Bay and Florida including green jobs, reclaimed water, education and others.

Inspired by those she sees around town that pull her to the side to ask about what's going on in the city council and to share issues that are important to them, Linda has engaged us to develop an informational site for her constituency. Key elements will be outward bound communications as well as inward bound. People will be able to directly submit their own thoughts on important issues and have them viewed by other users.

This is a politician that gets it. Transparency is not only expected and appreciated by constituents, but can also help accomplish goals and get the power of the people to help push through those incredibly important issues our area faces.

Value, Loyalty Matter: We've Heard that Before

2009-03-04T05:30:00.005-08:00

Even in a down economy, a study shows that perceived value and loyalty prevail over price. In fact, consumer expectations regarding brand value went up 20% this year. A total of 441 brands in 62 categories were included and measured by loyalty only, not awareness or satisfaction.

Sixty-nine (69) brands won highest levels of loyalty. The biggest winners were Avis, JetBlue, Bank of America, Zyrtec, Sam Adams, Cheerios, Allstate, Dunkin' Donuts, Mary Kay, Kodak, W Hotels, Scottrade, Iams, McDonald's, Grey Goose, ABC TV, Nike, Apple, Wal-Mart, the NFL and Tom's of Maine.

In the age of social media hype, it emphasizes the need for positive brand discussion and satisfaction among chatter as well as product elements that people perceive as the best value for the money in a competitive landscape. In other words, this is more relevant that ever.

Source: My good buddy Karl Greenberg @ Mediapost

Wagman Site Featured in St. Pete Times

2009-02-11T13:56:00.007-08:00

On the heels of such a massive election cycle, it's hard to believe that the local races are already in full swing.

We were happy to see a The Times wrap up of the St. Petersburg mayoral candidate websites give kudos to the strategic use of video and social media for Scott Wagman while touting his "Mission to Listen."

"Mayoral contender Scott Wagman has a Web site that also links to his Facebook and Twitter features. On Facebook, he wrote that he digs Anita Baker and Caddyshack. His Web site has YouTube videos of residents talking about why they love the 'burg. In fact, his site seems to be more about what residents think than self-promotion, which supports his campaign's stance that he's still in the listening-to-voters stage."

Visit Scott Wagman online or on Facebook and check out his Mission to Listen below.

Mayoral Website Gets Media Props

2009-02-08T07:30:00.006-08:00

Rearden Killion recently launched this new site for St. Petersburg Mayoral Candidate, Scott Wagman. The site got some props from a local political writer at Creative Loafing.

And as far as Scott Wagman goes, I know he’s out there working. I really like his enthusiasm and the people with whom he surrounds himself. I think his new website is top-notch.

Read the full entry here.

Mr. Roarke Worked his Magic for Chrysler Too

2009-01-15T04:27:00.011-08:00

Perhaps he was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island and to us, dedicated fans, as the cow on Family Guy. But there’s one more success that Ricardo Montalban deserves some serious credit for—saving Chrysler the first time.

Amid the gas crisis of the 1970s and many failed models, Chrysler was facing certain death until the launch of its low-cost answer to popular competitor models including the two-door Lincoln Continental, the Chevy Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix.

With Montalban as its pitchman, the Chrysler Cordoba eventually went on to count for more than 60% of Chrysler’s sales in one year and even managed to beat out Pontiac’s highly popular Grand Prix.

Credit his eloquent pronunciation of “Corrr-do-ba” or “Corinthian” (see commercial below), but the model essentially helped the company stay afloat until it found subsequent successes under Lee Iacocca with models like the K.

(email viewers click here for video)

As Economy Falters, Where’s the Innovation?

2009-01-14T03:52:00.008-08:00

For the second month in a row, China reported a decline in exports--This time, by nearly three percent and hundreds of workers are losing their jobs. This is a major decline for the cheap producer of global products and just the beginning of the ripple that the country is beginning to feel since the financial crisis began.

Adding insult to injury, Sony is reporting its first loss since 1995 and it will be a major $1.1 billion. Due in part to heavy spending during the holiday season that didn’t produce the results the electronics giant was looking for.

Even in this crisis, companies dabbled in social media and search marketing but continued to spend the majority of their budgets on traditional efforts while ignoring opportunities to slash costs and speak to their best buyer profiles, directly.

Some of the blame lies with the agencies that keep pushing high cost tactics and are reluctant to understand and fully embrace more strategic methods--Working their way towards a pink slip at the very same time.

I was interviewed by a reporter recently that asked me why these tactics are so important and it kind of just rolled off my tongue.

“It’s no longer about casting the widest net and hoping the 10% you need will respond, but rather speaking to that 10% directly and trimming the waste.”

Recessions often generate innovation but fresh ideas among the biggest marketers seem to be slim. Wouldn’t it be nice to see the bailout conditions include revising marketing plans to include more cost saving innovation?

Holiday Message from RKC

2008-12-22T07:59:00.042-08:00

Please click the play button to hear our holiday message and learn more about the charities mentioned by clicking the links below.

Please feel free to leave your comments.

Shameless Plug: DM News

2008-11-19T13:36:00.004-08:00

DM News featured our Facebook work for Hillsborough County Commission Candidate, Kevin Beckner. Kevin went on to win, blindsiding an incumbent that just didn't see it coming. We'd like to think Rearden Killion Communications had something to do with that win and, apparently, so did one of our, eh, uh hum, peers. On the right, note some kudos from the associate director of G2, the interactive division of global advertising firm, Grey.

RK Branding, Website on CNN

2008-11-10T14:52:00.003-08:00

It’s not a major appearance, but we got a kick out of it. As a part of their coverage of the Presidential race, CNN spoke to our client Taxpayers for Common Sense about earmarks. In the segment, they gave a quick shot of the newly designed Taxpayers branding and website Rearden Killion developed for the DC watchdog group, along with our partner PlanningWorks. You can view it here, but be sure not to blink!

(email viewers click here for video)

Election Effort Yields Viral “Blooper” Reel

2008-11-07T12:42:00.008-08:00

As a part of our effort to get out the vote for local candidates in the Tampa Bay area, we looked to get past yard signs and introduce the candidates and their positions in a series of online videos. Days of taping yielded some great interviews, and plenty of flubs.

Looking for viral element to give the effort a final push, we put together this set of outtakes and released it 48 hours before the elections. Within 24 hours, it had shot up to nearly 1000 views and caught the attention of the local media, including several political blogs and newspapers.

Mobilizing After Ike

2008-11-06T15:35:00.003-08:00

As the largest law firm focused on insurance law in the Southeastern US, Merlin Law Group was perfectly positioned to offer advice to homeowners affected by Ike. Having represented over 300 policyholders after Katrina, the firm knew what consumers should and should not do after the storm should they need to file a claim with their insurance companies.

Rearden Killion mobilized and had the Houston based Merlin attorney Tina Nicholson placed on several venues the Sunday after the storm hit and for several days following. Appearances included NPR and local leading talk radio channel as well as three placements in the Houston Chronicle, the local CBS channel and Fox affiliate twice. View two of the clips here.

(email viewers click here)

Shameless Plug: Business Journal

2008-09-04T13:21:00.005-07:00

The news of Rearden Killion's Facebook success made it to the print version of the Tampa Bay Business Journal. I'm happy to say we've received a lot of interest since news broke and even signed with a member of the US Congress. Who is it? Stay tuned.

New Work: Facebook Candidate Application

2008-08-27T15:50:00.009-07:00

Facebook is the leading social networking site. Rearden Killion Communications’ Candidate Button Application maximizes the opportunity for political candidates to create awareness, start a fan base and, most importantly, build a constituency that will influence voters and fund raising.

How it works: Users add the application and become fans...
In the process, users invite other friends to add application and become fans...
Application appears in user's news feed that is seen by other people in their network...
Button appears prominently on user’s profile and can link to the candidate’s website or Facebook group page with latest news updates, videos and photos of campaign.
If you have a Facebook account, you can test drive the application here.

For inquiries, please contact Ocel Fabian at ocel@rkflatworld.com or 727-896-3435.

Shameless Plug: County commission candidate credits Facebook for primary win

2008-08-27T14:35:00.006-07:00

A campaign using the advertising and social media tools on Facebook is getting credit for Kevin Beckner’s win in the District Six democratic primary for Hillsborough County Commission.

The Facebook campaign, kicked off in early August, was more targeted and cost-effective than traditional advertising, according to a release from Rearden Killion Communications, a St. Petersburg firm that handled the campaign with political consultant Larry Biddle.

The campaign, including content, video production, management and media buying, was valued at about $7,000, Rearden Killion said, although the company also said it charged a bit less to prove the effort could work.

Beckner, 37, a certified financial planner, won 45.6 percent of the vote and defeated Joe Redner and Denise Layne in the Tuesday primary.

Facebook advertising tools can target specific user variables such as age, gender, education, profession, employer, interests and hobbies, the release said. The ads themselves also can address specific issues.

In one example, Beckner used a Forbes article about the lack of opportunities for young adults in Tampa to call for more proactive business recruitment efforts on the part of the County Council. The video had nearly 700 views and online discussion, the release said.

Rearden Killion also created a Facebook application, allowing supporters to put a campaign button on their own pages and providing a link to Beckner’s page.

The overall effort increased Beckner’s Facebook group membership by 50 percent, the release said.

In November, Beckner will face incumbent Brian Blair, who won the republican primary with 65 percent of the vote, defeating Don Kruse.

Shameless Plug: "Facebook Helped Me Win," Claims Politician

2008-08-27T03:45:00.001-07:00

ReadWriteWeb
Written by Sarah Perez / August 28, 2008 9:00 AM

In Tampa, Florida, one of the cities that comprises the megalopolis known as the Tampa Bay area, home to Busch Gardens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and only minutes from beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast of Florida (oh, and this author's stomping grounds, too), a local politician is giving credit to Facebook for his recent win in the primaries for the local County Commission.

On Facebook, the crowd is still very young, with an average age of 22.96 as of this February. Typically, the youth vote, although coveted, could not be counted on thanks to low turnout of young voters at the polls. However, this small time local election may prove to be one of the first examples of the huge impact Gen Y can have on the political process.

Now that many members of Gen Y are of voting age, their sheer numbers can no longer be ignored by politicians. The biggest generation since the baby boomers, Gen Y has been poorly characterized by some as lazy, unfocused, and self-centered - a generation that would just as soon stay home with mom and dad than go out and climb the corporate ladder. While it may be true that Gen Y has the good financial sense to maximize their time in rent-free accommodations, they are certainly proving themselves the opposite of lazy when it comes to involvement, be it social involvement, community involvement, or political involvement. Considering this recent "Facebook-powered" win, it could be that this generation is all talk and all action, too.

According to Rearden Killion Communications, the St. Petersburg advertising firm that handled the campaign of Kevin Beckner in the District Six democratic primary for the Hillsborough County Commission, the Facebook effort comprised of content, video production, and media buying valued at around $7000. There was also a Facebook app which let supporters put a campaign button on their own pages and provided a link to Beckner's page. The overall effort increased Beckner's Facebook group membership by 50 percent.

In this local election of this County Commissioner, you have to wonder if this is a hint of things to come in the upcoming presidential election here in the U.S. The Obama campaign has defined themselves by the way they have embraced technology. From blogs to social networks to even SMS text messages announcing the VP, the campaign is "a revolutionary shift in our country's political media ecology," says Andrew Rasiej over on techPresident. Although it has yet to be seen whether or not the use of technology will propel Obama into the Oval Office, the results of this local election prove that there is merit to targeting the online crowd and asking for their vote.

Check Delivery Eye Popping Experience

2008-08-09T09:08:00.012-07:00

We’ve followed it all along. And so has the media. Our client, the Merlin Law Group handed out checks to forty-eight Central Florida families, finally providing them with the funds they so desperately needed from their insurer years ago.

(email viewers click here for video)

Follow Up: Residents Owed Approximately $20,000 Per Household

2008-07-25T05:00:00.010-07:00

Last October, we worked with St. Petersburg Times reporter Tom Zucco on this story on behalf of our client, the Merlin Law Group. It chronicled the hardships of 48 low-income families in Central Florida that were hit by Hurricane Charley, and then subsequently low balled by their insurer United Casualty, a division of Unitrin.

After the suits were filed, United made a successful bid to have the cases put into appraisal. A process whereby an independent source would determine how much, if anything, the insured were underpaid by. Perhaps it wasn’t the best decision on their part.

As reported, again by the St. Petersburg Times, the total underpaid amount for all residents was determined to be just under $1 Million at $944,056. Looking at the underpayment for each policyholder revealed an average underpayment of about $20,000 per household.

With a branded glass tower at 1 Wacker Drive in Chicago and over $3 billion in revenues (that’s billion with a B), that’s not even a quarter of the $6.5 million Unitrin CEO Richard C. Vie made, according to Forbes.

Merlin Law Group attorney David Pettinato and resident Betty Cooper were also asked to share their story and perspective on the situation on the Ft. Myers CBS affiliate.

(email viewers click here for video)

New Work: Metrobank Video

2008-07-19T07:22:00.010-07:00

While relatively new in the States, in-store point-of-purchase video has been in use for quite some time across all of Asia. There are 14 million people living in the 17-city area that makes up Metro-Manila alone. Of course with a population like that, traffic jams on the streets often make their way to the grocery store lines.

With an aggressive approach toward customization, Metrobank is now allowing consumers the opportunity to log online and create personalized credit cards with the photo of their choice.

The program will soon be given a boost via this video Rearden Killion produced that will appear on point-of-purchase screens across the Metro-Manila area and may also become our first television commercial.

Being pleased with the production, the Bank is considering using the video as a prime time commercial spot. Now that would just be grand!

(email viewers can click here to view video online)

Almost Made It: Qué gi

2008-07-14T16:18:00.014-07:00

John Kerry almost became president, Eddie Murphy almost won an Academy Award and The Chicago Cubs… well. The world is full of “almost made its”, and we’re no exception.

Not wanting to see great ideas go to complete waste, we’ve decided to start this occasional blog topic for those RK works that didn’t quite make it, but are worth sharing anyway.

Qué gi was the brainchild of one of the greatest beauty product minds in history. His various product line inventions grace the shelves at top day spas and high-end department stores across the country and the world. Unfortunately, as much as I like to drop names, I cannot do so here—so you’ll have to trust me.

While not dead in the water, the originally well-funded Qué gi 5-in-one firming emulsion line suffered at the hands of a slowing economy and has been shelved for the time being, and not in the way it was meant to be. But thanks to the internet, we can share the idea with you anyway.

When it comes to successful package design, getting prime real estate in a crowded marketplace (eye level on the shelf) takes unique art or design that retailers think will draw interest and thus, increase sales. It also helps with how much the store will attempt to market the product through its sales people.

With that in mind, we came to the table with some highly visual designs that also played on the products natural elements and environmental friendliness.

Executives at the company finally decided on the grass and blue sky. Hopefully someday, you’ll see it while shopping at Neiman Marcus.

Disney Bolts to YouTube

2008-07-08T16:47:00.009-07:00

There’s no website, no commercials and no exclusives on Access Hollywood. In fact, you can try Googleing Bolt and you’ll only catch a glimpse of what I’m referring to via an Internet Movie Database listing and Wikipedia page.

But check out YouTube and you’ll see the trailer for the upcoming Disney-Pixar movie, due this Thanksgiving, is spreading like wildfire while not even as much as a single poster has appeared in theaters.

This is of course not the first time this has been done, but it is an example of how important viral activity and venues like YouTube have become to even the biggest marketers in the world.

With no lack of budget to be spent, Disney is making use of the viral potential Bolt cast member Miley Cyrus provides as an often-searched term. Makes you wonder if studios will start casting actors based on their Google status.

What’s also curious is they’ve managed to break the no double dipping rule, but without actually double dipping. Here they are building buzz around Bolt without taking attention away from their just released Wall-E, which currently sits atop the box office.

(see blog for video)

However, this tactic has proven to backfire on some. Janet Jackson tried to launch her last album on YouTube by dropping the video for her single Feedback. While it did get some attention, some say it was done at the expense of offending the mainstream media, which provided much less hoopla around the album’s launch and sales were lackluster.

Perhaps she should have tried some shtick, like vacuuming a couch.

What was MasterCard Thinking?

2008-07-01T16:19:00.009-07:00

Every time I think MasterCard’s Priceless campaign has run its course, they seem to redeem themselves. But now I think they’re just grasping at ideas.

If the most important audience to credit cards is college students, why are they using the character from a half-baked Saturday Night Live skit that aired in the late 70s when their key audience was still in diapers.

I understand the potential in introducing old school comedy to a new generation, but the humor of Mr. Bill is far too bland for the sophisticated tastes of today’s 20-somethings.

Perhaps this user-generated idea (insert Parental Warning) would have been more relevant.

Obama Camp uses Creative and Internet Tools to Innovate

2008-06-29T17:12:00.012-07:00

The screen shot says it all.

Obama’s Campaign has really done a great job of mixing the tools of internet marketing with powerful creative and some intelligence to maximize its opportunity.

Their use of CNN’s story layout, key word matching tools and user data turned prime real estate into an easy opportunity for the viewer to click and learn more, perhaps even to clear up anything the story might be reporting, such as "trust."

It's a quick jump from the story highlights—a favorite feature of the CNN website and they’re probably even using some of that data to put a more flattering photo of Obama next to what is likely not to be so for McCain.

While there is some luck involved in creating that perfect match, we can probably assume that Obama has several ad variations running on CNN, matching different keyword and user data points.

I takes a bit of that tenacity I speak about, but their campaign has plenty of it. They have benefited from what has been learned during an impressive and aggressive online campaign thus far.

Tenacity Nets Ripest Fruit in Google Advertising

2008-06-26T06:31:00.003-07:00

There’s a lot of talk lately about how much Google Adword marketing costs. Recent reports suggest that advertising behemoth WPP group spends nearly $900 million a year on client Google Adword campaigns. On a smaller scale, a friend of mine works for a very specialized software company that spends nearly $4000 a month.

While I’ll admit it isn’t cheap, some of it is wasteful spending on the part of those running the campaigns. Those that see things with a bit of an old school perspective have yet to grasp the use of real-time data and experimentation. It’s easy to get lost in the idea that success can only be found through the highest bid, which isn’t necessarily true.

We were recently asked to retool a client’s Adword campaign. In about a month, we managed to cut the budget by a third while seeing inquiries increase by 95%. Equally, the quality of the lead improved with about half of those inquiries actually becoming clients.

While some Google science is involved, the beginnings of a successful campaign combines tenacity and creative copy writing:

Variations: Trying multiple ad variations will give you an idea of what works best
Be specific: Create specific ads for niche markets and keywords as one size does not fit all
Relevant Landing Page: Get past the idea that it’s like a newspaper ad where people pick up the phone and call. Getting them to click is half the battle but where they land after that still requires selling
Monitoring the Incoming Results: People ignore the best data resource available—inquiries. Set up a system for monitoring inquiries, where they come from and what they search for.

I’ll admit that another large challenge is learning how to use all those Google tools to maximize results. That’s the portion that can take a campaign beyond the tipping point and can be overwhelming to those who are trying to “manage the shop” at the same time. However, the opportunity to reach the exact person looking for you is incredible.

May not be Coke, but RK Brands are Global!

2008-06-24T17:11:00.007-07:00

On a recent trip to Asia, we came across the DreamTime Publishing Open Your Heart series of books on sale at National Bookstore.

We’ve been with DreamTime since the beginning-- Before printings, distributors, reps and trade shows, we were with founder Meg Bertini as she realized her dream as a publisher and budding motivational speaker.

Today, Bertini has her own take on motivational speaking, Vegas style as Madame Meg, teaching folks how to Find Their Sexy.

Looking back, we’ve come a long way and seeing our product half way round the world was pretty cool.

Madison Ave's Reluctance Starting to Show

2008-06-24T05:57:00.003-07:00

As the largest gathering among the advertising industry in the world, Cannes has been closely watched as the place where great ideas come from. Yet, today’s advertising column in The New York Times shows an industry that is reluctant to accept change.

The report centers around the argument that giants like Google are entrenching on agencies’ turf by removing creativity from the process and replacing it with highly technical applications.

What a bunch of whiners! I mean, how long can agencies deny that change is coming and it includes more accountability. I’m really surprised agencies don’t see it as opportunity to expand their business.

Online ad campaigns, for example, are highly involved and require the use of highly targeted tools, robust creative, media buying services and a need for specific landing pages that consumers view upon clicking on an ad. This is in addition to the creation of the creative and messaging opens up agencies to whole new revenue streams as they control the brand message.

What this trend does change is the “one size fits all”, wider net approach agencies have used for years. Paying top dollar to reach millions at a time is becoming less relevant.

In its place is the opportunity for better results, leaner media buying budgets, real-time data and plain old quality over quantity.

Internet Marketing as Intimate Marketing...

2008-04-12T12:02:00.008-07:00

The great thing about advertising on the internet is the ability to mine user data and real time statistics via a modest budget that wont break the bank. Talented marketers can tap the marketing tools of Facebook and Google to obtain two major campaign advantages.

The first is appealing to specific user interests by choosing audiences and search term development. The second is monitoring, in real time, how campaigns are doing and being nimble enough to adjust them accordingly.

It takes both good marketing and copywriting skills as well as the tenacity to devote some good analytical time to campaigns on a regular basis. This combined with the integration of website tracking tools, such as Google Analytics, provides the power to create robust and dynamic campaigns with budgets far more reasonable that traditional advertising.

Metrobank designmycard

2008-04-12T10:44:00.007-07:00

We were enlisted by Metrobank Card Corporation, a joint venture between Australia-based ANZ Bank and Philippines' Metrobank, to create a set of designs for their recently launched designmycard product feature. While commonplace in the US and Europe, the concept of personalized cards is relatively new in most of Asia.

Shameless Plug: DMNews

2008-01-26T17:56:00.000-08:00

Merlin Law Group: Online ads tout legal help

Approach: In September, Rearden Killion Communications and Merlin Law Group launched an online ad campaign targeting insurance policyholders who lost their homes during Hurricane Katrina and hadn't yet received an offer they thought was fair. The ads, which pointed out that the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit will soon run out, appeared on the Biloxi Sun-Herald Web site from September 18-October 16, 2007. A click connected viewers to the firm's educational Web site.

Results: The firm signed 23 new insurance policyholders who had been undecided about where to obtain legal help.
-Nathan Golia

See it online here

Case Study: Online Campaign beats Print

2007-10-17T16:47:00.001-07:00

We created this online ad campaign for our client, Merlin Law Group, after they settled insurance claims against State Farm on behalf of 103 Mississippi policyholders hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Knowing that many of those who lost their homes are living in other states and staying in touch via the local newspaper’s website, the ads touted policyholder information and connected viewers to the Firm’s educational site, KatrinaLawyers.com. Also created by Rearden Killion, the site features settlement media clips and client video testimonials obtained by our firm along with a policyholders’ FAQs section.

As many remain involved in State sponsored mediation, the ads pointed out that insurance companies were counting on the fact that policyholders will continue hoping for a fair offer as their time to file a lawsuit runs out. Most are unaware of the pending statute of limitations deadline of August 29, 2008, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The ads began running at the same time ads created by the Firm’s Mississippi agency ran in the print version of the Sun Herald. Costing a third of the print executions, the online ads even appeared next to settlement news coverage and proved to be significantly more effective than the print ads—bringing triple the number of inquiries to date.

The ads also beat the national average for click through rates, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau by almost 5 points.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2007-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Rearden Killion, 820 Ninth Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, announces the launch of these Web sites: PDC Affordable Housing at pdcaffordablehousing.com; and for Merlin Law group, katrinalawyers.com.

As a side note, this item neglected to include our parter on the PDC Affordable Housing website, Larry Biddle who handled online strategy development for the project. Since they didn't include it from our release, I will make a note of it here.

Visit Larry at www.PlanningWorksOnline.com. We also developed his site.

CFO Sink’s Office Opens Inquiry after Front Page Feature

2007-10-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

Rearden Killion Communications placed this front-page feature that ran in last Sunday’s issue of the St. Petersburg Times—The State’s largest circulation newspaper.

The feature documented some of the hardships experienced by 43 low-income south-central Florida families hit by Hurricane Charlie and subsequently grossly underpaid by their insurer, United Casualty, a division of Unitrin. The story (click here to read it online) documents how some lived in their cars while others continue to live in damaged, unhealthy homes. Policyholder Roosevelt Brady, who continues to pay Unitrin for partial coverage, lost his wife to pneumonia as a result of living in mold-infested conditions.

Based in Chicago, Unitrin has a branded glass tower at the prestigious address of One Wacker Drive. With each policy at a max of $30,000 to $50,000, the company, which had $3 billion in revenues in 2006, would have been looking at a total payout of less than $250,000. Yet, the company decided to shortchange policyholders it saw as not having the means to fight.

Enter the Merlin Law Group, which is taking the case minus its usual contingency fee as, according to attorney David Pettinato, “They need all these monies to rebuild their lives.”

Thanks to the good reporting of journalist Tom Zucco, the State’s Department of Financial Services has began an inquiry into the Company’s practices (as noted in this follow up story) and is finding several discrepancies—including an attempt to cancel policies at the beginning of the 2007 hurricane season—an illegal act according to Florida law.

Stay tuned. This is going to get interesting.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2007-08-27T03:30:00.000-07:00

Rearden Killion Communications, 820 9th Ave S, St Petersburg, announces the launch of Web sites for DreamTime Publishing, St Petersburg, at DreamTimePublishing.com; and for Bon Secours, St. Petersburg, at BonSecoursStpete.org.

Case Study: Heron House Assisted Living

2007-07-14T05:27:00.001-07:00

We have been lucky to see our relationship with Heron House grow from one project into a long-term relationship. While the assisted living company recently sold four of its five Florida locations, we've managed a few accomplishments over the past two years worth talking about.

The company originally approached Rearden Killion to find an alternative to a brochure format that had grown stale and expensive to produce. We were able to revise and condense copy while adopting an elegant brochure/folder format that all locations share while only inserts featured specific location information and could easily be reprinted if prices change or updates are made. The new format lowered costs by over $2 per unit and is regarded as one of the best marketing pieces among the local industry.

With over $17 million in annual revenues, Heron House wanted to rein in the brand cohesion it has seen decline during a rapid expansion. A mystery-shopping program revealed proof of missed opportunity due to lack of procedure. A subsequent monitoring program was implemented at minimal cost that actually improved morale while eliminating any missed opportunity and improving overall customer relations.

A branding and grass roots campaign touted Heron House’s newest location and its tie to a community Church. The result was a 30% occupancy rate prior to opening—a near unheard of achievement among senior rental communities.

Buzz worthy community events have appealed to baby boomer family member decision makers while garnering the attention of the professional referral community. An example is our senior speed dating events that have been featured on Bay News 9, Fox 13 and as a Valentine’s Day cover story in the St. Petersburg Times.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2007-07-09T03:42:00.001-07:00

Rearden Killion Communications announces the launch of Web sites for Submedia of New York at Submediaworld.com, which showcases Submedia's outdoor motion picture advertising system, and Brown Security PA, Saint Petersburg, a security service company at BrownSecurity.biz.

Submedia World

Brown Security

Why this New Site?

2007-07-01T18:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked me why we used external resources to showcase our work and manage the blog of our new website.

If web 2.0 is driven by user generated content, then it certainly makes the world an easier place to congregate. Virtual public spaces combined with search make it easier to share your message and be found by people who might actually be looking for it.

Consider a 2005 survey where 72% of people said they began their search for a product or service online. Just look at how important YouTube and Myspace are to political candidates, the entertainment industry and just about every major brand in the universe.

While we have the programming skills in house to develop our own galleries and blog, as we have done for many clients, we decided to see if we could tap the grass roots power of the internet to share our work. Netroots, as it is called, allows us to proliferate our own brand and associate it with “tags” or key words that make sense to our industry and those we have served.

So, while the internet continues to make the boundaries of geography, time and space less relevant, the age old saying “it takes a village” has probably never been more accurate.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2007-05-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Rearden Killion Communications announces these new accounts:

PDC Affordable Housing, St. Petersburg, develop brand messaging and public relations programs for statewide workforce housing projects, and PDC's affordable-housing Website; Bon Secours Place, St. Petersburg, develop a new print advertising campaign; Hattaway Communications, Boston, to develop the company's Web strategy.

Client News: Being Different Takes Work

2007-02-18T04:57:00.000-08:00

In November, I told you about the first senior speed dating event for our client Heron House Indian Rocks. Obviously, we were charting new territory here so we knew it would be a challenge to get seniors to the table. I’m happy to say with some significant grass roots work and word-of-mouth, our second speed dating event went off without a hitch.

But the goal was much more than just attendance. We were creating an event that would help our client rise above the clutter in an increasingly competitive landscape. Something they could own that would have both consumers and the professional referral community talking. And a little media attention wouldn’t hurt.

Since our first event, the client has gotten numerous kudos from industry professionals for trying something different. And by the performance of our second event, it looks like we are indeed onto something. The St. Petersburg Times showed up and reported with a cover page Valentine’s day story and the phone has been ringing off the hook since.

With any luck, we’ll need a few more tables for our next event.

Client News: Making the Case for Justice

2007-01-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

The number of peoples' lives that remain in limbo due to past hurricane seasons is just mind-boggling. And I’m not just talking about those who were hit by Katrina, but our very own Tampa Bay area neighbors.

Take the story we brought to the Tampa Tribune on behalf of our client. The Merlin Law Group is representing a group of retirees whose community was all but destroyed by all three hurricanes of the 2004 season.

Almost three years later and they remain homeless with their situation unresolved. Thanks to the good reporting of Billy Townsend, you can read their page A1 story here .

Client News: Tampa Tribune Editorial

2007-01-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

We worked with our client, Merlin Law Group , to draft and place this editorial with the Tampa Tribune.

It'll Fall Apart In A 'Katrina Minute'

By WILLIAM "CHIP" MERLIN

Published: Jan 24, 2007

So, now we have it. Property insurance legislation demonstrating how well our lawmakers can perform under pressure. Unfortunately, it resembles a Band-Aid when the job really called for stitches.

While legislators should be commended for addressing the "crisis" speedily, a closer look will reveal a crapshoot that places far too much risk on Florida's economy and residents.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that reducing sinkhole or windstorm coverage will result in reduced premiums. But forget reductions. The problem with putting Floridians in the insurance business is that it pits classes of insured against each other and pure economics comes into play.

As this proposal allows those with low risk to opt out of coverage, it means higher rates, not lower, for those who need to be fully insured.

If inland dwellers opt for higher deductibles because of less wind risk in their area, the remaining coastal pool has higher losses per risk and, therefore, the coverage for wind is far more expensive. And in areas of high wind and sinkhole risk, such as here in Tampa Bay, full coverage may become unobtainable for most under this structure.

The whole concept of insurance is to spread the risk of loss among all of those insured. This legislation is the equivalent of health insurance companies allowing 20- and 30-year-olds to opt out of prescription coverage simply because they are less likely to need medication. Thus, rates increase for seniors who are far more dependent on the coverage.

History is repeating itself through such shortsighted public policy.

Legislators will remove ill-conceived laws passed last year, in part, to address this "crisis" and replace them with equally bad law in the form of capping increases and reducing coverage.

The bottom line is this new legislation allows insurance companies to get out of the business of risk while putting the state's residents into it. So while immediate pocketbook concerns have been addressed, long-term financial implications were ignored. Much of it is a gamble presented with too much special interest involvement and not enough thought to how the next "big one" would play out if and when it happens.

Higher property rates on some along with significant losses to those without coverage could turn Florida's economy upside down, create a mass exodus and everything we've worked for could be gone in a Katrina minute.

William "Chip" Merlin is managing partner of the Merlin Law Group, which specializes in insurance law and is based in Tampa.

Client News: It’s Raining Men?

2006-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

While we knew it would be a challenge to get seniors to the table for such an unfamiliar activity, the idea was to create buzz in a growingly competitive landscape for assisted living communities.

Our goal is to be recognized by seniors and their family members while also engaging the professional community that is so critical to referrals. Firstly, the speed dating idea allowed us to get beyond the bulleted list of amenities most assisted living communities rely on in their advertising to be recognized as a cutting edge facility where there is always something fun to do. Secondly, as we had hoped, the media seemed to agree.

Since this clip looped all day Sunday on Bay News 9, we’ve received a significant response from consumers and professionals. Not only that, but the Heron House brand was mentioned in the clip three times in addition to a visual of the community.

Taking the risk paid off and with an increased grass roots effort, we’ll have critical mass for an event that may have the Bay area talking.

Client News: Planning Works You Know

2006-11-15T03:46:00.000-08:00

PlanningWorks

A recent web launch for our partner in the Alex Sink campaign. The brainchild of Larry Biddle, once named by Wired Magazine as the "Arbitrator of the New Hotness", PlanningWorks helps organizations maximize their potential for building audiences and grass roots efforts online.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2006-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Rearden Killion Communications (RKC), 820 Ninth Ave. S, St. Petersburg, announces the following new accounts: Merlin Law Group, Tampa, for which RKC will handle public relations activities; and Indentix, Minnetonka, Minn., an identity-solutions company, for which RKC will develop a trade show and sales-related collateral.

YEAH BABY!

2006-11-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

I remember that first meeting months ago to discuss the web strategy and brand for an outside hopeful named Alex Sink. Against all odds, she will now become Florida's next CFO.

"You don't play 'R' or 'D' with $70 billion of your tax dollars."

Go get 'em girl!

GOT THAT RIGHT!!

2006-10-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

New Work: Recent Website Launches

2006-10-14T08:21:00.000-07:00

I’m happy to say it has been a busy season for us and we’d like to share a few of our recent web development projects.

Submediaworld:
Submedia is responsible for one of the most successful new advertising mediums of the past 10 years. Appearing in major mass transit systems such as New York, Chicago, Hong Kong and Singapore, Submedia uses speed to turn static images mounted along dark subway tunnels into motion picture advertisements outside a train’s window. The medium has an incredibly high recall rate and has attracted nearly every major brand from American Express and Target Stores to Coca-Cola and Ford.

This site tickles the creative funny bone of potential advertisers and partner agencies by featuring actual campaigns that have appeared on Submedia’s 37 displays spanning 15 cities, 9 countries and 3 continents.

DreamTime Publishing:

DreamTime just launched a new series of books within the hot self-help category. Each is intended to help people learn a specific activity or hobby and apply their joy from it to daily life.

The site integrates a blog forum to discuss various books of the industry and is designed to be expandable as the company starts seminars, a discussion group and unique grass roots promotional campaigns.

ISI: InteliTec Systems Integration

Appealing to developers, electrical contractors and architects, ISI provides a single source solution for systems that this audience typically depends on multiple vendors for. Their approach simplifies the process for this busy crowd and lowers costs significantly by bringing all labor and service under one roof.

With no fancy bells or whistles, the site design and copy communicates the rational and need for a single source solution from this qualified group. Brief case studies and trade magazine clips complete the effort.

Success Story: Rising Above Clutter

2006-10-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am often the first to tell clients that advertising by itself doesn’t work as any successful approach will have a well thought out multi-pronged approach. However, in industries such as real estate, where advertising is both required and expected by clients, the landscape is cluttered with competitors usually using cookie cutter solutions.

Having seen the real estate market cool in recent months, our client in the Nevada area of Lake Tahoe had one of ten condominiums for sale in a single development. Many of them advertised in the same local paper, even on the same page. I’m happy to say that our non-cookie cutter approach to marketing her property garnered the one single call of a motivated buyer that made an offer.

As a result of the effort, which was followed up by a mailer touting her success to additional condo owners, our client will probably receive additional listings for the development.

Mission Accomplished: St. Petersburg Times Editorial

2006-09-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

RKC helped Merlin Law Group draft, edit and submit this editorial that appeared in the Sunday edition of the St. Petersburg Times.

New Work: Launching a Series

2006-09-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair, we’ve come to an important milestone in our most recent brand launch.

DreamTime Publishing is a product we've been with since the beginning. From assisting in the development of the company's name to branding a series of unique self-help books, we are very proud of the effort and grateful for the opportunity.

The series will be available on Amazon.com and in various retail outlets this Fall. A public relations program and an internet-based grass roots effort will accompany the launch.

As always, feel free to drop us an email to hear more.

Shameless Plug: St. Petersburg Times

2006-08-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

REARDEN KILLION COMMUNICATIONS, 820 Ninth Ave. S, St. Petersburg, announces the following new accounts. For PlanningWorks, St. Petersburg, RKC will develop the company brand and an integrated online strategy that includes a Web site with blog and contextual advertising; for InteliTec Systems Integration, Largo, RKC will develop a business-to-business campaign that includes trade show support, Web development, public relations and strategic planning; and for DreamTime Publishing, St. Petersburg, RKC will develop a brand strategy for a series of self-help books, brand and title development, online and offline communications strategies and graphic design.

2006-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

GALLAGHER'S LAST DITCH EFFORT: Desperation Strategy = Hate & Shame

First, I apologize for seemingly becoming more of a political marketing blog. I'm not going for that but I guess "tis the season."

I know politicians can easily tick people off, but how many people is Gallagher offending with his new spot? Gallagher is so out-of-touch with this state's voters he's running a hard core bible belt state campaign. This is Florida, not Texas. And voters have made this obvious-- as Gallagher's commercials have become more and more uber right wing, his trail behind rival Crist has widened even further. Latest polls are now showing Crist with a lead of anywhere from 24 to 55 percent.

This may also be telling of the current political climate. As we all know, Florida is a swing state. But in the primaries, you can always depend on the hard-core religious right turn-out to choose a candidate that we all have to live with. It is precisely the reason George Bush was chosen over John McCain in 2000.

I don't really understand Gallagher's "values" campaign strategy, but political beliefs aside, it's obvious that he is unqualified for the job in this state. Perhaps he should stop spending his millions on a futile effort and donate it to a charity or two-- now that's values!

2006-08-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

SMITH MISSES BIG FINISH IN NEW COMMERCIAL: It's the economy stupid!

Florida Gubenatorial candidate Rod Smith's latest commercial takes an approach that is certainly more creative than his primary Democratic opponent-- yet he falls short of making a fully convincing argument.

In the new spot by DC firm Strother-Duffy-Strother, Smith appeals to the majority of Floridians (and Americans for that matter) that supported funding for stem cell research. In it he promises to open up Florida's market, much like California did, for stem-cell research in order to "unlock cures, save lives and restore hope."

While it is a clearly strategic move, how could he not mention his proposal's effect on Florida's economy. Wouldn't opening up funds for stem cell research create thousands of jobs and bring the world's best medical talent to the state? Perhaps they were limited by time or didn't want to bog down the message, but I think most would agree it was a missed opportunity for a one-two punch .

2006-08-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Client News: Oops, she did it again!

Alex Sink, candidate for Florida's CFO once again raised more money than her opponents. Additionally, early polling shows she's moving ahead of the competition.

...A hypothetical general election matchup for CFO gives Democrat Alex Sink a 4-point lead over Lee and 6 points over Johnson...

2006-08-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Client News: Sink Leads Fundraising

From news reports:

Alex Sink, a Hillsborough County businesswoman who is running for chief financial officer, led the way, raising $509,000 in the quarter ending June 30.

2006-07-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

New Work: Before & After: Making the Pitch

Before:

After:

As a former CIA operative answering directly to director George Tennant, Al Brown was looking to use his talents in helping companies protect their assets in situations of natural and/or man made disasters. This encompasses both physical assets, such as real estate prone to hurricanes and robbery and/or systems that include customer data or where continual uptime is critical to revenue streams.

Based on his findings, Mr. Brown is able to create near foolproof parameter and systems security in addition to helping companies find alternatives in keeping operations going should a natural disaster occur. The result for this service can often include a significant reduction in profit loss as well as insurance and litigation costs.

As such, our job was to create a brand that speaks to the benefit of reduced costs and risk to the desired audience in terms they understand. Mr. Brown came to us with an established logo that needed an upgrade. Our result was a name change and logo that included a shield type representation and the tagline “securing assets, minimizing risks.”

To get the point across, we created copy that reads easily and would allow us to develop an easy access website where every detail was above the fold (http://www.brownsecrity.biz).

Our final round was to help him create a sales strategy that included no risk pitch to potential clients. This included an free consultation analysis that showed companies how much they could save on insurance and litigation costs should they employ his services as well as how to go about reaching these targets through specific networking groups and speaking opportunities.

NEW WORK: Alex Sink for CFO

2006-07-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

Republicans and Democrats are endorsing her as the most qualified candidate for the job as Florida’s next Chief Financial Officer. A true fiscal conservative and the former president of Florida’s largest bank, she’s being endorsed as having the best solution for the state’s insurance crisis—even more so than the candidates for governor.

We created a brand and site for Ms. Sink that speaks to her qualifications while educating consumers of this little known political office role. With the tagline “she means business,” the site contains several interactive opportunities to discover her qualifications for the role as CFO including a top left flash video in her own words that has had an enormous view rate so far.

Check it out at www.alexsinkforcfo.com.

2006-02-19T08:29:00.000-08:00

SHAMELESS PLUG: St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Bay Business Journal

2005-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Shameless Plug: St. Peterburg Times

Read about our new business in the St. Peterburg Times Companies News.

2005-10-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Mission Accomplished: Wall Street Journal

We placed this Wall Street Journal article featuring our client's new advertising technology that will debut on the streets of Manhattan November 1. This also appeared in several trade publications including MediaLife Magazine, MediaWeek and Brandweek.

2005-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

NEW WORK: Getting Noticed in a Crowd

Financial Services (Tax, Accounting, 401k, etc.) is a tough business to realize success in advertising for. Tough because they provide services that many of us find cumbersome. We either don’t understand it, don’t want to deal with it or we know we need it and we naturally assume that all the players pretty much do it the same way. Finally, we just do it—find someone to take care of our needs.

Ah, but I can tell you first-hand—this is a mistake. My new accountant here in Florida has been spectacular. They pointed out to me things I’m still shocked to this very day that my previous accountant never told me about!

Yet, it’s hard to get all that across in ad campaigns given the short attention span of consumers. Additionally, in fast growing town like St. Petersburg, ubiquity is an important feature of advertising for those services people consider being somewhat mundane. Making sure you stand out among the clutter will help create top of mind recall when potential clients decide they DO need you.

We tried to address both of these issues in this recent campaign for America’s Business Manager. The ads try to get noticed by being a bit provocative, highlight the dedication to service and point out the breadth of services.

2005-08-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

PRESS: Shameless Plug

Happy to say that someone at the Tampa Bay Business Journal seemed to think our relocation to Florida was worth covering. Click on the picture to read it.

2005-07-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

NEW WORK:

A new look for this Sarasota Real Estate pioneer who is moving and shaking some of the county's most exclusive properties. Congrats to Mr. Guidry-- we're happy to make you look so good!

2005-07-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Mission Accomplished:

Yes, the client is very cool, but trying to get coverage in the US for an event happening on the other side of the world is a tall order. While all the Star Wars hype was dying down in the US, opening date in Asia was July 7th. Weeks before, the Asian distributors created an original movie trailer (not seen in theaters) for this system which turns static images into a 15 second motion picture outside of a subway window. Glad to say we came though with a news item and photo that ran in both the New York and Los Angeles editions of Variety-- which is exactly what the client wanted as indicated by this message from the ceo:

"Brian,
Good job! This is the exact type of press we are looking for. This is perfect for our company's initiatives."

'Sith' tunnels promo on subway walls
World Brief
By PATRICK FRATER

The July 9 Japanese release of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" is being boosted by a novel form of promotion.

A specially cut, 15-second trailer will screen on the tunnel walls of Tokyo's Ginza subway line from Monday to July 14.

The technology, based on the 19th century Zoetrope, is provided by New York-based Submedia and is normally restricted to static images.

Twentieth Century Fox Intl.'s Japan release of "Revenge" is the first to use Submedia for a movie trailer.

2005-07-16T11:04:00.000-07:00

After 10 years of a 20-minute commute on the N train from Astoria to Midtown, I was ready to give it up. There was about a year’s period where I was arriving at the office 20 minutes late everyday. Every day I would repeat the phrase “dead man walking” to myself as I exited the elevator and headed towards my 30th floor office.

Yet, saying goodbye to a firm that is the largest and oldest independent in Manhattan isn't easy. 45 years of reputation and working on accounts like BMW have its perks. Ever get to borrow a new 7 series just to drive out and see the family in New Jersey? Yeah, it was sweet. But more than that, it was about being able to create and let the reputation of the firm handle the new business part. The firm's most successful brand it ever built was its own.

But there comes a time when you just realize you are going through the motions. And while I appreciate all the experience and training I received there (which was without a doubt the best in the industry) it was my time to go. And what service would I be doing to my mentors if I kept accepting a paycheck when I just couldn't give it my all anymore.

Fast forward a bit to now: with a few smaller and maybe less known accounts, I'm happy to say the agency that now bears the name of my grandparents is doing pretty well. Sorry, I've never been a Trump type. Plus, Bailey Associates or Bailey Communications just doesn't sound that good.

But what about that City? Leaving a job is one thing but picking up and moving is another. I've been around a bit-- not as much as some but I've lived in San Fran, LA, Atlanta and spent nearly 12 years living in the Apple. It was fantastic! But I'll say this, New York is really great when you’re young or have a lot of money-- or both. The best time of my life in the Apple was working my way up the ladder at a kick ass agency and then spending all my money on lifestyle. Clothes, booze, shows, travel, rent... Those were THE best years of my life. All I can say is that after all that experience and nearly five years after that horrible day in September, my feet were itching.

Fate would have it that my newly found client roster included a couple of west Florida based companies. As a result, I’ve made many a trip to the area over the past two years and I just liked it better and better each time. But I didn't fall in love until I met St. Peter. From the first time I entered the pearly gates at 4th Street, I knew I was going to love it here.

Without rehashing the details of my love affair with the St. Peter, let's just say I'm happily settled and making love with my neighbors. My social life hasn't been this busy since those first few years I was living in the Apple-- and everyone so far seems to be good people. I appreciate that. I am, after all, originally from the Deep South, but I don't tell many people that so don't spread it around.

Thanks St. Petersburg, I’m really glad to be here. But, okay, I confess. I'm keeping a place in New York too. Hey, rent controlled apartments are hard to come by!