I’m standing in front of my closet pretending to be choosing what to wear when I am really wondering why Roseanne Barr didn’t call me ahead of her Ambien tweet that got her rebooted hit TV show booted off of ABC.

I mean…saying you didn’t know someone “was black” is no excuse for racism. Letting The Media Guy handle your social media could have saved you losing a giant platform that was booking $40 million in ad space, not to mention the upcoming added syndication, and now all of the lost jobs.

All of this on the day Starbucks is closing early for diversity training day. Sheesh! Who know Starbucks had such good timing?

I might be up late waiting for Ms. Barr to call. How will I do it without an afternoon Venti? Will Coffee Bean do the trick? Will I have to resort to 7-11 or gas station coffee? Oh man, first world problems!

Speaking of first world problems, I laughed as I was standing in front of the closet because I wear the same thing every day: uncollared black shirt from Nordstrom, Michael Kors jeans, Armani or bespoke sport coat with a silk pocket square, and expensive shoes. That’s been my look for a long time and I can get away with it being in the advertising field.

As a younger Media Guy, I wore a dress shirt and tie every work day…and hated every minute. Now it’s en vogue not to wear a tie. The decline of the necktie as a mandatory accessory in the corporate workplace is in full effect to the point there is debate about weather Wall Street guys should skip it too. Stay tuned.

Let’s be clear about one thing: this style works in my industry and you can get away with it it you are an engineer in Silicon Valley or if you’re a start-up wunderkind just learning to shave. However if you’re an a big wig in regular corporate American, expecting the support of the Bigger Cheeses, then respect the code of propriety and wear a tie.

Robert Redford was a style trailblazer in 1975’s Three Days of the Condor.

If you want to be casual in a suit, remove the jacket, not the tie, and roll up the shirt sleeves if you must (but only mid-way between wrist and elbow, never higher … unless you’re a vet).

With a tip of the chapeau to Brett and Kate McKay of the Art of Manliness, I ran across a guide on how to wear a sport coat with jeans. For those of you looking to launch a high-end casual look, this seminal guide is a must read…

The sports jacket is one of the best, most versatile items a man can have in his wardrobe. The benefits of this piece of clothing are myriad. First, it enhances your silhouette, broadening and heightening your shoulders, slimming your midsection, and giving you a more masculine appearance overall. Second, it offers a good number of pockets, so you can lighten the load on your trousers and have what you need ready at hand. And third, it affords you an opportunity to be a gentleman; should a lady friend become cold, you can remove your jacket and lend her its warmth.

Thus, any way to extend the times and places in which a sports coat may be worn is a win by me. And one such way is to pair one’s jacket with jeans.

Too formal top + too casual bottom = business mullet.

Wearing jeans and a sports coat is a somewhat controversial move; it has been called “the business mullet” (formal up top, casual on the bottom) by its critics. And it’s true that done wrong, the look can come off quite poorly.

But executed well, pairing a sports coat and jeans results in a sharp, casual look that will easily become your go-to getup for a variety of situations. The key to pulling it off is simply to choose the right jeans, the right jacket, and the right accessories. How to do that is what we’ll be covering today.

The Overarching Principle for Successfully Pairing a Sports Jacket With Jeans

The main reason the sports coat and jeans look fails is that the two pieces are too jarringly matched. Generally, the jeans are too casual, and the jacket is too formal. And often both pieces are too baggy. The solution of course is to make sure that top and bottom complement each other well — that your jeans are a little more formal, your jacket is a little more casual, and everything fits well. Remember, fit is the foundation of style!

Choose Your Jeans

This is the easiest part of the equation: choose clean, dark, well-fitted, trouser-esque denim. Avoid ripped, baggy, faded, and distressed jeans. Lighter denim can sometimes work, especially if you’re Robert Redford circa 1975. But to keep it simple, go with a nice, deep indigo.

(In the photo) Baggy, over-casual jeans (left), look incongruous paired with a sports jacket, while jeans with a more tailored look (right), complement the jacket nicely.

Choose Your Sports Jacket

This is the area where you’ll have to exercise more discretion.

The first question that often arises is whether one’s coat has to be of the sports variety, or whether one can pair jeans with a suit jacket or blazer.

When it comes to wearing a suit jacket and jeans, the answer is, with very few exceptions, decidedly no. A suit jacket is more structured, spare in details, smooth in fabric, and formal in appearance; thus, paired with the casualness of jeans, the resulting look is simply too discordant and jarring.

The blazer jacket sits in-between the formality levels of the suit jacket and the sports jacket. It can work with jeans, especially if it is made of a thicker, more textured fabric like flannel or serge, rather than the fine worsted wool common to suit jackets. But it can still come off as too formal to pair well with denim.

When it comes to style, most men are better off adhering to fairly simple rules, rather than delving into nuances and exceptions, so when it comes to donning a jacket with your jeans, I recommend sticking solely with the sports coat. It’s hard to go wrong with it. The sports jacket was created in the 19th century for gentlemen who needed a more rugged, utilitarian garment for active pursuits like shooting, hunting, riding, and golf. The jacket was thus constructed of thicker fabrics and adorned with patch pockets for cartridges, elbow patches for durability, and slits in the back for mobility. These rustic, casual style details are what make the sports jacket a quite fitting companion for the rustic, casualness of denim. In fact, the more casual the jacket, the better it will complement your jeans.

A jacket in a color that contrasts with your jeans (right), generally looks better than a jacket in a similar color (left)

Here are a few things to generally look for in a sports jacket that will pair particularly well with jeans:

• Unstructured and soft-shouldered.
• Casual, textured fabric. Linen or cotton in warmer months; tweed, corduroy, etc. for colder weather.
• Casual style details like patch pockets and elbow patches.
• Two buttons over three.
• Thin notch lapels over peak lapels.
• Well-fitted. Sports coats are cut roomier than suit jackets and blazers in order to allow for layering underneath. But you don’t want the fit to be too baggy.
• High color contrast with jeans. Sports coats, unlike suit jackets, aren’t supposed to match your pants, and in fact look best when they form a sharp contrast with them. Thus a light-colored sports coat generally looks best with dark denim.

The Accessories

The other pieces you pair with your sports coat and jeans will go a long way towards ensuring your getup works. You can choose to go with a slightly dressier look, or a more casual one.

Examples of layering possibilities

Sweater/vest. A layered look goes great with jeans, so don’t hesitate to pull a v-neck sweater or casual vest over your dress shirt, and under your jacket….or, if you’re a Marvel anti-hero / married to Blake Lively, then your waist coat can be your jacket…:

Shoes. When dressing up the look, choose a brown pair of brogues or oxfords. For a step down from there, go with leather loafers or double monk strap shoes. More casual still, would be to don dress/work boots (like my personal favorite, the Wolverine 1,000 mile) or chukkas. And of course cowboy boots with jeans and a sports coat is a classic look that transcends categories and works well in certain regions of the country.

Pocket Square. Another sharp addition if you’re going for a snazzier ensemble. Just like with ties, choose a thicker, more rustic fabric rather than silk, and it’s usually best to go with a simple, low-profile fold rather than a puffy, flowing one.

In incorporating all of these elements, stick with a consistent theme; that is, if you’re going for a slightly dressier look, rock brogues, a crisp oxford, and a pocket square. If you’re going for a more casual look, pair leather dress/work boots with a chambray shirt and no tie.

When to Wear a Sports Coat and Jeans

One good time to wear a sports jacket and jeans is when you’re running from the FBI, who mistakenly believes you’ve killed your wife. These are the only circumstances under which you’re allowed to wear black sneakers with your getup as well.

A sports coat paired with jeans is not a formal or semi-formal look. It’s inherently casual in nature. That being said, it’s an extremely versatile outfit that’s particularly perfect when the dress code is a little squiggy — events where you know things aren’t going to be very dressy, but you don’t think it’s going to be super casual either. Sports coat + jeans bridges the gap between causal and dressy, town and country, and is thus a highly adaptable outfit that will allow you to seem neither too dressed up nor too dressed down in a variety of situations, including:

First date. A handsome look a lady friend is sure to appreciate. The sports jacket provides plenty of pockets to hold the essential items in a man’s first date arsenal, and you can offer your coat to your gal should she get cold. Plus, as ladies often wear dressed-up denim out on the town, this getup will allow you to look sharp without outdressing your date (something a gentleman strives to avoid).

Casual/creative job interview. When you’re applying for a job in a very casual workplace, where employees wear t-shirts and hoodies to work, the sports coat/jeans combo can be just the right sharp, but not-too uptight look for an interview.

A job that straddles field and office. If you work a job where you’re sometimes in an office, and sometimes out in the field (at a construction site, for example) the combination of durability, functionality, and put-togetherness of a sports jacket + jeans will allow you to move comfortably between different sites and roles.

Traveling. The sports jacket’s pockets come in handy when you’re traveling, while the jeans will keep you comfortable. Together the look ensures you’ll arrive to your destination in style.

Other situations where a sports coat and jeans would fit right in include casual business functions, casual church services, dinner at a steakhouse with friends, parent/teacher conferences, etc. Tinker with the formality of the accessories listed above to arrive at a look that’ll best fit the particular situation.

Jin Rockford…another trailblazer.

The post First World Problems: Wearing Jeans with a Sport Coat appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

I just finished refereeing the kids in our belated Father’s Day trip to see Finding Dory. Better than the first installment (Finding Nemo), the family movie was just the trick to soften stubbornness and unite the already close clan we are. Media bonds the family. All you have to do is put in the time. Yet, I am already digressing.

Better than the original.

I spent the last couple of week’s closely connected to Californian’s Bay Area. Both the NBA Finals and the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final were set in NoCal. Fans from both sports were ready to hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same week. Can anyone say dueling parades?

Alas (and much to my glee) both Bay Area teams lost in their home arenas in the deciding games. The NBA Finals captivated America. Take a look at these numbers:

• Game Seven was was the most-watched NBA game this century, averaging 30.8 million viewers, and peaking at 44.5 million viewers with less than a minute left. 
• Locally, the game notched the second-highest rating ever for an NBA game, with a 39.4 rating in San Francisco and 46.3 rating in title-starved Cleveland.
• This year’s Finals rematch has been a boon for ABC television. The network had its two most-watched series since it began airing NBA games in the 2002-03 season. But with the series extending to a seventh game, ABC topped an average of 20 million viewers for the series (20.16 million), 

The strong ratings for the 2016 NBA Finals capped a healthy ad market for the entire playoffs. Kantar Media reports an estimated $570 million was spent on advertising for the playoffs (April 16-May 30) leading up to the NBA Finals.

The same kind of positive news, however, cannot be reported by the National Hockey League.

Lebron James lifted the NBA ratings to the best in a decade.

According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, the six-game series between the San Jose Sharks and the Pittsburgh Penguins averaged only just 4 million viewers and a 2.3 household rating. This was the third lowest-rated Final since 2006. Deliveries (viewers and household ratings) were down almost 30% when compared to last year’s average (5.53 million viewers, 3.2 household rating), while the demo declined 22% to a 1.4 among adults 18-to-49. What does all of this mumbo-jumbo mean? It means that the NHL is a trouble.

Don’t get me wrong, nothing broke right for this year’s Stanley Cup Final. Take a look at this recipe for rating’s disaster…

• Bad Matchups. The Sharks vs. the Penguins. The Bay Area is hardly a hockey bastion, while Pittsburgh is one of the most despised franchises east of the Mississippi.
• No US-Based Original Six Team. Ratings traditionally to soar when teams representing old-school, hockey-mad urban centers like Boston, Detroit, Chicago and New York are suited up in the final. In 2013, NBC posted its highest numbers in 2013, when the Chicago Blackhawks-Boston Bruins grudge match mustered up 5.76 million viewers, a 3.3 household rating and a 2.2 in the 18-to-49 demo.
• The Schedule. The series hit the ice on the Monday after Memorial Day weekend, when TV viewing is as low as it gets (save Christmas) and played against game seven of the ratings mad NBA Western Conference Finals. 
• Bad Network Choices. Games 2 and 3 aired on NBCSN, which reaches only 70% of all U.S. TV homes. Ratings dropped accordingly. 
• Game of Thrones. Game 6, which wound up being the deciding game of the Final, was scheduled for Sunday night. What’s the big deal? The game was forced to square off against Game of Thrones and the NHL was not ready to sit on the Iron Throne. The clinching game drew 5.41 million viewers and a 1.9 rating among adults 18-to-49, while the warring Westeros clans delivered a 7.6 million viewers and a 3.9 in the demo.

Ugh.

Tomorrow, I’ll post my open letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the new owner of the expansion Las Vegas franchise on how to make hockey work in Vegas.

Of course, Gary Bettman got mercilessly booed as he presented the Stanley Cup. I’m sure NBC Sports was booing as well.

The post Playoff Ratings – The Tale of Two Bays appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Awards Season is over and yet my dreams have only been elevated. My drive accelerated. A few minutes after the Academy Award telecast had ended, I whipped off an email to my agent begging him:

The Media Guy at the Oscars.

“I know I bore you with this…but I have to win an Oscar…Once you told me that the best clients you have are the ones that want to make the money and win awards. No drama. Nothing else. PLEASE. Make it happen from the business side. Draw me a map and I’ll follow it.”

His reply?: “I will.”

Here’s to dreaming.

My annual Media Guy column on the Oscars has become a tradition and easily the one that gets the most requests. I am fortunate enough to have been be part of this event for the last three years. One day I hope to walk the red carpet instead of working it.

Again, here’s to dreaming.

Before we go backstage, let’s revisit Flubgate. You know
Flubgate. That fabulous second-and-a-half where John Travolta now infamously
introduced Idina Menzel (Ih-deen-ah Men-zelle) as Adele Dazeem. Whoops!

I will admit that even after seeing the amazing Disney
move “Frozen” that her name was a mystery to me. But Travolta took
the science of mangling a name to unknown heights, er, depths. So much so that there is an online app where you type in any name and “Travoltifies” it for you. Travolta’s PR machine
has gone into retreat mode with his publicist releasing a cutsie-canned
statement musing on what would Menzel say (WWMS): “She’d say, ‘Let it go, let it
go!”–an obvious salute to her Oscar-winning song.

Jennifer Lawrences laughs with McConaughey about her tripping episodes.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:

Leto with 2013 Oscar winner Anne Hathaway

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH:

Blanchett was ever prideful the Aussie Talent.

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH

BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW WITH

The post Backstage at the Oscars: 2014 appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

A peek into the goodies in the SWAG bag.

The post OSCAR WEEK 2014: Dreaming in Gold appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Okay, enough about the numbers (you can read them all at the bottom). I was lucky enough to gain red carpet access and a backstage pass, rubbing elbows with the media folk and the superstars of screen. The gowns were gorgeous and the guys made you feel like nothing short of the Hobbit. Poor me.

credit: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Before we go backstage, it was Ben Affleck who stole the show for me. After getting kicked around post-JLO era, he’s come roaring back with Our Town and Argo. His acceptance speech for best picture was far and away the most extraordinary moment of the night. After he thanked wife Jennifer Garner and their kids, he shared some profound advice:

“I want to thank my wife, who I don’t normally associate with Iran. I want to thank you for working on our marriage. It is work, but it is the best kind of work,” he says. “I was here 15 years ago or something and you know I had no idea what I was doing. I stood out here in front of you all, really just a kid. I went out and I never thought I’d be back here and I am because of so many of you who are here tonight … I want to thank them for what they taught me, which is that you have to work harder than you think you possibly can, you can’t hold grudges. It’s hard, but you can’t hold grudges. And it doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life because that’s going to happen. All that matters is that you got to get up.”

BACKSTAGE WITH Daniel Day-Lewis, winner – lead actor
FILM: “LINCOLN”

Q. What was the most annoying part about wearing that beard throughout the whole filming? Was it uncomfortable for you?

LEWIS. What do you mean “wearing it”?

Q. Was it real?

LEWIS. Do you wear your own hair? No, it was just a beard. It was a little bit scratchy now and then, but no, it was just a beard. It was mine. It was my very own beard.

Q. You have an Irish passport, you have a British passport. In which way will you celebrate, the Irish way or the British way?

LEWIS. Just give me a brief synopsis of what the difference is.

Q. I’ve had some piss ups in Ireland.

LEWIS. I’ll bet you’ve had a few in England, as well.

Q. Give us an idea of how you will celebrate.

LEWIS. I’m happy with either one personally. I guess I’ll do it L.A. style.

BACKSTAGE WITH Jennifer Lawrence, winner – lead actress
FILM: “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK”

LAWRENCE. This isn’t like an auction, right? You guys aren’t going to take it away?

Q. What do you think this means to people who are suffering from brain disease that’s like bipolar?

LAWRENCE. I don’t think that we’re going to stop until we get rid of the stigma for mental illness. I know David won’t, and I hope that this helps. It’s just so it’s so bizarre how in this world you have to if you have asthma, you take asthma medicine; if you have diabetes, you take diabetes medicine. If you have to take medication for your mind, there’s such a stigma behind it.

Q. How many people helped you? What was the process today to get to the big moment?

LAWRENCE. The process today was so stressful. I felt like Steve Martin in FATHER OF THE BRIDE watching my house just be torn apart, and my whole family was getting ready. And it was I mean, my friends stopped by. It was kind of fun, but it was mostly chaotic, yeah. Oh, what was the process? I don’t know. I just woke up and tried on a dress, and it fit, thank God, and then I took a shower and… I don’t know what I was that’s what I did. And then I got my hair and makeup done, and then I came to the Oscars. I’m sorry. I did a shot before I…sorry. Jesus.

Q. What was going through your mind when you first fell?

LAWRENCE. What went through my mind when I fell down? A bad word that I can’t say that starts with “F.”

Q. At 22 years old, you’ve got your first Oscar, and you’ve already had two nominations. It’s awfully young to have so much success so far. Do you feel that it’s a good thing that it’s coming so early in the career?

LAWRENCE. I hope so. Yeah. I mean, I who knows. I guess we’ll see.

BACKSTAGE WITH Anne Hathaway, winner – supporting actress
FILM: “LES MISÉRABLES”

Q.I have to admit, watching the clip, I was I’ve seen the film and somewhat taken aback again seeing your clip. When you watch it, when you revisit the film and see that scene, your song, are you ever sort of kind of impressed by yourself like, “Oh, my God, I was really good”?

HATHAWAY.  I’m impressed by the work around me. I’m impressed by my makeup. I’m impressed by my costume. I’m impressed by the haircut and the set and the score and the song, but no, all I can hear is all of the notes that I didn’t quite hit. But maybe I’ll get over it some day.

Q. What I really wanted to know is how your role in LES MISÉRABLES, and just being a part that movie, how did that change you as an actress and also just as a person?

HATHAWAY. I’ve done films before where I’ve played real people. And I’m thinking real people, but a character, you know what I mean, a character based on a real situation. And I’m thinking specifically of RACHEL GETTING MARRIED where I played a recovering addict who was in the ascent of her life of her recovery. And though it was difficult, it was painful, she was in a better place than she had been. Playing Fantine, having to connect with the darkness of life, and I think maybe more to the point, the unnecessary suffering that human beings can inflict on each other, I would have loved to have gone home and forgotten about that everyday, but you just can’t because it exists. And it exists for millions of men and women throughout the world. I think this film changed me because it made me more compassionate and more aware.

Q. You said, “It came true,” when you started your speech. What is “it”? Did you have a special wish or what?

HATHAWAY. I had a dream, and it came true. And that can happen. And that’s wonderful. And so, that was all I was saying was that it can and it did. Excuse me. That’s not articulate.

BACKSTAGE WITH Christoph Waltz, winner – supporting actor
FILM: “Django Unchained”

Q. Two Oscars out of the last three years, how does that make you feel?

WALTZ. Guess. It was, I think, like five minutes ago, I got this, or seven. I was on a list with greatest actors around, with Robert De Niro, with Alan Arkin, with Tommy Lee Jones with Philip Seymour Hoffman. How do you think someone feels when all of a sudden his name is called in that context? I can’t tell you. I’m sorry.

Q. One Oscar could be a coincidence. A second, not. What does it mean for you personally now, this award?

WALTZ. This well, it really has so much to do with the other actors who were nominated with me, or rather, and I insist on that difference, the fact that I was nominated with them. It means actually, I don’t know what it can mean more, but if it can, then that’s what it does.

Q. I’m 41. But you are an incredible actor. In light of the subject matter of your film, are you excited about the possibility of a black pope? That’s an actual thing. He’s from Ghana.

WALTZ. Yeah, well, I have to tell you one thing. It would be an exciting thing. I am a very adamant non racist. I don’t care whether the pope is black or white or whatever color. If we are non racist, then we have to stay non racist all the way.

Q. Hi, back here. During the filming of DJANGO UNCHAINED, when did you realize, or did you realize, that there was something special about this film?

WALTZ. When I read the script for the first time, I realized that there was something special about this film. I know Quentin, and I read the pages more or less as they came out of the printer. Page by page I realized that something special is in the making.

THE NUMBERS

Debbie Richman, ABC senior vice president of prime-time sales says “Demand was the strongest in over a decade with commercial time for all intents and purposes, sold out.”

Take a look at these headlines and numbers:

The broadcast of the Oscars drew an average audience of 40.3 million Total Viewers and delivered a 13.0 rating among Adults 18-49, based on Nielsen’s “Fast National” ratings.  The 2013 Oscars is TV’s most-watched entertainment telecast in 3 years – since 3/7/10.

TV’s biggest awards show, ABC’s “The Oscars” towered over other awards shows this year, outdrawing the 2013 “Golden Globe Awards” by 20.6 million viewers and 103% in Adults 18-49 (19.7 million/6.4 rating in AD18-49) and the 2013 “Grammy Awards” by 11.9 million viewers and 29% in Adults 18-49 (28.4 million/10.1 rating in AD18-49).

With the “Oscars Red Carpet Live” pre-show, “The Oscars’” telecast and “Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars,” ABC’s “Oscar” programming on Sunday reached 80.748 million unique television viewers across the U.S. – unduplicated Viewers 2+ watching 6-minutes or more during the broadcast.

According to the Social Guide there were 6.4 million tweets with 1.6 million unique users, as overall “Oscar” activity outpaced last year by 68% (6.4 million vs. 3.8 million).

The post Backstage at the Oscars: 2013 appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Most wouldn’t expect this type of beauty from Belize.

The head viper: Courtney

“Hey Ben, just stop the madness…”

Who wouldn’t want to make out with the person of their choice  on the top of a Mayan ruin?

The post The Bachelor…ABC Television’s guilty pleasure appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

Since January 26^th my inbox has been gathering steam from the Academy Awards® telling me who is going to present at the 84^th annual event. 

credit: ©A.M.A.P.S.®

For those of you living in a cave away from anything remotely close to Awards Season, the Oscars will be handed out on Sunday, February 26, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. And guess what? I’ll be there. Yet I digress…

photo credit Bryan Crowe © A.M.P.A.S.

Mark Crawford (left), of the design firm Blood&Chocolate, Academy President Tom Sherak (center) and award-winning graphic designer Anthony Goldschmidt at the poster printing. photo credit: Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

The post HELLO Ms. Jolie! appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

What’s your answer? You better come back with something special or ABC is out the window.

For most business owners, getting to the crux of what they really do is the hardest, yet potentially most rewarding, one-minute conversation they will ever have. In that shortest of time spans, potential customers, vendors, and employees will make a complete assessment, deciding then and there if your company, products or services are worth pursuing.

Why? Because it’s all the time they have to open windows and doors of opportunity. Make it count and avoid the traps. Here’s a couple to avoid:

Trap #1 The Sweeping Generality

A typical sweeping generality goes something likes this… “We’re into enterprise management consulting”. The response? (pick one):

-Unintentional fainting.
-Look down at watch.
-Leave with a nice ‘don’t call me’ parting of the ways.

Solution: Add some ummmph! While coordinating a business conference in Dubai a few years back, I heard an ABC expert describe her work in the philanthropic field, setting up foundations and putting together partnerships. When I asked her specifically what she did, she simply smiled and replied “I make miracles happen.”

Bottom line? I love miracles!

You can bet I followed up and keep in touch with her as she worked toward making a difference in the world. Her work was varied, but her moniker was consistent…MIRACLES.

Trap #2: The Kitchen Sink

The most common trap is to try and list everything you do. The proverbial kitchen sink…”We sell, service and maintain new and used mechanical parts and fittings for the plant automation industry.”

The reply? “Thank you…nice to meet you!”

Solution: Like everything else in branding, your elevator speech should convey the essence of what you do, not just a descriptive phrase. It should stress the benefits of what you do, not the features, i.e., “selling the sizzle, not the steak”.

In short, look for the solution or benefits your products and services provide. A great elevator speech might have gone something like “we keep the world’s factories running efficiently.” Once you get the “how do you do that?”, you can roll forward with a condensed kitchen sink conversation.

Moving Forward

Make it a goal this week to develop a one to two sentence statement that sums up the benefits of what you offer. Avoid dry, purely descriptive statements and go for the “Wow!” factor.

Or just call me at and I can help.

The post Elevator Speech appeared first on Media Guy Struggles.

But, for all that love cascading from the father in Modern Family the other night, they should’ve been paid. I came to find out that this episode where the family weirdly bonds together to find daddy a new Apple iPad was free love. Other than getting some test run iPads for the show, Apple didn’t give any form of commercial consideration for the show; shoot, they didn’t even give the cast free iPads or buy a :30 spot of airtime. I’m a huge fan of product placement, but if I were a network or production executive I might wonder why they are giving away advertisements. Product placement is the wave of the future for advertising. In this case, it’s a testimony to the ravenous following Apple has currently that they can pull it off gratis!

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