You know you’ve worked with someone for a long time (in our case, nearly six years) when your wardrobes start to take on the same look. Case in point, here is a photo of me and Debi that Kym took this morning:

Unintentional matching happens quite frequently at the Merlot office. Sometimes a couple of us are wearing similar tops, or a few of us wear the same color combinations. Even yesterday, Debi, Brenda and I were all walking around with our black pashminas.

But today was different. Not just because houndstooth is a pretty distinctive pattern (in case you hadn’t noticed), but also because usually the outside public doesn’t have to bear witness to our matching outfits. Today, Debi and I had a PR meeting with River City Bank. In person. At their office. And it was just the two of us. People must have thought we were crazy as we came strolling into the lobby looking like a pair of patterned twins. 

We gave the client a nice chuckle, so we thought we’d share with the rest of you. From now on, we’re comparing fashion plans before the meeting.

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Happy Earth Day, Water Cooler posse! I can’t ignore my hippie-tendencies today, so I’m formally calling for all Merlot Team Members to abandon their dependency on plastic bags. Invest in some environmentally-friendly alternatives. Pick up four or five and take them with you to the store, on shopping trips, or even put your lunch in them and bring them to the office. You’d be surprised how incredibly convenient they are!

If not for me… do it for the turtles.

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Dear Cadbury,

Hi, how are you? I’m fine. Hey, guess what? This weekend, I polished off two four-packs of Cadbury Cream Eggs. And not just because it was Easter on Sunday. No, I ate them all because they were there. Yeah, I know, I’m pretty impressive.

Anyway, my lack of self-control got me thinking: If you finally acquiesced to my demand for year-round access to creamy fondant goodness, that would give someone like me (read: someone with excellent taste in candy) the potential to consume 104 boxes of Cadbury Cream Eggs in a 12-month period. That’s an increase of approximately 650% from the current potential that exists today. And by “current potential,” I am referring to the fact that - let’s face it - you’re a little stingy with the output.

Think of it. If you expanded to 12-months of Cadbury Cream Egg circulation, you could potentially increase your profits by 650% in the U.S. alone! And while we’re on the subject of expansion, thanks for the nugget of effort around the holidays with the Holiday Ornament Cream Egg. Well played and much appreciated. I do just want to take this time to reiterate the point I’ve been making since I was a child: the Cadbury Cream Egg is a candy for ALL seasons. Stocking stuffers, Easter baskets, Flag Day BBQs, back-to-school treats, “Congratulations, it’s Wednesday” celebrations… Do you see what I’m getting at here? We’re talking total confectionery dominance and mass, sweeping marketplace awareness.

I look forward to a day when the Cadbury Cream Egg is a part of my everyday life. Until then, I eagerly await next spring.

Jana

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It’s simple really. The client wants to attract attention with something unconventional. We create that situation.

There are many tools in the PR arsenal: the press release, the fact sheet, the 700-pound giant inflatable crab. What, you don’t have a giant crustacean? Our client, McCormick & Schmick’s, does. The crab’s name is Jake and we use him every chance we get!

When we opened the downtown Sacramento restaurant in 2007, we had coordinated Jake’s presence on the lawn of our State Capitol building (just a couple of blocks away from the restaurant). His presence there attracted a LOT of positive attention and we still hear people talk about it on a regular basis. It’s like it lives in Sacramento lore or something.

With the opening of a new McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Roseville last week, we arranged for Jake to make a return visit to the area. He posted up on the McCormick & Schmick’s building for a few days , enjoying the view and posing for photos for passersby. The public reaction to Jake was - again - one of enthusiasm. His welcome by the people of Roseville was warm, and the media got on board to create some fun stories.

In every promotion or element of a PR program, we have to stand back and ask ourselves one question: Is this strategic? The strategy behind Jake is always to elicit the reaction of excitement and delight from the public. Of course, the media attention helps, too!

Jake the Crab on McCormick & Schmick’s, photo by our fav photographer, Tim Engle www.englephoto.com

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Our client, Lounge ON20, spent a little time at Merlot HQ today for some media training (which went very well, by the way). However, with them, they brought Merlot’s newest challenge: tequila. A challenge for three reasons.

First, one of us, who shall remain nameless, has earned herself the nickname “Shot Sipper,” for obvious reasons. I believe the shot took her 25 minutes to consume today. Second, another one of us (also nameless) would have done Patches O’Houlihan proud with all the dodging, dipping, ducking, diving and dodging she did to get out of that meeting just before the tequila was poured. And third, well, that’s me. I don’t really drink. Like, at all. So, after choking and dying on my first tequila shot, I have to say: Not bad. Actually quite excellent. Lounge ON20 doesn’t kid around. If you’re going to do a tequila shot, you’re going to do it right with them.

I’ll be interested to see what our challenge is for our next meeting…

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Traditionally here at Merlot Marketing, we have kept to a straight diet of the business professional/business casual dress code over the years. And it’s served us well. However, some of us have strategically brought up valid points that challenged the norm and seemed to open doors to alter this code to allow for a more… creative style of dress. “Creative Chic,” if you will. Well, our points were heard and taken into consideration. So, today, for the first time, we are not held to that business professional/business casual code. Today is Merlot’s first-ever Creative Chic Friday.

You may ask yourself what this means, so as someone who’s lobbied to see this day for nearly five years, let me educate you. Creative Chic Fridays is not “casual Friday.” It is simply the day when we agency-types get to express ourselves through fashion. Creative Chic means modern, edgy and inspired dress. It is comfortable in a way that makes us comfortable with ourselves; and thus, more inclined to be creative. Wear what puts you in that clever mindset. For some, it’s jeans with a cute tops, for others it all boils down to the shoes. But we are a creative agency, so we’re embracing it.

Many have shared this vision over the years and to them I say, “THANK YOU!” Because, yes, I am wearing jeans today. And it’s totally awesome!!

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It’s Halloween! And what more could you ask for from your favorite peeps at Merlot Marketing than a Halloween-inspired contest? Why, TWO Halloween-inspired contests! That’s right, we’re bring ScaryBack with two competitions in the PR Mafia’s (please note the new nickname for our stellar PR Team) never-ending attempt to overthrow Matt as the reigning Merlot Competition Champion of Everything.

The Pumpkin Carving Contest (which Matt won last year) and Costume Contest (a new one this year) are up for grabs. Voting took place this afternoon, so click through to see what and who entered the field of competition… (more…)

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Everyone is talking about how awesome Will Ferrell and Tina Fey were last night on SNL’s election special. And they were! It was one of the funniest skits they’ve done all year! But I want to draw attention to Kenan Thompson’s continued role of Oscar Rogers, SNL’s financial consultant.

Kenan’s Oscar character has once again made me to laugh so hard, I had tears pouring down my face. Like, streaming down my face in a continued flow of tears. Oscar is so wound up and anxious about the financial crisis, that he’s freaking out and all he wants the people in charge to do is, “FIX IT!” But it’s the construction of Kenan’s face in his delivery that makes this comic genius. Check out the video below of last night’s “Weekend Update” skit. You can fast forward to the 1:45 mark if you are pressed for time, but I also highly recommend Fred Armisen’s bit with the interactive map. Chuck Todd is soooooo jealous.

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A: “Zebra print.”

(I’m not kidding.)

So, how fitting was the absolutely fabulous and delicious birthday cake we recently got her to celebrate her October b-day? Too perf, we had to post it up here to give a shout-out to Nugget Market in Davis for their most excellent use of butter cream.

Also, check out the painstaking hand detail that Tiffany, Charlene and I put into the birthday candles in an effort to continue the zebra theme. Now, that’s commitment… and a most excellent use of a Sharpie. 

Happy B-day, Z!!

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Real quick: Sarah Palin will be on SNL tomorrow. “Brand,” or “Josh Brolin” as he’s known to people who aren’t cool enough be Goonies (right, b-rad?), is hosting, so I wonder what sort of dub-ya/Palin skit they might have in the works. Whatever it is, I hope Tina Fey is writing it. Tina=comedy gold. Can’t wait for SNL!

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