Work locally, think globally

My husband was watching golf today. I don't normally watch golf unless I need a nap. During the Bridgestone World Golf Championships, Jim Nantz was a-flutter as Tiger Woods overtook the lead. Then it was as if the golfers just stopped for 5 or 10 minutes for the sponsor kiss-up interview.

The Director of the PGA Tour and the Bridgestone Corp. Chairman gathered on national television to tout the renewed sponsor relationship. Along with Mr. Nantz, these 3 out of touch gentlemen proceeded to discuss things to which the average American - if they hadn't been lulled to sleep already - couldn't possibly relate. I'm a capitalist and Lord knows my livelihood relies on a company's desire to market itself, but do you think 67 laid off Bridgestone employees in Bloomington, IL and over 150 Bridgestone employees recently laid off in LaVergne, TN want to hear about how "forward thinking" Bridgestone's announcement is being viewed by the PGA. To be fair, the reason these plants closed is because the need for truck tires is greatly diminished. But I wonder if these ex-employees got great severance packages?

I don't want to ignore the fact that this Bridgestone sponsorship brings lots of money to the local economy in Akron. $30 million is significant. This information is important to the local community and should be the lead story in the evening news in Akron and even Cleveland. The last time I looked, Tiger Woods was a talented golfer, and also the richest athlete in the world. The worst part of this little sponsorship lovefest was that it's likely that no one considered the forgotten focus group.

Mmmmm...this is "edible?"

Bud Light continues to be a marketing and advertising machine - even in these "troubled times." 103.2 million people watched the Bud Light commercials in the 2009 Super Bowl, according to Nielsen. $3 million per ad and a huge audience - what's Bud Light's latest high dollar ad campaign? Drinkability.

"Wow Mom! This meal is so great! It's so... so... edible." Forgive Mom if she doesn't glow with pride after that ringing endorsement of her cooking.

Really? A beer is "Drinkable?" That's all you have? Are you trying to reign in that hard-to-get potential beer consumer - the one who doesn't like the taste of beer?

At least they still have the Clydesdales.

Who are you trying to woo?

I've always had an interest in marketing. I could recite commercials at a very young age. My dad joked that I would barely watch the content between the commercials. I didn't know that these commercials were conceived, written, and produced in large cities far away from my Hoosier home. I still found them appealing.

I don't consider myself a prude, but I find myself more and more confused by the method by which some marketing professionals are trying to sell their products. Between New York and Los Angeles, there are millions of regular, hard-working Americans who have money to spend. They're not interested in anyone in the Kardashian family. They really don't have time to read all of the sponsor labels on a race car. And they won't run out and drop $10 and 3 hours to see a movie just because it won an Oscar.

I'm on the radio every day speaking to 300,000 people about music, weather, family and life. It's my job to be relatable, to know who's on the other side of the radio. Every time I open my mouth, it's marketing: reading sponsor copy, selling the appeal of an upcoming song or concert, or encouraging listeners to visit our website. I'm not in a huge high-rise in a large city and I don't have an MBA, but I have common sense and I know that you can't relate to people if you don't really know who they are. You have to know who you're trying to woo.