Catch Up Lady

Get Your 'Stache Ready for Movember!

A few weeks ago I heard a little bit of buzz about Movember - an international fundraising effort to eradicate prostate cancer in which men take pledges to grow and maintain mustaches during the month of November. (It's taken me this long to blog about it because I'm still disassociating it from mocolate - if you don't know what this is grab the nearest Friends fanatic.)

This effort began in Australia, where "mo" is slang for mustache, a few years ago and has spread to the States.  The beneficiary group in the US is Prostate Cancer Foundation (who has a hilariously toned down Movember call-out on their very boring looking homepage.)  Mo Bros and Mo Sisters can register here as an individual or a group to get started growing, mandscaping and fundraising.

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures: Battling Obama Sign Thieves

I just got this email from a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend (you know how these things go...)

Apparently the Cottage Grove, OR resident pictured here erected this sign in his lawn, and chained it to a tree, after his Barack Obama signs were stolen for the third time.  Classic.

Creating a Viral Video: MoveOn.org's Personalized Video

The blogosphere is all abuzz these days about MoveOn.org's personalized video where your name (or the name of a friend) is actually inserted into a news reel in which it is discovered that Obama's one vote loss on November 4th could be traced back to YOU - a single apathetic voter. 

And behold - a viral video!  According to the ticker on MoveOn.org, the video has been sent to over 6 million people. One day I'm going to go blue in the face and die explaining the strategy behind the development and promotion of a truly noteworthy and shareable video. This video works because it's the Purple Cow - it's relevant, it's new, it's remarkable, it's well promoted, and there is a built in "care to share" factor that encourages people to pass it along (hell, I even sent it to myself!) 

I love the social media that's come out of the election - from the GOP Vetting Emporium and Taco Stand to the It's Raining McCain Ladies.  The national spotlight on a common issue combined with the Web 2.0 technology readily available to every freakazoid in the country has given people a way to amplify their voice (for good or for bad) in a meaningful way.  Now if only we could come up with a "viral video" to make DC a state...

Mail Goggles: Preventing Drunk Emails Since 2008

I have now received the requisite number of emails about GMail's Mail Goggles that I feel compelled to offer my thoughts on it.  (It is worth noting that more than one of these emails went something like this, "Kaitlyn if you don't blog about this you're dead to me.")

So, lest I become dead - here it goes.  Google recently announced Mail Goggles, which is essentially a breathlyzer for email.  If enabled, it will stop your outgoing emails in the witching hours and ask you to answer a series of math problems in under a minute.

I mean - I always sucked at math, but I'm pretty sure I could do these problems in an alcohol induced coma.  If Google was serious about this they would provide you with a range of levels to set yourself up with.  Like answering verbal comprehension questions from the GMAT.  Or FOIL-ing something.  Or metric conversions.  Or a distance/rate/time question.  The goal should be to give the sender something they know they COULD do normally, and then proceed to frustrate mentally to the point of defeat.  

All kidding aside - I do think that this is a fun, quirky GMail feature that continues to give Google a personality in the Email Wars.

28th Birthday Caption Contest

I recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of my 18th birthday. You can play along like you were there by coming up with a funny caption for this picture of me and Anthony.

Talk To Your Parents About John McCain

OK, irrespective of your political affiliation I think that this ad from MoveOn.org is pretty hilarious.  Sure conservatives will waste no time denouncing it "MoveOn is for flaming libs!  Who cares what the stars of that brain dead show Gossip Girl have to say!"  But seriously, it is in fact hilarious if for nothing more than its spot on satire of every tragic anti-drug commercial I was forced to watch growing up in the 80s/90s. ("I learned it from you Dad!  I learned it from watching you!!"  )

Via Make The Logo Bigger.

I Have Established Contact With The Mothership!

Two years, two months and 16 days after I started this blog I finally received the validation I have been seeking since I first became a Heinz brand fan at age 2.

Dave Ciesinski, VP of Ketchup at Heinz, has apparently been reading The Catch Up Lady and took the time to send me the following note:

"We've been reading your ketchup blog and we love it.  As a matter of fact, we love everything about ketchup.  Keep up the good work!!"

So, pull up a chair and let me explain to you why this is freaking awesome (beyond the obvious awesomeness.)

I spend most of my days working with huge companies to develop word of mouth strategies - many of which involve engaging vocal, hyperconnected brand fans. Writing this blog has helped me professionally because I *AM* a hyperconnected brand fan.  Any time I develop a strategy or brainstorm tactics I silently give it the "Heinz Test" - if Heinz contacted me with this opportunity would I, as a brand fan and blogger, be energized?  Having Heinz give me a virtual pat on the back feels like coming full circle, personally and professionally. 

Hopefully this is a dialouge I can continue to bring you all more ketchupy goodness.  In the meantime I'll just say America Heinz Fuck Yeah!

(BTW, this picture was taken at 5:30am at a diner in Midtown after a night or karaoke with Tim Brunelle, Doug Meacham, David Armano, Paul McEnany and Sean Howard.  Some people have comfort food, I have a comfort condiment.)

It's Not Easy Being Wierd

This month's Wired Magazine has a great article about the career of Weird Al Yankovic - the song parody artist best known to my generation for Fat (1988 spoof of Michael Jackson's Bad) and Amish Paradise (1996 spoof of Coolio's Gansta's Paradise.)  The most interesting part of the article was the discussion of how Yankovic has had to adopt his career in the face of music's long tail and Web 2.0. 

Weird Al built his career parodying "mega-artists who had distinctive musical and visual styles that he could exaggerate for effect."  MTV (back when they actually played videos) reinforced Weird Al's career by acting as a "national radio station" dictating Top 40 tunes, and serving up videos which viewers would literally memorize.  Fast forward 20 years: MTV has devolved into a station apparently void of music and iTunes and satellite/internet radio have allowed for intense fragmentation and personalization of the music space.   Weird Al faces an uphill battle to simply identify and develop relevant content.

A second challenge Weird Al faces is the rise of YouTube.  Unlike Weird Al, who spends months developing his parodies, any randar with a video camera can now create their own spoof overnight.  Suddenly, we can all be Weird Al in a fraction of the time it takes Al to be Weird.

I'd love to see Weird Al tackle some of these challenges head on by using social media to assert his ownership of the musical parody space, and stay connected to fans.  Two ideas I had:

• Be the Godfather of YouTube Parodies - Weird Al has an immensely popular YouTube channel, with more than 40k subscribers. Why not use it to run monthly contests for amateur parody artists?  Prizing could be anything from a video of Weird Al "endorsing" the parody, to appearing in an upcoming Weird Al video.  Weird Al should leverage this new generation of imitators to reinforce his own image as the king of parody.

• Stay Relevant Through Co-Creation -Staying relevant and interacting with fans between albums could be accomplished by involving fans in the creation of a new song.  Weird Al could use part of his website to create interactive Digg-style voting on the Top 40 charts, allowing fans to vote up or down songs they think he should parody on his next album.  Winning song gets parodied by Al.  (There are lots of variations on the co-creation theme that could be exciting...)

How else could Weird Al use social media as he continues to adapt his 25 year career?

The Crapper - Things That Make You Go Hmmm Edition

Wait no longer for the post where I dump all the crap I can't blow out into it's own entry.  This Crapper will focus on marginally ridiculous signage I've seen recently.

Eff You Too US Airways - So, in case you haven't flown US Airways recently you should know that they now charge you $2 for ANY drink you purchase on board.  The only thing I find more ridiculous than the charge, is how the company has positioned it.  "Enjoy a beverage on board from $2."  Thanks a lot, but I'm pretty sure I was enjoying them for FREE before.  Am I supposed to feel good about this "amenity"?  (Note I saw this sign at airport check in, right before I was hit up for another $15 to check my bag on an international flight.  Classic.  I crap on you US Airways!)

25% Organic! - While waiting in line last night at Chipotle I was reading a sign they had posted noting that this ingredient and that ingredient were organically farmed or raised.  Then I got to this head scratcher, "25% of our black and pinto beans are organically grown."  Since as far as I know you can't specifically choose to order from that 25% lot, I'm assuming that 1 in 4 of the beans I eat are organic and the others... aren't?  Uhhh, am I in danger or something?

Obama Support Abroad - In Bermuda last week I saw several cars with Obama stickers on them.  From what I could tell most of the supporters were native Bermudians whose voices would not be heard in November's election.  In America, we call those people citizens of the District of Columbia.

EDIT 10/16:  The Obama reference is not meant to be condscending towards those abroad who follow US elections, or support a candidate.  Please read my comment below!

Please Standby

The Catch Up Lady is going on vacation!  (You're probably thinking - "Vacation?  Bitch, you've barely posted on this stupid blog the last few weeks!" 

But, it's true.  I'll be back after Columbus Day.  Please standby.