Amazing. It’s 2011 and I can’t get my phone system to work in NYC. I have an iphone through AT&T.  Not a signal anywhere – in my hotel (Battery Park), the streets, the cab, anywhere! Calls drop, no signal, SO FRUSTRATING!!!!

I’m finishing up my journey in the big apple, after Saudi.

It’s been great. Got here Tuesday. Had hope to do a lot of book writing, did not really happen. Been a bit distracted with meetings and things. But have been thinking a lot and connecting some important dots.

I stayed at the Ritz battery park because I was attending a party here for one of my mentors Alan Weiss. It was his 65th birthday. I attended his 6oth and it was great fun. Since I had to fly through NY for my Saudi trip, I thought why go back to Tampa? Why not hang in NYC? So I did.

Booked everything via American Express travel. Which was a good experience. They did all the work and got me a room upgrade, two nights free, a $100 food certificate and breakfast everyday.  This is the 2nd time I’ve used them, it was definitely helpful and a value add.

I travel to NYC a few times a year and try to stay in a new part of the city to make it an adventure. Battery Park was nice for the party and maybe a day, but that’s it. Nice service, good view, large space for NYC, then it stops.

The cell communication and even my Verizon broadband card was useless. Plus, with all the long cab rides, I could have bought a nice piece of jewelry. I won’t ride the subway, after seeing the rat movie about the rat. I’m a warrior, but can’t get past that image.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve done some fun stuff.
I would recommend the following:

Jubilee, good neighborhood french bistro. Met some pals from Houston who live in NYC now.

Tried to write at The Ritz Carlton by Central park. A spectacular, classic, elegant spot. And Johnny in the bar is the man. Makes you feel like the queen of the city and helped me brain storm on my book cover art. Handsome, eye candy and a great new friend.

Met with the McGraw-Hill folks, my new publisher. They are awesome and I can’t wait to work with them.

Borders bookstore at Columbus circle. Good coffee and fabulous green tea cookies. Very slow internet connection, bet it was AT&T.

Then went off to Land, an amazing hip, great food and way cheap restaurant. Entrees under 12 bucks, cool decor, killer service and perfect Thai food. They have several locations in NY city.

Next, the Comicstrip comedy club on 82 and 81st at 2nd avenue. Watching comedy performers can teach you a lot about content delivery, timing and body theater. I went with a pal I had not seen in 20 years, who lives in NYC and works for NYPD. Great fun, rocking experience. All the comedians were really good, but the MC Ray Ellin was my favorite. Check him out for sure. He’s coming to Florida soon, can’t wait.

Went to CNN, way cool! Met with a producer who has called me on several stories. Saw Anderson Cooper’s desk. I have a big crush on him, I know I’m not his type, still really admire his work.

Best cupcakes, Magnolia Bakery and Baked by Melissa for baby bite-sized ones.

Got interviewed by NYTimes. Joe Sharkey, a travel writer. The interview should be in Monday or Tuesday’s edition. He was a very cool guy. Survived the big plane crash in Brazil, 151 perished, he lived and has written a bunch of amazing works.

Saturday, went to big party at Ritz. Met a bunch of interesting people. Eat and drank too much, oh well. Had fun, all is good. Parties like this are always intriguing, you show up, don’t know a soul and connect with some remarkable minds.

Today, working in my room. Cranking on my book. It’s hard. Made some progress, not a ton, but I know it’s around the corner. I am Pondering and thinking and I know I will be connecting the dots soon.

Around 6PM, needed to get out of my room, craving Indian food. Read a story in WSJ about Junoon. The most amazing super hip, fab food, fun place I’ve been too. Met the chef, bought his cookbook, loved the experience. Bar staff Daniel and Jane, the best. The food is beyond brilliant! Must check it out if you like Indian food and are in NYC. Ranks in my top five of all restaurant experiences, loved it!!!

Headed back to Tampa on Monday. Really love New York. Really hate my phone and AT&T.

Looking forward to my wonderful car service in NYC, Felix who has been my airport service and hauling me around for over 14 years. If you need a trusted, reliable company in NYC, Felix is the man. And then back in Tampa, Lino is the man. I’m just one of his celeb customers. He provides service to Jeter, ARod and many more. An excellent resource, who’ve I had a relationship with for over 10 years.

More soon!

For more on bad service experiences, view:
Can a strong brand make a visit to the dentist less painful?
Global phone mess – a lesson in assumption.

I think about this a lot. In fact not a day goes by that I don’t ponder this subject.

Oddpodz has experienced a 70% increase in readership. Our SEO report card score is over 96 out of 100. We post content daily. And believe it’s smart, worthy stuff.

I have set high standards for the blogs’ success. I want traffic 10 times what we are getting. I want to generate more revs from Google ads and  from affiliate partners and I want to sell more our products.

What is the magic move to make this a reality?

A killer best selling book?

More inbound links?

A big publicity hit?

Social media swarm of 10,000 friends?

Pay per click?

Advertising?

More content posting?

Befriending other popular bloggers?

Comment luv?

I will keep you posted.

Need some ideas on social media or SEO. Check out our ebooks. Want more small business and entrepreneurial insight read our other business blog. Interested in restaurant marketing visit our latest initiative.

This week, Taco Bell experienced a greasy brand bump by some hungry law firm.

A lawsuit was filed claiming that Taco Bell was falsely advertising its beef tacos, and allegedly the 99 cents delicacies only had 30% or so beef in them, which is not enough to be defined as beef by the USDA.

The late night comedians, social media channels and journalists have been having a meaty joke and news fest. Taco Bell fired back on Friday with a news statement and full page ads claiming they are grateful in a “Thank you for suing us” campaign and welcomed the opportunity to talk taco with all of their loyal customers and anyone else who is starving for the truth. Additionally since the lawsuit broke, Taco Bell has furthered it’s position by posting ‘The Real Beef Facts’ and a quirky video touting the Super Delicious Ingredients Force, a Saturday Night Live parody that’s worth checking out.

Taco Bell says its beef is 100 percent USDA inspected, and that its recipe is 88 percent beef, 12 percent “secret recipe.”

So did Taco Bell do the right thing, by playing a bold brand defense card after a very public attack?

I’d bet my next tacos on it. When a company is a well known brand like Taco Bell with lots of good, beefy brand equity, sitting back and not saying any thing is not an option. I like that they responded quickly and took a very confident stance on the issue with provable facts. As for the law firm, maybe they need to think outside the goofy, greed gene.

Also, check out: Miracle Whip and Cate Blancett. What do these two have in common?

Standout brands are distinct, memorable and own their turf. Think about Target (hip, cool and great design), Alfec (the duck icon), and Lady GaGa (outrageous style, no borders behavior).

They didn’t copy the pack, they lead it with a set of unique attributes. If you want to break through a clutter of the same old boring stuff that 95% of your competition are doing, then be original, odd and offbeat. And avoid these 5 costly mistakes.

1) Don’t use other people’s quotes in your marketing content and social media. Create your own original quotes, ideas, opinions and and insight.

2) Don’t use the same colors and graphic styles that are everywhere in your industry. Break the rules. And then rule your category.

3) Don’t use the same tired copy points and words that your competition uses. Tell memorable stories and create your own words that are unique and belong to you.

4) Don’t use, over used stock images and photos that everyone and their uncle has used since 1982. Find compelling pics, try adding treatments to them with cropping, borders, colors and filters. Or take your own.

5) Don’t expect everyone to love your distinction. Change or an unusual approached often get resisted early in the game. How may people loved Google when it first launched?

When you find your solid path of brand distinction and stick to it, your marketing dollars will have more power to help build a strong and sustainable brand.

Also check out: The 3 A’s of an awesome brand name.

Friday evening I went to the opera in St. Petersburg, Florida at The Palladium. The Palladium is a gem, full of charm and historic architecture. The theater was built in 1925 as a church and later transformed into a community performing arts venue now run by the St. Petersburg College.

The opera was Verdi Rigoletto, a story of love, passion, betrayal, revenge and tragedy.

I love opera. It’s so intense. The majestic voices, the opulent costumes, the suspenseful drama, the entire experience is artistic and emotional.

The Palladium, compared to other rooms I’ve been to, is very small for an opera. Yet the characters and the behind the scenes team delivered the same incredible rush of entertainment value as the big opera houses in New York, London and Houston.

The evening and performance exceeded my expectations by 10 fold.  The cast and orchestra had the talent which is certainly vital part of the experience, but supporting their theater and musical skills was a well executed package of equally as dramatic and very scaled-up visual components.

Scaled-up is important strategy beyond an operatic performance. It applies to brands, our stories and the experience we all deliver to our buyers.

Here’s how the production of Rigoletto did it, creating a moving, memorable experience that will be treasured for a long time with the audience.

• They used the full space (left to right, top to bottom) to project massive black and white images behind the stage. They were big and bold and transformed the mood of the room instantly.
• The costumes were also scaled-up, exaggerated and all toned in a consistent palate of black and white with a splash of subliminal blood red preceding the tragic ending.
• The scenery was also scaled-up, over-sized and poignant. And of course, the volume and magnitude of their voices was thundering even in the most peaceful scenes.

Think about how you can scale-up some elements in your experience to make a grander impact and more lasting memories. These ideas can work in office lobbies, retail and hospitality businesses.

1) Enlarge your wall graphic communications.
Dinky art or framed publicity on big walls, often says small potato. Big impressions can imply confidence and that success lives here.

2) Add a high tech aspect to your messaging.
Projected images can be applied to entry ways, ceiling and floors. Incorporating technology can say innovation, creative thinkers, that’s us.

3) Introduce props to an environment and showcase them.
An over-sized product model, a character or even your logo – as a dimensional item can be a powerful aspect of the experience.

4) Garb your team with a strategic uniform or dress code.
Apple computer’s retail staffers all have a common look, that says: hip and creative, to a cosmetic company that sports hot pink lab coats to project a scientific/fashion image, to the Geek Squad’s special agent cool, nerd attire.

What’s your next act?

For more up-scale elements, view: The 5th element to a successful marketing mix.

It’s freezing in New York, but fun and stimulating!

First thing, check into my hotel. I am staying at a small boutique property on upper West Side (I’ll share the details on this property at the end of my trip). Are you traveling to a big city and want a great deal on cool hotels? I always use Hotwire.com. You can pick the number of stars and which part of the city you want to stay in. You get a choice of many, showing prices and star rankings. I’ve never been disappointed and sometimes save 50% off rack rate.

Worried about bedbugs? Go to Bedbug registry and make sure your chosen hotel won’t have uninvited guests in your bed. My hotel is awesome – it was not listed, WHEW!

Our first adventure: A food tour of the Lower East side via City Food Tours. This is a great way to taste and learn some history about New York’s fabulous food. Most tours are a couple hours long and range from 40-90 bucks per person. They include a knowledgeable guide, outside exercise and samplings of 5-6 culinary bites along the way. We discovered: The Essex Food market, a gem, which houses Roni-Sue chocolates, an artisan spot with truffles and to die for chocolates in every variety. The Pickle Guys, one of the few pickle places around. Economy Candy, a massive store that feels like a mall of a million sweets. The Roasting Plant, a great coffee cafe founded by a former Starbucks  staffer who turned a vacuum into a Javabot® coffee roasting system and lastly, one of the best slices of pizza from San Marzano Brick Oven Pizzeria.

A great afternoon! More marketing commentary coming. Packed agenda.

Robert’s at the Museum of Design.

Prohibition a neighborhood spot for live music acts. Rachel Platton performed and was an amazing, fresh and entertaining sound. She’s a New Yorker who is hitting the world tour scene. Check out her schedule, and check her out.

Tues. night
Went to Jimmy Fallon Live with Jack Black, recap coming, was tooooo much fun and got to hang and dance with the Roots. I’m now the proud owner of an official drum stick too.

Weds.
Got to run, sorry for the short hand, promise to fill in. Headed to Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Review coming too with lots more street stuff.

This past weekend I journeyed to the Windy City of Chicago. A little business and a lot of fun produced these inspirational ideas and a couple revelations too.

I was in Chicago to meet with a client that I’m building a new website for and to get a big city fix of culinary, cultural and entertainment experiences.

I arrived Friday night. Flew on Continental with my One Pass miles, first class, love that reward stuff! My flight was nice until we were about to land and I realized I forgot my cell phone in Tampa (Revelation #1 – forgetting your cell phone totally sucks). I was mad at me for being an airhead and also I was a little freaked out, because without a cell phone in our modern world, you are very disconnected, pay phones are in the same museum as dinosaurs.  And since I don’t know how to send smoke signals and I needed to let my driver know I had arrived, it was time to bum a phone from a fellow traveler. Fortunately a kind man helped me out. I buzzed Diva Limo (that really is their name), I’m here.

Just as I gave him back his phone and he jumped in his car, it hit me, I didn’t tell them where I was. Damn, I need a freakin phone. This was bad, stress full throttle. We are all so dependent to our gadgets. This will teach me, travel item check lists are not that goofy. So I flag down another kind man, may I please use your phone for a quick call?

Headed to downtown. The traffic volume is on steroids. It takes almost two hours to get to my hotel. I finally get there, what a great city!

Here are my trip highlights and inspiration (in no special order).

1) Visual details count.
Downtown Chicago is beautifully landscaped and clean. This visual detail adds to the world class experience of the destination and Chicago’s brand.

2) Distinction can be leveraged in any industry and segment.
98% of all Sushi restaurants look and feel the same, that was until I experienced Friends Sushi. This quaint neighborhood spot takes sushi to a new place. Imagine a retro, hip lounge with white vinyl furniture happy, cheery atmosphere. That is Friends Sushi. Not only was the food awesome, the staff way friendly, but the overall experience very memorable. Their name, logo and all touch points were delightful.

3) Slick and professional is not always the answer.
We went to Second City for our fix of comedy and improv and on the way stumbled upon a retail gem called The Spice House
Old-fashioned with a sensory-explosion, this spice boutique has been serving up flavor in small bottles for over 51 years. Nothing is fancy and that makes it so cool. And there is not shortage of human interaction and experience. You can taste, mix, blend and talk to hard-core spice experts. The authentic, no slick approach to this brand is simply irresistible.

4) Methaphors are so powerful.
Sunday I hung out in the Wicker Park area. This funky, artsy pocket of interesting businesses is worth checking out. Piece Brewery and Pizzeria is another amazing little find. This neighborhood dinner combines pizza and brew, sports and a united spirit of casual and calm. The name Piece, certainly applies to the slice you get of New- Haven style thin crust pizza, but the logo has a much bigger story of peace. Beyond the signage, all of their merchandise is branded with a brilliant graphic mark (piece of pizza) and a very nice Karma-enriching symbol of peace. I even felt nicer when I walked by the place.

5) Packaging is a compelling story teller.
Just when I thought I’ve seen every which way you can spin soap, I discovered Mojo Spa. Mojo Spa began with one woman’s quest for the perfect lip balm. Amanda Kezios, a personal chef turned beauty product inno-vator, made use of her talents in the kitchen to concoct a unique & natural lip balm that could cure her dry chapped lips. Mojo Spa creates over 200 bath & beauty products inspired by comfort foods & nostalgic treats. Their products utilize natural food ingredients, aromatherapy blends, positive affirmations, healing crystals & sound therapy. All our products continue to remain handcrafted, in small batches, with lots of care & attention to ensure quality & freshness. From the tastefully inviting window display to the culinary packaging of beauty potions as cupcakes and other goodies, this place delivers on their promise, where beauty meets comfort.

(Revelation #2) - Brand equity is a forgiving force.
I’m a loyal fan of Starwood properties. I patronize all of their brands and have never had a disappointing experience, until this trip to Chicago. We stayed at the Westin downtown. From the moment I stepped in the lobby it felt stressful and rushed. I’ve stayed at the Westin in Times Square and never quit felt this vibe, maybe it was just a crazy week. The staff all seemed to be on a high dose of grumpy pills too, except for Lorenzo the doorman. He shared with me that he had been working at that location for 47 years. Wow. I can see why, he was a stellar brand asset, kind, friendly, with a no rush attitude, made you feel like a movie star, until you had to ask the concierge a question, not so nice. I understand sometimes life does interfere with delivering on your brand promise “Relax here” and  like I said, I’m a loyal Starwood customer, so I forgive them and will not harbor this bad experience, in fact I’ve already erased it from my mind and will be booking another Starwood property soon. Had this been a brand I didn’t have this relationship with, I would have surely kicked them under the bus for good.

Happy branding! Till next time.