Risley Ranch

Barkley/PR Week Cause Roundtable

For several years now, Barkley has sponsored the annual PRWeek cause survey.  As a part of that sponsorship, we also host the Barkley/PRWeek Cause Roundtable. This year’s roundtable was last Friday, and it was another great conversation about cause.  This year’s topic focused the ROI of cause branding, particularly in the current economy.

Participants included our own Mike Swenson; Liz Cahill, VP of marketing, Lee Jeans; Randall Chinchilla, external relations manager, hair care, Procter & Gamble, (oversees the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program); Susan Druchak, director of Teen Safety driving program, Allstate Foundation; David Hessekiel, founder and president, Cause Marketing Forum; Christopher Mann, associate manager of integrated marketing, New Balance; Susan Puflea, EVP and director of the Change practice, GolinHarris; Jessiah Styles, director of cause related marketing, Big Brothers, Big Sisters; Michael Trese, VP of external affairs and strategic philanthropy, L’Oreal Paris; and Cynthia Walsh, VP of marketing, Self magazine.

I applaud these folks for their continued support of cause branding, and I applaud their companies for continuing to lead in this important area of society.  The roundtable discussion, as well as our annual survey results, will be part of the coverage of the annual Barkley/PRWeek Cause Survey, published in the October 27 issue of PRWeek.

Augmented Reality

I had no idea what it was, until I read this awesome post from my colleague, Mark Logan.  And he's got a nice new blog look, too.

What a suprise

Joe and I went to the Lawrence Library's reading festival yesterday, and Baby Jay was there! He thought Joe's hair was funky.

Bring on the snow!

I bought a snowboard recently when I was in Boulder.  My first snowboard.  I love it.  I’m stoked.  I’m ready for snow.

Since snowboarding for the first time last year, I’m hooked.  I’ve been skiing since I was 6, but I waited until I was 39 to try “surfing on snow.”  I’m sorry I waited that long.  It’s completely different from skiing.  It’s harder to learn, first of all.  I spent two days in lessons and on my ass, most of the time.  By the third day, I had it.  On our second trip, I again took lessons, and I felt even more confident.  Confident enough to buy boots (Burton Imprint 2 Ruler - 2007), a helmet (R.E.D. Shawn White Trace), armor (Descente North America Jacket, The North Face bottoms), and now the board (Never Summer Heritage and Burton Doom bindings) and board bag (also Burton).

I checked out REI in Boulder first, but they didn’t have their boards in yet.  After checking a couple other places, I finally ended up at a little skateboard/snowboard shop right on 28th Street called Satellite.  It was great.  I, of course, felt 20 years too old to be in the shop in the first place, but that didn’t deter James, the nice “kid” that helped me out.  I had done my research, but he was equally informative, and patient.  A snowboarder since he was eight, James teaches kids snowboarding each weekend, during season, at Winter Park. Thanks James for a good buying experience.

If I’m not evidence enough that it’s never too late to start snowboarding, the two buddies I started with last year are 40 and 55!  After the initial learning-curve-pain wore off, each run was like focused gliding; “focused,” because it requires your attention, but once you’re in the zone, your muscle memory does most of the work; and “gliding” because it’s such a smooth feeling – more graceful than skiing, imho.

I’m planning a trip in December to Keystone with my inaugural buddies (Chip, Todd, don’t bail on me!), and then hopefully again in February of ’09.  Of course, if I break a bone(s), you’ll see all my gear on eBay, courtesy of my wife.

My new yacht

I decided to buy a yacht while I was on Boston. Saw a for sale sign on this little beauty last night while walking to dinner. I used my AmEx so I could earn some serious points.

Saturday night football

At the KU v Sam Houston State game tonight. Awesome weather.

Boston harbor

Beautiful view of Boston harbor from the Institute of Contemporary Art.

What a respectful day

Wow.  Our team did an outstanding job launching National RESPECT! Day yesterday.  It was a well coordinated effort, and I saw coverage and chatter throughout the day.  PR Week ran a nice little on line story.  Our friends at Sugar Media had a nice post.  We've got 80 followers on Twitter -- not a ton, but a good start. We have almost 300 members of our cause on Facebook, so I added another challenge.  We're getting a few more photos in our Flickr Group, and a few videos on our YouTube channel.  BTW, that killer voice singing RESPECT is Barkley's own Kim Thurston.  Damn. 

Our team-on-the-ground was in LA for the Dodger's game, handing out RESPECT! tattoos and getting a welcome reception from Joe Torre. 

They're heading to San Fran today for the 49rs game tomorrow.  And back at Barkley global headquarters, partners gathered to sign the RESPECT! declaration and make a little human art:

We'll be celebrating RESPECT! every day, as it should be, so join our rally at Giverespect.org

I RESPECT! You

Perhaps this is the first act of respect you’ve received today.  I hope it’s not the last.  Feels good, doesn’t it?  So why not pass it on and give respect to someone else today.

That’s the basic idea behind the RESPECT! Campaign – a new nation-wide, public-awareness and fundraising campaign we are launching today, National RESPECT! Day, for our client the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF).  FVPF is one of the world’s leading organizations working to prevent violence against women and children.  Together with them, we have created the first ever public awareness campaign focused on the prevention of violence by starting with the simple act of giving respect.  We believe where there is respect, there will be a lot less violence.

I'm very proud of the work, the team and everyone involved, including the campaign's national founding partner, Macy's.  In addition to a killer Web site, we're launching a nation-wide media relations campaign, reaching out via social media,and  hosting events at Macy's, Dodgers' stadium and at the 49ers' game this weekend.  And the biggie:  we're launching the first text-to-donate campaign in the nation utilizing all the wireless carriers, thanks to our partner the Mobile Giving Foundation.

We’d love your help and a donation.  Here’s some ways to do both:

• Visit our site. Get mapped by donating $5 in honor of someone you respect, inviting a friend to the rally, or signing the respect declaration
• Buy a RESPECT! Bracelet online at Macy’s.
• Follow us on Twitter.
• Become a friend of the RESPECT! Campaign on Facebook (and note my personal fund-raising challenge).
• Upload a photo of someone you respect in our Flickr group.
• Add a video response of your own to our YouTube channel.
• Vote for our “Change This” proposal so we can get our manifesto published.

Thanks for your RESPECT!

Get yourself some new (Interwoven)threads

My friend, and Barkley colleague, Andy Woolard, started a very cool, unique online business a couple of years ago called Interwoven Threads.  The company's mission -- "clothing that connects our style, our community and our environment" -- sums it up perfectly.  He sells hip, 100% organic cotten t-shirts on the site, and for each shirt sold, he makes a donation of a shirt or $$ to a local not-for-profit.

I never thought I was quite cool enough (or slender enough) to wear the T's, but I finally bought two recently.  They're great.  Soft, durable, cool and all for a good cause.  Because of my purchases, Andy donated a shirt to Restart Outreach and $5 to America's Second Harvest.

Give it a try.