Game of Thrones Kudos to those geniuses at HBO and Game of Thrones. For starters, consider that HBO offered a free preview weekend April 11 to 14. Was that an arbitrary decision? Of course not! The final night of the preview – April 14 – just so happened to coincide with the epic final season premiere of Game of Thrones. Absolutely brilliant! Their cleverness did not stop there. Consider how the show gained $2.3 billion – not million, but BILLION – in free advertising by “accidentally” letting a white Starbucks cup slip into one of the shots. The cup was conspicuous enough for rabid Thrones fans to launch into a tweetstorm after the episode, called “The Last of the Starks,” aired. HBO responded by saying that the cup had been digitally removed from all further reruns of the show. Interesting, then, that the word “Starks” contains the first four and last two letters of the word “Starbucks.” A CONSPIRACY? Perhaps a little bit of collusion between HBO and Starbucks? We’ll never know for sure. BUT THERE’S MORE! Other episodes showed a cameraman in the background, a cast member wearing sneakers, character Jaime Lannister’s lost hand magically growing back, and in the grand finale, a bottle of water can be partially seen peeking out behind a character’s boot.

Each of these incidents drove the internet crazy and resulted in tens of millions of dollars of free promotion. We will miss Game of Thrones not only for the

drama and unpredictable turns of the story, but also for the innovative ways the program generated free publicity.

Uber’s First Employee Ryan Graves took a leap of faith in January 2010 when he responded to Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. Travis’ tweet read: “Looking 4 entrepreneurial product mgr/biz-dev killer 4 a location-based service.. pre-launch, BIG equity, big peeps involved—ANY TIPS?” Ryan tweeted back: “Here’s a tip. Email me graves.ryan[at}gmail.com.” He became Uber’s first official employee on March 1 of that year, as well as a core member of the crew. Ryan hit the ground running, working up to 20 hours a week directly with Travis and going over business plans. He advanced to become a senior executive, briefly serving as CEO for a year before becoming Senior Vice President of Global Operations. Ryan left the company in 2017 and now enjoys a net worth in excess of $1.4 billion. Ryan’s story provides us with three key takeaways: 1. Seize opportunities when they present themselves. 2. Don’t settle for what’s expected! Be bold enough to stand out. His tweet captured attention because it was so radically simple and direct. 3. Less is often more. Ryan recognized that Twitter is short and sweet, so he made his overture succinct enough to match the medium.

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SMARTSMARTUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA:

… the show gained $2.3 billion - not million, but BILLION - in free advertising...

Other episodes showed a cast member wearing sneakers... and a bottle of water...

HBO’s free preview weekend coincided with the epic final season premiere

SMARTSMARTMISTAKES:

Taco Bell Owns the Summer Quick disclaimer: Taco Bell is NOT a client and has never been a client. The simple truth is that the brand understands how to generate street and tweet chatter with its outrageous promotions. Taco Bell recently launched a new line of summer merchandise that includes bikinis, pool floats and towels with designs inspired by the company’s recognizable hot sauce packets. At the same time, Business Insider reports that the fast food brand is opening The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel and Resort for a limited

time, with reservations opening in June. The idea, according to Taco Bell’s chief global brand officer, is to allow people to fully immerse themselves in every aspect of the Taco Bell lifestyle. Ultimately, executives want to move the brand beyond the traditional fast food experience. The concept began when Taco Bell’s Las Vegas Cantina began hosting weddings in 2017. Since then, almost 170 couples have tied the

knot at the festive location. So, just how “limited” is the limited time that The Bell will be open? The chief marketer stated that she would “never say never” about having a full-time Taco Bell-themed hotel.

What does the “P” Stand For? IHOP is changing its name again – this time, apparently, to … IHOP. There are plenty of “p” foods to choose from, so the next iteration of the renowned eatery could feature anything from Pizza or Pretzels to Peanut Butter (no, wait – that would be IHOPB) to Parsley, Papayas, Peaches, Peas, Peppers, Pickles, Pie, Pimento, Pineapple, Plums, Pork, Potatoes, Pudding, Pumpkins or even Prune Juice. Prune juice? Or possibly, just possibly –

PEOPLE – So, International House of People? IHOP raised the stakes on promotional stunts with its IHOB campaign that elevated the profile – and sales – of the chain’s burgers. Let’s see what happens this time around!

Hooch at Disney? Disneyland has opened Pandora’s Box by offering the sale of alcohol in the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed area that opens this Friday. Just two months after that, Walt Disney World in Florida will also offer the favorite cocktails of Han Solo and his pals. Audiences adored the infamous watering holes introduced in 1977’s “Star Wars: A New Hope.” The Star-Telegram reports that Star Wars fans will be able to imbibe the following whimsical cocktails:• The Jedi Mind Trick• Bloody Rancor• Bespin Fizz• Fuzzy Tauntaun

The Cantina is the first on-site locale in Disneyland to sell alcohol to the public. It had previously been available only at the private Club 33 near Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but for members only. The restaurant will also serve Star Wars-inspired dishes such as Yobshrimp Noodle Salad, Oven-Roasted Tip Yip, Smoked Kaadu Ribs and Ithorian Garden Loaf. Non-alcoholic drinks will include the Phatro and Moof Juice, and if you’ve got a Chewbacca-sized sweet tooth, desserts will include raspberry crème puffs and chocolate cake. Now, once again, Disney is taking an entertainment experience to an entirely different level!

What's In A Name? A good friend sent me this photo of the new royal baby on May

8. Apparently, Prince Harry and new mother Meghan have a little bit of Horned Frog royalty in their family. Instead of Archie, they should have called him...TOADIE.

M o n t h l y M u s i n g s M AY 2 0 1 9

SMARTSMARTPROMOTION:

It’s Summer Food Promotion Time:

SMARTSMARTOR NOT SO SMART:

SMARTSMARTNOT SMART?