Planning for Action

Toyota Lets Fans Customize Race Cars

2010-03-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

In spite of the fact the Toyota brand has hit a few PR speed bumps recently, they are still coming up with some amazing work that extends beyond just TV, beyond just digital, but into a level of integration that allows Nascar fans (some of the most passionate sports fans in the world) to engage with the brand in a very deep way.

Through Sponsafier, fans could log in, design their own Nascar body, submit their car for voting (by the people of course), and have a chance for their design to become the official pace car of the 2010 Nascar Sprint All Star Race.

As evidence of the kind of buzz this has created, a simple search for "Sponsafier" on the internet reveals hundred of blog posts, forum posts, etc. in which people are asking friends, family, and the patrons of the internet to follow a link to vote for their fresh design.

Great TV spots, too.

Toyota Racing - Design It. Enter it. - Sponsafier - long version - (2010) :60 (USA)

The Future of Advertising: What Sci-Fi Didn't Tell You

2009-11-13T10:21:00.000-08:00

As children we read science fiction books, many of which had a setting that took place in the time which we now live. Time travel existed, cars flew, and teleporting one’s self into work each morning would have been routine. Sci-fi authors wrote about many of these extraordinary advances in technology, as well as their inherent positives and challenges. But few, if any, made reference to how advertisers and media companies would embrace change and prosper, or reject change and fail in this futuristic landscape.

In the future, traditional media isn’t dead. Every day, millions of people watch ads on TV, hear them on the radio, read them in magazines, or commute past them on their way to work. Some brands still find success messaging exclusively in traditional media, but the audience’s attention is far too divided and media is far too fragmented for most 21^st century brands to get by just “talking to” their customers. The messaging can no longer be one-sided; it must turn to “talking with” or “engaging with” the people. Digital media has become and will continue to evolve as the ultimate tool for dialogue and engagement between brands and their customers.

The top brands of today haven’t built themselves using traditional ads. In a Brand Channel study inquiring about which brands have had the strongest global impact, respondents top-ten brands included: Google, Apple, YouTube, Wikipedia, Starbucks, Nokia, Skype, Ikea, Coca Cola, and Toyota. Four of these brands didn’t even exist more than 15 years ago, four of these brands are entirely internet-based and produce no tangible product, but even more astonishingly, seven out of these ten brands built themselves into what they are today without heavy weight in traditional ads at all (Ho & White, 2009). Instead, they are built through interactions, user-generated content, and brand advocacy. To put the importance of brand advocacy into perspective, a Weber Shandwick advocacy study showed that “word of mouth is the number one purchase decision influencer, even opinions of strangers online trump advertising” (Striefler, 2009).

The tools that will allow brands to succeed in the future will be those that allow them to tell their story, listen to the stories of their consumers, and engage in a dialogue with them and their communities, both physical and virtual. This philosophy of engagement and social interaction is best served with fully-integrated campaigns. Media isn’t as cut and dry as it used to be and advertisers must think bigger. Every touch-point between a brand and its consumer is media, and when brands find ways to “talk with” their customers at all touch-points, the conversation deepens and so does the relationship.

This future of advertising isn’t science fiction, it is happening now. Brands can go digital, they can go social, and they can be in places that their competitors wouldn’t think to go. But there is one giant variable, and that is the brand’s behavior. We as advertisers are building relationships with our consumers. Just like a marital relationship, our brands’ relationship with their customers must be built on trust. In order to build trust, brands must be transparent; the days of sweeping mistakes, faulty products, or ethical faux pas under the rug are over. There is too much at stake and information is too easy to obtain and disseminate.

The sci-fi books being written today won’t tell us what specific digital tools we will be using five years from now, but it is guaranteed that digital media, social interaction/engagement, fully-integrated media strategies, and trust will all play critical rolls in the future of advertising.

Pecha Kucha Night/OC Vol #1

2009-10-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

Pecha Kucha Night/OC Vol #1
Originally uploaded by nguyenduong

Just found this pic of me from last week's inaugural Orange County Pecha Kucha night. A very cool night of presentations made possible by @nguyenduong and @buddingculture that featured such presenters as Dave Swartz of Medl Mobl and Jon Rose, surfer, writer, and photographer. Definitely looking forward to the next one in January.

Barrels in Baja

2009-10-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks my first day back at work after a three day weekend in Northern Baja for a surf trip with some friends from my ad agency as well as some other friends of ours. We try to pull off this trip every quarter but lately the trips aren't nearly as well attended as they once were (before drug cartels started cutting people's heads off, striking fear into the hearts of surfers). This time around we had a decent turn out with 6 guys in attendance and a forecast that said it was going to look like this:

We ended up scoring some great waves in empty line ups at several top secret locations.

The trip was a success. We got overhead surf, uncrowded waves, came back relatively unscathed, and somehow never got pulled over by the policia. I am definitely looking forward to the next one.

Vans Kicks Ass in Q3

2009-10-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

Just read today on Boardistan that VF (parent company of Vans, Pro-Tec, North Face, and Reef) has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.60 per share, an increase of $.01 per share. I don't dabble heavily in the stock market but I do dabble heavily in the action sports industry and am stoked any time a brand rooted in skate and shred culture is kicking ass, especially in such tough economic times. I am also stoked for all of my friends working over at Vans who know that their jobs are secure.

To put it into perspective, Boardistan posted just four posts later that Billabong's profits are down 13% in 2009.

Times are tough out there. Pray for snow.

All in a days work

2009-10-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Worked to design user experience into a product, learned how to make a documentary, saved the world, and learned how to design a great game. And that was just in day one of the Planningness conference.

Looking forward to day two tomorrow.

Mark Lewis rocks for putting this conference together. I will hopefully give a more detailed report on the event after this weekend.

Broken in HB

2009-10-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

Went out for a quick surf in HB today before work with a couple of friends. It looked like it was going to be a fun day with some off shore winds, shoulder high waves, and maybe even a few barrels.

About 20 minutes into the session I dropped in on a left, got pitched, landed with my back on my board, and did this...

Kind of a bummer to break a perfectly good board, but on a happy note, I have had an outpouring of generous offers from friends to let me buy a board for cheap, or to loan me one until its feasible for me to buy a new one. I must say I have some pretty nice friends.

Zimtstern Outerwear Shreds on Leaves

2009-09-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Zimtstern "Leaves" from Zimtstern Snowboarding on Vimeo.

Check out this Marco Lutz directed video for snowboard outerwear company Zimtstern. Beautifully done. Really, really makes me want to snowboard. Website, CLDFX says that Lutz' concept was the "realization of the well known feelings we snowboarders always feel when leaves start falling and the air starts smelling like winter’s coming home. You start seeing spots everywhere you go and look... [and the] commercial implements these feelings by showing the team shredding through the forest without snow."

Faenza, Italy

2009-06-30T11:07:00.001-07:00

Some graffiti artists are too literal.

You will be missed

2009-06-30T10:59:00.001-07:00

Pizza Hut Partners with Marlboro?

2009-06-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, not exactly but these window clings at my local Pizza Hut could have fooled me.

Don't you think this...

Looks a tad too much like this...?

Maybe this is part of the rumored "The Hut" re-branding initiative. I wonder if "Tobacco Hut" was ever an option :)

Nike knows how to be relevant

2009-06-23T21:00:00.001-07:00

I recently took a trip to Italy and was fortunate enough to be there during two major sporting events. The first was the Giro d'Italia, a major 3 week cycling grand tour of Italy. I was fortunate enough to ride some of the same stages (I was cycling across the country) as well as meet Lance Armstrong, watch the final stage in Rome, and the awards ceremony, which saw Russian, Denis Menchov take the overall general classification win. That dude is amazing.

The other sporting event I was in Italy for was the UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United. I wasn't able to attend the game but I was able to see some of the aftermath. Arriving in Rome's Termini train station the morning after the game I found a Nike store that was already outfitted in a giant window display featuring a photo of the Barcelona team celebrating their victory and the line "Great Men Made Rome Great."
This window display had so many good things going for it. It was timely (the image was of an event that took place not more than 12 hours before) and the message was relevant to both the consumers and the location. Plus, it was in the Termini train station, one major transit hub in Europe.

That was another thing I learned from this trip. I have always read about and seen photos of brands who dominate an entire transit station, but being from the United States, I had no real perspective on just how massive an impact that could have since the biggest stations I am used to are ones like New York's Grand Central station or L.A.'s Union Station. In Europe, the big transit stations are like train stations and giant shopping malls all rolled into one with 24 hour foot traffic. Transit station domination in a major European hub is a serious undertaking and one that is sure to get noticed.

What Has The Recession Brought?

2009-05-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I have seen more of recently since the recession really set in. You be the judge of whether there is a causal relationship between the economy and these events.

Here is the list:

Brands battling it out mono y mono style (ie: KFC Grilled Chicken Vs. El Pollo Loco)
Brands I work for going on Oprah
Swine flu
Long hours at the office
Horsepower
Old shoes
Twitter blowing up
Bad haircuts
Thai food
Refrigerated bananas
Obscene emoticons (obscenicons)
Free gas
Sun burns
Pyramid schemes

So what do you think? Which ones are coincidence and which ones are direct results of the recession? What has changed in your world because of the economic funk?

"Meet the Volkswagens" Facebook App

2009-05-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

Meet the Volkswagens is a new Facebook app developed by Crispin+Porter and VW which purports to match users with the right car model based on data from their Facebook profiles. After you install the application, it churns through information like your date of birth, photos, likes, and educational history. It then spits out two matches.

It probably doesn't match perfectly for everyone, but for my tastes it was dead-on. Because I am "fashionable and cargo-conscious" (it would have also been correct in saying that I enjoy "driving fast and hugging corners") it chose for me either a 4-door GTI or a Tiguan. I wouldn't mind having either car and have heavily considered both in the past...especially if I could get that Tiguan in a diesel.

This move may not work for every brand, but for V-Dub customers, this seems like a very relevant app. Ad Freak (5/5/09)

Girl Skateboards Partners with Product(RED)

2009-04-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I was looking into getting one of the brands I work for involved with product(RED). At the time it seemed nearly impossible as only the top brands of the world were involved and (RED) even said that they were not considering any new brands because they were already so booked up. That is some serious power behind a cause to be so exclusive.

Because of my past experience, I have serious respect for any brand that can release a limited edition product with (RED). One of the latest to join the ranks of brands like American Express, Apple, Converse, Windows and Starbucks is Girl Skateboards. They have joined forces again for 2009 to create a limited edition series of skate decks. Graphics are designed by art director Andy Jenkins who is stoked on the product because partnering with (RED) creates a really easy way for the company to contribute without changing who they are at their core. Wanting to give youth an easy way to help a good cause, Mike Carroll said "Hopefully with these boards we will be able to create some awareness and give other skaters the opportunity to contribute."

Sea Floor Ads Target Triathletes

2009-04-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to apologize for the long gap between posts. Things have been busy at work and I have been doing a lot of triathlon training when I have been out of the office. I was getting ready for the Ford Ironman California 70.3, the longest race I have done up to this point. I had a great time and was thoroughly exhausted but can't wait to do it again on May 2nd for the XTerra West Cup in Vegas on May 2nd.

Since I have been spending so much time with triathlon training lately, I thought I would write a post that profiles some cool uses of media placement within the triathlon community.

Back in November, Coffees of Hawaii put a floating coffee bar on the swim course at Kona during the week leading up to the Ironman Triathlon World Championship. Athletes warming throughout the week leading up to the race could score some caffeine infused beverages from the bar(They did it last year too. See pics.)

To ensure nobody would miss the hype-heavy, espresso-peddling raft bobbing near shore, it targeted swimmers with ads on the sea bed. AdRants (10/14/08)

Ten Things We Didn't Know

2009-02-25T22:24:00.000-08:00

Each week, Jon Howard from Living Brands re-posts the BBC's "Ten Things we Didn't Know Last Week." The ten things have a tendency to be pretty UK-centric but there are always some cool trivial things that you never knew before.

Here is this week's "Ten Things We Didn't Know Before the 8th week of 2009":

Elephants kiss.
Members of the public can be New York police officers for one day.
The Catholic Church studies confessions.
British "superguns" defeated the Spanish Armada.
Hitler had bad table manners.
Injured turtles can wear artificial flippers.
Pills can banish bad memories.
Grizzly bears hate getting their ears wet.
Prawo Jadzy" means "driving licence" in Polish and is not a real name.
Chimps can log on.

There ya have it. Check out living brands weekly for plenty of things you never knew before.

Source: BBC via Living Brands

Nigel Tufnel explains his theories on Stonehenge for Nat Geo

2009-02-25T21:06:00.001-08:00

To help promote last year's National Geographic special "Stonehenge Decoded," Nat Geo employed a strange partner in Nigel Tufnel. Tufnel was the fictional lead guitarist played by Christopher Guest in Spinal Tap.

Nigel's nonsensical explanations of things outside of his realm of understanding can leave a viewer in stitches. National Geographic recognized this and decided to create a series of Youtube videos that portray Tufnel being interviewed about his theories on Stonehenge. How does Mr. Tufnel explain the existence of Stonehenge? Well, "the original Stonehenge was made of wood...and by a process of rain, and peat, and saliva, it turns into rock."

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Nigel's association with Stonehenge Decoded, seemed to be a good pairing, seeing that the five theory videos combined have received over 160,000 views and the fact that Spinal Tap actually has a song called Stonehenge.

Another notable Nigel Tufnel moment: "Lick My Love Pump" in D minor, "the saddest of all keys"

Who are these rockers?

2009-02-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

I found this photo on one of my favorite art/image bookmarking sites, ffffound!. I have no idea who these guys are but there is so much "awesome" happening in this photo, I couldn't help but to share it.
At first glance I notice a beautifully worn-in Dean Cadillac guitar, and then further inspection reveals a giant safety pin on the crotch of the front man...puzzling, yet genius. Looking at the rest of the band one has to notice that the bass player is taking himself a little too seriously...aren't bass players supposed to be the ones who play it cool? Lastly, and most strange of all would have to be the drummer who appears to be lovingly placing a gentle hand on the lead singer's shoulder...huh?

My question is this, who is this band? Is it a real band or is this staged for TV or film? If you can name the band and send me a link to some info, I will send you a mystery prize worth a whopping $5.00 to $7.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

photo source: ffffound!

Mammoth Twitter Feed: A Pow-Gettin' Utility

2009-02-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

I agree that the companies listed in the previous post are doing a great job in the social media space of putting out compelling content, being transparent, providing solutions, and engaging customers, but this week I discovered that a brand that is dear to me is using Twitter to provide its followers with the ultimate online utility. Others might not find it as amazing as I do but if you are a snowboarder who craves powder turns, first chairs and first tracks, You'll find Mammoth Mountain's Twitter feed totally invaluable.

The first bluebird day after a big dump is typically when the top of Mammoth and the backside of the mountain will open. Lifts open in a systematic order as weather permits and as ski patrol deems them safe. Getting first tracks sometimes requires sacrificing turns in lower parts of the mountain in order to wait in line at a lift that "might" open. If only there was a way to get notifications directly to your phone exactly when those chairs were going to open. Well, Mammoth has found a way...with the Mammoth Mountain Twitter feed.

Someone working for the mountain sends these real time updates, which I have been following for the last couple days and it appears as though the mountain does a diligent job making the updates (except when the updater is in a meeting).

Here are some examples of some updates that came today, a day that happened to be an epic powder day (that I missed because I am a working stiff).

How can your company's Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other social medium not just be an engagement tool but also provide your fans and followers with a useful tool that they can't live without?

Ten Big Brands Effectively Using Social Media

2009-02-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

It seems that every brand these days is trying to get into the social media space. The problem is, they have no idea what they are supposed to do with it once they are there. Now you're on Twitter, now you have a Facebook page...so what?! Very few brands actually even know why they are there. Social media is not a promotional tool, it is a relationship tool, for engagement and interaction with your customers.

Internet marketing strategist, Samir Balwani recently posted a list of ten big brands (that I agree with) that are effectively using these interactive web 2.0 tools.

1. Blendtec on YouTube
2. Burger King’s “Whopper Sacrifice”
3. Starbucks asks customers for their ideas
4. Sun Microsytems CEO blog
5. IBM employee blogs
6. Zappos on Twitter
7. Comcast on Twitter
8. Ford’s Public Relations
9. Graco on Flickr
10. Dell’s multi-platform approach

2008 Top Earners in Action Sports

2009-02-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

The action sports industry really has blown up in the last couple of decades. The sports' most visible professionals are really starting to make some coin. Forbes Magazine recently published the top ten earners in the industry:

1. Tony Hawk - Skateboarding - $12 million

2. Shaun White - Snowboarding/Skateboarding - $9 million

3. Ryan Sheckler - Skateboarding - $5 million

4. Travis Pastrana - Freestyle MX - $3 million (tie)

4. Kelly Slater - Surfing - $3 million

6. Laird Hamilton - Surfing - $2.5 million

7. Paul Rodriguez - Skateboarding - $2 million

8. Danny Kass - Snowboarding - $1 million

8. Dave Mirra - BMX - $1 million

8. Travis Rice - Snowboarding - $1 million

"The top 10 earners in 2008 were all male. Top female snowboarders like Torah Bright, Gretchen Bleiler and Hannah Teter make as much as $750,000 annually, but that fell short of their $1 million cut off."

Source: Forbes via Transworld Business

Ad Lessons, as Taught by Brassiers

2009-02-16T21:52:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in the idea that the medium itself should be a part of the message and that good creative is always custom-tailored to each unique medium. I thought I would take a minute to illustrate this by sharing one of the Valentine's gifts I gave my wife. After she went to bed on Friday night I decided to place around 50 little Post-It notes all around the house that said some sweet nothings. I could have just left these random notes everywhere with no rhyme or reason as to placement but as I began placing the little yellow "I love you" ads, I realized that each placement should be unique to the message.

Why place a note that says "nice boobs" on the refrigerator when it could be thoughtfully placed in her bra and pantie drawer, a place where she is conscious of what her girls look like each day.

Why place a note that says "nice ass" on the TV in the living room when it could go on a place where her ass sits and gets toned...her bicycle seat.

And the last one, why place a note that says "I Love You" just anywhere when it can be placed on a photo from the day when we made the ultimate declaration of our love. She ate this stuff up.
Just some food for thought...and an opportunity to annoy my wife a little bit by putting her flashy red bra on the Internet.

Rob Dyrdek "DOES WORK" for Carl's Jr.

2009-02-16T20:25:00.000-08:00

Rob Dyrdek, long time pro for DC Shoe Co. and Alien Workshop Skateboards is the star of some of the most entertaining, escapist hours on television. His shows, which previously included "Rob and Big" and currently include "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory," have been MTV hits. Rob is currently being featured in some of the fast feeder, Carl's Jr.'s latest promotions and online content.

Online content includes a video on Carl's website of Rob skating around and playing on crazy contraptions in a Happy Star costume in the Fantasy Factory. Other elements to the campaign include signature series collectible cups at Carl's restaurants. The partnership should prove to be a successful one since the target demo and lifestyle segment that watches Rob on TV is similar to that of the young, hungry, fast food grubber that frequents CJ's.

If you aren't familiar with Rob's shows, you should check out the Fantasy Factory on MTV. It is mindless fun, with the occasional technical skate session, celebrity guests (like Lamar Odom), and footage of people having more fun than you.

DO WORK, SON!

A few of my favorite links

2009-01-29T21:10:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years I have come across a ton of different blogs that are valuable to my research and writing. At times I have felt that I should protect them...I don't want to give away all of my secrets!

The truth is, I didn't write these blogs, others did, and they are meant to be shared, and as we share resources, we all get smarter. So I am putting 80 of my favorites on the right-hand side-bar of this blog for you to check out. I have divided them into the following categories: Advertising, Cultural Trends, Action Sports, Design, News, and the Relatively Awesome.

I hope you find some in there that you haven't seen before and if there are any that I am missing, please leave me a comment and share some of your favorites.

Video: Shepard Fairey Speaks to PSFK L.A.

2009-01-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Shepard Fairey, skateboarder, contemporary artist, designer, illustrator, and OBEY Giant creator recently spoke at the L.A. PSFK conference on his background, motivation, his process, and his art

His perspective made me proud to be a skateboarder and really inspires original thinking.

Fairey explained, “At 14, I started skateboarding, which was linked to the culture of punk rock. Neither were mainstream and they were both very DIY. It had a creativity that said it was better just to make your own stuff.”

Speaking about how he got started during his education at RISD, Fairey said “After getting some attention for my stickers, it really opened my eyes to the idea of putting something in public that people see and get curious about. It really opened my eyes to the power of communication in public space.” This made me think about something a mentor of mine used to say quite frequently: "Stop interrupting what people are interested in...BE what people are interested in." Fairey has certainly found a way to get people curious, especially with his iconic image that he created during the Obama campaign.

Shepard's work and story really is inspirational, you should definitely watch the video

Source: PSFK (1/23/09)

TNT's Trust Me: Where are all the planners?

2009-01-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

This last Monday marked the season premier of TNT's new advertising agency based TV series, Trust Me. The show stars Eric McCormack and Tom Cavanagh, who play a creative director and his copywriter sidekick.

I will pretty much watch anything made for TV if it is related to advertising. That is my world and I, like most of you, like to see how badly others will portray my life. Most of the time this portrayal is grossly inaccurate and yet I continue to give these shows a shot.

Being that I am an account planner/strategist, I of course felt that the creatives get way too much coverage in this series and that my kind were portrayed in a negative light. That portrayal was about 10 seconds worth of footage, the first of an awful focus group moderator, and the second, of an annoying planner who comes in to "brief" the newest copywriter on the team.

While the portrayal of ad agency life on the show was probably more indicative of big agencies ten years ago than what it is actually like today, I did enjoy the show and will continue to watch and will postpone further judgment until after a few more episodes. Look to see me glued to the TV late Monday nights after my "Monday Night Skate Night," watching intently for the moment that a planner or an amazing creative brief saves the day...It WILL happen.

Mammoth Billboard doesn't "Play Big" enough

2009-01-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

Mammoth Mountain, one of my favorite places in the world, a place I used to call home and a resort of which I currently have a season pass to, recently ran this billboard on the 405 freeway in Southern California. David and Goliath, the resort's El Segundo based ad agency turned the billboard into a life size replica of a piece of the wall from the mountain's Super Duper Pipe and put a life size mannequin -- equipped with gear from Quiksilver and Vans -- posed airing out above the deck. I am all for making the medium itself be part of your message and I think the strategy behind this billboard is really cool but the execution...well, the execution sucks.

How does it suck? let us count the ways. first of all, the mannequin performing the backside air has super wack steez. I will illustrate below with other examples of bad method/backside air style:

Now that you have seen the bad, here are a couple of examples of a proper backside air as demonstrated by Terje Haakonsen and Jamie Lynn:

Secondly, the "snowboarder" on the billboard was getting two, maybe four feet of air at the most. For a campaign with the tag "Play Big," this snowboarder was certainly doing the opposite. below is an example of what it is like to really "play big" out of a halfpipe as demonstrated by recent Fast Company coverboy, Shaun White:

The moral of the story is...Whoever is executing your super cool idea, make sure they know what the hell they are doing in relation to the subject matter.

In spite of a shitty execution, the idea was very cool and props to Mammoth Mountain for all of the ad dollars they are spending. I see your emails in my inbox and banners on the internet and they make me want to get out there and shred. See you soon.

Welcome to Planning for Action

2009-01-22T19:02:00.000-08:00

In an old blog of mine, I focused on what Lee Clow refers to as Media Arts. The idea that everything a brand does is media and my posts showed this by featuring what brands of the world were doing to tell their story in unique ways. Whether that was a unique use of a traditional medium such as print, television or outdoor, or how a brand was using a completely new medium to tell their story. This blog will still have plenty of that because I think it is damn cool and is the future of advertising but it will also feature other stuff that brands are doing right.

Main topics will be advertising, branding, media and cultural trends but to make this even more fun I will be staying true to my roots by tying subject matter to the action sports world when relevant news comes along. I have been skateboarding for 21 years, snowboarding for 20 years, and surfing for 15. I am a professional advertising and strategy guy but aside from that I never grew up so I am well tapped in to what is happening in youth culture and feel that is a key reason why I am good at what I do.

My professional experience comes from a Bachelor's Degree in Communications/Advertising, time spent in Media Arts Planning at TBWA\Chiat\Mal in L.A., and two years as an Account Planner at DGWB Advertising in Orange County where I currently work. I also spent a few years slinging snowboards and skateboards at a skate shop and spent some time living in Mammoth Lakes to pursue my snowboard dreams. I specialize in quantitative and qualitative research methods; studying popular culture and consumer behavior; studying trends in the digital and social media space; and developing creative strategy based on all of those things.

Thanks for reading, you are gonna love this.