Don't think you're the only ones...

Every now and then we create a brilliant marketing idea, spend hours and hours planning the strategies and deliverables, buy the ads and get excited.

And then something goes terribly wrong.

It has happened to me...and chances are good it will happen again someday.

The good news is, I've never spent the kind of money Radio Shack spent today.

For those of you who don't know, I am a big fan of the Tour de France. One of the key players in this years Tour (as has been the case for many, many years) is Lance Armstrong - who rides for Team Radio Shack. Chances are good you've heard of him and his charity Livestrong, which advocates on behalf of cancer prevention and treatment while also providing tons of support for the 28 million people afflicted with the horrible disease throughout the world. You've probably seen my yellow wristband and know that I have supported Livestrong for quite some time.

Livestrong has been at the forefront of social media. I have been getting tweets from @Lancearmstrong and @LivestrongCEO for almost two years. They really get it, and use it well.

Almost too well.

Today is the last day of the Tour, and as part of a campaign to promote the Livestrong charity Team Radio Shack created new black cycling jerseys for the team to wear. They promoted them by twitter(#team28)...they jazzed them on facebook (where you could send a facebook jersey & add "28" to your profile picture)...they even bought commercials on the TV broadcast promoting them and the "Team28" campaign.

Only one problem...they forgot to ask the Tour de France if the team could wear them.

Oops. Minor slip there. The team got to the starting line and the Tour referees told them they had to change back into their normal red jerseys. Even the mighty Lance couldn't convince them otherwise. Now the campaign had to run without one big element - the jersey itself on the backs of the riders.

Don't get me wrong, the "controversy" got a bunch of press too...and Radio Shack and Livestrong got plenty of attention during the early miles of the final day (if you follow the Tour you know the last day is not really that exciting as a bike race until the last half hour). Trust me, though, there are some very ticked off Radio Shack marketing execs stuck with a bill for an advertising campaign that the everyday consumer might have missed.

You're not alone, folks...but this is a reminder to us all to do our homework.

Postscript: OK, so Team Radio Shack got their revenge a bit. Because they were the top overall team TRS gets to stand on the podium at the Champs Elysees. The referees can't control what the team wears on the podium so of course they put their Team28 jerseys back on. Not sure it got them very far (since we could only see the front and they were really designed for the back) but they did get some additional publicity for the Livestrong cause. Cheers Lance, Cheers Livestrong.

Mark your Calendar - Great Learning Opportunity Ahead!

In my opinion CBHearthside agents are very fortunate to get the sort of training that Stefanie and her team bring to the offices on a regular basis. You have plenty of chances to learn right in your own space - something most other agents aren't getting these days.

If you are a member of one of the three suburban Philadelphia REALTOR® Associations (Bucks, Montco, Suburban West) however, you have another terrific opportunity to get some terrific training for next to nothing on SEPTEMBER 23rd at the Regional Education Conference being held at the Radisson in Valley Forge. Mark your calendars now and sign up to attend!

This conference is being partially underwritten by the Pennsylvania REALTOR® Education Foundation (PREF) for your benefit - normally each Association would have their own conference and try to attract a speaker...by combining all three we get to hear some top-notch people talk about things that matter in our business. Special thanks to the Associations too for their financial support.

The morning session features a presentation from Melynn Sight on using Social Media to benefit the business of a REALTOR® - certainly something we have all been wrestling with for quite some time. A panel discussion with local REALTORS® (including yours truly) will also be a part of that session (so if nothing else come to heckle).

After the morning session is a FREE lunch courtesy of the Suburban REALTORS® Alliance that will include a presentation by Terry Madonna, one of the leading political pollsters in the country who will discuss and take questions on the upcoming 2010 elections (and other topics I am sure).

Finally, the afternoon session features Terry Watson - well known in the real estate community - presenting "Think Globally, Sell Locally". It should be a terrific presentation; those of us who have seen him in the past say he has a great handle on business, and will definitely leave you with at least one thing you can take back to your office that very day.

But don't leave after Terry - the last presentation of the day features Mark Mayfield, who will blend his business wisdom with a bit of comedy...certainly what any of us in this industry can use right now. Mark is certainly a great way to finish what should be a spectacular day.

So while I'm bummed our Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia and NJ friends can't join along I am encouraging those of you who can to sign up quickly! There are more than 10,000 REALTORS® getting the invite (which you should have already received in your email) and their are less that 500 seats. Sign up now! The $25 is well worth it!

BCAR MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE
MCAR MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE
SWRA MEMBERS - REGISTER HERE

Or call your Board of REALTORS® if you (BOOOOO) don't know your sign-on information.

Can't wait to see you all on the 23rd!

Another great twist on an old fav

Thursday night I was invited to participate in the Suburban West Realtor Association's "Technically Speaking" event that offers tech training for REALTORS. (side note...no CBH'ers were there...cough cough).

My presentation was about the multitude of amazing free tools available from the great and powerful Google. The sessions lasted a half-hour, I am positive I could have talked for an entire day.

Nevertheless, one of the tools we discussed is an "oldie-but-a-goodie" called Google Alerts. I hope you have heard of it before, but if not Google Alerts allows you to set up a search and have Google email you each time a new match is found. It is a great way to track your name (to make sure people aren't saying awful things about you and thank those saying nice things) or your company, your favorite band or even your kids. Google Alerts saves a ton of time and energy - plus it never forgets.

I told the crowd that I always set up a Google Alert when I have a listing that covers the street address. That way if some less-than-scrupulous firm attempts to list it as their own in order to get buyer leads I can reach out and remind them just how the rules were written (or sometimes I ask Barry to remind them for me). One of the participants suggested that this could be a great way to avoid craigslist scams...and while I haven't tested it yet he may be right.

For those who don't know, one of the best real estate scams going on right now is for people (usually working from a foreign country) to go to craigslist and set up a bogus posting offering your listing as a rental - usually at an unbelievably low price. They then convince the tennants who email for info that there is a ton of activity...that they were about to present an offer...but that they will present yours if you will wire the security deposit into their bank right away. Yes, believe it or not, some people actually do it...and then they try to come after the homeowner, the brokerafe offering it for sale (who had no idea it was being fraudently being offered for rent) and the agent. Never fun.

So what if you had a Google Alert for your listing address and it suddenly returned a hit for a bogus rental on craigslist? Well if nothing else you could get yourself prepared for if/when the you-know-what hits the fan.

Check it out.... www.Google.com/alerts

Lance says so...and I agree

Well said Lance. Sorry the Tour de France isn't going quite as well as you would like, but trust me...if you can get people to understand this basic principle you will have accomplished something and the world will be forever thankful.

Agents...promise me you will never, never, never leave a VM again that just says "call me".