Lainey Johnson recently joined the Dalton Agency as the account executive for the Columbia, South Carolina McDonald’s Co-op. And we couldn’t be happier.

Lainey has worked in public relations, the entertainment industry, non-profit arena and served as an editor for a luxury magazine. She has also worked on numerous PR, marketing and journalism projects for a wide range of national clients.

An adventurous cook (because she can’t eat gluten), a Gator football fanatic (her most memorable moment was the first Gator national championship game she attended), and a lover of pop culture (check out the picture of her and Kendra below!), we know she will fit right in.

Welcome to our team Lainey!

By Kevyn Faulkenberry, Dalton Agency VP, Executive Creative DIrector – Digital

Maybe you are one of the companies not quite ready to “jump into the
conversation” happening on all these social networks. Fair enough. But I
just wanted to point out that your customers are not exercising the same
caution. They are online. They are talking about their experiences. You
might be the subject, you might not be. But you not being there is not
stopping it.

Think of it like the biggest party in high school, and you decide not to go.
It didn’t get cancelled, you just weren’t there.

But your competition might be. They might be striking up a conversation with
your best customer, listening to their needs and wishes. Learning about
them. Whispering on Twitter all the things they want to hear. Starting to
build a real relationship, one that, if managed correctly, is built around
what the customer wants. And you’re at home, not aware this is happening.

More and more, people are exercising their newfound power to tell everyone
what they think about everything. “Thumbs up”, “thumbs down”, “stay away”,
“greatest product ever” – whatever hits them at the moment. It used to be a
happy – or angry – customer might call their best friend to share. Not
anymore. Now they update all 130 (or 3,000+) of their online friends, and
let them know exactly what they think. And the best way to manage this is to
let them know you’re listening. That you care.

Think about it, how do you show someone you respect them. Well, one way is
to listen to them. It tells them you care about what they have to say and
you are giving them your time. Often we’ve found just reaching out to a
customer who is a little upset is enough to turn them around. They want to
be heard.

There are a whole lot of people talking online – 457,000 people on Facebook
in Jacksonville, Florida alone. And we know how to listen, on your behalf,
to what they have to say. And let them know you’re listening and that you
care.

“While the economy has taken its toll on companies and their marketing budgets, we continue to see both a shift in strategic planning and budgeting,” said Jim Dalton, agency president and CEO. “Existing and new clients are looking for innovative ways to increase their market share, no matter what their business or industry is, while keeping a critical eye on budgets and a strong focus on outcomes. More and more clients are seeking out strategic marketing partners to help them make wise and effective decisions. Our job is to dive into their business plans and provide marketing and communications solutions to drive their business.”

The overall growth for the agency reflects a diverse a group of companies. Corporate Traffic is a Jacksonville-based third-party logistics (3PL) company that has been recognized as a top 100 3PL in the world eleven years in a row. Brennan, Manna & Diamond is a full service law firm that focuses on providing pro-business solutions for individuals and businesses. Brennan, Manna & Diamond attorneys are experts in bankruptcy, healthcare, business, education, real estate and financial transactions. DariFair Foods, Inc. was America’s first national dairy supplier and an original founder of the dairy product, Reddi-wip. In addition to its traditional and successful dairy product lines, DariFair has expanded their offerings to include proprietary culinary items as well. RedCoach, pioneering first-class ground transportation services in the Southeast, currently provides luxury motorcoach transportation between major cities in Florida and Georgia.

The Columbia, South Carolina McDonald’s Co-Op selected the Dalton Agency after an extensive agency review and RFP process that was recently conducted. The addition of the Columbia Co-Op adds to the Agency’s existing McDonald’s relationship, which includes the Jacksonville, Orlando and Savannah Co-Ops. The Dalton Agency manages marketing support for nearly 400 restaurants from Central Florida to North Carolina.

“Our win in Columbia is reflective of the professional team we have assembled to work with the McDonald’s owner operators in each market as well as the corporation. We lead the strategic planning and implementation processes and focus on the bottom-line everyday,” said Dave Josserand, chief strategic officer for the agency and the overall McDonald’s team leader.

As the “Agency of Record”, the Dalton Agency will be responsible for creating and executing advertising and communication plans, which include media, public relations, social media, graphics, video, web and advertising tactics.

The Dalton Agency is excited to announce we’re doing project work for Mobio, a developer of smart phone apps. Their Mobio app is an identity-based platform that uses 2D QR barcodes to access promotional information, make secure and convenient payments, as well as enable a broad range of other identity based services.

Mobio will run on an expanding portfolio of smartphones, starting with the iPhone, which Mobio develops and manages. The 2D Barcodes and promotions are managed with online tools that assist organizations to maximize promotional value across print, billboards, TV and internet. When triggered by a QR scan, Mobio can enable buying either onsite, online, or in the mobile space.

If you have an iPhone, take the free Mobio app for a spin by downloading it and then scanning the QR code below. You will be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

The drawing will be Wednesday, August 31. Good luck!!

“Mobio is a great solution that allows the consumer to interface quickly with info, sweepstakes, even purchases, wherever a 2D Barcode can be posted, offline or online.” says Kevyn Faulkenberry, VP, Executive Creative Director – Digital of the Dalton Agency. “Smartphones are becoming more and more a trusted part of people’s lives and we’re very excited about working with Mobio to launch the app in Jacksonville.”

Getting people off the couch and taking that first simple step to a healthier life is a cornerstone of the American Heart Association’s mission. We thought long and hard on how to get this message of empowerment across to people who are inundated with ads trying to scare them into making a life change. In the spirit of AHA’s “Today’s the Day” marketing campaign, we simply wanted to encourage people to do one little thing today to get heart-healthy. We decided what was needed was a rich media campaign that was as fun as it was informative. An interactive piece that people would spend time with––learn, laugh, and even share with those they care about. With this strategy in place, “Get Roland on the Couch” was born.

The “Get Roland Off The Couch” rich media banner and microsite allows people to interact with our hero Roland as he sits on the couch in his apartment. People are asked to participate in the weight-fate of Roland by simply clicking on one of the icons placed around his room. For example, people can get Roland up and off the couch and out biking around the world. Click on another icon and he takes his dog out for exercise. Each action Roland performs comes with a simple tip from the AHA on how to live heart-healthy. For instance, when users have Roland fly fishing, it reminds users that eating fish at least twice a week is good for heart health. When people have Roland raiding the fridge, up come heart-healthy recipes users can download with a simple click. Our favorite is the ten funky dances people can have Roland perform. Of course, Roland slims down the more users interact with him, reinforcing the message.

And we are very excited about the results. We have a 20% engagement rate with an average time of 25 seconds playing on the banner.

We wanted a social component to be an important part of this effort, too. People are able to push this out to their Twitter and Facebook friends by simply using the “Share This” feature in the banner. It takes them to getrolandoffthecouch.com and the fun begins.

In creating Roland, we made someone we all can relate to at some level. Which makes people want to engage with him more. It gives American Heart Association a personality through inspiring messaging. It even inspired one of the creators––Roland Gutwein, Art Director at the Dalton Agency. The project made the real Roland reflect on his own health. He wanted to practice what he preached. So with the blessing of the American Heart Association, he created a blog on getrolandoffthecouch.com chronicling his personal journey to a heart-healthy lifestyle. It is just another way Dalton made the American Heart Association’s message of making simple changes today both personal and inspirational.

Harold’s daughter, wife Lillian and granddaughter, along with members of his Cypress Village community, were in attendance at the event.

The Dalton Agency assisted with the event by ordering the very popular Big Mac birthday cake from Dessert First. Our very own Allison Garrett also pitched the event to the local media, which was covered in multiple news outlets in the Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando areas.

Happy Birthday Harold and thanks for sharing your big day with McDonald’s!

Find more information on Harold’s big day at jacksonville.com.

An article from USA Today containing research from Thursday, illustrates an oil plume extending for 21 miles. 21 miles! It may not seem like a lot, but the plume “held perhaps 6% of the toxic chemicals such as benzene released from the spill.” Though the oil spill news coverage is waning, the oil still exists. Clean-up is still needed and marine life is still affected.

Beall’s has partnered with Guy Harvey to help Save Our Gulf™. If you’d like to give your support, but can’t make it to the Gulf Coast, consider purchasing a Save Our Gulf t-shirt. The proceeds benefit the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and will help marine life research. Purchase one here or find your nearest store location.

With your help, Beall’s will reach their goal to raise $150,000 for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation by December 31, 2010. For more information on the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, visit guyharveyoceanfoundation.org.

We want to Save Our Gulf!

If you’re looking for a classy, under-the-radar hangout, Dos Gatos should be your favorite place to grab some drinks. Its cavern-like atmosphere provides comfortable seating and unique drink specialties. As Katelea, Reese, Pat, Brendan and I decided on which tasty drink to enjoy, Rachel, the bartender, helpfully gave us tips based on our preferences.

Katelea had her eye on the Jersey Girl, a concoction of Laird’s AppleJack, Cointreau, lime and fire! Rachel actually lit the lime on fire, it was quite a display. “Jerseylicious! If Snooki and the Kool-Aid man had a love child, it would be this drink,” claimed Katelea.

Rachel playing with fire

The Lost Fish, Pat’s selection, was compiled of fresh basil, Ketel One and a dash of sexy (Its on the menu). Pat sums up this drink, ” It’s a garden in your mouth, with a hint of sexy.”

Brendan went with a gin drink named California Sling. After having a few sips of this beverage, Brendan said “California Sling, Bada-Bing!” Guess that means it was good!

Ginny Rose was on my mind, another gin-based drink with some ginger liquor added. I’ve described the beverage as, “A strawberry lemonade summer popsicle.”

Dos Gatos gets our five stars

“Don’t take things so personally.”
-Camille Middleton, 11 years at Dalton

“One great insight about the consumer is worth a thousand good ideas. And learn something new every day.”
-Kevyn Faulkenberry, Eight years, 11 months at Dalton

“A positive attitude and politeness go a long way.”
-Stephanie Burt, Five years at Dalton

“If you stay too long in one position in advertising and do not move up or
advance your career in any way and become complacent, then it’s time to move
on or do something about it. Oh and another piece of advice I got…Never take advertising too personal, it’s just business.”
-April Stagl, Four years at Dalton

“Advertising is totally unnecessary. Unless you hope to make money.”
-Pat Donnell, Two months at Dalton (After two year freelance “tryout”)

“The best advice I ever got was to think like a customer. And customers
always ask themselves, ‘What’s in it for me?’”
-Hank Champion, One year, Eight months at Dalton

“The most effective advertising makes a believable promise that meets a human
need.”
-Bob Hesson, Freelancing for 20 years

“The best advertising advice that I’ve ever been given is to always keep in
personal. With all of our communication devices now days, it is so much
easier to send an e-mail or a text. However, those e-mails and texts can
not relay the passion and emotions behind a thought/design/concept, etc.
When a client can see your excitement via an in-person conversation, that
excitement and passion is more likely to be contagious.”
-Sarah Guillory, Two years at Dalton

“‘None of us is as good as all of us.’ – Ray Kroc, and McDonald’s Corporate Motto 1979. “In relation to working as a team, brainstorming, and building concepts and ideas together. I believe this advice is relevant everyday in advertising as you get better results when you work together- ideas are fresher, and concepts become molded and crafted through team work.”
-Anna Burns, Five years at Dalton

“It’s not art it’s just an ad.”
-Caleb Lawrence, Eight years at Dalton

“Always be ready to learn, sometimes knowing a small detail can help you in
a BIG way!”
-Stephanie Allen, Four months at Dalton

“Don’t panic. At the end of the day, we’re not saving lives.”
-Lori Bledsoe, Two and a half years at Dalton

“Remember who the ultimate customer is-the consumer”
-Dave Josserand, 13 years at Dalton

“‘Media sales reps are your eyes and ears for current business and potential
new business, always make time and welcome them in your office’ from Bob Stone,
Media Director at William Cook. I have always taken that advice to heart.”
-Gene Johnson, Five years at Dalton