English translation: Make something that will ultimately go viral.

Similar to episode three, the contrast in agencies was stark, which is certainly by the producer’s design. But what was most astounding, at least to me, was the manner in which Conversation founder and CEO Frank O’Brien polarized, well, anyone within arm’s reach.

We knew we were in for a treat when O’Brien remarked about his initial impressions of BooneOakley after the initial brief from PopChips CEO Keith Belling and his team.

“The questions the other agency asked were kiss-ass, which is very off-putting,” he told us. And later O’Brien would inform us that, “We’re usually the first to utilize new forms of media” (just like Conversation’s Flash website that inhibits SEO and limits usability).

The loveable Frank O'Brien of Conversation

Then came the cultural trainwreck inside the walls of Conversation.

O’Brien entered the team meeting and informed his staff the campaign would be “People of Pop,” a website where people would upload videos and photos (novel) and a video that would set the world record for the longest, most viewed viral video ever. No brainstorm, no collective thought, nada.

One of his employees looked dumbfounded, remarking, “That’s not very impressive.”

O’Brien then tells us about his perspective on ideas or concerns that emanate from staff, “My focus isn’t on other people’s opinions.”

How loveable!

Design director David Orellano was seen struggling with O’Brien’s concept, arguing with his boss (who was utterly dismissive of any concern), leaving work to play drums and clear his head, and then we are told Orellano had a breakthrough — which apparently was “The Year Of Pop,” essentially encompassing the initial “People of Pop” concepts.

Upon the Conversation team reviewing the more fully-baked idea post-Orellano’s design efforts, an employee remarked that it was “a dope idea.”

O’Brien, with great humility, quickly told the employee, “It’s a dope idea that I came up with.”

Are you kidding me?

(spoiler alert)

In the end, Frank and his Conversation team — funny enough he takes three others to the final pitch who say nothing — win the PopChips business.

While I congratulate him and his agency which obviously worked hard to come up with a winning idea, I cannot imagine anyone who would see the episode and want to work for him. And one has to wonder what the PopChips folks will think about their new agency chief after seeing the episode.

Conversely, while the BooneOakley partners seem like great idea generators that simply lack direction (and their final idea, indeed, lacked direction), at the very least there was a sincere interest in the thoughts of their team, a genuine concern for their employees’ well being, and a general respect for colleagues that permeated the agency.

And quite sadly, what stands out most from episode four of “The Pitch” is a self-centered, combative agency founder who is disliked by his employees and just may be very lonely, very soon, if he doesn’t learn some modicum of appreciation for those around him.

Take a closer look at the numbers and break down exactly what this means.

GM spends about $40 million on Facebook (each year????), with just $10 million of that going to Facebook ads and roughly one half of one percent of the company’s $1.8 billion annual ad budget according to Kantor Media.

You’re probably thinking, “WOW, GM spends $1.8 billion on advertising? Why does Facebook even matter?”

Well, you’re on the right track. It doesn’t, if we’re actually talking about GM’s total advertising spend.

What does matter is headline news, and Facebook is in the headlines. What better time to stir up a little (media) controversy: the largest U.S. auto maker to pull back such an ‘insignificant’ amount of advertising funds just days before the big Facebook IPO. Well played GM – you’re in the top stories.

Otherwise, who else sends out news releases that they are shifting .55 percent of their marketing budget? Or who sites a statistic that 53 percent of users don’t click on ads as a main reason? I’d be willing to bet 53% of users skip their ads on Tivo, or 53 percent of readers skip over their print ads (I could go on and on here).

But you don’t see national headline news that GM is suspending billboard placements because 53 percent of drivers don’t pay attention to the boards.

And then, there’s the infamous POLL. No, no, not the Gallup poll that found the majority of Americans still oppose the auto bailouts. We refer to the AP-CNBC Facebook IPO poll that found 59 percent of the respondents said that they had little to no trust in Facebook to keep their information private and that (here’s the good part) Americans who have seen “The Social Network” have a more favorable impression of Mark Zuckerberg than those who haven’t seen it.

C’mon – Really?

Really. And now the media jumps to “trust.” But is that really at issue? Sure trust matters, but it needs to be based on facts, not feeling. And based on “The Social Network” poll, we’re betting that feelings are trumping facts right now. Especially when fueled by an insignificant fact like shifting .55% of your budget.

Will we see a mass exodus of major brands from Facebook advertising? Doubt it. Can we ‘trust’ Facebook? Probably no more or less than anyone else, but on the plus side, Facebook certainly doesn’t have the poor track record of the U.S. auto industry. At least not yet.

Having ridden in the past three summers’ events, I can tell you they are legitimately fun, well-organized, and seemingly successful. The New Belgium Brewing Company describes it as combining “the best parts of a bike race, adventure race, obstacle course, and a back yard party.” But for today, I’d like to discuss their model for incorporating cause into a clearly corporate event and promotion of a product line. This is a bike ride about promoting beer. They do not hide that fact; the obstacle courses involve retrieving beer cans from bottoms of pools, or building a puzzle to reveal one of the corporate sponsors’ logos. But it’s also a benefit on a number of levels, and I am continually impressed with the way they effectively weave cause into a corporate event. The event is structured such that they are walking the walk (biking the bike?), not just talking the talk.

As their website clearly explains, the event aims to not only promote biking in general, but also learning to use bikes as transportation in a community. By holding a race where you plot your own course through St. Louis city and county, the ride itself promotes the use of a bicycle for more than just recreational riding on a closed course. Many of the riders don’t typically ride 25 miles in traffic on a Sunday morning from downtown to Brentwood. The rules and all event info mandate that participants wear helmets, follow all traffic laws (disqualified if you get a traffic ticket), and use bike lanes when available. There might be no better way to advocate for drivers and cyclists getting along than for more of them to be successfully sharing the road together.

In each city, New Belgium teams up with 2-3 local nonprofit groups and involves them on a number of levels. Not only are they listed as the beneficiaries (they actually receive profits from the event), but often their offices or headquarters are featured as stops along the race (where there are usually obstacle courses). The organizations also typically provide volunteers to man the stations and help staff the event. So by the end of the day, the hundreds of competitors have not only donated funds to the organizations, but have often also visited their spaces and probably talked to their staff. I think that’s a successful introduction to a local organization. In the past, St. Louis organizations have included Saint Louis BikeWorks and Trailnet (to my knowledge).

It’s smart of New Belgium to involve local organizations instead of picking a national one, as the buy-in is better from the organizations, participants are thrilled to be supporting a local organization that they may already be involved with (or can now become involved with), and the organizations get more than just a check at the end, they’ve actually gotten exposure to a community of people who often share their same values and support their mission. The way they’ve integrated various cause components into the event (I didn’t even mention that they buy carbon offsets for the event, recycle and compost almost all waste, do not provide bottled water and engage local businesses for food, vendors, etc.) is a great model for corporate cause events. They are showing, not just telling. I’ve been to plenty of events where a beneficiary is named or featured, but very few where I feel like I am already invested in and likely to re-engage with an organization that was one of that event’s true partners. Kudos New Belgium! Ride on, St. Louis.

(This post originally appeared on the blog of 501Connect.)

On the heels of an attention-grabbing campaign with H&R Block that helped the tax giant set a record the number of returns prepared in a tax season, St. Louis-based digital marketing and public relations firm Elasticity announced today that it has added a diverse group of consumer-facing and business-to-business companies to the agency’s valued client portfolio—ranging from technology start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

“We opened our doors at the depths of the worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression, so it’s been gratifying to see that our vision is paying off,” said Elasticity Managing Partner Brian Cross, who founded Elasticity in January 2009 with fellow former Fleishman-Hillard executives Dan Callahan and Aaron Perlut. “We’ve steadily grown from three ruggedly handsome founders to a current staff of 15+ and have been very fortunate to work with a number of clients that appreciate our unique, creative approach, and tolerate the stupid things that Aaron says.”

Some of Elasticity’s new clients include:

SunEdison: A leading worldwide solar energy services provider and subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR), Elasticity is managing communications for SunEdison’s “Eradication of Darkness” program, which brings solar power to rural villages in third-world countries around the world that have never had electricity.

“We like the way Elasticity looks at communications as a 360 degree effort and were impressed with their international journalism contacts,”  said Dawn Brister, SunEdison brand manager. “The fact that their fridge is always stocked with quality beer is a significant bonus.”

Appistry: Elasticity has been named public relations agency of record for St. Louis-based Appistry, a leading developer of “big data” cloud-based technology. Appistry unlocks the challenges of big data in an increasingly data intensive world. From delivering packages to finding new treatments for cancer to deciphering satellite images, Appistry’s platform supports applications for some of the world’s leading life sciences research and data-heavy companies including Stanford University School of Medicine, CHOP – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Yale University Cancer Center, the University of Missouri, FedEx, State Street, Tygart, Northrop Grumman, and others.

“We’re in a complex space that’s challenging to articulate and Elasticity is helping us to better simplify our story and value proposition about how effective big data management has enormous implications across a large swath of vital industries,” said Sultan M. Meghji, vice president.

Hair Saloon For Men: Elasticity has been named agency of record for Hair Saloon For Men, a leading national chain of men’s grooming establishments headquartered in St. Louis. Elasticity will manage all aspects of Hair Saloon’s marketing communications functions.

“Hair Saloon for Men focuses solely on the male grooming market and Elasticity has demonstrated an ability to tap into the mindset and interests of male consumers,” said Hair Saloon founder and CEO Tom Twellman.

In the last quarter, Elasticity has also been tapped to lead social media, PR and search marketing efforts for several start-up firms across the country including Washington, D.C.-based solar energy firm Geostellar and Chicago-based and Y-Combinator-funded technology start-up Aisle50. Elasticity also recently began managing media relations for Memphis-based financial services company Vining Sparks; developing the marketing strategy for destination resort Cedar Creek Convention Center in New Haven, Mo.; and managing media relations around AG Innovation Showcase for the Bio Research & Diversity Park (BRDG Park) in St. Louis.

To support the influx of new business, the agency is currently looking to fill at least two new positions.

Elasticity is a digital marketing and public relations agency providing creative communications strategies that build buzz and reputation for entrepreneurial-minded companies.  Our non-traditional solutions straddle new and traditional media, focusing on the mediums of social media, search marketing, and public relations. The company works with a broad array of clients spread across diverse industries including Charter Communications, the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, H&R Block, Stifel Nicolaus, Anheuser-Busch, Capital One, and a host of technology start-ups.

As a marketer, it’s hard not to be enthralled by the competitive challenges faced by each week’s two agencies. They find themselves in situations I’ve often been in myself–trying to find purpose, developing a creative narrative, trying to resonate with the appropriate target audience, and creating a program that ultimately delivers a return on the investment.

But as someone steeped in corporate reputation management, I find the afterglow of each competition also shines a light on the cultures of each agency involved. And that, for better or worse, can have a lasting impact on the reputation of each agency featured on “The Pitch.”

Take the most recent episode, in which Toronto-based The Hive faced off against Houston’s FKM in an effort to win the business of home services conglomerate Clockwork.

Each agency was tasked with creating a “tri-branded integrated promotional campaign” integrating Clockwork’s three branded service companies — One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating, Mister Sparky, and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

And while I personally found each agency’s final pitches to be less than stimulating, perhaps that was because I was most compelled, or possibly distracted, by the personal and cultural contrasts between The Hive and FKM.

In short, I kept asking myself, “Would I want to work for this agency?”

The Hive is led by Andy Krupski, whose overflowing confidence bordered on ridiculous arrogance (hypocritical moment number one), and while at first all I could think was how unlikeable he was, Krupski’s personality slowly grew on me. The more I watched, the more I learned about the culture of the agency, the creative-minded space in which they worked, The Hive’s willingness to cut against the grain, be honest with prospective clients, and how that ultimately translated into what the agency stood for and delivered.

FKM, in turn, was a corporate shop, led by the structured and far more buttoned-up Scott Brown, he told us early how he had been burdened with the task of essentially saving the agency from irrelevance a year prior.

FKM’s workspace looked like a series of corporate offices, the decorum of the staff could have been plucked from an electric utility company (hypocritical moment number two). And from the point early on when Brown told his employees that they had to turn in their cell phones so they could all concentrate on the big pitch – it seemed FKM was less a field of ideas where creativity grows, and more a process-driven idea mill where functional thoughts are manufactured.

That being said, neither of the approaches of The Hive or FKM was ostensibly wrong. Different ideas and approaches appeal to different people. They were simply from each end of the spectrum, and in the end, FKM won Clockwork’s business with a reasonable idea that paralleled the initial “ask” of the company’s chief executive, Scott Boose, and chief marketing officer.

But despite that – based on my personal beliefs on how more creative environments can drive more productive marketing solutions – for me, the afterglow of “The Pitch” made it very easy to answer the question of where I’d rather work: The Hive.

In a long document Al Qaeda’s American spokesman Adam Gadahn sent to Bin Laden, various media are analyzed and a plan is put forth for getting publicity for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. If Gadahn wasn’t on the military’s wanted list, he could use this document in an application for a PR job representing repressive regimes around the world.

The strategy Gadahn put forth was to offer exclusive information to 30-50 journalists through a password-protected site. Gadahn hoped that ten would take Al-Qaeda up on the offer, enough to get some good coverage for their point of view.

He muses about offering an exclusive (He gushes: “The first press interview of Shaykh Usama or Shaykh Ayman since 10 years ago!”), but, in the end, he goes with the big release, suggesting that video be shot in HD, avoiding the lousy quality that plagued their earlier releases. “I suggest that we should distribute it to more than one channel, so that there will be healthy competition between the channels in broadcasting the material, so that no channel takes the lead,” he concludes.

As for the media they would reach out to, Gadahn had a mix of intelligent insights and wacky ideas:

- CBS - a “maybe” for its long-forum journalism programs like “60 Minutes.”
- MSNBC – a “no” after it fired Keith Olbermann.
- CNN – they get praise for quoting terrorist press releases directly and not just ripping and reading wire copy.
- ABC – highest praise for this network news after it ran excerpts from Gadahn’s speech on the fourth anniversary.
- As for Fox News – “let her die in her anger.”

In the end, the documents read like the musings of a mid-level PR person trying to justify his existence in an organization that doesn’t understand what he does. If the event he was talking about wasn’t so horrific, this would be the easiest material to parody you can come across online.

Disengagement is what I believe constitutes a recipe for disaster in today’s media environment, as the the facilitation of personal relationships via digital tools and social media has, to some degree, made it incumbent upon corporate or political leadership to engage, humanize themselves, behave like actual human beings, and interact with detractors as if on an equal plane.

Last night, while appearing on “The Jimmy Fallon Show” on NBC, President Barack Obama (and his advisors) proved that the White House collectively understands who and how to engage as he slow jammed about student loans.

The President was clearly aiming to engage college students — and whether you agree with it or not — delivering a message that Congressional Republicans want nothing more than to further tax college students with potentially increased interest rates on loans while protecting the billionaires that the those on the left want centrist voters to believe politicians on the right shield.

And what was the result? Morning news stories on NBC’s “The Today Show” and across NBC affiliates, and more important, mass sharing across Facebook and Twitter — further penetrating that 18 – 24-year-old demographic.

President Obama’s “win” should serve as a reminder to the relics of the past about the importance of an open engagement.  Leaders can, in fact, behave like real human beings, shaping the perception of people in touch with their constituencies and driving affinity for the organizations they represent.

As a Client Account Lead, you will join a rapidly growing St. Louis-based team of digital marketing and communications experts.  If you are still hanging on to that glimmer of hope that Netscape is going to make a comeback and your knowledge will again be relevant, we might not be a great fit for one another.

Still interested? Shoot us an email, send us a message via Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn, or smoke signals over to RobotOverlord@GoElastic.com. Here is the match.com profile to peruse before we start dating:

Profile

• Proven agency experience managing client relationships.
• Passion for all things related to digital media including social media with a drive to stay current on the latest social media technologies and innovations.
• Skilled in creating digital and social media initiatives to meet brand objectives across a variety of channels, including both earned and paid media.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Meticulous attention to small details and ability to see big picture concurrently.
• Understanding of web production process.
• A good listener, a team player and counselor who can build strong relationships with agency clients, account staff and new business prospects.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with senior leadership at Elasticity to manage client relationships on key accounts.
• Visualize, develop and execute digital marketing and social media programs in the context of larger integrated marketing strategies.
• Manage project deliverables, timelines and budgets, with a fervent attention to detail.
• Brainstorm new digital marketing and social media campaigns for key clients.
• Supervise and mentor a team of social media and digital marketing specialists.

Qualifications

• Candidates must have a minimum of five years of agency experience in integrated marketing, digital communications or social media.
• Strong experience across all major social media platforms.
• Demonstrated success in integrating social media with broader marketing programs.
• Exceptional writing and presentation skills.
• Proven leadership of clients and account service teams.

Who the Hell Are We?

Founded in January 2009, Elasticity is a boutique digital agency located in downtown Saint Louis, working with organizations including Charter Communications, H&R Block, Anheuser-Busch, the National Football League, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, SunEdison, and more.  We focus on PR, Social Media, Search Marketing, Creative Digital, Mobile, and bacon consumption.  We’re relatively new, even in dog years, but we’re growing fast. Since our inception, we have had the unique opportunity to work with much larger clients than most boutique agencies yet be flexible enough to still take on the smaller, more fun projects that keep our team stimulated and engaged.

We primarily create engagement with brands online through a dizzying array of tactics we like to call “elastic marketing.”  In a constantly evolving media landscape, you can’t stand still. The world of digital marketing and public relations is rapidly moving forward, and so are we. Every agency says they’re “different”, but we are elastic.

We recruit passionate, tired-of-the-same old BS, let’s-do-something-no-one-else-is-doing, kind of people. We hire trailblazers who walk that line between garden variety and “Are you nuts?”

So, if you have above-average Lite Brite skills, basic personal hygiene, and an affinity for bacon, come see us, and dare to go elastic.