Right About Now with Ryan Alford - The Week of December 22, 2023 Marketing and Business News: Recreate Taylor Swift’s Time Cover with Your Dog to Win Doggie Day Care

Episode Date: December 22, 2023

Welcome back, Radcasters! We are thrilled to welcome you to our latest episode on this festive December 22, 2023. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! Join us today as we dive into the exciting realms of marketing and business news, exploring headlines that range from recreating Taylor Swift's Time cover with your furry companion to the chance of winning doggie daycare. But before we unravel the top stories, Chris and I share a moment reflecting on the holiday season, battling the occasional family bug, and even dreaming of a white Christmas. So, grab your favorite holiday snack and settle in for another edition of the Radcast – your go-to source for the latest in marketing, business, and the holiday pop culture buzz. Let's spread some festive cheer and get right into the Rad news of the week!The Radcast’s Upcoming Episodes (03:23) The Radcast Trademark (O4: 23) Recreate Taylor Swift's Time cover with your dog to win doggie day care (07:32)https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/12/19/redo-taylor-swifts-time-cover-with-your-dog-to-win-doggie-day-care/71930975007/  Warner Bros. marks 20 years of ‘Elf’ with Roblox experience (10:09)https://www.marketingdive.com/news/warner-bros-elf-roblox-marketing-fairview-portals-supersocial/702374/  Join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE. (13:30) Forget Gen Z: MoonPie targets extraterrestrials in need of a treat (13:51)https://www.marketingdive.com/news/moonpie-outdoor-ads-target-aliens-UAPs/702373/ Instagram launches customizable ‘Add Yours’ templates (19:30)https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/15/instagram-add-yours-template-story-sticker/  Sponsor: Caldera Labs (22:44)High-performance men’s skincare line Website: https://calderalab.com Promo code: RadRyan and get 20% off If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, join Ryan’s newsletter https://ryanalford.com/newsletter/ to get Ferrari level advice daily for FREE.  Learn how to build a 7 figure business from your personal brand by signing up for a FREE introduction to personal branding https://ryanalford.com/personalbranding.  Learn more by visiting our website at www.ryanisright.comSubscribe to our YouTube channel  www.youtube.com/@RightAboutNowwithRyanAlford. 

You're listening to The Radcast, a top 25 worldwide business podcast. If it's radical, we cover it. Here's your host, Ryan Alford. Hey guys, what's up? Welcome to the latest edition of The Radcast. I'm a little under the weather, as you can tell. I don't have that booming voice like normal Chris, but I'm doing my best. It's our weekly marketing and business news of the week here on December 22nd, 2023.

Merry Christmas to you, my friend. Merry Christmas to you. Hey. Even though you're under the weather? Yeah, I feel okay. The voice is just, I'm on the tail end of it. It's more the nasally and the raspiness. So, I apologize to not have my normal radio voice, but the show must go on.

Another holiday in the trenches for you with the family, huh? Oh, yeah. I was having flashbacks, like the last two seasons i think we've had a little bouts of something hit like the first week of christmas vacation because i nicole literally this morning was like she said something i was having deja vu because i swear it was like she goes this was a shitty way to spend my first haul at my our first week off i'm like i was having a joke because i think last year the same shit happened but yeah it's going through but you know what man we rise

above we make no excuses and we're here ready to bring it hey we appreciate everyone out there merry christmas to everyone uh i'll give you a happy holidays, but I'm going to tell you Merry Christmas, too. So you can like it, love it, or hate it. But, and I mean it in austerity, because tis the season to be jolly. I'm ready to watch me some Christmas vacation. That's all I'm saying. That's right. Classic. Yes.

Yes. I hope everyone, wherever you are, however you are, we appreciate you listening. And I hope you're on your way. We record this the 22nd. It's close to season time here. You could be in the sleigh ride ready going on to Christmas Eve. Who knows when you're listening to this? It could be Christmas morning.

You're listening to the Radcast. So definitely Merry Christmas. I don't think we'll be having a white Christmas this year, Chris, in either South Carolina or Florida. Yeah. That is the one thing I get jealous of. I see the white Christmas. I'm like, oh, that would be cool. Yeah, I agree.

It would be nice. But it's beautiful out. Yes. A couple of show. That would be nice. That is beautiful. Yes. A couple of show notes for those of you. If you're new, then this will be new information. If you've been following along in one of our one million plus downloads a month, then some of this will be new, some of it won't. But as we get down to the end of the year here,

today is fairly light on the news. A lot of people are shutting it down, including favorite people like taylor swift and elon musk that is not the antics are on the lighter side this week but next week we'll definitely be we'll do it a pre-recorded we've got some specials some different things some comedic things a few things in marketing but and then we will be kicking off the new year with our first guest dave asprey the original biohacker the godfather of biohacking will be coming on we've already recorded that episode in full transparency and it's a bomb it's everything you need to hear to get the year started we got hacks we got tricks, we got Dave going off on who knows what.

If you follow Dave, you know him. He speaks his mind. And like him, love him or not, he believes in what he does, and he's been wildly successful. Enjoyed that conversation that will kick off your Radcast in 2023. We will have some program notes as it relates to this show that will start in February. Kick around some ideas as the Radcast Network goes live and broader with what we think will be 40 to 100 shows next year under the Radcast Media Network. So be on the lookout for that. You'll see a lot of news, notes, different things on this show, other shows, and the like.

It's exciting news, Chris. It's very exciting news. Expansion. A lot to look forward to. Yes. I'm sitting here in the Radcast studios. The team has put up our Radcast trademark right above where I'm looking at your face, Chris. It's like beaming at me.

The gold seal. Sawyer put that up there, I think, with Cameron Sawyer. I don't know. I'll give them both credit. And it's like just shining on me, the trademark that we've worked so hard for. Something to be proud of. Hey, no one else can do it. Those cease and desist letters are going out, baby.

I don't think until you've been in a position where you're trying to do a company or trademark, do you really appreciate the value of a trademark? Yeah. Everybody's like, why is that even? Well, it matters. And since we just went, we went through the renewal of the vacay one, I'm like, I'm extra happy for you. I'm like, I really feel that. I know it didn't come easy.

It's a pain in the ass. Now you're about to send him a Merry Christmas. He sent a sys letter to all your competitors. Yes, exactly. There's a couple of them. A couple of them. You know who you are. We're coming for you.

Politely. We're going to be nice. I'm actually just going to be nice about it. Respectfully. Just be like, yeah. I'm going to turn the guard dog on you immediately. Just we'll see where it goes. And we're all about value here.

Let's turn it into it. So trademarks, let's talk about that from a marketing perspective. So the reason you get that is to protect your rights. It's both past, present, and future rights to the name and the usage of logos and name. It's usually safer to get the name mark. Sometimes you want to get the logo mark too, depending on how it is but you really get protected under the name ultimately and it just keeps people if you have an idea or a business even if you didn't intend for it to become gigantic or huge or whatever it just protects you in case that it does and even if you don't

want it to be huge you want to protect your name and someone's not popping up next to you, either for us being another show, for a business being another brand. And so a lot of people understand that, but there is a lot of legalities and things behind it. And when you get into selling a company, the valuations increase. There's a lot of reasons for doing it and protecting those rights. And we want to keep it about value here, Chris. The lessons. It's a protection on your investment, on your time, your energy, your idea. Exactly.

And so if you, but be prepared. It takes about 18 months, if you're lucky. And some dough. Yeah, exactly. Those vloggers, it's supposed to be like, and they'll say, you can do it yourself. Don't do it yourself. No, just cough up the dough.

Cough up the dough. Write the check. And just know that the first check isn't the last check. It's like something always comes up. It's funny how that is with lawyers. I love them. And sometimes I want to kick them. Just being honest.

But necessary evil. Yes, they are. And we joked about Taylor Swift. But I did think this was funny. Team found this from USA Today dot com. Recreate Taylor Swift, but I did think this was funny. Team found this from usatoday.com. Recreate Taylor Swift's time cover with your dog to win doggy daycare. Pet owners have been inspired by Taylor Swift's time person of the year magazine cover featuring her cat, Benjamin Button. This has led to a trend where people recreate the cover with their own pets posting their best

blue steel photos on social media content creator and comedian ryan shits soul something like that participated in this trend by recreating swift's cover with his one-year-old pup, Burke. Named after his celebrity crush, John Krasinski's middle name. Wow. The trend is game popularity. Pet runners creatively mimic the iconic magazine cover featuring Taylor Swift and her cat. I thought this was pretty funny. I don't even have a pet, but I want to get one just so I can do this cover. Maybe I need to do a little Storm T. Swift collab.

You should do that. Just take it. And Sawyer could probably put a background line or something. Sawyer could totally put something together quickly on that. So send it to Sawyer. Deal. Sawyer, coming your way, brother. But it's fun.

And I just wanted to make sure that swift got her attention we were joking around about new names for the podcast for next year and the swifty cast was already taken so who knows she's always in the news she's in the weekly news yes she is what are there like some go-to this next article brings up another one of my favorite movies of the season are there go-to movies for you in the holidays are the ones that you're just gonna watch they're gonna make yeah cut what are they definitely home alone that's been running yep Yep. Elf, Christmas Vacation. Yep. The Grinch, I feel like, makes its way on always. Oh, yeah.

And last night, Home Alone 2 was on in the background. Yeah, love that. It's so over the top, and I know everything that's going to happen because my kids have watched it 8,000 times. But it's got its own warm place in the heart. But this article comes from a marketing dive. Warner Brothers marks 20 years of love with a Roblox experience. We haven't talked about Roblox experiences in a while.

The metaverse, sort of. roblox experiences in a while the meta metaverse sort of water brothers motion picture group is commemorating that was more difficult to say than i thought it was going to be commemorating the 20th anniversary of the holiday classic elf with immersive it's always immersive that's like their favorite word all these if if there is a, oh, I got to get on tandem here. Sorry. Little head cold. Little head cold. Little foggy. Just go with it.

You've listened up to this point. You can stay with me. So, but everyone, if the metaverse or anything like that, immersive. We're going to have an immersive experience. Like every marketer, every CMO, every quote's like, we have an immersive brand experience. Every event I read, it's an immersive experience, an immersive event. I got it. People literally use a thesaurus on something better, please.

Yeah. Are you carrying your MRS in your immersive experience? I didn't even realize it was a trigger word until you brought it up. And now I'm like. You're triggered. Now you know because you're right. That's what I'm saying. That's what we do on this show we get you nodding you're going you know what ryan's got a point there every time i hear immersive

developed in collaboration with fairview portals hey and super social. The virtual experience allows participants to don elf hats and assume roles like wish taker, toy maker, and gift wrapper. Those are my three of my favorite names. Wish taker, toy maker, and gift wrapper.

Tweedle dee, tweedle dum, and tweedle something. In Santa's workshop, players are rewarded with presents and digital wearables for their contributions. The ongoing activation aims to attract new audiences, particularly among the younger demographic. This is a repeat on all these things. The only reason I talked about it is because I love Elf and I love Will Ferrell.

And I thought it was fun that they're doing something. I'm going to get my kids on Roblox later and we're going to go dive into this. I'm going to tell you that right now. Because I left the house today and they were playing Fortnite. And I think we're going to get into the Elf on Roblox and report back on how this goes. I would. Yeah. as long as i can be the wish taker i think you're all three wish taker toy maker or in the gift wrapper his daddy's writing the checks and probably wrapping the presents too for all those gifts yeah you're a

man of many names i think i think so and my wife does a lot of the, does all the rapping. I'll give her that. I'll take those wishes though, wish taker. I thought it was a negative thing at first. Are you accepting wishes or are you taking them? You know what I mean? Yeah. It's a little weird.

Like I read it like it's a negative. Wish grant taker. I thought this was like a scary character, like the wish taker. Yeah. Yeah. All your wishes are gone. There's no more wishes for you. Anyway.

Too much fun here. It's the holiday season, folks. Lighten up. And if you want to learn from me directly, join my newsletter. RyanOfford.com backslash newsletter. Sign up. I give daily advice on marketing, personal branding, podcasting, life. Give that a shout. Join that. It's free. It's daily. Just like, personal branding, podcasting, life.

Give that a shout. Join that. It's free. It's daily. Just like this show. Give away our best advice. All right. Hey, what holiday marketing discussion wouldn't be complete without Moon Pie discussion?

Forget it. Are you a Moon Pie guy? Not particularly. I think that's how most people answer that question. If we asked 100 people, I bet you 80 of them would say something to the equivalent of, not really. Yeah, I know exactly what they are. But if I'm in that category of food, I'm more likely to grab that oatmeal cream pie. Oh, for sure.

There's something about the moon pie that's just like too much or something yeah yeah taking one pint of a one bite of a moon pie is like the equivalent of eight bites of something else it's like the double layer marshmallow like i feel like i'm like i don't even know what i'm getting into it doesn't taste bad but it's just i don't know and moon pie is never going to sponsor us now but i'm just but i'm just that's all right it's okay it doesn't align i i agree i'm it's a polarizing polarizing dessert all it's making me realize is there's a small segment of the population that absolutely loves these things and they're carrying the whole company. Because you're right.

You, me, 80% of people, you know exactly what it is. You're never reaching for it when you're walking in the mobile gas station. Oh, it's always the one like if you go into like a deserted town and they got 11 snacks. They're all empty, but there's two moon pies left. It's like that and two black licorice sticks and i could be starving and i won't i wouldn't buy it and i'm like yeah no that moon pie from 1967 i'm gonna pass on that but uh back to the article from marketing dive our favorite marketing source by the way marketing dive is the. If you're into marketing news,

we need to get them some love here at the end of the season. Marketingdive.com. Moon Pie, known for its marshmallow-filled snacks, something like that, launched a global ad campaign specifically targeting extraterrestrials, also known as ETs, collaborating with agency Tombras,

good agency in Knoxville, Tennessee, like this guy's, and enthusiasts focused on unidentified anomalous phenomena. I have no idea how I made it through that, and I'm not sure I did. Anomalous? Yeah, I did. I made it. UAP. You did? I did it. The brand crafted out-of-home ads in a language purportedly comprehensible only to aliens. How'd they learn that language?

These ads were strategically placed in UAP hotspots, such as Washington, Roswell, and New Mexico. Moon Pie, maybe Roswell, New Mexico. I'm combining words here. And cities. Moon Pie, maybe Roswell, New Mexico. I'm combining words here and cities. Moon Pie aims to capitalize on the heightened interest in UAPs spurred by recent congressional hearings on the subject. Moon Pie is known for good marketing.

I will say this. Their marketing is way better than the actual product. Yeah. But this is fun. And it's cool. And it's scary because I'm starting to think that UFOs are out there. It's starting to be undeniable. There's something. That's for sure.

Yeah. But all these videos with shit flying around, they have no idea. I guess we'll figure it out one day. Which, now that we're reading this, I am a little surprised other brands haven't tried to use such a viral newsworthy event to, what do you call it? Borrowed interest. Look it, I'm learning. Hey, you got it.

Borrowed interest, shared interest. Yes. Yeah. But that's what they did. It's called newsjacking as well. There's lots of news around the extraterrestrials ETS and UAPs. We're just going to call that from now on. Never saying those three words again,

but, and they're tapping into that and people, it's top of mind. People are real fucking scared that aliens are going to get them because there's all these videos that keep coming out. Like every conspiracy theory ever so they tap into that and hey sell some more moon pies i'm still not buying a moon pie though this is me i love to not for me i'd like to get in some send me a dm on instagram if you're a moon

pie lover or hater i want to do i want to do we need this what we need like live polls like next year if we go daily with this show i'm going to do it live like live polls or something because I need to know like real time because I have a feeling hey more people don't call us in yeah call in and tell us about how much you love real quick in the room Cameron Sawyer Moonpie yes or no yeah yeah exactly it was a just for everyone looking we got an absolute no and we got it yeah which is i think you're gonna get a lot of and it's yeah just polite because you want to like it because it doesn't taste bad but when you really get after it you don't really want it you take two bites and you're like eh that was a bad, yeah. You should have gone for the Nutty Buddy. You should have gone for the Nutter Bar, like the Swiss Cake Roll,

like something like Little Debbie's got like 12 options that are better than the Moon Pie. Literally. That's what it is. There's so many better options right in front of you. Yeah. The Peanut Butter Roll. Come on.

Little Debbie's got like a whole freaking cupboard full of things better than the moon yeah good marketing so there you have it instagram's launching a bunch of new features some i understand some i don't some about ai i think every company trying to put ai in something like every app i use now, but here's your new AI feature. That'll never fucking work. It gets in your way. And just to say, we have an AI feature. I'm all for technology to improve experience,

but I'm not for technology sake. And I think we're starting to hit this. We're jumping the shark early on the AI. Instagram has introduced a generative AI-powered background editing tool. God, I was hoping they would. For users in the United States, the tool part of Meta's generative AI initiatives allow users to change the background of their images and stories using prompts. Oh, you got to have a prompt engineer just to change your story background.

When users tap on the background editor icon, they receive ready prompts like on a red carpet, being chased by dinosaurs, or surrounded by puppies. Users can also create their own prompts to customize the background. That's as far as I'm going to go on that. I think we get it. And it's fine.

It's cool. I don't know, man. I know it's like different ways to express yourself. How much you want to bet? That's not in the article. But how much would you want to bet? I will bet you $1,000 hard cash that someone at Instagram used that quote or something very quotes to it when this came out. Yeah. We want people to be able to express themselves in different ways.

I guarantee you. That's like the blanket statement when features like this. I'm like, people are getting paid just to come up with this shit. I'm like, if you came up with stories dude get a raise that was communication that was a way to do things that was different than the normal posting and all that even if they ripped it off from snapchat whatever it was whoever it was i don't care okay that was cool but backgrounds just on prompts come on man, man. I don't know, man.

I mean, you're going to use that Chris. You're not bringing anything new. You're just simplifying Photoshop for the average person in my mind. Yeah. I don't, I, I won't,

not something I've used. So there's some creator out there. It's going to DM me and they're going to go, I actually find this very useful, right? I'm going to be like, good for fucking you. Cause you're,

you got nothing better to do than prompt your ass on Instagram. I just want to get my story up and have some communication back and forth. How much more time do I need to spend making what we're going to talk about? Let's just get it up so we can talk about it.

I want this selfie up, man. What happened to just quick selfies? Everything's got so complicated. Everything's a production now. Look at me. I'm eating a moon pie. On the moon with my template background. Exactly.

That's all I wanted to say. I feel comfortable with doing selfies, but I don't come. But you know why, Chris? Because the skins never look better. Tell me. Caldera lab, calderalab.com. Use Rad Ryan.

You get 20% off the most premium, the best men's skincare delivered right to you. Look, I didn't even know like men's premium skincare existed. I'm like, you go to the drugstore, it's like suave or trying to use my wife's stuff. And. I'm like, you go to the drugstore, it's like suave or trying to use my wife's stuff. And then I'm like, okay.

Got in touch with Caldera Lab. They gave me a call. We're like, okay, we want to work. I'm like, send me this stuff. I used it for three months. I'm like, holy shit. I was actually surprised it worked. I'm skeptical.

Y'all hear the cynicism in my voice a lot of times. But Caldera Lab works, and they've been a great official skin care partner of Ryan Alford and the Radcast here. And I must say, Chris, you look like you're even glowing here. I know you're at mom and pop's place there in Florida. You're already on your break. You're already relaxed. But I'm seeing at least a couple years have dropped off your face. at mom and pop's place there in florida you're already on your break you're already relaxed but i'm seeing at least a couple years have dropped off your face oh there's no doubt yeah i've been

i like it a lot i like the face wash the oil i was actually looking yesterday i i can tell a difference and it smells good it just feels good it's nice i've never been one to pat my cheeks but something about when i put that stuff on i just want to like pat the cheeks about it i don't know why something i don't even know but all seriousness i just it it took some bags out i got some bags going on yeah four kids four companies i've not tried the icon yet. I need to get that. Oh, that's the one. It's right here. Look.

It's right here. It's sitting right here. I could apply this right now, but I don't want to scare anyone by just how those bags disappear in real time. It does work quickly. But go in all seriousness. It does work quickly. I will say that. But go, in all seriousness, this is our favorite sponsor of the year because this works.

And we've got a lot of great feedback from people that have bought it. CalderaLab.com. Rad, Ryan, you'll get 20% off your entire purchase. And these are good people making premium products right here in the United States. So go support them. We appreciate them. Chris, any big Christmas plans?

No, I'm just hanging out with the family. Everyone's in town. All my nephews. So just being Uncle Chris, just feeding him cookies and bribing him with snacks. Is Storm with you? He is. However,

today he's with a dog sitter for the day. My parents had a Christmas party. Had to clear the house for the evening and then go pick him up today. Understood. Storm is Chris's chocolate lab there. He's chocolate isn't he? He's got to be chocolate. Oh there. He's chocolate, isn't he?

He's got to be chocolate. Oh, yeah. He's a big chocolate boy. Sometimes likes to make an appearance on the clean news. The only lab on the face of the planet that doesn't like walks. Yeah. He's a water dog through and through. He is a water.

Oh, he does like the water. I want to see you post those videos. He's nuts. We do appreciate everyone whenever, wherever, however you are. He is a water. Oh, he does like the water. Come on, see, he posts those videos. He's nuts. We do appreciate everyone whenever, wherever, however you are. Merry Christmas to you. It's been a light episode. Keeping it light here at the end of the year.

We appreciate everyone. We'll have a fun episode next week. We've got some trends. I found a really cool article. I was going to save it do it today, but I'm going to save it for next week. It's actually some trends for next year, some insights along with some fun things, some fun lists. So we'll be recording that for next Friday.

We appreciate everyone and we appreciate you, Chris Hansen. Appreciate you. And Cameron Sawyer, too. Oh, yeah. We appreciate all the team here. Sawyer Rice, my Cameron. We appreciate everyone and happy holidays and a happy

new year if we don't see you on the other side. For Ryan Offord and Chris Hansen, we'll see you next time on the Radcast. To listen or watch full episodes, visit us on the web at theradcast.com or follow us on social media at our Instagram account, the.rad.cast or at Ryan Alford. Stay radical.