Medium is the NEW large...well at Burger King anyway

I stopped in this morning for a little BK for breakfast....as I was waiting for my meal I was reading the menu board and noticed they'd changed some things on how they label their tots...Medium was the new Large.

It only caught my attention because the gentleman who took my order asked if I wanted a large tot with my large drink...I said yes...duh....but the sign listed it as medium.

A couple years ago we saw McDonald's and some other fast food chains go from 'biggie' and 'super-sized' back to large....well now large is too much.


What's funny is they're not changing the size of anything...just the name. I guess it's to make me feel better? Except...I WANT LARGE!

Neoti Sponsors Three Cars at the Indy 500 this year!

I can't tell you how exciting this is! We are FINALLY moving toward the direction we've wanted to go for a long time....NATIONALLY!

Check this out...written by yours truly....

Bluffton, IN – May 22, 2009. As racing fever spreads across the country with the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, Neoti is excited to announce their sponsorship of three cars competing this weekend for the trophy of what has been hailed “the greatest spectacle in racing.” Neoti will be sponsoring the #5, #8 & #15 cars all owned by KV Racing Technology.

Neoti's sponsorship in this world-wide event is the first major step the digital signage firm is taking in moving onto the national platform. “Products like the Nomad have received national attention and require a national presence,” said Justin Clupper, Marketing Director for Neoti.

When the opportunity presented itself to become a sponsor for the three cars, Neoti president Derek Myers was eager to sponsor since he is an avid racing fan. “I've always enjoyed everything about the Indianapolis 500 and with so much business being done at the race, I knew it was a great opportunity for us to bring Neoti into the national spotlight,” said Myers.

As part of the agreement, KV Racing Technology has the opportunity to bring more focus to some of their sponsors with advertising space on two of the three Nomads located at the event. “This is a tremendous opportunity for our existing sponsors,” said Brendan McManus Commercial Director for KV Racing Technology. “This program allows us to give added value to sponsors through on-site advertising in close proximity to the Speedway which will reach hundreds of thousands of race fans.”

KV Racing Technology owns three Indy Racing League cars including the #5 KV Racing Technology car driven by Mario Moraes; the #15 GEICO car driven by Paul Tracy; and the #8 Herbalife car driven by Townsend Bell.

About Neoti, LLC Neoti is Indiana's largest community-oriented digital signage firm with community networks located throughout Indiana and Ohio providing local advertising for both businesses and community organizations. Neoti's mobile signage division, reach!, brings both static and digital signage to the world with products like the Nomad, a 9'x12' mobile LED, and reach! blimps, 31' rc-controlled blimps that take your message above the crowd. Neoti was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Bluffton, Indiana with a satellite office in Indianapolis.

About KV Racing Technology KV Racing Technology was established in 2003. The Indianapolis-based team is contesting its seventh open-wheel season and second in the IndyCar Series in 2009. KVRT is owned by successful venture capitalist Kevin Kalkhoven and 1996 Series Champion, Jimmy Vasser. Veteran motorsports manager Mark Johnson is the team's General Manager. KVRT has earned two victories the first by Cristiano da Matta in Portland in 2005 and the second by Will Power in Long Beach in 2008. They have captured two poles, Tristan Gommendy at Mont Tremblant in 2007 and Vasser at Milwaukee in 2005 (Will Power captured the pole at the 2008 Surfers Paradise, Australia exhibition race).

Hey! I need you.

Saturday is the national Great Strides Walk weekend and I'm participating...not because I have to, but because I want to. But, I need your help.

The Great Strides Walk is one of the major fund resources towards research and a cure for Cystic Fibrosis - a disease that is destroying more than 30,000 lives just in the US. It's a genetic disease that has been seen by the pharmaceutical companies as a 'non-profit-generating disease' and so they do not fund research. I do. You do. All through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

I need your help. I set a goal for myself to raise $500 for this cause, I'm more than 60% of the way there, but I still need you.

Will you consider eating at home this weekend and taking that $20 or $50 and sending it to the Foundation? Think about it, If we all gave up just one night out on the town, we could have a cure in the next few years!

The Foundation has funded every major drug that is moving through testing right now. In the last ten years they have taken the average life expectancy from 18 to 37! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!

I know times are hard right now, but imagine for a moment if you were the parent of a CF kid and on top of all of the financial hardships you're experiencing, your child's life-saving medicine is still the same price it was last summer.

Can you help? Go to http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/JustinClupper to give. Even $5...it makes the difference.

The Digital Signage Show and my reactions

I'm sitting in the Las Vegas airport at the moment waiting for my 6:15am flight....WHO THOUGHT THIS TIME WAS OK?! (oh yea...me....suck)

Anyway, I wanted to take some time to reflect on The Digital Signage Show that took place this week. In all, it was a class-act conference with the right people in front of the right people.

I spent some time talking to our friends at Blue Pony (a content developer in Fort Wayne) over the last couple days and collected their thoughts as well as from several other friends at the show. They agreed that while it is smaller than the Digital Signage Expo, it's more intimate, and they liked that.

My co-worker and I commented on how the exhibitors weren't very 'in your face', they kept to their booth and were not forceful at all. Brooke at Blue Pony made a good point by reminding us that they don't need to be 'in your face' because the amount of exhibitors allowed for everyone to spend some time at each booth.

The sessions were nicely attended, again smaller, but they covered several topics that should always be at the top of our minds. Covering things like Ad-based networks, measurement and the ever-popular 'How do I get in front of the big companies and on their budget'...

Good times were had by all, I feel, I had the opportunity to meet new faces that I had only ever read and twittered with...it's always a plus to continue to build those relationships. Nate over at digitalsignage.com even asked me to post every once in awhile over there, thanks Nate!

And of course, I was able to meet Lisa at Digital Signage Forum when I received my award for Best Newcomer. I saw Keith Kelsen again from MediaTile and met Jill Miller from The Digital Signage/Group -- a great honor to receive such an award with them.

Alright, well, I'm tired, my feet hurt, my bum is numb and I'm tired....so I'm signing off...

Whitespace....or really cheap graphics?

I made my regular trek to Indianapolis last night from Fort Wayne down I-69 and took some time to watch billboards and see what was filled....and what wasn't. I've been doing this for awhile, and it's disappointing to see more and more white space show up on these boards. There was one stretch (nearly a mile) where I saw maybe one paid billboard ad.

I spoke of this once before, how billboards seem to be drying up in the Interstate areas....my co-worker (who came from six years at Clear Channel Outdoor) spent our drive this morning to the Indy airport looking at every single billboard....it was interesting to hear how many billboards (with all the companies) were empty, but had filler that made them look filled.

I guess I bring this up in light of a few other posts that have come up in the last week or two....talking about the future of CCO and other billboard divisions of companies. All of them are hurting, everyone's hurting...well except for the affordable advertising options. ;)

We have to stay ahead of the game, network operators need to offer as much to the advertiser as possible. It may come to a point where the company that just owns a network isn't good enough, you need to give your advertiser options.

And billboard companies aren't doing it...and I don't think they will.


Just thoughts from a guy running on 3 hours of sleep sitting at an airport waiting for a 3 hour flight to Vegas.

KFC's crappy ploy...

So if you tried KFC's new 'grilled chicken' with their 'free piece' and were greatly disappointed...welcome to the club. All you were given was a little itty bitty piece of a wing....barely any meat and NO GRILL MARKS.

Well....apparently if you suck as much as KFC right now you resort to a woman who's weight has fluctuated more than Indiana's weather. Oprah is endorsing the new 'grilled' chicken by working with KFC to give away two-piece meal coupons!*

How sad is it that your product launch sucked so bad that you have to now give away a WHOLE MEAL. Really REALLY?! That should tell something to the marketing people....it's NOT A GOOD IDEA! When you have to give it away....wow.

Just like Quizno's "Tasty Torpedo's" this may be the third email I've received since the product was launched that gives me a 'buy one get one free'. REALLY?! (Guess what...those aren't that great either...Subway...still better...)




*The manager gets to pick the two pieces...I'll bet you get two wings! Oh and You can't use it on Mother's Day...sorry Mom

I need your help...

Can you live without ten dollars today?

On May 16th I'm walking in the Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis. It's a disease that impacts more than 30,000 Americans. And it's a disease pharmecutical companies aren't willing to fund research for. Because CF impacts, what they consider, a 'low amount of the population' they do not see dollar signs with these patients. They refuse to support any research, instead, we need people like you.

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the major funding source for all CF research. I spent some time this week at the state office and can confirm they are getting less than ten cents for every dollar raised to fund the foundation. 90% of all money raised goes to the research - this number is unheard of in similar non-profit organizations.

I know that times are tough right now, but consider how much harder it is for the family with a CF child. Every cough, every sniffle often sends the family to the emergency room worried that this could be their last breath. The research that has been funded by people like you has taken the life expectancy of a CF patient from 18 to 37 in the last ten years. There are new drugs that are being tested now that could cure parts of this horrid disease.

Will you be a part of the story? Take a breath, see how easy that was. It's not that easy for many CF patients. Now, look in your wallet, or look at your bank statement, can you live without ten dollars today? If you can, please, support this cause by going to this website and making a donation. On it, I tell you part of the story of why I am doing this and why it is important to me.

If you don't feel comfortable with online giving, you can make a check out to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and send it to my office at 124 Oak Forest Dr, Bluffton, IN 46714. I will make sure it is forwarded to the CFF office.

Thank you for whatever you can give, with your help we'll make CF stand for Cure Found.