Will The Real Parson Brown Please Stand Up?

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Originally published on 12/18/11, this blog now contains additional information...yes, it's been enhanced!

While watching “To Tell the Truth” the other night, I leaned forward in interest as three men in flowing clerical robes vaguely dodged each question that Kitty Carlisle tossed their way as she gracefully waved her Tiffany studded wrist. Oh boy; I was so fooled! Really thought it was the red-haired gent; he was so convincing when he revealed that his favorite beverage was mead.

Actually, I was most disappointed to find that this man, made popular by numerous versions of “Winter Wonderland” wasn’t even a real person! It’s simply a reference from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries defining an Anglican priest. Several sources cite that it’s similar to how we use “John Doe” to refer to an unidentifiable man.

In the world of music, Parson Brown is either a person or a band from the Netherlands and has a presence on both YouTube and MySpace. They (or he) released two indie CDs in 2008; both currently out of stock on Amazon. Little information is given on any site leaving this Parson Brown a mystery for now.

And it appears that whoever he is, Parson Brown is so hip he’s even made it into the Urban Dictionary, escalating himself into modern pop culture. Nice going! One thought presented there mentions that Parson Brown is a Peanuts character related to Charlie Brown and is found on a hard to find Christmas special called “Charlie Brown and the Great Christmas Tree Caper”. Not true! Nice try at spoofing us though.

Now, about the song where Parson Brown makes his 21st century debut; “Winter Wonderland” was penned in 1934 by Felix Bernard and Richard Smith. Smith's inspiration came from the snow seen from his window. Guy Lombardo hit with it first, followed by more than 150 recordings of it since. Would love to be related to these gents for a slice of those royalties!

And what role does Parson Brown play in the song? A couple strolls in a scene that’s blanketed by snow. They contemplate building a snowman that could step in as Parson Brown as they romantically dream of being married by a traveling minister the next time he visits their small town.  They face, unafraid, the plans they’ve made while frolicking like Eskimos.

While Parson Brown, in song, is assumed to marry people, he draws the line with snowmen, as depicted in the 1996 cartoon, “Frosty Returns”.

But was the notion of suddenly wanting to get married too rebellious for the 1950’s? Sadly, in 1953, the lyrics were revised. Parson Brown took a hike while a circus clown took his place thus making the song more suitable for children. I personally only recall one version heard with the less "scandalous" lyrics.

More recently, Ringo Starr went "boogie woogie" with his intrepetation of the famous tune:

Parson Brown certainly continues to live on as the song continues to be recorded again and again. More recent versions can be found by Clay Aiken, Diana Krall, and Michael Buble, or perhaps you prefer the classic crooning of Dean Martin, Peggy Lee or Johnny Mathis?

Note that the song is a seasonal one and not about a holiday. Yet we don’t listen to it in January, do we? Ah, it’s the magic of marketing!

And, is Parson Brown a person or a band? Listen to "The Trees That Whisper".




Ah, Parson Brown could be Alan Parsons! Bring out the frozen instruments (see video below)! And if you’re feeling like coming in out of the cold, stop by our website, or say hi on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+. We'll serve up some virtual hot chocolate for you!

Happy Holidays! 

Holiday Snail Mail, Hallmark, and You.

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Do you still enjoy opening the door of a metal box with paper stuffed in it to see what treasures await you? And what’s inside? Mostly bills and sales flyers from stores you don’t frequent, right?

Imagine my surprise when I received not one, not two, but THREE Christmas cards in one day! Another one arrived the next day; more excitement ensued. Next day, nada. Now, nothing, for the last three days.

Is this the decline of popularity for those real, touchable, hang-upable, personal expressions with hand written seasonal greetings and signatures, otherwise known as holiday cards?

Made me think about that whopper of a card company, Hallmark; can they make up for the perceived lack of interest for paper greetings by hawking $20 Keepsake ornaments? A quick evaluation of the Hallmark brand reveals that:

• Their stores are called Hallmark Gold Crown; the word card isn’t there.

• Hallmark was the first greeting card company to advertise nationally (1928). Now that’s cutting edge!

• They’ve been a global company since the mid-sixties.

• Hallmark’s cable channel includes original productions aimed at those who love weepy movies. Especially enjoyed the flick with Michael Imperioli and applaud him for showing his sensitive side. Oops…that was an Oprah production shown on ABC!

• Hallmark owns several recognizable brand names, each appealing to different target audiences. Surely you’ve heard of Shoebox, hoops&yoyo, and Maxine?

• They’re still a private company and boast over 13,000 employees. Who would have thought that the largest greeting company wasn’t publicly traded?

• They own Crayola LLC. Who hasn’t colored with a Binney & Smith Crayola periwinkle crayon?

• The Hallmark Hall of Fame program on NBC has been on air over 50 years, winning 80 Emmy awards.

• Surprise! Hallmark Channel USA’s Facebook page has more fans than the Hallmark page: 660,000 vs. 400,000. And Maxine’s page is closing in, boasting 355,000 fans.

And there’s more: Hallmark owns the world’s largest Christian greeting card company, a rewards/incentive/recognition programs company, a children’s doll franchise, and even a department store.

Who knew?

In short, Hallmark has kept with the times. They’ve wisely expanded their brand through their own creations while also quietly buying up smaller companies with established niche markets, remaining true to their core greeting card empire in the process. Brand image is strong, with instant recognition of Hallmark and an association with greeting cards, diversity of products has not eroded that imagery.

Oh, the card market does live on with an overwhelming array of choices; going far beyond prose, design and style. Greeting cards with the ability to play a song for you and others you can put your own recording on are great for vocalizing your feelings to that special someone. And here’s some good news: According to a recent study, the card industry declined 0.3% from 2006 to 2011*. For now, cards are still popular.

Despite all the positive initiatives coming from Hallmark, there’s room for improvement, namely in the area of social media:

The Hallmark blog hasn’t seen a fresh entry since January! Here’s where the brand can be stretched further, with recipes, holiday decorating ideas (recycle those old cards), traditions, and historical information.

Twitter followings on three accounts are surprisingly low: @hallmarkPR, @hallmarkchannel, and @hallmarkbiz. Is it necessary to have separate accounts for public relations and business? And where are Maxine and hoops&yoyo? Just imagine the sassiness of Maxine on Twitter!

No presence on Google+. Sigh.

Hallmark, you’ve taught us how to use one way communication effectively; we know you're the ones to come to when we care about sending the very best, however, it’s time for you to engage more with us!

Join ModlandUSA, MODern Marketing 4 U on Facebook and Google+ 

* IBISWorld’s Greeting Cards & Other Publishing market research report

The Marketing of Mistletoe.

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Nowadays, it’s common to go food shopping and see, for example, branded chicken…Perdue, Foster Farms. But there was a time when chicken was just plain old chicken. And Eggs were simply eggs, without red lettering boasting Eggland’s Best.

Will mistletoe be branded someday? Imagine going out to shop for that high quality sprig, available exclusively at Neiman Marcus because you’ve just got to have mistletoe by “King Pristine’s Romance Ranch”. And nope, the common stuff by “Joe & Sam” that Kmart is hawking isn’t going to provide the necessary element for that important kissing spot in your home.

So, what will we name the very first mistletoe brand? Since this plant originated in Europe, perhaps we’ll take that into account. While not native to America, there is a variety here, found from New Jersey to Florida and then to the west as far as Texas.

Mistletoe, besides serving as an item for locking lips under, apparently likes to “hug” too, and can actually harm the trees it grows on! Um, that makes it parasitic.
But wait! It gets even more romantic.

Mistletoe is poisonous. Don’t eat it; don’t let your kids eat it. The more minor symptom is a belly ache. No need to mention the rest.

And, it is toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Now it’s understandable why it’s traditionally hung up high.

So how did we come to start kissing under mistletoe in a doorway, anyway? Pick a story; Druids or Vikings or Greeks.

Britain, around 100 A.D. The Druids considered mistletoe to be a miracle drug of sorts and priests would ceremoniously cut mistletoe from trees either towards the end of the year or early in the new year for hanging in homes to keep evil spirits away. While cutting this sacred plant from the tree, care was taken so that the cuttings wouldn’t touch the ground.

Now the story takes a twist*.

Many sources say that the kissing tradition started in Scandinavia where mistletoe is considered to be the plant of peace. In Norse mythology, Frigga, the protective mother of Balder, cried tears that became mistletoe berries when her beloved son was killed by Loki from an arrow he made out of the wood from the plant.

Mistletoe was the only plant that could harm Balder, since Frigga had made sure that all other plants would not. Sadly, she didn’t approach mistletoe with her request. The arrow, once removed from Balder, was given to Freya, the goddess of love, and from these events the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe stemmed.

But what about the Greeks?  They associated mistletoe with fertility and originally included the plant in the festival of Saturnalia, and later with marriage rites.
More fuel for passion: Did you know that the name of this plant comes from the Anglo-Saxon words mistal and tan which translates to dung and twig? Gotta love that!

Ah, back to the naming of our new mistletoe brand. Let’s see, descriptors include kissing, parasitic tendencies, poison, dung, and twig. “Cupid’s Finest” or “Ding-a-ling-a-ding dung” won’t work. “Toxic Holiday Romance”. Nah; all of these are barking up the wrong tree. Okay, I’m stumped!  Sure glad I’m not representing mistletoe growers.

What would YOU name it?

Here’s a silly skit about mistletoe; click here.

Stop by and say hello on Facebook and Google+ !

*Note: found another completely different story as well!

Was Black Friday Good For You?

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Yesterday, I took a leisurely drive, stopping along the way to take photos of interesting subject matter. Had lunch in a storefront diner in a historic downtown; strolled the area after chowing down a tuna melt and marveled at the rickety, wooden sidewalks. Truly a time warp, and not many people there.

During my drive I spied an old orange juice stand shaped like an orange, countless old motels (oops, motor lodges), and lots of used car dealerships. Route 66! It was a peaceful few hours, except for the two times where I drove too close to shopping malls and wound up in traffic jams.

What’s wrong with this picture? Am I crazy for not participating in Black Friday?
Gee...what did I miss?

• Saving a few bucks
• Seeing people shoving each other
• Feeling claustrophobic
• Waiting on line
• Screaming, angry people
• Dodging shopping carts
• An opportunity to get pepper sprayed

What did I gain from not going?

• Peace of mind
• Lack of stress
• Sleep
• Great sight seeing
...and perhaps a pound from the mayonnaise in my tuna melt.

What did I "lose" from not participating in Black Friday?

• About a half a tank of gas ($25)
• The cost of a tuna melt (it even came with a peach half!) and a diet coke.
• The opportunity to experience anything in the “miss” list.

Is it marketing’s fault? Nah. No one is going to put the blame on all those ads we’ve been bombarded with for the last two weeks. After all, the call of the Xbox, beckoning you, has nothing to do with any big box’s promotions, right?

Is it simply having a day off, many with pay, and “nothing to do”? Are we expected to shop on this day? We’re led to believe it. It seems that the day after Thanksgiving has turned into a chore instead of a calming, relaxing day off. Surely your employers meant it to be more of a recreational, spend time with your family day, however, the recreation nowadays consists of who you can elbow out of the way.

Today, as I write this, there’s a new movement emerging: Small Business Saturday. Big box stores? Fuhgeddaboudit! It’s time to put the nickels and dimes back into the hands of the “Moms and Pops”. No, you won’t save as much money. So buy a little less…do you really NEED all that "stuff", anyway? We salute American Express for fostering this movement in 2010. Granted, some of us do not possess that particular card, but heck, we’re shopping anyway! Now, off to visit some antique malls.  Don’t you just love those one of a kind gifts?

My Digital Holiday

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Greeting cards that come in the mail; do you ever receive any? Is this why the post office keeps jacking up the cost of stamps, because no one sends cards anymore? For Christmas 2009, that’s what I thought after I sent out about 40 cards but only received 12. Humph. Not even enough to make a proper display on the table in my front foyer. It looked sparse and felt a bit embarrassing. What? Did it mean I didn’t have friends anymore? Heck no.

2009 was the year of digital gifts from my friends on Facebook. Oh! So many presents kept coming my way; beautifully wrapped too. And the drinks! My my, I could take a bath in all those delectable cocktails celebrating the season that came my way. Let’s toast!

But this year was different. Based on the influences of social media, I assumed that maybe five snail mail cards would come my way. But I guess either many of my friends were bored with digital greetings or they wanted to support our postal system; in any case, the avalanche of Christmas and holiday cards showed no signs of stopping! I had to move a vase and a bowl just to make room for them on my foyer table!

On the social media side, the giving of gifts completely disappeared. Poof. Gone, without a trace. Fine by me; I’m not one that’s willing to give up my personal information to an app. Perhaps my friends became wiser too.

Nope, some new trends emerged. Posting holiday tunes for one; Dino, Lena, Eartha, Elmo & Patsy. Posting photos or cute illustrations and tagging everyone you know. Or, simply posting “Happy Holidays” if you weren’t feeling creative but must get a message out.

I wasn’t sure what would be “proper”; after all, not all my friends celebrate Christmas. So I found a solution where one size fits all; a peace sign. My favorite symbol actually. Did I get blasted for it? Yes, from one friend who called me a stoner West Coaster! Eh, he was only kidding and I can handle the teasing and taunting. However, I was amazed by the outpouring of response from my friends, the likes and the comments, and it felt good too! Isn’t that part of what the season is about? Making others feel good?

Now, back to the physical cards. I sent out over 30 this year. And I’ll do at least that next year. Sometimes, “old” traditions are great too; don’t you feel especially good when a whole pile of them arrive, all on the same day?  That big silly grin you get when you finally pick a good spot to sit down and read all those greetings! And some folks still like to write a novella in those cards.

A big thanks to my friends who haven’t gone totally digital! And here’s to social media too, which can be warm and fuzzy at times.  Happy New Year!