Dino Baskovic Can’t Lose

First off, the Facebook and Twitter well wishes. I know it's nothing new and some say it's a greeting card cop-out, but so what? I felt the love, folks. Then I fed the beast, compliments of one ginormous burrito. Work was blissfully uneventful for a change. I came home to kiddies and cake. The Mrs. bought me some bourbon I've been thirsting to try, and lo and behold my first LEGO set in forever. Yes, LEGOs, but with an architectural twist.

         

Click here to download:

my-bestest-birthday-ever-JHwanwJoBGpnwEBntidE.zip (258 KB)

From: "Victoria Baskovic" [xxx@xxx.xxx]
Sent: 08/03/2010 11:36 AM
To: Dino Baskovic
Subject: Hi! Dino,

Hi! Dino, 

on 8-3-2010 (a very special day I may say) your technology challenged mom has finally sent her First E Mail.

Nooooo!  Wait!  Did you faint?  Oh Boy!  Get up, compose yourself, take a deep breath.

Calm down, everything is OK.

Happy Birthdaaaaaay!  a.k.a. Appy Burday you too!

Love,

Mom 

That's right, my mom finally joined the digital age. At this rate, she should send her first tweet by the time I turn 200.

It's been a great birthday. The only think that would make it better would be bacon. Wait! There's still a few minutes before midnight and a there's a diner down the road... [sound of screeching tires].

Five o'clock on Friday.  Quittin' time.  As the TGIF status updates spill all over Facebook and Twitter, I turn to my trusted bourbon of choice, Maker's Mark.

Not that I need a bracer so late in the day.  Then again, the night is young, I haven't blogged in a bit and I need some "spirited" material to end the week.  'Nuff said.

The above billboard photo is borrowed from the Maker's Mark Facebook fan page.  Like most bourbon/whiskey/spirits/beverage brands, Maker's is an active social marketer.  Bill Samuels, Jr., president of Maker's Mark, personally and frequently blogs with new recipes, sampling events and other good reasons to get my butt back to Loretto.  (Last time I visited, I dipped my own bottle in red wax, dined at their downtown Louisville steakhouse and ordered a personalized barrel which awaits my return.)

I am also a card-carrying member of the Maker's Mark Ambassadors -- and that's no joke, they give us business cards.  So when I stumbled on the fan page today, I was pleased to see the Ambassadors in action.  I don't know how this started, but the M.O. is to announce yourself as an Ambassador from where ever you live along with well wishes on their wall.

Now that is grassroots branding at its best -- from the Bluegrass State, no less.  Simple, personal, influential.  I guess all of those holiday tchotchkes they mail each year to Ambassadors pay off.  That, and some consistently good and reasonably priced hooch helps.  So what if Maker's Mark "only" has 40,000+ fans on Facebook, compared to one pickle's 1,500,000+?  Memes come and go, but the marketers will take a smaller but fiercely loyal fan base any day, myself included.

Hats off to you, Mr. Samuels and company.  Online and off, your sense of community is truly on the mark.  And now, I think I'll find myself a rocks glass.