It’s no secret that people in the advertising industry love to drink, and we really know our booze.

So for those with a discerning palate, here’s a curated list of the top 10 vodkas, ranked by quality. 

1. Brackish Vodka
   Crafted in Jacksonville, Florida, 5 times distilled through multiple mediums with a clean, mineral finish. This vodka is crafted from Florida-grown corn, so it’s naturally gluten-free. The salt filtration even imparts some electrolytes. We’re not saying it’s a suitable replacement for Gatorade, but if the shoe fits…
2. Belvedere Vodka
   One of the vodkas you probably drank during your college years because you probably liked the frosted glass bottle and thought the price made it an ultra-premium product. This Polish vodka is distilled from rye, delivering a smooth and creamy profile with hints of vanilla and white pepper.
3. Chopin Potato Vodka
   Distilled from potatoes, Chopin provides a rich and full-bodied flavor with earthy notes, making it ideal for sipping neat, but honestly… vodka’s a neutral spirit, so if you’re sipping it neat, you should really just be a bourbon drinker at this point.
4. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
   Produced in Texas from corn, Tito’s is made by a guy that looks like he was made in a lab that produces soap opera stars for daytime television. He looks like George Clooney’s more athletic cousin, but he sounds like an old timey prospector from the gold rush years. This vodka is the house vodka for virtually every bar and restaurant. Good luck trying to avoid it, you can’t.
5. Cîroc Vodka
   Made from French grapes, Cîroc stands out with its citrusy aroma and a hint of sweetness, offering a unique twist on traditional vodka flavors. Can you taste the grapes? No, not really, but use your imagination.
6. Grey Goose Vodka
   Grey Goose won best vodka in the world according to some forgotten publication nearly 25 years ago and that’s probably why you still drink this. Pricing has come down in the past couple decades and it makes you wonder if that’s because their process has become more efficient, or have they cut corners. This French vodka is crafted from winter wheat and natural spring water, resulting in a smooth and slightly sweet taste with a clean finish.
7. Ketel One Vodka
   Hailing from the Netherlands and distilled from wheat, Ketel One offers a crisp and sophisticated flavor profile with notes of citrus and honey. Honestly, when someone orders this, I cringe a little bit. It has a distinct flavor which is more than you can say for most vodkas, but is that really what you’re going for? Vodka isn’t normally meant to be the star in a particular cocktail, but allows itself to blend seamlessly into whatever it’s mixed with.
8. Crystal Head Vodka
   Known for its distinctive skull-shaped bottle, this Canadian vodka is additive-free and offers a clean, crisp taste with subtle hints of vanilla. Let’s be real for a moment. You only drink this because it’s associated with Dan Akyroyd, and you really love Ghostbusters. Not normally a fan of oddly-shaped packaging (a human skull in this case… a little macabre, right?) but I AM A HUGE FAN of the color techniques they’ve used in their packaging to create iridescent effects and more. Oh yeah… the vodka, how’s it taste?! It tastes like vodka. Enjoy.
9. Beluga Noble Russian Vodka
   Originating from Siberia, Beluga uses malt spirit and pristine water to create a luxurious vodka with a rich, velvety texture and a hint of sweetness. If you’re drinking this, it’s probably because you think that a Russian vodka lends itself to authenticity. Russians LOVE vodka. How do I know. Bert Kreischer told me so.
10. Absolut Elyx
    A premium offering from Absolut, Elyx is distilled from single estate winter wheat, delivering a silky mouthfeel and a clean, fresh finish. Normally I would tell you that Absolut vodka tastes like the kerosene that powers a homemade flamethrower, but this is Absolut ELYX, and that’s a horse of a different color. It’s so easy to drink it’s practically Dasani. Good for the body. Good for the soul.

The post Top 10 Vodkas Ranked By Taste appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

But what if we told you that it was a little more nuanced than that?

Specifically, we’re talking about women in the workforce — and women in leadership positions, especially. In other words, we’re talking about “The Great Breakup.”

If You Liked It, Then You Should Have Made A Value of It

Simply put, the Great Breakup is a similar phenomenon to the Great Resignation. However, while many may think of it as a wave of women simply quitting their jobs, the subject is more complex.

And it all comes down to whether or not the woman’s company is aligned with her values.

That being said, Pew Research Center has discovered that “a greater number of women than men tend to enter or exit the labor force in an average month.”

So, what makes the Great Breakup different?

“Women leaders are leaving their companies at the highest rate we’ve ever seen—and at a much higher rate than men leaders,” as explained by McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report. “To put the scale of the problem in perspective: for every woman at the director level who gets promoted to the next level, two women directors are choosing to leave their company.”

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

Let’s face it: When it comes to women leaving their place of work, many people will likely think of motherhood first. After all, having and raising a child is one of the most common reasons a woman will leave their job, right?

Well, no. Not in the case of the Great Breakup, at least. In this case, it’s often about whether or not a woman’s company is intent on bridging the gaps in both wage and diversity.

“Many women are finding that this intention isn’t there, as women continue to be more likely to experience microaggressions and overwork themselves for little to no reward, even at the executive level,” as reported by CNBC.

And, going back to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report, the following are the top three reasons that women are “breaking up” with their current companies:

1. Women in leadership positions have a desire to climb the ladder but face greater obstacles than their male colleagues
2. Women in leadership positions are both overworked and underrecognized
3. Women in leadership positions are searching for a different workplace culture

S.H.E. Is Miss Movin’ On (Because S.H.E. Matters)

Here’s a (not so) fun fact: Statistics show that a mere “one in four C-suite leaders is a woman, and only one in 20 C-suite leaders is a woman of color.”

And when you consider all of the aforementioned — in addition to the Broken Rung, the Glass Ceiling, and an overall failure to address intersectionality — these statistics are, sadly, unsurprising.

And that’s why we think it’s time we take action and inspire widespread change.

But what do you think? Have you participated in the Great Breakup or the Great Resignation? And, if so, what do you think needs to be addressed and/or changed?

Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

The post Now You’re Just Somebody that S.H.E. Used to Know: Exploring “The Great Breakup” appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Everyone deals with anxiety from time to time. You are not alone in the pursuit of peace and tranquility. With so many of us looking for ways to cope with emotional turmoil, meditation is a wonderful tool. Tools like meditation practices can help keep us calm and support a sense of balance amidst turmoil and chaos.

When we are stressed and anxious, our bodies release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which can actually compromise our immune systems. Meditation releases “feel-good” hormones, like serotonin and oxytocin, which are scientifically proven to boost our immune systems and relieve stress.

Meditation is ultimately a unique personal practice in learning to manage one’s internal crises and overall wellness. It is an ongoing process of going inward to understand the true essence of letting go, observing without judgment, being comfortable in stillness and silence, and finding power in the present. There are no levels or measures to gauge one’s experience or expertise in meditation. If anything, there is only that pure intention and commitment to working towards becoming a better version of ourselves.

If you’ve not yet dove into the world of meditation and would like to try it, you might find peace in knowing there is no one-size-fits-all rule when starting a meditation practice. Find what works for you. It evolves and changes differently within each person. Just the same, it is accessible to anyone and everyone looking to discover the power in stillness and silence.

First things first: find a time you can commit to every day and tell the one(s) you’re close with daily with to honor this important private time for yourself. Consistency is important when introducing new habits but, of course, you can employ meditation at any time during the day, anywhere, and for short or long periods of time. That is what makes it accessible to anyone.

Again, no rules; just find what works for you. Newbies may want to check out this page by Headspace: How to Meditate.

There are several meditation apps and resources available.

To list a few:  

• BREETHE – Check out their Learn to Meditate and Daily Breethers programs.
• HEADSPACE is an app with guided mindfulness exercises and meditation.
• Use your Alexa speaker to prompt meditation sounds by saying “Alexa, play meditation” or “Alexa, play guided meditation” for the meditation of the day.  Perhaps a helpful guide.
• Use YouTube to find meditations, like this one.
• Look up meditation music albums on Apple Music or other music platforms, such as “50 Best Meditation Songs Collection.”
• Make use of the zen room in your workplace, if you’re lucky enough to have one like we do at the Mad Men Marketing office in Jax.
• Maybe you are lucky enough to have space at home to create a dedicated meditation space.

We want our team at zen, not zero. Offering creative benefits like professionally-guided meditations, sound baths, and yoga sessions keeps our team creative and connected. We also host wellness challenges that involve prizes — one of which was a meditation challenge!

In all, there are many ways to support the health of your workforce. This is just one of them.

Happy Meditating.

The post Meditation Madness: Welcome, Tranquility! appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Thus, in honor of this month’s observance, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on how women pave their own financial paths and generate a lasting impact on our nation’s economy.

After all, it’s not just that S.H.E. Matters today, it’s that she always has and always will.

The History of Women in Business

Recorded history dates the first woman-run business in America all the way back to the 18th Century.

Specifically, in 1739, “Eliza Lucas Pinckney took over operation of the family’s three South Carolina plantations at the age of 16 after her mother’s passing and her father’s return to the West Indies,” As reported by the SBDC National Information Clearinghouse (SBDCNet).

Following, up until the mid-20th Century, most businesses that were run by women were ale houses, clothing shops, and brothels. Primarily, these were only established by women who were unmarried or otherwise without a man who was considered the “traditional breadwinner” at the time.

Thankfully, by the 1920s, the idea of female entrepreneurship became normalized. Thus, in the 1940s, women were more ready to step into the workforce amidst the ongoing war. Even when the men returned and displaced those women, many went on to establish their own businesses and lines of work.

Finally, in 1988, “Congress passed The Women’s Business Ownership Act, which ended discrimination in lending, eliminated state laws that required married women to have a husband’s signature for all loans and gave women-owned businesses a chance to compete for lucrative government contracts,” according to Media Partners Worldwide.

Modern Growth, Modern Numbers

Today, while women continue to face an uphill battle against the glass ceiling, broken rung, and many other phenomena that otherwise hinder their upward mobility in business, there is still reason for celebration.

“In 1972, there were a little over 400,000 women-owned businesses in the United States,” as reported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). “Today, there are over 13 million women-owned businesses and counting.”

What’s more, the U.S. Census reported that, in 2018, “women-owned employer firms reported nearly $1.8 trillion in sales, shipments, receipts or revenue and employed over 10.1 million workers with an annual payroll of $388.1 billion.”

Further, some exciting statistics provided by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) include:

• One in five firms that report their annual revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned
• 4.2% of all women-owned firms have revenues of $1 million or more.
• 5.4 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S.
• The aforementioned firms generate an annual $361 billion in revenue
• Those firms also employ 2.1 million people

S.H.E. Matters, and So Does Her Business

At the end of the day, women-owned businesses remain invaluable to our economy, and we hope to see them continue to proliferate as time goes on.

After all, women should not be doubted — and neither should their impact on the workforce.

Further, we would love to highlight some of your favorite locally-owned businesses that are owned and run by women. Please reach out to us or visit our S.H.E. Matters page to send in a submission for our review, and stay tuned here for more information!

The post S.H.E. Matters and is Invaluable to Our Economy appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

While at this convention, I had the pleasure of meeting some really talented digital marketing professionals, that do truly work hard. The problem is, said company works with MANY, MANY manufacturers and that requires the dreaded enterprise solution. What is an enterprise solution in its most basic form? Here is what Wiki says about Enterprise software and you can easily apply it to any enterprise fill in the blank: Enterprise software, also known as enterprise application software (EAS), is computer software used to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users. 

Here is where I am going to point out the obvious issue if you are a business. The definition of enterprise is to satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users. Now there are MANY applications where an enterprise solution works, I won't go there, but when I read the line “satisfy the needs of an organization rather than individual users”, I see it like this – A big digital marketing company as the organization, and each of its clients as individual users.

So think about that for a minute all you decision makers out there, the Enterprise Solution for your digital marketing, is only “Enterprise” to benefit the organization billing you for time, and not for you specifically as an end user. THAT IS CRAZY! But so many decision makers just don't know, and don't want to look “dumb” for going with the problematic enterprise solution. If you read my previous article, you would know you have fallen for Buzzword Billies. So don't be scared to make a change and just because something is enterprise, doesn't mean it is the right choice for your organization.

The post Enterprise Digital Marketing Solutions = BOXED (I mean lazy) digital marketing solutions. appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Ronnie – Jimmy Hula's, Mojo's in Jax Beach, Kickbacks

Gina – Collage in St. Augustine, Blue Fish, Orsay

Joe – Lulu's Waterfront Grille, The Fish Company, Culhane's

Sage – Metro Diner, Mellow Mushroom in Jax Beach, Flying Iguana

Mariana – Bistro Aix, Black Sheep, Bento

Justin – Capital Grille, TacoLu, Olio

Ryan – Mr. Taco, Bearded Pig,  Hana Yori

The post Mad Men Marketing Fave Foods appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

    It can be difficult for TV stations to keep up ratings when no one is home to watch TV on a given day of the week. They must brainstorm and find ways to convince people to watch their show the day it premieres, rather than on DVR or Hulu the next day. Finding days of the week and timeframes when people are most likely to watch TV will help stations become more successful.

    ABC has found a solution and the trend will likely catch on. The network chose to premiere their game show night on Sundays this summer. Kids are out of school, usually bored out of their minds, so this is an ideal time to re-launch family game shows. Parents want to relax before work on Monday and kids want to be entertained. This is a way to keep everyone happy and laughing, while spending time with family. The work week can drag family members in different directions, but they can always reconvene on Sunday nights.

    Family game shows aren’t the only thing on television on Sundays. Shows like, Game of Thrones, attract viewers other than families. Young adults are also watching TV on Sundays before school or work the next day.

    TV networks are catching onto what ABC and HBO are accomplishing. Social media is overloading with posts about Game of Thrones and Family Feud with Steve Harvey. Two completely different shows are bringing people around the television on Sunday nights.

The post Any Given Sunday… On TV appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Google Shopping has given us the ability to promote a client to a nationwide audience, with the budget of a local spend.  Please call us with any questions you have.  We would be happy to send you a copy of our most recent Google Shopping White Papers and case study information.  Right now we are offering a no cost consulation – to see if Google Shopping is right for you and your eCommerce business.  We offer extensive packages for online advertising, with our exclusive Mad Men Marketing Digital Suite; which includes Adwords, Bing and Yahoo!, as well as Social Media and SEO.

Call us today at: 904-355-1766 or email us at support@madmenmarketinginc.com today.

The post Google Shopping Experts appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

Titans– Marcus Mariota: Let’s face it, the QB of the future isn’t currently on the Titans roster.  This kind of reminds everyone of when Andrew Luck and RGIII went 1 & 2… the decision is between a pure passer and exceptional athleticism.  Mariota can run like a runningback with a 40 time in the 4.5’s.  I think he projects as a Colin Kaepernick type of guy without as much arm strength.  Durability will be a concern due to his willingness to run.

Jaguars– Dante Fowler: I almost mocked Vic Beasley here, but Fowler is insanely athletic (not quite as freakish as Beasley) and has the bigger body.  If he can develop his pass-rushing arsenal beyond his inside move, he could be dangerous coming off the edge.

Raiders– Leonard Williams: Some say Williams is the best prospect in the entire draft.  He’s a tackle that can be moved around on the line and he has demonstrated that he has the strength to play in the trenches.  It’s going to come down to his motor and his work ethic once he turns pro as to whether or not Williams is a future Pro-Bowler or a bust.

Redskins– Vic Beasley: The Redskins find Orakpo’s replacement with the incredibly athletic Beasley.  The only real knock on him is his weight.  If he demonstrated the same abilities and weighed ten pounds more, he could have been chosen higher.

Jets– Kevin White: The Jets forego the sure thing with Amari Cooper here and opt for the height/speed combo in White.  In this scenario, they draft White due to his high ceiling.

Bears– Landon Collins: Remember when the Bears were incredibly dominant on defense?  Well now that defense is a shadow of its former self.  They draft the standout safety in this draft class and take a well-rounded future leader in Collins in their secondary.

Falcons–  Brandon Scherff: The Falcons are fine at WR and QB.  What they need to do is give Matt Ryan some time to heave that ball down the field.  This move gives them bookend tackles for years to come.

Giants–  Gerrod Holliman: Maybe a bit too high to take him here, but Holliman is an absolute ball hawk!

Rams– Amari Cooper: Nick Foles is going to need a target.  Tavon Austin has proven he’s not a #1 receiver, but he may be a more adept #2.  Cooper allows Austin to increase his productivity and gives the Rams the draft’s top route runner.

Vikings– Trae Waynes: The Vikings get the most NFL ready CB in the draft.  He’s drawing comparisons to Antonio Cromartie, so he will be a cornerstone of a young defense for years to come.

Browns– Danny Shelton: His stats suggest he could be the next Ndamukong Suh, but the reality is that he’s more likely to be like Senderrick Marks or Terrence Knighton.  Both of those are very good tackles, though.  It’s a strong possibility the Browns could trade this pick because of the other pick they have in the first round.

Saints– Arik Armstead: Freakish size and a power rusher. He will definitely be able to bat some balls down at the line of scrimmage, but he needs to improve his pass rush technique and repertoire to develop into a better overall player.

Dolphins– Devante Parker: He’s fast and he’s strong and the Dolphins have a severely depleted WR corp.  Jennings is a band-aid, not the future, but at least he could mentor the younger Parker.

49ers– Bud Dupree:  Dupree takes advantage of Shane Ray’s off the field miscue and rumored turf toe and moves up the draft board. Freakish athlete that someone could easily pick much earlier than this.  Think of Jason Pierre Paul in terms of how raw he was, but this  guy is more athletic.  He ran in the 4.5’s and jumped 42 inches!  Concerns may be that he played at Kentucky instead of a more perennial power even though he still played in the SEC.

Texans– Dorial Green Beckham: Formerly the top high school talent in the country, his college career was a little underwhelming, but not many receivers exist with his build.  He has above average speed and would be an interesting pairing with Hopkins.  Houston could also trade for a QB, possibly Rivers.  They have the potential to be a pretty elite team.

Chargers– Marcus Peters: All the talent in the world with a volatile personality (remind you of Pacman Jones?).  The Chargers will need to defend against the pass-happy Broncos.

Chiefs– Jaelen Strong: The definition of a solid receiver.  He’s well-built and will probably be a more technically sound receiver and not a home run threat, but you can make a good living in the NFL as a possession receiver that nets 50-60 yards a game.

Browns– Breshad Perriman: Josh Gordon’s NFL career is likely at its end.  Breshad Perriman is one of those high risk/high reward picks that may or may not pay off, but the metrics are there, so if he’s got the right kind of mentality and if he’s coachable, this could be a really good selection by Cleveland.

Eagles– Randy Gregory: This would be pretty nice for the Eagles.  Gregory got in trouble during the Combine, but Chip Kelly covets speed, and the athletic Gregory might be a good fit in the City of Brotherly Love.

Bengals– Ereck Flowers: Not a sexy pick, but a solid offensive lineman.  As such, I don’t have much more to contribute to this pick.

Steelers– PJ Williams: Height? Check.  Weight?  Check.  Speed?  Check.  Could possibly fall to the 2nd round, but a depleted Steelers secondary has Williams getting plucked late in the first round.

Lions– Malcom Brown: Brown has the size and strength to be a good defensive tackle and it certainly fills a need for the Lions.  The trouble is that Brown’s determination can sometimes be found lacking if his initial pass rush is unsuccessful.  Given enough time to work on technique and apply his size and strength, he could anchor the next generation of Detroit lines.

Cardinals– Todd Gurley:  The Cardinals take a chance on Gurley, undoubtedly the draft’s best runningback (as long as his knee isn’t Jell-O already).  This would give Arizona a weapon in the backfield that they really haven’t had since Edgerrin James.

Panthers– Eli Harold: This would be a very nice compliment to Luke Kuechly.  I know Carolina’s been known for their defense in recent years and not really known for their offense, so they could go WR here or any number of offensive moves, but Harold is a pretty legit LB.

Ravens– La’el Collins: Size and strength are of no concern and he was one of the best tackles out there this past year and he had plenty of top-notch opposition in the SEC.  The problem is that, like Andrus Peat, he’s susceptible to lunging a little too much which gets him off balance and sacrifices his strength.

Cowboys– Eddie Goldman: A play-making 3-4 tackle who played on a championship caliber team.  If he can learn to play lower in terms of pad level, he could make a name for himself.

Broncos– DJ Humphries: Needs to develop as a pass blocker with better technique, but he’s got a nasty streak in him that some teams may like.  Montee Ball would love this pick.  The kind of guy that can chip the end and get to the second level.

Colts– Shaq Thompson- The University of Washington product is incredibly versatile, having played in the secondary, as well as linebacker and runningback for the Huskies.  He could be a fast-twitch athlete used at either the strong safety position or outside linebacker, adding some much-needed athleticism and an injection of youth to an aging Colts defense.

Packers– Bernardrick McKinney: My co-worker raises a good point on this pick.  It’s a little high to take him just based on the inside linebacker position, but he’s got rare athleticism for the position.  He’s fast and can go sideline to sideline with tons of height and jumping ability to spare.  Think about an inside linebacker with an outside linebacker’s skill set, or maybe if Brandon Jacobs played inside backer.

Saints– Jordan Philipps: For any of you that have followed Terrence Knighton’s career, you know that he flashes a lot of playmaking ability, but doesn’t have the stamina to be an every down tackle.  The same is true of Philipps.  He’s not taking plays off, but he can’t keep his motor running consistently at a high level, so if he’s in there every play of every defensive series, he will lose his effectiveness over time.

Patriots– Kevin Johnson: Could be the next really good Patriots cover CB.  A little bit of a liability when tackling, but can press at the line well.

The post 2015 NFL Mock Draft appeared first on Mad Men Marketing.

    The bigger problem that Yahoo faces going forward is not keeping up with the Jonses' (read:Google), but not getting kicked completely off the block.  Yahoo's fundamental problem is not their inability to merge new technologies into their plans for the future; trying to stay relevant to their user base is.  With this being the primary issue, just how much of a true impact BrightRoll could have for Yahoo might be overshadowed by the bigger problem.  With lingering questions in leadership from their investors, as well as a string of failed attempts to acquire and facilitate a broader reach in digital & video advertising for their own content, the full potential of this possible deal may never be realized.

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