#Duck Brand Sweepstakes

[taperwolf]

So my guitar is a bit of an odd duck. It's very much an entry-level instrument, a Squier Bullet Strat HSS (a humbucker at the bridge and single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions), but it sounds pretty good and keeps in tune. But the unusual thing about it is that it's a big advertisement for Monster Energy drinks.

The branding is a big vinyl cling across the whole front of the guitar; it's actually under the pickguard. From what I can gather, this is one of 12 or so guitars given away via a sweepstakes in Canadian 7-11s. I found this one in a pawn shop in Oregon, and I've seen what I believe are two others online. (Monster have given away other branded guitars, of course, just not HSS Bullet Strats.)

Now, I'm not a big Monster Energy fan; I'm not really an energy drink guy to begin with, and the company's habit of suing folks in completely unrelated industries for trademark infringement does not endear them to me. But I'm still reluctant to just take the big sticker off, both because it's an interesting conversation piece, and because I'm not really into covering up the guitar's origins. And while I'm not planning on selling it, it's probably worth slightly more as a "Monster Energy Sweepstakes Guitar" than as a "black Squier". But I've been wanting to slightly obscure the branding for a while, and I do have that vinyl cutter.

So it's now Rina-chan Monster Guitar. I'm not sure it's entirely successful! I made sure to use removable vinyl, so I can just take it off if I want, and I may be doing that.

(It just occurred to me that what I should do is put a triptych of Shioriko's, Lanzhu's, and Mia's symbols on over the big M, and have a Monster Girls Energy guitar. Maybe next time.)

[nothingunrealistic]

QUINN CLOTHING BRANDS

ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

FOUNDED: 1981

AVAILABLE POSITION: CHIEF COUNSEL

Quinn Clothing Brands distributes Quinns products in the U.S. Founded in 1981, Quinn Clothing Brands is a leading global online retailer with operations in Bangladesh and Allentown, Pennsylvania, along with other key markets. Quinn Clothing Brands reaches consumers across more than 150 countries and regions around the world. We place a premium on choice, delivering more than 6,000 new fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products daily with more than 600,000 items available. Our mission is to help people express their individuality through the latest trends that are accessible and affordable.

This Counsel position directly reports to the US General Counsel. We are seeking a corporate generalist to handle a variety of commercial and employment matters.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Review, structure, draft and negotiate commercial agreements in a broad range of transactional disciplines, including marketing and service agreements, publishing agreements, production agreements, co founding agreements, NDAs, and license agreements.

[…] legal reports and […], and effectively present information to senior management.

[…] internal and external […], and perform legal research and […], to determine whether company […] comply with company policies, […] including with […]

[…] Department and outside counsel on a variety of labor and employment issues.

Manage and collaborate with top tier outside law firms.

service contracts, concession agreements, leases

group sales and catering agreements

master procurement agreements

data privacy and security, including data breach management

IT and software agreements

administrative licensing

development of standard forms, policies, and procedures

employee relations matters, including EEOC matters and union negotiations

employee benefits matters

guest issues

premises liability

crisis management

trademarks and service marks

tax advice and representation

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum of 6-8 years of corporate transactional law experience. In-house experience preferred.

Self-starter, entrepreneurial, “roll up your sleeves” attitude.

Exceptional legal drafting, research and analytical skills.

Pennsylvania bar admission and good standing with the state bar.

Experience with labor and employment counseling a major plus.

Experience with marketing and sweepstakes laws.

[GRAY DUCK] CHOCOLATE COMPANY

[ROCHESTER], MINNESOTA

[FOUNDED: ?]

AVAILABLE POSITION: DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Rochester, Minnesota on the Zumbro River’s south fork

Gray Duck Chocolate Company [Headquarters in] Rochester, Minnesota

[…]

[GRAY DUCK] CHOCOLATE COMPANY

[ROCHESTER], MINNESOTA

[FOUNDED: ?]

AVAILABLE POSITION: DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

[…] company is trusted by […] customers, Gray Duck […] of more than […] revenues over $220 […] this trajectory […] momentum and is […] growth in […] acquisition. […] leadership […] before, having […] of over $3 […] vision, strong […] Gray […] assembled a […] culture with […].

[…] Chief Legal […] the Director of […]

[RESPONSIBILITIES]

[…]

[…]

Technology Strategy: Have end-to-end responsibility for the legal team’s technology strategy, from the RFP stage through implementation and maintenance, with the legal and compliance, finance and accounting, and IT teams as your key internal clients and partners. Identify and implement legal department tools to streamline new or existing practices, manage design, rollout, and training for new systems, and generally oversee the legal department’s technology strategy (including the selection, implementation, administration, and support of all technology resources related to matter and document management, content and knowledge management, e-billing management, contract management and related legal operations systems).

Outside Counsel Management: Develop and lead a process for positive and efficient outside counsel relationships. Identify and select firms (in partnership with attorneys) pricing negotiations, ongoing fee management, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion assessments, and […].

Communication & Professional Development: Coordinate the communication and professional development program for the legal department […]

Professional Management: […]

[…]

[omresult]

Duck Brand Sticks With Education Sweepstakes - Chance To Win $500 Cash Prize

Duck Brand Sticks With Education Sweepstakes – Chance To Win $500 Cash Prize

Interested and eligible participants can enter to Duck Brand Sticks With Education Sweepstakes which provide you complete satisfaction and you will also enjoy it a lot. Sweepstakes open for all United States residents. All participants need to submit entry before August 21st, 2022 and can get a chance to Win $500 cash prize. (where the prize value is equal to or greater than…

[zara2148]

Fethsteel Fic: Not Good Enough (For You)

So here we go, my take on how Fethry Duck joined F.O.W.L. and met Steelbeak. Less warning stuff for this one, mostly just implied abuse, though it’s clear Steelbeak has not had a pleasant history. Also, both he and Fethry have some self esteem issues... and there’s not exactly spoilers for “Lost Harp of Mervana,” but the new intro takes place right after it.

Also on AO3. Make sure leave kudos and comments there. I enjoy the feel of being applauded.

Huey was placing Isabella Finch's journal back in Uncle Scrooge's study when he spotted the tin can phone there, now connected to nothing. Scrooge held on to everything in the mansion, even seemingly useless things, on the grounds that it may one day come in handy again. 

It was one reason why Trash Day could be such a nightmare, though Scrooge was starting to learn how to let things go...

Huey found Della and Donald unpacking their gear off the sub, hanging up suits and boxing equipment until it was ready to be used again. "Uncle Donald? Mom? Do you know how to get in touch with Cousin Fethry? I think he'd love to hear all about Mervana."

"No, sorry, sweetie. I haven't heard anything from him since he rode off on the back of that... giant... fish..." Della shuddered in remembered revulsion.

"Mom, it was a krill."

"A fish is still a fish by any other name."

"You also seemed fine with Mitzy at the time."

"I was too busy thinking about all the Moonlanders we had to beat up."

Donald sighed and turned away from a crate to answer Huey’s question. “I haven’t heard from him either since then.” He shrugged. "But that's normal for Fethry. He either calls every five minutes or he gets so wrapped up in something we don't hear from him for six months."

"Doesn't he have a cell phone we could call?”

"Knowing Fethry, it would just get dropped in the ocean." There was a reason Scrooge only trusted Fethry with a tin can after one too many busted phones.

Huey’s beak twisted in discomfort. “But what if he got in trouble? What if he needed our help?”

Donald let out a breath, more frustrated with himself than anyone else, even Fethry. He knelt in front of Huey and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Fethry is…” Cuckoo bananas really hadn’t been the right thing to say to Huey, not when Donald could see the similarities between the two of them. Unsure how else to finish that sentence, he tried again.

“Fethry is who he is. But he’s also a grown adult capable of making decisions and taking care of himself. If he ever needs us, he knows where we are.”

Della grinned proudly. “He’s a part of the Duck family. Surviving is what we do.”

Uncle Donald and Mom weren’t wrong about that. Cousin Fethry had survived alone in a collapsing sea base for years. He knew the Junior Woodchuck guidebook from cover to cover, just as Huey did. He was better prepared than most to face trouble when it found him.

"Okay, I'll just make sure to write down all my observations about Mervana to share with him when he gets in touch."

Donald gave Huey a smile. "I'm sure he'll love that."

***

“Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

It was an old refrain at this point. 

The last job interview he had, Fethry had spent a full half-hour talking about the eating habits of krill and the merits of singing when asked about his team management skills. 

The interview before that, he spoke briefly about the endless silence of the ocean when asked how he dealt with workplace difficulties. He’d been too quiet after that question.

And the interview before that… well, he didn’t think that room was ever going to be the same.

Fethry’s laptop was old. Wires were sticking out and duct tape was barely holding the screen together. He browsed through the listings for scientists on Quacked In, tweaking his cover letter and resume slightly for each.

Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Maybe he should try for a slightly smaller position at a lab, like a custodian! He had experience keeping things in custody! And then he could work his way up from there. 

But the little Donalds had such faith in him. They believed he could be a great scientist. Fethry wasn’t going to let them down. He never really realized until it was too late, but Fethry knew he had a habit of letting his family down.

Gladstone had offered to help, after that big event with purple people from the sky… ahh, yes, the invasion! But Fethry knew how often people tried to get close to his cousin to use his luck. Family shouldn’t do that.

The next listing didn’t quite catch his eye. But Fethry was at the point of applying for everything that came up for “scientist” and read through what little there was.

“WANTED: Skilled scientists for private company in Duckburg. Duties will vary. Flexible work schedule, late nights occasionally required. Must be able to roll with the punches.”

He had no expectations that it would progress to a job offer. How he chose to look at was that he was doing really well on reaching his goal of 100 job rejections. He’d read all about re-framing your objectives for positivity!

Once he reached 100, well, he might as well try for 200 rejections then.

He reviewed his resume and cover letter on the final submission screen. He clicked “Send.”

Then he moved onto the next listing and thought no more of it.

***

F.O.W.L.’s computer settings were extremely sensitized when it came to tracking the movements and activities of the Duck-McDuck clan. They knew when Hubert Duck received a new merit badge, or when Dewford Duck uploaded another video to his overlooked Insta, or when Llewellyn bought a soda that wasn’t Pep branded.

Any diversion from or progress in the Duck’s family’s normal routine could be significant. That’s why they monitored it all.

So when a member of the Duck family applied for one of their vacant positions, it got noticed. Alarms went off, alerting the highest-ranking members in F.O.W.L. command.

Just ten minutes after the application was received, Bradford clicked through it on his laptop.

F.O.W.L. could just ignore this. Stay away from the Duck family until they were more ready to move out in the open. It would be a sensible move.

But there was potential here he couldn’t overlook.

Fethry Duck was one of the harder members to track ever since the McDuck SubLab crumbled into an undersea abyss. Satellite images last had him riding some sort of kaiju across the ocean, which was just typical when it came to the Duck-McDuck family.

When the moon invaders came they had made many mistakes, such as caring more about the acknowledgment of their perceived superiority than how they could exploit the Earth. But they had been right that it was better to have all members of that family accounted for when it came to global-scale plans.

Having Fethry under constant watch at F.O.W.L. would leave Gladstone as the most transient variable. And the lottery winnings and sweepstakes prizes he left in his wake would make him infinitely easier to track.

Fethry was also one of the more controllable members of the Duck family. Neither misfortune nor ostentatious fortune dogged his steps. He didn’t question intention and he didn’t try to stir up trouble for his amusement. He was so lacking in ambition that he stayed in a lonely janitorial position for almost five years. If he was taken to a lab and given every reason to stay, he likely would do so without seeing anything amiss.

His goal was to steal the world right out from under Scrooge. Why not start by stealing a member of the man’s family? One Scrooge was unlikely to miss for quite some time, given his avoidance of Fethry’s company.

Yet for a duck who didn’t believe in handouts, it said something that Scrooge still cared enough about Fethry to give him a string of jobs that he more or less performed adequately. He’d prefer it not come to threats, especially since harm to his family made Scrooge predictably savage. But if worse came to worse… better to have a hostage than do without.

And if he was useless? Disposing of him would be no hardship.

He clicked “Accept” and composed a brief response, suggesting a range of times that Fethry could visit a front location in downtown Duckberg.

After opening up the email and reading through it, Fethry squealed and picked out the earliest possible time. 

***

Fethry hummed as he walked inside the address the email gave him. It was a plain building, notable only for its pristine white exterior that seemed all too blank.

He’d dressed up nice for the occasion. His red jacket was replaced with a slightly frayed and browned business suit jacket. His tie was a piece of dried kelp that Mitzy had picked out for him. She always had the best eye when it came to kelp. And his cap was still present, keeping his thoughts toasty warm!

Yet his throat felt clogged and simultaneously too dry. The papers in his hand would be wrinkled if he clutched them any tighter. There was a heavy feeling in his chest that told him he’d be out of here soon enough, and he would need to try his luck elsewhere.

A duck with a dirty face and ruffled hair sat behind the visitor’s desk. Her name tag read “Ample.”

He approached her without his usual bounce. “Hello, I’m here for an interview.”

She nodded and glanced through the schedule. “Fethry Duck?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“The director is ready to see you now. Go through the double doors over there.”

He dipped forward in an awkward half-bow, unsure if a handshake would be too presumptuous. “Thank you!”

He pushed his way through the double doors. The room was in grey shadow, a large desk slightly off toward one of the corners. Two chairs were in front of the desk, facing the figure behind it.

The shadows slightly obscured the person behind the desk. He could make out a shape but no features.  

The shadow turned to him. “Ah, thank you for coming. Please take a seat.”

Fethry grabbed one of the chairs, shifting his paper copy of his resume as he looked at his interviewer up close.

Oh, he knew this vulture! He worked with Uncle Scrooge before! His name was buzzing around in the back of Fethry’s skull, waiting to be grabbed hold of…. what was it, what was it…?

“Bradley!”

“It’s Bradford,” he corrected in a cold tone. 

Fethry slumped back in his seat, feeling small. “O-oh, I’m sorry.”

Bradford did not take the time to acknowledge what he said. He sat “So, Fethry Duck. Scrooge’s nephew.”

“Yes.”

“You hold no degrees, no certifications that would qualify you for a scientific position.”

“... no.” Fethry knew how much those pieces of paper meant to people. He sunk into his chair, almost wishing it could swallow him up, the way the ocean did…

...and that was not a train of thought he needed to be boarding right now. Fethry stepped off a mental platform, letting it whiz by.

Bradford continued, neither noticing nor caring about Fethry’s inner world and its struggles. “And yet, you thought you could apply here, for a scientific position with us.” He stood up and started to circle around Fethry. “Do you know what we do here, Fethry?”

“Science?”

“Among other things.” Bradford paused behind Fethry. Fethry couldn’t quite bring himself to turn and look at him. “What we do here... let’s just say we're out to change the world.”

Bradford resumed his circle and came to a stop in front of Fethry. He let silence reign for a few seconds before speaking. “And Fethry Duck? We’re willing to give you the chance to join our ranks.”

Fethry had to swallow down dry disbelief. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Fethry’s hands were clammy as he held out his stacks of papers. His grip wasn’t shaking, but his limbs felt hollow. “You don’t even want to look at my resume first?”

“I’ve already seen it.”

He let his arms fall to his sides. His voice came out small, as if he was once again speaking from the bottom of the ocean. “Why me?”

Silence returned. Bradford considered him over his beak.

“You’re the unnoticed member of the Duck-McDuck family. Isn’t it time you had a chance to prove yourself?”

Bradford wasn’t wrong. He wanted that chance. But the implication that he was only getting this job because of his family...

Well. Wasn’t that how he got every job he ever had?

Bradford turned away from him and loomed his way back behind his desk. “Mind you, the job still isn’t much. You’ll be working in a lab on your own projects, yes. But you will remain under direct supervision for the time being. Before undertaking any venture, you are to submit a full report that outlines expected costs and outcomes, in accordance with our guidelines.”

He sat down, his back hunched to allow him to continue looming from a lower height. “The pay is minimum wage, but you can work your way up through experience. Food and board will be provided on-site, so that’s two fewer things you have to worry about.”

Fethry absent-mindedly fiddled with his kelp tie, his attention otherwise on Bradford as he continued.

“As you may have surmised, your work is to be considered top secret. For the time being, we will ask that you remain in the facilities to better learn your responsibilities. There is to be no contact with the outside world without prior approval. Otherwise, you put ourselves and the work we do at risk.”

“If you accept the job under these terms, a car will be dispatched to pick up you and any belongings you choose to bring tomorrow morning.” Bradford steepled his fingers and looked through Fethry. “Do you accept these conditions?” 

Fethry had forgotten he hadn’t said yes to anything yet. He wasn’t sure how he got so caught up that he missed that.

He could bring his team with him, their jar was extremely portable. But taking this job would mean saying goodbye to Mitzy for a while… hopefully, she would understand. 

He nodded, then said for emphasis, “Yes.”

“Well, then. Welcome, Fethry Duck, to…” Bradford paused again, his words trailing off into familiar silence. “... well, we’ll just call it your new place of work.”

***

There wasn’t a whole lot to do at their headquarters between missions. The funnest thing to do around here was to play all the arcade games after the kids had gone home for the day.

However, the last time Steelbeak did that he blew an entire paycheck and ended up with only 20 tickets to show for it—not even enough to trade-in for a piece of candy. That didn’t make him stupid, that made the games rigged.

Now he stuck to the actual secret parts of their secret lair, wandering the halls. His wallet stayed full and fat, but the time between missions dragged on and on.

The gun course was fun, but there was only so much offtime an agent was allowed there. Spend too much time shooting things and command would send you over to their quack shrink.

The rec room was okay, but he’d be fighting every off-duty Eggman there if he wanted to pick which channel to watch on the sole TV. Not that he wouldn’t win, but his time in the prison rec room, and the underground fighting ring’s rec room before that, taught him that victory wasn’t worth it if you couldn’t find any good shows playing.

Which is how he often ended up doing what he did right now, trailing after Heron down to the labs. He’d watch her and watch the other scientists, trying to see how what they did tied into F.O.W.L.’s big ol’ villain schemes.

Did he always understand what she was working on? No. Did she ever really try to explain it in an easily understood way? Also no. Did these trips to the labs often end with her metal hand clamped around his beak, hissing at him and calling him names? No, well, yes. Yes, it did.

… he was supposed to be going somewhere with this, but he wasn’t quite sure where. Wait, no, now he remembered. 

If he wanted to someday be the one hatching the schemes, he should watch how others hatched theirs first. It was like watching the prizefighter in the ring to learn how to beat him. Some people would only hit you if you asked them for anything, so you had to watch how they did something instead.

Most of the other scientists ignored him, and he didn’t pay them much attention either. But today, a duck in a red hat waved at them as he and Heron stepped inside the lab.

“Oh, hello! I’m Fethry!” The lab coat he was wearing hung loosely on him, clearly meant for a slightly larger bird.

“O-kaaay...?” Why was he expected to care?

A grin was spreading across Heron’s face as she looked the duck up and down. Then she turned her gaze to Steelbeak as she gestured offhandedly at the duck. “Fethry is our new marine specialist. He’ll be working on some of our most important projects.”

Heron… sounded like she was trying to hold back a laugh. What, was this smart guy really good at the jokes? Or did he know a party trick or two?

And what kind of name was Fethry? Might as well have called him “Webby” since he had webbed feet.

“Say, Fethry?” He knew that tone of voice from Heron. He didn’t always know the details of what she was saying, but he knew the sweetly sharpened tone was meant to cut someone down to size.

He felt… lighter, watching that tone be aimed at someone who wasn’t him. Like he was actually in on the joke for once. He also felt the urge to move to safer ground.

Heron’s smile was wide as she continued. “Why don’t you explain to my partner, Steelbeak, what you’re working on? He loves to hear about scientific experiments in great detail. Especially if you use a lot of long words.”

Okay, maybe he was still part of the joke.

Fethry’s eyes widened—he didn’t even know it was possible for someone to widen their eyes like that until Fethry did. “I’d love to!”

“Great!” Heron said in a passable imitation of Fethry’s enthusiasm. Under her breath she added, “Maybe now I can get some real work done.”

Steelbeak’s jaw tightened as she walked away. He refocused his gaze on the red-capped duck, who was all but jumping in place. 

A snort escaped him as he sat down at a table. At least if this pipsqueak tried to clamp his beak, he could just knock him into next week.

“So what are you working on?” This was still more exciting than watching the walls, after all.

Fethry laughed nervously. It had been a while since anyone paid him a significant amount of attention. “Well, at the moment I’m just filling out the request paperwork. But I’m hoping to start an experiment on delaying the eating habits of the crown of thorns starfish.”

“The what?”

“Crown of thorns starfish. It eats coral.”

“And that is?”

“Coral is like…” Fethry scratched his head. He could never remember all the big words like polyps, sessile, and Anthozoa when he needed to. “It’s like skeletons scattered across the seafloor that fish live in.”

“Really? So fish just decide to live in dead bodies.” Sounded fake, but at least it wasn’t boring.

“Well, coral is a skeleton, but it’s also alive. It’s really bad when they do die.”

“So the fish live in alive dead bodies.” This Fethry guy was talking an interesting sort of crazy.

“Skeletons, yes. Called coral. Only these sea stars eat the coral, so the fish have no place to live then.”

“Now, these sea stars start off eating algae. It’s been called the grass of the sea,” he explained before Steelbeak even had to ask. Fethry’s beak scrunched up. “Though I have to say, grass usually tastes much better.”

“How long it takes for the sea stars to go from algae to coral varies. And there’s a lot of these starfish in the ocean. If they made the switch all at once, they could do a lot of damage.”

Huh. For the guy’s first project, it had the makings of a decent scheme. “So… if you could figure out how to make them do it, you could have them eat the fish out of house and home?”

Fethry actually nodded at that. “Or if I could figure out a way to slow it down, I could buy time for the reefs to grow.”

“...huh.” He actually followed most of that. Sure in his mind, coral reefs had a lot more skulls than they normally did. But he got the gist of what Fethry was talking about.

Black Heron hummed as she worked without interruption. Fethry calculated the costs of feeding and housing a small colony of starfish, making sure to show his work. And Steelbeak imagined blackmailing a fishing village with an army of sea stars. Small potatoes when it came to true villainy, but everyone had to start somewhere.

***

It wasn’t one of Heron’s longer science sessions. She tapped at some keys, read some screens, fiddled with some gadgets, and was ready to leave in a couple of hours.

Fethry had remained in the lab, drawing up plans for a sea star’s dream home. They’d need plenty of walking room, he’d said, so he was drawing up little pathway designs. Including one for a yellow brick road.

He started to reach out a hand to Steelbeak… for what, Steelbeak wasn’t sure. His body tensed in defense.

And Fethry must have noticed because he let his hand drop to his side and just smiled instead. “Thanks for listening. I know I kind of ramble.”

Steelbeak waited a few seconds to be sure that Fethry wasn’t going to make any sudden moves. Then he gave a shrug and followed Heron out.

It hadn’t been a hardship. Listening to weird undersea stuff passed the time. It was like catching a documentary on TV, without the meatheads that would grab the remote from you and change the channel to something else.

Black Heron laughed at Fethry as soon as they left the lab. "That guy," was all she managed to say before chuckles overtook her.

Steelbeak scowled. “What? What did he say that was so funny?” Was he the butt of someone else’s joke again? He'd make him go splat, if so.

Heron regained control of herself, but she was still grinning. “He didn’t have to say anything. It’s comical that he’s even here.”

The scowl receded and his brows knit in confusion. “I don’t —”

“You don’t get it, I know. Lucky for you, I’m in a good enough mood to explain. He’s Scrooge McDuck’s nephew. You remember, the guy you were supposed to get out of the arcade?”

“The big guy who wrecked one of my suits?”

“Ugh, no! He was the one wearing a top hat.” A frown flitted across her face, but her good mood was quick to reassert itself. Past failure meant little in the face of such a hilarious triumph.

“He came to us, wanting a job. He has no idea that we’re F.O.W.L. and no idea that we’re working against everything his family stands for. We’re holding him hostage, and he has no clue.” Another peal of laughter escaped Heron.

Steelbeak let out a chuckle as well, now that he was finally in on the joke. "Ahh, I get it. Classic dum-dum. What kind of idiot doesn't know who they're working for?"

The grin on Heron’s face slipped slightly.

"This should go without saying, but I know you so I'll say it anyway. Do not tell Fethry any details of your work, your missions, what we do here. Nada. Nothing."

"Well, duh. I know that. That's why they're called secret missions."

"Steelbeak, I once saw you brag about being a secret agent at a bar to try and get a date."

"And why not! They were cute!"

“And you wonder why your recreational leave is so limited.”

“What?”

“I’m saying dumb boys don’t get a lot of outdoors time.”

“Hey!”

A smirk moved across her face before she continued. “The director wants him to remain utterly oblivious, so secrecy is of the utmost importance. He’s not going to be happy if we have to lock him up or kill him for knowing too much.”

Steelbeak did not reach for his beak. He did not feel the slight dents that remained from trying to punch his own mouth open. “And we’re not just locking him up now, why?”

“Because the Ducks are easiest to manage when they think a situation is within their control!” Her voice was raised as decades of thwarted ambitions seeped into her tone.

Steelbeak was unimpressed. He could get just as angry, and he hadn’t needed years to get to that point.

“And what if he does ask what I do here?”

“Why would he ask? You’re hardly about to engage him in some deep conversation, are you?”

He couldn’t quite meet her eyes for some reason. “Well, no, but…”

“Oh, for larceny’s sake. If it does come up and you can’t avoid answering the question, just make something up. You’re an agent, do some lying.”

“... yeah, of course. I can do that.”

***

It doesn’t really sink in until later that night, back in his room, how Fethry answered all his questions without calling him, “Stupid.”

[bbrookstone]

Thinking About Running a Contest on Facebook? Here’s What You Need to Know.

With over 2.6 billion monthly active users, Facebook continues to be the biggest social network worldwide, despite the growing popularity of other platforms, such as Instagram. Factors like Facebook’s ongoing growth and algorithm changes are certainly making it difficult for brands to gain attention, but there are ways to continue to stay relevant! 

One great way to engage with your current audience and attract new followers is by running a contest or sweepstakes. This type of initiative is interactive and engaging  and is sure to help you hit your Facebook marketing goals. If you’ve ever been curious about doing something of this nature for your brand, know that it is an idea worth exploring! 

Running a Facebook contest, however, is not as simple as posting a photo and asking followers to take an action for a chance to win. There are certain strategic steps you need to take first, as well as platform rules that must be followed. We’ve outlined everything you need to know below.

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with Facebook’s guidelines 

Before you do anything, it’s important to understand Facebook’s rules regarding contests. Per the platform: 

If you use Facebook to communicate or administer a promotion (ex: a contest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including

The official rules;

Offer terms and eligibility requirements (ex: age and residency restrictions); and

Compliance with applicable rules and regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered (ex: registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals).

For the full list, please refer to their Pages, Groups and Events Policies. 

Step 2: Select your contest goal

Like any other piece of content or campaign you’d run on social media, you should have a main goal you want to accomplish by running a contest. The goal you decide on will influence all of the other factors that go into planning your contest, thus making the entire process easier, as your plan of action will be clearer.

Some example goals include: 

Gain new Facebook followers

Drive traffic to your website 

Collect email addresses for future marketing campaigns 

Collect user-generated content for future content calendars and campaigns 

Increase awareness around a specific product or your brand as a whole 

Step 3: Decide on an entry method 

There are numerous ways you can ask users to enter the contest, but the option you go with should align with your overall goal. Great options include posting a unique photo or video and tagging your business, or filling out a form on a landing page or via a Facebook app.

NOTE: Facebook does NOT allow “share on your Timeline to enter”, “share on your friend's Timeline to get additional entries”, or "tag your friends in this post to enter.”

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that you want participants to invest a few minutes of their time to enter your contest, but not so much that they feel overwhelmed or frustrated by the number of actions they need to take. 

Step 4: Determine the prize 

When thinking about what type of prize you want to offer, remember that your contest should seek to attract people who fall in the target demographic for your brand, not people who like large generic prizes, such as an Apple Watch. 

More often than not, your own products or services are the best prizes to offer! Users who enter to win will be people who are interested in your brand. Sure, they might prefer to receive your product for free, but once they’ve imagined winning it, they’ll appreciate it more and be inspired to buy. 

Additionally, the prize needs to be valuable enough that people will stop scrolling and take the time to enter your contest. Consider giving away an item or service that is one of the most expensive things you offer. 

Step 5: Iron out the additional details 

Once you have a goal, entry method, and prize solidified, go over all of the other details that need to be worked out to make this contest successful. 

For example, if you’re looking to collect emails for future promotions, make sure that you’re creating a form that includes a spot to enter an email address. Additionally, if you’re collecting emails, think about whether or not you want to send a promo code to all entrants as a thank you for participating. If yes, that’s additional content that needs to be created and ready to go. 

In short, make sure all of your ducks are in a row before launch! 

Step 6: Craft your official rules 

In terms of your official contest rules, make sure you clearly outline the below: 

Your company info (location, website, etc.)

Contest start and end dates 

How the winner will be selected 

How the winner will be notified 

What the the prize is and what its value is 

Eligibility

Minimum age, number of times users can enter, eligible countries to win, cases that will result in disqualification, etc.

We know this step can feel overwhelming, as you want to make sure you are completely covered. Wishpond is a service that offers a free Contest Rules Generator that can simplify this process for you! 

Step 7: Launch and promote your contest 

Your contest is finally ready to go! To help gain the traction you need, make sure you leverage your other social media networks and marketing outlets. Be sure to post about it, mention it in your email blasts, etc. to get as many people involved as possible. 

Depending on your goal, it could be worth boosting your contest as a paid post. For example, if you’re looking to generate leads, you can create a Lead Ad and gather user information without needing to build a separate landing page! 

Step 8: Determine a winner and notify them

Depending on the type of contest you’re running, you will either be choosing a random winner, or selecting someone who best met the requirements for the contest. 

If you’re running a sweepstakes, a winner must be chosen at random, as it’s inherently up to chance. For assistance with selecting someone, Woobox is a great service that offers a free “winner picker” tool. 

If you’re holding a photo or video submission contest, you can select a winner based on the entry that best fits the requirements you provided. We recommend explaining why you chose the selected winner so that other entrants don’t become upset that they did not win. Alternatively, you can have your social media community vote on the winner vs. selecting one yourself.

Once you have your winner, make sure you notify them privately, whether that be via email or Facebook message. With their permission, be sure to post about it and congratulate them on their victory! 

There you have it! If you follow all of the steps outlined here, you’ll be a contest-holding rockstar in no time.

Interested in running a successful Facebook contest? Call, DM, or email us at sbellem@bbrookstone.com to discuss giveaway options. We would love to help make your ideas a reality! 

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Benefits Of Taxi Advertising

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The right advertising campaign can sell anything and make businesses profits rise. Its not really simply because much the advertisements itself simply because very much as it is usually the technique used to entice our kids to desire their item. The advertisements should also make good use of contrast, repetition, color, and pattern. Advertise with us and we'll toss in phantom duplicate. Another significant development relating to potential of advertising is the developing importance of the specific niche market marketplace using market or targeted advertisements.

By keeping yourself tuned into what can be occurring globally and locally, you are able to put your brand or your client into circumstance with your focus on market. The various other design of outdoor advertising is usually through the special effects like lightening different servings to highlight and make it obvious by the site visitors in a look. The consumer -panel provides changed down adorable dolphins.

Foreign marketers use scarcity appeal in cricket memorabilia advertising, by offering The Good - scarcity is definitely great for stimulating users to take actions, and is usually frequently efficiently used with various other special offers like coupons, sweepstakes and contests The Bad - scarcity appeals must end up being legitimate or customers will harbor negative attitudes towards your brand.

Marketing may become categorized in a variety of ways, including by style, target market, geographic range, medium, or purpose. Clearly, our consumer -panel found this place extremely appetising too. Most consumers are familiar with the Silentnight mattress and bed ads - across all mass media - which use the animated Hippo and Duck people to promote the support and comfort that their mattresses can provide.

They are the investors, who consist of both the bank or investment company which enables an overdraft and the supplier who provides credit; the business-persons who may make use of their own capital plus the income they gain; and those who buy their goods or providers. So I think by today you get the picture - and reason the pun! There are many places which can be used for outdoor advertising through hoardings, banner stands, fine mesh banners, exhibit graphics, trade show displays and many various other portable shows.

Regarding to marketers, they state that people are capable enough to established their brain and nobody can power them to buy anything which they hate or which they believe is usually reklamówki z logo - odiwedź stronę producenta not really a requirement. Advertising jingles are the most simplistic kind of advertising on the marketplace. In this relation, there are numerous types of marketing companies.

What else can become the best tool to advertise, it's Reality. The message of the product, the motto of the brand and the mind of the consumer, these are the three Ms that are essential in marketing. If you have a site that is usually up and running, you can use the figures of your visitors to obtain a bird's attention look at of where your focus on marketplace comes. They also impact the buying decisions of 95% of all items and providers.

Disclaimer: You are departing a Gizmodo Media Group, LLC website and going to a third party site, which is subject to its own personal privacy policy and conditions of make use of. It is usually a essential part of any 21st-century advertising combine, so if you are not really preparing currently, start today. Relating to fresh product release, advertising is beneficial just to businesses if it produces consumer id, can be differentiated from clutter, and in the long run its achievement is certainly sized by do it again buy.

The elevated importance of marketing communications ethics is underscored by the want of applying even more dialogical, two-way communications techniques. It will provide valid reasons for why the item is definitely superior and exclusive than others with the appropriate ad campaign. A brand is acknowledged with regards to its name, its quality and its popularity with advertisements these times showing the uniqueness of brands.

The task will build on the Climate Fiscal Construction that was developed and endorsed in August 2014 and will align with existing and future PFM reform programs led by Financing Department. Advertising, personal selling, promotion, and general public relations type the components of the advertising communication or promotional blend. A 1976 presidential campaign ad for President Ford The advertisement emphasized that the U.Beds. was at tranquility under President Ford.

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Nine Artistic Ways You possibly can Improve Your The best way to Play Fifa 18 Better

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