TCC Insights

What’s In A Name? Everything.

 By: Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

One of the biggest NHL stories of 2011 has concerned the Atlanta Thrashers’ recent relocation to Winnipeg, Manitoba. Winnipeg had lost its previous NHL team – the Jets – back in 1996 to the hockey mecca that is Phoenix, Arizona.

From Bad Romance to Bad Business

By Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

I’ll admit it. I think Lady Gaga is pretty good, especially when viewed against the barren wasteland of today’s pop landscape. Gaga knows how to write a catchy chorus and her competition looks foolish trying to mimic her (right, Xtina?). Plus, she audaciously took her stage name from a band that has sold more than 300 million records.  From the start, Gaga aspired to be rock royalty.

So I was shocked to hear that for two days, her highly-anticipated new album, Born This Way, was available through Amazon for 99 cents. 99 cents! This wasn’t an album by some washed-up act like the Backstreet Boys or Poison. This was the latest release by the most celebrated act in music today.

Mike Richards, You’re Under Arrest

By Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

We never thought we’d have to make a citizen’s arrest. They always seemed like something that only happens in movies. Honestly, we thought they were just an urban legend, like the one about Philadelphia Flyers fans being able to read.

But what compelled us to study up on the Miranda Rights was the way that Flyers center Mike Richards drove the Buffalo Sabres’ Tim Connolly headfirst into the boards during Game Six on Sunday. Easter Sunday to boot!

Websites That Are Actually Quite Useful

 By Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

I started thinking about the websites that I frequent while at work. Some are useful to what I do, and all of them are valuable in some form.

Dictionary.com  
A dictionary and a thesaurus all in one. If I’m working on a naming project, tagline or theme, it’s a very helpful resource. I still pick up the real books from time to time, but this website is so easy to use. I probably use it on a daily basis.

Get Real, Like Terry Pegula

By Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

Like many long-time fans of the Buffalo Sabres, I was thrilled to watch new owner Terry’s Pegula’s introductory press conference. There is a lot of excitement about Pegula, and clearly much of it has to do with his wealth. The thing that got me charged up wasn’t his resources, but rather his passion for the team and the way he directly communicated this to the public.

All you needed to see was Pegula’s reaction to hockey legend Gilbert Perreault to get a feel for what this guy is all about. His voice cracking with emotion, Pegula unabashedly told Perreault, “You’re my hero.” The beautiful thing about this moment was how raw and sincere it felt. As they say, you just can’t script stuff like this. It was magic. Right there, Pegula had won over even the teams’ most jaded fans. And he did it by being real.

Serving You Well

By Jeff Bucki, Senior Copywriter

I was speaking the other day with one of my colleagues about how we both had been servers prior to getting into the marketing communication business. Thinking about it further, it occurred to me that a number of my co-workers had been servers back in the day. It made me realize that the lessons learned waiting tables were quite helpful in our line of work. Which makes sense, as they’re both service industries.

Growing up, I had a lot of jobs that really didn’t suit me, such as hardware and home improvement stores, lumber yards and so on. Driving a forklift was pretty cool, but for the most part, these jobs didn’t really give me a chance to put my people skills and quick wit to work.

Successful, in a kickass way.

By Jeff Bucki, Copywriter


“I think you’re going to have something that ends up in Print magazine.”

Those words from our associate creative director proved prescient when we found out that our 2009 campaign for Compeer of Greater Buffalo’s fundraising gala would be featured in the influential design publication.

Earlier this year, the campaign placed third overall out of 387 entries at the local ADDY Awards. This was just the start as it went on to earn regional and national ADDY honors as well.

But creating the campaign wasn’t easy. At times, it was very challenging. When we knew we were on to something that could be big, it felt like the stakes and expectations grew higher.

Stepping Up to the Lectern

   By Jeff Bucki, Copywriter


Editor's Note:  TC&C's own Jeff Bucki was featured in the "My View" column in The Buffalo News on June 12.  His column is re-posted below.

This spring, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching a public relations class at my alma mater of Fredonia State University. It was something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m really glad I received the opportunity. As I expected, it has been a really unique and enjoyable experience.

There’s something really neat about being able to interact with and influence young people. I remember what it was like being in their shoes. For me, a lot it is sharing what I’ve learned along the way, what works and what doesn’t.

In my class, I have a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. I told my students the first week that I was going to give them the inside story on PR. If they were looking for theory, they could get that from the textbook. My goal was to give them the reality of today’s marketing communication world. It’s the real-world insight that adjunct professors bring to the table that serves as our point of difference.

And the Brand Played On

By Jeff Bucki, Copywriter

In this industry, brands are a very big deal. The most successful brands in the world – McDonalds, Nike, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, and so on – are worth billions of dollars. It could be argued that nothing is more important than a company’s brand likeness. TV shows. Apparel. Film franchises. It’s all about the brand.

Which becomes a tricky question in the music world, especially when an established band loses a key member. Now if Bill Gates dropped dead tomorrow, Microsoft would go on. But what happens when a singer dies? Does the rest of the band (and the brand) die with him? What are the surviving members supposed to do? Weren’t they a part of that brand, too?

Everything Goes Back to Atari

By Jeff Bucki, Account Manager/Copywriter

Why do I feel the need to check my Facebook profile daily? What exactly is going to happen there that is so potentially important to be visiting the site several times a day?

Granted, Facebook is a neat tool and clearly it has its claws in me and millions of others. It’s cool to post status updates when you have something to say. It’s nice to be able to share photos of your kids and to reconnect with random people that you had lost track of years ago. I also enjoy those “Which old-time WWF wrestler are you” polls. But what else is there on Facebook that’s driving me to keep checking out the site?