Russ: This is The BusinessMakers Show, heard here and online at TheBusinessMakers.com. Now, it's time for the Aflac BusinessMakers Flashback brought to you by Aflac – ask about it at work. For this morning's flashback, we're going to roll back just too earlier this week when I had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Earl Littman, Founder and Chairman of P.O.P. Broadcasting. This is a very unique business, a very unique product, and I got to tell you, Earl's a very unique entrepreneur. We'll enter the discussion where I ask Earl to tell us about P.O.P. Broadcasting.

Earl: Russ, I'm really surprised you asked that question.

Russ: Yes?

Earl: I was expecting you to ask me what it's like to be America's number one sex symbol, especially at my age.

Russ: (laughs) Well, that's exactly what I was thinking about at the same time.

Earl: Well, thank you. But, let me tell you a little bit about P.O.P. Broadcasting, which is the solution to every major advertiser, which is using radio, television, newspaper, billboards or direct mail. Our wireless technology allows advertisers to deliver their message directly to a targeted individual shopper while they're at the point of product display in a store deciding what to purchase, which brand to buy. We eliminate advertising waste. Around the world, billions of dollars are spent annually on advertising and 50% of that is wasted. Personally, I'm not interested in hearing or seeing about a ladies' handbag or pantyhose.

Russ: Right, me neither.

Earl: I appreciate that. We get rid of the clutter of competing edge. Every evening, when you're watching television, listening to the radio, looking at your newspaper, you see one ad after another. It's very hard to pinpoint your decision-making process when you are competing with one thing after another. We also report, in real time, which ads are playing at what time, where, which store. Primarily, our major goal and what we accomplished is that mostly we lift sales. Isn't that the purpose of advertising?

Russ: Well, every time I've ever advertise, that was the purpose for me. I got to agree with that for sure. But let me get this picture right now because you're talking about in-store advertising. Right?

Earl: Yes, sir.

Russ: OK. Help our listeners understand a little bit about what the shopper would actually see and experience.

Earl: OK. Actually, our technology includes a small device which is 10 inches long and only 3 ¼ inches high. It can attach to any shelf, any freezer door, any floor stack, or almost any place a major brand is displayed including an automobile, including a boat, or whatever popular brand is available for the consumer to select and purchase. Also, what happens is that we have a built-in technology which is an infrared reader. If you just passed by because you're not interested in buying that particular category, let's use the example of breakfast food, and you're not interested in purchasing that that day, nothing happens. But the moment you pause in front of that category, the infrared light automatically plays a television commercial, usually 10 or 15 seconds for that particular brand. We also have a text message display, which says, "Purchase today," "Special price," or "Save money by buying today." We act as a sales representative standing at that brand 24 hours, seven days a week for, literally, pennies.

Russ: OK. So, when you say a TV commercial, so this small device - 10" by about 3" - has a video display on it.

Earl: Yes, that's correct.

Russ: OK, cool.

Earl: We have a high resolution digital display which we had to have created especially for us.

Russ: OK, and you mentioned earlier wireless, so I assumed that it's battery operated?

Earl: Battery operated, again, made for us purposefully only out of the country because nothing existed quite like that. We designed our batteries so that they will last 30 days minimum, so that you don't have to be changing everyday or recharge like my cell phone is.

Russ: OK. Now, I know the answer to this question that this is your idea and you've even applied for a patent. But I got to ask you, what was it that triggered the idea to offer this type of unique and different advertising?

Earl: Well, I graduated, a long time ago, from New York University with a degree in Advertising. I immediately went to work in an advertising agency in the Empire State Building in New York City. I have been in that business ever since up until just approximately 17 years ago when we sold our advertising agency in Houston to Saatchi & Saatchi out of London. All those many, many years, we represented a wide variety of clients including Texaco - for 33,000 service stations around the world, - Foley's and other department stores, Gordon's Jewelers, the national convenience stores of Stop N Go.

All those years, I realized that there is a problem that, not only I have, but everybody in the business shares and that is taking money from a client knowing that "You give me a dollar, I'm going to give you 50 cents back because of the waste." I was appalled at that amount of clutter, which grew over the years, as I continued in the profession. When I first started, there was very little television around. It was primarily newspapers and radio and some outdoor. Now, look at this world, around the world, and all the competing factors, whether it's a carrying a device like a Palm device or whatever, all competing for people's attention. I want to get at that particular buyer and convert them into a shopper when all they had to do is reach out for that brand, put it in their shopping basket, and a sale is made.

Russ: That is so cool. You know what, I can kind of even detect a little passion in your voice for this product.

Earl: You don't have to worry about the passion. It's there. (laughter)

Russ: Well, that is so cool. You alluded to graduating quite sometime ago, why don't you go and share with our audience how old you are?

Earl: Well, I was in World War II, served from 1944 through 1945, finished school in 1948, and this past Thursday, I celebrated my 82nd birthday.

Russ: All right, you're just a young entrepreneur out there. I think you've done some small things before, but this is your biggest endeavor to date, right?

Earl: I wouldn't say it's my biggest endeavor to date. I think the advertising agency, which I was fortunate to be part of, became the largest independent agency, not only in this area, but pretty much throughout the Southwest. I'm very, very proud of the accomplishment by all those many, many folks that were associated with Goodwin, Dannenbaum, Littman, & Wingfield for many, many years. But this has the prospect of being one of the largest businesses because our goal and our mission is to become the world's largest wireless media network.

Russ: Cool. If somebody wanted to check out and see a little bit more detail, how can they get more information about P.O.P. Broadcasting?

Earl: All they have to do is go to their computer and just type in www.POPBroadcasting.com.

Russ: That is so cool. I really appreciate you sharing your story with us and I wish you all the luck in the world and P.O.P. Broadcasting. I want you to keep us apprised of your progress.

Earl: Russ, besides luck, how about some money? Why don't you wish us that as well, which is the big problem of many entrepreneurs.

Russ: (laughs) You bet. Well, I wish you that as well.

Earl: Thank you.

Russ: Thank you so much for coming in.

Earl: My great pleasure.

Russ: That wraps up our discussion with Earl Littman, Founder and Chairman of P.O.P. Broadcasting Company. That wraps up this morning's Aflac BusinessMakers Flashback brought to you by Aflac – ask about it at work. Now, it's time for another Advantage Point, so let's welcome Katie Laird.

Katie: This is Katie Laird with another Advantage Point, providing upgrade advice for turning your small business into a not-so-small business. If you're hard at work tightening your marketing budget, you're in great company as small business owners everywhere searching for ways to save money. But the good news is that there's never been a better time to explore low cost online marketing tools to promote your business.

Let's take a look at Facebook, an online social network that you've heard about but may not have considered adding to your marketing arsenal yet. Facebook, at Facebook.com, is an online social network that goes beyond catching up with college buddies and into the realm of serious networking. Use Facebook to create a personal profile for yourself, personalize it with a photo so people can recognize you, and add information like work, education, and personal interest details. Filling out that personal profile is key as no one wants to be connected to a blank page. They want to connect with the real you.

Once you've created your profile, you can dive in to the good stuff for your business. Create a fan page or a group dedicated to your company and products. Keep those areas updated with the latest news, photos, and events from your business. You can even use Facebook as a basic online event registration system. Invite your Facebook connections to be fans and group members of your business. This will help you link beyond just the business card and be the beginning of an interactive and profitable relationship.

Seek out companies and special interest groups that you're passionate about and make even more connections to drive your business to your Facebook content and websites. Finally, tie in all that hard work on Facebook together and link your business Facebook pages to your website and in your email folders. Facebook is one place that you can play hard and help make great business happen.

To read and comment on this Advantage Point, visit us at TheBusinessMakers.com.

Russ: You're listening to The BusinessMakers Show, heard here and online at TheBusinessMakers.com. Stay tuned for our two featured guests segments this morning. First, Katie Laird is going to come in, and she's going to be speaking with Carrie Pacini of OpMom and Laura Mayes of Kirtsy. They're going to be talking about the Mom 2.0 Summit coming up February 19th to February 21st. Then, for our second featured guest segment, I'm going to be sharing my visit with Tim Walker, analyst with Hoover's, who is an authority on social media. He's going to be talking about benefiting your business with Twitter.