New Year, New Beginnings...

Don't you love a story of redemption?

That's what made the YouTube viral video of Ted Williams, the homeless "Man With The Golden Voice," the first and biggest feel-good story of the New Year.

Chicago-based Kraft Foods capitalized on that vibe by asking Williams to be the new voice of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Listen to his mellow baritone voice in the last 10 seconds of this new Kraft spot that debuted Jan 9th on ESPN:



It was a brilliant PR maneuver that gained the brand and the company a lot of goodwill and tons free media coverage.

But Kraft had to move quickly to make it work. They had to be able to act without wasting days of decision making, focus groups, and analysis. If they had waited a few hours or even minutes longer the story would have been over. Or Ted might have been the voice of another brand.

Did Kraft have anything to lose?

Sure. Maybe. Williams could have been a creep or had a violent criminal past. A quick background check likely minimized that risk upfront.

Otherwise, it was a risk worth taking. It wasn't a long term contract. It was a few hours of recording and 10 seconds of airtime. Even if Ted fell back to his old lifestyle, who could fault the company for helping someone who had fallen on hard times?

I'd love to shake hands with the PR person who saw the opportunity and congratulate the executive who greenlighted the decision.

The whole story makes me hungry for some Kraft Homestyle Macaroni and Cheese. You?

Takeaway: Are you ready to act quickly when a great marketing opportunity approaches you? Are you aggressively looking for opportunities? And are you more focused on making money or making a difference?