Always take that second look

When you are working for your client, your goal is to make good decisions on their behalf.   Some clients are  more hands on than others, and they may play a role in each and every decision.  Some are not, and it is then that you have to make sure that you are looking at all angles for them.

I have an agency that I work with that sent me a script for a commercial that they wanted recorded for their client.  It was cute, it was catchy and he believed that it would assist in getting prospects to pick up the phone or click on the clients website to use their services.  As I was reviewing the script, I had thought the same.  It was going to be an effective radio commercial

As I finished reviewing, I received another email from him.  He asked that we not use the copy and he was going to send me something else.   His concern – that is might be inappropriate in light of all the activity that occurred in Boston last week.  Was he right? Perhaps.  The script did refer to some possible crime issues that the police would not be able to help with.  Of course, it was to reel in the listener to the actual client pitch, not about real crime issues or that police officers did not have the ability to protect the citizen’s of our city.  But he did have a point, that it could possibly disturb people so close to last week’s tragic events.  A small possibility, but it existed.  So he made the decision to pull it.

He can always run this copy again, perhaps next year.  The commercial we are cutting now will also help drive more business to this client.  But by taking a second look and reviewing possible reactions, he closed a door to any misconceptions that the client had no intention of making and would not want to address.  He had the client’s best interests in mind and made a good decision.

It’s great to work with people who will go that extra step for their clients.  Do you have any experience with an untimely commercial or promotional event?

The Manhunt on Social Media

The amazing amount of information on the manhunt of the Tsarnaev brothers has been remarkable.  In addition to the outstanding coverage from the local Boston stations, streamed all over the world, and the national media outlets, their has been a steady flow of information on Twitter and Facebook.

People sharing that they are safe.  That they are on lockdown in their homes.  Sharing photos of bullet holes in their apartment walls and snipers under their window.  Yearbook photos of the terrorists.  Video that they shot of last night’s shootout.  It goes on an on.

On the one hand, I think it is fantastic.  The whole county is captivated and concerned, waiting for the media to tell them the latest.  And while the media is limited in what they are allowed to say and capture on camera, the general public has filled in some of the blanks. 

On the other hand, I do hope that more people do not get hurt in the name of social media and that their actions to not tip off Tsarnaev.  We want him captured.  We want the people of Boston and the surrounding cities to be allowed out of their homes and resume safe activity.

It has been a great study of the power of social media.  Is there something that has captured your attention that you learned from Facebook or Twitter?

http://ca.screen.yahoo.com/trending-social-media-provides-more-230000921.html

 

Be One Spark

Today marks the start of an amazing event in Jacksonville.  One Spark. 

One Spark is a five-day festival for Creators. Creators will exhibit projects using downtown Jacksonville as a platform. One Spark is built on the belief that game-changers emerge from dorm rooms, garages, and small studios. One Spark is the community behind great ideas. It’s the chance to submit and decide on the next big thing. It’s the opportunity to get involved, be inspired, connect, and collaborate.

One Spark is the World’s Crowdfunding Festival.

This is an amazing event for creators, marketers, entrepreneurs and Jacksonville.  It is also a great way for people to learn about the creativity of others.  Hopefully it will provide them with one spark as well.

You can learn more about One Spark at http://www.beonespark.com/

 

 

Time flies when you are not blogging

Yes, it has been a while since I posted on this blog.  I an not happy to admit that.  But life keeps moving and every time I think, here are the 10 minutes, maybe even 30 minutes to write, something else comes up.  Not good.  For me, or for any marketer. 

however, I have helped three people on their blogs.  That should count for something.  It does, but not enough.

Over the last few weeks, I have had ten different one on one conversations with individuals to brainstorm, network, edit resumes, review job openings and a number of other topics.  These have been valuable to me and to the people I have met with.

I have assisted clients in moving their business forward.  I have an exciting website that will launch in a few weeks and have an amazing business model that is looking for a little extra capital to help them get to the next level.  These conversations, with graphic designers, web designers, financial planners….they have been very rewarding, for me and for my clients.

I have attended some amazing networking groups, in particular the Jacksonville Online Marketing Meetup.  I have met some great people and learned a whole lot more about the best practices for social media.

It is all good.  I am glad to be a connector for people.  I am also enjoying the growth and success my clients are having.  But, I would like to make this blog a tool for me, for my clients and for those who are trying to learn more about marketing. 

so, tune in tomorrow…

 

 

Excuse me while I index

Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs. By June 2008, Technorati was indexing 112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media. The name Technorati is a blend of the words technology and literati, which invokes the notion of technological intelligence or intellectualism.

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What can I do to help you?

One of the most effective business tools is networking.
According to the mother of all resources, Wikipedia,…”Business networking is a socioeconomic activity by which groups of like-minded businesspeople recognize, create, or act upon business opportunities. A business network is a type of social network whose reason for existing is business activity. Many businesspeople contend business networking is a more cost-effective method of generating new business than advertising or public relations efforts. This is because business networking is a low-cost activity that involves more personal commitment than company money.
As an example, a business network may agree to meet weekly or monthly with the purpose of exchanging business leads and referrals with fellow members. To complement this activity, members often meet outside this circle, on their own time, and build their own one-to-one relationship with the fellow member.
Business networking can be conducted in a local business community, or on a larger scale via the Internet. “
I was one of the first 50,000 people to join LinkedIn.  I joined because a friend asked me to so I could connect with him.  Thanks Ben!  But as the years went on, I realized how valuable a business tool it really was.  It allowed me to find the direct contact I was seeking, allowing me to avoid the gate keeper.
As I moved to Jacksonville, I learned how intense networking is in this town.  The Chamber of Commerce was the first place I went.  The Chamber has sub groups based on geography and business interest.  From there, I found individual groups and various organizations that have been created for networking.  There is a business that sets up a happy hour so the business community can meet up once a month.  While their intent was to increase their own business, the success of the event is seen in the numbers of people that attend each month.
In 2012, I set up my own cluster networking group to assist myself, and so I can assist others, with business leads.  Been an exciting adventure, as the group has moved to three different locations and have changed members here and there.  But is has become an effective source of business.
What I have learned is that there is great value in making relationships.  There are great rewards, financial and emotional, in providing people with a good business contact. I have helped people make their budgets, even make a million dollars.  As time has gone on, I have come to develop key connectors in many different business communities here in Jacksonville and around the country.  And a quick email can help someone else create business.  In turn, I am able to receive contact information on new prospects for myself to develop into business clients and add new additional to my business network.
The best way to nurture your network, or even use as an icebreaker at a networking event to a possible new network member, is to ask the following simple question….What can I do to help you?  It allows the other person to speak about themselves and gives you a chance to learn more about their business.  Hopefully, it also gives you an opportunity to help them, or at least add to, or develop, the relationship.  You will be amazed what can come out of this simple question.

With that, I ask the question out to you…..What can I do to help you?  Perhaps I have a contact that you are looking to meet.  Or there is an industry or business you want to network with.  Or, you need assistance with your marketing or social media.  I ask you to ask.  Ask me…I want to learn more about you and see how I can help you.  Look forward to seeing where this question leads.

Twitter – From Hack to Welcome Back

So…if you have been following Twitter the bast couple of days, you will have seen, or been tweeted about, the hack of @BurgerKing.  Renamed McDonald’s and mocked by their abductors, the brand took some major hits.  Today, it was @Jeep.  There are many ways to assess how to handle and or/deal with this.  However, it was summarized brilliantly in this tweet.

@petershankman: Saving all the “social media experts” a blog post about Burger King: “Dear brands: Get stronger passwords. The end.”

On a much better note, you should check out the new commercial that the Toronto Blue Jays have released to drive ticket sales.  This is a team that  has completely embraced social media.  Past and present players are constant tweeters, and they do a great job of having social media events at the stadium and re-tweeting the fans tweets.  You will see how well they have represented that in their commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFXn8sdNXH0

Catching A Buzz

 

So yesterday I had the privilege of visiting the Magic Kingdom with my family.  We are fortunate that we live only a 2 1/2 hour drive from Walt Disney World so we packed the kids into the car at 6am and headed for Orlando.  We just missed the opening of the gate, but did see Mickey and the other characters waiving to us from their train as our Monorail pulled into the station. 

We had a very full day.  We checked out the new Ariel ride in the new Fantasyland, met all the available princesses and had first time experiences on Goofy’s Barnstormer and Big Thunder Mountain.  It really is great to see the expressions of my children as they go through their day.

However, my favorite part of the day had more to do with me than my family.  I beat the Buzz Lightyear Spin game. 

I reached the highest score possible 999,999.  And I did it about 2/3 of the way through.  The woman seeing us off the ride was impressed, as was my wife.  But I knew that the score was the result of lots of concentration and effort.

I have been to the Magic Kingdom about five times in the last three years.  Each time, i either get a chance to play the Buzz Lightyear game with my kids, or the Toy Story Mania game at Hollywood Studios.  The goal is to aim your lazer and hit the multiple targets.  I had become very good at hitting the Z’s.  All over each side of the ride.

What I had become good at was focus, determination and positive repetitive activity.  All of which translates well into marketing a product.  The clear focused message allows the prospects to understand what is being told or sold to them.  It takes determination to develop the marketing message and implement it.  It is a daily process and you must stay focused to have sure each piece is implemented – website updates, tweets, blog postings.  It is like shampoo – shampoo, rinse repeat.  However, you need to take notice of everything – as it is not a dialogue, it is a conversation.

on the other hand…I just may be very good as this game 🙂

Who Do You Tell

By Howard Wolpoff

So you have this great idea.  A “Mommy Millionaire” idea.  And you are excited.  You are also confused about how to make this idea a reality.  You wonder…who should I tell about this idea?

Truly, the best answer is…no one.  If you can.  You see, a great idea without a patent is a possible great idea for someone else.  The more people you tell, with out registering your item for a patent, puts you more and more at risk.  You may feel you can trust the people you talk to, but they may use your idea as an example or part of a story.  You have no idea who they may tell.  And who that person may tell..and so on….

If you really feel you have a great idea, protect yourself.  Confidentiality agreements and patents can be your best friend, and the difference of $1,000,000 in your bank account or someone elses.

 

<a href=”https://plus.google.com/102380340208656511977?rel=author”>Google</a>

To Whom The Doors Open

By Howard Wolpoff

Later today, the Baseball Hall of Fame will announced the new inductees.  The big names are on the ballot – Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro – all of which have either admitted, been caught or have been accused of using performance enhancing drugs during their baseball career.  Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell have been “assumed” as possible steroid users.  In the end, there may only be one person elected, Craig Biggio, a member of the 3,000 hit club. 

The Baseball Writers Association of America serves as judge and jury to all baseball player sup for election to The Hall.  Not one single player has ever gone in unanimously.  Each year, one writer or another decided to punish the best players in the game because he does not feel that they should get in on the first ballot, or they were not nice to them when they were trying to meet a deadline or any number of reasons.  The great Joe DiMaggio did not get in until the second ballot. 

Now we get to the first major ballot of the steroid era…and the sense is the jury will come down hard.  No one, or possibly just one player will make it in.  These writers will decide who did and who did not use PED’s and vote to punish, more than to honor.  Which will make next year even messier when Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and a number of other deserving players will come up for election. 

Perhaps it is time that we use social media and open it up to the fans. #HOF2013 #ClemensHOF Any number of hashtags that can be sued for this social hall election.  Or perhaps that is not the way…perhaps a Facebook poll?  No matter which way, we will see today that the current system is not working.