LUCRUM is Human
August 29, 2008
This week I attended the American Marketing Association event called “Is Your Marketing Disco or Digital?”. A conference focusing on the future of marketing.
I listened to Ted Murphy from Izea talk about blogging and why companies should do it. During the presentation the wheels in my head were spinning and I was thinking, “Yeah! That’s a great idea” and “We need to do more of that” and “That’s LUCRUM’s vision too”.
Ted’s message about blogging was all about making a personal connection with your customers. Blogging allows a company to show its human side. A company no longer has to be just a name and a logo. A company blog shows your customers the passion, excitement and intelligence of the employees who contribute to the blog. The company now has feeling and a pulse. The company can now show their customers that employees are engaged, content, and willing to share their work experiences. Great Companies inspire Great Work.
This Ain’t No Party, This Ain’t No Disco, This Ain’t No Fooling Around
August 28, 2008
This morning I attended the Cincinnati AMA’s Digital Marketing Summit – entitled “Is Your Marketing Disco or Digital?” The event focused on innovative ways to utilize “New Media” to improve your business – specifically as it pertains to Marketing.
There were a wide range of speakers present, and overall I was very pleased with my decision to attend the event. Here are some of the highlights from my day:
- Met Pete Blackshaw – This guy is a Rock Star in the world of modern marketing, yet he was as polite and friendly, if not more so, than anyone else I met at the event. More later on Pete.
- Made some new friends with interesting people like Brandon Ferris from zoneCG.
- Saw old friends like Alan See from Seapine, and John Atkinson from PimpMyNews.com
- Learned about some interesting web 2.0 tools and ways to use them from Izea’s founder, Ted Murphy.
- Watched a presentation by RIM on the marketing of Blackberry – past, present, and future.
- Heard about some exciting new projects that Cincinnati Bell is developing.
- Attended sessions led by John Atkinson from PimpMyNews and Chris Heile from hyperQUAKE
- Closed the session with an outstanding keynote from Pete Blackshaw – which was outstanding.
My favorite part of the event was without a doubt Pete’s presentation entitled Consumers, Credibility, and Cincinnati. His speech hit on many of the topics that he wrote about in his book, Satisfied Customers Tell 3 Friends, Angry Ones Tell 3,000 . If you haven’t picked up the book yet, it is a must read. We have actually given it to several of our Clients as a gift. It’s really that good. Anyway…
In his presentation, Pete outlined 6 Drivers of Brand Credibility:
- Trust
- Authenticity
- Transparency
- Affirmation
- Listening
- Responsiveness
He then went on to explain the implications of these factors in the digital world in which we live and do business. Bottom line – Do right by people or suffer the consequences. The consumer is in charge, and you need to make sure that you are in touch with what is happening in the consumer marketplace relative to you, your brands, your products, and your reputation. Word of Mouth is on steroids in the digital age, and negative word of mouth can be a company killer.
At the end of his presentation, Pete shifted gears and brought it back to Cincinnati. He spoke of an idea he has formulated regarding the creation of an advertising museum in Cincinnati. This would serve to re-establish Cincinnati as a central hub for advertising in the digital age by showcasing the immense heritage of the craft in the city, creating a connected community of current marketing professionals, and developing something uniquely aligned with the city and its business heritage. I personally think the idea is great, and I hope that I can find some way to be a part of making it happen.
Overall the event was fun. It could have been improved with some signage outside of Great American Ballpark to indicate where to go to get in. (I walked around that stadium twice this morning at 6:45 looking for the entrance to the Crossley Room.) I was also slightly disappointed when they asked me to stop filming the event on my Flip cam 1/2 way through the 2nd speaker of the day. I was informed that “there were arrangements made and I was not permitted to film at the event.” I found it an odd policy for a summit focused on web 2.0, but complied none the less. I managed to capture some great interview footage of people stating why they had come to the event – sort of a man on the street thing – that will sadly never make it to the web. It is a shame because it would have been great to highlight my takes on the event, which I did enjoy. I would have gladly posted the video on YouTube and other sites, providing free publicity to any and all included. Alas, I know that some just are not ready for that yet. In the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal.
Thanks to all of the speakers, all the cool people I met, and the Cincinnati AMA for putting it all together.
Now I must get to work on implementing some of the great ideas I picked up today.
Is Your Marketing “Disco” or Digital? | AMA Cincinnati Chapter
So What Is The Deal With The Beachball?
August 21, 2008
Today I read in the Wall Street Journal Online that Microsoft has hired Jerry Seinfeld to star in a series of advertisements for the firm. Seinfeld will reportedly be paid $10 million for the spots, which are part of a 300 million dollar campaign aspiring to reposition Microsoft as forward thinking, customer friendly, people savvy technology company. The campaign is being launched in large part as a response to the growing popularity of Apple and the increased adoption of open source operating systems like Ubuntu Linux.
While I think Seinfeld is hilarious, I question the wisdom of this decision. Certainly there are plenty of exceptionally bright people at Microsoft. I am quite sure they have good reason to believe that Jerry can help to change people’s perceptions of the company. I do believe that whatever he does will probably be entertaining. For $10 million it should be. The problem is that people don’t need Microsoft to entertain them, they need Microsoft to care about them – or at least appear to care.
Microsoft should have invested that 300 million in making their products more reliable and useful, and in offering unparalleled service to its customers. With the resources at its disposal, surely the company could offer support services so remarkable that no one in the world could compete with them. “Vista not working right? – We’re on it.” “Spreadsheet locked up? – No worries because you are with Microsoft.” “Need help with that flyer? – we’ll create a portal for you and walk you through it.” “We are Microsoft.” “We are here to help you do more.” “We know that you have choices when it comes to software, and we want you to choose us.” “That is why we work to earn your trust and keep your business.” Can you imagine the buzz this would generate? It would be huge.
Microsoft could create a community of users supporting one another and leveraging technology to do it. They could tap into the collective wisdom of the crowd to make improvements and to drive innovation. They could build loyalty and trust. They could exploit the weakness of other providers which is the perception of risk by removing risk from their own products. If Microsoft was the safe, secure, trusted choice in the mind of the consumer, then the consumer would be willing to pay a premium.
They could have stores, mobile help, seminars, online support, help lines, surveys, blogs, and more… instead they will have very funny commercials.
Apple has had success because of innovative products, beautiful design, and smart campaigns geared to exploit the perceived weaknesses of Microsoft. It is not that Apple is without flaw. They have a very closed system. They don’t always play nice with consumers. They are expensive. Recently they have had some high profile mistakes with the iPhone and Me.com. They are not perfect, but they are smart.
It is my opinion that the smart thing for Microsoft to do would be to invest in the consumer and not the endorsement of a celebrity – even if it is Seinfeld. Maybe they will get Lloyd Braun to sell some software from Mr. Costanza’s garage. SERENITY NOW!
What do you think? Is hiring Seinfeld a brilliant idea or big waste of time?
Microsoft Pays $10 million to Seinfeld For Ads
- Bad Idea (69%, 11 Votes)
- I Have No Idea? (25%, 4 Votes)
- Good Idea (6%, 1 Votes)
Total Voters: 16
Loading ...LUCRUM Radio – Episode 8, Karl Preissner
August 21, 2008
The Lily Pad project slogan of “hop on, free wireless” says it all.
I recently sat down with Karl Preissner who is the President of Lily Pad and we talked about the project and how it’s raising awareness that Cincinnati is a “tech savvy” community. We also discussed why his team was able to accomplish such a huge initiative here when it has failed in many other US cities.
Hop on, listen in, and find out why its even easier to access the internet anytime, anywhere.
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RYZing Trend
August 21, 2008
When I was in grade school, I used to spend a lot of time drawing pictures. I would draw my name in various font styles. I would draw airplanes ( usually F-16’s) streaking across the sky. I would draw bugs and trees, people and monsters, mountains and rivers… and shoes.
I remember being in 1st grade trying to draw a picture of my John McEnroe style NIke’s, sometimes altering the color of the swoosh – which we could only get in red and light blue back in those days. I later gravitated toward doodling Adidas logos in differing color schemes. Then came Air Jordan’s, which I must have drawn and redrawn 1,000 times – usually in Carolina blue and white. I remember imaging how great it would be if I could just make my own shoes. Surely they would have been sweet kicks. I would have made a million dollars, bought an island, opened a skate park, hung out with Dan Marino and had my own show with Alyssa Milano. Alas, no such luck…
However there may be hope for the doodling, daydreaming, youth of today…
NPR featured a great story this morning about Oregon based shoe manufacturer RYZ. Similar to the T-Shirt company Threadless, RYZ relies on “the crowd” to design its shoes. No big marketing department. No R&D. No long design cycles. No focus groups. No big advertising budget. Oh… and none of the overhead that comes along with those things.
Nope, instead of all that, the company relies on the community of visitors to its site to create its products and then to vote on which designs should be produced. The winning designer receives $1,000 and a 1% royalty based on sales – a fraction of what it would typically cost to design and produce a pair of shoes. Better still, the process – which would take up to 12 months in a traditional shoe company – is as short as 6 weeks.
RYZ is succeeding by using technology to involve consumers in the process – an important trend for all businesses to embrace. The company is successfully leveraging the internet to generate interest in its products, engage consumers in the the design process, and tap into the collective wisdom of the crowd to pick the right products to produce.
More and more businesses are utilizing community based design as a strategy for success. Because of the global reach of the web, innovation can now be driven in large part by the user community. Consumers want to be in control. They want to be engaged, and they want companies to listen to them. Technology makes this all possible.
As this trend begins to permeate into other segments of the economy, this will create new and exciting opportunites for collaboration between companies and clients. From what is on television, to what is in the grocery store, to which concerts come to your city, to what your kids get for Christmas. The world is more and more about the wants and needs of the consumer.
Do you think your business is just too complicated to embrace this model? Think again. In a global economy with seemingly infinite options, engaging the consumer is no longer an afterthougth. Rather it will become the central thought for business success.
How could you begin to tap into the collective wisdom of your clients and that of the world to transform your business?
Crowd Sourcing Turns Business On Its Head : NPR
Crossing the Finish Line
August 19, 2008
I hate running for exercise. Just the thought makes me shudder. All the aches and pains that come the day after I can do without. I have no motivation to put my fragile body through that! 2008 Reggae Run The other day fellow LUCRUM employees Steve McWhorter and Julie Grant were talking about training for the Reggae Run and I volunteered to train for it as well.
What was I thinking? I hate running! So this weekend I started my training. I started “wogging”, a combination of walking and jogging. I wogged 4 miles on Saturday and about 3 miles Sunday. It was too much for my out of shape self because I hurt my foot and could barely walk the last 1/2 mile on Sunday. My training is already off to a bad start…curse those Oreo cookies I ate last week! I’m probably carrying around another 5 pounds because of that cookie binge.
During my “wogging” on Saturday I came up with the perfect motivation to keep me running and participating in future marathons. (Okay, the Reggae Run is not your typical marathon, but to me, 5K might as well be). A close friend of ours has an inoperable brain tumor that is slowly growing and at only 34 years of age, its a scary reality for him and his wife to face. Saturday, as I’m sweating and cursing with the hot sunshine on my face, I think, “I’ll do it for Johnny 5. I’ll run my butt off and send all this positive energy his way in hopes it will help him through this ordeal.” I’m the last person to believe in all that mumbo-jumbo…healing crystals, your individual chi, feng-shui…yada yada, but for Johnny, I’d do anything to help him get better.
When I first met him 7 years ago, I nicknamed him Johnny 5 after that cute little robot from that 80’s movie Short Circuit. That was Johnny, the sweet guy in the group. It’s like in every group of friends you have the Jock, the Ladies Man (sometimes more than one), the Comedian, the Leader, and the Quiet One. That was Johnny, the Quiet One. All my girlfriends loved him because he was so easy to make blush and the easiest one to talk to about anything. He was like your little brother that you wanted to protect from all the “Cougars” out there.
Another friend just recently convinced me to run in the United Air Force Marathon held in Dayton on September 19. I’m only doing the 5k portion but it’s so soon, I know I won’t be ready. When I’m embarrassing myself by crawling to the finish line on my hands and knees, at least it won’t be front of friends and family from Cincinnati.
So when I’m huffing and puffing next to my fellow LUCRUM employees in the Reggae Run I’ll keep thinking of Johnny and what he’s going through. I’ll make it to that damn finish line no matter what! Even if I’m the very last runner I’ll pass the finish line with my hands raised like an Olympian. I now have huge motivation for the worse exercise known to man (in my opinon), but best of all I have the perfect inspiration. If you have anyone who might motivate you to do the same, join us on October 4th, 2008 or be there on the sidelines to cheer us on. I’ll be wearing a t-shirt that says, “4 Johnny 5“.
LUCRUM Radio – Episode 7: Pat Crowley
August 13, 2008
Once upon a time, I was a Political Science undergrad at Wright State University. I spent countless hours reading, researching, and studying politics. Although I ultimately chose to pursue a
career in Marketing, I am still fascinated by the political process. So when I got the chance to interview Pat Crowley, political reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, I was elated.
This episode of LUCRUM radio was particularly interesting and enjoyable for me, and Pat shares some great insight about how he does his job. He talks about the changing dynamic between the media and the consumer created by technology. He also discusses how technology has changed the way in which he does his job. Pat also addresses some of the ways that technology is shaping the future of the political process – very timely in this Presidential election year.
My favorite part was where Pat describes Kentucky politics as a “Contact Sport.” Pat was so much fun to talk to, and I think that comes across in the podcast. Thanks to him for sharing his thoughts and taking the time to participate in LUCRUM Radio.
Kentucky Enquirer | nky NKY Politics Blog | nky.com
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Oatmeal, Twitter, Blogs, and Pimpin – Cincy Social Media Breakfast
August 12, 2008
This morning I joined 30 or so really cool people at the Cincy Social Media Breakfast, which was held at the FirstWatch in Rookwood Pavillion. As I understand it, this was the 2nd gathering of the group, and it was the first I was fortunate enough to attend. What an awesome event!
The breakfast was wonderful for a number of reasons. First, it’s great to meet the people who you follow on blogs, twitter and the like in person – you know actual human interaction. I saw some old friends like Debba Haupert and Criag Jolley, as well as made many new ones. Everyone there was so friendly, and there was a nice community vibe to the event. Everyone was there to make friends, learn, and share ideas.
The event was also very informative. Kevin Dugan, one of the organizers of the event, opened by speaking about some of the interesting new trends in social media. From Facebook applications to Flip Video, to making your next powerpoint presentation into a rock video, to the importance of writing “slippery” content, Kevin shared some great ideas. He then opened the floor up to the crowd to share individual experiences and projects that people were involved with on the web. So many ideas… So many cool people… Not enough time to pick everyone’s brains.
The featured speaker for the event was John Atkinson, Co-Founder and CEO of PimpMyNews.com. PimpMyNews is a free, web based service that will convert RSS feeds into audio and then deliver them back to you either through their web stie or via podcast. You visit their site, register for an account, pick from an extensive list of RSS feeds and you are set. I was so impressed with John’s presentation (which was just him talking – no powerpoint) that after the meeting I immediately went to the Apple store and picked up a new shuffle just to use for listening to pimpmynews. With a list of unread RSS feeds that grows daily and communte that puts me behind the wheel close to 2 hours a day, this was just a no brainer. I downloaded my first podcast this afternoon, and I am now officially pimping my news. (Or having my news pimped? – Not sure which is correct)
The sponsor of the event was MarketWire, an innovative company that specializes in the distribution of press releases through both traditional channels and via new media outlets. They offered a brief but very informative presentation about their services, and some of the things that separate them from others in the field. Thanks to MarketWire for breakfast, which was delicious.
In summary, the event was a great way to start off the day. I look forward to the next breakfast, which I am definitely going to try to attend.
Were you there this morning? What did you think? What was your favorite part of the meeting? Who did you meet? Will you go again?
My 9 secrets of successful leadership
August 12, 2008
I have lead many teams over the years and have had a good measure of success. Early on in life I have found what I consider is the key to leadership. According to Ayn Rand’s “The Virtue of Selfishness”, she asserts that being selfish is a real virtue (thus the fancy title)…that everyone acts in their own, best self interest. While her conclusions from there are suspect to me, I do see some value in what she is stating.
If I apply this principle to the problems I see with many leaders today, I would have to say that they are very short sighted. A leader must realize that it’s not about them. Really, please get over yourself. It’s about the team, it’s about the client and it’s about providing value. A position of leadership is as glorious as a position of a servant. All the glory should be focused on the team and not the leader. The leader accesses the landscape, navigates through the murky waters of business while identifying and removing obstacles. If you want to be selfish, then do so through your team’s development and success.
My 9 secrets of successful leadership. (Hint: Number 9 is the most important)
- 1. It’s not about me; understand from the beginning that it’s about the team, the client and the value that the team delivers to the client.
- 2. Maintain the highest degree of character; determine principles and do as you say.
- 3. Spark the team to gain momentum; be the visionary, create excitement, paint the picture of success.
- 4. Identify obstacles to progress; what’s real, what’s big, what’s critical.
- 5. Determine impact of obstacles on providing value; phase it in or phase it out then manage expectations.
- 6. Serve as the rudder to adjust course; the littlest part of the ship controls the direction of the ship and the leader is no different.
- 7. Eliminate obstacles; go over, under, around or through them, if necessary blow them up, either way they need to be removed.
- 8. Promote the team; appreciate and acknowledge contributions, direct praise back to the team, provide insulation from noise and politics, ensure avenues of growth and development for everyone.
- 9. Loop back through and start at point number 1
If you are not taking the arrows, then you are not leading! Get out there in front, take all the crap and give all the glory to the team!
~ Scott Felten
Latest Headlines from the Grocery Checkout Line?
August 11, 2008
“Man Eating Tribe Eats Tourists”, “Obama Affair”, “Statue of Liberty Returning to France”; juicy tabloid headlines to peruse while you wait to pay for your groceries. Problem is I wasn’t shopping; I was sifting through junk mail on our email server.
Social Engineering is a way for criminals to gain access to your computer or personal information. Social Engineering through the use of email hoaxes is nothing new, but have you noticed most of the new headlines actually have the correct spelling and punctuation. Used to be the email hoaxes were so easy to spot with misspellings galore. Now perhaps we all take a second look, should I open it maybe it’s real.
The answer as always is deleting it immediately, but most of us are curious and some of us want it to be real. Hundreds of millions of this type of email are sent everyday, and if one person is hooked and opens the email then it has been successful and the cycle continues.
More headlines, more hoaxes, more criminal activity. Will the cycle ever be broken? Perhaps someday in the way distant future, but I bet not in my lifetime. Let’s do everyone a favor and ignore these emails, delete them, whatever you have to do. Oh and if you get two emails for blue pills, one for $.07 and one for $.13, go for the more expensive one. After all it must be legitimate at that price ?.