Cut to the Core

How Does the Ever’man Board of Directors Contribute to the Cooperative Vision?

2012-12-05T15:43:53-08:00

By Maria Pinochet, Director, with Dawn Vorthmann, Treasurer, Reorganization Committee Chair, and Frankie Cruz, Vice-President, Reorganization Committee Member.

Did you know the responsibilities of the board are aligned to serve the greatest good of members and our community? The Board of Directors at Ever’man performs many functions to support the initiatives of the cooperative and to plan for the cooperatives’ ability to successfully meet the future needs of both its members and the community. In striving to achieve positive outcomes, this board, along with past boards, is proud to apply Cooperative Principles to the accomplishment of the social and economic goals outlined by the Ever’man Ends Statement.

Ever’man is not alone in applying Cooperative Principles. In 1994, the United Nations estimated that the cooperative enterprise business model enriched the livelihood of nearly 3 billion people, almost half of the world’s population. The foundational philosophy underlying all cooperative action is that through joint effort and mutual self-interest individuals will achieve objectives not possible if acting alone.

It is the board’s belief, a belief shared by management and staff, that the Cooperative Principles will allow for the attainment of our Ends Statement while at the same time providing the greatest good for our members, employees, non-member shoppers and community. Our co-op proudly provides over 50 jobs in the community and serves over 10,000 members. In the U.S.A, according to The National Co-operative Business Association, 30,000 cooperatives provide more than 2 million jobs and serve 305.6 million members.

*** Learn more about our cooperative. To continue reading the article (pg. 4) Download THA-Nov-Dec_12.

Green is Winning

2012-10-10T01:47:00-07:00

Guest blogger, Rosalinda Sanquiche, is the Executive Director, Ethical Markets Media. Rosalinda’s childhood years hiking through Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest informed her belief that we must engage in sustainable behaviors to preserve the magnificent world we inhabit. She earned a masters in Environmental and Resource Policy as a George Washington Fellow at George Washington University in D.C. She is a speaker and author on environmental issues and is thrilled to work with Ethical Markets Media to promote socially and environmentally responsible behavior from an economic perspective.

We are winning the race to bring sustainability to markets. There are more companies bringing renewable energy to large scale, more companies using more sustainable, less polluting, more energy efficient practices in making everyday products such as cars and carpets, and there are many more opportunities for individual and institutional investors to guide their money to positive generational impact and performance.

The new Green Transition Scoreboard® video introduces the basic concepts and imperatives behind totaling all private investments in the cleaner, greener information-rich societies worldwide, as our human family transitions from the fossil-fueled Industrial Era to the Solar Age.

Sustainability is no longer peripheral, definitely not driven by tree huggers. Anyone can participate by choosing personal investments with positive social impacts. Companies can implement established practices that reduce costs, help create new products and provide metrics that count social, environmental and governance factors. For example, Ethical Markets regularly aggregates information on best practices from around the world.

Ethical Markets Media (USA and Brazil) works to reform markets and metrics to grow the green economy worldwide, providing news and perspective with the Transforming Finance initiative, research on Beyond GDP, and with reports, articles, newsletters and analysis by Hazel Henderson, our editor-in-chief. Hazel Henderson predicted the green transition in her The Politics of the Solar Age, reviewed in the New York Times back in 1981!

A featured project, the Green Transition Scoreboard® (GTS) is a time-based, global tracking of private investments in green markets. The GTS icon's barometer rises away from the out-dated Fossil Fuel Era as green investments increase. Our research team compiles financial data screened by rigorous auditing standards in social, environment and governance, building on research indicating $1 trillion annually until 2020 can accelerate the Green Transition worldwide in conservation, wind, solar, geothermal, water, land-use and forestry, infrastructure, transport and urban re-design. With data from 2007 forward, the GTS shows private investors are on track to invest $1 trillion annually, setting the path for governments and institutional investors to follow.

Want more evidence sustainability is winning? The Ethical Markets TV series showcase, some at a how-to level, organizations, trade associations, shareholder activities, mutual funds and pension funds asset managers, financial planners, venture capital groups, innovative technologies and companies, as well as the vision of maturing, socially-responsible, ethical capitalism fitting humanity’s aspirations for a more peaceful, just and ecologically sustainable world.

*** Learn more about Hazel Henderson's forward thinking ideas by visiting Ethical Markets.

Like Obama, Do You Need to Share Your Story?

2012-07-18T17:06:46-07:00

Telling the Story Your Audience Needs

President Obama says that getting policy right is important, but he also admits that telling the story of where we are going together as a nation is just as critical. Listen to his remarks in this CBS interview by Charlie Rose.

In a similar manner, telling the story of our brand as business professionals is just as important in order to achieve marketing and selling success. Indeed, when you tell a compelling and consistent story about your goals, you can build in certain outcomes and expectations for you, your brand and your customers:

* Get Recognition: You distinguish yourself and your business

* Get Noticed: You attract prospects to your services or products

* Get Known: You become the go-to person

* Get Sales: You sell more of your services and products

* Get Referrals: You motivate others to tell your brand story

* Get Team-Player Status: You seek your colleagues’ recommendations

* Get Promoted or Hired: You need credentials to get a new title

Tell ONLY a story that unifies, gives purpose and inspires!

What Story Do You Need to Find, Tell and Share to Inspire Your Audience?

HINT: If any of the above are your goals, then let us assist you to find, develop, write and publish your story. At Kore Access, we provide turnkey marketing and selling solutions especially packaged to meet the needs of organizations, professionals and small businesses.

Learn more about our BrandStory Service: Visit our page on the Web .

Need to Market Your Book to More Readers?

2012-06-27T02:27:00-07:00

Insider Tips to Get More Readers

How to Market Your Book With a Book Trailer

Whether you already have a book trailer, are in the process of putting one together or have just started to consider the possibilities of a book trailer, this book is for you!

Pensacola, Florida – The first title in a series dedicated to helping authors connect with readers and sell more books, “How to Market Your Book With a Book Trailer,” is now available as a Kindle version at Amazon ($2.99) or as a print version at Createspace ($12.95).

As authors and professionals in fields related to publishing, Maria Pinochet, Linda Wasserman and Maggie Ruch have written this e-book to help you create an exciting marketing plan for your book – through the development and promotion of a book trailer.

Using time-proven marketing strategies, the authors guide you through the five steps needed to complete a book trailer marketing plan. As you follow along, you will create unique online marketing strategies that will be as distinctive as you are as an author.

“With today’s access to desktop tools that rival those of the professionals, there is no reason motivated authors cannot take on more marketing functions to ensure the success of their books,” observes coauthor Maria Pinochet, a marketing communications consultant. “If you able to focus on one task at a time, you can master the skills needed to create and use a book trailer,” says coauthor Linda Wasserman, editor and independent publisher. “In five easy steps authors can learn how to make this online tool work to give them more brand exposure,” adds coauthor Maggie Ruch, social media virtual assistant.

To order for classroom use or club use, please contact Maria Pinochet, maria@koreaccess.com, (757) 309-4578. To buy single titles, go to Amazon Kindle or Createspace.

About the Authors

Maria Pinochet, communications writer & consultant, is president and founder of Kore Access, Incorporated. Linda Wasserman, publisher & editor, is owner of Pelican Press Pensacola. Maggie Ruch, virtual assistant & social media consultant, is founder of Advanced Virtual Assistant Services.

For more information about How to Market Your Book With a Book Trailer, please visit www.KoreAccessStore.com or contact Maria Pinochet, maria@koreaccess.com, (757) 309-4578.

Changing Trends in Marketing

2012-06-04T00:48:00-07:00

GUEST BLOGGER & PODCASTER

Suzanne Bowen, a telecommunications industry podcaster and TMCnet blogger, and VP of Business Development for AstroQom Corporation, a Canadian IP communications provider, interviewed, Maria Pinochet, Kore Access President, and author of the Cut to the Core Blog.

Listen to the podcast to gain insights into counterintuitive marketing strategies and to review ever-changing best practices in the marketing field. READ a transcript by visiting Susan's Blog: AstraQom.

About the Guest Blogger & Podcaster: Ms. Susan Bowen is known in telecommunications circles as the co-founder of DIDX.net and Super Technologies who serve 20,000 of the world's most innovative telecom and voIP companies. She currently works with AstraQom, a Canadian IP communications provider, as VP and is an industry podcaster and TMCnet blogger.

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines of May 2012

2012-06-01T12:28:16-07:00

A Business Buzz surrounds the question of WHO will improve the ECONOMY the most if elected …Which social media platforms are best for targeting NICHE MARKETS…Where digital advertising dollars will be spent in the coming years…

Hot Topics include how to ENGAGE PROSPECTS and keep LOYAL customers faithful to your BRAND…. How to best utilize WEBINARS to inform prospects about your offer…. Businesses of every size continue to test and measure the results…

Challenges include making decisions about personal and company TIME MANAGEMENT…. About choosing the TECH TOOL that can best help to build relationships and RETAIN customers… About positioning your products and services to meet future global demand…

Hint: Stay informed on Hot Topics by subscribing to the Kore Access E-zine - click on "sign me up" button on the left.

Your opinion matters to me. I invite you to e-mail me directly at maria@koreaccess.com and/or to join the conversation on our social media channels.

Latinos Find Success with Social Media

2012-05-16T02:04:00-07:00

The number of hours consumers spend on social media continues to rise. This fact indicates that the rules for attracting prospects and turning customers into repeat buyers are changing. Those rules no longer favor the company with the deepest pockets, that is, the company that can afford to buy the most advertising. The winner, instead, is the company that is most “fluent” in digital speak – the language of two-way social communications. And that is just the type of communication being held every minute on Facebook fan pages, Twitter, blogs and special interest forums.

Advertising in print and television serves as one-way communications that focus on getting the attention of potential buyers and trying to convince them to buy. Such self-promoting messages, however, do not require the audience to take action. In contrast, the expectations of two-way conversations in social media are that exchanges indeed be social and that the two-way exchanges be focused on assisting the buyer, through helpful direction and meaningful insights, to make good purchasing choices.

U.S. Hispanics are able to naturally deliver on the spirit of two-way social communications. They are are well positioned to excel at this role for several reasons: 1) Hispanics share a cultural heritage deepened by religious beliefs that give them a strong disposition to work consciously to act in a generous spirit, share resources and act collaboratively among communities of people – whether at home, in church, at work or online; 2) Hispanics, whether first- or second-generation immigrants, grow up hearing often-told stories of finding opportunity under difficult circumstances, and of seeking creative ways to solve challenges. This background gives Hispanics an enterprising and optimistic confidence in meeting objectives.

Latinos, then, are predisposed, from birth and by cultural ancestry, to develop the marketing mindset that is well suited for creating and managing a company’s social media conversations. According to the latest eMarketer studies, social media continues to grow as a favored communication channel for consumer and B2B businesses of all sizes. All the more reason to consider the use of the unique Hispanic cultural perspective to win social media success for your company!

Find out how a Latino social media initiative can increase your revenue stream, contact maria@koreaccess.com and visit our website www.koreaccess.com.

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines of April 2012

2012-05-15T06:20:38-07:00

A Business Buzz surrounds the question of how President Obama’s HEALTHCARE BILL will impact the bottom line of business owners…What services can do to support the more than two-thirds (68%) of all U.S. adults over age 20 who are overweight (The Lancet, a Health Journal)…How much the economy will recover and whether it is time to START HIRING…

Hot Topics include the FACEBOOK IPO and what other businesses can learn from the company that grew to a market valuation of $102.8 billion…What will be disclosed about its 845 MILLION GLOBAL USERS and their online habits that will be of value in planning how to reach fans on Facebook....How much we will learn about the business model that made $1 billion in 2011 on $3.71 billion in revenue…

Challenges include making decisions about the best TECHNOLOGIES to implement in order to support marketing goals…About choosing an ONLINE PLATFORM that will ATTRACT prospects….About choosing the TECH TOOL that can best help to build relationships and RETAIN customers… Businesses of every size continue to test and measure the results…

Hint: Stay informed on Hot Topics by subscribing to the Kore Access E-zine - click on "sign me up" button on the left.

Going Mobile With Your Marketing

2012-04-18T02:00:00-07:00

Is it time to jump on the mobile marketing bandwagon? If your target market is the mobile generation (teens and young adults), there is no doubt you need to include mobile services in your marketing mix. Over the last three years, mobile phones have increased their market reach and there is no denying that a whole new trend has been created by persons under 24 years of age who text more on their cell phones than they use voice minutes (Nielson Company, April 2009 – March 2010). This habit makes them a prime audience for mobile text marketing. (Text messages are viewed and answered within 90 seconds vs. e-mail messages that are responded to within 90 minutes.)

The reliance on mobile phones for information and connection is growing. Nearly half (47%) of U.S. teens say their social life would end or be worsened without their cell phone, and nearly six in 10 (57%) credit their mobile device with improving their lives (2008 National survey by CTIA – The Wireless Association® and Harris Interactive). In contrast, users in the 25-54 age group say they use voice communications on their phone more than any other mobile service. However, their mobile consumption is still meaningful to marketers since it provides a channel of communication that is both personal and gets a quick response rate.

Read on to get the answers to three mobile marketing FAQs…

1. What are the mobile marketing channels? In mobile marketing there are several mobile marketing channels and tactics to integrate the mobile usage (cell phone or tablet) of target audiences with online brand ‘real estate’ (mobile Web sites, social media sites,…) as well as other offline properties (printed magazines, brochures, store fronts,…) of the brand. The most common channels are: 1) text messaging 2) mobile Web sites that are easy to see and navigate on smaller screens, 3) QR codes that scan and direct traffic to Web sites or that automatically dial contact numbers, and 4) mobile applications.

2. What is the difference between mobile marketing and mobile advertising? The most distinct difference between the two is that mobile marketing is an opt-in, permission-based marketing program while mobile advertising is unsolicited. The advertising appears, unsolicited, as the user performs online searches (MSN, Yahoo, Safari) from a mobile device (phone or tablet) or as he or she uses social media services such as Twitter.

3. What is the greatest benefit of using mobile marketing? Because 91% of users keep their mobile devices within reach throughout the day, mobile marketing has the potential to reach the mobile customer anytime during the day. This fact means that mobile technology has the ability to create direct one-on-one relationships at the very moment that they are most meaningful and relevant. Columbia Business School and New York American Marketing Association (NYAMA) have found the most popular data types collected by U.S. marketers is demographic info (74%), customer transaction data (64%) and customer usage data (60%). With mobile technology, a brand can collect all three types of marketing intelligence – as it happens – for each and every individual.

Call or e-mail Kore Access to learn more about how mobile technology can help you attract and engage more business.

ENGAGE more powerfully! Contact maria@koreaccess.com to find out how. Your Kore colleagues are a team of curious, dynamic professional women who thrive on collaboration as a means to provide you with creative and successful marketing projects. Contact us today to find out how we can assist you and your team.

Hot Topic Conversation Headlines of March 2012

2012-03-31T16:14:48-07:00

A Business Buzz surrounds the question of how multimedia services and platforms will change the GOOGLE search engine ranking of TEXT-based pages…. services such as TUMBLR, a multimedia microblogging platform, has grown from around 300M monthly page views, to over 1 BILLION in February 2010… new social media that mushrooms out of nowhere continue to change the dynamics…

Hot Topics include whether to open an account on PINTEREST…. 15 minutes per visit, by the 80% of women users in the 25-45 age, earning between 25-75K, with up to 79% having some college or bachelors …MAKES the argument…if you want to reach women buyers…what are you waiting for?

Challenges includes creating TWO-WAY conversations with fans on social media …the December 2011 study, by A.T. Kearney, found that 94% of the 50 top brands’ Facebook pages directed users to a one-way communication page…

Your opinion matters to me. I invite you to e-mail me directly at maria@koreaccess.com and/or to join the conversation on our social media channels. To get more thought leadership material visit the Kore Access Web site at http://www.koreaccess.com/koreaccess