No, we’re not to proud to beg, but please don’t let it get to that.

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If you are not currently using social media for marketing, what are the primary reasons you are not?

This was our only new question on this year’s survey. Interestingly, respondents reported exactly what our consulting practice has shown us: many companies don’t have the time or resources to do SM right. In other words, while SM doesn’t take a lot of cash, it takes a lot of time. And we all know time equals money.

The Idaho companies who are using–and finding success–with social media are the small- to mid-sized companies. One person companies don’t use it (they definitely don’t have the time) and larger companies of 100+ are struggling to figure out which silo it fits in and the legal risks of engaging. For example, one large company respondent specifically list “HIPAA privacy concerns.”

Bottom line? While companies like the low cash outlay of social media, they seem to be waking to the challenge of staffing to do it right.

This is a neat little project we created for Nunhems recently: a cornhole-based trade show game that raised money for a special fund to support the watermelon industry’s diplomats, the watermelon queens. For those who don’t know, watermelon queens are selected in friendly state-by-state competitions in almost every southern state. It all culminates with the selection of a national watermelon queen.

The watermelon queens are the diplomats of the industry. They visit fairs and supermarkets and the like promoting the healthiness and deliciousness

IIB must of mined gigs and gigs of Facebook data to figure out how much we like pie. How else would they know that a pie commemorating Presidents’ Day would be such a hit?

Well done. We’re enjoying it. :)

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In the next 12 months, which types of tactics will be most important to your marketing efforts?

Responses to this question tilted ever slightly more in favor of digital marketing this year (last year 71% said digital marketing will be most important). Surprising? Not exactly. Each passing day seems to put more focus on digital marketing. Idaho marketers love the flexibility, affordability, interactivity and measurability of digital marketing.

Companies with 2-30 employees were nearly 50% more likely than companies with 31+ employees to say say that digital marketing will be “most important.” Perhaps even less shocking, 100% of one-person companies said digital marketing will be “most important.”

They seem to be making these judgements based on personal experience. Very few of the 75% reported Facebook, email marketing, blogging and other tactics as being ineffective in either acquiring new customer or marketing to existing customers. In fact, more than 1/3 say Facebook or email marketing are among their top three “most effective” tactics.

We were happy to be a part of the Boise Advertising Federation’s “Tour de Smashed” event this week. It was a great opportunity to let loose with industry peers while introducing future marketers to some of the city’s finest firms.

Big ups to Laura Herrick, Sean Rodman and the BAF for organizing the agency crawl. Great idea.

To commemorate the event Ron Baker designed a Rizen Koozi. Great way to keep the PBR cold.

These findings are just the tip of the iceberg. The survey, conducted for the second year running by Rizen, asked representatives from 64 Idaho companies a host of questions on what marketing tactics they’re using and, most importantly, which ones are working.

Among the other highlights:

• 83% plan to increase corporate social media usage in 2012.
• Of those not participating in social media, the main reasons are lack of human resources (35%) or lack of time (26%).
• 74% plan to increase their overall marketing efforts and 55% plan to increase their overall marketing spending.

To read all the results, DOWNLOAD THE 2012 IDAHO MARKETING TACTIC SURVEY RESULTS PDF HERE.

Interested in last year’s results? Find them here.

Such was the case two days ago. I found, sitting on my desk, the March 2012 Macworld issue. While I didn’t have a chance to open it, my brain processed the cover and then I was on to other, I am sure more important things. (Will come back to this.)

Yesterday I was cleaning out a number of publications that I had sitting around my desk and came across a Macworld from March 2011. The cover sported a shot of an iPad (1st generation) with a document sharing a pie chart, bar chart and other financial information. The headline read “iPad @ Work - Can the iPad Replace Your Laptop?” Something seemed odd. Almost as if I had seen this somewhere before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I moved on to other tasks and as I was wrapping up the day, putting a few things away, it hit me. I returned to the Macworld that was sitting on my desk two days earlier.

A photo tells the entire story.

The headline; slightly different “@” vs. “AT”. The subhead “Can the iPad Replace Your Laptop” vs. “Is the iPad Ready to Replace Your Laptop?” The photos position - same, iPad 1 vs. iPad 2. Similar financial information with the same Caslon Open Face font in it’s headline.

This begged the question: are we consuming more of the same electronic and print information and don’t even realize it due to the overwhelming amount of it? Are our favorite media outlets falling victim to understaffing and less time for originality and creativity? Are they better off duplicating/copying pervious efforts to save time and money, rather than exercise good judgement. Do they assume we aren’t paying attention? Had I not been a pack rat, hanging onto a 12 month old copy, would I have even noticed it?

In the end, our credibility lies in our ability to be genuine in our communication. Whether we are retweeting information and ensuring that we put our own spin on it or developing a cover for a national magazine, we owe it to our audience, whether that audience is only 10 followers on Twitter, or thousands of subscribers to a publication, be original.

He epitomized what is great about America. Work hard, treat people right and you will succeed.