Moments Later

Driving Your Marketing Metaphors

2012-02-29T14:38:00.003-05:00

Car marketing metaphors used to drive me crazy.

A Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe from around 1957

Over many years, I started to see a pattern of how often marketing and general management professionals would talk about cars as a stand-in for marketing activities. I don’t know of a better way to explain an idea or thought than to compare it with something common enough that everyone can relate to it. Cars are a great device to help communicate more complex topic and can be an easy hook to hang an idea. The following examples are from several decades as a marketing professional. Please buckle your seatbelt and come along for the ride.

Are you an accelerator or a brake?

Accelerator and Brake: In the 1970’s, when Ra El and I were driving our brownie business, we often described our approach to our marketing style by identifying me as the accelerator and her as the brake. In interview after interview, we would outline our approach as a combination of stepping on the gas and slamming on the brake. This was how we moved our vehicle (the brownie business) forward. It was an apt description at the time and served us well to explain how we complement each other’s style to achieving forward momentum. I would have a new idea and get so excited that I was ready to roll immediately. Ra El would sit back and think through the potential bumps in the road and recommend that we slow down. Finally, we would agree on a plan and it was a balance between speed and caution. In your business, are you an accelerator or a brake?

Are you stuck looking in the rear view mirror?

Rear View Mirror: In the 1980’s, I had a number of advisors confer with me about marketing as we were growing our business. I was fortunate to have a high-ranking executive from Campbell Soup, provide me with insights into building our business. Bob Subin, who at one point was President of Campbell’s bakery division (Pepperidge Farms, Arnotts and Delacre biscuits) and developed the Prego product line (pasta sauce), used to be an unofficial member of the board of our humble little bakery business. From time to time, in exchange for brownies, Bob be a sounding board for me to talk to about marketing issues. Bob once made a comment that has stuck in my head for all of these years. He told me that if you are looking in the rear view mirror (or your side mirrors), worrying about the competitors around you, you aren’t looking forward into your own future. He said that like driving a car, it is important to glance at the rear view mirror, but don’t get stuck looking backward. Keep your eyes focus ahead on the future. Wow! This turned out to be a great suggestion as I tended to overanalyze the competition. With eyes planted straight ahead, we could find the right highway to success. This may sound trite and cliché, but profound wisdom often is simple and obvious. Do you spend too much time looking backward?

What fuels your marketing effort?

Fuel in the Engine: In the 1990’s, after selling our wholesale bakery business, I went to work for a large food company who owned some very large brands including one with sales over $100 million dollars. We had a marketing budget in excess of $12 million dollars and a big percentage was spent on broadcast and cable advertising. With no experience spending millions of dollars on advertising, I had a lot of OJT (on the job training) and fortunately for me, we had an agency who quickly brought me up to speed on all the relevant terms like GRP, Reach, Frequency and the importance of creating advertising that speaks to your target reaching them on an emotional level. I remember Grant MacDonald, the President of our ad agency from Stamford, Connecticut (North Castle Partners) explaining to me that advertising was like the fuel in your car. It gives you the energy to drive the forward momentum and to help you speed past the competition. Without the fuel, you aren’t going forward. In fact, without fuel, you are stuck in park. Marketing (and in this case advertising) was that fuel to spark an ignition and to motivate your consumer to purchase your product. Are you putting gas in your marketing engine?

How do you set your course?

GPS: During the 2000’s, I held a number of positions with several companies ranging from software to soft drinks. My career felt as if it was bouncing around a bit but I was fortunate to have a coach to help give me some guidance along the way. Bob Stapleton was the head of outplacement at Lee Hecht Harrison and since I chose not to move to Minneapolis to follow a job, I was in a job search mode and felt totally unprepared. It was 2004 and I realized that since 1976, when I graduated from The Annenberg School of Communications at The University of Pennsyvania, I had never looked for a job. Finding a job was a new highway for me to explore.

I recall Bob asking me how I developed a marketing plan for a company. I shared with him my approach that included having a really clear measurement of success so I knew when I arrived at my goal. He said to me, “so what I am hearing is that you put a destination into your GPS, and even if you end up recalculating the route, you know what your final destination looks like.” This simple metaphor of searching for a marketing job and the GPS in my car was an apt idea to help me stay on course with marketing a product (me) toward my next position. Bob urged me that just like with a marketing plan, a career plan needs to have a well-thought out metrics that let you know you are successful. And, not to lose the metaphor, you better enjoy the ride along the way. Are you clear about your destination and how you'll know you have arrived?

What is the key (or keyless) ignition to success?

Keyless Ignition: Today in the 2010’s, marketing requires a number of adjustments to change. I recently had service on my car and the dealer lent me a new car that had keyless ignition. As the service technician walked me out to this sleek new car, she said, you don’t need a key to start this car- all you need is to have the key fob in your pocket. With a dazed and confused look on my face, I sat in the car and realized that in order to move forward, I had to rethink what it means to get in the car and to start my engine. Driving along the highway to work, I thought how apt that comment was to marketing in general and how I could use it at work. Imagine a car that doesn't need a key to start the engine. Imagine a car that parks itself. Imagine a car that doesn’t use gas but you plug into an electrical outlet. Marketers need to be looking for new markets where competition doesn’t exist and where you differentiate your products or services by adding (or removing) something as basic as the ignition key. What innovation is coming at your business fast and furious and are you driving the lead car in the race or just following?

Metaphors are powerful ways to communicate and drive home important messages.

Change You Can Count On

2012-02-26T07:55:00.003-05:00

Everyone needs an Uncle Hymie who brings change into your life.

Aunt Sara and Uncle Hymie in 1969

As a young boy, my material grandmother’s brother-in-law Hyman Teitelbaum taught me a really big word: NUMISMATICS. I thought it had something to do with weather or math but I quickly learned it was all about a love of coins and money.

A Barr Dollar set and some special coins from Hymie

Change Matters

I am not talking about Donald Trump love of money, but the joy and pleasure of collecting rare and unusual coins and paper money. Every year from around 1963 until 1982, Uncle Hymie would bring me a proof set that included a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar and silver dollar protected in hard plastic and in perfect mint condition. He did this for me and my siblings too.

He bought me coin collector books that had a place to hold every penny or nickel made from 1900 to the present. He would help get me started by buying a few special coins and putting them in these books like a 1909 VDB. (The S-VDB is the really rare one). Or coins from special years like my mother and father’s birth year- 1927.

Collection of Lincoln Head Pennies

He brought me silver certificate dollar bills that had special meaning since the phrase over George’s head says “Silver Certificate” and it means that before 1964, you could get the equivalent amount of silver for the bill from the treasury. These bills aren’t all that rare and their value is modest; maybe $2.00 for $1.00 bill except for some special years.

Hymie was a butcher by trade and owned a small store in Folcroft Pennsylvania. A town, I ironically know about as one of the food businesses I was associated with ten years ago had its manufacturing facility in an industrial park in this small town near Philadelphia. I have no recollection of visiting Uncle Hymie’s little butcher shop but I can imagine him in his little white apron with a huge butcher knife carving up the sirloin. A customer would come into the store and he would sell them a pound of chuck and end up talking for twenty minutes about rare nickel or dime he recently got as change at a Horn and Hardart.

My mother's favorite restaurant from Philadelphia- Horn & Hardart

Hymie was married to my Grandma Fannie’s sister Sara. And as I have mentioned in previous blogs, it always brings a tear to my eye that there is a Fanny and Sarah in another generation of our family.

Growing up in Springfield, New Jersey was filled with rich and wonderful memories. We had numerous family occasions celebrating this or that life event. Visits from Aunt Sara and Uncle Hymie were extra special treats that came often each year since they lived just an hour and half away in Collingswood, New Jersey. Aunt Sara would bring the stuffed cabbage and Uncle Hymie would bring, what my Poppa George would call "the other cabbage"- coins and special bills."

Uncle Hymie, Aunt Sara, My sister Diane and me at my confirmation

Uncle Hymie, who was short in stature but towering in love, would reach deep into his pocket and pull out some buffalo head nickel with a defect that made it worth 5 times the normal price. He would give me a dollar bill with the word silver certificate or some special coins from Israel. His enthusiasm for his hobby always had a profound impact on me since I was surprised that someone could care that much about loose change. I learned from Uncle Hymie that you need to pay close attention to the littlest detail and sometimes you can uncover remarkable treasures. He was one of many family members teaching me early on about paying close attention to the special moments right in front of my eyes.

I remember him telling me wonderful stories about a penny that was worth thousands of dollars and it was found by a father buying candy for his children. His lesson to me was pay attention to the little details in life and you never know what treasures you will find.

How wonderful it is to remember that message from my dusty collection of nickels, dimes and proof sets.

1966 Proof Set and some Silver Certificate Bills

Uncle Hymie gave me these Coins of Israel

In my coin collection, a rare political
button from McGovern/Eagleton
in 1972

My coin collection is modest and until recently,was stuck in my attic. When I opened up this box of coins and proof kits from Uncle Hymie, it made me realize how lucky I was to have someone help me, at a young age, be more observant and attentive to little things like the nickels and dimes in my pocket. In this dusty box were a few other special items that my Dad put aside for me including a special commemorative stamp from the 1969 moon landing and even a rare McGovern/Eagleton campaign button from 1972. (Eagleton was the VP nomination who later resigned because he had undergone electroshock therapy).

It was also a wonderful treat to see my father's handwriting on some of the envelopes and notes that held these proof sets. Seeing my father's notes and his distinctive handwriting was a sweet reminder of his love.

Commemorative Stamp and Envelope of Man's First Landing on the Moon

Currency
My coin collection isn’t worth much money but the true value is in the memory of these moments. It is remarkable how the simplest gesture from decades ago represent the kindness of a gentle man. Hymie was soft spoken and one of those lovely people in your life who were always part of my family support system and appeared at many special family occasions. His wife Sara, was so special to my Mom and her beloved sister Annette, but Hymie was always in a supporting role looking on adoringly at his Sara and bringing Diane, Mitchell and me little gifts. It has taken me many years to realize how important his kindness was to me. These small gestures are the true currency of love and special moments in life.

I can hear my Poppa George saying, "And that ain't pocket change."

Over the last decade, the thought occurred to me that I should sell this modest collection and get whatever money it might bring on eBay. As I sift through this treasure trove, I now think I need to pay this kindness forward to someone else whose life I can touch. Perhaps I will tuck it away for a future grandchild or maybe share it with a great niece or nephew when they get older. Perhaps they will find some pleasure from collecting or it will spark an affinity for being aware of their own special moments. If I can pass on the appreciation for seeing the hidden treasures right in front of our eyes, that would truly be a gift. For now, I am enjoying looking at this loose change and seeing a loving and special Uncle named Hymie.

I guess these sets of virgin coins are proof of love and a true coin of the realm.

Proof of Love - 1776 -1976 Commemorative Set

Semi-colonoscopy

2012-02-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

Another guest blog from my friend Diane Pascoe about a recent medical experience.

Procrastination has always been one of my secret pleasures. Of course things will eventually get to me but until then, I enjoy putting things off, except eating which I never put off.

So in my usual spirit of avoidance, I happily put off having that most delicate of all procedures, the colonoscopy, for 10 years until the guilt finally caught up with me. It was time for that micro-camera to take a peek in my pipeline to be sure everything was pink and pretty. Frankly, I would rather have eaten dog kibble than have a colonoscopy, but I decided it was time to grow up and show up.

I made the appointment for April Fool’s Day, which was duly noted by my love god as perhaps a poor choice of dates. Would the doctor joke with me and tell me he thinks he just located my missing umbrella? I tried not to be deterred by such unsettling thoughts and forged ahead..

I bought the prep materials and read the literature. No raw fruits or vegetables for 5 days it said in bold letters. They didn’t understand- that’s mostly what I was suppose to eat given I was on a weight loss program. Without fruits and veggies, I’d be forced to eat chocolate, ice cream and cookies. I practiced my excuses for my weekly weigh-in at fat school . . . . It’s not my fault . . . they made me eat that stuff.

Pipe cleaners

The rules of colonic photo sessions were clear: the day before the procedure, I was not suppose to eat at all except for clear fluids that weren’t red or purple, which just happened to be my two favorite food colors. I started the day with no breakfast and ended it with, guess what . . . no dinner. I was starving, my stomach was burbling and I was miserable. I really didn’t understand why I couldn’t eat whatever I want given that I was going to be drinking some kind of liquid drano that night that would reportedly create an internal tsunami that would wipe out all traces of brownies, burgers and broccoli. But instead I followed the rules because I couldn’t take a chance that the doctor would declare to everyone within earshot that he couldn’t get his mini-cam past the chocolate chunks and cashews.

That evening, I opened the prep box to find two amber bottles containing a salty lemonade- tasting mixture, which I dutifully drank, then followed up with two 16 ounce water chasers. I visited the throne seven times before bed and once during the night. I repeated this satanic ritual in the morning, then Honey and I headed off to the clinic.

They were ready for me, like I was royalty. With military precision, I had visits from various medical personnel including the anesthesiologist, the bummologist and two female doctorologists who praised my lipstick (Revlon 712 Hot Coral) my matching nails (natch) and my eyeglasses, commenting on how very nicely I was put together on this fine day. I was flattered but worried that their interest in fashion rather than medicine would distract them from my pipeline probe for which I had just swallowed 32 ounces of water and was about to burst. Focus, ladies, focus.

Honey exclaimed that for the life of him he could not figure out why I had on full face paint when I would be unconscious and likely drooling anyway. There he goes being logical. But here’s the thing - I follow the same regimen every morning, without concern for what I’ll be doing that day. I might be going to work, or spreading pine straw, or cleaning toilets or having the Queen visit for tea - but I do my hair and makeup the same regardless. Nobody should be forced to look at me au natural, not even the bummologist, though I doubted he’d be seeing much of my face from where he was sitting.

I was wheeled into the peek-and-poke room which was cold and dark, but with Phil Collins warbling in the background, I was mildly comforted. The nurse told me I would soon feel sleepy and . . . . I was gone. I woke up in what seemed like three minutes talking to someone behind my head whom I didn’t know, but who assured me that he was Honey. I really wished he were a cheeseburger at that moment.

Always good to check out the pipes

One of the doctorologists came back and chatted with Honey, who told them that the last time we were in a hospital room together, we went home with a nearly 10 pound bundle of baby. The happy juice still flowing in my veins had left me confused and thinking that maybe the doctorologists were planning to present me with a post-colonoscopy gift of a new baby. Or did they say a new puppy? It’s hard to hear well when you’ve just discovered you‘re wearing a diaper.

My love god whispered that he saw my colonoscopy pictures while I was in la-la land and given that they quite lovely and were taken from what could arguably be my best angle, he ordered double prints. In my groggy state, I was strangely pleased by this almost-compliment.

The bummologist popped in to tell me the news was good and they didn’t need to see me for 10 years - no frequent fannie points for this girl! Looking back, I really don’t know why I fussed so much about getting this procedure, always declaring that I really must schedule an appointment, but conveniently forgetting to do so.

Here’s what I learned from this whole experience: having a colonoscopy is not a bummer at all . . . . but procrastination sure is. So grow up, show up and say cheese.

Diane Pascoe can be reached at djpascoe@nc.rr.com

What word describes your life’s aspiration?

2012-02-19T08:06:00.002-05:00

Prometheus brings fire to mankind

Art: Heinrich Füger (1751-1818)

If you could pick one single word to describe who you aspire to be- what would it be? I am not asking for a word that describes who you are today. I am wondering about where you are heading in life? What is a word that is your guiding light toward your true north?

This week I think I stumbled upon my word.

I subscribe to a daily email that sends a word a day. Each week it is based on a theme like food words, old English language words or this week it happened to be words coined after gods and goddesses. Hey if you are going to aspire, why not shoot pretty high?

My word is: P r o m e t h e a n

MEANING:

adjective: Boldly creative; defiant; audacious.
noun: A person who is boldly creative or defiantly original.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Prometheus, a Titan in Greek mythology. He made man from clay, stole fire from Zeus and gave it to humans. The name means forethinker, from Greek pro- (before) + manthanein (to learn). Promethius also had some issues with a bird and his liver but I'm not focused on that part of the story. Earliest documented use: 1594.

Of the many things important to me, this idea of being boldly creative and defiantly original takes on mythic proportions. Clearly my life path has provided me with opportunities to work and strive toward the creative and the original. But it is in the idea of being boldly creative or defiantly original that has drawn me to this word like a moth to a fire. Remember- this is my aspirational word that helps give my life a direction.

I don’t want to be simply clever or witty- or someone who has a streak of ingenuity. My life’s goals take me toward the mythology to help fully satisfy my soul. Others can judge whether I achieve either of these states of being but in knowing what is the fuel that is energizing my daily activities, I believe it helps me to know myself and to project me into the future.

I work hard at approaching the day with a clear sense of purpose. How can I find an unexpected idea or path forward? What is the obvious versus what is the novel? But it is more than just being different- it is a desire to see a fresh frame with a clear vision.

What does it mean to be boldly creative? Seeing things others miss. Finding patterns in the negative spaces. Acting without fear of failure. Taking on the challenging, the difficult and the complicated problems with vigor.

What does it mean to be defiantly original? Hearing the music in your head and not being afraid to embrace it. Challenging convention and uprooting the status quo to make room for a refreshed approach.

Many who know me would describe me as creative and perhaps even a little original. But I am a realist too and I know I have a lot of work ahead of me if I want to be labeled as Promethean. I certainly don't expect to bring something as important as fire to mankind but if I help spark some creative and audacious idea, I will bathe in that light.

I may aspire that one day I am defined as Promethean but I recognize I have a lot of work to do. However it is nice to have a clear trajectory in life so that I can know if I am on course.

What is your aspirational word?

A Warm Kale Salad

2012-02-14T20:12:00.000-05:00

Say hello to Lacinato Kale

Most of us think about salad as cold and crisp.I’m a big fan of taking something traditional and find a way to do the opposite of what is expected- as long as it tastes great. This idea came from something my wife loves to make and I have adapted it as a regular course for many of our dinners. This type of kale is also known as Tuscan kale, Tuscan cabbage, Italian kale, Dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, black kale, flat back cabbage, palm tree kale, or black Tuscan palm.

What if you reinvent the idea of a cold salad and turn up the heat?

Here is a recipe for something counter intuitive- a warm salad. Like most recipes, I’ll provide you with the basics but please improvise by adding those things that you love.

WARMED SALAD

Pan saute leeks, bok choy and lacinato kale

INGREDIENTS

Leeks (onions work too)
Bok Choy (Chard also works)
Lacinato Kale
Craisins (or other dried fruit)
Goat Cheese
Olive Oil

RECIPE

Finely chop about a half cup of leeks and pan sauté in olive oil on a medium heat.
Wash the bok choy and pat dry. Cut the crunchier white section and separate it from the green leaf.
As the leeks get golden brown, add the whiter/crunchier to the pan.
Another options is to add sauteed shitake mushrooms. You can saute them along with the leeks.
Cook for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
Take the kale and take out the rib and coarsely chop the leaves.
Add the bok choy green leaves along with the kale leaves to the sauté pan.
When the greens are finished, you can add dried cranberries (craisins) or other dried fruit (apricot, mission figs or dried cherries).
Go nuts. Add pecans or walnuts as a topper.
Take a few small pieces of goat cheese and add it to the top once plated.

This warm salad needs no dressing. In this meal, I made some simple scrambled eggs with a little cherve topped with fresh tarragon. Fingerling potatoes sautéed in butter are the perfect sidekick. This warm salad is a perfect base for interesting grilled grouper or salmon. It is the perfect way to enjoy a healthy and nutritious meal and won’t leave you out in the cold.

A warm kale salad, scrambled eggs with goat cheese and tarragon and fingerling potatoes

A few kale tips and a cold kale salad with sardines. (my wife Ra El's idea- I don't eat sardines)

After washing the Lacinato kale leaves, take a sharp knife and cut away the rib.

You can chop the greens and toss some heirloom cherry tomatoes, avocado and a light balsamic vinaigrette. Serve the sardines on cream cheese on crackers.

Warm kale salad or cool kale salad. Cook differently.

"Ed, Don’t Forget to Get the Legs for Jack"

2012-02-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

Swanson Fried Chicken Dinner

When I drive home from work, I like to use the 25 to 30 minute commute to catch up with my Mom. It is a nice transition from the drumbeat of work to stories about drum sticks and chicken legs. Perhaps I should explain.

During my drive home, Mom and I will usually go through a quick review of what is new since we last spoke. Since we speak daily, we usually don't have a lot of news to discuss. I’ll share what Ra El and I had for dinner and what movie from the 40’s we watched the night before on AMC with our favorite host, Robert Osborne. Mom will tell me about where she went during the day, what she is planning on eating for dinner and a quick recap of what shows or movies she planned to view in the evening. Often we get on a tangent talking about this or that.

TV dinners on snack trays

On Thursday, she was telling me about The Chew, a TV talk show about food. This episode was about food from the 1950's and the panelist were dressed up in Mickey Mouse Club costumes and were discussing old fashion TV dinners. This led to a discussion about Swanson TV dinners, which led to talking about fried chicken memories I had from the early 60’s. Mom and Dad would be going out on a Saturday night and Diane and I would get to eat a Swanson TV dinner in front of the TV on one of those snack (stack?) tables.

Jeff and Diane- waiting for our TV dinners

I remembered the fried chicken, mashed potatoes; corn and dessert all tucked away in their little aluminum compartments. It was a joy-filled memory for me. This led to Mom reminding me of a fried chicken place that Mitchell used to like after Diane and I were out of the house in the late 60’s and early 70’s. I think it was called the Chicken Nest on Mountain Avenue in Springfield. From here, the story led to the favorite fried chicken of my parents- Kentucky Fried Chicken. She recounted how much she and my Dad loved KFC and unfortunately the only one nearby is on Route 22 and she won’t drive on that highway. She thought that when Harrison comes home from college, he could drive her to Route 22 and she could get some of this delicacy. (According to mom, the secret is their spices. I didn’t know that).

Swanson TV Dinners Advertisement from 1960's.

This shaggy dog story wandered all over the place for about ten minutes as I am zooming along Route 540 on my way home.

Finally, Mom remembered that about 10 years ago, after they stopped going to Phillips Avenue Beach in Deal, New Jersey for July 4^th, Ed and Beverly Denner would invite them over to their house where they had a swimming pool.

“No one went swimming”, according to Mom. “But we would sit around and enjoy being together. And, the best part was they would get Kentucky Fried Chicken”.

Shhhh. Don't tell anyone but Mom told me the secret is their seasoning.

The first year they attended this party, Dad went over to the bucket and there were no chicken legs. Dad loved the dark meat. (So do I). Mom said that since most people like the chicken breast, that was all they had. They had a lovely afternoon at the Denner’s but when they were leaving, Beverly told Ed, “next year, don’t forget the legs for Jack”.

Why did this story stick in my head like breading on a fried drumstick?

Deliberate Acts of Kindness

Mom and her sister-in-law Lolly Winick

It occurred to me that this week, I got to witness or hear about several deliberate acts of kindness. And, isn’t it interesting how an act of kindness can be baked into our memories and show up so many years later?

This week I observed, at a distance, my sister taking my Mom to visit my Aunt (Dad’s sister Lolly). It was a selfless act of kindness and one that Diane did out of honor and respect for both Mom and in memory of Dad. I know that my sister made my Mom happy, my Aunt Lolly happy and I could feel my father’s warmth of appreciation directed at his daughter.

Mitch, Georgia and Mom celebrating a Giant victory

I learned about my brother Mitchell, making sure that Mom got to be with him to watch the Giants win some big football game that apparently took place last weekend. They had a Super time and Mitch could have easily gone to a party or been with his friend without feeling the need to take Mom along.

Harrison and Georgia Slater with Bea Slater at iHop

I know that Mom baked a special pie that her grandson Harrison loves and that she brought it to Mitch and Leslie so that the pie could make the trip to Penn State. Mom even included paper plates and plastic forks since who knows what kids use at college to eat cake?

I read on Facebook about Fanny’s friends in LA who in learning that Fanny was leaving LA to head back to the East Coast decided to throw a party to honor her and was calling it, “Kiss Your Fanny Goodbye!” I was touched to know that she has made such an impression on this group in such a short period and that her good friend Loryn was so kind to help celebrate Fanny.

Fanny, Ra El and Sarah

I witnessed my wife Ra El on the phone with both Sarah and Fanny for over an hour, when both girls had things on their mind and needed someone to listen and just unconditionally love them for that brief moment in their day. Supporting, loving and just showing up was what both needed and since it was late, they knew their Mom would be present with them to acknowledge their feelings and emotions.

So the week was filled with deliberate acts of kindness that got woven together with memories of fried chicken and a simple gesture remembered from a decade ago. What will you remember ten years from now about a simple gesture of kindness that you witness or hear about?

Life is so filled with sweetness and special seasoning- you just need to savior it. It helps if it comes with coleslaw and biscuits too.

The Right Slice of the Pie

2012-02-08T09:52:00.001-05:00

As a marketing professional addicted to understanding consumer behavior, I am fascinated by the critical importance of segmentation. If your category is a pie, which slice are you focused on?

If you ask a question about what consumers think, you better be certain that you have defined which consumers you are talking about. Not all consumers’ opinion has equal weight and importance if you are trying to understand segmentation. Someone who buys your product or service once a year is not the same as the daily user.

If you read the Wikipedia definition:

A market segment is a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function. A true market segment meets all of the following criteria:

it is distinct from other segments (different segments have different needs),
it is homogeneous within the segment (exhibits common needs);
it responds similarly to a market stimulus,
it can be reached by a market intervention.

The term is also used when consumers with identical product and/or service needs are divided up into groups so they can be charged different amounts for the services. The people in a given segment are supposed to be similar in terms of criteria by which they are segmented and different from other segments in terms of these criteria. These can be broadly viewed as 'positive' and 'negative' applications of the same idea, splitting up the market into smaller groups.

Examples: § Gender § Price § Interests § Location § Religion § Income § Size of Household

An Example: US Wine Consumption

A real life example will help illustrate this interesting way to look at business opportunities.I’m currently studying the US wine consumer to try and get a deeper perspective on some issues that relate to attitudes and usage for different types of wine closures. Sounds pretty esoteric but I work for a company (Nomacorc) who designs and engineers closures (corcs, as we call them) for more than 40% of the US still wine market and closes 13% of the still wine globally.

What has me intrigued is the segmentation of the market into the heavy and frequent consumers who drink at least 1 bottle of wine per week or more. This group represents 17% of the US population, 50% of wine consumers and they consume 90% of the wine (by volume) in the United States. Think of it, if you want to understand this slice of the purple pie, you don’t need to get too deeply immersed in the opinions of everyone- just 17% of the US population or 50% of wine consumers. They are so important to the category, that you could waste your time (and money) studying the entire group instead of this segment.

By cross-tabulating the data from some recent research, I can look at attitudes and opinions by finite segments of the most important part of the market. I may glean an insight or two from patterns that emerge by looking closely at this segment and it may even require more research to go deeper into what is a critical lever in the dynamic of the market. Moreover, it may be that as I understand when certain attitudes occur (say by usage occasion- like everyday versus special event), other patterns emerge. Using multiple sources of data, patterns emerge long before I put a marketing plan into place.

How does this apply to you and the product or services that you market?

Here are a few things to consider?

How is the category you are interested in organized?
How do you define the segments within your category?
How do heavy and frequent users define the category?
What other characteristics (age, gender, geography, education, income, etc) create commonality among the important segments?
What commonality exists among that slice of the market that might be psychological in nature or behavioral? (they like to watch a lot of sports, they frequently go to dance clubs, they bowl)
How is that group different in behavior, in media consumption, in age/gender, etc. from the rest of the category?
Do you deeply understand what makes them tick? (politics, religion, passions?)
Have you done both qualitative and quantitative assessment of this section of the market?
Does this group respond differently and how can you refine your message, offering, pricing or promotion to attract them.
Why do they over index against the general population? (If they buy 5X more than the average consumer, what motivates this difference?)

Summing it up

The first step in a market assessment is segmentation. You need to have some clarity about this before you begin targeting or positioning work. Think STP. Segment. Target. Position.

STP: Segment, Target and Position
Add fuel to your insights

Segmenting helps you determine what part of the market you plan to approach since it makes clear if you are going after a niche or a bigger slice of your market pie. Through research which should include both qualitative and quantitative assessments, you begin to see the market more clearly and to assess where your product or service might fill a gap. As you do the added work of targeting and positioning, you have your sights clearly focused on who you are trying to reach and what your value proposition is for that segment.

I wonder what flavor ice cream I would like with my slice of the pie!

Power Pointless

2012-02-04T13:48:00.001-05:00

Hands down, most presentations are boring

How often are you forced to sit through terrible presentations at conferences or in your own office? It happens to everyone. My feeling is that friends shouldn’t let friends make bad presentations. It is avoidable and can be easily remedied. I have developed a few simple steps that I like to use when speaking to an audience in various work related situations. Please consider these next time you are asked to present.

FIRST- and it is really the first thing you need to do. Determine if you should really be giving a presentation or just talking with your group. If your audience can fit around a conference table, maybe what you need to do is to sit at the table with them and talk. Standing up in front of the group and presenting can immediately create the impression of teacher and student. Whereas sitting around a table, with an outline in front of you, allows you to have a conversation. When your audience is relaxed and receptive, they are more apt to get hear your message. Can you imagine being at Thanksgiving dinner with family and standing up with PowerPoint to present an update to Mom and Dad? Sit down and tell your story.

Does your audience look like this?

SECOND- if the group is too large and you can’t fit at the table, is PowerPoint really the right format? It is such an overused and poorly understood software program that you might be best served to use something else to make your point. The key question to ask is what is THE message you want your audience to walk away with? And yes, if you speak for an hour, most people will remember one thing. Sorry, but that is the way we humans work. Don’t kid yourself and think that they can recall your 20 brilliant distinctive features about your plans. Think about the last presentation you sat through- you'll be lucky if you do remember one bit of information.

Perhaps you can make your point through analogy using pictures. An example would be if you have a technology that is so advanced, perhaps a series of old technology/new technology images can help embed your main idea in the mind of your audience. (horse and buggy vs. a new BMW). I work for a company that makes synthetic, engineered corcs for the wine industry that use twenty-first century technology and science. I love to compare our competitor (natural bark cork) to the Gutenberg press from the fourteenth century. Both technologies work but ours represents the future. The images of the Gutenberg Press versus the iPad is a great image to illustrate my main point. Using photographs instead of words on a slide is a powerful and effective way to leave a strong impression and entertain your audience. When people are entertained they are paying attention.

Gutenberg Press vs. iPad
A visually interesting way to make my point in a presentation

THIRD- if you decide that you are going to do a PowerPoint, remember the rule of 10/20/30 that I learned about from Guy Kawasaki, the former Apple marketing guy. See his video on this topic here) Ten slides. Twenty minutes and thirty point font. Why is this important? Because in 10 slides you can tell a clear story, in twenty minutes you can keep people’s attention and 30 point font allows everyone to read the words clearly. Don’t cram your slides with so many words, charts and graphs that your audience isn’t listening but reading.

Let me say that again.

Don’t cram your slides with so many words, charts and graphs that your audience isn’t listening but reading.

Give mounds of data out- don't present it!

FOURTH- if you have to look at your slides to present your story, you aren’t prepared. The story should flow easily and should have an arc. That arc should have a beginning, a middle and an end. A simple story engages the listener and makes it clear to them what you want them to take away. You can always hand out 200 pages of research data on a jump drive or 50 pages of footnotes. DON’T PUT IT ON YOUR PRESENTATION. Death by data is second only to Death by PowerPoint.

A side note on charts and graphs: more are not better. Less is more. One chart that illustrates your point is helpful. Several charts that nuances the information should be reserved for white papers, technical journals or even a handout. Keep it simple is a cliche for a reason. It is effective.

Copyright Gregory

FIFTH- Know thy audience. How technical is the audience? How much background does everyone have on your company or the subject at hand? What is the expectation of the audience? What do they want from you? If you have 10 features about your product or company that you want them to remember, write them on a piece of paper or give them a sales brochure to remind them of these points. But when you speak in front of them, reinforce the benefit they derive from your product. Make sure they get what they need and not the other way around.

If you can speak to a few audience members in advance of the presentation, find out what they are most interested in learning from you and your portion of the presentation. Learn what problem they are trying to solve with your product or service. Then figure out a compelling way to tell the story where your benefit becomes the hero helping to support their need. To repeat, the presentation shouldn't be about you. The presentation is about your what your audience needs. Tell a story that helps solve their problem.

SUMMING IT UP:
In sum, a presentation to an audience needs to be fun, clear and easy to digest. Think of it like a book report NOT the book. Give them highlights and an overview and repeat at least three times the take away message. Be prepared but don’t be married to your plan if the audience asks questions that redirects you. A fluid and flexible presenter is more effective than someone who adheres to the script. Your goal isn't to make a presentation. Your goal is to communicate your key message to your audience. Telling a simple story is hard but worth the effort if you want to be an effective presenter.

Boring limits understanding and communications

Most importantly, enjoy the opportunity and remember to smile. People learn and listen more from people who are relax, calm and enjoying themselves.

Friends don't let friends give bad presentations.

Leaving Your Baggage Behind

2012-01-29T08:14:00.000-05:00

We all carry around so much emotional baggage

In the last few weeks I have been on about 10 airplanes in 3 countries. It is hard not to notice how much baggage people carry with them on the plane since the airline industry has started charging fees to check your bag. Watching people shove their luggage into the overhead bins is about as much fun as root canal surgery. The squeezing, shoving and schlepping makes me cringe as I watch people struggle to pack away their over-filled bags in the overhead storage. Passengers squirm as they try to protect themselves from free-falling roller bags.

Bag this idea

This repeated bag ballet coincided with a recent conversation that I had with a friend of mine who was having difficulty letting go of some of his own emotional baggage. Like his suitcase, he was filled with various feelings about his workplace, family and other personal matters. At work he didn't feel he was getting all the credit he deserved for some areas he championed. He carried this baggage around with him like the airplane travelers with the bulging suitcases. All this made me think about the joy of letting go and the remarkable power that comes from leaving your baggage behind.

Overhead baggage

I don’t pretend to be an expert in this area but I have worked very hard over many years to unpack my “stuff” and not lug it around with me. With respect to my friend and to others who are in a similar situation, please allow me to offer a tip on the joy of traveling light without carrying the emotional baggage along for your daily journey.

The Walking Meeting

We all want recognition for the work that we do. Each of us craves to be acknowledged for our contributions. But there are times when the credit isn’t communicated well to others and you can easily feel slighted. I appreciate why it is so important to be recognized. We all crave praise for our efforts.

When I do feel slighted, I play this little game with myself while I am walking. I pretend that I am in front of my colleagues and have their undivided attention. I like to think of it as a ‘walking meeting’. And as they all look at me, I proceed to explain to them my reality – or how I see the situation. They aren't allowed to talk or object. They must listen to me speak. I don’t actually say it out loud but I talk and walk and give voice to the situation. It is like a meeting I hold in my head but it is important to do it while I am taking a walk and moving forward.

I tell the audience what they don’t know about my role compared with co-workers. I outline in great detail why I deserve the credit for this, that and the other thing. I to share my inside view on the topic. I go on and on about me.

All on Bored

After about 20 minutes of praising myself using the voice in my head, I start getting pretty bored and a wonderful thing happens; I no longer care who gets the credit. Even my ego says, "enough already". Suddenly I start to let go. It is as if I have dropped off pieces from my baggage behind me and my load is lighter. I feel as if I have walked it off. Sometimes giving voice to it allows you to release this heavy load and it feels good to leave it behind. Walking is important since I can pretend to let some of the baggage out as I move forward.

Pack light for your life's journey

So the next time you feel slighted or underappreciated at work, take your baggage and your co-workers out for a virtual walk. Spend about 20 minutes singing your own praise. If you are like most people, by the time you finish, you should feel a weight lifted as you unzip your feelings and eliminate some of the excess.

Learn to let go and carry on.

_______________________________________
Note: This post was published on the anniversary of my father's birthday (January 29th). He was a master at letting go, leaving grudges behind and leaving his excess baggage behind. I miss him every day.

Who Decides?

2012-01-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

My father used to tell me that the biggest problem he always experienced in business was that no one could make a decision. After graduating from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania in 1948, Dad worked in his career at Bamberger’s Department Store, Creed Taylor Record Label, Triangle Industries, Rowe International and later as a financial planner with Merrill Lynch. It has taken me many years to understand the gem of insight and to figure out ways to be an even more effective marketing leader within the company I work for in North Carolina. I am always thankful I decided to choose Jack as my Dad in 1954 when I came into the world.

Last week I started reading a fascinating book on how the brain works called Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman that has really started my wheels turning. In his book, Kahneman describes the two systems in the brain that drive the way we think- System 1 is fast (intuitive/emotional) and System 2 is slow (deliberate and logical). The book has me challenging and questioning how we make decisions and choices. More on this book in a future review but to learn more, click this link on Amazon.

Since my background and experience bridges both the small, entrepreneurial world, mid-sized firms and large corporations, I thought I would share some observations and mention a few things I have learned along my yellow brick marketing road. As mentioned in an earlier blog post, I made lots of wonderful, productive mistakes that I think I have a few useful insights that might help guide you on this tricky terrain.

Who Decides? Decision making exists to help grease the wheels of day to day activities. There is a handy little guideline you can use when thinking about these issues called RACI. It is an acronym that helps you think about 4 categories within a decision making process.

RACI charts work great for most lower level decisions or typical projects that don’t involve huge capital investments or highly strategic activities. You could use this to help a team make a decision about a change on packaging, use of a new supplier or instituting a new software program. This guideline helps when the dollars impact isn't major and the strategic importance is modest or small to the business.

But big decisions are harder to manage and this is what my Dad was alluding to in his comments that he shared with me many years ago. How can a mid-sized or large firm do a better job of efficiently and effortlessly make good decisions in a timely fashion?

The quick and simple way to think of this is that the leaders of the company set the rules. Imagine they are the governing board and helping you understand the rules of engagement. A sports metaphor makes this clear. The senior managers have to help everyone else play the game. So, if your leadership defines how a game is played (like football), you understand how to score, when penalties occur, how long the game is, what role and responsibilities the referees have, etc. The rules define where the authority lies for a major strategic decisions. Is it with an individual or a group who collaborate? It is helpful for the associates to be clear where this decision making authority exists so that no one is blind-sided by not including the right individuals in the process. Back to my sports metaphor, the staff is going to play the game- without setting these rules, chaos reigns and sometimes decisions are made based on who has the loudest megaphone or power base.

The following are a few ideas to help you think about these issues:

Start at the Top It always helps to start at the top. The CEO/President/Owner is going to want to be involved in the most important decisions. The best advice is spell it out clearly with examples. So perhaps your leader wants to be the final decision maker if you have a project that involves X amount of dollars. Perhaps she wants to make decisions that she deems highly strategic like involving the switch to a new technology platform, changing a major vendor or even the decision to alter the deal/pricing structure with a top 10 customer. Define it. Share it. Make it clear. Tell everyone in a simple document what decisions you own. Of course you will consult with many others and you may not execute the decision. But make it clear that you own it and are truly accountable for the final decision.

Work Your Way Down the Food Chain to VP's Once it is clear what the CEO deems to be the top issues, then the next level down can do the same exercise. Perhaps you have a group of VP who has departmental responsibilities. Define what each person can determine by themselves versus when they need to collaborate on a decision. Give a handful of clear examples for each person. What is the VP of Sales decision making authority? When does he get to make the call versus collaborate with his peers? When does he have to push it up to the CEO? With just a few examples, it quickly becomes clear how much authority is empowered in each individual VP versus them as a collaborative team.

Next Stop - The Directors Next, go down a level to the Directors or the next band of management. Do exactly the same exercise as the VP’s. Give a few key examples for each Director when they can act unilaterally versus with the collaboration of their peers. Generally speaking, you don’t have to go deeper than this into the organization. In a company with 1000 employees, often it just takes about 20 senior managers whose decision making authority needs to be clear to everyone.

Publish a matrix or chart that illustrates what has been decided. Be transparent and share this internally so everyone is clear. Most of the major conflicts will be avoided and decision making authority will be more obvious to all.

I’m glad I decided to write this post. You can hold me accountable.

The Present is the Gift

2012-01-21T09:50:00.001-05:00

On January 23, 2012 I celebrate my 58^th birthday.

I made up a short list of things I want for my birthday should you be looking for the perfect gift for me.

RELIVE A MOMENT: Find an old photograph from the last 10 years where you are with someone you love who has passed away. Spend one minute looking really closely at this picture and recognize that although that moment is gone, your life holds millions of future moments. Don’t miss any of them.

THANK SOMEONE: Tell someone you see every day who has a supporting role in your life thank you. Express a heartfelt appreciation for what they mean to you even if it is just that you love to see their smiling face each morning. Be more aware of those around you and express your thanks by looking directly into their eyes.

CONNECT WITH SOMEONE: Write an email, note, Facebook post, Tweet or some other form of communication to a person from your past that you have not spoken with in a long, long time and tell them that you are thinking about them and hope things are going well for them in their world. Don't apologize for being disconnected. From your heart, express your feelings.

TASTE THE MOMENT: Slowly enjoy your food with a great appreciation and focus on the flavors. Savor the spice or herb- the delicacy or boldness of each ingredient that is part of this meal. Suck in the sweet aroma and fragrance of the meal or the complexity of the wine. Appreciate each flavor note as if it were music. Taste the moment and give thanks for the nourishment.

APPRECIATE THE MOMENT: Count the infinite blessings of your life and see only the wonder and goodness – even if it is just for a mere moment. Emphasize that glass that is half filled and not half empty. Appreciate your good health not what ails you. Celebrate being alive.

UNEXPECTED MOMENTS: Do something unexpected for someone you don’t know. Celebrate their life. Don’t over think it and don’t judge yourself. Just act in kindness and from the center of your compassionate self. Hint: If you can do it anonymously it may be even sweeter.

Happy Birthday

Fill your life with meaningful moments, have more in your life by needing less and most important - be present.

I suppose we call this moment the present because it truly is a gift.

A Time to Fail

2012-01-15T07:22:00.001-05:00

I just traveled on business to Belgium on the same week I got an iPhone. I only put a few songs on my iPhone and two of them are: “Please Don’t Take my Kodachrome away” by Paul Simon and Chicago's version of "Does anybody really know what time it is?". On the plane, I read about Kodak's potential bankruptcy this month and at dinner the first night, the restaurant we visited was playing all Dylan's...

The Times They Are A Changin'

Come gather round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you

Is worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin'.

I am always looking for the higher meaning in things that come in my path. It is funny how patterns slowly emerge if you pay close attention.

Does anybody really know what time it is?

International travel and changing time zones is an exhaustive experience and reminds me how incredibly arbitrary time can be. I leave North Carolina at 6 pm and travel for 9 hours and arrive in London at 8 am. (Wait- isn’t it 3 am in the morning?) The math isn’t difficult to reconcile but what time is it for me? My body tells me it is 3 am in the morning and I’m hanging out at the Starbucks-like coffee shop sipping cappuccino. The clock and my body argue over whom is right but I believe my exhausted body. I don’t care what the clock tells me. I believe my body.

My new phone has a feature that allows me to have a few clocks based on times around the world. I track Honolulu (Sarah), Hollywood (Fanny) Raleigh (Ra El) and Brussels (our European Facility). That way I always know what time it is in the different worlds that matter to me for my family and work.

I wonder if I am six hours younger in Honolulu right now and six hours older in Brussels? It is all very confusing and with the chaotic sleep that you get when you travel, it is all a bit of a sweeping blur.

Brands have time changes too

Brands go through time changes too. It isn’t as obvious but if you pay close attention, you can see how easy it is to get stuck in the wrong time zone. Sometimes a brand feels like it is so “twenty seconds ago”. Stale. Old fashioned. Behind the times. These brands struggle to say relevant and just can’t reinvent themselves fast enough. The clothing retailer The Gap over the last decade appears to have stood still. Snapple feels old to me and very 1980's. Some brands are so “twenty years ago”. On the other hand, most people agree that Apple lives somewhere in the future often finding those unmet needs we didn't realize we had. Dyson (vacuums and blade less fans) is another example of a brand that lives in a future time zone too.

Kodak: Lost in Time

As I read a saved article from my laptop on the plane, I was taken by the fact that my dear beloved Kodak is almost bankrupt. The yellow box of Tri-X black and white film was my regular companion many years ago when I used to take photographs for a living. Kodak was my Apple in 1972 always inventing incredible new films to help me capture the brilliance of each moment.

First in, First Out
Ironically, Kodak invented digital photography but they feared that if they pursued it, it would challenge their film business. So, it got buried and no longer became an active product line for a long time. When they realized the errors of their ways, it was too late. Time was out. They could never catch up again.

Kodak’s fundamental mistake, like so many brands, is they lost sight of what business they were in. The physical product of film was their focus when they should have had their eyes on the emotional prize of memory managers like me.

Kodak wasn't in the film business.
They were in the moments or memories business.

What is fascinating about Kodak is that their aspirational advertising in the 60's, 70's and 80's projected this awareness of what business they were in but the operational side never caught up. The marketing people understood the true brand essence but the technology teams couldn't let go of the past. Management feared the shift and in hindsight was too cautious.

Kodak commercial called

The Times Of Your Life from 1977

Kodak's tearjerker called

Turn Around from 1960's

Shouldn't brands challenge themselves? Shouldn’t they fight internally for the future where you have different teams competing for resources? Why didn't Kodak have a digital team in the 70's and 80's fighting for the future of memory keeping even if it meant a different business model (licensing technology) versus selling hard goods like film. Sorry to say it but the company deserves what it got. It buried their collective heads in the sand and ran the other way as they destiny fades to black.

LESSONS FROM FAILED BRANDS:

What are some lessons that we can learn from Kodak and brands like them? If you are a brand manager, are you feeling the smell of a challenging brand's breath attacking your future earnings?

(Pun alert) How could Kodak have turned a negative into a positive?

CLARIFY: Get some clarity about what business you are in. (hint: it isn’t the physical product but the emotional benefit your product or service delivers). You can't advertise your way out of this problem because time will catch up with you. Connect your vision with a risk taking plan and stick to it.

START: Put a big fat foot into that new market. Try. Test. Play. But don’t sit on the sidelines. Newspapers who waited too long to experiment with this ‘Internet thing’ should have jumped in early to reduce their risk of not figuring out how to adapt. I used to subscribe to 4 physical newspapers. Today I subscribe to none but feel more informed and doing my part to help reduce waste and help the environment.

FREEDOM: Carve out some funds to allow the business some room to be free of margin requirements, EBITDA targets and all of the other metrics for mature businesses. First see if you have something truly innovative and different that the market will be willing to pay for. Film was so profitable that it was hard to play with new business models that had low margins so by killing any internal efforts, Kodak was deluded into believing this digital thing would go away.

FAIL: A series of small test failures can be so much more powerful to the organization than sitting on the sidelines. Learn something from each test and develop new hypothesis that allow you to keep asking questions about where the market is heading (or you can lead it). Keep testing and failing and adjusting.

FAIL SOME MORE: I think failure was my best teacher as an entrepreneur. I made plenty of mistakes and I think that is why our company (Rachel's Brownies Inc) made it on INC MAGAZINE'S Fast Growing Company list in 1985. We failed often but we failed small. We would learn stuff and then reroute. After selling my company, I went to work for a larger corporation and failing was bad. Taking risks were often avoided. The goal is to find a balance. Taking some small risks often is necessary to help you keep your brand living and breathing in the current time zone.

The Brand as GPS
Think of your GPS system talking to you when you make a wrong turn. It knows your ultimate goal and it helps you regain your path toward it as you keep adjusting. Your path to the right time zone is ahead.

Recalculating. Recalculating. Recalculating.

12 Tips for 2012 to Make a Great B2B Video

2012-01-04T14:01:00.000-05:00

I’m often amused when I see people handing out printed brochures with glossy paper and thousands of words that no one will ever read. Let’s face it, business people don't want to read a lot of information. Even if they are interested in your company and products, you need to hook them quickly to gain their interest. You see this at trade shows or on sales calls where companies hand out thick printed brochures destined for the circular file.

What prospects do want is to easily learn and absorb some new information that will help them. It isn't that the printed word is dead, I find that often it isn't the most sustainable and cost effective way to communicate information. Of course markets are different but as a general rule, I find that most people enjoy passively receiving information (video) versus actively having to read through pages of material (catalogs/brochures).

As a marketing professional, over the last 10 years, I have been involved in producing dozens of videos. There are many lessons I have learned from my video production experiences. I thought I would share 12 tips for 2012.

1. Start with a creative brief. This one page document should briefly outline the goal of the video, who the target is, key messages and a clear call to action. It should speak to the tone (upbeat or uplifting). It should suggest where you will use the video so your team understands the resolution and sound quality needed. It should identify roles and responsibilities from your team or outside resources. It should describe your timeline too. The brief should describe what success looks like? How will you measure effectiveness? Finally, you should outline the total budget parameters. This document allows you to think through the project before you start and to make sure your team and your boss are all in agreement about the plan.

2. Keep it under three minutes. Nobody wants to sit through more than three minutes of a video except in a few rare exceptions. You can tell a simple story in that time frame and you will find a remarkable increase in viewership if you keep it short. Google Analytics help you see when people leave your video so you can gauge success based on if people stay and watch it all.

3, Put your key message up front, in the middle and at the end. Frequency rules! If you have a key message to share, make sure it is repeated so that it is clear what you want them to take away from the video.

4. Have a beginning, middle and end. Seems obvious but I have watched many videos from companies that do not have a narrative or a natural arc to their story. Use a professional copy writer to help you craft a crisp story that delivers a strong punch at the end with a ‘call to action’.

5, Repurpose the video to get a great ROI. I like to use videos to communicate internally to employees, externally to existing and potential customers, through the media to reach general audiences and thought leaders. We use our videos to show suppliers some background on who we are to help them understand our needs. New employees see videos for orientation purposes too. With social media, it’s a snap to get it distributed but you can really get a lot of mileage out of the material. (Trade shows, in your company lobby, Facebook, via Twitter, to Board of Directors and on and on). Here is a great tip: link your video in your electronic press release to get even more awareness and reach.

6. Hire a pro: Yes you can do things on a shoe-string with a Flip camera but for corporate video, the quality of the light and sound can help represent your company at a professional level. I have worked with several great video professionals (see list below) and the great ones spend hours in preparation to make sure nothing is left to chance. A pro can help you edit the work to make sure it tells your story in a clean, crisp manner and is visually pleasurable to watch.

7. Don’t include too many spokespeople: Usually three people are all you should have in a video of three minutes. More than that and it feels like talking heads. The three people should complement the story and bring authenticity to the work. It is nice to showcase diversity too of gender and ethnicity particularly if that is what your audience reflects.

8. The Sounds of Music The sound quality is so important to make sure you can clearly hear each speaker or the voice over. Cheap sound quality will reflect poorly on your company almost begging the question, what else do you cut corners on ? Music also needs to immediately fade into the background yet it is critical for setting the right tone appropriate to the need. Composers for Hollywood movies will tell you that you shouldn't be aware of the music yet it should move you emotionally.

9. Who (or what) is the star? Remember that the star may be your product or service- not your spokespeople. Don’t let the video be a talking head that is all blah blah blah. If the camera is focused on the spokesperson for a few seconds to establish them as a credible authorities, you can then use their voice as a voice over to illustrate something interesting to your viewers. This too sounds so obvious but it can elevate your work from rank amateur to top flight professional work. Remember, feature the real star which is the benefit your product or service provides to your viewer.

10. Testimonials help build credibility. Can you get a customer or an industry key thought leader to help tell the story? They lend some much authority and can communicate your message as a third-party endorser. This is powerful and worth careful planning and consideration. Remember, you can always get a separate crew to videotape them if they are in a remote location. Just make sure that you have clarity about the tone, backdrops and image you want to portray so that both shootings are well integrated into one message.

11. Animation Rocks. It can be difficult with video to show a complex process but a simple animation can break it down. Interestingly, the most highly viewed videos are often animations that explain how something is made and is far easier to understand. Don't skimp on this with an amateur- invest in a quality animator to help show a complex process that is key to your message. I have a great example of how the company I work for makes corcs in a co-extruded process. It is complicated and this animation actually is easier to understand than seeing it live. (at least it is for the non-technical person like me).

12. Have a premiere. Why not celebrate the finished product by inviting employees to see the video together. Get some popcorn and showcase the new video and explain to employees why it was developed. You want everyone to share it and use it with customers, vendors and other interested stakeholders. Give them some background and context so they understand how these three minutes will help support your company’s strategies. Most of all, it is a great way to have fun with co-workers.

Three examples
Here are three videos that our company recently created. We worked with some great suppliers to help us get it just right. They are all very different in objective and have helped to communicate our key messages. By the way, all 3 of these have been translated into 6 languages (including Mandarin) so we have really got our money worth out of these marketing tools.

One video is called DID YOU KNOW and takes some key facts about our company and promotes them in a fun and entertaining visual way. The second is a video promoting a new series of closures (corcs) that we sell called The Select Series. Finally, the last video is of our Conversation with our CEO talking about the company’s recent successes and helping to deliver some key messages to the trade. All of these are for B2B situations but although for the trade, everyone wants a clear message told in an entertaining fashion.

Animation: This is a little bonus animation illustrating how to take something complicated and explain it in a simple fashion. And we did it in 38 seconds!

Credit for these videos and scripts go to these professional agencies that supported our efforts and are the property of Nomacorc, LLC. Along with these outside resources, our internal marketing team was very involved in the production of this work.

Script Development Analie Roth at Roth Consulting
http://www.arothconsulting.com/main.html

Video/Sound/Light/Editing Peyote Perriman http://www.digitalpmedia.com/

Animated Video The Richards Group: http://www.richards.com/index.html

IT CO_LD HAP_EN - Wheel of Fortune

2011-12-31T18:34:00.000-05:00

This guest post is from my daughter Fanny's childhood best friend John Bower. He appeared on Wheel of Fortune on December 12, 2011. This is his story of his moments on the show where he won $46,000!

Outside the LA Studios of
Wheel of Fortune

I spent countless evenings watching “Wheel of Fortune” growing up. For some reason, “Wheel” (we’re on a first-name basis now) would be broadcast at 7pm in my bedroom on my antenna TV while JEOPARDY was on downstairs on the satellite TV at the same time. So every night when 7:28pm rolled around and the final puzzle was solved, I would make my way downstairs to the living room where my parents were yelling at the contestants during the Final JEOPARDY round:

“For God’s sake, it’s ‘Who is Queen Elizabeth II’ you nitwit!”

Now, seeing as I had just watched the exact episode 30 minutes prior, I obviously cleaned up on all of the “Wheel” puzzles over the next half hour much to my parents’ amazement. Never did I think I would get the chance to actually be a contestant on the show and spin the “big” wheel – only this time, I wouldn't come in knowing the answers.

Why me?

A snapshot from the video audition

In late September I got an e-mail from the “Wheel Watchers Club” (yes, I, along with every Medicare receiving AARP member in America, have a valid ‘spin ID’) announcing a “Face of the Fan” contest where residents in the Boston area could make a short video explaining why they wanted to be on the show. Needless to say, I whipped out my iPhone and filmed myself with Lyric (my yellow lab) and with as much fake energy as I could muster up at 11:45pm (15 minutes before the deadline), talked all about how my dreams would become reality if I were chosen.

I sent in my video on September 19^th, was chosen for and attended the live audition in Boston on September 29^th (Rosh Hashanah – day off of work – woo, thanks to the Jewish people!), and on October 9^th got a call from Contestant Coordinator Alex Reeves asking me to fly out on October 27^th for Wheel’s “Golf Week.” I asked my boss for the day off (which, again, was already a day off because of parent conferences – can we say fate?) and my wife and I flew out to Culver City, CA on Wednesday evening the 26^th (which, coincidentally, is both my biffer Fanny Slater and Pat Sajak’s birthday. You can’t make this stuff up!)

Hair and Makeup

Vanna!

The day started with an early wake-up call at the Culver Hotel then a nice, leisurely walk down Culver Blvd. to the Sony Picture Studios. The other contestants and I were briefed on the rules of the game, reminded of the various categories and what they meant, filled out contract after contract and I probably signed my life away without even knowing it – I was too excited to actually read them. In groups of three, we were taken into “hair and make-up” – let’s be honest, my coif needed no professional help, and according to the make-up artist, I had “silky smooth skin.” Who knew?! While in the make-up chair, a familiar face walked in, caked with make-up and decked out in exercise clothes. Oh yes, ‘twas Ms. White herself who also commented on how nice my skin was as she touched my cheek. Never. Washing. My. Face. Again.

Wheel of Prison

She said her “hellos” and “good lucks” to each of the contestants then went on her way for a costume change. Now when I say “contestant holding area” I really mean prison. We couldn’t leave the room without being escorted by a staff member, all cell phones had to be off and put away – we had no way of contacting our friends in the audience to let them know which of the 6 episodes we would be on. Fortunately, I randomly drew show number 3, so we ended up getting out of there before too long. “John, Monica, Cathy, you’re up! Let’s go!” BAM! someone spills a cup of coffee on my pants. After a minor freak out, the wardrobe crew took care of the stain and before I knew it I was up there behind the wheel looking out to an audience of 200, including my wife, Samantha, and of course Fanny. As much as I’d like to say I felt comfortable and relaxed up there, I was remarkably nervous.

Perky Cathy

After missing both toss-up rounds in the beginning, I was nervous that “Perky Cathy” was going to run away with the game. She was quick to solve and I knew she was a pro based on the practice rounds we had played earlier that morning. Once I got through my introduction without saying my name wrong or stuttering like I was afraid I might, I started to feel much more at ease.

“A Come From Behind Win” couldn’t have been a more perfect first puzzle for me to solve. Once I got that first guaranteed sum of cash, all my worries vanished and I was just there to enjoy the experience. And watch Vanna. The second puzzle I totally cleaned up on. I was clearly torn as to whether or not to risk the money by turning over the 10,000 wedge – I mean, how many opportunities do you have a 50/50 shot at making $10,000?

Going for it!

Of course, in the moment you aren’t thinking that way – your mind is telling you “what if this is bankrupt, you lose everything!” Naturally, I said “F it” and went for the cash!

I think the funniest moment watching the show back came when poor Monica hit her bankrupt after racking up over $12,000. Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t funny that she had made all that money and it was taken away from her in a flash – I would’ve been in tears. But what WAS funny is that I remember distinctly in the moment telling myself to make a face that looked like I felt really bad for her when it happened. Much to my surprise, I wasn’t quite making the face I thought I was…nor was Perky Cathy:

Perky Cathy and I should be sad

Perky Cathy went on to solve that puzzle and also won a trip to Jamaica. She then won the final regular round puzzle, but it wasn’t quite enough to oust me. In fact, the $50 difference in our scores couldn’t have been any closer without it being a tie. Once again, my expression tells it all:

_ T _ _ _ L _ _ _ _ _ E N

It Could Happen.

The bonus round left me with a phrase: _ T _ _ _ L _ _ _ _ _ E N. Clearly the first word had to be “it” or “at” but I had no clue what the second two words were. I’d like to say I had a well thought-out reason for choosing C, H, M, and I, but they literally were the first letters that came to my head.

IT C _ _ L _ H _ _ _ EN

Now, some people are convinced that Pat gave away the answer just before my time started. I didn’t notice until watching it the 14^th or 15^th time that he does, in fact, say “I happen to believe you could solve this,” but a. I didn’t notice it in the moment, and b. I highly doubt it was intentional. Nevertheless, I got the answer before the time started and walked, nay, jumped away with $46,000 and memories for a lifetime.

Sam (on left) and Fanny (on right)

Fanny does the Wheel of Fortune 'raise the roof' dance

$46,000 later

The 22-minute game went by so quickly I hardly remembered what happened until watching it air in December. I had a viewing party at my place in MA, my mom hosted a party in Raleigh, and millions of viewers across the nation watched me play my favorite game show. The day after it aired, I took my chorus to perform at the local senior center – I was a freakin celebrity! People keep asking me what I’m going to do with the money. Honestly, because of taxes, I’m not even sure how much I’ll end up getting – probably half. My wife and I have been looking at houses, so it will definitely help with a down payment. Then, who knows – maybe we’ll take that trip to Jamaica with Perky Cathy.

The whole experience was worthwhile, not just because of the financial outcome, but because of how salient the message from that final puzzle was. “It Could Happen.” Take risks. Put yourself out there – because you never know!

Watch the last 2 minutes of John on Wheel of Fortune at this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sImsSaIscGo&feature=youtu.be

Recipes for Happiness

2011-12-29T17:34:00.002-05:00

Now that the girls have both headed home, I thought you might enjoy a quick roundup of the past week's cooking activities. Since we like to plan almost as much as we like to eat, we started with a rough outline of what we wanted to cook when we were all together. And by that I mean about 20 minutes after Sarah got home from the airport. (Fanny had arrived a few days earlier).

This list outlined the key meals that we wanted to make and the major ingredients that we still needed to buy. It is amazing that I went to the grocery store 7 times in 4 days. If a picture is worth a thousand words, these images are worth 10,000 calories. You might want to loosen your belt before reviewing all these food photos. By the way, I saw this sign in a shop window and it summed it up the last week.

Day 1: I wanted to make my 9 Spice Moroccan Chicken and Zucchini Fritters since the 9 spice recipe was new for me. I was so excited to cook that I forgot to take any pictures except when I was getting the spices ready and when I brought Fanny a spoonful each of Griffin's Roasted Coconut Ice Cream and Haagan Dazs Coffee on individual spoons. I told Fanny it was a new technique for portion control. (Sarah was sleeping at the time or she would have wanted in on this too). For the full recipe on 9 spice chicken, click on this link.

Day 2 had to be crab cakes with asparagus. I only took a few pictures for this recipe too but we did manage to squeeze in a nice one hour walk before we ate. We also lit the Hanukkah candles and got to meet Fanny's boyfriend Fielding who insisted on doing the dishes.

Day 3 was scallop night. These are enormous scallops that require a small mortgage to purchase but they were delicious. I prepared them grilled with a balsamic reduction and we had the infamous roasted butternut squash, beet and boucheron salad.

Now at this point, you must think we all weigh about 400 lbs and wear sweatpants at every meal with the super elastic waist band. (Only part of this sentence is false).

Day 4 involved stuffed cabbage. Now, stuffed cabbage is the ultimate recipe for success. I used a variation on a recipe that was originally developed by my Aunt Sara (my Grandma Fannie's sister). As readers of this blog will recall, having a Sarah and Fanny in another generation of my family as sister is really special to me. My Mom sent me Aunt Sara's original recipe which was written on stationery from my Poppa George's photo studio in Philadelphia. It all comes around full circle. Here is Aunt Sara's recipe in her own handwriting along with some photos from my variation on a theme. To read my recipe, check out this link that has the turkey version along with some wonderful old family photographs.

Ra El did the honors of wrapping the stuffed cabbage beauties. See a short video here:

It's a wrap! Dinner is served and this time I remembered the rye breads. Remember, friends don't let friends eat stuffed cabbage without rye bread!

Day 4, 5 and 6 involved some Z Pizza, Neo-Asia Chinese food and a lot of leftovers. Fanny was visiting her friend Sara (AKA the BFF in South Carolina) so we had a chance to turn the heat down in the kitchen and chill, at least until the next day.

Rearranged Thanksgiving

Day 7 We had the meal everyone was waiting for since November. We rearranged Thanksgiving since we couldn't all be together last month. So with my helpers (Sarah on twice-stuffed baked potatoes and Fanny on roasted garlic green beans, stuffing and the pie).

For those keeping score, the menu consisted of tangerine glazed organic grain fed roast turkey, knock your socks off gravy, gluten-free mission fig and port stuffing, baked stuffed potatoes with oregano, garlic roasted green beans, cranberry-orange relish and a simple pomegranate and radish salad. We drank a lovely Pira Margheria 2006 Barolo although Ra El still prefers the Apothic Red over everything but water. Dessert was a pumpkin chiffon pie with an oatmeal walnut crust. I don't eat a lot of desserts but this was a winner.
Here are some photos.

As I was putting this blog together, I walked into my living room and came across these framed photos sitting on the table with my photograph from college in the middle of the family pictures. It felt so perfect.

Surrounded by love

Nightcap
If you read Aunt Sara's recipe carefully you'll see on the last page something she wrote that refers to her recipe but I think it has a larger meaning. It reads:
" And then trust to God".I couldn't say it better.

Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012.

Blog 100 – The MomentSlater Awards

2011-12-25T09:55:00.003-05:00

I started this blog on August 22, 2010 for three reasons:

To write stories about special moments in my life
To memorialize and honor special people I know
To become a better writer

The MomentSlater Award

Now, at the end of 2011, I have reached my 100^th blog post. Considering that this represents about 200 hours of work, 100,000 words and 1000 photographs, I am very content to have gotten this far with this life project. Since it is my blog and I get creative license to do what I want, I thought that for post #100 I would hand out the first ever MomentSlater Awards for the past year.

Billy and Oscar weren't available

These awards celebrate my observations of special moments witnessed. These moments are similar to Oscar level performances. I tried to get Billy Crystal to be the guest host but he was busy. There is no Price Waterhouse involved in counting the ballots since I came up with this by myself, voted myself and tabulated the winners all alone.

The envelope please...

Ra El Remez

THE MOMENTSLATER COURAGE AWARD is awarded to my wife Ra El for her persistence, strength and spirited example she sets each day. She consistently demonstrates that the challenges that are put in front of you are there because of lessons to be learned and wisdom to be gained. She is a shining example of grace, compassion and gratitude. Without infringing on her personal story which only she can tell, I get to live in the twinkling light of her magnificence. I get to observe her reaching new heights with every moment of every day. This MomentSlater Award is a lifetime achievement and, as she will attest to, it has taken many lifetimes to achieve this higher state of being. Congratulations Ra El!

Bea with her great granddaughter
Juliet Paige Bedrin

THE MOMENTSLATER LIVING ON MY OWN AWARD (80 AND UP CATEGORY) goes to Bea Slater, my mom. Since my father’s passing in August 2009, she has lived by herself learning to do things she never previously did before like pay the bills and use Facebook and email. Her award celebrates her ability to keep on living and celebrating life. Her persistence in staying active, her commitment to family and her insistence on keeping her Friday hair appointments with Tommy, shows that life goes on and there is always more to enjoy. I am blessed by her example and know that when she occasionally goes to a casino to gamble, my father is watching over her, encouraging her on and helping her win a few extra bets. Go mom!

Fanny Slater

THE MOMENTSLATER LIVING ON MY OWN AWARD (30 AND UNDER) goes to Fanny Slater who moved across the country in September 2010 to see what it is like to be 3000 miles away from everyone she knows and loves. Her experiment was to challenge her own fears and face them head on in a strange and far away land known by two little initials- L.A. Through persistence and with the help of a humorous, mischievous black and white feline friend named Olive, she has been able to find work, friends and some great food opportunities. She has started her own blog, From Raleighwood to Hollywood and was invited to be a regular guest blogger on the Talk Nerdy To Me Lover blog. She has become a fabulous, heart-centered writer who brings happiness and hilarity to all her readers. Most of all, she has persevered in the face of numerous obstacles and challenges and learned some invaluable life lessons about her journey. I celebrate her accomplishments, her wit and humor and her ability to make to make Greek tzatziki sauce from scratch! Fanny you are a star!

Sarah Slater

THE MOMENTSLATER LIVING ON MY OWN AWARD (30 TO 80 CATEGORY-TROPICAL EDITION) goes to Sarah, my older daughter. She has established herself at Punahou School as a compassionate and loving resource to her students. She is someone they can come to for help and advice no matter what the problem is that they face. In her outreach to friends, she has been a dependable and loving presence in the lives of her many whose paths have intersected with hers. Although 6000 miles away from home, she has created her own version of home, tropical style, that allows her to do the work she wants in the place she wants to be. And although she doesn't technically live alone since a small, white-haired magical four-legged Hawaiian feline companion named Nani also shares her space, she has created a wonderful life for herself and I couldn’t be prouder of all she has achieved. And if you ever want to know how to use a hammock, just send her a Facebook message. Aloha Sarah and congratulations.

Mitchell Slater and Leslie Dickstein

THE MOMENTSLATER BEST BROTHER (and sister-in-law) AWARD goes to Mitchell Slater, my younger brother and Leslie Dickstein my sister-in-law. During the last 2 years, Mitchell and Leslie have been ever present in my Mom’s life helping her since my father’s passing. Mitchell unselfishly and with unconditional love, has made himself available for my mom and included her in every possible activity that he and his wonderful wife Leslie are involved in with the kids, their temple or neighborhood events. Mitchell has never missed a chance to sit and watch Sunday football with mom, take her out to the movies or just invite her over to cook their special Tuesday night dinners. I am so blessed and thankful to both Mitchell and Leslie for being so available, so present and so ready to help my mom at a moment’s notice. Mitch and Leslie, the Boss wanted to present the award to you in person but he is stuck at Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.

Diane and Jerry Bedrin

THE MOMENTSLATER BEST SISTER (and brother-in-law) AWARD goes to Diane Bedrin, my older sister and brother-in-law Jerry Bedrin. During the last 2 years, Diane has tirelessly been there to take mom to Kings, to the knitting store or to the Hamptons for some R&R. Both she and Jerry are aways looking after Mom and her every need with unselfish love and devotion. And, during a special time in Diane and Jerry’s life as they enjoy their grandchildren, she makes sure that Mom gets to see Henry and Juliet (her great grandchildren) as often as possible. They both make sure she is taken care of in a way that is difficult for me to do from 500 miles away. I am so grateful for their love and the way they help Mom with all the things she needs. Thanks Di Di and Big Jer.

Jack Slater (center), George and Francis Ginsberg (upper left), Annette Lawrence (upper right)
Rita Laderman (lower left) and Gertie and Joe Slater (lower right)

THE MOMENTSLATER IN MEMORIAM AWARDS goes to some special people who are always watching over me and guiding me along my own journey. My father Jack whose loving presence is as strong today as it was when he was part of the physical world. He set the standards for being a husband, a father, a brother and a great friend. He taught me that real men not only cry but they keep their lifelong promises.

To my beloved Aunt Annette, who remains my guide to writing, cooking, the arts and all things British, I know you are reading every word I write and helping me get better each and every day. I always sense your creative voice whispering in my ear when I am trying to solve a problem.

To Poppa George and Grandma Fannie, I celebrate your lives by cooking stuffed cabbage and sharing the beautiful photographs and albums you made for me on something we call the Internet. I honor the memory of your love and all the time you shared with me.

And to Joe and Gertie Slater, my father’s parents, I celebrate the remarkably generous people that set the bar for giving and keeping family together.

And a special shout out to Aunt Rita, Aunt Sara and Uncle Hymie and those countless other souls who touched my life in special ways for so much of my life.

Lt. Mango

Finally, a special Memorial MeowmentSlater to Lt. Mango who made his transition this year. Mango was a special feline friend who taught me so many lessons about life, balance and chicken. I feel his furry presence when I am in the kitchen cooking his favorite meals. His golden aura is still present in our home and will remain with us always.

Accepting this special award is Shambala who was Mango's brother. Not only is he accepting this special award for Mango but he too has been awarded a special MOMENTSLATER SIT IN MY LAP award for 2011. He has learned to manage to find a space among my laptop and my dinner tray to make himself at home on most nights. Congratulations Shambo, you are the cat's pajamas!

MomentSlater Reader

THE MOMENTSLATER READER AWARD goes to all of the tens of thousands of people who have read my blog posts over the last 15 months and who have shared comments and kinds words and observations. Since August of 2010, I have had over 45,000 pages read by roughly 25,000 people who never knew me beforehand. Through the wonders of the Internet and social media, my personal stories from lunch with Ronald Reagan, eating Sushi with Ben and Jerry and teaching Macho Man how to send an email have attracted a small but dedicated audience. I love writing about food and wine moments, Zen moments, family moments and marketing moments too. My guest moments posts have also been quite popular. like the post by my niece Georgia about my mother's wedding or the story from my nephew Harrison about the first day of college. I even got a guest post by my niece Jaime Bedrin, a Dartmouth graduate, Columbia Journalism School graduate and teacher who has worked for NPR. Jaime wrote a guest blog about her Mom. I had a guest post by my colleague Yolanda's son Javier who wrote about meeting President Obama and the most popular guest post of all was by my Mom in her Letter to Juliet, her great-granddaughter.

So this award goes out to all of those who have taken the time to read my stories or who have shared them with friends. I am eternally grateful to you for taking a few moments out of your busy day to read about some special moments in my life.

Let the party begin

So, now that the awards have been handed out, it is time for the parties to begin. As I uncork the champagne and heat up the stuffed cabbage, I will drink a toast to all of the winners. May the coming year of 2012 bring you the fulfillment of all the special dreams and wishes that you hold in your heart.

Happy New Year and remember to celebrate your moments.

Loaded: A Dishwashing Story

2011-12-23T13:18:00.000-05:00

My remarkable wife Ra El

My wife has so many remarkable talents that a blog post about her dishwashing loading skills seems so frivolous. I could write about her magnificent mastery with the written word, her angelic artistic ability with a paintbrush or her deeply spiritual ability to connect with the compassionate guides that surround her. Yet, I am amazed at how she has the divining rod-like ability to figure out how to find order and structure out of the chaos of cleanup. She is a dishwasher-loading diva and I get a front row seat to her wizardry every day!

Should I load the dishwasher or get loaded?

When I load the dishwasher, with good intentions, I try and fit each and every dish, cup and spoon in its place. Then I turn around and find that I missed 4 pasta-smudged plates, 3 coffee browned mugs and an odd shaped ceramic bowl. My next move would be to use a technique which I call “stuff everything in, shut the door quickly and hope no one notices”. It never works as I can hear the mocking laugh of our dishwasher (Sam AKA Samsung) that intuitively knows it has been improperly loaded. I hate to be taunted by a dishwasher who mocks me in an endless rinse cycle that is so draining.

The S is for Samsung
Dishwasher Diva

Without warning I hear a voice, like in the movies. Up in the air, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it's Super Dishwasher Loading Woman. Her superhero outfit would involve very hip socks and some kind of purple, pink and orange stretchy thing with lots of stars and polka dots. She would have cool earrings that match too.

Ra El channels one of her many superpowers that allows her to organize the dishwasher with the mere wave of her hand. Like the magic of Merlin, every cup and saucer is suddenly in its proper place waiting for its bath. She transforms my dishwasher disco into an elegant arrangement like a monk arranging a mandala. I am not being hyperbolic. It is really that organized!

What a dish!

Perhaps there is a little more than magic involved but to me Ra El is like the Bobby Fisher of the dishwashing universe moving pieces around like a chess master. Like rook to queen 8, she moves bowl to lower rack 7. Check mate.

She has always been able to see in multiple dimensions and to find order by stepping back and gaining a bigger perspective. You can almost hear the plates sigh in relief that Ra El is going to finish my incomplete job and put things in their proper place. As she tucks in the duck plate with the cat’s bowl, we have dishwasher harmony. It is a Zen-like state that involves Joy (the dishwashing liquid) and hands-on approach to find the right home for everything that needs cleansing. I feel a cascade (the soap powder) of tranquility as I know that everything will be alright and squeaky clean.

Clean

This ability to bring order to the universe also applies to drawers and closets. I know there is a larger more spiritual message to her magic. It is like a sixth sense for her as she goes through a Tai Chi-like motion finding the right feng shui for our dirty dishes. The plates stand upright like little soldiers marching into a cleansing. Each spoon shows its dirty face and smiles as it knows it will be bathed and revitalized.

Dirty

I know I may be going overboard in my praise. I trust that we all have our daily chores that allow us to keep us sane. Vacuuming and cooking are two that work for me. For Ra El, if you ask her to wrap a present, you’ll see a work of art that would make Michelangelo weep. Request that she hand letter a note and you will see the most exquisite calligraphy that echoes the artistry of the great Islamic artisans from the 13^th century. Sometimes you get lucky and the stars line up - along with the dishes.

I guess it is my turn to unload.

Different- A Marketing Book Review

2011-12-21T09:12:00.001-05:00

A Different kind of marketing book

I stopped reading most business and marketing books several years ago as I found that most of them had nothing new to say. They would repeat the same mantras with an emphasis on a small insight or would take a nuanced idea and shine a very bright light upon it. Many marketing books typically have one idea that gets illustrated over 100 pages and probably should have been a blog post. However, if a book is well-written with a clever and provocative way to view the world, I know I can learn something and enjoy the journey too.

This past week, I found something Different.

The great blur toward similarity
While using Stumbleupon, I stumbled upon Different by Harvard’s marketing professor Youngme Moon. Her book, aptly named, is very well-written and an enlightening look at marketing. She argues how in a struggle to be different, brands are merging and categories are taking prominence. When every battle is to add a feature, the competitive landscape becomes more similar than different. Think about the toothpaste aisle and when one brand adds tartar control, the others respond. When mouthwash is added, the herd follows. Marketers engage in augmenting, adding and slipping toward sameness. She describes this as a great blur toward similarity.

In her clearly written book, Youngme Moon identifies three types of marketing strategies that are in fact different and lead to a fresh approach. And, in an interesting method to promoting this book, she created a trailer- as you would find in movies- to help describe her thesis. Nothing like illustrating your thesis on being different by being different!

You can watch it here:

"What I liked about this book is that her writing style and approach to the subject gets into the contours and folds of marketing in interesting ways."

She tells stories as an academic and as a Mom. In one chapter, standing in the cereal aisle, she describes how people categorize the cereal brands and truly nothing stands out because everyone is playing by category rules. Everything merges together into a breakfast blend of brands. No one is really challenging the approach to what cereal means since it is always about adding and augmenting with more fiber, less sugar, less fat, more this and less that. Those of us who buy cereal, know the rules of categorization for this aisle, can segment kids versus adult brands or indulgent versus low-fat. But nothing is really different.

She provides three archetypes of brands that are different:

Reverse brands will eliminate benefits and featuring new dimensions in the category. In their act of removing features, they add new value and bring forward areas to emphasize that are often missed. Ikea is an illustration of this point in that unlike most furniture stores, they do not provide the very essential features of assembly, delivery or sales help in the store. Category mandatory requirements aren't provided. Instead they offer a fresh approach on buying furniture. The strength of their brand is in what they don’t offer and in reframing the way the entire category operates.

Breakaway brands push the category into a new direction or place and redefines the space. She talks about Swatch and the way in which they redefined the category of watches in fresh and unexpected ways as precision and telling the time take a back seat to fashion and accessories. Swatch redefined what it meant to sell a timepiece and put the emphasis on fashion over function.

Hostile brands that actual try to keep people out by making membership in the brand hard work. They tend to be extremely polarizing forces that requires you to get off the fence and make a choice- love it or hate it. Brands like Red Bull or Benetton are examples of brands that push your buttons and try and establish difficult points of entry for becoming a member of their tribe. A great examples she describes is Marmite, a food spread made from beer yeast by-products, whose tagline is "Love it or Hate it." When was the last time your brand forced your target to commit?

Marmite brand, forcing the consumer to commit

I loved this book since it made me think about marketing and brands along a multi-dimensional plane where the challenge is to move away from competition as you redefine your unique place in the category. Products like Pull Ups, are an intriguing example of how the diaper companies were struggling to find ways to keep children who grew out of traditional diapers (Pampers from P&G and Huggies by Kimberly Clark) in the category of needing something to protect their clothes. Their consumers stay in the category a very short time- 2-3 years so the challenge was how to get them to stay longer. 3 year old kids don't want to wear diapers anymore because they see themselves as big boys and girls. In rethinking what a diaper is Kimberly Clark re-imagined the product and made children’s underwear with diaper-like protection called Pull Ups. This created a new sub-category of big kid underpants. Today it’s the fastest growing segment of that overall category and it did it by rethinking the definition of a diaper.

I am always interested in new ways of seeing old things. In my food world, I recently found a recipe for lasagna cupcakes. It’s a great example of rethinking what lasagna could mean when you change the shape and form that it is delivered. Dyson’s recent introduction of a fan without a blade is another beautiful example of challenging the essence of a brand by deleting one of the features (a blade) that you assume has to be part of the product.

Fanning the flames of what a fan stands for

Blue Oceans
The only other book I have read in the last decade that focused on this very issue was Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne. It too establishes fresh ground in describing ways of looking at blue oceans where competition doesn't exists versus the bloody red oceans of competitiveness. This book describes in great detail over 150 brands over 100 years in 30 industries and how to create a world without the competitiveness that exists in most categories. Blue Ocean Strategy is another marketing book I would urge you to also read.

The difference between Blue Ocean and Different by Youngme Moon’s book is that her story unfolds and is revealed through a personal voice that is crisp in delivering her message and friendly in telling each story. Reading her book was like a conversation over coffee with a marketing colleague. I was reminded of one of my favorite professors at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School of Communications named Ray Birdwhistell. Ray was an anthropologist whose work in Kinesics and non-verbal communications was landmark in nature. He used to talk about observing cultures and once remarked that the moment most people in a community start believing something is true, that is often the moment when it started to be false. I took me 38 years to start to understand his observation about following the herd. It was a subtle reminder about what different really means.

If like me, you are fascinated by marketing and enjoy allowing your brain to be stretched into new places, Different is a must read book about the discipline of marketing. Never pedantic or preachy, the book gently walks with you through the maze of marketing sameness and shines a light on what different really means.

Be different. Read something fresh that challenges your worldview.

Recharging our emotional batteries

2011-12-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Like millions of others, I am anticipating a wonderful homecoming in the second half of December that will allow our family to recharge our emotional batteries. Our beautiful, intelligent and heart-centered daughters will be home for the holidays. From Hawaii and Hollywood, they will travel back to North Carolina to celebrate being together. My wife and I are excited to have them home and to share the same space together for about ten days.

Packing it in

Ra El and I have started our ritual packing of the refrigerator with all of the girls' favorite foods. I have carefully picked out some spectacular wines (closed by Nomacorc) that I know will complement the meals we will cook together. The house has been vacuumed and the floors have been swept to pick up the bits of cat litter that trickle off of Shambala’s tiny feet. The special crackers are stocked on the shelves, There is Truvia natural sweetener for Fanny's coffee and there is Madhava Amber Agave for Sarah's tea. Sweets for our sweeties. Even the refrigerator has had the full clean up and makeover treatment from shelf to shelf.

unplugged

Of course there will be wonderful meals cooked as Fanny and I put on the Jeff/Chef hats and create meals from turkey to tzatziki sauce. We know we will be having Thanksgiving in December which is our way of rearranging the holidays. Scallops, swordfish and crab cakes are in the lineup. I want to teach the girls how to make stuffed cabbage to connect them to a taste of life's sweet and sour moments. I insist upon one roast chicken meal per visit to allow me to show off my saucing skills. We have an A to Z array of vegetables waiting to be folded into salads, soups and stews. We will walk together along our street to get some exercise and fresh air. There will be plenty of movies, visits from old friends and late-night conversations too. And somehow Fanny will manage to go to Boondini's for lunch.

Face Time

Re-energized

Holidays are times to recharge our emotional batteries and reconnect with loved ones. It is a chance to talk face-to-face without the Skype screen or the telephone in between us. We get to listen to each other in ways that are often hard to do at a distance. Most of all we get to just be together without agendas, deadlines and the ever present to do lists of life.

All together: Fanny, Ra El, Jeff and Sarah
From Maui 2011

I relish these family moments as they allow us to retell the stories of our shared experiences when the girls were young. From tales of Wrightsville Beach and our summers at Duneridge to stories about Ravenscroft and fast times in Raleigh, these memories are like the glue that bond and connect us when we are living apart. We will hear new stories about Sarah’s student’s at Punahou, new friends she has made and about a recent dolphin swim under a Hawaiian rainbow. Fanny will regale us with funny anecdotes about her work that sometimes makes her teeth hurt, the most recent celebrity sighting and some news on a catering gig where she got to cook and serve. Both Nani and Olive’s tales (tails) will be present too.

Charged Moments

Someday I hope we will all be living closer together so we can once again be part of each other’s daily lives. For now, I will enjoy the nourishment and energy from plugging into these specially charged family moments and keeping current.

How is my marketing? Call 1-800-FEEDBACK

2011-12-14T09:52:00.002-05:00

How is my driving?

How is my driving

Have you ever been approached by someone who wants to market their product or services to you but you don’t understand what they do? Do you receive direct email blasts that fly through the inbox all the time leaving your confused? Are you getting bombarded with solicitations and calls from people trying to market their services and products and you don’t know what they sell? I often feel the urge to grab them and tell them I have no idea what they are offering or selling or marketing. This happens to me all the time.

Maybe I am slow or not as smart as the average 6^th grader, but I find it interesting how frequently marketers will think I know what is in their head. Some business offerings are so unclear, complex and unimaginative that I get struck by how they need to rethink what they are offering. Why should I do the work for them?

Here are two specific suggestions to improve your communications.

1. Start with me and my problem
(not you and your solution)

I don’t really care about your technical wizardry, the awards you have won or the talent who works for your team. Don’t tell me how 8 of the top 10 industry leaders use your service. Start with the basics.“What the hell do you do?”

Help me understand what problem you think you can fix for me.

Do you think I need more customers who will pay a higher price for my widgets and you have exactly what I need to get the job done? Come on, that isn’t clear enough or precise either.

But if you have experience with clients who need to open up new markets for their product or service and you can help provide that road map to growth, then explain that benefit quickly and crisply. Do it in a way that clearly illustrates and explains the before and after value your service will give me. I received about 20 email communications/solicitations yesterday and all of them were about 300 words or more. Can you do this in 26 words or less- hey, I’m busy!

You need new markets to expand.

We specialize in designing blueprints for growth in new market segments. Think of us as architects for new distribution channels.

Once I have a frame of reference about how you can help me, then I can go down the path of determining if this is a real need and am I looking for someone to help me solve this problem.

Imagine I am in a car driving along the highway and my tire is going flat. I pass by a store that has a big sign in its window advertising that if you feel bumpiness in your morning commute, your tire could be flat and we can help. Simple. Clear. To the point. Marketing should work this way and start from the beginning. But if I see a sign in a window offering 1,000 services- I probably will miss your message. Pick a message. Make it simple and clear. Please.

Here is a great example of a great product idea and a terrible communication. Just the other day my 84 year old (young) Mom said I only need a cell phone that I can use to make calls. Her friend’s son bought her an iPhone and it was so complicated for her, she too just wanted a phone THAT ONLY MAKES PHONE CALLS. What a novel idea- a real niche, older phone users who want a simple one-function device.

Too much copy, lousy design, confusing message

Does this ad tell you this story? It has so many words and such poor design that how can you ever know what their hook is? This ad should start with the target and in a simple sentence tell the benefit. Why not just use the headline and the photo and a website/phone number on the bottom? What does everything else do but tell the opposite story of simplicity? I don't get it.

2. Explain it like I am a six year old

Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington in Philadelphia

Remember the movie Philadelphia? Denzel Washington’s character (a lawyer) keeps asking people to explain things to him like he is a six year old. I love that phrase. It forces you to break through the MBA/industry speak and to talk in plain English. I know it is hard and I feel your pain but can you explain what your business does in small words and short-phrases. I recently received this email blast that among other gems told me this:

I sent this back to them but never heard back again.

Dude, WTF?

Don’t give me a laundry list of 27 of your greatest capabilities. It is too much information and I am not yet engaged or really interested. Take one message and help me understand it in clear and specific terms. I am not advocating talking down to your target but I am recommending that you pick one message and make sure it is received.

Okay, I get it. Huh?

What?

Sorry I wrote you such
a long letter

It is interesting to observe how we believe that the more we say or the more we cram in a PowerPoint slide, the clearer our message will be. In fact, just the opposite is true. The mathematician Pascal once quipped that "I apologize that this letter is so long - I lacked the time to make it short."

It takes work to be clear and to simply state a marketing message that truly resonates. I know that for those of us who are writers-in-training, the hardest thing to do is to be succinct.

Apologies that it took me 885 words to tell you this.

My Calling

2011-12-10T12:41:00.000-05:00

Many weekdays, at about 1:00 PM I will also get a call from our older daughter who lives in Hawaii as she is just waking up and getting ready for teaching at The Punahou School. (where President Obama went to school when he was a child) There is a 5 or 6 hour time difference depending on the time of year. On my drive home, at about 5:00 PM each day, I too place a call to speak to my mom in Springfield, New Jersey where there is no time difference but 500 miles separating us. At about 8:00 PM on a typical weekday, my wife and I get a phone call from our younger daughter who lives in Los Angeles. At this time, she usually leaves work and although her commute is short in miles, it is long in traffic. Her call home is a quick chance to catch up. It struck me today how much we take for granted the wonders of technology as we share these brief 15 minutes visits with family who live far away.

Sarah Slater in Hawaii

Hawaii is home

Sarah’s calls are often a little different since she is just getting up so our conversations aren’t as energized but she likes the chance to start her day with some vitamin D (for Dad). I listen as she’ll talk about this or that; I’ll ask her about her feline princess roomie (Nani) and we will generally just be together without having to say too much. Sometimes she will give me an update on her friends and some fun stuff coming up that usually involves a beach, the sun and Hawaiian tropical breezes. I like to bathe in that light that comes from the calls. I hear in her voice a slight cough and I hesitate to ask if she is feeling well and worry about strep throat. She will share with me about students, her coworkers and on occasion, something she cooked.

Bea Slater and a spectacular
whitefish salad

Springfield, New Jersey 07081

The calls to my mom in Springfield are often just like a Seinfeld episode as we talk about nothing and everything. They give us a chance to keep in touch, to check up and to make sure all is well. My mom and I will share notes on what we ate for dinner the previous night, any movies we saw and the latest family news. She will listen carefully when I cough worrying that I’m sick and haven’t seen a doctor even though I am talking and eating almonds that are getting caught in my throat. I guess some things are in our genes. We will talk about help she needs on the computer- how do I get to YouTube again? Or, she will tell me about how much she loves Halibut on the bone but can’t find it anymore at King’s Supermarkets. I will update her on tonight’s plans for dinner or how things are going at work or an update on the girls. Frequently she will go through a quick review of Lolly, Norma & Al, Florence, Tommy, The lady at the knitting store (Maureen?), the folks from the Temple and of course an update on Henry and Juliet. I’ll hear about my brother and sister and their families and occasionally about one of the cousins. (Mom had a lot of cousins and the few remaining are still in touch) During the baseball season, it is all about the Mets except the occasional lottery ticket that didn't win.

Hollywood is home

Fanny Slater, movie star, amazing
chef and dental servant

When Fanny calls from LA, she is often ranting about work or going on and on about a new idea she has for something to cook. She wants to explore flavor combinations or an idea on balancing the textures in a meal. Occasionally she might tell us a story about an upcoming party or event she attended or the latest celebrity sighting she had while going into a coffee shop. We get updates on Olive (her feline roomie) and we give her updates on Shambala. The call will drift between muffins she baked or the importance of caramelized onions in her life. There is an update on her blog or guest posts too. Occasionally, she will help explain a story by using traditional literary references such as Joey, Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Phoebe. The ever present “my Sara” and “our Sarah” also is discussed and it usually connects with stories about Yogurtland, boys or beer. For some odd reason, we discuss all things plaid.

In the course of the day, through a little phone in my pocket, I can bring my loved ones closer to me either though there is a great physical distance between us. It is a little blessing but one that I am grateful for as I dial or touch the numbers on the phone.

Occasionally, I will think about how wonderful it would be to be able to call those who have made their transitions and my wife will remind me that you don’t need a telephone to do that, just your heart.

Staying connected is my calling.

Life's alterations

2011-12-04T16:23:00.003-05:00

Sometime you notice a small thread coming loose from your sweater and you see things unraveling. Life is filled with these tiny signals that magnify change. As clothes get tattered, you notice the button coming loose, the tear in the fabric or the thinning out of the material and your mind thinks about alterations.

We humans go through these changes too although we don’t often get to see the rip and tear so clearly. As we age, we feel the aches and pains in our back, the stiffening in our joints or the slow march of aging through the body.

I learned today of the death of someone who I have known for over 35 years, Jay Haas. He attended my wedding and he was a friend of my wife since middle school. He and his wife met in junior high, dated and married. Although we had very little contact over the last twenty years, word of his death was a shock to me. Death is a sacred reminder of the blessing of this moment when we are alive. There is a chilling sadness washing through my veins thinking about his family. He was just turning sixty this month.

Our typical days are filled with tugs and pulls of yesterday or the stresses and strains of tomorrow. We worry about paying the bills, keeping up at work or family matters. Yet in all of this spinning we find it difficult to stay rooted in now and to take pleasure in our aliveness.

Breathing in, breathing out

I try and use breathing as an aide to help me through difficult situations and to give me an anchor to hold the space. Can I stay calm, feel my feelings and stay present. Can I take several deep breathes so that I can be here right now. If I feel sadness, I acknowledge that it’s okay to have these feelings without fighting them. If it a feeling of exuberance, I like to ride that wave too. All of the feelings are okay as I try to accept that some things are not in my control. Being conscious of my own breathing helps me realize that I am alive- keeping me grounded in this moment which is precious and not to be wasted.

Slippery when wet

Life can be filled with many slips and slides. Tears of sorrow or laughter come from the same places yet I don’t think we spend enough time in search of our inner silliness. We love to take ourselves so seriously and to imagine our own control of things. I am guilty as charged of doing this and bringing on worry and fear. Yet it is in trusting the universe, letting go of fear and take a slip every now and then that we do our best work as humans.

Woody Allen once said that “if you want to make God laugh, make plans.”

Abraham Lincoln said, “It isn’t the years of life, it is the life in the years.”

I lean toward wanting control yet many of my MomentSlater are filled with a search for laughter and joy. My wife and daughter's often accused me of making terrible puns but I don’t care. I need to lighten up the tension in a room through humor. I like to encourage people to let go of positions so tightly held that we hold our breath. We are all so serious and so self-important. Lightening up is good for the soul and for our own health.

Past meets the future

Our lives only exist right now and we can take advantage of the moment by reconnecting with loved ones, feeding tuna fish straight out of the can to our 16 year old Persian cat or by helping a friend in need.

At this very moment, I am very aware that I wish I had stayed in touch with my friend who passed away yesterday. I know I have lots of work to do to be even more present. I strive to be someone who lives in the moment and doesn’t just write about the topic. I see my own inconsistency. So I take three deep breathes, inhale and exhale while I marvel in the grace in my own life.

While remembering my friend, I recalled that in the 1980's, he and his wife came to our house on New Years Day to celebrate together. They both wanted to see our little bakery where we made our brownies. As they drove behind us and followed us in our car, our little yellow Volkswagen Rabbit got caught on something on the side of the road and as I quickly turned the car, Ra El and I landed upside down and the car rested on the windshield. We probably slid on the highway for another few hundred feet.

Miraculously, we both survived without a scratch, but our friends watched the accident as it occurred. As we crawled out of the car, shocked but alive, Jay made a funny remark that I don't exactly remember but it was something to make me laugh like

"Can you do that again so I can get it on film."

His instinct was to celebrate our good fortune with his a light touch of humor. I will take some comfort in remembering my friend’s wonderful laugh, the love he had in his heart and those special moments of generosity that I witnessed.

It feels like he was here for a very short moment. I wish I could alter that life thread.

Hire Calling

2011-12-03T06:52:00.001-05:00

Do you have questions about finding a marketing job? Here are a few pieces of advice for those seeking a marketing career.

Three pieces of advice to get a marketing job

I have hired dozens of marketing professionals during my career. My hiring methods are not complicated but have proven successful since they are based on common sense. The best corporate strategies in the world need skilled, competent marketing professionals to execute them with excellence. Here are 3 key ideas to keep in mind that the hiring manager may be considering as you go in for that interview.

Can you help balance the team?

A team needs to be balanced

If you are fortunate to have a number of direct reports in your marketing department, you need team members who lean toward:

left brain or right brain

writers or data crunchers

strategists or tacticians

reactive or proactive

introverts or extroverts

Too much yin, too little yang?

The best teams give you a nice blend of perspectives that can challenge each other and attack problems from varied perspectives. So the right hire may not be the most talented with the longest resume and experience. She may be the person who rounds out your team, brings a fresh perspective to the group and can balance your human resources. If you are going for a job interview, learn about what is missing in the department and see if you have those skills or competencies that can add a nice balance to the team. Do your strengths compliment the team's needs?

Show me the initiative

Have you seen their initiative?

Nothing is worse than a candidate who shows up unprepared. During a job interview, I never want to hear someone ask me to tell them about the company. A lack of preparation gets me very disappointed and disinterested. My expectations are to have someone coming in telling me about our company. I want them to explain what have they observed, read or researched about who we are and what we do. How informed are they about the category? I don’t expect anyone to come in with the right answers to our problems but I do get annoyed if they walk in without lots and lots of questions. I have advised my daughters that they should prepare a long list of questions that they can use to engage the interviewer or hiring manager. Be thoughtful, be inquisitive and be prepared!

Show that you have taken the initiative to learn and educate yourself so you can give me a sample of what it would be like if you worked for me. Remember, an interview gives a prospective employer a chance to see how you work when trying to market something---in this case it is you.

Are you ready for the interview?

Have they really come prepared for the interview?

I don’t understand why candidates aren’t better prepared to make my job easier? I want them to come in with a big fat stack of letters of references from a many people they know from the last 10 years. If they are very junior and inexperienced, they still have had plenty of teachers, coaches or co-workers who will say something positive about their work. How hard is it to illustrate through your preparation that you are an upstanding individual with plenty of people who will vouch for you?

You need to be keeping those letters organized and in a file well in advance of looking for a job. And, when you leave an internship, a part-time position, a club or non-profit, ask for a letter of reference for the future. It is a simple thing yet so few potential candidates come prepared. If I have 3 equally qualified candidates and someone has brought several references letters with them, they immediately show me that they have thought through how they can help me hire them.

Most surprising, if these are marketing candidate you would expect them to be mindful of the importance of differentiation. How can you stand out among the dozens of resumes and interviews?

Summing it up

So remember when you have that job interview coming up, the hiring manager is busy. They are trying to balance their team, find someone with initiative and are looking for a way to easily assess the candidate’s background. Don't make things difficult for the hiring manager- help them hire you.

Networking Since Age Five

2011-11-28T17:44:00.001-05:00

When I was in nursery school at age five, my teacher foretold my future when she wrote on my report card that,

"Jeff stands out in nursery school as an especially likable little boy who is very popular with the children."

Born to Network

I love to network and connect with marketing people even before the Internet was born. Being able to get back in touch with someone from my past that I spent a few moments, hours or days with can be valuable and very pleasurable. It takes quite a bit of work but like many things, I have found a few techniques that have proved useful and I would like to share them. None of these ideas are radical or brilliant but they do require a modicum of discipline and focus. They also require a commitment to giving back in gratitude for the good fortunes in my own life so if you network and get some benefits, remember to always pay it forward.

Elkwood School Report Card 1959

Sharing her Lytte

ASK QUESTIONS – The Terri Gross approach

Terri Gross, interviewer extraordinaire

When I meet a new acquaintance I am interested in understanding their background, their interests and most importantly their path to their current position. I ask a lot of questions. I wonder what Terri Gross from NPR’s Fresh Air would ask if she was sitting with this person. Terri is one of the great interviewers and her questions are often more intriguing then the responses.

I am curious and I want to know more about them since it will help me understand how I might help them or someday, they might help me. How did they get to their current job? Why do they work at that particular company? Who do we know in common? What skills and expertise do they have or exists in their network that could be helpful to me, my company or my own network? Where did they go to school? What non-profit or extracurricular activities are they interested in. Where is their spouse working?

Information is enormously valuable yet most of us don’t spend enough time in the present moment exploring our commonality during initial meetings. We are all in such a rush and I admit I get caught up in the ebb and flow too. But each encounter with someone you meet is a lost opportunity not to ask these questions and to find out all that you can about your new contact. Most of us just jump right into our business and ignore the human being in front of us. Focus on the present moment, the person right in front of you and ask lots of questions.

IMMEDIATELY RECORD THE DATA – The vitamin approach

Do this once a day

Before the Internet, Outlook and Linkedin, it was a manual system of Rolodex cards or random pieces of paper to keep in touch. Today, it is so much easier with everyone you have ever met within a few keystrokes away or a phone call. My method is simple and I call it the vitamin approach. I try and record one person a day that I have met. That is five people per week or 250 people per year. I’m pretty diligent about this although I will admit that sometimes I need to catch up on the weekends. I include in the Outlook contacts free form area a few searchable terms about their personal lives, their spouse or other things I may want to be able to find in the future. This is how I have accumulated data and information on 5,341 people I have connected with over the last 20 years. Now, Linkedin allows me to fine tune those connections and stay in touch since anyone in the system keeps their information up to date. But every day, update your contacts with the person you just met while they are fresh in your mind.

HELP SOMEONE ELSE – What can I do for you?

Lending a hand

Finally, the third and most important tip relates to what I do with all of this information. For me, I want to be able to reconnect to help others. It is sort of like electronic mission work where someone I know might be able to help another person in my sphere. I’m not wholly selfish in doing this because I believe that if I can put another good energy out in the world, some of this help will show up for my daughters and loved ones. Of course it feels good to help and assist but I feel a sense of obligation to pay back some of the good fortune that has come my way in life and career.

When I get random opportunities to be helpful, I ask only one thing in return and that is to pay it forward. Help someone else, link them with one of your connections and find a way to help someone else in need of assistance.

As I am finishing up this post while sitting at the airport in Raleigh, a young woman with a small baby comes over to me.

“Jeff, it’s me Jody”

Jody and I worked together almost 10 years ago. She worked at French/West/Vaughn the PR firm while I was EVP Marketing at GoodMark Foods. We live in the same part of North Raleigh and both work in marketing yet haven’t bumped into each other in 10 years although she has seen my blogs and posts through Linkedin. She updated me on the beautiful little bundle named Lily who is snuggling against Jody. We catch up on mutual friends and connections and we share ten minutes before boarding the plane. It isn’t easy to stay connected with your entire network yet Jody and I got to share a re-connection that was timely given the topic of this blog.

Networking works. Stay connected. Trust the universe.

A Marketing Haircut

2011-11-19T13:25:00.000-05:00

The barber's pole

Marketing budgets often have to get a haircut to ‘make the numbers’. A little snip here, a bit of a chop there and eventually you end up sheared.

I remember Red the Barber

I remember vividly as a child visiting Red the Barber on Morris Avenue in Springfield, New Jersey who used to cut my hair. I would sit waiting my turn reading Superman comic books with the smell of talcum powder and Brylcreem in the air. Red was a peach of a guy and always knew how to give me that square back cut that was just right. We would talk about little league, school and local news.

As time passed, I have received haircuts from many including my wife who, although never trained to do this was exceptionally good. Unfortunately being the perfectionist-type, those haircuts could take several hours to complete and I decided it was best to go to a barbershop or salon. Today I get a haircut at the same location I have been going since moving to Raleigh in 1989.

Like many of my life experiences, getting my haircut got me thinking about marketing.

Jessica cuts my hair (I'm taking a picture not reading emails)

I started to think about the many marketing budgets I have developed and implemented over my career. I like to say that I have managed $30 dollar budgets and $30 million dollar budgets so I have plenty of experience squeezing value out of my efforts. There are plenty of lessons to be learned and as I sat in the chair getting my own clipping, I thought I’d share three strategies for managing through this annual planning process.

YOU CAN’T DO EVERYTHING

Marketing Haircuts

Marketing folks don’t like to admit it but we aren’t superman and can’t do everything. Prioritization is critical while developing a marketing budget. It is necessary to take a step back and ask what the top three corporate goals are for the coming year and does my marketing spending align with the company’s objectives? Are you better served by doing three big things and not six or seven smaller activities? You must place a few bets and put the energy of your marketing team in a couple of programs. I like to think in terms of the F word….no not that F word….the FOCUS F word. So like getting a haircut, you don’t want the person clipping you working on five people at once. Be focused.

WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?

Hair today, gone tomorrow

As a marketing leader, you better make sure you are aligned with the rest of the business leadership so they understand where you are focusing your efforts and agree on what success would look like. Do you speak to your CEO, CFO and COO so you understand what do they think a successful marketing year would look like? Sure they will tell you to stay within your spending but maybe you can come up with some marketing KPI (Key Performance Indicators) that if achieved, will signal to all a successful outcome. Maybe your goal is to increase communications of a key message to your core target by 20%. That can be measured through the beauty of Google Analytics or WAV (Weighted Ad Value) through your public relations campaign. Perhaps success is the chance to speak to new thought leaders in the industry so they understand your value proposition. So how many would make you successful? Three, five, twenty seven….what is realistic? Set a goal. Keep score. Measure your success.

Hair I am

HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE PROGRESS INTERNALLY?

At most places I have worked, I like to find ways to share success toward my goals monthly. It can be in an email or at meetings, but I make a conscious effort to find places to promote the benefit of the marketing activity. Do people in HR really get why we spend money on marketing? Are you often challenged about why you have to spend so much on this or that event? Maybe you aren't sharing enough and making others aware of the value you are bringing to the party? If you have quarterly meetings, do you ever get a chance to share information broadly to the company? If you have corporate newsletters or intranet sites are you using those platforms to tell your story? I suppose it is a bit like the cobbler’s kid who doesn't have shoes when marketing people don’t communicate their own value well inside the company. Explain to your colleagues frequently and clearly why you are engaged in a few key activities.

Take a little off the top and leave the sideburns

Like a haircut, budgeting is a natural process that you can’t avoid. If you are smart, you can’t help yourself by making sure everyone understand what you and your team are doing, how you will measure success and by sharing the results of your efforts.