Marketing Experiment 52 | ME52

ME52-58: Managing with Luxury in Mind

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Cara Dorr's thirst for exploration has continued from the days of wanting to be an astronaut. These days, while her exploration is more terra firma, she still traversing the endless universe of public relations in the luxury brand universe. Instead of collecting specimens from different planets, Dorr culls through endless magazines and sites for clips and inspiration and takes note
of any signs of life in the realm of social media. In the marketing universe, she joins the luxe sphere in the endeavor to make themselves more accessible while still being organic--through social media, authentic communication and consistency.

Cara Dorr
Luxury Fashion Brand
Public Relations Manager
Twitter: http://twitter.com/caraann

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
As a fashion publicist, my primary resource every day is Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). I consider it to be the fashion bible. It is the true authority for the fashion industry news. Not only does it include breaking news, but also trends, intense business coverage and entertainment news.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I am obsessed with fashion blogs! I enjoy style bloggers such as Cupcakes and Cashmere and Sea of Shoes. However, I have been quite smitten with a Brooklyn, NY based photography blog called Color Me Katie. Color Me Katie is by far one of the most imaginative blogs I have seen in awhile. Blogs are a true treat.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
For me as a publicist, customer service is paramount. I get back to ALL my emails and phone messages as soon as possible. It is invaluable to make people feel like they are important. It is also necessary be aware of what is going on in your industry. I have an “inspiration” folder at work where I stash magazine clips, print outs from websites, blogs, articles, etc. that I find interesting for later inspiration.

What’s the recent “it” Marking phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Two words: Social media! However, I still see many companies struggle with this new communication style because it is so new; it is hard to determine how it will affect the fashion industry and other industries in years to come. Social media is much more than Twitter, Facebook or blogs. It is truly about integrating a company into its consumers' everyday life--Almost like a friendship.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
As mentioned above, social media is here to stay. However, it has been exciting to see many companies, particularly luxury brands become more approachable and accessible through this new communication tool. It will be interesting to see if social media will affect luxe brands’ prestige.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
No matter what anyone tells you, do not lie to your business relationships in order to get out of a project. It is much more important to be honest with your contacts. If you can’t commit to a project or if it isn’t a right for your brand--just say that. I treat everyone how I would like to be treated.

What’s an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
I hate to bring it up again, but social media has already changed the consumer industry and will continue to change the way companies market to their consumers. Companies need to figure out how it fits organically into their brand without forcing it. It will be easier for some companies to take a dive into the social media world, while other brands need to just dip their toes into it. Brands should do what feels right to them.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
It depends on the brand. For newer brands localization is much more effective at first. However, a brand still needs to have a consistent message no matter what from the get go. Consistency is everything. An inconsistent brand will not garner consumer loyalty.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
A former boss always said, “Perception is reality,” which couldn’t be more true in the PR industry. This saying is applicable to almost every decision I make.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
Oddly, an astronaut! I always wanted to explore the endless universe.

To Tweet or not to tweet? Fad or here to stay?
It is here to stay although I do believe it will probably change and grow somehow. Twitter proves once again that in today’s society, (constant) communicating is everything.

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
Although some fashion critics said it was a marketing gimmick, Givenchy using a transgender model for their fall 2010 ads was a fascinating campaign choice to me. To put someone in the limelight who is going through such a life changing moment is an interesting choice for a brand to make. Although Givenchy is a huge fashion house that can push its limits more easily than other brands-- I still commend them for being different. And in the end, their campaign got many people talking, which was (perhaps) the point.

ME52-57: Finding the Right Time and Place for Your Message

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

For the past year, Katy Rosati has been working as an Account Executive at Text 100 where she works on several IBM accounts. Prior to Text 100, she was a media planner working on CPG brands for several well known advertising agencies. In her opinion, people are looking for reality, not brand “reality.” Authenticity provides validation and cuts out the hype.

Katy Rosati

Account Executive

Text 100

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
PR Week, MediaPost, eMarketer, AdAge

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Mashable, Gawker, The Huffington Post and Facebook, of course.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Being able to think like your consumer is a huge benefit. Knowing where and how they consume their media gives you an edge.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Social media is everywhere. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, iReporting on CNN, commenting on news stories, the consumer plays an increasing role in how your brand is perceived and, in some cases, whether it succeeds or flops. Just look at the fallout from the BP oil spill (or catastrophe, as I like to call it). By stonewalling the media and public, BP created the vacuum that allowed the brilliantly funny (though unofficial and disparaging) @BPGlobalPR Twitter handle to steal the spotlight and control the message.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Mobile, mobile, mobile - everything is about mobile! But the hype is justified. With the rise of smartphones, iPads and mobile applications, consumers are spending more and more time accessing mobile sites and viewing content from mobile devices. Having a mobile presence can increase not only awareness for your brand, but sales as well. In fact, the other week I woke up in the middle of the night and bought a pair on sunglasses on RueLaLa, right from my iPhone. (I've heard of sleepwalking and sleep-eating, but I think sleep-shopping may be new!)

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
In PR, you really don’t want to force your news in places where it doesn’t fit. If your story is applicable to an audience, a reporter or an outlet, then fantastic. But don’t try and push your “10 Hot Tips to Keep Your Lawn Green” on the Elle editors. There’s a time and a place for everything.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
The question of authenticity is always lingering in the background. People are often more receptive to real-life customer examples and experiences than hearing directly from a brand. The customer may be relaying the same message, but the perception is that their experience is more valid and “spin-free.”

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I certainly think Marketing ideas can travel across continents and languages, but to be effective, they must resonate locally as well. Keeping the “big idea” consistent, but tweaking the particulars for a given region can be very successful.

Best piece of advice you've ever received professionally or personally?
My dad is an eternal optimist and has, for as long as I can remember, encouraged me to smile and look at the glass as half full, not half empty. I can’t begin to tell you how many times this has come in handy. Having a positive outlook has been valuable in my professional life, but also has played a key role in maintaining my sanity in my personal life!

Growing up, what's the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I was obsessed with horses and desperate to be a jockey when I was little. Unfortunately, there’s not much of a market for 5'6" jockeys these days…or ever.

To tweet or not to tweet?
I’m all for Tweeting, although it’s not something I do regularly. I’m more of a Tweet-voyeur. You can’t beat Twitter for real-time updates – in fact, it’s where I get most of my news before it hits the major outlets. Additionally, since the people who follow you (or your brand) on Twitter are actively selecting your updates as information they want to consume, they can be some of your most powerful advocates and influencers in their own right. 140 character updates fit with our increasingly shorter attention spans, so I think Twitter is most definitely here to stay.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
People who can position themselves as social media experts are in high demand. Since the social media landscape will only get bigger, developing social media skills and staying on top of changes in that area make you a highly-desirable candidate.

ME52-56: Nothing is impossible and winning the hearts of young Chinese consumers

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:20:00 +0000

With more than a decade of advertising experience, Catherine Chen, a regional account director who manages global brands in the emerging China market, holds the mission "Nothing is impossible" - an unstoppable drive for more. In order to stay ahead of the trend, marketers always need to adapt and change, even more so to win the hearts of the "Post 80/90 in China".

Catherine Chen

Regional Account Director

Saatchi & Saatchi GuangZhou

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
I don't have a regular site I visit, but there are some alerts from Campaign Asia that I subscribe to, and I have a very outstanding planner director who regularly sends us market information whenever he finds anything interesting and relevant.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, and Sina Microblog

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Sharp eyes on insights; sensitivity to market trends

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Post 80/90, in China, these people are the main forces who drive the market. How to tackle them and win their hearts become very important for marketers

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I think the market is changing all the time, what's new and working today does not mean it can last tomorrow, so we have to stay ahead with the trend all the time.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

"Nothing is impossible", so there is nothing we should NOT do, or I would say, we should not STOP, never stop to come up with new ideas, never stopping to learn more, never stopping to explore for more...

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

The globe has many different cultures, languages, religions, etc. Things can be very different country to country. In my opinion, there is no single communication idea that can travel. It would never work. We can have the same group of target audience, same set of branding strategy, but when it comes to communication strategy and idea, localization works far more effective than globalization
Not to mention the whole world, just China alone, people in the north and south think and behave very differently. Making a piece of advertising campaign work and travel across the entire nation is a challenge in itself.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Be yourself, just do or say what you think is right.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

A nurse! Haha! Later on when I was about 10, I wanted to be an actress, I still remember my dad brought me to an audition. I was so nervous and did not perform well.

What is a recent campaign/ presentation ( not from your own company but your field of marketing) that you admire, and why?

The Apple campaign on the iPhone, the "Facetime" one. It's very emotional and yet functional enough to let consumer understand the product...need not to say more...when I first saw it , I almost wanted to cry.
in my experience, mostly with FMCG, we often debate between the balance of emotional and functional messages in a campaign, and this iPhone campaign is a perfect example.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

I would say marketing is more of a science. it is a numbers game. It's all about sales figures, and the industry highly depends on research data.

ME52-55: Consumer is Boss

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:26:00 +0000

Having worked in many major cities in Asia managing media planning for global companies, Aimee has settled in Shanghai to really be where the action is at. Her background in traditional media has given her an "outsider" view of how fast digital media is growing.

Aimee Hung

Planning Director

Maxus Global ( A GroupM company)

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
A local site called Madisonboom, for information on China's freshest advertising, media and PR landscape.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, and some local SNS sites ( Social Network Service)

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Understanding consumer

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Digital is the trend, meaning everything's going digital, including all platforms, the way people interact with all sorts of media and content.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Going digital

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Traditional way of thinking. Sticking to traditional way of marketing.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Yes, marketing ideas can travel across continents, however, the idea should be applicable to the local culture

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Always relate yourself with the consumer; think in their shoes

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

To be an actor or to be within the entertainment field

What is a recent campaign/ presentation ( not from your own company but your field of marketing) that you admire, and why?

McDonald's. I think what's most important is to really understand what your consumer needs are. A campaign should always relate and engage the consumer. Ultimately, the consumer is the boss in the end.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

I think both. Sometimes it can be an art in a sense that you are selling a concept, whereas it can also be a science where you have lots of formulas to follow.

ME52-54: In an industry of constant evolving, marketers cannot stay complacent

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 01:14:00 +0000

With an engineering background and an artistic talent, Richard has dabbled in various areas which provides him with a rich & diverse approach to marketing. Being a Digital Strategist in an environment that is in the forefront of providing measurement solutions, Richard touches on a very hot topic that no one in ME52 has not addressed yet - attribution models. And while the digital landscape is constantly reinventing itself, it’s imperative for marketers to evolve and innovate, especially in analytics and measurements.

Richard Wong

Client Services and Digital Strategist

Performics

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardtwong

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
Adage, MediaPost, Search Engine Land, WSJ...

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Gilt, Groupon, NYTimes.com, Urban Daddy, Youtube

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Identifying unmet needs of your target audience

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Attribution. As marketers are increasing their presence across different online and offline mediums, they are struggling to quantify the true return on dollars from individual mediums. We can no longer look at each channel as a separate silo, and need to come up with attribution models that can take the full picture into account.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I think Augmented Reality (AR), while still in its infancy, it has a lot of untapped potential and its definitely here to stay. I am excited to see how it will transform the way people interact with their surroundings, and how marketers will capitalize this space.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

To be complacent and only rely on what’s considered tried and true. The digital landscape is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, so its imperative for marketers in this space to do so as well.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Being afraid to try something new ,bold, and disruptive.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Yes, I believe it’s possible for a great marketing idea to transcend all those barriers and more. But to truly be effective and efficient, it is important for multi national corporations to think glocal.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Don’t make lateral moves just for a higher pay. In the end, you’ll be just as unhappy ( if not worse) and will also have to start all over again in a new organization.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

In kindergarten, I said I wanted to be a doctor. But that’s because I was the last person in class to speak up, being a doctor was the only option left. In truth, I really did not have a clue what I wanted to be.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Marketing is both an art and a science. The most creative marketing message fall on deaf ears, if you don’t have the “science” to identify WHO you should be speaking to, and HOW you can measure the impact of your messaging.

To tweet of not to tweet? Fad or here to stay?

I personally had an account, but quickly abandoned it after a month of use. I do all my tweets, if you will, through my facebook status updates.

ME 52-53: Creativity was There from the Start

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

So ME52 realized at we neared our one year anniversary and apparently there is enough interest to try to continue through to the new year and "brave the storm." This is something ME52 seems to have in touch with our featured interviewee this week, as an agency copywriter and now a promotions editor, Hali Narins often has to "brave the storm," real or "brain"storm. With creativity, an ear for language, an eye for fashion, and a pulse on technological developments--Narins may be a "perfect" storm to take on the industry.

Hali Narins

Promotions Editor

DailyCandy, Inc.

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/halinarins

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing new?
I don't have to visit any sites, but I like to keep up with sites with daily newsletters in a similar vein to DailyCandy (Thrillist, UrbanDaddy, Vital Juice, Luckymag, Refinery29).

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Nymag, Racked, Eater, NYTimes.com style and dining sections.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Adaptability--internet and technology is changing the field at such a rapid pace, that if you can't shift your way of thinking, you'll drown!

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

I don't really hear any marketing speak daily, but I've heard "storytelling" gain some momentum. To me, this means developing an multifaceted, evolving identity for a company so consumers have a deeper relationship with it.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Brand using Twitter, Facebook, etc. social media... It's here to stay until consumers grow savvier and wearier of these tactics.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Play it safe.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Privacy issues. And consumers losing trust in social media outlets.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Sure--the internet knows no boundaries in terms of continents and languages, so as long as marketers stay sensitive to demographics, why not? I like to believe that the bigger a company gets, the smaller it needs to think. I'm all for localization.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Take risks.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

A fashion designer.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Marketing is an art--they say the media is the message, and I say that creativity created the media, so it's got to create the message.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

A recent campaign I admire is Apple, with the iPad. I skip commercials with DVR usually, but always try and watch the Apple ads--they mange to be so simple, yet so thoughtful, exciting and hip. I love the little details like how they match the color of the iPods they show to the content on the iPod screens. The great music doesn't hurt either.

ME 52-52: No Travel Perks, just Marketing Points

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:00:00 +0000

This is week 52 for ME52, so it's fitting that we interviewed someone who is involved in the travel industry and the ad world. We've been around the this big, wide world in 52 weeks just as Valerie Paolucci works on marketing plans for the largest travel planning audience network online across 300+ travel sites, 365 days of the year. As the Marketing Manager for Travel Ad Network (TAN), Paolucci manages TAN's marketing programs and works closely on strategic deals. (But no, there are absolutely no travel perks associated with this job whatsoever.)

Valerie Paolucci

Marketing Manager

Travel Ad Network

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriepaolucci

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

eMarketer, which is great, as it aggregates data from over 4,000 sources which I could never afford to subscribe to! I also sign up for tons of daily newsletters, both pertaining to the travel space and digital media in general, including Hubspot, MediaPost, EyeforTravel, Tnooz, iMediaConnection, Ad Age...

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook is my guilty pleasure! I also frequent Lifebooker, Groupon, and Goldstar when I need a healthy distraction.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Creativity, not only in Marketing strategy and campaign execution, but also in career choices.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mena for the industry and the marketplace?

Mobile. It's not new, but we're just figuring out how to meausre ROI from mobile advertising. As more users are expected to surf the net on their mobile devices than on their computers within the next few years, mobile will become the center of the digital marketing mix.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Location based services are all the rage now. It will take us a bit of time to figure out how to monetize them, just like with mobile and video, but in my opinion, they're not going anywhere.

What is essential not to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Never assume you know everything. The digital advertising industry evolves so rapidly, keeping ahead of the technology is a full-time job in itself!

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

We are seeing a lot of DSP's and ad exchanges trying to disintermediate the advertising agency. The landscape is quickly evolving and I'm curious to see how it all plays out.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continent and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

With today's technology, good ideas can travel across the globe instantly. The greatest ideas have overarching themes with cross-border, cross-cultural appeal. Working in the travel industry makes this all the more apparent.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Do what you love, and the money will follow.

Growing up, what was the first think you can remember wanting to be?

I always wanted to be Angela Bower of Who's the Boss. She ran her own ad agency and got to come up with these super cool creative ideas all the time. She was this smart, driven career woman who was the breakwinner for her family. It would also be nice to have a hottie cooking and cleaning up after me!

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
The process of winning the hearts of minds of consumers will always be an art, but the pratice of measuring how well we do this is getting more scientific every day!

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

There are so many opportunities in digital Marketing right now! As the digital advertising industry evolves and becomes more specialized, companies will be desparate to hire experts such as SEO strategiests, social media managers, product development directors, etc.

ME 52-51 The CosmoPolitician

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:38:00 +0000

Monica Danna - a social media scientist, PR enthusiast, marketer and a Houston advocate who runs her own creative agency, uses the creative and scientific formula & approach of diversity to collaborative marketing. As creative and out of the box her strategies are, her fundements are built on being consumer - centric ( listening to your audience) and using her education and knowledge from psychology and technology.

Monica Danna
Marketing and Public Relations Consultant
http://www.cosmopolitician.net/colab/
Twitter: CosmoPolitician

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
A great resource for marketers: http://www.marketingprofs.com/ For news: http://adage.com/

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I've really been interested in photography lately and this is a site that gives me inspiration: http://hulaseventy.blogspot.com/

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Listening to your audience.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and marketplace?
Social Media - a form of media that digitially engages an audience rather than pushing out information.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
RSS feeds and syndication technology

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
Applying traditional media practices (one-way communication) to a digitial media strategy (a two-way communication.) Know the difference between push information and push/pull information. Digital Media takes traditional media from a monologue to a dialogue. Don't preach to your audience. Engage.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
The deluge of information we receive daily in a digital world. Our technology tools are adapting to help us dissiminate large amounts of information, such as email, blog posts, and life streams.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
In my international Marketing experience in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, it became evident to me that high level marketing strategies can cross continentents; however tactics and collateral need to be localized to be effective.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Listening is more important than speaking.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
A Child Psychologist, i actually have a masters in Psychology.

To tweet or not to tweet?
Tweet - Some form of Micro-Blogging will be here to stay.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
In the down economy that we recently experienced, Marketing professionals had to become increasingly diverse in their skill set. I belive that a more integrated and collaborative approach to Maketing is where things are headed in the future.

ME 52-50: Found in Translation, from a Brand Marketer's Point of View

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Rather than lost in translation, Business Director, Julie Feng speaks the marketer’s language and understands her local environment, whether in the States or across the world. Having spent time immersing herself in the high brand equity world of L’Oreal, Coach and Gillette, Feng continues to communicate with the consumer, no matter where in the world she is.

Julie Feng
Business Director for L'Oreal China
Nurun, China

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
I used to have a colleague who was very diligent about checking the marketing news on a daily basis. He would get so involved and excited whenever there's something big or interesting that he would just come and talk to everyone about it. So when he was here, I never had to check the news. He delivered them in person.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
This is going to sound really boring, but I live and work overseas, so checking NY Times on a daily basis keeps me in touch with what's happening at home and also helps me to relax and refocus when I'm stressed. In addition, I'm a foodie so I also check the restaurant column of a local general interests website to follow the restaurant/chef's scene.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Cultural sensitivity, being open minded to the diversity around you.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and marketplace?
Groupons, and it will change the way consumers buy in China. With a population of 1.3 billion, bargain hunting as a pastime, and a business model that's easy to replicate and operate .... need I say more? We've seen Smart Cars being Groupon-ed here, with the result of 200 Smart Cars sold out in 3.5 hours with each buyer saving over US$ 6,000 (Benz on average sells one Smart Car per day in China through traditional channels).

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Recent survey shows that more percentage of Chinese internet users are creators (generating reviews and ratings) than their counterparts in the U.S. While some have embraced this phenomenon, others are concerned with how to defend a carefully groomed brand image from negative reviews. Expert brand builders are suddenly at a loss as to how to communicate with consumers on a two way platform. Some brand marketing giants are still struggling with how to incorporate UGC into their traditional communication plans.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
A brand can be successfully globalized, but only if the message and delivery methods are localized. Here, I'm not just referring to making sure the English is translated properly into a local language. The question you should ask is should the English copy even be translated at all. Does what the brand is trying to sell resonate with the local market?

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
An increase of awareness on the national level, together with intervention from policy setting governing bodies, Eco-friendly/Green products are here to stay.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Both at Coach and L'Oreal, I worked on international brands for the China market. In this context, it is never acceptable to assume what worked in one market will always work in another. Not even if the markets are in the same region. Management tend to generalize (I find American companies tend to do this more often than European ones). I often hear remarks such as "the idea/concept worked in Korea, Japan, so let's copy it and apply it to China." But ask any marketing professional who has been in the Chinese market long enough and they will tell you that China is so vast, the differences between regions sometimes so great that even within the same country, what worked in one city may not translate well into another.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Go with your passion/instinct, the rest will fall into places on its own.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I wanted to be a teacher, but then again, that idea came to me when I was still growing up in China, where teachers are respected, admired and idolized. They were god. Their words carried more weight that our parents's. But that perspective changed when I moved to NYC and begin attending a public school. I knew right away that being a teacher in a Brooklyn public school required a different skill set to rise up to the challenge.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?
In China, the opportunity is definitely in the e-commerce area. Here, we are probably experiencing the same boom that U.S. experienced 6 or 7 years ago (let's just hope we have learned to avoid the bubble).

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?
Intuitively, I want to say it's an art. But in the corporate world, there is no way you can push through an idea/concept without showing some numbers to back it up. But I guess this is what makes this job all more challenging and interesting. As a product manager at L'Oreal, we had to be well versed in how to communicate convincingly with consumers using visuals and copy, as well as how to communicate efficiently with management using numbers and charts. I don't think I can ever get the same satisfaction from a pure numbers driven job.

ME 52-49: Understanding the Cultural Nuances Within

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Lincoln Stephens was already a successful advertsing account management executive when he founded The Marcus Graham Project. As a non-profit, The Marcus Graham Project focuses on building the next generation of leadership in the advertising and marketing industry in a boot camp/career development training environment. Stephens took some time out of his busy schedule to answer ME52's questions and help more people learn more about what it takes to market with passion.

Lincoln Stephens
Founder
The Marcus Graham Project

What site(s) do you ahve to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Advertising Age, Ad Week, Target Market News and Tech Crunch

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration/
Facebook and Twitter (People are funny.)

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Integrity.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and marketplace?
#oyleydoit -- it means tehre is a new language that people are speaking in the social media space and we are going to have to have an understanding of all of the cultural nuances that exist within.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Here to stay is a generation of CREATORS that are waiting for main stream media to finally hear a REAL story. A TRUE story. One with HEART and with SOUL.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
It is essential not to be afraid to admit when you are wrong, but to seldom be wrong.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?
The undervaluing of the economic prowess of diverse consumer segments, primarily because of the lack of resources earmarked towards accurate/effective research, analysis and market development.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Yes. Localization allows you to not forget what is important in your specific community, but we need the perspective of the rest of the world in order to move forward TOGETHER.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Don't beat yourself up for making mistakes.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
In the radio business.

Is Marketing more of an art or more fo a science?
Science that needs the support of the arts.

What marekter do you admire most and why?
I've not met that brand yet.

ME52-48: A life-long analytics adventurer stresses the importance of storytelling

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:13:00 +0000

Day in and day out, Rui drives consumer insights and strategy from data to maximize marketing ROI. As a numbers girl, she talks about how marketing analytics is an "artistic science", and needs humanized insights with the art of storytelling...or it would only become pieces of data.

Rui Wang
Senior Analyst
Draft FCB

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rui-wang/9/840/456

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Adage, AdvertisingWeek, blogs like freakonomics, etc. and YAMMER, which is a corporate version of Twitter. Colleagues share what they found interesting online, at work, or ask questions

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
TED Talk - 18 minutes a day that changes your mind, NYTIMES, DELICIOUS.COM – a very good go-to resource and tool features TAG search function, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
I would say STORY-TELLING. We are exposed to tons of information every minute, about your brand, competitors, consumers, etc. It’s critical to integrate those findings and tell “what matters” in a humanized way.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Digital CRM. We all know the most powerful driver to decision making is WOM and internet & mobile devices pushed it to an exponentially massive extent. Comparison shopping and online reviews empower consumers to make better choices. It’s important for brands to be visable and effectively join the conversation.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Moving mobile. Think about how the new generation of smart phone / ipad changes ways people work, entertain, communicate, and shop, etc

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
Marketing analytics is artistic science. Without humanized insights, it’s only pieces of data.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market?
Consumers lose attention very quickly as information explodes. You are competing against several big names and millions of others in both physical and virtual world.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? does globalization work or is localization more effective?
YES and No. Successful marketing is about truly understanding your consumers and having the brand been part of their story. What really matters to your consumers will drive whether strategically you should go global or be local. Furthermore, if we extend our topic to e-commerce, the definition of being local could be very different as well.

Best piece of advice you have received?
“Stay foolish, stay hungry” – Steve Jobs shared 3 personal stories to students on his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. This thereafter became my motto and always encourages me to go for the dream and open to changes, you never know if it will become another opportunity.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
A happy islander who travels the world and share life stories of those who I meet to the rest

What is a recent campaign/presentation (not from yoru own comapny but your field of marketing) that you admire? and why? “Happy Inside” - recent Ikea campaign
IKEA UK released 100 house cats into its Wembley store in celebrating the launch of 2011 cat-a-logue. It's a really good integrated campaign. Great creative excecution as well. Through multiple digital channels, consumers could interact with the brand and share the “live a happier life inside” spirit with friends. Check their facebook page to see cat photos uploaded. http://www.facebook.com/ikeacats so far, 13,171 fans liked it, and more than 700 pics were uploaded to the FB page.

To tweet or not to tweet?
Personally feel it still has a long way to go.

ME 52-47: Best Practices May Not be as Effective as the Next Best Alternative

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:31:00 +0000

Cynthia Andrada is an email marketing strategis at Epsilon. She also has prior experience as a database marketing analyst at a retialer and a public relationshspecialist at a beverage alcohol company.

Cynthia Andrada
Senior Consultant, Strategic & Analytic Consulting Group
Epsilon

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Marketing I visit regularly include WSJ (Media and Marketing), MediaPost's Email Insider, Retail Email blog, ClickZ and I should probably mention the Email Institute, which is run by my employer. I also like e-newsletters such as the eMarketer Daily, Get to the Point Email Marketing from Marketing Profs and Marketing Sherpa's Chart of the Week.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Aren't marketing sites fun and inspiring?

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
In my line of work, it's all about being able to translate data-driven insights into actionable marketing strategies. Coming up with the right marketing strategy means you need to understand your client's business, goal and constraints. Just because your recommended strategy might be "best practice" but doesn't mean it's relevant or even possible for your client. Figure out the next best alternative.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Social, social, social. When you work in email marketing, you can't escape social media. I've encouraged clients to leverage social media to grow their list by including and email sign-up on their Facebook page. (Just don't make them leave FB to sign up for your email!!!) I've also recommended testing the placement of social media elements in the header of an email rather than the footer for higher adoption rates--thanks, MarketingProfs. And even though i can't seem to get into it, Twitter is part of one ideal scenario drafted to identify customer experiences that a client's future marketing ecosystem must support.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
I understand privacy concerns but as a marketer, I'm intrigued by the developments in online tracking technology. Marketers "spying" on internet users is here to stay.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
Don't assume what worked for your competitors will work for your business. In email marketing, it's important to keep testing.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market?
More and more companies are thinking about how they can do multi-channel marketing better in the future. What are the ideal customer experiences and how can companies deliver on those events? How should companies be organized? What systems need to be in place? etc. Companies need to address these questions today.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? does globalization work or is localization more effective?
You can't separate global from local marketing--especially not in this internet age. Think of global marketing as the strategy and local marketing as the tactical execution of that strategy.

Best piece of advice you have received?
When choosing a career, don't forget to consider the lifestyle you want to have too. Thanks, Dad.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
A pediatrician.

Where are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry as people are looking at their careers?
Marketing analytics, for sure. There's certainly no shortage of data as we become more sophisticated in tracking and measuring online and offline activity. But the challenge is figuring out what the data means and how to use it. As a result, there's an increasing demand for marketing analysts and strategists. And you're even better off if you're a hybrid.

To tweet or not to tweet?
I just can't get into it. Is it over yet?

ME 52-46: LoSo, VCs, - this is the new language of digital brand marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Urban, progressive, contemporary...Richie Cruz represents the new breed of innovative pop culture marketing.

A passionate and creative brand strategist, Richie Cruz's expertise lies in understanding the shifts and insights of culture, and establishing emotional connections for brands for consumers.

Richie Cruz
Digital Strategist
Agency Net

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardcruz
Blog: (http://suitsiswatching.com/)

What site(s) do you visit every day for Marketing news?

I usually refer to my Netvibes dashboard for daily trade headlines and inspiration; I’ve compiled well over 100 feeds that keep me current. But, if there’s one that I’m particularly fond of, it would have to be “Kiss My Black Ads,” as it agrees pretty well with my sensibility.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
For fun, I’d have to say that I visit PicSick, and FreshBump . And, of course, Behance, Creativity , and The FWA. They’re all good sources of creative inspiration that keep my thinking sound and fresh.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
I would have to say that I hear the word “curation” a lot, as I’m sure that most people that operate within the digital marketing landscape do. I can completely understand what it’s implying, but I don’t think that everyone has amassed the same amount of taste or credibility to throw around or assign the title. It devalues it, in my opinion.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?
LoSo, or location-social networks, the most popular being Foursquare and Facebook Places. Aside from the rumblings from within the marketing industry, I think digital society is becoming increasingly qualitative- that is, to say, that we measure and benchmark all of our decisions, and rank the quality of those decisions by their societal perception. These networks are allowing this data to be aggregated- willingly- at blinding rates, which will eventually result in a shift in the way products, services, and occurrences are discovered. At least for the cool people, lol.

What's an imminent hurdle to the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to businesses or consumers?
Everyone’s incessant speculation around which are the best employable tactics (digital vs. traditional). I’m of the philosophy that every piece of technology and media platform is simply a tool to help us (marketers) tell better stories. Tell better stories, move more product. It’s that simple.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Oh yeah. All you need is Facebook, Twitter, and Google Translate- and you’re good to go. Of course, refining one’s inherent understanding of cultural nuances is something developed over time, but the road is fruitful. To answer the second part, I think that more oft than not, they’re mutually exclusive. But in those times when they aren’t, it’s best to build programs and campaigns to scale.

Best piece of advice you have received?
Although not given to me directly, Dame Dash famously once told Kanye West, "Just make sure it's not whack." My close friend Kevin Wade made sure that sentiment served as our universal filter.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I wanted to be an archeologist, then a NBA player, then a journalist at a hip-hop magazine. Eventually I saw the legendary Sprite commercial featuring Kris Kross, and I immediately wanted to do THAT.

Is Marketing more of an art or a science?
When it's done correctly, its a beautiful, perfect storm or both.

What do you think are some of the most promising models for monetization of digital content?
I’m interested in seeing the mainstream adoption of virtual goods, and how they can provide true utility and enhanced experiences. I also believe brands will become “VCs”, and fund cultural experiences that matter; the brands that can reach into subculuture and introduce their consumers to the next in meaningful, mutually beneficial ways will flourish as the information economy persists and the web gets smarter.

ME 52-45: Natural Born Storytellers Seek to Capture Your Attention through Data Visualizaton

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:47:00 +0000

In addition to graphically representing her Diet Dr. Pepper obsession (2.8 cans a day), Kennedy Elliott is also a natural born storyteller, who's able to grab your attention (with the concentration to prove it) by way of data visualization, information architecture and web design. Elliot spends her time as a Carnegie Knight News21 fellow in Chicago*. She has a Master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, with a concentration in interacitve storytelling and media management from the Kellogg School of Business. This gives Elliott a very specialized area of expertise, but also making her invaluable to the qualitative and quantitative sides of Marketing.

*from a previously conducted interview

Kennedy Elliott
Carnegie Knight Fellow
News 21, Initiative on the Future of Journalism

What site(s) do you visit every day for Marketing news?
I read everything. I follow a lot of websites relating to media in any capacity: Mashable (of course), Nielsen Wire, Reuters technology news, the New York Times' Media Decoder, Wired (a favorite), TED online, even EFF and the list goes on and on. Since I am most interested in visual communication, I keep up with Smashing Magazine, Web Design Ledger, Flowing Data, A List Apart, and a few other design related blogs.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Again, since I'm more of a visual person, my favorite fun sites feature highly creative content. I love the photo website Un Jour a Paris--Cyril Genty, the photographer, is amazing. I like the New York Times' interactive content as well. A lot of innovative material that I'm interested in pops up on blogs and You Tube, so I have to be plugged into social media to keep up.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
In my field, the buzzword is definitely "data visualization" and "infographics." They are oten used interchangeably, but to me, they mean very different things. In my exploration, there are many more bad infographics than good. It's a balance between meaningful content, a strong narrative, of course, design. But nowadays, any kind of informational design is deemed an infographic, which is not really how I view things. So in my opinion, "infographic" is a buzz word that has a much broader definition than I'm used to.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Twitter and Facebook are the obvious ones. I kind of cringe every time I hear a major corporation plugging its Facebook page, becasue I feel like Facebook is so unstable right now, in terms of reputation and useage. I'm really looking forward to what Diaspora turns into, and if it'll be better than Facebook and LinkedIn for businesses.

What is essential not to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?
You can never forget your audience. What do they want to know? How do they want to consumer it? Never forget your audience. I was fortunate enough to have a professor drill that into my head.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I don't have strong feelings either way. But I think that people, in genral, are deeply connected with their geographic location spiritually, culturally or otherwise, so I always factor that sort of sub-segmentation.

Best piece of advice you have received?
What everyone is told at a young age--do what you love doing and the rest will fall into place.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
The answer to this is a little weird for me. Growing up in a small Southern town, I remember that the first thing I wanted to do was paint houses. I have no idea why! I think I didn't undertand that artistry reaches many profession, but at a young age, I just wanted to paint!

Is Marketing more of an art of science?
An art for sure! No one should use a formulaic approach to Marketing--the formula only gets you so far. The rest is creative.

What a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
Ever since I first saw posters for it in England in 2004, I've always admired Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. It's a little in-your-face, a little show-and-tell-y, but Marketing campaigns like this are paving the way for more honest Marketing for women in the future. Other companies have since caught on to showcasing the "real woman" (whatever that is), and it's become less of an issue to avoid using the carbon modeling copy.

ME 52-44: Communication skills and its direct impact

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:17:00 +0000

Michelle WicMandy wears many hats. As the Director of Marketing at Southeast Media, she is also a marketing adjunct professor at University of Houston, and also takes up the role of Director of Chapter Development at Houston AMA ( American Marketing Association). The greatest skill ever marketer should possess, in her point of view, is communication skills - both verbal and non verbal - to achieve business results and motivate colleagues. She also stresses the importance of networking, and the value of grasping great learning opportunities that lay ahead of an individual.

Michelle WicMandy
Director of Marketing
Southeast Media

Linkedin : http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-wicmandy/1/a29/5b8

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Maybe not everyday, but I enjoy eMarketer, the Email Experience Council, Marketing Profs, SEOmoz, Mashable, websitemagazine.com

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Whichtestwon.com, copyblogger

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Every marketer needs to portray a positive attitude and employ excellent verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills. Clear, diplomatic, positive communication is key to building successful relationships whether interfacing with internal colleagues or outside contacts. Take a few extra minutes to personalize messages and converse with associates on all levels. Inject some humor, too. We all need a little more laughter and a little less stress.
Your communication skills directly impact your ability to achieve sales, motivate team members, complete projects and make friends.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
Social Media continues to generate hype. Although the online social communities twitter and Facebook have infiltrated the airwaives, some continue to believe these sites will be automatic revenue generators. That is, if you build it, the customer will visit often and spend. Creating and managing the site is only one step of the entire process. The real trick is attracting members, engaging them in the conversation and maintaining interest to bring them back for more – whether online or in the brick-and-mortar store - and build brand loyalty.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?
In my opinion, twitter will stay. It’s an excellent PR and search tool. When combined with a Google search, it becomes very powerful.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
Overstating your qualifications can prove disastrous to your reputation. Be truthful with your business associates when discussing your area[s] of expertise as well as your limitations. You’ll gain much more respect from your peers and your clients. Honesty pays off handsomely..

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? does globalization work or is localization more effective?
My experience is confined to the national level.
Using online tools such as Go to Meeting, skype, basecamp, drop box, social communities and many others facilitates information sharing and human interaction regardless of location. Spanning the globe and interacting with a variety of cultures definitely creates opportunities for generating a greater amount of ideas. Localization, however, gives the advantage of a deeper understanding of the local market, trends, psychographics, behaviours and such.

Best piece of advice you have received?

On a professional level, I have received TWO best pieces of advice.
1. Get involved in peer groups and stay connected. Join professional groups, maintain your education and network. Some of the best ideas and creative solutions will derive from like-minded professionals. This suggestion came from a marketing professor.

2. Take a position for the learning opportunity over the salary. Education is priceless and will open doors. The experience gained will lead to advancements or new opportunities. A colleague offered this advice early in my career.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
In third grade, I wanted to be a teacher. Throughout my career as a marketer, training and development has often been an added responsibility. For more than 10 years, I’ve been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Houston – Downtown. Funny how things turn out!

Is marketing more of an art or a science?
Marketing is both an art and a science, but I believe marketing is more of a science. To achieve success, one still needs to follow the rules to develop a program with a solid framework. We need to plan, research, implement, measure results and then make adjustments. Add, the tools of the virtual world: PPC, web analytics, web development/coding, email metrics. These require methodical processes that provide measurable, quanititative results for analysis. The art is adjusting and tailoring the program – the grap to fit the needs of the customer and make it uniquely ours.

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity within the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?
Online marketing continues to grow as companies are devoting a larger portion of their marketing budget to online efforts. Accredited universities are either offering courses devoted to online marketing or are in the initial stages of adding marketing technology in their business programs. Many colleges and universities are beginning to develop master’s programs in marketing technology.

ME 52-43: Even if you Weren't Watching, I'd be Doing this Anyway

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000

George 2.0 is a man of many talents--not only restricted to Marketing. In addition to being Program Director for the Wondaland Arts Society, he's also a brand manager, master of ceremonies, an actor, a writer, a producer, a beat boxer, a poet, a rapper and a singer. Exercising his multiple artistic talents helped George develop a unique POV and enable him to see a holistic promotional platform and how to best tap into the commercial and social media landscape.

George Twopointoh
Program Director
Wondaland Arts Society

Twitter: http://twitter.com/twopointoh

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

If you have not read All Marketers Are Liars or The Purple Cow by Seth Godin, I highly suggest it. His blog provides the perfect set of daily cliff notes to his aggressive approach to marketing. I don't go to the 4A's conference page daily, but I do frequent the site, as they are very much in tune with how minorities use the viral loops and the tools available to them to disseminate information. Some marketing news sites I visit are: AdAge, Media Bistro, KissMyBlackAds, MarcusGrahamProject.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

Inspiration: I am fascinated by how quickly the hip-hop bloggers aggregate and update their content. It seems like if you miss just one day of checking in with them, you might miss out on key subtext to the ongoing social commentary that Hip Hop has become. So I typically visit dopeboyz and nahright from my phone fist thing in the morning. The same goes for pitchfork. You can tell a log about how the day is going and how people will feel by understanding their soundtrack.
Fun: Georgetwopointoh - I check my own wordpress blog every day, not just because I like it, but because I need to see what's up there. I sometimes schedule posts a week ahead of time so when I get the tweet that a new post is up, it becomes a "Being John Malkovich" moment for me. I get to see myself the way others do, which makes me constantly aware of my online profile. I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I check Twitter more than any other site. As an aggregate there just isn't a better hub for news, voyeurism and micro blogging. I suppose it is a fun way to pass time, but it is rapidly becoming necessary for work in any field.
But, the reigning champion of all fun sits to me is YouTube. If you don't have a YouTube clip that you can pull out at parties, then you have not been wasting nearly enough time at work. On it, you can catch anything from last night's walk off homerun to keynotes and press conferences. If you don't check YouTube in that section that shows what people are currently watching I promise you will be left out of all the water-cooler jokes. (special shoutout to Antoine Dodson) One of my other favorite sites is BroccoliCity. It's always sunny over there and of course it's organic. The latest in footwear, they have it. Noveau furniture, yep. And of course some good recipe.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

I find that it comes down to simply knowing how to speak to people. I think people return to my blog or my twitter feed or my viral videos because they enjoy the way I communicate. Possessing a unique ability to communicate using multiple mediums is a much needed skill, after all consumers can be found in multiple marketplaces. I try to constantly remind myself that communicating is as much about listening as it is about speaking. I believe a good marketer listens to the demand before trying to convince or inspire consumers to patronize an arbitrary fad. A good marketer must be observant and not imposing.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Hashtags. As Twitter has become such a significant channel of communication in our culture, hashtags (#) have bled into our every day speak. Many consider hashtags unconsciously even in verbal dialog. And though the casual coffee chat doesn't always include folks verbalizing "Hashtag" before the given meme, tweeters have learned to brand their pet phrases like #randomthought or the popular excuse #thatisall. Hashtags have cemented themselves securely within the lexicon, because they register topics in conversation and can be cataloged digitally. So, not only are they becoming more present in face to face conversations, but they are employed by marketers looking for free, up-to-the-second analytics.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Viral Verticalization. Many online markets are popping up and allowing marketers the chance to speak to a specifically targeted audience. Product managers and site developers are mimicking the functionality of existing popular sites and specifying them to their brand. I was initially put off by what I found to be copycat marketing, but as they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This includes adding Twitter-like feeds to Facebook, YouTube like video players to dance studio websites and widgets upon widgets in the side panels of any website or blog with free space. I have found cellphone commercials to the biggest proponents. It seems like every commercial , and product for that matter is impersonating one particular brand.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

I live by the mantra "even if you weren't watching, I'd be doing this anyway." That's the best way that I know how to be true to my brand and myself. So I try NOT to get caught up with how I will be received before I am finished developing a product or its roll out strategy. I try not to concern myself with how people are going to receive my project; far too often this concern paralyzes creative ability.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Boredom. Commercials are getting significantly shorter and tweets are only 140 characters because people have short attention spans. Often categorized as fickle, the changing trends and the consumers' desire to change with them often gets in the way of brand loyalties. This inevitability urges significant changes in the way we market to consumers and businesses. Previous generations of consumers demonstrated more brand loyalty, whereas current generations tend to be more influenced by our peers than by product performance. If today's Marketers hopes to increase brand loyalty they will have to adapt.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Marketing ideas can and definitely do travel across continents and languages. It is evidenced in the borrowing from other cultures. In the case of music, many American musicians that cannot get their music played on Top 40 radio will travel abroad with their brand to find that their non-English speaking audience knows their every word. More often than not, this exposes them to products that they might have otherwise been unfamiliar with. As a Thrival, I find myself in competition with individuals from around the globe. So limiting my product, image or ideas to local consumers is, well...limiting. I can respect local initiatives, but is has been my experience that localization has an expiration date.

Best piece of advice you have received?

"Find a job you truly enjoy and you'll never have to work a day in your life." I heard that from my father, George 1.0, when I was a child. I don't think he knew that i would spend most of my college days avoiding the eventuality of a 9-5, but I have found a job that I love. Every morning I wake up excited that I get to do exactly what I want to do. I try my best to encourage the same determination in every person I meet.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

A gas station attendant. I loved the smell of gas, and I figured what better way to smell gas than to work as a gas station attendant. Following that I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I never became either of the two.

Where are growth opportunities within the marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

I have found that the greatest growth opportunities are in user generated content. I started a campaign called "Turn off the TV" that seeks to convince dreamers to use the resources available to them to create the kind of content that they would like to see. This consists of, but is not limited to Laptaping--a process by which one uses their built in web camera to create viral videos, their Facebook and Twitter pages to market these videos and their own viral voice to maintain brand consistency. I have found that many marketers are beginning to recognize the power in putting program direction back in the hands of the consumer, often empowering their consumers to promote their brand. I am constantly seeing companies offer prizes and money through competitions in which the user turns over brand-centered content in the form of jingles and commercials.

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?

The Thrivals 3.0: The Global Brain. At this year's annual Idea Festival the Thrivals are hosting an entire day at the conference. Their goal is to get the world to see the powerful combination of what can happen when learning, music, art, imagination, science and technology are combined. Thrivals are a brand of thinking about the future. I have been impressed by their viral efforts and their ability to identify other like-minded individuals in an effort to figure out "What is next?" I am looking forward to Thrivals 3.0. It is a meeting of the mind from across the world. Take the quiz here. I'm Thrivalerious. What are you?

ME 52-42: Marketing Consultant speaks of immediacy in the marketing communication world

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:32:00 +0000

Having worked in marketing and advertising for 30 years, Imelda believes that adaptability to change is the key to a marketer’s success. As a consultant, she keeps up with the immediacy of communication, new interactive technologies but holds strong to the fundamental principles of marketing, such as avoiding an ADD culture.

Imelda Gott

Marketing & Advertising Consultant and Contractor

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/imelda-gott/2/724/676

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?

NYTimes.com, wsj.com, Adage.com, aibchouston.com, and some energy-related sites.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

Rottentomatoes.com, Pandora, chron.com

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?

Adaptability to change—in the market and even in the client.

What's the recent "it" marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

The recent phrase that resulted in a huge change in the company for which I work is “Move the Dot.” After being on vacation, I heard a co-worker discussing a very expensive presentation that was made to our top executives. The premise was that you wanted to do whatever was necessary to “move the dot” and make people want to buy your product. It really didn’t resonate, since the company is an energy wholesaler. All the business units were to operate as independent businesses, and I couldn’t really figure out how this would impact sales—until I realized that the “product” was not what the business units were producing—the excutives were going to sell the company. Four months later, the company is now in the process of a merger.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

The immediacy of communication. While this has been building since the mid 1990s, with the growth of sophicated smaller devices with huge storage in the past couple of years, marketing has really changed. While this has tremendous advantages, I think that sometimes the creative process suffers from the standpoint of actually having enough time to develop concepts and ideas.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Reacting immediately: While sometimes our best idea is the first that comes to us, it is essential to think a few steps ahead and consider alternatives.

What's an immediate hurdle in the marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or business?

Actually I see two: Anonimity and our ADD culture. Although as marketers we attempt to create a personality in our communications, where is the person or people behind the message? For success, I think there must be the overture at least to a two-way communication. The other is the expectation by many audiences that five seconds is enough to convey the message.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

They do it all the time. I love to see the best commercials from other cultures—the humanity of comedy, the beauty of a country I’ve never been to. Clothing designers have done this for centuries. Globalization works, and there is no avoiding it. But there must be a local approach, something that says there is integrity in the product.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?

“There’s perfect and there’s commercially acceptable.” This was told to me by a printer when I was really just starting in my career. Striving for perfection is great, but don’t be like one of those priests pacticed self-flagtion. Go on to the next project.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

An Interior Designer.

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?

I don’t tweet, but that is not to say that it’s not here to stay. I might tweet later. I might start tweeting next week—if I find something I can’t get any other way. It will be around for a while, but it might just end up the equivalent of a landline phone in a few years. Who knows?

Is Marketing an art or science?

I think that it’s both. The soul of the artist has to compete with the soul of the machine, but that is what makes marketing such an interesting field. Someone will think of the most creative way to present an idea, and it may also encompass reaching people with a very old marketing technique. Look at the Apple stores: the most innovative products using pure point of purchase to reach customers.

ME 52-41: Experiments in Data Marketing Gone Right

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

As a member of a media solutions team, Gabrielle Gibbs provides customized solutions by integrating client data and other data sets with Nielsen Media and consumer databases. Her role changes daily from tactical sales collateral to web banner ad campaign execution to figuring out how to strategically promote solutions oriented go-to-market strategy for existing products. Surrounded by data, Gibbs' role showcases her as the ultimate liaison between art and science for the media sphere.

Gabrielle Gibbs

Nielsen

Sr. Manager Client Consulting, Media Product

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?

NYTimes.com, Adage.com, Cynopsis.com and Mediapost.com

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

One of three music sites: Pandora, Grooveshark or last.fm to start the day off with some good tunes. Theskint.com, nymag.com, brooklynbased.com and brokelyn.com, when I want to know what is going on in the city.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?

Being observant. To deliver the right messaging a marketer needs to not only hear what the challenges are to reach their target consumer but survey what else in the environment might be exacerbating the clients issue i.e. changing business model, the entry of a non-category competitor or budgetary constraints.

What's the recent "it" marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Marketing accountability. All the players in the marketing life cycle agencies, media companies and advertisers are being held at a higher standard and need to validate their decisions to stakeholders i.e. when creating a media buy, positioning inventory within and across platforms or establishing campaign an integrated campaign. This need for accountability has elevated the need for research and more importantly insights to help drive decision making. There is a push to have first class metrics to justify being the agency of record, being on the buy or the success of a campaign.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Media devices like the iPads, Kindles, Android phones. While these devices may be new, now they are a symbol of how the tide is changing and more importantly how consumer appetite to consumer media or staying connected is only going to continue to expand.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Data dumping. While it is an exciting time to be in marketing research it is very easy to run an analysis and provide a spreadsheet to your client pat yourself on the back and think you have provided a disservice. You have lost sight of what a client truly needs which is solution not more data to comb through. If you can provide the insight that goes with your analysis you will go from being a data provider, which is easily replaceable, to a solution provider and indispensable partner.

What's an immediate hurdle in the marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or business?

Cross-platform. It's complicated! The questions are numerous for both media companies and advertisers from how do I monetize my platforms to how do I measure the effectiveness to what is the right metric. I don't think one company can do it alone (be it a research company, media company, agency or advertiser). I think the true cross platform solutions will be built upon the insights and learnings from a combination of these companies coming together to move the industry forward.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

It's always good to have a global perspective to help you truly understand the big picture but in marketing research and media research in particular, local insights are needed as the penetration and adoption of certain media platforms change from region to region or market to market.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?

Network & Network! Networking should not be reserved for the job seeker. Expanding beyond your professional circle beyond your immediate co-workers and even company is important. You never known what you can learn or who you can meet by striking up a conversation in your office's cafe or elevator. The same goes for personally. A new network can introduce new hobbies, restaurants and cities to travel too and hopefully some good couches to crash on.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Pediatrician. Sadly, that dream died with Freshmen year of college due to a chemistry experiment gone wrong.

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?

Tweet! Why not? I found that focusing on an area of interest helps to make the "twitter"-verse more manageable. I'm honing in on the Night life activities event and foodie culture in NY. Though I do feel I get out of it more than I give which is why fatigue in bound to happen to those helping me devise my social calendar.

What are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

Being comfortable with data and being able to synthesize it is an asset. You don't need to be a data junkie but being able to interpret data allows you to have a conversation to speak more strategic business issues and be a liaison between marketing, research and product management.

*Any comments/views expressed in this blog post reflect the personal opinions of the original authors and not The Nielsen Company

ME 52-40 - A passionate Local SEO marketer

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:44:00 +0000

What makes a good marketer? It's the drive and simply being passionate about what you do - day in and day out. As Director of client services, Julie helps locally-based small businesses stand out amongst their competitors using SEO strategies with efficient budgets. She stresses the important of social media influence and how to own conversations and increase influence.

Julie Zare
Director of client services
DIYSEO

Linkedin:http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliezare
Twitter: juliezare

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?
MediaBistro, wsj.com, TechCrunch, ClickZ, SearchEngineLand, SearchEngineWatch, Smallbiz Trends, Duct Tape Marketing, Smart Brief, and many more.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I follow many sites and blogs on a daily basis. Some of my favorites are: GrubStreet (I’m a big foodie), Etsy (could browse for hours without even buying anything), Facebook, Twitter (via the Tweetie app), GrooveShark (for my music fix), and many of the daily deal sites (Groupon, LivingSocial etc).

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
A good marketer is passionate about what they do. In addition, it is essential to always know what’s going on in the marketing world around you, whether it is the latest social media trends, the newest start-ups, or a new partnership across the country. Today’s world of marketing moves fast and is extremely competitive. Being in the know and staying current is important to keep up with everyone around you.

What's the recent "it" marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
The world “local” is a keyword that I hear many times throughout my day. Local marketing, especially in search engine optimization, can very much help a business stand out from its competitors. For example, small businesses can optimize website content to make sure their business is seen on local search engine results. This can be performed by adding the business address or map to the site, or claiming and updating their listing on local resources such as Google Local or Yahoo! Local.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Social media marketing and reputation management is here to stay and is not just a fad. I know a lot of people are still getting used to the idea of Twitter, Facebook, and more as essential marketing tactics. The power of social media is something that a business or brand should be aware of and leverage as much as they can. Not only does creating your social media presence allow you to own a conversation around your business, but you can engage with your customers and clients and increase your overall influence.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
I think not being open to ideas and opinions around you would be a negative trait.

What's an immediate hurdle in the marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or business?
Budgets and deciding how much marketing dollars you are willing to spend on a campaign or idea has a large influence on your company and what you want to spend going forward.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think both globalization and localization are effective, depending on what your goals are. My company, DIYSEO, really focuses on how small businesses can best leverage local seo. If your business is locally-based, standing out among your nearby competitors is crucial in getting found, and there are numerous ways to do just that even with very little budget.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?
Wow, this is a difficult question! Professionally speaking, knowing that hard work almost always pays off in the end. Also, if you are passionate about something, go for it. Steve Jobs famously spoke about how important it is to love what we do in order to create extraordinary work. He said, “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
When I was in elementary school, I always wanted to be a second grade teacher. One of my best friends and I would even create lesson plans and tests to practice whenever I came over to her house. We took turns giving each other the tests, grading papers, and writing on the chalkboard. :-)

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?
Twitter is here to stay

What is a marketing campaign you admire?
The Old Spice campaign and its overall results is absolutely astounding. It will be interesting to see this campaign's influence on brands' larger viral campaigns going forward. Go here and read some of their statistics to see what I'm talking about: http://bit.ly/9e9bfE. :-)

ME 52-39: Slacktivism gone; Engagement to stay; a Philosophic Philanthropic POV

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:54:00 +0000

With the speed, weight and hunger to succeed in the philanthropy space, Hannah Wilson races deftly through the world of celebrity and cause related marketing. Whether it's a non-profit or a Fortune 500, or straddling the delicate balance between editorial and business in publishing, Wilson appears to have perfected the art of sustainability when it comes to her own marketing career. She takes and encourages others to take the long term, strategic view, rather than just focus on the short term gain that will end up costing the would-be philanthropist and the cause that needs help.

Hannah Wilson

Member Services Coordinator

Admiral Center

Twitter: admiral_center, howabout22

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahwilson

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?

New York Times, ESPN, HuffingtonPost (particularly the impact section) People (I know--life's rough when you have to read celebrity news), I also subscribe to PRDaily and Cynopsis.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

Grooveshark--tunes to keep me upbeat; LKaeInteriors--for decorating inspiration for my imaginary future home; Doublex.com--women's perspective on news (more newsy, less snarky than Jezebel); Facebook.com--where I find the most links to interesting things from my friends; I get daily e-mails from Seth Godin, UrbanDaddy, VitalJuice.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

The ability to ask the good questions. Good questions to me are not only solid content-wise, but are also timely. Asking them at the right moment in the conversation is almost as important as what you ask because you can really open people up and get not just a direct answer but additional insight and information that you weren't counting on.

What is the recent "it" phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Sustainability. Celebrities want to do the "it" thing in terms of causes and how they support them. We talk about sustainability because popularity can be fleeting, and for athletes especially, the ability to rally fan support decreases over time. When deciding to create a program, celebrities have to think about how long the cause will hold their interest and how much they want to invest in it. You don't want to be known as the person who withdrew support from a struggling and deserving organization. What that means for my work is that we encourage our clients to partner with existing organizations so that the long-term success of a program isn't dependent on winning championships and having blockbuster hits. It's simply enhanced by broader awareness and financial support from their celebrity brand. If you create a great program, it will attract others' interest and ultimately the funding to make it sustainable. Celebrity branded programs with established partners make more sense than a pet project du jour.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Slacktivism. I say this without judgement even though the word is inherently negative. Slacker-activism is alive and well on Facebook, Twitter, through ribbons, bracelets and (my least favorite) pledging people for various runs and walks. Though with the latter at least people are responding to a call-to-action and actually giving money to help you reach your personal best time in the name of charity. Slacktivism is a passive way of giving your support to something that you don't always care a lot about through the power of word-of-mouth, persistence on social media, and ease of transaction, you might say you "like" or support, or at best click or text-to-give. Social and mobile media campaigns have made it easy for people to donate but not truly engage in a cause. Because at the heart of every non-profit is the need for money I see nothing wrong with getting a quick $5. We in the field need to work harder on the engagement piece to make these slacktivists, true evangelists.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?

It's essential not to underestimate the value of a good personality. You can't be fake and you can't get caught up in the glow of a big name. Celebrities may seem like they live in a superficial world at times, but they aren't superficial people. You will also spend a lot of time working with their agents, managers, PR reps, family and friends and you'll do much better with all of them if you're authentic and if you treat people with equal respect and deference. This is an industry of relationships and relationship building, without good ones, you can't get anything done.

What is an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Privacy is and will continue to be a major hurdle and is an evolving issue. Consumers want customization and appreciate a message that will reach them on a personal level, while at the same time they get angry and quite simply freaked out when they feel that companies know too much about the. Perhaps we as consumers would be happier if companies knew more about us so we could really get what we want, but we're unwilling to allow that. There is so much data collection going on but getting the consumer's buy-in to use it without the feeling of violation is going to continue to be difficult.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

Globalization definitely works--there are products, ideas and messages that resonate universally. I do think that localization is most effective. It's easy to understand that there are differences in the way things are done in other countries, but I've recently learned a lot about our differences domestically and can never assume that what works in Seattle will work in New Orleans. It's important to understand that success will mean something different everywhere.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Our CEO once asked me to evaluate some people based on the criteria "speed, weight and hunger." I didn't understand what that meant at first, but now I know it's a measure of how successful a working relationship will be. Speed: you need someone who is going to be a quick learner, thinker and doer. Weight: You want someone who has a strong presence in the room and has good ideas. Hunger: You want people who are passionate about the work that you are doing and the way that they do the work. I now use that as criteria for self evaluation.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

A teacher. I thought teachers probably loved spending their days with kids like me. Who doesn't love a know-it-all, sassy, six-year old?

To tweet or not to tweet?

I say tweet! I'm far more interested in reading other people's tweets than maintaining my own Twitter presence and even with the applications to do so, I struggle to maintain our organization's account and my personal account, but I'm trying to get better at it. By the time I do, Twitter will probably be out. Sorry, I think it's a fad.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

It's a little of both. Science will tell you who to reach and how, but art is ultimately going to do the work and make the difference.

ME 52-38: How do Marketers Break Back into the Mix?

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:04:00 +0000

In one way or another, "I'm with the band" seems to have been a mantra for Sarah Epler, Social Media Coordinator for MTV . Whether it was watching as her dad manage rock stars during her childhood, interning at record labels, working at a radio station, crossing paths with music bloggers and fans during her Hey! Nielsen days and now working at the television network that all musicians have to make a stop at, music has played a part. She's a crossover success story, not from country to rock, but from the creative side to the business side of entertainment and from traditional communications to the forefront of new media. Location based, word of mouth, credibility and content, it is evident that Epler has learned the art of marketing and understands the rhythm and beat of social media--a "marketing" rockstar in her own right.

Sarah Epler
MTV
Social Media Coordinator

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?
Since I work mainly the Social Media space, I'm a hug fan of Mashable. However, online marketing seems to be constantly changing and updating so much that I really don't depend on a particular blog or site for news. i tend to get all of my info from the incredibly connected and aware group of friends, colleagues, and fellow social media geeks that I've curated on Facebook and Twitter. I'm completely in the dark without them... but let's just keep that between us, shall we?

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Aside from Facebook and Twitter, I really like Buzzfeed and am constantly on the intensely collaborative blog community Oh No They Didn't. I'm lucky that my job is dependent on pop culture news and conversations, but these sites are also the beginnings of incredible viral content. Buzzfeed has started to implement metrics and very user-friendly tracking that only adds to the overall experience of participating on the site.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
The insight and ability to simplify. In my experience, simple compelling, and uncomplicated campaigns are the most effective.

What's the recent "it" marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
RETWEET! It's still kind of unbelievable to me that clicking on button can disseminate information to millions and millions of people, but it's one of the easiest and quickest ways to take advantage of WOM marketing and keep your original and intended voice. Best of all, it's free.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Online, social and mobile are here and they're going nowhere. I'm really interested to see what location-based online mobile applications are going to do in the future. Foursquare is a fun user experience, but I don't know if we as marketers have figured out the best way to use it yet. I think it has the potential to be huge, but not every puzzle piece has clicked into place. I'd like to see it rise to its full potential and someday rank with Facebook and Twitter.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
A follower's loyalty is only as strong as the content that we put out. This means not only keeping fresh content on our outlets, but not always asking our followers or fans for something in return. Also, we make sure that we are completely transparent. In this job, credibility is king. if a brand loses its credibility, it's lost everything.

What's an immediate hurdle in the marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or business?
Consumers are constantly inundated with marketing and advertising messages to the point where we have learned to ignore and turn off. With so much self-controlled content, how do marketers break back in?

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think that a mix between globalization and localization is the best way to go. Working in a non-location based capacity has taught me to meld the two to best connect and get a point across.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?
Intern as much as possible! I started interning when I was 17 and did so throughout college. Every job I have gotten has been because of the skills I learned and the connections I made while interning everyhwere I could.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
My dad managed rock bands when I was growing up and I always wanted to be the girl who sold t-shirts at concerts. Put on a sassy attitude, travel the country in a bus with rockstars, and not have to wake up early in the morning? Being a merch girl sounds like the best job ever. But then again, that was before Facebook.

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?
HERE TO STAY! I'll admit, I find myself incredibly lucky to do what I do every day and that I'm able to take advantage of such a great platform and way of communication.

Is Marketing more of an art of more of a science?
I think it's definitely more of an art. If you figure out a formula for the perfect marketing campaign, send it my way.

ME 52-37: Exploring the Alchemy of Content Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:06:00 +0000

Rachel Parker is currently Senior Copywriter and "Brand Voice Alchemist" at Lyrica Copywriting. Rachel's diverse background includes full-time positions on both the corporate and agency sides of marketing and communications as well as a broad array of freelance work. Her client list includes some of the biggest names in Houston: Hewlett-Packard, SYSCO Foodservice, AIG American General, Methodist Hospital and many more. She has worked side-by-side with clients large and small to help them build brands, establish print and online presences, and make their voices heard across their markets.

Rachel Parker
Brand Voice Alchemist
Lyrica Copywriting
Twitter: lyricacopy
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyricacopy

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
My Google Reader, where I pick up Mashable, Social Media Examiner, Seth Godin and Social Media Today, plus some specialized branding blogs like Interbrand and Brand New.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I love Nick Usborne's Web Content Cafe for content ideas and blogging tips, and my buddy Richard Baron always has interesting ideas to share at Signalwriter. When I really need a brain break, I'll mosey over to BuzzSugar or Entertainment Weekly for some entertainment lowdown.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
The ability to create a distinct brand and maintain it consistently across all channels.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
I've been seeing a lot of buzz around content marketing lately, which, as a writer, gives me major warm-fuzzies! I think we're getting to a place where content--and by "content," I mean not just text on a page, bu also video, audio and interactive elements--really is starting to take center stage, and clients are willing to pay for it. I've heard it said that we're flooded with information but starved for knowledge, and there's definitely a market for those who can compile all that info into functional, usable resources.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
I'll admit I had my doubts about location-based social media, but now I really do believe it has some staying power and yet-untapped business uses.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
It's important not push your own agenda. True, our clients are paying for our expertise, but we can't just become talking heads. First and foremost, we need to really listen to and respect the client's needs, goals and values.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumer or business?
Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and our challenges as marketers is having enough customer contact to stay front-of-mind without becoming a nuisance.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
If the brand is strong and resonates with people at a visceral level, it'll be highly portable across borders... as long as you do your homework thoroughly and understand the culture you're reaching out to. Let's not forget the ill-fated Chevy Nova campaign.

Best pieces of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Be yourself, everybody else is taken.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I had big dreams of becoming a stage actress!

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
I really like what WalMart's done with their brand, from the softer logo to the friendly tagline "Save money. Live better." And i love that they've actually backed it up by cleaning up their stores and really focusing on improving their shopper experience.

To tweet or not to tweet?
to tweet! in just a couple of years, Twitter has evolved from a tweener playground to a viable business MarCom tool, even playing a key role in political developments like the student movements in Iran. It's definitely here to stay.

ME 52-36: Multicultural in Digital Motion to Keep Authenticity and Engagement with Consumers

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Tiffany Griffin has been taking steps in the agency world toward her current role as Sr. Digital Strategist at Footsteps, which specializes in the motion of consumers as they move through culture, gender age and environment. Prior to joining the multicultural marketing and advertising agency, Griffin spent time with the Arnell Group and Steelcase. Her ability to see the consumer and place them as a priority in any project that she works on helps her adapt to the ever-changing marketplace.

Tiffany R. Griffin

Sr. Digital Strategist
Footsteps

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Facebook, Twitter, AdAdge, BrandWeek, TargetMarketNews... tech blogs: Mashable, TechCrunch, BlackWeb2.0

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
News sites: New York Times, HuffPo, The Root.

New York Magazine, High Snobette, Satorialist, Trend Hunter, Twitter

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

PEOPLE skills! You've got to understand people, be interested in people, and be willing to talk and gain insights from people.

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

"Catch phrases" authentic and engaging. The corporate talk "at you" process is dead. Most of the big wigs made tons of money with compelling creative that "talked at," but not with the consumer. Well, it's a new day. Between job loss, consumer access to information, and Gen Y and their mindset becoming the dominant culture, the old ways just won't work. "Authentic" and "engaging" are definitely overused, but they are necessary elements to include in planning.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Location based check-ins. It's a consumer thing more than a brand thing really. In this share-nation and personal brand building culture, check-ins show how social you are, it shows your interest and can make you an expert with status if you frequent the same places enough. Location check-ins are great for the ego... and let's face it, we're self absorbed.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

Don't put the BRAND before the CUSTOMER.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Companies are still silo-ed and there's too much red tape. As authentic, transparent and engaging as some companies want to be, their structures just don't allow it.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Some big ideas can transfer. Basic human sentiments are relevant across languages and cultures. A smile, love, death... these images resonate across. Even more obscure ideas can transfer if the situations presented are localized and relevant to the audience. But some ideas aren't culturally relevant and the audience just won't "get it," no matter how much it works in the original marketplace.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Go home. Take a bubble bath.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Pediatrician.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

TWEET for sure!

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity within the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?

Multicultural digital behavior.

ME 52-35:Consumer insights and understanding market trends in the manufacturing world

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:47:00 +0000

Located in China, Ivan believes that ideas like innovation and going green are popular all around the world, and if marketers can utilize local cultures to interpret global issues is what makes a global campaign effective.

Ivan Lee

Executive Assistant

Apache, Footwear Ltd

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?

Linkedin, I have joined some groups about marketing and shoe manufacturing.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

I really enjoy New York Times. It offers various topics and information.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

It requires creativity, communication skills, and the ability to draw consumer insights.

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Since I am in OEM, marketing trend doesn't matter too much to our business so far. But as a manufacturer, we do need to observe the sports trend and other sports brands' products to keep our minds sharp.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I feel behavioral targeting is getting more and more personal and better defined. For example, when I browse NYT from China, the website delivers ad in simplified Chinese version.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

Lowering the price

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

I feel designing plays a more and more important role in the marketing world. People usually don't really know what exact products they want. If a marketer couldn't foresee the possibility of good designs, s/he literally kills the chance to make a difference.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

I believe great marketing ideas do travel across boarders and cultures. Ideas like innovation, love, green power, etc. are popular around the world. If marketers can well utilize local elements/cultures to interpret globalwise issues, they could deepen the marketing effects and evoke more responses.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I wanted to be pilot when I was a little boy. Till today traveling around the world is still one of my life goals.

ME 52-34: A little learning is dangerous

noreply@blogger.com (Marketing Experiment 52) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Ming-Chin Wu

Analyst, Internet Marketing
Academy Sports + Outdoors

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mingchinwu

Twitter: hikkie

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Emarketer Daily, WSJ, Creative Wannabe, Seth Godin’s blog, How to Change the World. I love Adage, but not everyday.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Groupon, Daily Candy, Lucullian Delights , A hungry girl’s guide to Taipei

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Analytical skills and creativity

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Mobile Marketing. Everyone asks about it, everyone wants to get into it. However, mobile applications, mobile platforms, and mobile as a media channel are very different marketing tools and vehicles . The most common pitfall is not fulling understanding what the mobile experience is, and trying to duplicate internet marketing efforts into a mobile screen.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Social influence marketing. With the rise of the user revolution, in the retail world, allowing consumer ratings, comments, and elevating consumer opinions to influence other shoppers - I believe this is here to stay.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

In retail, customer service is first but when it comes to merchandise and promotions, often times marketing folks focus on products instead of the consumer. It is so important to be consumer-centric, and plan marketing efforts with the consumer in mind.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

With technology changing so fast, how do businesses adapt to innovation and understand how to reach younger audiences while their media consumption and habits change so rapidly?

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think understanding the consumer is key. Deep consumer understanding allows you to pinpoint whether or not to develop an entire new product based on a local consumer insight, or to adapt to a global concept.

Creative ideas are definitely different from culture to culture, even within different regions in the same country. If a strategy is based on a human’s unmet need, the creative strategy should be catered to the local market.

Best piece of advice you have received?

“A little learning is dangerous”, a quote from Alexander Pope. My dad used to say this to me since I was very little. People become easily confident when they have tasted a little bit knowledge, and it’s dangerous because it can cause people to think they are more than an expert than they really are.

The full quote is

“ A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Persian spring; these shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”

Alexander Pope in An Essay on Critisism, 1709

I remember I re-learned this quote again when I got into my first car accident the 3rd month I started driving. First and second month of driving I was still very cautious, but the third month I started to feel more confident and that’s when you start to make mistakes.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Performing artist. I still have a tape of me singing in the bath tub when I was 6. When I was little, I also used to choreograph to Debbie Gibson’s songs, make my sister be my back-up dancer and force my mom to watch us after her long day of work.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

Tweet if you are good at it.