That being the case, I’d like to dedicate this one to my Dad and his pet peeves.

Over the weekend, my Dad was editing my sister’s rough draft for some thank you notes. In every note he crossed off the line, “Thank you for your time” and expressed that the use of this phrase is one of his biggest pet peeves. His explanation came in the form of a little anecdote:

An admirer approached Pablo Picasso in a café and asked him if he would do a quick sketch for him on a paper napkin.  Picasso agreed, made a quick sketch and handed it to the admirer saying, “That will be $1,000.” The admirer was horrified, “How can you ask so much? It only took you a minute!” Picasso responded, “It took me my whole life”.

There are many renditions of this famous incident, but all have the same message in common — time is not worthy of thanks, but rather the product of that time. You see when a project is complete, whether it’s an entire re-brand or a sketch on a napkin, it isn’t the time that makes it possible, it’s far more than that. Picasso wouldn’t have been able to create that sketch if each and every event, piece of education and life experience hadn’t happened to him leading up until the point when his pen touched the napkin.

On the flip side, the nature of the advertising and marketing industry forces us to put a value to our time, down to the quarter hour. What people should remember when seeking services in this industry, and any other client-based industry, is that the product of our time is where the value actually lies, not the time itself.

So next time you begin to thank someone for their time, take a moment and thank them for what they were able to do for you.

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Through fun brainstorming sessions of course! 

What you need:

• Any writing utensils you are most comfortable with
• Highlighters, colored pencils, markers, or crayons
• Blank sheets of paper – could be lined, graph or plain
• Laptops/computers (if available, you never know when you’ll need to Google something.
• And most importantly, a subject/problem to brainstorm

Best brainstorming practices:

• Take lots and lots of notes
  • Use a white board
  • Record conversations
  • Draw pictures
  • Encourage Participation
    • Ask questions – there is no such thing as a stupid question!
    • Clarify everything
      • Sometimes people view things completely differently than what you have in mind.
      • Draw out your ideas, make graphs or charts – anything to help you get your point across.
      • Do not judge -
        • There is no such thing as a stupid idea, so be open to everything
        • Don’t force people to participate

What to do with all your notes:

• Categorize
  • Once you have lots of ideas written down, it’s time to categorize them all and group them into similar groups.
• Reduce
  • Now that things are categorized, take out all of the groups that don’t make much sense at all to the subject you are brainstorming.
• Analyze
  • Now take a look at what you have left! I guarantee you’ll have some pretty unique, fresh ideas.

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I remember as a small child, I was given a job to do. Like most kids I was not very excited about having to give up playtime to do the job my mother had asked me to do.  So, I hurried through the job as quickly as I could – not dotting any i’s or crossing any t’s.  All I could think about, as most young kids, was getting back to playing outside, jumping rope or riding my bike.  When my mother saw the less than quality job I did, she lovingly hauled me back inside and made me do it again until it was done correctly.  She was using that moment as a teachable moment that would define how I would one day approach every task that I set out to do.  She was teaching me work ethic.

My husband and I have also used teachable moments to instill in our three girls the importance of giving 100 percent to everything that they do.  We have taught and modeled the importance of a work ethic, taking responsibility for your actions and taking pride in their work.  Those are the qualities in this job market today that will set you apart from all the rest.

Working here at Motion Marketing and Media and Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine, I have witnessed firsthand the work ethics my mother taught me years ago by my co-workers.  We work as a team and hit the floor running every day.  We cross our t’s and dot our i’s, show pride in our work and listen to our clients to make every detail correct. We want to make working with us a great experience. It makes me feel proud to say where I work.

Most importantly, our team gives back to our community.  In September we had our annual golf outing that has raised more than $11,000 for the Lansing City Rescue Mission Center for women and children throughout the past three years.  If you missed that event, you have the opportunity to attend and sponsor the 80’s Flashback Fundraiser to support the Reach Studio Art Center for adults and youth. This is the event everyone will be talking about!  So break out the 1980’s wardrobe – maybe it’s still in the back of your closet – and rat out your hair.  Now is your chance to have a place to wear that authentic 80’s wardrobe where no one will laugh at you – well, almost no one. Start working on those Saturday night fever dance moves in front of your mirror.  Remember, it’s going the extra mile – even when it comes to your wardrobe – that will set you apart – scrunches, fanny packs, leg warmers, parachute pants, acid washed denim skirts and a mean John Travolta dance move.

One of my favorite quotes : “Remember, it is the little things that make the biggest difference!”

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As I hit the “new 20,” my life at 40 seems very different than it did in 1992 — the year I turned 20.  As I look back, not only has the world of technology and society changed drastically, but so has my personal life (thank heavens) and my business life.

At 40, I am married, have a wonderful 9-year-old daughter, I’m a home owner, I have a job I love, and I go to sleep around 10 p.m. most nights.

When I was 20 I was single, in college, interning at a television stations to gain as much media experience possible, I went to sleep every night — way past midnight — and the World Wide Web was foreign to me.

So, what hasn’t changed in those 20 years? Clients.

Clients’ needs and wants are the same as they were 20 years ago. Just as I was learning to do at the age of 20, now at the age of 40 I work daily to meet my client’s needs, which include growth in their organization, success and recognition. Luckily, for me, when working with my clients, I remain 20 at heart. My goal is, and has always been, to offer fresh, new exciting ideas.

At whatever age you are, look back at the changes that have taken place in your life, but also remember life’s lessons that have remained the same. I challenge you to take each day to learn something new that you can offer someone in years to come.

So “40 is the new 20”… I beg to differ.  I am thrilled to be 40. I celebrate out loud!  I am in a wonderful place in my personal life and thanks to those years I can now offer 20 years of experience and expertise to my clients.

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Add to that the fact that these 20 people are chefs with local restaurants to run, and the task gets about 100 times harder.

But if there’s one thing that can make it worth the effort — it’s babies. More specifically, babies who benefit from funds raised through the March of Dimes.

That’s why when Tiffany Dowling was selected as the 2011 March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction co-chair she didn’t hesitate to say “yes.”

Serving as the co-chair may sound easy enough (if you like planning events for 500 people — which we happen to love), but in taking on that role Dowling also volunteered the agency to do public relations, social media,  event planning and marketing materials including all of the print promotions — tickets, invitations, RSVP cards, envelopes, table and event signage and the program — which included individual photos of each and every one of the local chefs involved in the event, for the auction.

From start to finish — along with a team of volunteers and the entire Signature Chefs Auction committee — a lot of the talent at Motion Marketing & Media had a hand in the planning and execution of the event.

M3’s design team of Lisa Twenter and Julie Becker developed and executed the awesome hand-made cocoa powder rendering of the March of Dimes logo, which served as the catalyst to the rest of the design and color palette for the evening. I scheduled the chef photos and gathered their bio information to be complied into the program.

M3 also helped to secure the Bone family as the 2011 Signature Chefs Auction ambassador family.

We worked to gather items for both the live and silent auction and, of course, the entire team collaborated with the Lansing March of Dimes office to be sure they loved everything we were doing.

In the end the Signature Chefs Auction raised more than $65,000 for Mid-Michigan babies in need. And frankly? It doesn’t get much better than that.

The March of Dimes project was just one of the pro bono projects that  M3 assisted on in 2011. All in all we donated more than 400 hours to various causes. Other pro bono clients include:

• Links, Inc. -  White Rose Gala
• The City of Lansing
• Mid-Michigan Creative Alliance
• Festival of Trees
• Silver Bells in the City
• The Aitch Foundation
• It’s a Breast Thing
• Shared Pregnancy
• Junior League of Lansing
• Westside Commercial Association
• Todd Martin Development Fund
• The Lansing Police Department
• Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce

In addition, in 2011  Capital Area Women’s LifeStyle Magazine’s Lady Classic raised more than $4,000 for the Lansing City Rescue Mission center for women and children and the CAWLM ‘80s Flashback Fundraiser raised more than $4,000 for the Westside Commercial Association Youth Mural Art Program.

While the scope of our 2012 pro bono projects hasn’t been entirely determined, we are looking forward to giving back to the community and causes we love.

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“Why do I need Facebook and Twitter?”

“What’s with the word limit?”

“How do I get followers?”

On one hand it’s a lot of whining, on the other hand, great questions.

My first response is, “Do you even have a Twitter account?” No? Well, then get one and then let’s talk.

You see, I’m what the industry refers to as an “early adopter,” which basically means when Facebook came out with their new timeline feature, I had to go all the way back to 2004 to check for embarrassing photos of myself to un-tag. It also means that I’m a pretty long-time user of social media.

My journey with Twitter began in 2008. I was at a blogging conference with a bunch of mommy bloggers who were a bit obsessed with Twitter. There was a huge screen in the front of the main conference room with a live Twitter feed that they all kept an eye on. Sick of the fact that a lot of these moms felt it okay to bring babies (who usually cried) to the educational sessions, I got a Twitter account and voiced my thoughts that way – on the big screen.

Now, I’m a sweet gal so it was all done tongue and check, but I felt better and I also fell in love with Twitter.

Fast forward nearly four years later and I’ve found a lot of uses for something I started just to voice my opinion. Of course, it’s still good for that, but oh, so much more.

So, about those questions.

“Why do I need a Facebook and a Twitter?”

I’ve addressed this before in this blog. But basically, there are key differences to the accounts. What I love about Twitter today (honestly, it changes daily)? Its PR power. In trying to get the word out about an upcoming event, I passed info around to some key Twitter players who in turn passed it onto their networks. All told close to 6,000 more people saw the information because I shared it on Twitter.

During the recent Christmas break I turned to Facebook when boredom struck, only to be bored further by people’s holiday photos, updates about all the great gifts they received, etc. And since I keep my Facebook relatively private and pared down, the amount of info I was seeing didn’t change much on an hourly basis.

Enter Twitter. Even when I wasn’t at work I was getting updates about what was happening in the world of marketing and PR, I  was linked into interesting articles courtesy of celebs, stores and more who I don’t interact with on Facebook.

So, bottom line – no matter how you use Twitter, it’s another social media tool that’s good for work and play.

“What’s with the word limit?”

First of all, it’s a character limit. Second of all, I’m long winded, so I quite like it. Along with the fact that I’m happy Twitter makes people edit themselves, I’m glad it makes me edit myself. My communication skills are stronger for it.

“How do I get followers?”

The same way you get friends on Facebook (and in real life). Be interesting. Be their friend first. It takes time. I don’t hold any records, but slowly and surly since 2008 my followers have increased.

If you haven’t already, make 2012 the year you discover the wonder that is Twitter.

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Ms. P’s lacquered ruler smacks had a profound effect on me.

This educator was teaching me that I wouldn’t be socially accepted, guaranteed not to excel and I wasn’t in my right mind – to know any better. I did know better. My young, intuitive self knew that if I changed my writing hand for her I’d turn out to be a dissimilar thinker. Her ferocious physical method of conversion never made me cave. No big, fat, green pencil would find its way between my fingers – in my other hand.

Ms P. would roll over in her grave to know that today I possess the skills of being mixed handed. With all the standard clichés about left vs. right and who’s in their right mind, how about the acceptance of others just as they are.

Why was I supposed to change such a significant part of me? I didn’t want her to change her purple hair. The swift smacks kept on and I kept on with my lefty edge. So with my left hand in a hook position and the paper sporting a mean right tilt, my fancy cursive handwriting became special and superior – the best in the class! My cursive writing is beautiful, to plainly print – not so much. Cursive writing feels more natural in that various senses awaken. The phenomenon of explosive imagination, vibrant colors and a stillness of white noise happens in my head. My mind’s eye comes forth in high gear as I take pen to paper; and more so when I tilt my head to the right (a true dreamer tilts her head).

From fifth grade on, I’ve callused my hands to a world set to accommodate right hands. Every day items all around you can be slapped onto the righty list: office equipment, home appliances, note pads (this one drives me crazy!) and most things in between. Thus, I’ve resolved to problem solve the right way for me. No matter who or what may drive you to change your ways, establish your own boundaries in creative thinking and in ways to navigate your future.

To this end, I am graciously left to write….

“Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you.” Jim Rohn

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I’m not sure what made Kelly ask the question, but it got me to thinking, there are probably a lot of people who don’t even know that you used to be able to do that.

As a society we take a lot of technological progress for granted. Who needs a watch?  As I sit here typing I can find the time of day on my Blackberry, my laptop and the phone on my desk.

What about other obsolete or potentially obsolete technologies? Try and find an answering machine these days, thanks to voice mail they bit the dust.

In the 1960s there wasn’t a lot of emerging technologies. In my house growing up the technological advance was when we got a longer cord for the phone.  Back then we also had phone books, who needs a phone book these days? I couldn’t find a Yellow Pages book if it had a siren attached to it. Just Google what you’re looking for and it’s there, with a phone number, directions, reviews and, more than likely, a link to their website.

When was the last time you heard a busy signal when phoning someone? If you do get a busy signal, put that contact into the “Old School” file. In fact, today most people don’t even have home phones, why incur the cost when almost everyone will contact you on your cell phone? How would that famous line in the movie E.T. be re-written for today? “E.T. text home?”

What will be the next obsolete technology? Will it be something that transformed an industry like the iPod did? When was the last time you got up to flip the album on the turntable to listen to “Side 2”?

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On more than one occasion in recent history, I have heard marketing VPs resort to the phrase, “This is great … but not for TV. We can put it on our YouTube channel, though.”

At the American Advertising Federation (AAF) District 5 and 6 conference this fall, Andrew D. Sarkisian, Manager for North American Safety Planning and Strategy at Ford Motor Company showcased Ford’s Doug social media campaign. Across the board there is a clear understanding that Doug was solely built for digital advertising. Whether by design or otherwise, even a Mashable article on the campaign states, “The Doug campaign’s humor is edgy in a way that a traditional TV campaign couldn’t be.”

Why? Or better yet, why not?

When asked why YouTube and social media channels are a better fit for tongue-in-cheek advertising, such as the Doug campaign, many advertising and marketing professionals answer similarly: it’s where our target audience spends most of their time (meaning, young adults in the 18-24 age demographic). Others say it’s expected with social media; there is a different creative standard for online advertising.

While I tend to agree with the latter statement, it’s important to examine the data and purchasing power of social media audiences.

Research proves that creativity doesn't need to be limited to online advertising.

In a 2009 study of buying power and markets conducted by SalesandMarketing.com, the 0-17, 18-24 and 50+ age demographics held more than 65 percent of the total buying power in the West North Central region of the world. The same age demographics held more than 70 percent of the total buying power in the East North Central region of the world.

Flash forward to 2011. Research conducted by ingitesocialmedia.com shows these same demographic brackets collectively accounted for less than 33 percent of all YouTube viewers around the world.

When you boil it down, TV viewership reached all-time highs in 2009 and continues to grow; as does social media use. The same people who spend an average of 66 hours per week on their computer outside of work are the same people who spent an average of 38 hours in front of their TV. So why are companies only marketing creatively on one platform?

People who watch TV still like to laugh, feel inspired and enjoy clever strategy. It’s the reason the Super Bowl garners so much attention for advertising. Furthermore, those who hold buying power are consuming product information through traditional and non-traditional mediums alike. To achieve a truly integrated messaging strategy, creativity must be implemented across all platforms, not in digital advertising alone.

Others argue regulations to traditional media keep creative strategy off the airwaves and on the Internet. However, campaigns like Doug pose no real threat to television audiences and would likely pass FCC standards with ease. As online viewership continues to grow similar standards will be implemented and the playing field will be leveled once again.

Creative costs money, lots of it. Creative strategy and execution is clever, smart and above all, effective. So let’s put the money where our mouth … and our audience is.

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Here are five gift ideas that will score big on any PR pro’s wish list.

• Subscriptions – Magazines, news sites, online newspapers, query services … you can’t go wrong with getting a person working in PR any of these. PR pros need to be informed, and if you get them a subscription to a masthead service, not only will you make their jobs so much easier, you will also positively impact their results. Who wouldn’t love that?

• Pens, Pens and More Pens – A PR pro is constantly taking notes. Find out what pens they like to use, and then stock up. Spiral notebooks and desk organizers are also good buys.

• Throat Lozenges and an Ergonomic Keyboard – Constant phone calls and emails are going to tire any PR person out faster than you can say “nervous breakdown.” Help their voices and prevent carpal tunnel with these handy gift ideas.

• Bling – Like these!

• Spa Packages – After a long year of media relations, deadlines, campaigns and crisis communications, your weary PR pro would no doubt be thrilled to receive a massage and a cucumber mask. Treat your PR pro to a day at the spa or a gift certificate for a local masseuse. They will definitely be grateful for the chance to relax!

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