Monday, December 6, 2010

Nana Says: Only 1 Stone to Bring Down Marketing Giants

Nana Says: Only 1 Stone to Bring Down Marketing Giants: "The media landscape is changing so we must be nimble to these shifts. Last week NY Ad Age held its first conference devoted to the changing..."

Only 1 Stone to Bring Down Marketing Giants

The media landscape is changing so we must be nimble to these shifts.  Last week NY Ad Age held its first conference devoted to the changing definition of media.  Here are a few  lessons to share with your team.

Community management business is your business
Gone are the days of being storytellers for our brands.  We must now wear the hat of community management.  As a marketer we must position our brands to be center stage.

Twitter with limits
Twitter is a great way for brand executives and celebs to connect to a brand, however tweeters wonder if the content is natural.  Social Media is just that, a platform for all  to express ourselves from clothing, to resort stay, to finding the best concert ever.  Don’t flood the tweets with unnatural comments.  Your followers can tell.

My true numbers
We have all been in meetings where favorable web numbers or high polling data was reported to justify a marketing campaign.  This is an issue!  What are the real web-metrics we all should use to provide our brands with raw/true data?  While I don’t know the answer to that, I can tell you that mobile can drive traffic to a company's websites.  Again, Mobile is an excellent tool for driving traffic to your website, but don’t bank on it.  Don’t bank that it will drive comparable revenue as other promos.

Find your Twitter Trigger
You want to get traction from your tweets, next engage your followers.  It’s not rocket science.  Know the demo and socialgraph of your followers.  If your twitter site function is to give quick cake baking recipes then don’t post stock trade reports.  Your audience doesn’t care.  However start a tweet about Zero Calorie frosting and watch your tweets soar through the roof.  From here you understand what engaging your followers are all about.  http://adage.com/meconference2010/article?article_id=147373 And of course to add credibility to you and “you being social” in FB or Twitter add links to sites where your followers can get more information.

Who knows what's real
“I refuse to allow reality programming to shape my reality.”  But this is not the way Millennials or Gen Y sees it. They are the mid-70’s to the 2000: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y. Due to the fact Gen Y or the Millennials grew up with reality programming (Real World, Road Rules, The Hills) the lines are hazy.  There is a lack of scripted content which blurs  the lines between actual reality and hyper-reality.  Scripted dramas will provide a line of absolute.  And as I said before, bring back Dallas, The Cosby Show, Boston Public, and 24.

Way too many buttons
When developing apps for clients do one simple thing, KEEP IT SIMPLE.  We want the end user to not be frustrated.  A frustrated user will be your next non-app user.  Keep your message simple and evoke emotions. http://adage.com/meconference2010/article?article_id=147374

It only takes 1 Stone
How many times did we not get accounts because the other agency was big.  Oh forget about it!  “I no longer acccept that only the big boys get the great accounts.  My team has talents that are unparallel and we have 1 stone.” I Samuel Chapter 17 Verse 49.   Being a “big boy” only makes you a “big target” and less nimble.

Nana Says: Change of Direction

Nana Says: Change of Direction: "I often wonder will life get easier and does a change in direction help expedite this. Unfortunately I don't know what or how to gauge or m..."

Change of Direction

I often wonder will life get easier and does a change in direction help expedite this.  Unfortunately I don't know what or how to gauge or measure "Easibility".  If the answers are found in books, or television, or labs at universities, then please point me that direction.  After all if businesses can make a change can't we as citizens. 

Top of mind, I just heard that PayPal had a change of direction.  So much so they dropped WikiLeaks as a client.  Gosh...now that is some serious change.  You don't hear of businesses dropping accounts that give them money or provide a revenue stream to generate money.  http://www.examiner.com/us-headlines-in-national/paypal-drops-online-donations-for-wikileaks  If you don't believe me, then read the story.  PayPal was experiencing pressure from the government.

Thank God I don't have Uncle Sam telling me to change, but I do have my inner self.  My transformation will make me a better friend, daughter, granddaughter, girlfriend, co-worker, and community leader.  Nana Says, "You have to be friend to have a friend.  And in hard times...it's better to have a piece of friend than no friend at all."  WooHoo Nana.  I love the be a friend part.  But not so sure about having a “piece of friend”.  I have discovered that those "piece of friends"… scare me because they don't have my best interests at heart.  Also I have found that the "piece of friends" are only around because of who I am and my ability to push their agendas.  Between you and me....I did a study that took place over the past 8 months.  I laid low, didn't go to as many social events, and didn't serve on boards as I had in the past.  Surprise....Surprise my "piece of friends" decreased.  For real, the “piece of friends” stopping calling, didn't call as much, I all together stopped hearing “Tiff let me pick your brain for a sec”.  A few things could have occurred. 
1.  If I was lucky they moved on. 
2. I started charging for my brain to be picked.
3.  I sent invoices to them before my brain could be picked.

So try to change your direction from time to time to see who approves and disapproves.  Remember we don't need Uncle Sam to tell society who can be your friend or who you are to do business with.   I am sure you can figure it out all by yourself.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Nana Says: What's Private....should stay Private

Nana Says: What's Private....should stay Private: "I know WikiLeaks has been on the news everyday over the past weeks. And I am aware that many of us have no idea what WikiLeaks is. Many th..."

What's Private....should stay Private

I know WikiLeaks has been on the news everyday over the past weeks.  And I am aware that many of us have no idea what WikiLeaks is.  Many thought (my mother to say the least)  WikiLeaks was a part or division Wikipedia, but it's not.  WikiLeaks is website that has positioned itself as the site to search for sensitive materials both public and private.  It is important me to inform you that the website wasn't operating rogue; WikiLeaks has won a number of awards, including the 2008 Economist magazine New Media Award.

None the less the website is known for Whistle-blowing and has found itself in the center of attention again. To only find that as of Friday the website was SHUTDOWN. 
Why the mandatory shutdown?  Sources suggest WikiLeaks was preparing to unveil a new set of bigger US secret documents.  And these documents would make the past releases on Afghanistan and Iraq look like child’s play.   It is the latest in a long list of "leaks" published by the secretive site, which has established a reputation for publishing sensitive material from governments and other high-profile organizations.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-10757263

So if the long arm of the law can shutdown a mega site as WikiLeaks, it's clear to me that other things should be censored.  But it should be censored or filtered by “us”.  When we post to Facebook and tag photos of ourselves and friends, are we putting too much out there?  What's private?  If I take photo at friend’s party, I know my friend and I will have copies of that photo.  This doesn’t mean I want to be TAGED on Facebook.  Do me a favor, post the picture—respect me—respect my privacy—just mention your name and not mine.  Twitter works the same way if your privacy settings aren’t enabled.  At least with twitter I know my message is shared among many, but I don't want my location to be public knowledge.  Did you know if you are a resident of NC and you tweet in NYC, Twitter will show your location?  Ugh....this is too much.  Just call the robbers and have them head to my house.  Twitter isn't the only mobile device that uses Geo Tracking, so does Foursquare.  I don't care if my messages enter cyber world, but not my location.  Private moments should stay private.

Nana Says, "After you put words out into the universe--you can't take it back."  Well Nana, I understand that and I try really really hard to be mindful to my words, but I can't control the Zack and Brenda’s (these are actual friends names & are only used as a name. They have not posted any unwanted photos :) ) filtering process.  There is no way to filter information that friends but out there. Or not?  Are we now forced to filter friends?  First WikiLeaks now Friends on Facebook pages. UGH

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Why did people sit in the back?

 I am not sure if you realize that today, December 1st marks the 55th year anniversary of Rosa Parks’ arrest.   That's right 55 years ago, Ms. Parks the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" refused to give up her seat on a bus to a passenger.  Hence there was a bus line boycott lasting 381 days in Montgomery, Alabama. More detail information can be found here:  http://www.rosaparks.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118&Itemid=60

So where are we now as a society?  Is boycotting the answer?   Do you even know the etymology of the word boycott?  Even though you hear boycott used in conjunction with Civil Rights; the word did not derive from the minority community. The word boycott entered the English language during the Irish "Land War" and is derived from the name of Captain Charles Boycott.  To read more see the link regarding Charles Boycott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Boycott.  Did the generation of the 50's forget to tell their children and grandchildren how to unite and fight for a cause?  What is the next step after the fight is won?  Gosh-I know these may be difficult questions; however questions like the above enable all of us to have true and raw dialogue. 

Now this is the kicker...I am not sure that we long for dialogue like this.  Many wonder why bother if nothing is going to change.  Well I say to you, are you the person that can change it? Who are the community leaders that will push the envelope and keep pushing until the hard work is done?  Tell you what, make your list of leaders and give me their names. I will personally ask them to rally and unite us all.  But now understand 1 thing; it is needless to do any of this if you as a person aren’t willing to do your own share.  Be ready to pull your load.  Are you ready to sit at the front of the bus?  Oh...don't tell me you don't have the time.  You have the time to read at least 1 book to your child.  You have 1 hour to visit an elementary classroom and read.  That's right 1 hour!  I'm not shaking my pointer finger at you.  I'm just not convinced that Rosa Parks would be proud of where we are now.  Even worse, would she have made sacrifices for all of us based on where we are now as a community?  If you can request vacation time to attend CIAA, College Homecomings, Sorority or Fraternity National Conventions, and let's not forget a funeral then you can spare 1 hour to inspire youth.

Spend this time asking what I can do to make a difference, just like Rosa Parks 55 years ago.  We all have a role to play.  Right?   And what's better... what's really better is the ability to find our own footing in this movement.  You know, our role doesn't have to be the same role as the "Leaders of Yesterday".  Did you know even as "street" as JayZ is he donated water to Africa in 2007.  I get his contribution was a while back but it was a contribution.  And don't think I'm a JayZ fan, because I'm not.  But-- I am a fan of giving.  I am a fan of making a difference in society.  I am a fan of being the best that I can be.  And I bet you 10 to 1 that Rosa Parks shared at least one of these qualities.

Nana Says, "If we are to get into heaven we must love everyone.  And no matter how hard it is, most importantly we must even love those that mistreat us.  We must turn the other check."  Well Nana, I understand your wisdom.  I will turn the check.  But, my "check turn" will create a movement.  I promise you it will create a movement for change. Not just change allowing people to sit at the front of the bus.  My change will:
  1. Own the bus company
  2. Regulate  transportation laws
  3. Influence the development of interstates, roadways, highways
  4. Provide positive advertising message viewed while riding the bus
  5. Give seniors free ride vouchers
So tell me...what will you do when you have to start sitting in the back of the bus?  You know, our past can be our future.  Really-it can.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Cyber Monday

When did Cyber Monday become Cyber Monday?  I get Black Friday.  But doesn't it all just leave you in the RED???  As consumers are we spending wisely?  Doubt it.  Whatever happened to gifts made from love?  Ask me what I want for Christmas.  I will tell you, my family, and friends the same thing.  I want to be debt free, keep my home, have electricity, and food in my frig. 

So what types of gift do I want...  For goodness sake, based on the above keep it simple.  I'd love a homemade quilt--like the my yellow dutch girl quilt Nana made.  She new nights would get cold for her granddaughter.  I'd love a gift card to Food Lion, Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly.  Doesn't matter the store.  It puts food in my frig.  Basic needs.  I am talking about gifts that are what we need and not want.   Or it that's too impersonal make me jars of fruit preserves or give me a fresh greens or sweet potatoes.  Now I know some of you must agree with me, that help with the electric bill isn't a bad idea.  Just call Horry Electric and say...I would like to apply $20 to Tiff's account.  I would just love it.  Or...or my gift could be candles.  Not only does it light the house but it makes my home smell oh so good.

I really want to take a stand on Cyber Monday Day or shall it be give your money to Macy's.  And I can rack up on shoe clearance rack at Macy's.  This is not a bash Macy 1-liner.   I know it's a high tech world. Some of us have a need to give gifts like that.  Then GOOD.  Pay my HTC cell phone & wireless bill.   How is that for a high tech gift?  What!  It keeps me technically connected.

Nana Says..."For God so loved the world he gave his son, and with love comes gifts."  I get it Nana.  Just tell our family and friends to gift based on the above.  I have had enough of Black Friday & Cyber Monday.  Give Me or shall I say Gift Me-- GET OUT OF THE RED WEDNESDAY.