Seriously, take a moment to think about a brand that captures your attention with its story, connects with you and seems to invite you to try their product. For me, one of those brands is ABSOLUT VODKA.
One of a kind, millions of expressions… ABSOLUT UNIQUE
Initially, I was intrigued by their advertising, especially their splashy, sophisticated print ads. They not only caught my eye, but drew me in to the ABSOLUT world. And that’s exactly what the ads conveyed to me: there was a pristine ABSOLUT world where sophisticated people engaged in intelligent discussion over glasses of pure vodka. A clean, organized world with ample white space and where everything had its place.
Sparkle & Spirit… ABSOLUT TUNE
ABSOLUT had a personality, which breathed through its advertising straight into the product. Sophisticated,
intelligent, unique and fun. ABSOLUT stands out from other brands of vodka because of its stories. Each flavor — and
there are several — has a back story, just like the brand itself. You’re not just drinking ABSOLUT TUNE, you’re
drinking the perfect sparkling cocktail, which has been made for you.
That story is carried from the ads to the packaging to the product — complete cohesiveness. So many times brands miss the mark with their packaging, and along with it, a huge opportunity to promote their stories and establish emotional bonds. ABSOLUT does not. It’s iconic bottle and limited edition packaging is legendary. A few of my favorites…
A creative collaboration… ABSOLUT WARHOLIn an ABSOLUT world, you’re with the band. ABSOLUT ROCK
What is your favorite brand?
What initially drew you to this brand? Its advertising? The product itself?
I’d love to hear about your favorite brands in the comments below or hit me up on social media.
If you didn’t notice, Elvis Presley‘s birthday was Tuesday (January 8th). He would have been 78 if he were still alive today. Man, that’s hard to believe. Despite his untimely death, Elvis achieved considerable fame and status as the King of Rock and Roll. How did he get there? God-given talent, a lot of hard work, a little luck and three other important traits.
Be Yourself — Elvis resonated with so many people because he was true to himself. OK, it helped that he had an amazing singing voice and was considered a sex symbol, but he didn’t try to be someone else. People recognize authenticity (especially today) and are drawn to it. Represent your true self (sexy singing voice or not), and you’re likely to be more successful than trying to be someone you’re not.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Take Risks — Elvis didn’t invent rock and roll, but he became the central figure of a new music revolution being heard by the masses for the first time. Taking risks brings consequences, both positive and negative. While he was loved and idolized by legions of fans, others hated him for his shocking stage presence and delivering the devil’s music to impressionable teenagers. You normally have to take risks in order to taste success so remember that the next time you’re making an important decision.
Embrace Versatility — Beyond the gyrating hips, Elvis became an icon due to his versatility. His silky smooth voice allowed him to become a cross-genre act before that was in, leaving an impression on country music, pop ballads, gospel and the blues. Hey, he isn’t the best selling solo artist in the history of popular music by accident. Throw in his trips to Hollywood, where he starred in movies and recorded soundtracks, and you can start to see a well-rounded individual. Be adventurous; expand your interests — and skills — so that you’re more of an asset.
In summary
Be yourself, take risks and embrace versatility to increase your chances of success today. Clients, co-workers and business partners will be drawn to your genuine nature, appreciate your ability to try new things and take note of your interest in expanding your skills by branching out.
Hey, Elvis did and it worked pretty well for him. Talk about a brand! If you’re looking for help establishing or fine tuning your personal brand or company’s brand, I’d love to talk to you.
Are you a fan of Elvis? As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via social networks.
Where’s your go-to place? That place you head to when you need to think, come up with brilliant ideas or just clear your mind. Maybe it’s physical or it could just be a place you’ve carved out in your head. (Belize, anyone?)
Regardless, we all need a place. My place is nature. I grew up in a rural area and will always be a nature lover. Pictured is the Nuthatch Trail at Sand Run Metro Park in West Akron, Ohio, a favorite place of mine—especially in the winter. Some people tend to hibernate when the temps turn frosty, so it’s a great time to find a little solace out on the trails.
In fact, I just went for a rejuvenating 2-hour hike before I wrote this blog post and updated the CCC Facebook page.
If you’ve connected with me via social media, you’ll see my love of nature. Whether it’s hiking trails, sunsets, water or wildflowers, I love to post pics of nature as I experience it.
I’d love to hear about your places and see where you go! Leave a comment below or engage with me via social media. Let me see some pics!
“So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.” –Dr. Seuss, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”
Did you make New Year’s resolutions for 2013? Apparently 50% of Americans do, yet 88% of those resolutions fail. I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. That’s not because I don’t want to improve myself; I just don’t see the point of waiting until New Year’s to do it.
The most peace I’ve ever felt in my life — jumping out of a plane at 12,000 feet.
For example, I jumped off the proverbial cliff last April and started my own business. Sure, I had been planning it, but at some point, I had to make the leap. Others may operate differently, but if I hadn’t jumped, I would still be sitting here talking about it today. That’s just who I am.
How about you? Is there something that you’ve been eyeing? Something that would make you happier, reduce your stress, put a smile on your face? Then go for it. Sit down right now and start figuring out how to accomplish it.
Don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it might never come.
I’m not a motivational speaker. I was born with a healthy dose of sarcasm and realism, so my feet are tethered firmly to the ground (unless I’m skydiving). I’m just speaking from personal experience.
I can honestly say that my life has done a 180 in 9 short months. The day I left corporate America is the day I started to feel like myself again. I’m happier now than I have been in a long time. That’s not a knock on the company I worked for, corporate America itself or the industry I worked in. It just wasn’t for me. I’m a free spirit who loves a more flexible schedule, being my own boss and enjoying nature more (which I couldn’t do working 70+ hours per week).
So don’t worry if you don’t have a long list of New Year’s resolutions. Find that one thing that will make you happier and go for it. Don’t put it off or think that you can’t do it. Your time is truly now.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy, prosperous — and truly life-changing — 2013! Oh, and if you’re looking for marketing, writing, event planning or personal branding help, give me a call. Or tweet me.
Yes, those leg lamp cookies. If you’re not familiar with the famous (or some would say infamous) leg lamp, then go see A Christmas Story. And don’t shoot your eye out, kid!
So back to the cookies. I made the dough on Sunday night and planned to cut, bake and ice the cookies on Monday
morning (along with several other items on my to-do list). Nothing like waiting until Christmas Eve!
Except something happened when I cut the first leg lamp cookie. I was taken aback by the detail. The beautiful high
heel shoe, the fine line of the fishnet stockings (Let’s be honest; that’s what makes the lamp!) … It was a thing of beauty, if I may say so myself.
Our opinions on beauty may diverge from here, but the important thing is what happened next. I decided not to ice the cookies. How could I cover up that detail?! That’s what made the cookies stand out and would be sure to give everyone at our Christmas Eve and Christmas celebrations a good laugh.
No matter how much we plan (and we should!), sometimes life throws you a better idea. Don’t rigidly stick to your plan (business, marketing or otherwise) and miss an opportunity to shine. Take a chance and follow the divergent path to see where it leads. It could lead to a brilliant new idea, unique product concept or branching off your business or marketing plans in a completely new direction.
Because I know you were wondering, the leg lamp cookies were a hit (even without the icing)! I may have started a new family Christmas tradition and reminded myself of an important point to remember at the same time.
Beautiful & delicious!
What seemingly unrelated task has reminded you of an important business, marketing or life lesson?
What’s your favorite holiday movie?
Favorite holiday tradition?
Along with the rest of the nation, I watched in horror at the events that unfolded in Newtown, CT last Friday. I was out running errands for my business in the morning, so I didn’t see the initial breaking news coverage. I quickly checked my social media networks upon arriving home and noticed a few mentions of thoughts and prayers for Stony Hook Elementary School. Naturally, I Googled the school’s name to see what had happened.
My first search result returned a close-up picture of terrified, crying children being led across the parking lot to safety. I was shocked. First, as I learned of the morning’s events, and second, at the photograph of young children that had been posted online and was spreading like wildfire. That image has been immortalized, capturing those children in a moment of sheer terror forever. Why? What news value does it add?
Of course that was only the beginning as the rush to break the story led to quoting ‘anonymous law enforcement officials’ and publishing the wrong individual as the shooter. To further the misinformation, a Facebook profile and Twitter page were published that supposedly belonged to the (wrong) shooter. Wait, the Twitter page didn’t even belong to the misidentified shooter, throwing yet another innocent person into the spotlight.
Where has all of the good journalism gone?
As a journalism major, I remember learning some of the sound principles of quality journalism. Accuracy. Accountability. Ethics. Legitimate, vetted sources. An accurate story was just as important as speed, and journalists were held accountable to a code of ethics (unless you ended up at the Enquirer, but I digress).
In today’s world, we have instant access to social media and the Internet, which connects us all at breakneck speed. This always connected feeling and easy access to the masses has brought positive and negative effects. But has it killed quality journalism?
Today, I came across an article written by Roger Ebert, a well-known film critic. It’s entitled News coverage, not movies, helps trigger Newtown-type tragedies. You can gather its point from the title, but it’s worth a read anyway. As always, Ebert makes a case for his opinion and gets straight to the point. As I read his article, it made a lot of sense.
If this is true, then the current state of journalism and news coverage is more than sub-par; it’s helping to stoke the fire of violence in this country. As a journalism major, this just breaks my heart.
What are your thoughts on the state of journalism today?
Have the Internet and social media contributed to its demise?
Would you rather wait for quality, accurate information or receive news immediately (regardless of errors or misinformation?)
Are journalism and news coverage helping to contribute to the rash of violent acts in this country?
I would love to hear your thoughts on this timely subject. Please leave a comment below or connect with me on social media to let me know your thoughts. Feel free to invite your friends to chime in with their opinions as well.
If you’re in the Canton / Akron / Cleveland area, come on out to First Night Akron. A fun time to be had by all, this New Year’s celebration in downtown Akron provides a variety of entertainment for all ages and includes two impressive fireworks celebrations.
If you’re planning on ringing in 2013 at First Night Akron, we’d love to hear from you!
It’s that time of year! The holidays are here and the best way to celebrate the New Year is right in Downtown Akron. First Night® Akron is a family friendly New Year’s Eve celebration to entertain all ages as we welcome 2013. Admission button are $10 and children under 10 years of age are free.
There will be a variety of entertainment, from music, arts and crafts, face painting, comedy, showcased art, a mass wedding, fortune telling, dancing, a wide variety of food, and fireworks displays at 9pm and midnight.
Some of the coolest entertainment will be provided by JoyUNSPEAKABLE, a statue mime that moves randomly to surprise and interact with the audience. He looks like a painted statue but if you look closely he is a real person and will entertain you with his talents.
Do you wish you were snorkeling in the Bahamas for New Years, but cannot…
It’s that time of year! During the Holiday shopping season, companies love to entice deal-hungry consumers with special offers to grab their share of the pie.
Facebook page offers. Mobile discount codes. Coupons, special discounts or gift cards with purchases.
These promotions can be a great way to interact with fans and create ambassadors for your brand. Or you can turn off regular customers, who will instead share their negative experiences. It all depends on implementation.
Implementation? Unfortunately, this extremely important part of the marketing process often doesn’t come up in the marketing department while great ideas are being kicked around. How will your customers redeem your special offer? Will you make it easy or painful? Implementation can be the difference between your customers returning or moving on to your competitors.
Has your company experimented with Facebook offers? Have you claimed any?
Case Study 1 (Created Friction)
For example, a major retailer offered a $10 gift card if you spent $50 in the store during a 3-day span via its Facebook page. What a fun idea! Engage your customers on social media and encourage them to purchase now. Upon redeeming the offer on Facebook, I received an email to show the cashier in the store. When I checked out, I noticed that the offer didn’t automatically ring up once I eclipsed the amount needed as it has with past promotions. While showing the cashier the offer email (which she was not aware of at all), we noted that no bar code or special code was included.
The cashier had no idea how to ring up the gift card in the system and actually mentioned the email might be spam. Once I assured her that it was a valid offer from the company’s Facebook page, she directed me to the customer service desk. The two ladies there were actually aware of the offer but neither knew how to ring it up either. Finally, they offered to refund me $10 from my purchase, which I appreciated.
Case Study 2 (Created Friction)
Another leading retailer came up with the novel concept of distributing small Holiday-themed pins in its stores. Customers could pick up these pins at checkout or even stop in to pick some up without a purchase. They had fun designs, and some people really enjoy collecting little keepsakes (or giving them to others). Each pin had a code on the back, which you had to enter at a website to see what you had won. Prizes ranged, but many were small gift certificates in the $5 – 10 range. After unveiling what you had won, your prizes (i.e. gift certificates) were emailed to you. There was fine print, of course, including that the certificates could not be combined on one order.
Of course, some people ended up collecting several pins and amassing a number of small gift certificates. When they came to the store to shop, they wanted to use all of their certificates, of course. In order to do that, many people had to pay for most of their items as separate orders. Picture this: a retail establishment already busy with the Holiday shopping crowd further slowed with customers checking out 5, 10 or even 20 times a piece.
While I love the pin idea, did anyone think through implementation? Maybe they did and didn’t think the long lines and slow checkout process would deter customers. But of course there were several impatient (and unhappy) customers around, some who would undoubtedly share their experience with friends, family and social networks. Add to this scenario a mobile code discount that the associates weren’t aware of how to ring up, and I’m sure you can picture the scene.
Case Study 3(Nice & Easy)
This fall, Starbucks offered a LivingSocial deal to purchase a $10 e-card for only $5. Being an avid espresso fan, I bought. Not only did I receive a deal, I was also introduced to Starbucks’ e-gift cards (yes, I’m a little behind on these things). How convenient to just scan my phone when paying and having the amount automatically updated. After registering the card, I receive rewards on my purchases using it and can easily reload with two clicks (or set up automatic reloading).
This offer was easy to redeem, saves Starbucks money (no physical gift cards to print) and saves me the hassle of remembering where I put the gift card. I’ve now downloaded the Starbucks app and regularly reload my card in order to earn rewards. All from a harmless little LivingSocial deal…
Takeaway
I highlighted these three situations because they are fresh and relevant. The first two companies eventually made good on their offers, so I’m not looking to badmouth either of them (hence no company names). The point is that implementation is a key part of any marketing offer, special promotion or customer engagement strategy and can be the difference in success or failure.
The more friction that you create at customer touch points, the more you encourage them to take their business elsewhere.
What’s your take?
Is a specific experience redeeming a special offer memorable to you (either good or bad)?
Do you take advantage of these types of offers? Why or why not?
Are there any specific types of offers that are more enticing to you?
Finally, what successful promotions have your company run? What are some tips that you’ve learned along the way?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, so we can further discuss the role that implementation plays in special offers. Thanks for stopping by!
Image credit: Entrepreneur
Stay warm! (If you live in a warm weather year ’round locale, then bah humbug. Ha!)
As a marketing professional, I find myself in a conundrum. I completely understand companies wanting to gather information about me in order to present a more personalized experience. Targeted ads, relevant special offers, personalized product suggestions.
But it’s scary. We live in a digital world, and identity theft and fraud are on the rise. If we don’t have our identity, what do we have? I’ve heard horror stories of people having their identities stolen and fighting for years to get it back, clean up their credit report, etc..
Recently, I read an informative article from Lifehacker about protecting your information online. It really made me think, and I proceeded to install some security plug-ins for my browser and strengthen my security settings. However, I soon ran into issues.
Sites that I commonly use (and trust), such as clients, vendors and mainstream services, were rendered ineffective. I’ve already run into multiple instances where I couldn’t even log in to these sites without enabling cookies. Also, these plug-ins seem to be really slowing down my browsing experience. So what to do? What do you do?
I did check out Lifehacker’s “The Best Replacements for Privacy-Invading Services,” along with other suggestions for bypassing some of these companies and services. But do I really want to forego Gmail and Facebook entirely? I can’t imagine removing my Facebook company page in lieu of a presence on Glassboard. Would you? Have you?
As noted, I can definitely see both points of view as a marketer and consumer. I enjoy the personalized experience and convenience that information tracking allows. However, I’m at a crossroads right now. Security or convenience & personalization? Can these two sides ever coexist?
I would love to hear your suggestions and experiences on how you live in our digital world while maintaining your privacy. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
November 27, 2012 was the inaugural #GivingTuesday. It makes sense. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday dominate headlines, America has long been committed to giving, especially during the Holiday season. Finally, some generous minds came together and dedicated a day specifically to giving back, kicking off the giving season.
Here are four reasons why this powerful movement is succeeding that your business or brand can use to succeed too.
Find support The minds behind #GivingTuesday knew this idea would be much more successful with others dedicated to its success too, so they reached out to a slew of like-minded organizations, groups and companies. Over 2,000 companies responded to officially become #GivingTuesday™ partners! Plus, even more companies and donors have stepped forward to match donations to specific charities and causes, making even more of a difference. When so many people, organizations and companies are committed to an idea’s success, it’s more likely to happen.
Be genuine #GivingTuesday is all about helping others. You can donate money, volunteer your time or skills or share the news about this effort with your social networks. The folks who got together to put this idea into motion want to help people all over the world give back, no matter what they have to give. This movement is about working together for the common cause of helping those in need. Be transparent in your motives: today’s digital world and social media landscape make it difficult to hide alternative agendas, which helps those who are real.
Spread the word While jumping on Twitter this morning, one of the first things I saw was a tweet from Bill Gates about #GivingTuesday. That certainly got my attention, and with 8,908,437 followers, a few others noticed it too. A few others, as in 6,812 retweets and 729 favorites. You don’t have to be Bill Gates though. #GivingTuesday makes it easy to become a social media ambassador, share its news and get involved. Remember, a great idea isn’t much good if nobody knows about it.
Make it easy to participate Point #3 delves directly into this… it doesn’t do much good to spread the word if you don’t make it easy for people to participate. At givingtuesday.org, you can easily locate a cause to support, utilize your social networks for good or take some course of action. Those on Twitter can search the #GivingTuesday hash tag to locate opportunities, and participating companies are encouraging employees to get involved. While you’re busy drumming up support, don’t lose momentum by making it difficult for people to participate. Remember, make it easy and people (businesses and customers) are more likely to jump in!
Learn from this wonderful and successful movement by noting the four keys above and applying them to your brand or business. Also, get involved and support a cause close to your heart! We can all make a difference no matter who you are or what you have.
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