clearly conveyed communications

Advertising: Do You Watch?

Are you a fan of ads? In the age of TIVO and DVRs, you’re probably thinking that’s not even relevant anymore. But I’m talking about all types of advertisements, from magazine and online ads to billboards and yes, television. I came across an article on the ‘winners’ of Olympic advertising, so this subject came to mind.

Your Ad Here. — Would you advertise here? I would.
Photo credit: I Do Reviews

As an advertising major, I probably tend to pay attention to advertising more than most. In past training sessions on the effectiveness of advertising, I would ask attendees the one day of the year when folks actually watch TV for the ads. Normally someone would interject “the Super Bowl!” which is what I was looking for. While an ardent football fan, I do look forward to the ads as well, as sometimes the game itself isn’t exactly entertaining (unless you’re a fan of the winning team, of course). I did always find it interesting that most of the attendees’ favorite ads didn’t make them think of the advertiser. An expensive way to just make someone laugh, no?

Don Draper of Mad Men fame — The Man. The Myth. The Legend. Don Draper.
Photo credit: FOLLOWINGTHEBUZZ

With the success of Mad Men, it seems like advertising has become a little more popular again (thanks, Don Draper). However, I’m curious as to whether people are actually paying attention to it or just watching this entertaining TV show.

So, back to my original question. Do you pay attention to advertising?

What’s your favorite ad? Or advertiser? By the way, if you’re interested in the article I mentioned at the beginning of my post, here you go.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Jaime

The Olympics: A Viewing Party

As noted in my previous post, I love watching the Olympics. It’s amazing to see so many amazing athletes from around the world gather in one place to compete. I was invited to participate in NBC’s 2012 Olympics Diary, which helps the network gauge the effectiveness of its coverage via all platforms.

I received this pin of the London 2012 Olympics logo from NBC for participating in their Olympics Diary study.

As a participant in this study, I’ve tried to sample the various coverage options available — NBC, NBC Sports & partner channels, nbcolympics.com, the NBC Olympics app, the Live Extra App and, of course, social media. Being billed as the first “social media Olympic Games,” the coverage — especially from athletes themselves — have opened access to fans beyond what was previously possible.

screen shot of #Olympics tweets — #Olympics Twitter Page

I’ve enjoyed some of the non-traditional platforms, such as the Live Extra app (available for iPhone and Android), which lets you watch live streams of your favorite sports and athletes, as well as view recorded content. Select your favorites so you can easily locate the game or match you’re looking for later.

Also, it’s been interesting hearing so much directly from the athletes themselves and from fellow fans discussing the festivities. During the course of the Games, Michael Phelps gained his one millionth Twitter follower, an incredible feat for a swimmer. Of course, he’s also the most decorated Olympian of all time. But I think it speaks to how social media can be an avenue for athletes of all types to bypass traditional media coverage and develop a rapport with fans.

How have you watched the Olympics? Do you prefer to wait until prime time on TV or have you been following via live streaming online or social media? Maybe a combination of multiple platforms like I have?

I’m happy to be participating in NBC’s Olympic Diary, and I hope our feedback will continue to help improve coverage for future Olympics. Are you participating in this study? If so, what are your thoughts? If not, what constructive feedback would you have for NBC?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! In the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy competition between the greatest athletes in the world.

Your party host,
Jaime

Let’s chat (about the Olympics, your marketing needs or your latest win):

https://www.pinterest.com/jaimeshine/ — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimeshine/

The Olympics: A Global Brand (Kind Of)

Photo Credit: The Dieline

Are you excited about the upcoming Olympics in London? I am! I love watching athletes from around the globe compete against each other, especially the summer version. It’s a patriotic time for so many nations, and it’s wonderful to see the world come together on such a grand stage.

Beyond the stadiums, another competition is playing out — who can profit from the Olympic brand.

Like any brand, the Olympics want to keep strict control over how their brand is used. To aid their cause, they partner with a small group of official sponsors, who pay for the right to use the Olympic branding and have to follow detailed rules on how they use it.

Sounds simple, right? Of course, there are many businesses who fall outside of this small group who would like to profit from the Games as well. Everyone from small street vendors outside London’s venues to online companies want to get in on the act.

As London awaits the world’s spotlight. ‘brand police’ are quietly patrolling the streets ensuring that companies who are not official sponsors are not profiting from an association with the Games. Is that fair? Or should local businesses, often the lifeblood of an area, be able to profit from the Olympics as well?

I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Jaime

Technology: It’s Not Just For Trekkies Anymore

Technology has permeated all aspects of society from the workplace to how we order pizza. (If you’re still phoning in your orders for the popular pies, get with the program.) You probably utilize technology throughout your daily routine and don’t even realize it. Why? Because it works. You don’t have to understand why it works or how it works as long as it does. You may not realize just how plugged in you are until there’s an interruption (like last weekend’s storms / power outages).

The uninterrupted access provided by technology offers us increased flexibility – in how we work and how we live. You’re no longer tied to an office to get work done; smart phones, laptops and wireless technology allow us to log in from virtually anywhere.

Because of this virtual landscape, technology items cross over from work to play effortlessly, resulting in increased usage and visibility.

When you promote your business with a branded technology item, it will be seen – again and again – lowering the cost per impression (CPI) to a miniscule amount. When recipients use – and like – the item you gave them, they recommend it to others and associate your company with that good feeling. Who should I go to when I need a service? Oh, there’s XYZ company on my USB drive.

Also driving exposure and CPI is technology’s lengthy shelf life, so to speak. Yes, it’s constantly evolving, but items don’t quickly become obsolete.

Remember when everyone thought we would be driving flying cars by now?

New features are introduced and items are redesigned, but at the end of the day, it’s still a digital photo frame. It’s still practical, stylish and occupies prime desktop real estate.

Think technology is out of reach on your budget? With the continued evolution, prices become more and more competitive.

Remember IBM’s first USB drives debuting at $50 for 8MB of storage? Your dollar will go a little further these days.

And don’t discount accessories. The technology arena has expanded to include embellishments that make your life even easier, protect your gadgets or just make them look cool.

The important thing to remember about technology is that it’s ingrained in every aspect of life for most of us. So when you delve into this popular category, you extend your reach into places your company could boldly never go before.

Cheers,
Jaime

The Portrait of a Writer (1)

Wow, I came across fellow blogger Cristian Mihai today when he visited head in the clouds. What a talent! I love this post… The Portrait of a Writer. It’s very well written, and I wanted to share it with my readers.

Social Media: What Do I Say? (Part 2)

Original content isn't as hard as it sounds!

In the last post, we discussed how to curate quality content from other resources. As mentioned, this is an efficient way to continue to provide your community with compelling content while not bearing the load of always creating original content. It’s also a wonderful way to meet new people and provide a wider range of voices to your community, which help drive growth.

Original Content
At some point, you will want to create original content as well. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be as intimidating as it sounds. There are several ways to quickly create engaging content to help draw your fans and followers into a conversation with you.

Successful case studies / testimonials—Showcase what your business can do by highlighting success stories! Customer testimonials or situations where you came through for a customer show other customers and prospects that you are a dependable business who will solve their challenges too. Check with customers before sharing specific information, such as their client names, order amounts or details of a project that may include proprietary business practices, etc.
This / that questions—Ask a question with two answers: this or that. For example, you see two new products at a tradeshow. Post pictures of both and ask your community whether they prefer product A or product B. It’s a great way to engage your fans and also garner feedback on what they like.
Pictures / videos—Images are such a powerful way to break through the sea of text online and help to establish a human connection with your followers. Post pictures of your building, yourself with clients, product testing, at shows, etc. Don’t be afraid to mix in personal ones as well!
Quotes—Inspiring or positive quotes can be a great way to make people smile and catch their attention. Quotes are often highly shared or retweeted, so they can help you grow your community if they resonate with your target audience.

Don’t get overwhelmed with producing fresh content and stop updating your social media in fear of posting the wrong thing. Just use common sense when posting, and don’t be afraid to mix personal in with business. Yes, you have to be careful, but it’s a great way to show the person or people behind your business. Always remember…

People do business with people, not businesses.

They want to know who you are, what your hobbies are and the connections they have with you. Social media is a fantastic way to truly get social, and bring a human touch online and off.

Do you have other ideas on creating original content for social media? Please share in the comments. I would love to hear about them!

Jaime

Let’s chat about curating content, your favorite content sources or the power of social media:

Social Media: What Do I Say?

While hosting a series of interactive sessions on social media, the #1 question I received was about content. (Most) attendees understood the value of social media to their businesses, how these platforms could increase their search engine optimization and really help them develop relationships with customers, prospects and partners. “But what do I say?” is always where we ended up.

Social Media is a conversation! — Photo Credit: Active Garage

Curating Content
The good news is that you don’t have to necessarily create all of the content you’ll use. There are a plethora of resources available, depending on the type of content your audience is interested in. Not sure? Following are some places to start curating content for your social media platforms.

Your blog and/or website—Fresh, interesting content ready made to share with your communities!
Industry organization trade journals, websites, blogs, etc.—Other thought leaders in your industry are probably putting out some engaging content, so share it. You’ll have content to share with your communities while helping these organizations gain greater reach as well. [Note: make sure anything that you share is appropriate for your communities.]
Mashable—If your customers are on social media, chances are they are interested in it and technology in general. This is a leading site in these areas that generates interesting content daily.
Share other social media users’ content—Find companies or individuals that share compelling content and join their communities. You’ll be able to share their information to your Page or Stories so it’s visible to your audience as well. Sharing others’ content (that is relevant to your communities) is a wonderful way to increase your visibility and build your communities on social media. Remember to thank those that are gracious enough to share your information. You never know where a conversation might lead!

Do you have other favorite sources for curating content? Please share! We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

Ready to focus on original content creation? Check out Social Media: What Do I Say? (Part 2).

Jaime

Let’s chat about curating content, the power of social media or your must-follow accounts:

Sports & Leisure: Scoring Points and Creating Fans

sports fans — Fun times at the Kentucky Derby!

It’s no surprise that fan is the root of fanatic. People are passionate about their sports teams, so why not make your brand an integral part? From game day giveaways to local team tie-ins, you can elicit as much passion about your company as the home team.

Becoming a part of game day is a great way to get involved with the local community. Brand popular giveaways, such as noisemakers, signs, stadium cups or lanyards, to hand out at the gate or pre-game tailgating events. Help fans become the 12th man by giving away branded rally towels or shirts to create a ‘black-out’ effect – a sea of black across the stands (or use any team color). Shoot t-shirts with your company’s message into the stands during stops in the action to keep the passion and energy high.

Not going to the game? Bring the excitement into the office. Make your employees the MVPs of a celebration honoring the local sports team or a season kickoff, complete with branded giveaways and merchandise. Pair this special day with a cook-off or potluck to foster team spirit and company pride within your organization. Reward winners or all participants with prizes to acknowledge their efforts. Giving branded merchandise to employees that they’ll use outside of work is an unobtrusive way to spread your message and potentially generate new business.

Don’t limit creating fans of your company to the field or the office. Branching out into leisure time activities is an easy way to build rapport with potential customers, who are everywhere – shopping at stores, strolling parks, attending community festivals, etc. Sponsor teams or leagues, donate branded giveaways for fairs or partner with fellow local companies to create programs that will benefit the community and generate goodwill about your company at the same time. For example, a casual healthy eating restaurant could partner with a fitness center to promote healthy living. Both companies promote the program (and each other) by offering discounted products and services (15% off a fitness center registration with a receipt from the restaurant), helpful information (healthy living tips) and rewards to encourage participation (a free ‘healthy eating set’ after working out at the fitness center 10 times). Not only does partnering with other companies help promote your organization, it can also help with advertising costs. Split the cost of co-branded merchandise, so it’s a winning situation for both companies and the community.

Don’t forget the face paint…

Jaime

Event Planning: You Need to Have a Plan

Have you ever tried your hand at event planning before? Even the most basic party or get-together (in your mind, at least) can turn into a stressful occasion when you’re in charge of all the details. Now think about putting on a conference or tradeshow for 500 or more of your closest friends.

No matter the size, the key to event planning is having a plan.

The most mundane details can pop up to haunt you onsite if you haven’t tied them down ahead of time. Trust me, I’m as spontaneous and fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants as they come, and I’m serious about having a plan for any event I’m putting on. Masking drape color, onsite inventory and task lists, personnel schedules and dress all need to be thought of before the big event.

Dress as in the clothes you’re going to wear? Yes, the last thing you need to worry about while running around onsite is not having appropriate shoes or forgetting formal clothing for that big Awards Dinner. Think about each day or event and what you will be doing in order to avoid wishing you had packed a whole lot differently (or any embarrassing moments).

Don’t assume that you’ll remember anything onsite. If you do, it will be a bonus. If you’re giving a speech, at least have note cards on hand in case you draw a big blank when looking out at the audience.

Another reminder that applies to any event you’re throwing… have any contact information you could possibly need on hand (preferably in your phone). Then you’ll be able to quickly get a hold of your hotel contact, colleague, caterer or sister-in-law when something comes up — or goes down — that you need help with.

Events can be fun to plan and rewarding when done well, especially when you plan to perfection.

I hope that everyone enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend, and a sincere thank you to all who have served, and continue to serve today, to protect what makes America great.

Jaime

50 Things I’m Grateful For…

beinggratefulquotes — Courtesy of Searchquotes.com

I came across a post recently talking about things the author was grateful for. What a great idea! In our busy lives, oftentimes we allow ourselves to get mired in the frustrations and minor inconveniences of the day-to-day grind. Below are 50 things that I’m very grateful for… what are yours?

1) Waking up this morning with no alarm
2) Seeing the beautiful sunshine today
3) Technology that allows me to work without being tethered to a desk all of the the time
4) A fantastic group of friends, some of whom I met in elementary school
5) Working for myself
6) Finishing my first half-marathon (and soon, my second)
7) My brother who always (well, almost always) let me tag along
8) The amazing people I’ve gotten to know in the industry I work in
9) Being American and enjoying all of its freedoms
10) My Little Miss Sunshine mug

11) My first home, which I’ll forever love no matter where I move
12) The best parents I could ever ask for
13) Watching the Kentucky Derby from the infield
14) Sky diving
15) Swimming in the ocean
16) My Italian roots
17) Martinis in a bag!
18) Piggy back rides on the Vegas Strip
19) Lounging on the beach at Hilton Head
20) Being able to give back

“Being grateful is a good way to end your day. Not in a repressive way, more like a celebration. To life. To the living.” ~Unknown

21) My time at Kent State University
22) Things that make me laugh
23) Hiking in Hocking Hills State Park
24) Sports, every last one of them
25) Books and books and books…
26) Casablanca on the big screen
27) Catching an Aeros game at Canal Park
28) My love of the outdoors
29) Maya Angelou for speaking her mind
30) Elvis for changing music forever

31) The Bible
32) Dropping out of the corporate rat race
33) Running through Hardesty Park
34) Watching the ball drop on New Year’s Eve
35) Experiencing and participating in the Pay It Forward experience
36) On Writing by Stephen King (what a mind!)
37) Religious freedom
38) A steaming hot caramel latte
39) Sitting by my fireplace watching the flames
40) All the little princesses & monsters at my door on Halloween

41) That Garth Brooks concert so many years ago…
42) Kind words and well wishes
43) Watching the *famous* sunset in Naples, FL
44) God’s incredible grace
45) Turtle soup
46) Homeless shelters, especially Haven of Rest & ACCESS, who help people get back on their feet
47) Evernote for capturing my random thoughts no matter where I am
48) Lounging on my back patio while listening to my water feature and nature
49) The Ten Commandments
50) Michael J. Fox for his courage and bringing much needed attention to a great cause

There’s my 50… what are yours? I would love to hear from you! This is a great exercise to remember everything good that you have in your life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Moms out there!
Jaime

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