Nina Burokas on Better Living Through Brand

It's a Social Media World

In a social media world, rapid response is critical. A couple of recent examples of what works, what doesn’t and how to.

The overall perspective, from Ad:tech's Craig Peters: defensive branding is better titled "Crisis Communications In the Hyperlinked Era of Social Networking."

What works: Aggressively addressing negative brand perceptions – true or false
Example: Senator Hillary Clinton’s Fact Hub: “Cut through the noise and get the facts” (via The New York Times).

The context, from Clinton spokesman Phil Singer: “There’s just been a proliferation of news reporting on the Internet. As such, you’ve got a much faster echo effect when something hits the political zeitgeist, and it’s becoming increasingly urgent to have a mechanism in place that allows you to respond.”

What doesn’t: Going dark.
Example: Whole Foods Market’s Board decision to ban officials from posting messages about Whole Foods, its competitors or vendors on non-company-sponsored Internet forums (via The Wall Street Journal). As discussed during the Evangelism session at the Brand You World Personal Branding Summit, it’s absurd to pull the plug at a time when a company needs it’s greatest fans to speak out on it’s behalf.

How To:
Ad:tech's Defensive Branding 101 Session Summary
Japie Swanepoel’s takeaways from Ad:tech's Defensive Branding session

A closing reality check: from Anita Esterday, one of the waitresses in Clinton’s tipping brouhaha: “There’s kids dying in the war, the price of oil right now — there’s better things in this world to be thinking about than who served Hillary Clinton at Maid-Rite and who got a tip and who didn’t get a tip.”

Additional perspective or 411?

Every Video, Mashup, Comment Tells a Story

Three acts in an ongoing play (conversation). Credit to Pete Blackshaw's cgm for the original post, Selective & Arbitrary for a heads up on the riff and odd professor's comment, and BlogPulse for connecting the dots.

Act One: Onslaught ("Dove Self-Esteem")

Act Two: Dove/Axe Mashup (aka Talk to Your Daughter)

Act Three: A Conflicted Response with an interesting close: "which came first, the desire for ['X' (beauty or attraction, however defined)], or marketing creating a hitherto-absent desire for same?"

Living the Brand & Other Stories

No need to wait until Thursday's Brand Your World Summit to get your brand on! Click over to Personal Branding Magazine for a dose of brand attitude and expertise (37 authors on topics ranging from authenticity to social media and SEO). Annual subscription (4 issues) is $12.95. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.

Issue #2 highlights: Jack Welch on Development, interviews with Linden Labs’ founder Philip Rosedale and the ever-interesting ; ) Greg Verdino (my Living the Brand column), and our “Young Turk” Publisher Dan Schawbel’s pick for 2007 Personal Brand of the Year. Kudos to editors Connie Bensen and Rebecca Thorman for distilling the essence of my 3,100 word submission. Finally, a shout-out to my Reach colleagues Rob Cuesta (Brand Assessment column) and Paul Copcutt (Engaging and Retaining Employees) - great articles!

Get Your Brand On...

...at the Brand You World Telesummit!

Join me and a global cast of bestselling authors and personal branding experts for a marathon event in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Tom Peter’s seminal “The Brand Called You” article.

Date: Thursday, November 8th
Time: 7A-7P Pacific
Program Schedule; Speakers & Panelists
Registration: Upper right hand corner, any page

Registration is free; participants are invited to make a donation to Kiva, a non-profit organization that provides microfinance loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

I'll be interviewing blog consultant and The Corporate Blogging Book author Debbie Weil on How to Write a Great Business Blog at 8A Pacific/11A Eastern on Line 1. Questions are welcome; ping me or submit via the session comments section.

Content Streams:
Career Management Success
Relevant for career professionals who want to apply personal branding strategies to support their career success as well as professionals in the field of career coaching, resume writing and career counseling.
Talent Management
Relevant for HR professionals and business leaders who want to discover how to attract, develop and retain talent through the application of personal branding strategies.
Entrepreneurship
Applicable for business owners and solopreneurs who want to apply personal branding strategies to grow their business.

A 21st Century Executive Competency

In an age where you are your brand, your online identity plays heavily into the image of you as the perfect candidate. – ExecuNet

According to ExecNet’s “Dealing with Your Digital Dirt 2.5” (via Cindy Kraft’s CFO Coach), reputation management is a 21st Century executive competency. To quote Joe Meissner of Executive Capital Partners, “if you’re supposed to be world-class, I should be able to find something about you online. If I Google you and you’re not there, you’re invisible to the world and that tells me you’re not a player.”

Online Search Statistics:
* 83% of recruiters have used search engines to research candidates (up from 77% in 2006 and 75% in 2005)
* 43% of recruiters have eliminated candidates based on their findings (up from 35% in 2006 and 26% in 2005)

The awareness-action disconnect: although 76% of senior executives expect to be Googled, 22% haven’t done a baseline search on their name. This is particularly odd given a related statistic: 11% of executives fear that their online identity could impact their viability as a job candidate.

Denial is not a reasonable response to changing market dynamics. Especially given that online identity is built – or repaired – over time. Proactively managing your digital brand is a critical action item, regardless of rank, technical expertise or search status.

Gaming the Loser's Game

Directed to those charged with driving growth through innovation, The Economist’s "A Dark Art No More" article highlights emerging thought on innovation as a management practice. Like economics, innovation has traditionally been more art than science. The essential elusiveness of the concept is expressed by one senior executive who argues that it can’t be defined precisely, but “like pornography, I know it when I see it.”  Author (Jamming: The Art & Discipline of Business Creativity) John Kao’s jazz analogy is more useful: “there is no fixed score in any given improvisation, but that does not mean there are no underlying principles either.”

Opinions on the underlying principles - that is, how to nurture innovation - are predictably divergent, with P&G and GE pursuing an analytical approach and Google and IDEO endorsing a more fluid approach. To quote P&G Chairman, President & CEO A.G. Lafley: “It is possible to measure the yield of each process, the quality and the end product.” The counter, from IDEO President & CEO Tim Brown: “A lot of innovation is anti-Six Sigma. You want a lot of variance.”

Although both creativity and execution are essential ingredients, the focus is increasingly on the idea filtering process, or “fast failing.” To quote Insead’s Ron Adner, “Innovation is a loser’s game.” Given the pace of global innovation, failing fast and learning from those failures are critical competencies. Toyota’s Advanced Technology National Manager Bill Reinert captures the required mindset: “We are convinced that we are entering a disruptive future, and we want to be ready for it.”

A Dark Art No More is one of the articles in The Economist's October 13th Special Report on Innovation. Special Report content and reprints.

Related reading: IBM’s 2006 Global CEO Study: Expanding the Innovation Horizon
Business Week Get Creative! Special Report (August 2005)

It don't mean a thing...

…if you ain’t got the swing. The swing, in the case of personal branding, is not "spin" – as the current Business Week Creating Brand You article suggests – but authenticity. As Valeria Maltoni notes in her Baron Hilton vs. Paris Hilton post, building brand value is not about selling the sizzle, it’s about delivering on the brand promise.

Perhaps the Gen X writer was more interested in cultivating her "skeptical, doubting" brand than providing insight. My pick of her "Make 'Em Take Notice" recommendations: mimic a popular brand. Good advice if you aspire to be a #2.

Runner up for bad advice/attitude (though credit for being on-brand): Trump's comment that most people don't have 'it' [what it takes to be a brand]. The reality is that we all have the potential to be unique and compelling brands.

My counter: forget the superficiality and manipulation and show some emotion. For perspective on jazz, business and life, check out Brand Autopsy’s (John Moore) Jazzy Business Quotes | 4 and Presentation Zen's Jazz & the Art of Connecting (Garr Reynolds).

Image credit: Your Guide to Jazz Guitar

Stickiness, Personal Branding & PR

In her Getting to the Moon with Personal Branding post for Fast Company, Wendy Marx connects the dots between Chip & Dan Heath's "stickiness" concept and personal branding. Stickiness = personal branding is a  simplification (perhaps she was suggesting a link to  "self-promotion", one of the tags?). However, once you've determined the essential details (who, what, for whom and why you), the Heath's SUCCESs formula - simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and story - is the essence of crafting a compelling value proposition. Related links: NPR's The Secret Behind Why Ideas Stick (podcast) and the Made to Stick blog.

Picking Up the W Thread

I thought it was strangely quiet on the topic...apparently a few F/U posts hadn't indexed when I went to post. Pick up the main W thread at Successful Blog - or create your own spin-off on the conversation.

("I Google Myself" paraphernalia at t-shirthumor.com & CafePress.com)

The "W List" - Shouldn't You Be On It?

So read the email from fellow blogger and brand strategist Krishna De, a shout-out to add my perspective (and blog) to the "W List".

One step back: Valeria Maltoni of Conversation Agent started the conversation with her post on the Top 20 women bloggers in the PR and marketing profession and suggested the creation of a "W List" as a means of discovering great blogs authored by women. Krishna at BizGrowth News added a global perspective in her W List aka Women Who Blog post. Tiffany Monhollon at Little Red Suit took it the next step forward with her The W List Goes Viral - Help Promote Women Who Blog.

My additions to the list:
Business Communicators of Second Life by Linda Zimmer
Deborah Schultz
Jennie S. Bev Post by Jennie Bev
Social Media Group by Maggie K. Fox

The W List – Women Who Blog (As of 8/9/07)

45 Things by Anita Bruzzese
advergirl Leigh Householder
Back in Skinny Jeans by Stephanie Quilao
Better Living Through Brand by Nina Burokas
Biz Growth News by Krishna De
BlogWrite for CEOs Debbie Weil
Brand Sizzle Anne Simons
Branding & Marketing Chris Brown
Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk
Business Communicators of Second Life by Linda Zimmer
CK’s Blog CK (Christina Kerley)
Communication Overtones Kami Huyse
Conscious Business by Anne Libby
Conversation Agent Valeria Maltoni
Corporate PR Elizabeth Albrycht
Customers Rock! Becky Carroll
Deborah Schultz by Deborah Schultz
Diva Marketing Blog Toby Bloomberg
Email Marketing Best Practices Tamara Gielen
Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pamela Slim
eSoup by Sharon Sarmiento
Flooring The Consumer CB Whittemore
Forrester’s Marketing Blog Shar, Charlene, Chloe, Christine Elana, Laura and Lisa
Get Fresh Minds by Katie Konrath
Get Shouty by Katie Chatfield
Hey Marci by Marci Alboher
Inspired Business Growth by Wendy Piersall
J.T. O’Donnell Career Insights by J.T. O’Donnell
Jennie S. Bev Post by Jennie Bev
Kinetic Ideas Wendy Maynard
Learned on Women by Andrea Learned
Little Red Suit by Tiffany Monhollon
Liz Strauss at Successful Blog by Liz Strauss
Lorelle on WordPress by Lorelle VanFossen
Manage to Change by Ann Michael
Management Craft by Lisa Haneberg
Marketing Roadmaps Susan Getgood
Moda di Magno by Lori Magno
Modite by Rebecca Thorman
Narrative Assets by Karen Hegman
Presto Vivace Blog Alice Marshall
Productivity Goal by Carolyn Manning
Social Media Group by Maggie K. Fox
Spare Change Nedra Kline Weinreich
Tech Kitten by Trisha Miller
That’s What She Said by Julie Elgar
The Blog Angel aka Claire Raikes
The Brand Dame by Lyn Chamberlin
The Copywriting Maven Roberta Rosenberg
The Engaging Brand by Anna Farmery
The Origin of Brands Laura Ries
The Podcast Sisters by Krishna De, Anna Farmery and Heather Gorringe
Water Cooler Wisdom by Alexandra Levit
Wealth Strategy Secrets by Money Gym author and Founder Nicola Cairncross
What’s Next Blog B L Ochman
Wiggly Wigglers authored by fellow Podcast Sister Heather Gorringe
Ypulse by Anastasia Goodstein

Should you be on the list?

Living the Brand: It Takes a Village

The ability of an organization to live its brand – that is, to consistently deliver on its brand promise – is crucial to both business performance and brand value. And yet, the operating reality tends to be ignorance or disengagement rather than ownership. For example, a survey by Tom Peters Company (not statistically representative but true to my 20+ years of business experience) found that 51% of employees don’t understand the concept of a brand. Of the 25% that do understand their firm’s brand promise, only 9% actually live the brand. Recent word-of-mouth examples of disconnects between an organization’s brand promise and the brand experience include the W Hotel – Form over Function? thread on BlogHer and a Tom Peters disappointment voiced by fellow personal brand strategist Paul Copcutt. Will there be cases when a brand fails to deliver on its promise? Absolutely. Failure is inherent in the innovation/evolution process. However, a failure to learn and take appropriate action is not.

Although product knowledge and messaging are key (see Krishna De's Talent Magnet podcast for three tips on building your employer brand), I would suggest the task at hand is more fundamental. In terms of the brand engagement statistics cited, the critical action item is commitment to and alignment of values and purpose at both the individual and organizational level. For perspective, see Heartlines' initiative to move from expressed to lived values in South Africa.

William Arruda's riff on the African proverb is apt: "It takes a village to build a brand."

Network Advantage: Women

Women are naturals when it comes to building relational capital, although less effective in leveraging it. For perspective on this dynamic, check out the results of ExecuNet’s Executive Job Market Intelligence Report (executive summary free with registration; via Wendy Terwelp at Rock Your Career).

In brief, women rated their networks higher than men in categories of quality, relationship strength and reciprocity. The key factor: 2/3rds more women than men stated that they actively work on building their professional relationships. Good news? Yes, but the situation is similar to the technology adoption upside noted by Lena West in her Women & Technology Battlecry post on Lip-Sticking. In this case, only 10-15% of women rated their networks as "excellent". The majority of women (and men) rated their networks as "good". Women's highest ratings are in the "relationship strength" category, where "excellent" and "very good" total to 47%, or the same as the "good" category.

Despite a network advantage relative to men, women are still less visible in the corporate C-suite. My opinion is this is largely due to socialization (what and how we communicate as women) differences – a failure to effectively differentiate, focus and promote that translates into a lack of visibility and credibility. That is, women are often not even under consideration for key projects or promotions. Cited in a study on The Gender Equity Gap in Top Corporate Executive Positions, Towers Perrin's Manager of Executive Compensation Research and Development Pamelia Todd states: "There's a problem with women becoming highly paid. But the problem is getting the high-level job in the first place, not getting paid fairly once you get there." The study's authors, Joanne Burress & Linda Zucca, concur: "the significant differences between male and female executives (after controlling for job title, company size, and industry membership) are human capital differences such as age and years of service in their job positions rather than compensation."

Self-Branding & Promotion...the conversation continues

It's impossible to adequately address two complex subjects -  branding and promotion - in the space of an hour and 15 minutes, so the conversation continues online...[BTW, is anyone doing a "What I learned at BlogHer07 wiki?].

I answered the outstanding question regarding a “step-by-step” guide to self-branding in the comments to  Barbara Rozgonyi's transcript of our Self-Branding & Promotion session [her Wired PR Works July archive provides excellent coverage of a number of the sessions]. If you didn't get one of Steph's handouts, it's posted on NextSTEPH (for you twitterers, she was  looking at the BLogHer07 photostream on Flickr when I pulled the link). 

For bloggers putting together an engagement (aka promotion) action plan, Elise Bauer's series of posts leading up to BlogHer06 is essential reading (via BlogHer Community Manager and mommy blogger Denise):

How to Build Blog Traffic - Intro
2-4: Content
3-4: Community
4-4: How to Build Blog Traffic

Additional presentations and perspective on the topic, including a compilation of Elise and Vanesssa Fox's BlogHer07 Technical Tools to Build Traffic session, is at Elise's BlogHer portal.

On brand? Blog on!

Women's Networks that Work

Business Week’s article What Works in Women’s Networks is a must-read for anyone with a human resource, innovation or revenue mandate. The authors’ statement - that corporate women’s networks “rarely provide the skills or exposure that women need to rise in the ranks” - often applies to association and regional events, as well.

What’s at stake? Women represent the fastest growing segment of the labor market and are, potentially, the dominant economic and political force. A few U.S. statistics (1):
* Women account for over half of the gross domestic product
* Women make up over 50% of undergraduates, earn 50% of the bachelor's and master's degrees and over 40% of the doctoral degrees
* Women make up 50% of the workforce
* Women represent the majority of voters

In order to achieve their potential, women’s organizations and events must serve as more than social gatherings or PR - they must be designed, financed and managed as critical business initiatives.

Three practices that work:

1. Get customers in the act.
Case in point: GE Women’s Network
Key success factor: Using the network as a regional connection hub for key stakeholders

2. Tackle real business problems.
Case in point: Best Buy’s WOLF
Key success factor: Tapping the network to address core business issues such as women-centric innovation and the retention of women employees

3. Bridge the gender divide.
Case in point: Deloitte’s WIN
Key success factor: Provide a benefit to both women and men; for example, using "Women as Buyers" study results to improve internal communications and sales effectiveness

1 - Sources: Catalyst Research and Lusk-Moore & Associates

It's Showtime!

There's something about the energy of a standing room only crowd that gets you on your game. A good thing, that! There's a significant difference between a 5 minute Toastmasters speech to an audience of 25 and an hour presentation at a conference of hundreds (ok, our pull was probably only 100). In addition to the group dynamics at the recent Women and Technology Summit, it was a recent article in The Toastmaster that helped me manage that transition. Ed Brodow's article Acting Techniques for Speakers provides 10 acting tips that are highly relevant to not only speakers, but communicators in general. Key takeaways:

• Improvise - Know your material well enough to let go and be spontaneous.
• Make it personal - The key to storytelling isn't the words, but the experience; capture and convey the emotional impact.
• Passion - Be a passionate advocate for your point of view.
• Develop Your Style - "You need to be yourself but slightly 'larger than life.'" - Patricia Fripp
• Manage First Impressions - "Match the audience's energy and come out a little higher." - Marianna Nunes

Any seasoned speakers willing to provide input/expertise?

Personal Branding Do's & Dont's

It's a case of best laid plans. I had submitted my "Personal Branding Do's & Don'ts" as an article for publication in the Fall issue of WITI's (Women In Technology International) Savvy magazine. The idea was to compliment my presentation with Brandego's Kirsten Dixson on Digital Branding, but it was my prior submission on podcasting (.pdf download at the end of post) that went to print.

An excerpt - just the "Do's & Don'ts - was posted to Branding Personal as Using Personal Branding to Control Your Destiny. Here, with/for context, is the full text. I welcome your input/comments - either here or at Branding Personal. /nb

The technology industry has always been volatile. At a bon voyage party marking Marconi’s exit from the North American market (our layoff en masse), one of the engineers wore a tiered headdress of 7 baseball caps representing his prior employers. Given the hyper-competitive nature of a global economy, no sector or position is sacred. The only way to control your destiny is to create it.

In order to assume responsibility for your future, you have to have a vision and a plan to achieve that vision. It sounds obvious, but the fact is that a number of women are simply going with the flow. For example, in the Summer Issue of Professional Woman’s Magazine, veteran newscaster Connie Chung’s response to a question regarding her future goals was “I really don’t know what my future goals are.” And she’s not alone. At WITI’s Las Vegas conference in July, Cummins VP and CIO Gail Farnsley admitted to having no plan for her career. However, she cautioned that was no longer a realistic approach. Relying on the kindness of strangers or the luck of the draw is not a viable business model. If your goal is to maximize your impact and achieve your potential, you must take individual responsibility. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a solopreneur or a corporate professional or executive, building a brand should be the foundation of your business or career plan. For perspective on personal branding, consider the following Do’s and Don’ts.

Do’s

• Build a solid foundation for your brand that incorporates your vision, values and passions.
• Validate your brand attributes by obtaining anonymous feedback from clients, partners, colleagues, friends and family. Update on an annual basis.
• Articulate your unique promise of value in terms that are relevant and compelling to your target audience.
• Compile a composite profile of your target audience.
• Build a communications plan that incorporates all of the above elements.
• Live your brand.

Don’ts

• Try to be everything to everyone.
• Assume social networking sites are anonymous or that any digital communication will remain private.
• Assume impromptu remarks or off the record comments will remain off the record.
• Assume your work speaks for itself or that management will deliver on future commitments.
• Undermine your brand with poor execution or conflicting or inconsistent messaging.
• Loose control of your brand.

Download podcasting_make_mine_to_go.pdf

Open Source Mentality

Interested in what 765 CEOs from 20 industries and 11 geographic regions have to say on the topic of innovation? With the publication of it's Global CEO Study, IBM continues to raise the collaboration bar and generate significant differentiation and thought leadership value. Bravo!

Is collaboration in your DNA? Take IBM's innovation assessment for perspective and insight.

What's Your Point of View?

Dashing through London’s Heathrow airport recently, I was exposed to HSBC’s Point of View campaign. Their saturation of the space is over the top, but the ads resonated with me. Two points in particular are absolutely spot-on: the potential in different points of view and the imperative of a global perspective, executed locally (“the world’s local bank”). Inspired concept and execution.

Developing Creative Leverage

No matter which new media emerge and which old media fade away, one factor remains crucial: the power of applied creativity to move the market in your favor.

The premise is deceptively simple: creativity can be a powerful tool for gaining competitive advantage. However, like any big idea, the proof is in the execution. In Juicing the Orange, Fallon Worldwide co-founders Pat Fallon & Fred Seen share their extensive execution experience (both successes and failures) across industries, geographies and media. The authors distill their insight into a 7-step process for making creativity both actionable and accountable:

1. Always start from scratch.
2. Demand a ruthlessly simple definition of the business problem.
3. Discover a proprietary emotion.
4. Focus on the size of the idea, not the size of the budget.
5. Seek out strategic risks.
6. Collaborate or perish.
7. Listen hard to your customers (then listen some more).

An expanded review will appear in the Fall (October) issue of Women In Technology International’s Savvy magazine. Savvy's Editorial team welcomes your input on books and ideas that matter. Send your comments to the Editor: saraf at corp dot witi dot com.

As always, I welcome your comments below. If your thoughts are off-topic, please route them via email.

From Engagement to Community

ARF’s position on engagement was the most refreshing take-away from the ARF AMS Symposium. As expressed by ARF Chief Research Officer Joe Plummer, the imperative is “to move beyond reach and frequency to involvement, building on the theoretical [my edit/opinion] concept of co-creation, and focusing on the relationship between the brand and consumer” (via AdMap editor Roderick White). My take is that the critical challenge for mainstream or “established” media is understanding what it means to be customer-centric. If your perception is that the role of media is simply to deliver an audience for ads, it’s a long way to community.

Related article: Advertising Age: ARF Reveals Working Definition of Engagement

Trash Talkin' the Blogosphere

From the Advertising Research Foundation's Audience Measurement Symposium (ARF AMS), Day 1:

"If bloggers achieve fame, the first thing they do is move out of the blogosphere." - Jeffrey Cole, Director of the USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future

An alternate perspective, from Tom Peters Forward for Naked Conversations: "Biz Blogging...WORKS. It is of...MONUMENTAL IMPORTANCE. (Or can be.)

A point of Cole's we can all agree on: "Convergence is real."

Media Relations Refresh

TEKgroup has published the results of a survey of journalist preferences for accessing news (via Sally Falkow's Website Content Strategy).

In addition to Sally's points, key takeaways include:
-74% of journalists consider information on brands important/very important
-E-mail/Online Newsroom is the preferred method to receive information (99%) or pitched stories (97%)

However, given that:
- 92% of journalists think that access to press releases is important/very important,
- 70% visit a company's online newsroom often/very often, and
- 85% want only news that interests them,
I was surprised that only 18% were inclined (Important/Very Important) to receive news via RSS feed. Any thoughts on that point?

Also seeking input on this odd statistic:
Only 16% of journalists surveyed were comfortable/very comfortable on contact after visiting online news room. Is it a learning curve or a design issue?

Related content: PRSA's updated Tips for an Effective Online Newsroom

Politics & Digital Influence

Politicians are the ultimate consumer brand. And as a couple of recent posts by personal branding guru William Arruda illustrate (Arianna Huffington-A Strong Personal Brand; More Personal Googling), social media is the new campaign frontier.

Arianna Huffington is one of only two bloggers on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people (via St. Petersburg Times) and her blog, The Huffington Post, was just awarded a Webby in the Political Category.

Phil Angelides' use of social networks is fresh, engaging and certainly preferable to the repetitive direct mail (one piece per day) I’m receiving from Orange County Supervisor candidate Cathryn DeYoung. From mailbox to dumpster in less than 10 seconds.

Be the Change

Heads up: The Smithonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention & Innovation has issued a call for papers (full details below) on "Inventing America: The Interplay of Technology & Democracy in Shaping American Identity." The deadline for submissions is June 9.

Related thoughts: Extract of Reuters CEO Tom Glocer's speech at day 2 of the We Media conference in London (via BuzzMachine): Contrasting Technorati statistics (5 million new blogs in the last 5 months) and falling participation in elections suggests not that the people are apathetic, but that people feel they are unable to impact the political process. "People seem to feel that they are getting more investment in blogging….than they are by simply going to the polling place." Cut to Jeff Jarvis' net net: "Is citizens' media becoming a proxy for civic participation?"

Mass vs. Niche Marketing

Inspiration and perspective c/o Seth Godin (with some liberties):

Mass marketing works best when it assumes that everybody in the entire chain is just plain average. Or even a little bit less. Niche marketing, on the other hand, can thrive if it starts with the assumption that average products by average people for average people is just not your thing. Be picky. Make great stuff. Work with amazing people. Remember, though, that your sales expectations have to be in line with your niche mantra.

Blogging for Business

If you don't find BusinessWeek raves and community engagement compelling, consider the business development implications of blogging: BlogWriteforCEOs' Debbie Weil notes that Forrester principal analyst Charlene Li's blogging translated into $1 million of business (via ProBlogger). What's the hurdle rate for your marketing initiatives? Are any of your business development activities generating a ROI in excess of 500%, much less 500,000%*?

For additional blog effectiveness metrics, check out Jason Stamper's ROI of Blogging.

If you feel the numbers game misses the point, you might appreciate James Governor's perspective (via Jason Stamper): "Ask not what a blog can do for your corporate bottom line, but what it can do for you. If it scales you, and you're already effective, then its also scaling business effectiveness. Successful Global Microbrands are indelibly associated with people. It's people, not infrastructures, that can now scale in fairly unprecedented ways. Blogging is a part of that phenomenon."

For an introduction to blogging for business, check out my Business Case for Blogging article for The PowerMark Group.

*Simplified ROI calculation: (Income-Investment)/Investment, expressed as a decimal percent (i.e., .10 = 10%). To illustrate, given income (revenue) of $1,000,000 and an investment of $179 ($14.95x12), the calculation is (999,821/179)x100=558,559%

Acceleration Delivered

Testing concepts in real time and access to a communal knowledge base are two related and compelling aspects of the blogosphere. Bloggers will be your greatest fans and your harshest critics, and there's significant value in that fact. It's called acceleration. An example I benefited from recently: Anthony Lilley (writing for Media Guardian) calling out the BBC's head of journalism Mark Byford on his use of "audience" versus "community", and the mindset implications; for example, talking to versus engaging in conversation (The best & worst of dotcomery, via BuzzMachine). Reading Jarvis' BBC2.1 post prompted me to review a blogging best practices series I had compiled for a client. As a business tool, the blogosphere excels in translating individual insight into a shared learning experience. Acceleration delivered.

The Price of Mediocrity

Is nothing sacred?! The French Agriculture Ministry recently authorized vinters to flavor their wines with wood shavings, a cost-saving technique that is common outside France but abhorred by purists (AP via The Los Angeles Times). The author of a wine report commissioned by the ministry held "We have to make wine for consumers, not wine that producers dream of." I disagree. My opinion is that the reform will undermine the classic strength of French wines, undermining France's reputation as one of, if not the best, wine producing regions of Europe. Without differentiation, it's a commodities game. To quote Nicolas Ronceray, "When you put wood shavings in wine...you can no longer speak about 'aroma', you must speak about 'odor', like you would for a chemical product."

For the advertising equivalent of this trend toward mediocrity, see Lisa Francilia's observation in my Food for Thought post.

"Get in the Game!"

Deloitte is now accepting nominations for the fifty fastest growing technology, media and entertainment, telecommunications and life sciences companies in Orange County, and a total of 15 regions throughout North America. Ultimate objective: Deloitte Fast 500 or Rising Star. Nomination deadline: May 31st. For eligibility requirements, to view previous winners and apply online, visit North American Technology Fast 500.

Related links:
Canadian Technology Fast 50; EMEA (Europe, the Middle East & Africa) Fast 500; Asia Pacific Fast 500

Kosher Communications

It's a classic case of working the edges: kosher cell phones (via Los Angeles Times). An Israeli subsidiary of Motorola successfully launched a cell phone for the ultra-Orthodox community that bears the seal of approval from Israel's rabbinical authorities. The phone has been reduced to the core calling functions; there's no Internet access, text messaging or camera or video functionality. Sex line and associated phone numbers are blocked, and a team of rabbis maintains the list (over 10,000) on an ongoing basis - a simply brilliant example of influencer engagement/collaboration. Beyond the ultra-Orthodox niche, the concept has broad applicability to conservatives of Islamic, Christian and other faiths. Perhaps this or similar products be on the radar of our own guardians of decency, the FCC.

Six Degrees of Innovation

Innovation - both as creative process and competitive differentiator - is a powerful concept. If America is to reclaim it’s stature in world markets, it will be through innovation, rather than through military force or political machinations.

A recent Orange County Register article provides perspective on the innovation topic. Colin Stewart’s Six Degrees of Innovation is a point/counterpoint exploration of six elements of innovation from the viewpoint of Orange County innovators and innovation guru, author and IDEO general manager Tom Kelley. One particular point of difference is the “problem-solving” concept - whether to anticipate needs or whether to invent only to fill an articulated need. My opinion: it isn't an either/or proposition.

Interestingly, in searching for a link to the print article, I found that the “Six Degrees of Innovation” topic isn’t unique. Additional food for thought:

Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge article “Caves, Clusters, and Weak Ties: The Six Degrees World of Inventors” (via WiredJournal) discussing the diffusion of knowledge across collaborative ties and corporate boundaries moving towards an open innovation model, where the opportunity/challenge is how to leverage this trend for commercial gain. What's of particular interest is Wired Journal's identification of the opportunity "to encourage, foster and monitor these collaborative communities as the idea behind the sponsored affinity groups and shared spaces concept." Fast forward to the future of social networking. Is this progress?

For perspective on "the best ideas for organization, innovation, branding, transformation, outsourcing, and more", check out Technology Innovator’s profile of the six 2004 winners, and Booz Allen Hamilton’s profile of the 2005 Leading Innovations Competition winners and runners up.

The Future of Blogging

Update to prior post: the missing link. Veteran blogger and Six Apart Vice President Anil Dash shares his perspective on the essence of blogging - "connect with the audience you care about" and what's next: The Future of Blogging. For related commmentary and links,  see Blog Business Summit Teresa Valdez Klein's Social Networking post.

Business Blogging

One of the collateral benefits of attending the Business Blogging Summit was the camaraderie of a group of people that “get it”, where “it,” in this case, is the convergence of technology and communications. Although I picked up a number of tips, the key value add was the perspective of a group of panelists who have been there, done that and are into defining “what’s next” (Anil, where’s your presentation?). With a cumulative total of 20+ blogging years, these veterans have a wealth of experience and share it with humor and sincerity. Is it the messenger or the medium? Bloggers tend to be both high tech and high touch. But perhaps the most invigorating aspect of technology is that it’s continually evolving. For beta on developing a blogging strategy, check out Business Blogging 101: Management & Strategy, a Marqui presentation. There's no time like the present.

Love & Satisfaction

Americans love wine. Especially California wine. California wine is distinctive, iconic. The Wine County’s proprietor Randy Kemner captures the brand experience: “We love the idea of California wine - the sacrifice, the history, the promise and the optimism of our state are all reflected in the dark purple and shimmering flaxen colors of our home-grown wines.”

But, human nature being what it is, we also love a deal. Merrill Lynch recently reported that the market share of California wines dropped from 90% to 74%, with Italian and Australian imports picking up the majority of the difference. A study of consumer attitudes commissioned by the Wine Market Council found that “consumers liked foreign vintages for two reasons: taste and price” (McHenry County Business Journal).

The perception of quality plus value is pivotal. Nationwide, consumers rated Italian wines higher than California varietals in terms of “satisfaction.” Although the question of whether a 90% share of any market is sustainable, there is clearly a marketing challenge in these statistics. To quote St. Supery Vineyard & Winery CEO and the council’s chairwoman Michaela Rodeno, "This is something that should be a real wake-up call for California's wine industry."

Superbowl Intercepts

According to a study conducted by comScore, over 25% of viewers cite watching the ads as their favorite aspect of Super Bowl Sunday. This year, I didn’t find the entertainment value in the game or the ads, but in the marketing antics. In a maneuver reminiscent of the “ambush marketing” of Olympic sponsorship (Games eagle-eyed sponsor police), GM capitalized on Ford’s million dollar investment with a strategic keyword buy (Advertisers fumbled at SuperBowl).

For event producers and sponsors, the pivotal issue is ROI. Translating a  30 second spot into market value requires a complementary digital experience. My pick for the trophy: SuperBowlAds.com.

The Ashes & Snow Experience

In a world of advertising clutter and political propaganda, what was marked about Gregory Colbert’s Ashes & Snow exhibit was the lack of sponsorship advertising. Although the Rolex logo figures prominently in print advertising, no reference to Rolex is apparent at the exhibition. Jaded marketer that I am, I expected Colbert to be sporting a Rolex watch in the extensive video footage. The exhibit brochure lists only the Flying Elephants Foundation, a non-profit organization supported by Ashes & Snow.

Both the lack of blatant commerciality and the architecture of the Nomadic Museum are essential to the Zen of the exhibit, contributing to a contemplative experience of Colbert’s work as “both art and poetic field study.” That said, there were elements of the exhibit that I found alternately irritating (staging) or disturbing (passivity/death imagery). Amardeep Singh’s A Traveling Circus post/links provide additional perspective. Comments notwithstanding, the Ashes & Snow experience is masterfully executed – both live and online. And while understated, The Rolex Institute’s sponsorship of Colbert’s Ashes & Snow digital Codex creates significant value for both parties.

Sanctuary Denied

My brother and I recently shared a laugh about his failed attempt to ask a woman at his gym out on a date. Although there was some chemistry, she declined his invitation, saying the gym was her sanctuary and she didn’t want that to change. An amusing exchange, but I understand her position.

A gym isn’t a spa; but for many of us, it’s our daily approximation of same. Alas, the benefits of this environment are being offset by a proliferation of cell phones and advertising. My local gym used to have a smattering of supplement and training promotions, concentrated in the front desk area, inspirational posters of local Olympians and one lone ad for a local realtor. However, in the last month, ads have sprouted on walls, mirrors and the hallway of the woman’s locker room. I understand the draw from a marketing standpoint, but I morn the loss of my sanctuary.

Which prompts a couple of questions: will annoyance at the intrusion impact the effectiveness of the message? How do you prevent overload? At what point will members reject the noise and opt for outdoor alternatives (this being California, that’s a 24/7/365 option)? Personally, once the StairMaster starts scrolling ads instead of percent completion, heart rate and calories burned, I’m out the door.

Perception & Performance

That perception is critical to performance is understood (see The Art of Possibility and Perception & Possibility posts). What is perhaps not fully appreciated is the extent to which this is true. Enter Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. As Gladwell documents, free will is elusive; programming and conditioning often drive our behavior.

Our instinctive behavior is an accumulation of messaging and experiences that – true or false – impact our actions. In many instances, our instincts are spot-on. However, conditioned responses can also hold us back. The insidious aspect of conditioning is that individuals often don’t realize they’re being ma