Blog o' RAMA

We Are Rocking and Rolling

The Rochester Chapter of the AMA is rocking and rolling this year! We just held out first event and it was outstanding! The weather cooperated but more importantly, members and guests cooperated by showing up! Mario's was - as always - outstanding! This our The truth behind truth® event with its focus on youth smoking - where the American Legacy Foundation's Tricia McLaughlin and Nicole Dorrier shared some scary truths with the audience. Our thanks to Kurt Brownell Photography, Young Ideas and the Rochester Business Journal for sponsoring this event.

Now it's time to get ready for October. See information here:

October 3rd the Rochester Ad Council has invited RAMA members and guests to participate in the luncheon portion of their Fall Conference. Join your colleagues to hear what Starbuck's Joe Hallinan, regional vice president has to say about this iconic American brand.

This is a great event to see and be seen at. You'll walk away with new prospects, and an insiders look into the coffee pot. We look forward to seeing you. Register here.

Date: Tuesday, October 3
Time: Noon until 1:30 p.m. (come at 11:45 to network)
Location: Doubletree Hotel, Rochester
************************************************************

Then, mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 17th - Our Educate/Inspire Sports Marketing Panel will convene, featuring Buffalo Bills (Russell Brandon), Watkins Glen (Craig Rust), Choice One (former principal now CEO of Rocket Broadband, Phil Yawmen), and Pepsi, TBD.

Time: Noon - 1:30
Location: Monroe Country Club
Learn more and register at this link.

Dreaming of Sponsorships

RAMA (Rochester Chapter, American Marketing Association) has been steadily increasing the caliber of events and programs that we hold here in Rochester, New York.  For us to continue to be successful, we seek sponsors who are interested in a win-win arrangement that benefits their cause as well as RAMA's.

RAMA recently hosted a luncheon on sports marketing.  One of the speakers was Craig Rust from Watkins Glen International. 
I was really impressed by their ability to activate great sponsorships.  

Looking at a list of their sponsors is like a who's who of New York and national companies.  Most of the sponsors listed there are ones I'd expect to see for motor sports events.  Oh, and there are opportunities for companies who may not be ready for full sponsorships to entertain some of their clients.

BUT...

Market Research Boot Camp

RAMA presents it's first, ever, Market Research Boot Camp. This one-of-a-kind program will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to develop and manage research projects.

What can be accomplished? Well, you'll learn how market research works to help achieve strategic and tactical marketing goals.

You'll also Learn the fundamentals of research design...including...

• The differences between qualitative, quantitative and experimental methods.
• Analytical techniques such as cross tabs, correlation and other statistical testing methods (for non-statisticans)
• Reporting, action planning and feedback topics.

Who should attend?

• Marketing researchers new to the field
• Seasoned marketers who need an update or an introduction to research
• Marketing practitioners who interface with research suppliers.

The Boot Camp Faculty consists of:

• Sanjog R. Misra: Associate Professor of Marketing, Ph.D., Marketing, State University of New York at Buffalo
• Josk (J.J.) Brakus: Assistant Professor of Marketing, Pn.D., Marketing, Columbia University

WHEN: Thursday, November 30th, 2006
TIME: 8:30am - 4:30pm
WHERE: Simon Graduate School of Business
University of Rochester
407 Schlegel Hall
Rochester, NY 14627

FEE: Professionals: $350, Students: $100

Register today at this link.

Registration closes November 23rd.
            

Seth Godin Rocks the House!

[UPDATE 11/5/06: the author discovered her closing line stuck in the middle of the RNews quote! Sorry! Had to fix it and put it where it belongs.]

Last Wednesday's Seth Godin presentation rocked the socks off of Rochester! You can see Seth's comments on his blog, here. He mentions our own Jennifer Young (yay Jennifer!) and the fact that Rochester has enthusiastic people - people who do more than just show up!

That is just so true! Thank you, Seth for noticing. What gave us away? Was it our loud cheering when Jennifer introduced sponsors? Was it our constant chatter...amongst ourselves - talking buzz and marketing and where to find the next big thing? Or, was it our overwhelmingly enthusiastic reponse to the over-the-top presentation you gave?

For the record: here's my take-away... Seth showed us how to be smart about marketing today. In fact, it's as if we need to get away from that idea - of 'marketing to the masses' because it's ever harder to get people's attention in a world that is overflowing with -- messages, both good and bad. So, Seth says...

• Ideas that spread win. (gossip - blogs - word of mouth)
• The industrial complex has been 'broken' by the Internet. (where do we go today for information and connections? The Internet Cafe)
• Don't Tell people why you're better; TEACH them why you're better. (Show don't tell - age-old advice, actually)
• Use emotional marketing: do they love it? (we'll talk about you, if we love you)
• Work the grapevine - have spirit and passion - use a megaphone, not a funnel. (don't throw content into a funnel and hope the good stuff trickles out; turn the funnel upsidedown and use it as a megaphone)

Here's what RAMA's President Elect, Denis Caysinger, said about Seth and last Wednesday's event:

"I was struck by the energy in the room. RAMA was host to Seth Godin this week, a remarkable voice in marketing, and the experience was electric! Our V.P. of programs for RAMA, Jennifer Young, pulled together one of the most fulfilling events I've ever been to. After the event, everybody I talked with was  stoked! And it all started by Jennifer asking a question: Can I get Seth Godin? Questions, and the creative discussions that ensue, are one of the most valuable tools in marketing. And it helps to think big!"

Yep - we were enthusiastic, for sure! In fact, our President, John Richelson, was almost speechless. His thank-you at the conclusion of Seth's funny, creative, inspiring talk, was one of awe.

"That was really good," he said - but he meant, "That was the best presentation I've ever been to in Rochester!" Well, that's what I think he meant. Maybe he can chime in and tell us for himself.

And, this from our own RNews: "There's a new feel to advertising these days. Ads are all about me, or rather you.

Small is the New Big…and that's the name of marketing guru and author, Seth Godin's, new book.

Godin said it used to be good to be a big company like Kodak or Xerox, with big buildings, large lists of employees, and plenty of bucks to spend on advertising. Big used to be safe.

But not anymore. Godin said the old model was average stuff for average people... now you can make plenty of money selling just the right thing to just the right people."

Thank you, D-D, for the great local coverage!

See you soon...with more great marketing news and events.  

Small is the New Big in Rochester

Seth should be arriving in just an hour or so. The luncheon is all set - the players are in place - and we are all hyped! RAMA has been phenomenally talented in bringing in such outstanding speakers - like Seth Godin - in to talk marketing, for the last two years.

I'm tingling with excitement. Will report on the event tomorrow or Friday! I'm sure I'll have too many notes to fit in one post. All I can say is: Small is the New Big!

Stay tuned for other exciting events - driven by the dedication of our members, especially Jennifer  Young, program chair. She's a dynamo!