Blog o' RAMA

Calling all RAMA members who want to get the most out of their membership!

It's that time of the year, again. Time to step up and participate. We're eager to hear from YOU - do you have a suggestion for the RAMA board? Would YOU like to serve on the board? This is your chance to paricipate in choosing events and making decisions as a RAMA Board Member. Help us become the best chapter in the country!

Download the interactive nomination forms here, fill them in, save, and return -- either email the form to John Richelsen or follow the directions at the bottom of the form to fax and/or mail it in.

We're counting on you! As a current board member, I can tell you honestly that this is a GREAT board - we have fun, and we learn a lot about marketing and about business. But we can't do it alone...we're looking for a few good men and women...like YOU!

Go Red for the American Heart Association!

On Thursday January 25 RAMA (Rochester Chapter, American Marketing Association) was fortunate to have representatives from the American Heart Association come and talk to us about their Go Red for Women campaign.  Talk about a marketing success story!    The campaign is designed to raise awareness with women (and men) about the risks women have for heart disease.  In just three short years this campaign has increased awareness of the problem among U.S. women four-fold!

I was one of about 90 attendees who learned that heart disease is the number 1 killer of U.S. women.

February 2, 2007 is national Go Red for Women Day.  Many landmarks around the country will be lit up in red light to mark this important day.  There will also be many companies nationally who will encourage their employees to wear red that day.

Let's light up Rochester in red, and recognize this important cause!

I Link, Therefore I Am

On Tuedsay, February 27, 2007, RAMA and WME Blogs will present
2 seminar/workshops in 1 day!

Entitled "I Link, Therefore I Am: Using Blogs and Social Media Proactively," the morning session will cover many blogging and social media basics and the afternoon session will get into the nut-and-bolts of building a Presence online using blogs and social media. For more details on the programs visit the EVENTS page.

Blogging 101 Morning registration starts at 8:30. Session starts at 9:00 and includes continental breakfast. Session ends at 11:30.
Cost: $69 for AMA members. $99 for non-members.

Blogging 201 Afternoon registration starts at 12:30. Session starts at 1:00 and includes refreshments. Session ends at 4:00. Presenters will be available until 4:30 for extra Q&A, if needed.
Cost: $139 for AMA members. $169 for non-members.

Cost to attend BOTH sessions: Members - $188. Non-members- $238. Includes ALL.

Board Members: $75 for the day. No student or volunteer discounts.

Join us the Airport Holiday Inn for the morning, the afternoon, or both!

For more information, visit our Events page. To register, click here.

More About Best of the Web

As Yvonne mentioned in a previous post, the Simon School Communications Blog and Kodak's A Thousand Words Blog were nominated in the Rochester Business Journal's (RBJ) 10th Best of Web Competition.  Both were named finalists in the Blog category.

Since I work for Kodak, I had the chance to speak with Denise Stinardo, Manager of New Media in Kodak's Communications and Public Affairs Department.  Denise provides the day to day management for Kodak's Blog.

I asked Denise how Kodak's Blog started.  Denise said " A Thousand Words Blog was an initiative that came from several groups in the Corporate Marketing Office.  Team members from Communications and Public Affairs, kodak.com, Kodak Gallery, Worldwide Information Systems, Purchasing, Legal, Business Units, and Regional Offices collaborated to launch A Thousand Words." 

I asked Denise how many bloggers contribute to Kodak's Blog.  Denise replied "A Thousand Words has about 25 employee contributors that post daily weekday content.  These bloggers are Kodak employees from around the world: US, Australia, China, Italy, and the UK."

I asked Denise what Kodak thought about the RBJ nomination.  Denise said " It is an honor to receive the nomination and be chosen as a finalist, especially since the blog launched in September 2006.  It's a great reflection on the contributors that are posting stories that convey their passion about photography.  The nomination confirms that A Thousand Words' great design and layout shines through."

In my opinion, the Simon School Communications Blog and Kodak's A Thousand Words Blog are already winners- they skyrocketed into the blogosphere ahead of many others!  RAMA wishes the Simon School and Kodak the best of luck in the competition!  We look forward to knowing the results of the competition in all 8 categories in February.

Who wants to do a survey like this?

Here at RAMA (Rochester Chapter, American Marketing Association) we are always looking for innovations in marketing.  I just read about an interesting new way to conduct surveys - via cell phone.

Market Tools, a market research supplier, announced that they are now able to conduct surveys with consumers via the consumer's cell phone. They go on to say that Warner Brothers has used this technology to survey moviegoers.

Being in the research business, this got my gears turning. Who pays for the cell airtime?  Who pays for the text messages flying back and forth?  How do you get people to agree to do this?

After my initial surprise, I started thinking differently. Who is into text messaging?  Mostly people  younger than me. This could be a great way to connect with consumers under 25 years of age.

Just goes to show that world moves fast, and there are lots of opportunities in the white space to commercialize products based on cell phone technology.

What do you think about this?

Great Viral Video ... by Kodak???

It may be hard to believe for those of us that grew up with Kodak, but Kodak has a viral video that ROCKS! Many of us think of Kodak as this old-fashioned, traditional company -- which is exactly the image that this video (called Winds of Change) is trying to combat.

Although this video started as an internal piece, it ended up on YouTube and other websites in December and according to an Advertising Age article is "ranking high on viral-video charts and is garnering big laughs and praise". (Note: Advertising Age is a subscription site.)

I personally think this is a great step for Kodak - a way to start to challenge its image as the icon of traditional photography and get consumers to think Kodak when they think digital. Kodak's booth at CES definitely reflected this shift as well - it was totally focused on digital offerings like the latest digital cameras and photo frames, as well as techology like the Kodak Gallery. They even played the Winds of Change video on the giant video wall in the booth.

I would love to know what others in our RAMA community think ... does this video change your perception of Kodak as a player in the digital world?

Trends: What's On the List?

All the blogs and mags are writing about them - the 'trends' for 2007. Online marketing is the overall winner - leading the pack with 528,000,000 results for a Google search. A search on 'marketing blogs' brings in a respectable 132,000,000 - and, leading the pack in that arena is one of my best blog buddies, Toby Bloomberg of Diva Marketing. [Found THIS legal marketing blog on page two of that search; who says lawyers can't blog?]

I'm going to side with B.L. Ochman of What's Next Blog. She's not only an A-list blogger I admire, she's smart, savvy, and she isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I'm especially interested in her take on numbers 2 and 3 in her list.

Do YOU have predictions? What's going on at YOUR company? Is there a BLOG in your future? Where do you see social media and consumer generated, interactive marketing fitting in to your marketing plans? Is the Internet going to dominate what kinds of marketing you do this year, or... are you still too confused, wary, or unconvinced that your customers are really in charge?

Best of the Web

WOW! The RAMA board is twice-blessed by having two board members' companies as finalists in the Best of the Web awards, sponsored by our own RBJ. To quote from the RBJ's website, "The newspaper launched the competition in 1996 to spotlight the leading efforts among area businesses in the then-emerging phenomenon of the World Wide Web. This year’s finalists include large companies, small firms and non-profit organizations."

I'll let Martha write about Kodak - as she is more 'intimately' associated with that blog (she works for Koday, okay?) but I want to talk about The Simon School Communications Blog. First, I need to reveal that my company, WME Blogs, built the blog and is working with Dawn McWilliams and Charla Kucko (yes, she's related to a popular sports announcer) on the blog. And, we're mighty proud to be doing that.

The Simon School "prides itself as the place Where Thinkers Become Leaders (tm) " - a very apt description of the two ladies in charge of the blog. It is also one of the top-ranked graduate business schools in the world - and is noted "for its economics-based, cross-functional approach to business education, emphasizing the interactive nature of business decisions."

And, it's right here in our own backyard - part of the illustrious University of Rochester! RAMA  wishes the Simon School the best - and believes that both Kodak and the Simon School will come out winners in this contest because they're embracing the social nature of blogging when many others in their space are still too shy.

Let's Have a Heart Healthy Lunch

On Thursday, January 25th, RAMA will be hosting a Heart Healthy lunch at one of Rochester's most popular restaurants - Mario's, on Monroe Ave.

This event will explore the details behind the award winning "Go Red for Women" campaign designed and developed by the American Heart Association. If your New Year's resolution is to learn something new, make a new contact, be more charitable, and eat healthier, we know you won't want to miss this exciting event!

Allison Harvey, Director of Development Operations at the National Center and Trina Tardone-Steinhart, Marketing Director for the "Go Red for Women" campaign, Northeast Affiliate, will be our speakers. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the American Heart Association of Rochester.

Be there - and eat hearty!

• When: Thursday, January 25th, 11:30 (networking) to 1:30 PM
• Where: Mario's - 2740 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14618.

Register here. Don't forget to wear RED! Sponsored by Strong Memorial Hospital, Heart and Vascular Center.