Blog o' RAMA

Congrats to the MOY Award Winners!

Download RAMAPresentation-Marvel-PeterCuneo.pdf (558.0K)

Keynote speaker Peter Cuneo from Marvel promised his powerpoint presentation from his keynote at our MOY event this week - since there was little time for him to actually present it: see above.

I know all who attended will rave for weeks to come on what he did talk about: Ironman production (complete with the Ironman fantastic trailer!) and The Incredible Hulk, my personal favorite, with amazing trailor video, and how the brand image of Marvel's characters is handled (hint: as if they are human), and how they are each separate unto themselves, but all part of the bigger whole.

His experience turning Marvel around, creating a brand power-hourse from the ashes of a group of burning comic book heroes, is just one of many he could have told us. He's the turnaround King and we all hope he'll come back to do the real presentation - the "here's how I did it" presentation, someday. More on Peter another time...stories of movie production and Robert Downey Jr. and Gwenth Paltrow.

But, let's move on to the MOY Award Winners for 2008 who were presented with their awards at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on May 7th - with our sincere appreciation to ALL who entered. Every entry deserves congratulations for a job well done. Rochester's rich talent for all forms of marketing was evident in each and every entry. And the winners are...

RAMA and eBusiness Association Present: an interview with Luke Wroblewski

Interview with Luke Wroblewski in preparation for our December 7th all day, hands-on seminar. Yvonne DiVita and Luke talk visual vocabulary and Web 2.0 Design. Luke will explain some of his insight into the human aspect of design and reveal a bit of what he's going to share with us on the 7th.

Brandjam the RAMA Way

We hosted brand expert, Marc Gobe, yesterday, at the Riverside Convention Center. He was marvelous!

The focus was introducing a new concept to marketing - that of the Brand jam (in honor of his book, which was given to every attendee). In other words, more minds at the table create more opportunity to touch customers with an emotional message. A true jamming session. Can't you just hear the music?

I polled the RAMA board and got some immediate responses. Here are the two questions I asked, with answers from our illustrious president, Denis Caysinger, and from one of our program chairs, Katharine McMahon.

I asked, "What was the biggest/best take-away idea you got from the presentation?

And, "Will you be sharing your experience from yesterday with co-workers and business colleagues? How?"

Denis said, I was surprised how much he he uses market research, while at the same time understanding the limitations of research.  Their agency has a really good process to uncover insights at a much deeper level than most agencies are ever are able to do.

I've already talked to one of my co-workers and told her she should have been there to hear the talk.  All of the information about social networking, emotional connection, etc. is something she would have been very interested in.  Her loss!

Katharine said, "The integration of supliers/vendors into the brandjam and how that can amplify the results."

I have already given the book to a couple of people who couldn't attend, and I sent the link to the blog interview to a couple of my clients.

Marc Gobe Talks Brandjam and Emotional Branding with Yvonne DiVita

Enjoy this short discussion with Marc Gobe discussing Brandjam, his book...and his concept (think jazz) before his appearance in Rochester, NY on Sept. 27th. In a world that has come to embrace citizen input in marketing, Gobe talks about the emotional reasons why.

Details on the luncheon event here.

MP3 File

The New Influencers by Paul Gillin

I had the distinct pleasure of reading Paul Gillin's new book, The New Influencers, recently. I wrote about it on my blog at Lip-sticking, and thought I'd share some of my thoughts here, too.

As a blogging professional - someone who blogs for pay, and for pleasure - I was pretty eager to read this new book about how social media is changing the way we do business today. I've read a whole lot of books on this subject, and even worked on some, but this one is different. It stands out from the others because it doesn't preach. Gillin isn't out to change your mind about social media and blogging. He's out to show you what it is, how some smart people have used it, and how you might consider using it, also.

One of the best things about this book is the way Gillin writes. He's conversational. It almost feels as if you're reading a blog! Because social media is so proactive and transparent, it attracts a lot of people. That's what this book is about. The people. Some bloggers are good writers and reporters, some aren't. Some are in it for the fun...some for profit. All of them count - and Gillin explains why.

But...some count more than others, and that's the key.

Marketing Thought Publishing Contest

The Silicon Valley American Marketing Association is inviting marketing thought leaders to submit their unpublished, groundbreaking ideas for the first ever National "Marketing Thought Publishing Contest."

The contest is "designed to discover fresh new marketing ideas that are creative in experimentation and ahead of the curve in concept." The SVAMA invites indsutry professionals to submit an entry by visiting their website. Submissions are free and the entry deadline is May 18th.

Winners will be revealed at the SVAMA "Marketing Thought - Ideas That Drive Results" conference, a unique one-day event that brings together the best minds, brands, and agencies in marketing - on Thursday, May 31, 2007, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.

“We’re surrounded by creativity and innovation, but until now, there hasn’t been a venue in Northern California that focuses specifically on identifying and discussing the next best marketing ideas,” said Gene Hall, president of SVAMA. “The publishing contest provides all marketers with the opportunity to be heard and allows us to showcase the top minds and innovators in the industry.”

Judges include:

• Lisa Keefe, Editor, Marketing News, Chicago (Moderator)
• Andy Getsey, Co-Found and CEO, Atomic Public Relations
• Garrett Laurence, Managing Director, Doremus San Francisco
• Cynthia Holladay, Former President, SVAMA, and Sole recipient of Chapter of the Year Award (2002)
• Mitchell Levy, CEO, Quick2Publish
• Tony Seba, Educator, Author and Mentor Capitalist, Stanford University
• Andy Sernovitz, Author of Word of Mouth Marketing and Found of Word of Mouth Marketing Association

Judging will be based on originality, professionalism, customer focus, demonstration of marketing best practices, potential impact on the marketing profession, precision of description and ease of understanding. Finalists will receive free admission to the conference, as well as an opportunity to present their concepts alongside marketing visionaries and this year's keynote speakers: Guy Kawasaki and Andy Sernovitz.

Winners will receive industry recognition and the "Thought Leader of the Year" award, and winning concepts will be published in SVAMA's newest book, Marketing Thought, sponsored by SVAMA and Quick2Publish.

AdAge Go Sit in the Corner!

A little ranting here - on behalf of those professionals who actually want to excel at what they do, including marketing.

A friend (member of our board - Jennifer Young) sent me a note about AdAge doing a scathing review of Seth Godin's new book, not out yet but many of us have advance proofs, in which they essentially said,"..."The Dip" is little more than hollow self-motivation pap, the sort of stuff that late-life losers spend hundreds of dollars on at seminars across the country in some desperate hope to pull their lives together. I'd say "The Dip" reads like a bunch of disjointed blog posts, but that would be an insult to the hundreds of bloggers out there crafting thoughtful, insightful essays about business."

Wow! Ken Wheaton and Matt Kinsley sound like two guys who still need Mommy to hold their hand when they cross the street! They were looking through The Dip (which takes italics, guys, NOT quotation marks), as if it's the Holy Grail or something. Exactly the kind of thing folks who don't want to do the work of learning how to accomplish a goal react when someone of some expertise says, "Just go do it."

I am not a huge fan of Seth Godin. I'm a fan, just not a huge fan. I am a huge fan of his writings, however. And, this particular book hits the proverbial nail right on the head! It's a, "Just go do it," kind of book. It includes advice on when NOT to keep doing it - because you're roaming around a circle that never ends. In fact, to quote from the book,"Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other."

Matt and Ken want the 'secret' of what's the right stuff and what's the wrong stuff. They accuse the publishing industry of "slobbering" over writers like Seth, as if he's the greatest writer out there - when the reality is: the world likes Seth, so, of course the publishing industry is going to like him. It's never the writer, it's the audience. As long as smart people keep reading Seth, they'll keep publishing him. And, for the not-so smart readers who read him and think he's an overwinded blowhard, so be it. You're entitled to your opinion. Go read some pop psychology, if it will make you feel better.

Here's the scoop, folks. There are no answers. There certainly are no EASY answers. The advice to "Just go do it" is the best you'll ever get. If Seth had outlined everything step you need to take to build a world class organization, he would fail you miserably. It's NOT FOR HIM TO SAY what YOU should do. It's for YOU to figure out.

The book the AdAge boys tout, I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!: Daily Affirmations By Stuart Smalley sounds like Pop Psychology to me- real drivel, if you will. (no, I haven't read it - sounds too mamby-pamby for me.)

IF you don't know when to quit, you're NOT good enough. If you don't have a clue about when to persevere and when to pack up and move on, you're NOT smart enough. And, I don't really care if people like you. People liked Ted Bundy and Aaron Burr, and the Mayflower Madam - so what? Doggone it, does that make them worth paying attention to?

Here's the fundamental truth - as Lee Thayer would say, "If you want to be a success - don't fail."

Simple as that. The Dip outlines exact moments that you might want to be thoughtful about moving forward or quitting. Because sometimes - you're better off saying, "This isn't working. Let's do something else." And, it all happens in just under 80 pages. Ken's and Matt's author takes 352 pages, bent on convincing you... that good enough is good enough.

Let me think: in my time-strapped life which book do I want to read on the plane that will help me make a success of my business? And, as a leader, is it my role to recognize the right time to quit, or to motivate my partners and workers to be happy because they're good enough, smart enough, and people like them?

In the end, I want to be the BEST - not good enough. I don't much care if people like me - hard choices are seldom popular. As Seth says: "In a free market, we reward exceptional." As Lee Thayer says, "High-performance: hard. Mediocrity: easy."

Are you getting the message? Read The Dip. And then, read Lee's book, How Executives Fail: 25 Surefire Recipes for Sabotaging Your Career.

If you know Matt and Ken, send them a copy.

Leadership Summit Here We Come!

Tomorrow morning a group of us from the RAMA board will get on a plane headed to Chicago. We're attending the Leadership Summit for those who serve on the board of the American Marketing Association. Most of us went last year - though we have a couple of newbies among us this year.

Last year I remember being a bit overwhelmed. All those marketing professionals in one place! Wow! It was loud, exciting, and very educational. The best part, from my perspective, was Bob Love's keynote during lunch on Saturday. He was so outstanding, it brought tears to everyone's eyes. And, his story is so inspirational, everyone came away pumped to go back home and not let anything stand in their way!

Ok - we had hoped to be Chapter of the Year, this year...and though we missed it by a hair (really, we were that close), we learned so much about being a chapter that stands above the average, that we're going to try again for next year.

I hope to see some familiar faces. I hope to learn more about how other chapters are using the web. And I hope to commune with my fellow board members. Last year we all had such a good time - in between learning modules, of course - that I think it helped us focus on achievement this year.

That's the goal, I think. Achievement. In marketing, in connecting with more local groups and businesses, and in meeting and greeting more people, face-to-face.

Word Of Mouth Marketing

Conferences seem to abound this time of the year. I bet you could find a conference on almost any topic, being held somewhere in the U.S. this week, or next. It's hard to keep up with all the invitations I get delivered to my email box. And, it's interesting, too. Because I get invited to all manner of conferences that have little or nothing to do with my expertise - for instance, technical conferences, software conferences, conferences about operations. Obviously, I'm on a 'list' somewhere.

I delete all the inappropriate conferences, usually without even reading who else is attending or speaking. Sometimes I glance at the agenda - but, mostly I just think about how stupid it is in today's personalized world of marketing, to send anything to someone who doesn't want or need it.

Now, let me share a few conferences I do approve of and though I'm not attending, they're important ones for you to consider, if you're in marketing. You are, aren't you?

One is Kid Power 2007, in Orlando. This event (which I discovered on Lucid Marketing's blog) "is a dynamic way to learn about what's cool and what's hot in reaching kids and their families." Since we know kids tend to influence a lot of the stuff their Moms and Dads buy, I think this is a conference worth considering. Wish I could go.

Another one is going on now so you won't be able to attend, but you should be aware of it - maybe think about attending it at a later date. They hold these conferences throughout the year. It's a WOMMA conference: Word of Mouth Marketing Association. At this week's basic training you could have learned how to spread the word, you could have met with 50+ expert speakers, and listened to 20 real case studies. This is such an outstanding conference, I would give it an A++++. In fact, when I attended and spoke there last year, I was thorougly captivated. I'd be there now, except I have been out of the office more than in the office in the last month...so, I had to sacrifice! I'll be there next year.

Michele Miller, marketing to women expert extraordinaire, is holding a seminar, not a conference, that I also think is well worth your time. Michele is so smart and funny (just watch her video), and so tuned in to the true inner workings of women, that her Marketing to Women Seminar is sure to be more than just a learning session. You'll learn, you'll be enlightened, and you'll have fun. I only know this because I know Michele via my Lip-sticking blog. Check her out at the Wizard Academy, and visit her blog at WonderBranding.

Women's Automotive Association

Over at my 'other' blog, I have a post about the New York Auto Show which was held at the Jacob Javits Center last week. It's live until the 15th, so the website says. Silly me, I went there to speak...and forgot to figure in time to see the show!

I was invited to talk about Marketing to Women Online at the Women's Automotive Association International. It was a flattering offer, which came from my friend Jody DeVere, over at Ask Patty, a blog about cars, and women, and women and cars.

I'm writing about this because the auto show is pretty popular - at least that's what I hear. And, because the auto industry is starting to recognize that women buy cars.

It's not a news flash - although it seems like one to us gals. Car dealerships and car salesmen (or women) have been treating women car buyers like empty-headed wind-up dolls for so long, we're all  waiting to see if this new attention is going to last. I was pleasantly surprised to see a number of (brave?) men at the Women's Automotive breakfast, and even more pleasantly surprised when a few of them bought my book.

The automotive industry is just one of many that are waking up to the power of the purse. We ladies are pretty influential in this country - we are responsible for over 80% of the goods and services bought and sold here (no, we don't make 80% of them, but we either buy them or influence the people who do buy them). So, my message today is: give us a break. Stop marketing to us as if we all want pink parasols. Let us ask dumb questions - truth is, if the question was really dumb, we wouldn't be asking it. And, wake up to the fact that women run businesses just like men - in other words, we need all the same supplies and attention our male counterparts need.

It might help to stop and think the next time you're preparing a pitch for a marketing plan. Is a woman going to sign the PO, or the check, or the contract? If not, you can bet there's one standing behind the man that is signing. And she isn't his wife - it's more likely she's his partner, or an investor, or the VP of sales. Someone you should be courting - if you want her business.