Sharing Stories In A Modern Society

Some stories are meant to be shared. They elicit strong emotional responses like fear, excitement, hope, inspiration. Powerful stories reward the dessicated soul and lead a mind to wonder... Stories can be a journey that brand can endeavor to create and encourage/entice consumers to embark upon. When the consumer outpaces the brand to assume the lead, has the story gone viral?

Authenticity in Social Media

Following on Twitter can be trial and error. Most often, tweets from trusted folks I follow lead to great finds of people, content, tips, and information. Sometimes, though, I'm surprised with what appears to be a shallow and self-centered existence by brands purportedly in this for the community. But without contributing material of substance and constantly self-promoting, how can they be genuine, authentic, or real?

Corporate Twitter: Tweet This!

What hasn't already been written about corporate engagement in Twitter? I think what's been missing is the consumer/user experience. Or, more specifically, how to extend the Twitter "follow" to more fully envelope and engage members of your target audience. Beyond the tweet...

Is Your Brand A Leader in the 1% Club?

The strongest brands are those which immerse themselves into their consumer base. These brands (think performers like P&G) recognize that the measure of success stems from consumer acceptance, which is tied to relevancy. Does your brand stand above the competition and focus on listening and learning from its consumers?

Where’s the Beef? Er, Value?

Dear Mr. Company: Please make me an offer I can't refuse. Feel my pain, learn what my frustrations and limitations are. Offer something really great, a product or a service that will save me time, smooth my process, make things more convenient. Bring value into this equation and you could be looking at stewardship, baby.

Examine Your Motivations, Blogger!

I read a comment in Twitterverse today, something like "Will blogging supplant traditional journalism?" and thought that was an interesting and intriguing question. I'm not qualified to be a journalist or news writer (sheepskin notwithstanding), but I love blogging. I love writing posts for my blog, reading the blogs of others, adding comments to blogs. I love bookmarking blogs and comparing bloggers' positions on the same issue. I know why I blog (and Twitter and network); do you?

Commitments: Programs vs. Campaigns

When consulting with folks about their marketing plans, it's important to reinforce distinctions between campaign-type tactics and deep-rooted programs. It's possible that the group may not have consciously evaluated the efforts as distinct, and yet there are clear differences that must be understood and internalized.

What Does It Take to be a Successful Female Leader?

By interviewing women from over the world, McKinsey has gathered data that informed the creation of a development model called Centered Leadership. This model seeks to neutralize certain gender obstacles that traditionally face career-oriented women and instead leverage a woman's innate character traits to an advantage.

Exercise Constitutional Right to Filter Bad Direct Mail

Personal politics not withstanding, most anyone (breathing) could agree that there is a tremendous amount of advertising, promotion, community-building, and marketing in this years' campaign trails, on state and federal levels. The accusatory tone of much of the messaging, coupled with the 360 degree cocooning of every man, woman, and child borders on insincere and untrustworthy. Once elected, do politicos ever attack issues with the same ferver with which they attack each other? Do they continue to take as much care (read: send me as much mail) to communicate with me, once in office?

Social Media Is a Child’s Toy

If you're still working your arms around what it looks like to participate in social media, how a blog here hooks into a Tweet there which results in a post there, then maybe you need to head to Toys R Us and spend a few bucks on a can of...