tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66656212024-03-25T01:09:06.191-05:00Marketing Genius from Maple CreativeMarketing tips, observations & philosophy, plus a few rants and random musings - from those who practice, preach and teach marketing, research, advertising, public relations and business strategy.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-29846644042266058972010-08-30T12:05:00.005-05:002010-08-30T12:21:57.558-05:00Oliver's Personal Brand - a Letter to Gillian<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljIp8GRcgzF-wtLGIoSW3I6M2oOeGUyyiqPdnaLY_qG16o-XgqcYM8EWg3n1qQk57jBVuvut7bn-iVX7l_6C1B9vd_4aN0HuFqBqa8C3q105FdZ7kfBw-UktqJP3OoWMP1-vSfg/s1600/executive_letter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511253489450074658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljIp8GRcgzF-wtLGIoSW3I6M2oOeGUyyiqPdnaLY_qG16o-XgqcYM8EWg3n1qQk57jBVuvut7bn-iVX7l_6C1B9vd_4aN0HuFqBqa8C3q105FdZ7kfBw-UktqJP3OoWMP1-vSfg/s320/executive_letter.jpg" border="0" /></a>All of the cutting-edge social networking in the world pales in comparison to the effect that a thougthful, personalized one-to-one interaction can have on your <a href="http://blog.brand-yourself.com/category/personal-brand/">personal brand</a>. Nothing illustrates that more clearly than this wonderful, true story I’m about to share with you. To begin this story, allow me to introduce you to the characters:<br /><br /><strong>Glenn</strong> is a personal friend of mine, a college classmate. We attended West Virginia University (WVU) together in the mid-1980′s.<br /><br /><strong>Gillian</strong> is Glenn’s 10 year old daughter, a sixth grader.<br /><br /><strong>Oliver Luck</strong> is the newly-hired athletic director at WVU. He also starred at quarterback at WVU in the early 1980′s. Oliver went on to play in the NFL. His playing days were followed by a successful <a href="http://blog.brand-yourself.com/category/career/">career</a> in sports management, notably with the NFL – Europe league.<br /><br />Now, let’s proceed with the story. Glenn is a great father. He frequently takes his daughter and son on road trips for fun and education. He is especially fond of exposing his children, who presently reside in New Jersey, to his former “stomping grounds” in West Virginia.<br /><br />Recently, Glenn and Gillian took a trip to Morgantown to visit WVU. Following this trip, his daughter was left with a question. As Glenn explained:<br /><div><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#990000;">My daughter is convinced that she is going to WVU even though she is just going into the 6th grade. She plays pretty competitive travel softball. I pointed out to her that WVU currently does not have a softball team, and she asked why. I explained that a university-level sports team is very expensive to run and she asked me who she should talk to about the university getting a team. I told her to write a letter to the new Athletic Director, Oliver Luck. So she did… and he responded!<br /><br />Who knows if she will keep playing or ever play at the college level. But I think an awful lot of Oliver Luck for taking the time to draft a very detailed response, and for him to offer her up advice on her future. Pretty cool!</span></p></blockquote><p>Now, here’s the good part. The following is the text from a personal letter that Athletic Director Oliver Luck sent in response to Gillian:</p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Dear Gillian:</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Thank you very much for your letter of July 22. I congratulate you for taking<br />the initiative to send a letter to me–that’s very impressive for a 10-year<br />old. Regarding your issue and women’s softball; I can tell you that I would love<br />to add a number of sports to the WVU Dept. of Athletics, including softball. It<br />would be a great step for us to be in a position to add sports like men’s and<br />women’s golf and men’s and women’s lacrosse as well as the sports that we<br />eliminated a few years ago – men’s tennis and men’s track and cross country.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">I am sure that you understand the financial implications involved in<br />adding additional sports. We estimate that any additional sport will involve at<br />least $1 million in operating costs and of course there would be significant<br />capital costs required to build a new field, locker rooms, etc.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">West Virginia University prides itself on having a financially<br />self-sufficient Dept. of Athletics, one of only a dozen schools in the nation to<br />make the claim. My predecessor, Ed Pastilong, did an incredible job of<br />maintaining this “fiscal independence” and I am determined to continue this<br />under my watch.</span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Gillian, as I learn more about the Dept. of Athletics and the overall<br />University, I will begin the process of looking at the possibility of additional<br />sports being added. Will we add any in the future? The short answer is I don’t<br />yet know. But I can tell you we will look at the possibility.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Please allow me to give you one last bit of advice, something which I have<br />shared with my four kids, including my oldest children who are competing in<br />college athletics: choose a school primarily for academics, not athletics. You<br />want to come out of college as prepared as you can to enter the work force<br />(or perhaps attend graduate school). Your academic success is going to be the<br />key to your success in life. Don’t get me wrong – athletics is tremendous and<br />you will learn a good bit about yourself as you compete in junior high and high<br />school. But you should always focus on your academics.<br /></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Thank you again for your letter and I hope to see you enroll at WVU in the<br />Class of 2022!<br /></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Sincerely, </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">Oliver Luck – Director of Athletics</span></p></blockquote><p>How is Oliver Luck’s <a href="http://blog.brand-yourself.com/category/personal-brand/">personal brand</a> trending these days? No job is without challenges, but Mr. Luck’s reputation is certainly strong and rising, in light of this story and (presumably) many others like it. In conclusion, I will share with you the fact that Glenn distributed this letter to 200 of his friends via e-mail. Without a doubt, he and Gillian have shared this story–and sung the praises of Oliver Luck–with hundreds more.</p><p><em>Incidentally, I met Oliver Luck at a summer football camp at WVU in the early 1980′s; I was impressed with then–now, even more so! </em></p><em></em></div><div><p><a href="http://blog.brand-yourself.com/personal-brand/news/olivers-personal-brand-a-letter-to-gillian/">This post first appeared on the Brand-Yourself Blog on August 27, 2010.<br /></a></p></div>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-88734863494571589072010-08-03T13:18:00.005-05:002010-08-03T13:36:57.444-05:00Upcoming Presentation: WV Broadcasters Association<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqui2oF5Cg06LyuDI2d2Io_6wCkCGnOzznE7uyZ3Qo-4kbtghiFwklntVbDogkeVQWBkEhgdI2K_RklIkRDIs2k6QFnFHYPAq4Ed6PNwniA-TEqVtDshTIGX9smbw5VqGfM2uSKw/s1600/WVBA+-+opt%231.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501254426889974498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqui2oF5Cg06LyuDI2d2Io_6wCkCGnOzznE7uyZ3Qo-4kbtghiFwklntVbDogkeVQWBkEhgdI2K_RklIkRDIs2k6QFnFHYPAq4Ed6PNwniA-TEqVtDshTIGX9smbw5VqGfM2uSKw/s320/WVBA+-+opt%231.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhAW4EG0wH4Fst3QGgSADaorWYl5yGRHJXSEjSHWkEzAGHwrkhw8sCgMVilvCJB_Dcza8gC_IZvnvC-U8U4SgKQ3zpbTw764KZRDnRGKcxBwVXLcKBTxYQtzkpsrNIYHZhblinQ/s1600/WVBA+-+opt%231.JPG"></a>Confession time: I love presentations! Some may call it a sickness. To each his own.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.wvba.com/">WV Broadcasters Association's </a>annual meeting takes place this weekend. I've been asked to present to them about ways to utilize social media to engage and excite their audience.<br /><br />I'm excited about the topic and the request, which signifies that our broadcasters are ready to embrace social media; they do not view it as a threat. Smart position for them to take. I hope my presentation will expose them to some best practices and give them a few new ideas to take home and implement.</div>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-85917816797162653292010-06-20T09:38:00.005-05:002010-06-20T10:16:47.213-05:00Reach Beyond Your Network on West Virginia DayContinuing on this creative tradition, <a href="http://twitter.com/jasonkeeling">Jason Keeling </a>is leading WV bloggers and social media mavens on another exciting project aimed at helping to build <a href="http://www.abetterwv.com/">a better West Virginia</a>. What better occasion than the state's 147th birthday to harness the power of social networks to do something good for the Mountain State! We've all been invited to submit a request. I look forward to seeing what everyone needs and helping out in any way I can.<br /><br /><strong>So here's my request: I need to get connected to Ivanka Trump or her publicist for an opportunity / idea related to my </strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Immediately-Stand-Move-First/dp/1580089992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277045847&sr=8-1"><strong>recently published book</strong></a><strong> that I co-authored with </strong><a href="http://www.professionalstudio365.com/"><strong>Emily Bennington</strong></a><strong>. I believe our book can really fit with and fill a need on </strong><strong>"The Celebrity Apprentice."</strong><a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-apprentice/"><strong><span style="color:#000066;"></span></strong></a><span style="color:#000066;"><blockquote><span style="color:#000066;"></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="color:#000066;">West Virginia Day (June 20) provides an ideal time to celebrate the Mountain State’s many unique qualities, but it also offers us the opportunity to do something for the state’s betterment.</span></blockquote></span><br /><blockquote><p><span style="color:#000066;">The online community is invited to join this year’s “a Better West Virginia Network” effort, intended to help connect organizations, businesses, and individuals according to their need(s).</span></p><p><span style="color:#000066;">For the most part, everyone has some need or challenge that can be solved through networking, and the Internet is an excellent medium for publicizing such needs and generating worthwhile connections.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000066;">Maybe your nonprofit needs more volunteers. Maybe your business needs new clients and/or employees. Perhaps you need a new job. Maybe you’re looking for someone with specialized knowledge to complete a project. Perhaps your community has a specific need.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000066;">In some cases, making local connection(s) could suffice, while other instances may require help from outside of the state. Think locally, nationally, or globally, whichever applies best to your circumstances.</span></p><p><span style="color:#000066;">Here’s how to participate within the “a Better West Virginia Network.” </span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>First, identify and describe the need(s) of your organization, business,<br />community, or individual circumstance. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Second, publish this information on your blog or website, and forward the link to me via email: jason(at)keelingstrategic(dot)com. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Third, return to this blog on West Virginia Day, where a list of the various submissions will be posted. </strong></span></p><p><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Lastly, visitors will be encouraged to peruse the compiled list and help make any connections.</strong></span></p><strong><span style="color:#660000;"></span></strong></blockquote><br /><p>Hop on over to <a href="http://www.abetterwestvirginia.com/2010/06/16/networking-for-a-better-west-virginia/">A Better WV </a>for full details.</p>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-30129994752429012202010-06-14T23:09:00.004-05:002010-06-14T23:40:32.764-05:00Maple Marketing Campaign for Fairmont Federal Credit Union Grabs National Honors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0tjtHly_bpOBYkkqVD9AzEhRDY5W-gV99SBc4b9OMoprS6JY-n_ca6A1TOwr02m7aW3JWEpTNaVuZMFOrNXdslKIn4_Yab4_pBHBmx1oxIF85hlf-fwqID2ACTz8hyphenhyphenygnbgvmw/s1600/CUNAaward.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482850537193800866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz0tjtHly_bpOBYkkqVD9AzEhRDY5W-gV99SBc4b9OMoprS6JY-n_ca6A1TOwr02m7aW3JWEpTNaVuZMFOrNXdslKIn4_Yab4_pBHBmx1oxIF85hlf-fwqID2ACTz8hyphenhyphenygnbgvmw/s320/CUNAaward.bmp" border="0" /></a>As we've <a href="http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/2010/04/maple-marketing-campaign-for-camc.html">stated before</a>, it is fine to win awards within our industry. Back in the early days at Maple Creative, we would get a big boost from Crystal Awards and Addys. As time goes by, however, it seems much more gratifying when our clients win awards for marketing within their professional groups and trade associations.<br />Such was the case again recently when Fairmont Federal Credit Union picked up a pair of Merit Awards in the Diamond Awards Competition at the <a href="http://www.cunamarketingcouncil.org/diamond2010/index.html">2010 CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Conference in Washington, DC. </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fairmontfcu.com/">Fairmont Federal Credit Union</a> won one Merit Award for its <a href="http://www.cunamarketingcouncil.org/images/diamond2010/images/large/10M1FAIRMONT.jpg">direct-mailer</a> and another for its <a href="http://www.cunamarketingcouncil.org/diamond2010/video/_32M1_Fairmont_Rewards_Checking.htm">TV advertising series </a>(campaign), both designed by Maple Creative. The direct-mail piece and the TV ad campaign were but two tactical elements in an integrated marketing campaign for FFCU's Rewards Checking. The campaign was remarkably successful during an unquestionably challenging national and local economic times. In just over a year, FFCU increased membership by 30% and increased deposits to record levels.<br /><br />The keys to success were a strong service offering (Rewards Checking offered great rates and low/no fees for new members), a tightly integrated creative campaign and outstanding coordination between FFCU management and the Maple team. The awards are a nice verification of outstanding success in financial services marketing. But at Maple Creative, nothing is more gratifying than results--especially when those results are of the record-breaking magnitude that our client achieved!Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-57159690216827949362010-04-13T14:59:00.004-05:002010-04-13T15:16:08.093-05:00Don't Let Social Networking Damage Your Personal BrandThe following were actually posted by employees on social media sites from their workstations, during business hours:<br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>“Staff meeting is over. Thanks for sucking the life out of me–again.”</strong> [Brandon]<br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Ummm, hello, Brandon. Are you really that unhappy? Are you aware that your message can be read as: Brandon is a reactive, whiny drama-king who lacks the gumption to leave a job that sucks?</em></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>“Just hanging out here on Facebook – waiting for them to give me something to work on.”</strong> [Allison]<br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Really, Allison? Did you leave your brain at home this morning? I’d suggest you will find it hidden underneath that sack of ambition, which you also forgot to bring to work today.</em></span><br /><br />And<a href="http://thenextweb.com/2009/08/09/note-friend-boss-fb-bitch-job/"> this now-infamous example from NextWeb.com </a>of a young woman who was fired by her Facebook-friend-boss:<br /><blockquote>OMG I HATE MY JOB!!! My boss is a total pervvy wanker always making me do $hit stuff just to pi$$ me off!! WANKER!!</blockquote><br />Obviously, she forgot that she had Friend’d her boss. Do take a moment and click over to read the boss’ response, which is classic!<br /><br />The stories of so-called professionals getting fired, suspended, or disciplined as a result of what they posted, Tweeted, updated, chatted, or shared on social media sites are becoming more frequent and more outrageous. An article last Fall on <a href="http://mashable.com/2009/08/10/social-media-misuse/">Mashable, citing stats from a Proofpoint study</a>, indicate that roughly 1 out of every 8 companies (12%) have fired an employee for reasons related to social networking. The rate of occurrence has doubled in a year’s time.<br /><br />This is only going to worsen as GPS/location-based apps (like <a href="http://foursquare.com/">Foursquare</a> and <a href="http://brightkite.com/">Brightkite</a>) that run on our iPhones and Blackberries tell the world (and our employer) where we are.<br />Remember: In many cases, your phones are paid for by your company so it’s not hard to imagine the following exchange in the all-too-near future--<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#990000;">Boss: Dave, you weren’t really attending your aunt’s funeral yesterday, now were you?</span></em><br /><em><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Dave: What do you mean?</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">Boss: Well, unless they had the funeral at Wrigley Field, it looks like you enjoyed a Cubs double-header.</span><span style="color:#990000;"><br /><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;"></span><span style="color:#990000;">Dave (now perspiring): No way. I swear.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;">Boss (tossing a screen print at his soon-to-be fired employee): Dave, it’s all right here on the GPS report that we get from your Blackberry. And you might want to think about turning off Foursquare when you’re playing hooky – from your <strong>next</strong> job.</span></em><br /><em><br /></em>Do you know your company’s social media policy? Are employees allowed to spend time on sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube while at work? Or are such practices forbidden?<br /><br />We can complain about “Big Brother” policies by employers. We can cry about how it’s wrong for management to “spy” on us. But here’s what it all boils down to: when you are on company time, you are on the company dime. The employer makes the rules and, when you accept a job, you accept their rules. So don’t allow your social media activities to undermine your success. Be smart and be informed – or your next Tweet may be in search of a job!Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-42310617244083512302010-04-09T11:22:00.004-05:002010-04-09T11:43:14.614-05:00Maple Marketing Campaign for CAMC Garners National Recogntion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKi17ZUzBtko9w_dhRzkhXP7J0Wboc9cTMJAmGIWtkcLD-sduqES18hWfoXxPTH73aMUI6yVdFHixsDxSaDHAuLxgCdiZA7WbUTwYmGBkaPYMQipZdyQxa6FnDQFjdWpk-18nHQ/s1600/MajorAward3593.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458174528951737490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 234px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxKi17ZUzBtko9w_dhRzkhXP7J0Wboc9cTMJAmGIWtkcLD-sduqES18hWfoXxPTH73aMUI6yVdFHixsDxSaDHAuLxgCdiZA7WbUTwYmGBkaPYMQipZdyQxa6FnDQFjdWpk-18nHQ/s320/MajorAward3593.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="color:#990000;">Our campaign for The Fertility Center at CAMC was recognized by </span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/about-us.cfm"><span style="color:#990000;">HealthLeaders</span></a><span style="color:#990000;"> as the "Best Service Line Marketing," earning the Platinum Award (pictured at left) in the large hospital category. This is great news! We're pleased to share this honor with our client. From our view, it's fine to shine--but making our clients look good is a far greater accomplishment.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Details about the awards and the campaign are included in this </span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/MAR-249220/Gasps-and-Giggles-When-Its-Okay-to-Break-from-Traditional-Healthcare-Advertising"><span style="color:#990000;">story from HealthLeadersMedia.com:</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">There seems to be a universal formula for hospital TV ads: a reassuring voice speaking over sappy music while static stock-photo images of faux doctors and patients flash across the screen. Radio, print, and outdoor spots are cut from the same cloth. But when hospitals lighten up, the resulting advertisements are often more memorable and water cooler-worthy than their stuffy counterparts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Of course, not all hospital ads can be lighthearted—there's a fine line between humor and bad taste. But there are some service lines—even sensitive ones—that, if handled carefully, can be advertised in an engaging, playful way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Charleston (WV) Area Medical Center (CAMC) took a fun approach to marketing its fertility program, which I covered in the </span><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/2010/NEWS-3474-HOM/Healthcare-Marketing-Advisor"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">March issue of Healthcare Marketing Advisor</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">. The ad promoting its male infertility solutions sports the tagline "strong swimmers" and features a baby wearing blue swimming goggles. The ad promoting its female infertility solutions uses "a good egg" as a tagline and features a baby crawling out of an eggshell. </span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"><a href="http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/page-1/MAR-249220/Gasps-and-Giggles-When-Its-Okay-to-Break-from-Traditional-Healthcare-Advertising">[Full story here]</a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#660000;">There's antoher chapter to this story. We'll share that with you next time!</span>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-20446280161465509912010-04-02T13:13:00.003-05:002010-04-02T13:31:09.912-05:00Queasy feeling?<span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">File this under the category of "reach for something new and big." I posted this essay over at </span><a href="http://www.professionalstudio365.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Professional Studio 365</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, where I do some blogging alongside co-author and former Mapleonian </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Bennington/e/B0032P1TIC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1270232778&sr=8-1"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">Emily Bennington</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;color:#000099;">, as advice for young professionals. Once you read it, you'll see that the lessons are equally relevant for marketing professionals and business owners, too!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When is the last time you felt such pressure, such adrenaline and such anxiety that you were literally sick to your stomach? If your answer is, “Not recently and thank goodness for that,” hang on just a minute. You might want to question your response.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Do one thing every day that frightens you.” I buy that. I have her slogan on my favorite coffee mug. In fact, I have taken Eleanor’s challenge and adapted it. In the words of yours truly, “Do one thing every six months <strong>that nearly makes you puke</strong>.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">My theory is that <strong>queasy can be a very good thing</strong>. If you are stretching yourself to grow and develop…if you are pushing and expanding your personal boundaries…you need to feel queasy once in a while.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">To be clear, this discussion is about more than nervous apprehension. This queasy thing is far beyond a quickened pulse and sweaty palms. (Although those are cool, too.) We all feel a little nervous adrenaline from time to time: a first date, doing the scripture reading at church, an important sales presentation or a training seminar that you are leading.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">By contrast, I am talking about fear, i.e. being so scared you feel like someone has dropped a couple of lead bars on your stomach. Maybe even a pronounced ringing in the ears. Nervous apprehension times 50. The queasy feeling happens when we are threatened… with failure, injury, embarrassment, ridicule or rejection.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">So I ask again, when is the last time you felt queasy? For me, it was just a few days ago on the eve of the 2010 CrossFit Games VA-WV-DC Sectional Qualifier. I had entered this competition, designed to test elite athletes for the purpose of determining the fittest man and woman in the world. Let’s be clear: an elite athlete I am not. A writer? Sure. A marketing expert? You bet. Admittedly, I have always played sports, but any progress or accomplishments for me have always been hard-fought and slow in coming. Despite such personal limitations, I set a goal to compete in the games back in April 2009. It was an intentional plan to push myself and to stretch for something big.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Cut to the grocery store last Friday night. Produce aisle. Out of the blue, my field of vision gets weird, and the surroundings start to go swirly. Something in my stomach suddenly weighs 50 pounds and is pressing down unbearably on my guts. I tell my wife, “Let me have the cart. I’m either going to throw up or faint.” A minute later, as I’m shuffling along the supermarket, clutching the shopping cart for dear life, I realize that I am very afraid. The next day, I would be thrust into an intense situation, competing against guys half my age (and not just any guys – the most elite athletes in the mid-Atlantic region), doing intense activities that might cause me to fail, get hurt, or embarrass myself.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Regardless, I smile and say to myself, “Hello, queasy. I’m glad you’re back.”</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">When we push ourselves out of our comfort zone and strive for something new and great, we truly grow. Our confidence increases. Our mood improves. We pump our bodies full of endorphins and other positive neuro-chemicals. Most of all, we suppress our fears and erase doubts. The queasiness, of course, goes away, but the confidence remains, spilling over into the rest of our lives, boosting our performance across all our domains.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">How can you make yourself queasy? You might start by focusing on conquering a fear. Take a public speaking class. Go skydiving. Show up at open mic night. Go climb a mountain. C’mon – what are you afraid of?</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">P.S. – I completed the CrossFit Games competition, finishing respectably in the middle of the pack. A week later, I am still sky high, full of confidence–and still smiling.</span>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-85487216185898530692010-03-16T21:07:00.004-05:002010-03-16T21:22:47.705-05:00Touchpoints<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4D5vg2CDnMIXCr70si5Z5ObW38y-LAM7_iGLq5NKkDQLjxB4wVX4kJjCk7tqwP7xjTVdiQR05z6SUSSoCVNlv0mmKJI2wtcVvpbQxOwhPb0mKVC5J81CNWt-sfCyWkDy1rFSkA/s1600-h/touchpointred.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449422329940042450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4D5vg2CDnMIXCr70si5Z5ObW38y-LAM7_iGLq5NKkDQLjxB4wVX4kJjCk7tqwP7xjTVdiQR05z6SUSSoCVNlv0mmKJI2wtcVvpbQxOwhPb0mKVC5J81CNWt-sfCyWkDy1rFSkA/s320/touchpointred.jpg" /></a>Tag! You've just been touched by our brand. The Marketing Genius blog is one of many touchpoints for Maple Creative. And hey- we are thrilled that you're here!<br /><br />A touchpoint is any interaction that you audience has with your brand. Each touchpoint is an opportunity. It can be a great, positive experience. Conversely a touchpoint can be disappointing or harmful, serving to detract from your brand and its perceived value.<br /><br />Sure, your Web site is a touchpoint. And quite obviously, your office (or store) is a touchpoint, too. Sales reps are touchpoints, no doubt.<br /><br />Following are a few other touchpoints that are easy to overlook:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Invoices and billing statements</span></strong> - Are these confusing and intricate? are they consistent with your brand identity? do they say, "Thank you"?<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Voicemail greeting</strong></span> - Is it dull, plain and void of emotion? or is it unique and energetic?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Sponsorship presence and community outreach</span></strong> - Are these helping you to touch potential clients in the right venues and at the right time?<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Former employees</span></strong> - What are these folks saying about your company and its leadership?<br /><br /><span style="color:#660000;"><strong>Vendors and suppliers</strong></span> - Are you perceived as paying your bills on time? Deemed to be fair, ethical and of solid integrity? Vendors talk ... and they have tremendous reach.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#660000;">Tech support line or help desk</span></strong> - Do these represent your business well? Do they consistently fulfill the front-end promises that you are making ... or do they tend to disappoint?<br /><br /><br />Touchpoints can work for you--or against you. The case for most businesses is that some touchpoints are winning customers, while others are turning people off. It's rarely all or none.<br /><br />Take an hour or two and map all of the touchpoints for your business. Evaluate each and every one on the list. Be sure to put yourself in the customer's (or prospect's) shoes. Better yet--get some external (i.e., real live customer) feedback on each touchpoint. Figure out which touchpoints need some TLC. Then, apply the leader's touch to fix or reinvent.<br /><br />You may even find that you are <strong>lacking</strong> some touchpoints. For example, one client of ours felt that they weren't converting enough sales opportunities. They believed they need to add a couple helpful marketing touchpoints on the pre-sale side of things. The goal was to warm up the prospects, so that they are more informed and more inclined to do business, prior to the first sales contact. We helped them create those additional, informative touchpoints and the success rate grew! That's the <strong><span style="color:#660000;">Midas touch</span></strong> that good marketing can deliver.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-20225104314096370292010-03-15T11:53:00.004-05:002010-03-15T12:04:25.829-05:00Thanks Coach Huggins! (via Dave Pray)<span style="color:#990000;">Friend and fellow blogger Dave Pray articulated exactly what was on my mind following this weekend's huge victory at Madison Square Garden. The following post is from Dave Pray's blog:</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jh_wax-olMCyiREyjaegt8gvxG4T1atofBjg6fhi2OI0AdRs9JEoajRA0geySFzAwJfTn13-cB6ByqxpBeN3pPKjO5TjUt2lcxEMY9roy4kF9jIY6b9Mq_JTaECf5ODvFN2f_w/s1600-h/512px-Bob_Huggins.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448907157793763666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 273px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jh_wax-olMCyiREyjaegt8gvxG4T1atofBjg6fhi2OI0AdRs9JEoajRA0geySFzAwJfTn13-cB6ByqxpBeN3pPKjO5TjUt2lcxEMY9roy4kF9jIY6b9Mq_JTaECf5ODvFN2f_w/s320/512px-Bob_Huggins.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">What a remarkable game yesterday. WVU beats Georgetown and...for the first time in school history, won the Big East Basketball title. I loved the game and really the entire week. What impressed me the most about yesterday's performance was Coach Huggin's post win interview.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Coach's post game interview doesn't seem to be popping up at the moment on ESPN's website...but here is the jist of it. (1) Coach Huggins is very close to tears....and this is not coming from the head....but the heart. (2) And why he is almost crying in his words...is because the kids played their hearts out...played beyond their skill levels....and he is so happy because he is happy for the State.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">And I for one am buying this. Many Division One coaches would be crying because they know their resume just got expanded and they are worth more money. </span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Huggins isn't looking to move. He loves West Virginia and he is inspiring these young men to play beyond their given capabilities. His ability to provide a much bigger mission is paying off and is a great example of leadership we can all learn from.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">OK...he's got the X's and O's down...he is a great recruiter....he knows how to build individual skills and conditioning....yeah...and so do about 50 other D1 coaches. But he is leading these young men on a slightly higher mission....win this one for the people of West Virginia....he means it and I feel it.</span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Great season...great coach...great leader.</span></span>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-39254032867962518922010-02-12T06:53:00.003-05:002010-02-12T07:01:23.338-05:00In support of my upcoming book release, I've been blogging over at <a href="http://www.professionalstudio365.com/">Professional Studio 365</a>. Emily <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bennington</span> and I are running a fast-paced, A-to-Z series on succeeding at work. It's called the 2010 Career Challenge. I invite you to follow this series. Here's an excerpt from today's post:<br /><br /><blockquote><p>Integrity is the scarcest resource in the world of business today. Yes, you<br />read that correctly.<br /><br />Integrity is so simple–yet we all tend to muck it up with excuses,<br />compromises, and blame-shifting. Pair me with a person of integrity,<br />and we’ll outperform a team of ten feckless, shifty folks every day of the<br />week.<br /><br />If you’re looking to ignite your career, build your integrity. Here’s<br />how to get started:</p><p></p><p></p></blockquote><a href="http://professionalstudio365.com/2010/02/12/2010-career-challenge-i-integrity/">Get the rest of the story.</a>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-80779581721192481292010-02-10T16:20:00.003-05:002010-02-10T16:41:37.590-05:00Welcome UC Career Fair ParticipantsWelcome to all the job-seekers we met today at the University of Charleston Career Fair. Thanks for your interest in Maple Creative... and a career in the marketing profession.<br /><br />We could tell you tons of boring stuff about how great we are. That's really not our style. So, instead, we've chosen to share with you this story about potholes.<br /><br />This time of year, in the midst of the worst winter weather in many, many years, if you're driving at all, you have encountered some new potholes. Ever wonder how a pothole is formed? It's a bit of a mystery, really. No one has ever seen a pothole form. And they grow and expand so rapidly, defying observation. One day, no hole. The next day there's a grand new pothole large enough to engulf your entire right front tire. Perplexing.<br /><br />There are two theories about how potholes form. You're about to learn both.<br /><br />The first theory is embraced largely by left-brain types ... scientists, physicists, engineers and accountants. This theory attributes the formation of potholes to thermal factors. Extreme temperatures cause pavement surfaces to expand and contract. In some instances a crack occurs in the top layer of asphalt. This uneven surface is struck repeatedly by the wheels of cars and trucks as they pass by. The crack turns into a chip. More car tires strike the chip and increasingly larger chunks of asphalt are displaced. Eventually that crack is transformed into a hole. The material within the hole is easily displaced--and so the hole becomes wider and deeper. Voila--a pothole!<br /><br />The second theory is more popular with creative types. This theory holds that there are brigades of tiny pothole monkeys, encamped along roadways everywhere. These monkeys reside in subterranean villages, just beneath the shoulder of the road. Natural born miscreants, these pothole monkeys have impeccable timing, which enables them to judge perfect opportunities for pothole-making. Working under the cover of darkness, when traffic is absent, they dispatch onto the road surface. Imagine a small army of tiny pothole monkeys, toting their jackhammers, picks, drills, shovels and buggies. They are incredibly well organized and efficient. In the span of about three minutes, a typical pothole monkey crew (PMC) can excavate a pothole of 74 cubic inches or more.<br /><br />Which theory do you embrace?<br /><br />And here's hoping that you encounter no potholes in the course of your job search and career path!<br /><br />What's the relevance of potholes to marketing? one might ask. All marketing is a story, well told.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-67091912780992693982010-01-14T00:23:00.005-05:002010-01-14T00:43:13.358-05:00Trends in Food for 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTP_5M3a5HHnITI727cfSFyexMWhUz_BeQWbLDRAz6IzCaykd7IlAuUsXhnz8m1dGlRmpeYEDUGm63VQfR5HmUfwe3d1kOHpIOwTfaLP-sT2sEbuyqlNMZ0E4ZbhNiUhiHc-rgw/s1600-h/P2260120.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426465350645569042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTP_5M3a5HHnITI727cfSFyexMWhUz_BeQWbLDRAz6IzCaykd7IlAuUsXhnz8m1dGlRmpeYEDUGm63VQfR5HmUfwe3d1kOHpIOwTfaLP-sT2sEbuyqlNMZ0E4ZbhNiUhiHc-rgw/s320/P2260120.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>With the <a href="http://www.castironcookoff.org/">Cast Iron Cookoff </a>coming up this weekend and having learned a great deal about Slow Food, Farm to Table and Sustainable Agriculture in my work with the <a href="http://www.wvfarm2u.org/">Collaborative for the 21st Century </a>this year, I have been thinking about food lately.</div><br /><div></div><div>Recently, I sat down with Chef Dale Hawkins. We had a chat about trends in food and what to expect for this year. We recalled past trends, including chipotle, Chilean Sea Bass, tapas, Mediterranean, and the explosion of organic foods. We agreed that Comfort Food has been a very hot recent trend, marked by the rise in popularity of such dishes as meatloaf, chicken & dumplings, pigs in blankets and other "feel good foods." </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>With the sluggish economy and consumer desire for "slower" more natural foods, we believe that the trend toward Comfort Food will continue in 2010. We'll likely see a lighter, more healthy twist on such dishes, as Americans are wisely becoming more aware of nutrition and health. I also think that entrees with a Tuscan feel and flavor will be hot items this year.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>What do you, marketing geniuses, see as trends in food for 2010?</div>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-21487038422101710032009-12-08T22:32:00.004-05:002009-12-08T23:00:21.556-05:00Year End Solicitations: A Better WayThis month, I've received a small stack of requests from various charitable organizations. Perhaps you have received a few too?<br /><br />Let me state for the record: I am a big supporter of community service and charitable giving. This is a core value for me and for Maple Creative. Each and every Mapleonian is personally involved in one or more community service endeavors. It's well documented, and you can read all about it on <a href="http://www.maplecreative.com/">our Web site.</a><br /><br />I have no qualm with the solicitation. It is fine to ask for a year-end donation. That's all well and good. What bugs me is the manner of the solicitation. The way it's typically done is both ineffective and improper. Allow me to explain.<br /><br />You send us <strong>the letter</strong>. We have not heard from you all year. In some cases, we are completely unaware of your organization and its purpose. Perhaps you obtained our address from the chamber of commerce list; who knows? The letter is lengthy--to a fault. In it, you proceed to tell us everything you can about the background and the need--both sides, single-spaced, front and back. The problem: we're all too busy to read a lengthy letter.<br /><br />You enclose <strong>the envelope</strong>. It resembles a church offering envelope. You hope that we will enclose a check and mail it back to you. The problem: we lack the background and history to be motivated. We're unable to tap into any passion, because there is no relationship with your organization. Plus, many before you have asked, and we may not be able to spare the funds to write the check. There's nothing to tip the scales in your favor.<br /><br />This bulk-mail, mass mailing strategy is a hit or miss exercise. I can only imagine that the odds of success are lower than 2%.<br /><br />The better way.... <strong><span style="color:#990000;">Touchpoints. </span></strong><br /><br />What if you had reached out and touched us with your strategic marketing once a quarter? Perhaps you might have sent an informative 1st Quarter letter, introducing us to your organization and its mission. Then, what if you had sent us 2 or 3 more updates (maybe postcards or email messages) throughout the year, educating us about your programs and presenting specific examples of your impact? What if you had offered to stop by and get acquainted with us ... or invited us to an open house or luncheon? None of these tactics need be lavish or expensive; they could (and should) be cost-effective or bootstrap in nature. Finally, then, you justifiably sent us the letter ... the ask ... the call to action.<br /><br />What if you had done most or all of those things? How might we have responded differently to your year-end solicitation?<br /><br />I don't know many non-profit or charitable organizations that can sustain their expected revenues on a 2% success rate.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-40556849948637076032009-12-02T16:23:00.005-05:002009-12-02T16:47:02.880-05:00Avoid Mixed Messages in Your Holiday CommunicationsRight before Thanksgiving, I received this beautiful e-card. It was adorned with a lovely seasonal photo--fall colors, a pumpkin, some squash. You've seen it.<br /><br />Then, there's a beautiful message. Something to the effect of: <br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">"Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving."</span><br /><br />So far, so good. Thoughtful, tasteful and clever. (Yes clever. How many companies send Thanksgiving cards ... how many send Christmas cards? So, they stood out--in a good way.) Oh, if only it had ended right there.<br /><br />But the card <strong>didn't stop there.</strong> As I scrolled down a bit, they proceeded to urge me to remember them for all my labor and staffing needs. Then this: "Did you know that we also offer seminars and training workshops?" Another scroll and I found yet another paragraph of sales language. "Click here for our special ..." Yada yada yada.<br /><br />Is it a card... or sales literature?Are you really sending me a thoughtful message? Or are you using Thanksgiving as an excuse to hit me with your unsolicited sales pitch?<br /><br />C'mon people. Employ some degree of restraint and find a measure of good taste. Admittedly, this is a pet peeve; bugs me big time. And it's a way-too-frequent faux pas. Invariably, I'll notice it around the Fourth of July ... and then again around the Thanksgiving to Christmas season.<br /><br />Marketing geniuses: I urge you this holiday season to avoid such mixed messages. Keep things simple. Keep things separate. Don't mix a heartfelt wish with a sales message.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-31186426311765271652009-12-01T01:23:00.003-05:002009-12-01T01:58:13.044-05:00Tips for Tiger: Handling a Media MessUnless you've been living under a rock (or you were "hiking the Appalachian Trail" over the weekend), you know that Tiger Woods is in a tight spot. Figuratively, his ball is in a deep fairway bunker, and he's lying 3 on a tough par-5 ... 255 yards out, with a tree blocking his line to the green.<br /><br />Yes, something happened at 2:00 in the morning on Friday. We may never know what. Details are sketchy and the story keeps shifting. Today, Tiger released a public statement:<br /><br /><blockquote>As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false. This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.</blockquote><p>There are a couple key things to note here:</p><p>1- The statement above <strong>rings hollow</strong>. It lacks contrition. Tiger is not the victim here. He's a public figure; he relinquished his privacy a long time ago. I'm not saying that's fair. It just is. Tiger is also a role model to many, especially many kids. An act like this one equates to him letting down (i.e., disappointing) his fans. He never said, "I am sorry."</p><p>2- We haven't <strong>seen </strong>him. The public cannot judge his non-verbals. We need to see video in order to be able to assess his remorse and his sincerity. Better still, we need to see Tiger with Elin at his side ... happy couple together, working through this together.</p><p>With the clear understanding that (1) rehabilitating a reputation takes time and that (2) actions speak louder than words, let's shift the focus toward the public relations strategy. What are the right tactics to use in a situation where a person has made a career-threatening mistake? I would advise my clients and anyone else to adhere to the following ABC principles:<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">A - Apologize<br /></span></strong>Admit your mistake and ask for forgiveness. Demonstrate that you have a contrite heart. This is done by speaking in a humble manner and expressing remorse.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">B - Be genuine</span></strong><br />Show some emotion. No one will forgive an over-rehearsed, stiff emotionless robot. Speak from the heart and use natural, appropriate hand gestures and other non-verbals. Obviously, we don't want to see a blubbering basket case, but genuineness and emotion can be very helpful. This is where television could help.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;">C - Compassion</span></strong><br />Show compassion. The root of the word "passion" is "suffer." To show compassion is to demonstrate that you are suffering with the person (or parties) who were affected. The audience will identify with compassion and respond favorably to it. Perhaps no one understood this better than Bill Clinton who repeatedly emphasized: "I feel your pain." Tiger's last sentence of his statement, calling for some privacy "no matter how intrusive some people can be" simply kills any hint of compassion (for Elin or for his fans).<br /><br />All in all, the majority of the positive impact, or image rehabilitation, will come in the weeks and months that follow the initial episode. Sorry ... there simply is no quick fix. If Tiger was our client, we would work with him to establish an ambitious, pro-active outreach plan to lead them through this subsequent phase. Ultimately, the key to successfully rehabilitating a reputation is consistently repeating good deeds, rightful and helpful acts, over an extended period, in a manner that reestablishes trust. Hunkering down and remaining invisible will not help to make this go away. The media is not going to let go of this story. Details will continue to emerge, and Tiger (in his defensive posture) will be plagued by such episodes as the story plays out.</p><p>ABC Tiger ... ABC! </p><p>By the way, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/27/tiger-woods-injured-in-ca_n_372324.html">The Huffington Post is all over this story</a>, if you want more details and angles.</p>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-57165199623507072022009-11-11T23:32:00.003-05:002009-11-12T00:02:57.553-05:00The Key to Successful Marketing in Tough TimesThe sluggish economy continues to present challenges. While it has improved somewhat from its 1Q09 doldrums, the weak, recessionary US economy has taken its toll on marketing budgets, marketing programs, the media (most of whom depend upon advertising revenues) and marketing firms.<br /><br />In tough times like these, a marketing professional has to ensure that every marketing dollar counts. There is little or no room for guesswork or errors. Now is not the time for guesswork, marketing from the gut or reactionary decision-making.<br /><br />Now is the time for every marketing organization to have a <strong>marketing plan.</strong> At Maple, we are continually surprised by the high percentage of companies that have no such plan. Just this month we sat down with an industrial company with revenues of $25M+ who has no marketing plan. They have a large and capable sales force, but they have failed to equip and empower their team of sales pros with a high-impact marketing program.<br /><br />Here are 10 rock-solid reasons to implement or update your marketing plan:<br /><br />1- a marketing plan ensures more effective resource allocation<br />2- a marketing plan prompts analysis, whereby you inevitably learn something new about your customers, your competition or your competitive position<br />3- a marketing plan (implemented) makes your sales force more effective by compressing the sales cycle; it gives them a better chance of opening doors and it often reduces the number of sales calls required to close deals<br />4- a marketing plan enables all departments and functions (production, customer service, sales and QC) to become better coordinated and to synchronize efforts... the "right hand" knows and understands what the "left hand" is doing (and why and when it's doing such things).<br />5- a marketing plan eliminates guess work: should we buy this advertising package ... it sounds like a good deal? Don't guess or rely on a hunches, especially when dollars are tight.<br />6- a marketing plan gives you a solid reason to say no to media sales reps who continually pressure you to purchase (you can say honestly and forthrightly: it's not in the plan and there's no budget for it)<br />7- a marketing plan causes you to create a system of goals and measurements<br />8- a marketing plan is a reason (and a process) for focusing your team (think broadly and add "outsiders" to the project team) on growing your business and communicating more effectively with your customers. (And how can that ever be a bad thing?)<br />9- a marketing plan enables you to harness the power and cost-efficiency of <a href="http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/2007/09/to-z-of-marketing-f-is-for-flighting.html">flighting</a><br />10-a marketing plan enables causes you to consider (i.e., to evaluate) all channels, tactics and media. Many clients express to us that they feel stuck in a rut with the same old advertising, which often involves tired tactics. I guarantee if you take the time to formulate a marketing plan, you will inject a strong does of creativity into your promotional program!<br /><br />Do you have a marketing plan? If not, contact Maple. Just post a comment here. We'll be glad to help you. Over the past several months we've begun working on about a half-dozen marketing plans for clients ranging from healthcare to professional services to educational institutions. We would be delighted to work with you on yours!Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-72605338753514766242009-10-18T13:25:00.003-05:002009-10-18T13:37:11.017-05:00The Good Fight<span style="color:#000099;">[This is not a marketing article. It's personal, and it is a great cause. For those wondering, "What is crossfit?" you may <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/what-crossfit.html">go here </a>for information.]</span><br /><br />Crossfitters, by nature, are battlers. We are warriors. I have had the honor to fight alongside each of you, as we’ve battled the Filthy 50, Murph, Dr. Tabata … even Fight Gone Bad. The important part is we have battled together. We have fought—and will continue to fight—through the pain and our own limitations, physical and mental. Today, in that context, I want to tell you a story and call your attention to a different fight: "The Good Fight."<br /><br />Twenty-five years ago a battle ensued. It wasn’t between countries, companies, or people. It was between my father and his brain. His brain began to fail him, in little ways at first. Ordinary, routine things we all take for granted, like counting out money after getting a haircut, driving home from work without getting lost or knowing which kitchen drawer is the silverware drawer, were suddenly difficult, puzzling or impossible. The battle had begun, and dad began to fight. Oh, how he fought!<br /><br />Rewind the clock. My dad, Jerry Sherman, was a strong, proud, successful man. He owned his own insurance/real estate business in downtown Williamson, WV. Like all of us today, Jerry was getting fit and eating right… way before it was cool to do so. He quit smoking. He took walks every day. He was even counting carbs--in the late 70’s. Then he discovered golf. It became his passion, and he finally enticed my mother into taking up the game. My sister Carol and I soon became "golf orphans" on the weekend mornings. My parents’ retirement dream after all five daughters were grown, was to travel the East Coast and stop at every golf course along the way.<br /><br />Stop the tape. Cut to black and drag the needle across the record. The retirement dream never became a reality. Alzheimer’s Disease started to attack my father’s brain at the age of 52, way too young. Within a few years, my father had to close his business. He could no longer drive or be left alone for fear that he would wander off or unintentionally hurt himself. By the time my father died, seventeen years later in 2002, he was bedridden. He had been unable to speak for several years and needed round-the-clock care. Sadly, he never got to know my wonderful husband or my two beautiful children. They missed out on a relationship with an amazing man, my father.<br /><br />Today, Alzheimer’s Disease affects over 47,000 WV families. It is the nation’s 7th leading cause of death, and the direct and indirect healthcare costs related to Alzheimer ’s disease amount to more than $148 million each year. The Sherman family, with the help of CrossfitWV, is hosting "The Good Fight" fundraiser on Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m. at the box. Athletes will participate in the Fight Gone Bad WOD and pledge money for each rep performed during the workout. For example, if an athlete completes 250 total reps, based upon a pledge of $.50 per rep, the amount raised will be $125. Pledge a lot… or a little: every dollar helps in "The Good Fight." Get your friends, co-workers and loved ones to sponsor you (for an agreed upon per-rep amount -- $0.25, $0.50, $1.00). Every pledge will help the caregivers and families of those affected with the disease here in our state. All proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association of WV, and in accordance with their policy a portion will also go toward Alzheimer’s research.<br /><br />Please join me and my family for this worthy cause!!!<br /><br />Yours in good health, Lisa Sherman Lineberg<br /><br /><span style="color:#000099;">[Anyone interested in sponsoring or participating please post a comment, and I will get in touch with you.]</span>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-68573343242655898132009-10-12T21:40:00.003-05:002009-10-12T22:03:47.470-05:00Is E-Mail Overload Hurting Response Rates to Online SurveysFor the past several years, we've had great success in reaching our audience with online surveys. Such surveys have been a great way to accomplish marketing research objectives including:<br /><ul><li>Testing concepts</li><li>Measuring customer satisfaction</li><li>Gauging public opinion</li><li>Improving and evaluating special events</li><li>Learning about the marketplace in general</li></ul><br />But, alas, the world is always changing. This is especially true, I believe, in our high-tech, communication overloaded world.<br /><br />Here's a recent example, which I think illustrates the situation. For the past six years, we have conducted a "reader survey" for one of our media clients. This year, the response rate was markedly lower.<br /><br /><strong>2007 Survey</strong><br />4,900 invitations sent via e-mail<br />3,000 e-mails successfully delivered (60% distribution success)<br />659 e-mail invitations opened (22% open rate)<br />363 completed surveys obtained (12% effective conversion rate)<br /><br /><strong>2009 Survey</strong><br />6,742 invitations sent via e-mail<br />3,200 e-mails successfully delivered (50% distribution success)<br />484 e-mail invitations opened (15% open rate)<br />260 completed surveys obtained (8% effective conversion rate)<br /><br />Despite having a larger list, we were negatively impacted by a lower open rate and a lower conversion rate. Granted, we still had a good overall result, eclipsing industry norms. According to the information that I have studied, a 5% conversion rate is typical. However, my gut says that those 3200 invitees who received our email invitation had to wade through extremely cluttered inboxes to evaluate our message.<br /><br />Tell me, marketing geniuses, what do you think? Do you receive too many online survey requests? If you send email invitations to online surveys, have you seen a drop in your open rates or conversion rates?Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-29125827408173450512009-08-08T07:13:00.004-05:002009-08-08T07:32:02.058-05:00Moving WV Fitness (#FitWV) Closer to the Tipping PointThe <a href="http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/2009/07/pushing-fitness-toward-tipping-point-in.html">idea</a> of using Tipping Point tactics to overcome obesity in West Virginia became a little closer to reality today, thanks to an insightful editorial by Dawn Miller at <a href="http://www.wvgazette.com/">The Charleston Gazette.<br /></a><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">West Virginians try to tip scales on obesity</span></strong><br />Dawn Miller - Editorial Page Editor<br /><em>The Charleston Gazette</em><br />August 7, 2009<br /><br />CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- If we all behave like cold germs, could we infect each other to better fitness and health?<br /><br />Here is one of the most tantalizing ideas. Back on West Virginia Day, local </span><a href="http://www.abetterwestvirginia.com/2009/06/20/west-virginia-using-social-media-for-the-mountain-states-betterment/"><span style="color:#000066;">PR guy Jason Keeling </span></a><span style="color:#000066;">asked his blog readers to discuss solutions to the state's problems. </span><a href="http://marketinggenius.blogspot.com/2009/06/fitter-west-virginia.html"><span style="color:#000066;">Skip Lineberg</span></a><span style="color:#000066;">, co-founder of </span><a href="http://www.maplecreative.com/"><span style="color:#000066;">Maple Creative</span></a><span style="color:#000066;"> in Charleston, chimed in with a "fragment of an idea." He posted it on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/lineberg"><span style="color:#000066;">Twitter</span></a><span style="color:#000066;">:<br /><br />"Let's make a Fitter West Virginia using tipping point tactics to overcome obesity."<br /><br />Lineberg was inspired by <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html">Malcolm Gladwell's </a>work on tipping point theories -- the phenomenon often seen among infectious diseases or social ills. One kid comes to school with the flu, and the next day a few more are infected. The next thing you know, half the school is home sick. Kind of like the way one day you had never heard of Twitter, and the next day it seemed to be everywhere.<br /><br />Could West Virginians intentionally use this phenomenon to effect a more desirable change? Instead of giving each other the croup, could we, as Lineberg suggested on his blog, tweet our workouts, use Facebook to note fitness efforts, start conversations about the subject, support leaders who support fitness, encourage each other?<br /><br />People responded, posting short notes on their workouts, hikes and meals.<br /><br />As if they read our minds, or our Twitter posts, researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control last month released "Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States." It reads as bad as it sounds, but it's full of jewels.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wvgazette.com/Opinion/DawnMiller/200908070506">[Read the full article.]</a><br /><br />Thanks, Dawn! I know the #fitwv movement just got stronger today, much like our energetic, healthy supporters get stronger every time they exercise.<br /><br /><a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23fitwv">[Here's more on the #FitWV conversation thread on Twitter.]</a><br /><br />Readers, I pose the following hypothetical question: what does any of this WV fitness stuff, #fitwv and Twitter have to do with marketing? I contend that in today's marketing environment, tactics like viral marketing and online PR are not only opportune--but crucial! If we can use a zero-cost project like this one to elevate an important conversation and to affect behavior, what else might we be able to accomplish!Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-69185331041771727412009-07-03T17:04:00.005-05:002009-07-03T17:19:22.850-05:00Love the New TV Advertisements for Ally BankKudos to ad agency BBH for a very nicely done campaign for Ally Bank. Perhaps you have seen the TV commercials? The one about the pony was so good that it caused me to go to the <a href="http://www.adweek.com/aw/creative/ad-of-the-day/article_display.jsp?creativeId=270129">AdWeek </a>Web site to see who created it.<br /><br /><object width="500" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7qb0vquRcys&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7qb0vquRcys&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="315"></embed></object><br /><br />The TV spots are great, but so is the positioning for the bank itself: Straightforward. In my opinion that message is right for our post-financial-meltdown times. And the payoff line in each of the advertisements is crisp and distinctive, too: "It's just the right thing to do."<br /><br />The brand is also supported by a very nice, simple, clean <a href="http://www.allybank.com/">Web presence at AllyBank.com.</a><br /><br />Tip o' the cap to the marketing geniuses at <a href="http://www.bartleboglehegarty.com/">Bartle Bogle Hegarty Ltd.</a> for some fine work!Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-12797787303699760852009-07-01T16:21:00.002-05:002009-07-01T16:58:36.778-05:00Pushing Fitness Toward the Tipping Point in West VirginiaA couple weeks ago, in support of <a href="http://twitter.com/jasonkeeling">Jason Keeling's</a> West Virginia Day project at <a href="http://www.abetterwestvirginia.com/2009/06/20/west-virginia-using-social-media-for-the-mountain-states-betterment/">A Better West Virginia,</a> I put forth this fragment of an idea. I postulated that we could shift the perception--and even influence the behaviors--related to fitness in WV, simply (yet purposefully) by elevating the level of conversation. As the title suggests, this is all based on <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html">Malcolm Gladwell's tipping point theories</a>.<br /><br />Well, guess what ... it's working! Thanks to a core group of "Mavens" - (ref. Gladwell), this initiative (now dubbed #fitwv - read on for explanation) is taking off.<br /><br />Here's what I offered for those who wanted to get on board. You too can begin, simply by doing one or more of the following:<br /><ul><li>Tweeting your workouts on Twitter ("Just had a great run along the boulevard!")</li><li>Utilizing your Facebook status update to note your fitness activities ("Heading to the gym!")</li><li>Used fitness topics as a conversation starter ("Hey, have you been to the new zip line course in the New River Gorge?")</li><li>Support fitness-minded leaders - <a href="http://search.twitter.com/">search and follow Twitter </a>leaders who are into fitness and health; subscribe to blogs and RSS feeds from bloggers who write about exercise, nutrition and wellness. ("Check out this great new yoga blog I found.")</li><li>Make it a personal priority--if not already--and begin advocating for fitness as a healthy lifestyle. Talking about it. Encouraging others. Inviting others to engage. ("Hey, do you play tennis. Wanna play sometime this week?")</li></ul>Now, as for the #fitwv thing, I absently mindedly added a "hash tag" to my first post on Twitter about this idea. Following is my Tweet from June 20th:<br /><br /><blockquote><p><span style="color:#990000;">Happy WV Day! Let's make a Fitter West Virginia using tipping point tactics to overcome obesity. </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/nxj7y8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#990000;">http://tinyurl.com/nxj7y8</span></a><span style="color:#990000;"> </span><a class="hashtag" title="#abetterwv" href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23abetterwv"><span style="color:#990000;">#abetterwv</span></a><a class="entry-date" href="http://twitter.com/lineberg/status/2253274121" rel="bookmark"><span style="color:#990000;">7:53 AM Jun 20th</span></a></p></blockquote><p></p><p>It caught on. Folks began using it. The neat thing about hash tags in Twitter is that they can be "sticky" - short and memorable. If you want to appreciate the power of the #fitwv hash tag, just go to search.twitter.com and type #fitwv in the search box.</p>Following Gladwell's theoretical model, what we need now are some fitness-minded connectors to come on board and tell a couple dozen of their friends. Once that happens, we'll shoot from 30 to 300 advocates of #fitwv lickety-split.<br /><br />Frankly, I am amused and excited to see where this goes. The payoff, of course, is when this movement really causes some movement ... and that's when our little project inspires a few more West Virginians to adopt the fitness mentality and lifestyle.<br /><br />Before you go, please take a minute to check out the wonderfully written related blog post by my good friend Elizabeth Damewood Gaucher over at <a href="http://essediem.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-you-look-how-you-feel.html">her Esse Diem blog</a>.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-7387214517397957142009-06-25T14:31:00.012-05:002009-06-25T15:33:38.404-05:00Poll: Bargain BrandsI was at the store the other day picking out some items when my autopilot shut off and I became aware of the items in my basket. Crest toothpaste. Bargain mouthwash. Pantene Pro V conditioner. Bargain body lotion.<div><br /></div><div>Since I used to be a faithful buyer of Scope and St. Ives, I began to wonder... How many more people are dropping name brands for store/bargain brands due to the current condition of the economy?</div><div><br /></div><div>My curiosity pushed me to create a poll!</div><br /><br /><!-- Altering or removing this link is a breach of the Vizu Terms and Conditions --><div style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:9px;height:20px;text-align:center;width:320px;margin:0;padding:0;letter-spacing:-.5px"><a href="http://www.vizu.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Online Surveys</span></a><span style="color:#999;"> & </span><a href="http://answers.vizu.com/market-research.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color:#999;text-decoration:underline;font-size:9px;">Market Research</span></a></div><embed src="http://wp.vizu.com/vizu_poll.swf" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="320" height="299" name="vizu_poll" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="js=false&pid=170635&ad=false&vizu=true&links=true&mainBG=cc3300&questionText=ffffff&answerZoneBG=ff9900&answerItemBG=ff9900&answerText=000000&voteBG=ffcc00&voteText=000000"></embed>Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18197312207324128933noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-43624137315822172602009-06-20T06:47:00.007-05:002009-06-20T09:48:37.839-05:00A Fitter West VirginiaHappy West Virginia Day! Like many, I love West Virginia. So it's tragic, to me, that West Virginia is the most overweight state in the nation. (The depressing stats are at the bottom if you need a reminder.)<br /><br /><br />Hey - I want you all to feel good, look good and live good, long lives! In support of <a href="http://www.abetterwv.com/">A Better West Virginia</a>, and in honor of West Virginia day, let's create a fitter Mountain State. It may appear a daunting challenge, but we can do it if we work smart and work together!<br /><br /><br />Obesity is a complex, multi-factor health epidemic, requiring a comprehensive solution. Right? I'm not so sure. I contend that we don't have to make this so complicated.<br /><br />According to theories put forth in <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/index.html">Malcolm Gladwell's best-seller, <em>The Tipping Point</em></a>, change begins with a spark of action or a transformative idea (often from a maven) and spreads through communities via connectors and salesmen. The change builds momentum, gaining acceptance and attracting support, until it tips (i.e., becomes prevalent, becomes the new normal). He uses such examples as Paul Revere's midnight ride, the clean-up of crime and vandalism in New York City and the return of Hush Puppy shoes. Gladwell postulates that a group of perhaps as few as 150 people aligned around a cause, and constituted with a blend of salesmen, connectors and mavens, can affect bold transformations. He cites example after of example of tipping-point victories.<br /><br /><p></p><p>How might we apply "Tipping Point" techniques to make a fitter West Virginia?</p><p>What if ... 150 (or more) of the most connected, Web savvy West Virginians began talking about fitness? [If you are reading this article, there's a good chance you might be just such a person, by the way.] Consider the potential impact of weird, new ideas like these:</p><ul><li>Tweeting your workouts on Twitter <em><span style="color:#990000;">(Just had a great run along the boulevard!)</span></em></li><br /><li>Utilizing your Facebook status update to note your fitness activities <em><span style="color:#990000;">(Heading to the gym!)</span></em></li><br /><li>Used fitness topics as a conversation starter <em><span style="color:#990000;">(Hey, have you been to the new zip line course in the New River Gorge?)</span></em></li><br /><li>Support fitness-minded leaders - <a href="http://search.twitter.com/">search and follow Twitter </a>leaders who are into fitness and health; subscribe to blogs and RSS feeds from bloggers who write about exercise, nutrition and wellness. <em><span style="color:#990000;">(Check out this great new yoga blog I found.)</span></em></li><br /><li>Make it a personal priority--if not already--and begin advocating for fitness as a healthy lifestyle. Talking about it. Encouraging others. Inviting others to engage. <em><span style="color:#990000;">(Hey, do you play tennis. Wanna play sometime this week?)</span></em></li></ul>None of this requires new systems or much extra work or time, really not even any money. I'm not urging you to join a gym or even to exercise more frequently. What I am urging you to do is to commit to elevate the conversation about fitness and to main it consistently. When you work out - put it out there across your network. Keep the conversation going. Support others. Simple and easy!<br /><br /><br />Imagine the power of 150+ visible, opinion leaders focusing on fitness! Others will take notice. It's leadership by example. It's advocacy. One by one, across social networks (both real and virtual) people will begin to think: <em>Maybe I need to get going with this fitness thing.</em> Behavior modeling will begin and change will occur. Powerful!<br /><br /><br />I believe that once West Virginia addresses its education and obesity challenges, everything else is easily tackled and overcome. To me, these are the two "biggies" (no pun intended). I will rely on others for educational ideas and reforms; there's already <a href="http://www.createwv.com/blog/education-innovation-school/school-innovation-zone-act-passes">some good stuff underway</a>.<br /><br /><br />When I turned 40 three years ago, I was 40 pounds overweight. My waist was 40 inches. My cholesterol was 240, and my blood pressure was 140-something (the top number). Not a healthy picture. Since that time, I've made some huge changes in my lifestyle with exercise, fitness and supplementation. Today, those efforts have paid off, and I will be around for many more years to enjoy my wonderful family, friends and beloved Mountain State.<br /><br />While that's a happy story, it's not what's most relevant to this example. During the course of my fitness transformation, I casually, almost haphazardly began communicating about my workouts and fitness lifestyle on Facebook and Twitter--not in a zealous way, just conversational and without agenda. I did this mostly to hold myself accountable and to focus on my fitness.<br /><br />This is the big surprising insight: over the past two years, I have heard from more than 30 or more people that they have been inspired and motivated by my fitness blurbs and quips. That's wonderful! Such feedback has helped me to stay focused and committed. It's an upward spiral. It's synergy. A community of enriched relationships is so powerful!<br /><br />Are you ready to make this tip? I hope you'll join me!<br /><br />I look forward to your comments and suggestions here or on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/skiplineberg">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/lineberg">Twitter</a>.<br /><br /><p>___________________________________________________________________</p>Here are some background stats on obesity, culled from the report <a href="http://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/obesity/contents.htm">"Obesity: Facts, Figures, Guidelines" - WV DHHR, 2002.</a><br /><br /><blockquote><p>Obese West Virginians are more likely than their healthy weight counterparts to have suffered a heart attack, been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and/or asthma, or been limited in their activities because of back pain.<br /><br />The economic costs of obesity are tremendous. The National Institutes of Health have estimated the total cost of overweight and obesity to the U.S. economy in 1995 dollars at $99.2 billion, including 39.3 million workdays lost annually to obesity-related causes.<br /><br />The obesity prevalence in West Virginia has been consistently higher than that in the United States as a whole. In 1990, the West Virginia rate of adult obesity was 15.0%,<br />compared with a U.S. rate of 11.6%. By 2000, the state rate was 23.2%, compared<br />with 20.1% nationally. The obesity rate has increased in virtually all of West<br />Virginia’s 55 counties over the past decade. </p></blockquote>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-82410170495922062302009-06-18T22:16:00.001-05:002009-06-18T22:18:19.591-05:00CREO and the Copier Incident<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RUBG6zaHjNQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RUBG6zaHjNQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6665621.post-35320049395677749352009-06-16T12:35:00.004-05:002009-06-16T13:15:47.640-05:00New Brand Identity for the Sci-Fi Channel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmplT_76Gtahg0uxtb8sDILsKTIwuk3RQGVjb3_xk_qhhzXIKrOi00hV918ChAbM94KED-rInTuOchPx1kPT-4-1A04JWvZRdYa1Rr_zllVno8JSM-USKwRYFmcrH-yWMUadDt9g/s1600-h/scifi_new.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347981485122234530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmplT_76Gtahg0uxtb8sDILsKTIwuk3RQGVjb3_xk_qhhzXIKrOi00hV918ChAbM94KED-rInTuOchPx1kPT-4-1A04JWvZRdYa1Rr_zllVno8JSM-USKwRYFmcrH-yWMUadDt9g/s200/scifi_new.jpg" border="0" /></a> On July 7th, NBC Universal will be rolling out a new brand identity for its cable television property, the Sci-Fi Channel. The new look is shown at left.<br /><br />Home to such popular shows as Ghost Hunters, Primeval, Moonlight and Equilibrium, the channel has a relatively small but loyal audience. While I would love to hear from some of them to get their reactions... I'm going out on a limb and predicting that no one's going to be too fond of the new identity for the Sci-Fi brand.<br /><br />First off, humans are usually fairly resistant to change. 99% of the time we'll take the old. <em>(Thank you very much.)</em><br /><br />Secondly, and more troubling to me, is the fact that the new logotype has no connotation of anything scientific, nothing that says science fiction. Four rather plain, very round-ish letters. In white. Blandsville.<br /><br />And finally, while I'm ranting, I cannot quite come to terms with how the new brand name comes across phonetically. Does anyone hear: "Siffy" or perhaps "Sife-E?" Somewhere between the two "y's" and the lowercase "f" everything breaks down. The <a href="http://www.syfy.com/press.html">mini Web site</a> that explains the new branding approach is even all jacked up.<br /><br />On a positive note--and for the sake of balance--I will say that the new positioning statement is pretty good. It's an action-oriented invitation to me to imagine. I like that. With the word "Greater," they are hinting at some bigger, better things to come. That sounds good and promising, also.<br /><br />Let's hope Sci-Fi, or Siffy, lives up to its promise ... and hope that the programming is better than the logo design work. Marketing geniuses and Sci-Fi brand evangelists, please tell us (post a comment) if your feelings are contrary.Skip Lineberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02471705196612287593noreply@blogger.com8