Good News

Fearlessness: a Follow-up

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:42:00 GMT

Trying to banish fear from your life? Do something brave? Here is a wonderful article on fearlessness, inspired by Independence Day just as our previous post was. It's from a blog called Fear.less, which is an amazing (and free) online magazine that empowers people through unique stories of overcoming fear. If you're birthing something, leading something, surviving something, or just trying to live more truthfully and courageously, you will want to bookmark this one.

Enjoy.

Fearlessness & the Fourth of July

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:55:00 GMT

We came to New York for business. But before any business was had, we found ourselves on a rooftop. On the Fourth of July. Overlooking the Hudson. With a perfect view of the fireworks. (And perhaps a vodka-ish drink in our hands.)

Oh, hello, interesting twists and turns of life.

The roof was full of young hipsters (no PBR to be seen), save for the couple of ladies sitting next to us. Their names were Barbra and Zara. Second-cousins through marriage, and best of friends. Zara, the never-been-married, 82-years-old-in-a-month former professor, told us that she’d been around the world three times, but insisted that she travels only by boat.

Toting her vintage red lacquered folding chair and decked out in her head-to-toe pinstripe suit, red headscarf and oversized Jackie-O-esque sunglasses, there was nothing about Zara that blended in on that rooftop. She was not just smart; she was learned. She was feisty and genteel at the same time. She had very strong opinions and slow, 82-years-old-in-a-month gestures to add emphasis. And when some of the youngin’s lit up a cigar, she marched right on over and told them what she thought of their pollution and whispered for them to put it out. Yes, she whispered. In a loud crowd 20 strong. And they complied (though not without a small bit of guffawing).

I’ve been thinking about Zara a lot in the last few days. She struck a chord in me of some sort. The character that she is (because she is indeed a character) could stand for so many different ideas. Feminism. Intellectualism. New Yorkism. Fashion-through-the-ages-ism. What have you. But for me she embodies so much more than a particular social cause. She’s bigger than that. Or perhaps it’s just where my head is at these days.

To me, she’s about fearlessness. It’s not that she’s fearless. She is fearlessness. The noun. Embodied. A bigger thing than a mere adjective, yes?

And isn’t that what we all want? For our businesses? For our clients? For ourselves? At least some small bit of fearlessness? A way to move past the everyday, the routine, and see a bigger picture, a larger passion, and then embrace it. We may pass on the pinstripes, but to be able to know instantly what we want, where we want to go and what we want to do…and then to do it…is rare. Zara makes decisions and acts on them. She doesn’t seem to muddle or let problems fester. She doesn’t overdo it on the planning, she simply “does.”

So what gets us to fearlessness? In large part it’s about following gut reactions. It seems that the more we listen to that mushy abdominal area, the more fascinating we become.

But that’s another whole post.

This is not your father's Old Spice

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:56:00 GMT

We laugh every time we watch Old Spice's :30 spot "The man your man can smell like." And apparently, we're not alone. It just took top honors at the 19th annual AICP Show, the Art and Technique of the American Commercial, presented by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The show, a compendium of the best commercials of the year, just debuted at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. And now it will tour museums and cultural institutions around the country and abroad. It'll come to Mpls at some point; we just don't know when. We'll keep you posted. It's always a fantastically entertaining evening, whether you're in the industry or not.

Happiness and Profitability: there can be a happily ever after

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:34:00 GMT

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappo's (Zappos.com), the world’s largest online shoe retailer, has a new book out. We haven't read it yet (it's on order...c'mon, Amazon!) but have been anticipating it. It's title: Delivering Happiness. It's subject: the renowned Zappo's business model that doesn’t compartmentalize labor and leisure. Fast Company did a great review of it here. Can't wait to dive in. Because we at GPB are all about spreading happiness in the work that we do. My favorite line as excerpted in the review? “We don't believe that negotiations need to be an arm-wrestling match. If both parties are honest about our positions and objectives, we should be able to find an equitable way to get there.” (pg. 188) Amen.

Daffy's: the little retailer that could

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:08:00 GMT

East Coast discount retailer Daffy's is at it again. Making wow -- or in this case 60s Pucci-esque A-line dresses -- while the sun shines. Last week Daffy's announced in their blog a limited quantity, limited location, limited time selection of these of-the-moment dresses. But here's the beautiful thing that puts them in the category of what I would consider the modern marketer: they're storytelling. They're getting our attention not by carrying great dresses, but by doing three simple things very simply:

1 - finding the brand stories - leading with an of-the-moment trend
2 - editing those stories as a publisher would - planting a stake in the ground around that one story; owning that one trend; blowing it out editorially
3 - telling the stories in memorable ways - using social media...Facebook, Twitter (@shopdaffys), blogging...to align that trend with high fashion, though they themselves are a discount retailer, and making it available at limited destinations to drive buzz and gotta-have-it demand

It's an art, this storytelling. If done well, it's what will always move a customer to a loyalist and a loyalist to an evangelist. (As long as the story bears out, of course. In other words, as long as the same brand experience that is promoted in advertising and on the street is carried out in store and online and through product mix and quality, etc.)

Another mark of the modern marketer: Daffy's is getting our attention in fun, inventive ways without a big marketing spend. Where most small-ish retailers rely on tried-and-true (read: ho hum) promotional methods...circulars, direct mail, newspaper, email marketing, couponing, maybe a promotional cable TV buy if they're feeling very flush, Daffy's takes what can only be assumed to be that same small budget and gets our attention via more in-your-face guerilla tactics. Y'know, the stuff that gets the media tongues wagging (priceless, in the end).

The best example of this is when, a few months ago, they played what at first blush appeared to be a promotional spot in a movie theater. Okay, that's kind of cool. A movie theater spot, and one that was actually done excitingly well. But then the real excitement began. Live dancers suddenly jumped "off the screen" and into the audience, taking the whole movie house by storm. Check it out here. Again, they landed on a story (color, color, color!). (And though you won't see it now on their site, they did have everything on their homepage seamlessly tied into the story.) But the true genius was in the art with which they told that story.

So what's your story?

CATFOA videos posted: Best Buy and Target

Thu, 27 May 2010 02:36:00 GMT

The latest CATFOA (Conversations About The Future Of Advertising) video is posted. This was a lively (and last minute) panel discussion titled "Retail in the Age of the Empowered Consumers." On the panel: Robert Stephens (@rstephens), Founder and Chief Inspector at Geek Squad (of Best Buy) and Dan Beranek (@dantronic), Social Media Channel Planning Manager at Target. Enjoy! We did. Both the live version and the video.

(Oh, and while you're on the Vimeo link, scroll down for a truly excellent discussion led by Edward Boches. I just want to hug this guy.)

Good Read: The M-factor - How the Millenial Generation is Rocking the Workplace

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:23:00 GMT

Last night found me attending a truly fascinating discussion on the Millenial Generation. Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of the newly released The M-factor: How the Millennial Generation is Rocking the Workplace were in Minneapolis speaking to a group of corporate managers and, um, me (don't even ask) about their research and findings.

The Millenial Generation. We've heard absolutely legendary stories about them. "The mother who called HR to complain when her daughter got a mediocre performance review." "The new hire who dialed the CEO directly to tell him what the company could be doing better." The sense of entitlement. The cordless umbilical cord to their parents. Etc. Etc. But are we getting lost in the headlines and not making it to the meat of the Millenials? Could the very traits that drive us crazy about this group, if repackaged or repositioned, be the freshness and reinvention stodgy corporate giants might really need right about now? How can we bridge the generational gap between this group and we Boomers and Gen X-ers (no, I'm not going to say into which bucket I fall) and harness for our brands the Millenials' desire to contribute, to add meaning, to move at lightening speed? I swear, with a little finessing and thoughtful management, we have here the makings of a spark that could get us to true innovation, reinvention, evangelism, brand meaning.

(And yes, Good People Branding does tap into a network of Millenials on a project basis for ideation, inspiration and refreshing perspectives. We are never disappointed and often blown away.)
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Good Stuff: bread packaging done fun!

Wed, 19 May 2010 22:37:00 GMT

We would buy this bread based on the packaging alone. It just makes us happy. Shame it's only sold in Finland. Kudos to Finland based Hasan & Partners, who did the design. And an even bigger kudos to client Fazer Vilpuri for daring to be different in a category of sameness. Wow, their website is phenomenally fun! We have no idea what any of it says or who did it for them, but we are thoroughly enchanted. :)

Living the dream

Sun, 09 May 2010 14:27:00 GMT

Start 'em young. Stay on task. Go for broke.

(You can buy the bib here.)

Good Conversation: TEDxTC - "The Extraordinary Capacity of Our Youth"

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:25:00 GMT

As the eloquent Peter Bensen, one of the evening's speakers, put it, it was "a hopeful gathering of people who choose to be optimistic about our future." We like that.

Some exerpts from Bensen's talk:

Our youth are not vessels to be filled, but fires to be lit.

Most choose to work with our youth from the outside in, filling them with our values, with factoids and expectations. Instead, what if we worked from the inside out? What if we let this person emerge for who he or she is, encouraged their spark, nurtured that?

Most teenagers, when asked what they felt their sparks were, cited being able to live a Creative Life. Wow.

It's all about the Science of Human Thriving.

To find out more, visit the TEDxTC site.

Good Conversation: #jmu612 - a gathering of social media enthusiasts

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:27:00 GMT

This week I attended my first Java Meet Up 612 (#jmu612). This is an ad hoc group of social media enthusiasts that gathers for an hour and a half a month over coffee and a particular topic of interest. It was a lively bunch of none-too-shy folks (they do call it social media, after all) that came together this week to share conversation centered around the managing of one's various social media personas.

How should you tweet differently for a brand (ie, @goodpeoplebrand) versus as an employee or a thought leader for that brand (ie, @btreinen)?

How much personality should you let in, and what's considered too much? Especially on the brand level?

When do your clients need a Facebook page, and when don't they?

How can you -- or can you? -- tie the brand personas you build via social media back to ROI?

As is generally the case with these emerging medias, there was no definitive consensus. There is no hard and fast. There are no absolutes. The ways and the wiles of social media are almost as varied as its practitioners. It was good to hear others' perspectives, though, and to tie the conversation back to clients' needs and ROI. In the end, I fall back on common sense both for myself and for my company. Don't do anything in social media you wouldn't do in person. Be real. Be human. Curate like a grown up. Be gracious. Laugh a little. Try to teach. Make it count. Embrace -- indeed, celebrate -- each others' varied personalities (and that goes for brands, too) but be true to your own.

Good People Branding's Betsy Treinen gets Twitterviewed

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:34:00 GMT

Here's a new twist on an age old offering: The Twitterview. It's an interview conducted via Twitter...with a 140 character limit for each question and answer. It's a concept, if not birthed, at least strongly tweaked by Joel E. Carlson (@joelecarlson) of the Twin Cities. Joel, a social media enthusiast and advocate, has been hard at it for 2+ months now, Twitterviewing marketing and communications experts, those associated with well-known brands, and others on the scene that catch his interest. And in short order he's amassed quite a cross-section of interviews and, in the process, an amazingly social-media-astute following. (What a fabulous example of using social media to build your own personal brand! Way to go, Joel.)

This week Joel Twitterviewed Good People Branding's Betsy Treinen (@btreinen). Here's the transcript of the exchange.

And you can read more Twitterviews here.

NOTES of Twitterview #47 - With Betsy Treinen (@btreinen)

(reprinted with permission)

@btreinen - Yes, hello all. And @joelecarlson, thanks for having me.

Q - #1 So @btreinen, how did you come to be living in MN - Born, moved or started college here?

A: I actually grew up in SoDak. Spent time in DC, then Seattle before Mpls. (And had a bit of a stint in between all that in So Africa.)

Q - #2 WOW! So what kinds of things have you been doing, in your working life, to get you where you are today?

A: Started out in banking (!). That wasn't me! Thankfully found advertising. My big breakthrough was managing the Target acct for 8 yrs.

What a crazy, fabulous ride that was. I'm an acct & strategy person by trade so managing the birth of that branding was incredible.

Q - #3 What steps were there then from working for @Target to owning your own company?

A: I never worked for @target, but ran the brand adv'g at PMH. From there I went to @catalyststudios, which was an incredible 5 yrs.

So now I've got experience in adv'g, design, interactive, and the multi-channel integration of all of that as it relates to branding.

Q - #4 So you have experience and background in a number of areas. Which are you drawn to the most, and why?

A: The strategy. The figuring out of the landscape. Helping determine where they should be showing up & what they should be saying.

And then I ADORE managing the creative process. Getting to a brand's emotional essence. That moment when you know you've nailed it.

It's such a FUN business to be in. Esp right now as things are shifting & moving so much. It's much more collaborative with clients.

Q - #5 That sounds both rewarding and exciting. What are your thoughts on the development of Social Media in your field?

A: What a powerful tool! Growing brand awareness quickly, having actual conversations, listening. Makes what we do so much more personal.

And personal is always better, right?

Q - #6 Yes it is! So now some points about you: What is your favorite - Restaurant, store, lake & person to follow on Twitter?

A: Eek! Um. Restaurant: 112 Eatery. (Can I buy stock?) Store: has to be @Target, right? Oh, and the Wedge.

Fave lake: Isles (I live by it) & Superior for its drama. Twitter person...ohhh, that's harder. So many. Must I pick just one?

Q - #7 Okay, I'll be nice - Top 5 on Twitter that you follow.

A; How about @fastcompany @the99percent @dena33 @strategy_samba @leezukor. There are so many more. Can you tell I'm addicted to Twitter?

Q - #8 Just as long as you don't dream Tweets. :) Final point - what thought or mantra would you like to share?

Be fearless. Sit in the knowledge that u truly can do anything. Invite that possibility. Hope that's not 2 cheesy. Just how I roll.

@JoelECarlson - Cheese is for crackers and pizza, not life. :) Thanks so much @btreinen for your time and comments today. Enjoy #jmu612 on Thursday.

@btreinen - Ha! Right you are. @joelecarlson, I truly thank you for reaching out. It's been my pleasure to spend this bit of time with you.

What Gets Retweeted and Why?

Wed, 19 May 2010 23:30:00 GMT

I just ran across a great blog entry by ConversationAgent Valeri Maltoni and thought it an excellent follow-up to our post this week about the power of the retweet. So if the almighty retweet is the exponential nirvana we're all looking for, what is the content that's most likely to get retweeted? Here Maltoni shares her take, and in turn leads us to Dan Zarrella, the Social Media Scientist, who crunches the retweet metrics, linguistics and etiquette. Zarrella believes retweets "to be one of the most important developments in modern communications, extending far beyond the Twittersphere." (This posting alone is proof of that.) A couple exerpts:

- It's okay to ask to be retweeted (in moderation).
- 70% of retweets include a link.
- Do not start the ReTweet with an @ sign, as this will mean that generally only people following both you and the person you’ve @’d will see the ReTweet, defeating its purpose of increased reach.

Wondering how Twitter affects SEO? Watch this video interview. (Scroll down.)

(Oh, and yes, you can buy the onesie in this post.)

It's not who you tweet, it's who the people you tweet tweet. Make sense?

Wed, 05 May 2010 19:32:00 GMT

Lots of folks these days talk, write, blog, tweet, rant, and certainly joke about the power of Twitter. To the uninitiated (presuming of course there are any uninitiated left out there) I get that it does all seem a lot of silly hype. Too much technology, too few hours in the day to keep up, too much social imposition. I get it. And yet, those of us that are using Twitter to build our or a client's brand see every day the power of the almighty tweet. But now we have an unprecedented analysis of not just the power of Twitter, but more specifically, the massive exponential power of the re-tweet.

Four researchers from the Department of Computer Science at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology programmed 20 PCs to gobble, chew, swallow and spew the entire contents of Twitter over the course of a month, all for the benefit of further study. (If you were on Twitter in July 2009, you're in there.)

Their findings surprised even themselves and turned their predictions upside down. It appears that on Twitter 4 is the new 6 degrees of separation. Well, 4.12, to be precise. In other words, anything you put out there will reach a broader, more interested audience more quickly on Twitter than in other social medias. Especially once you start to become a trusted filter. The trick, of course, is to be relevant enough to be retweeted. (Read the full article by MIT's guest blogger Christopher Mims here: http://tinyurl.com/2d8gfhp)

"While it's lucrative for agencies to get big fees for big projects, does a client really need so many steps?"

Sat, 08 May 2010 20:11:00 GMT

Here's an excellent interview of Jason Fried, president of software company 37signals, who says "full-service" ad agency is a meaningless phrase. (We couldn't agree more.) He goes on to speak of the value (literally) of rethinking the big behemoths (A.K.A. agencies of record) and hiring the small, nimble agency. (Um, ditto.)

We'd add:

Be sure that that small, nimble agency is steeped in best-in-class experience. Small does not have to equal small-minded or junior or limited or strictly of the consultant model.
Cherry pick this small agency for their thinking. Perhaps even hire them JUST for their thinking. What? Creative shops that aren't hired for creative? Heck, yeah. Start there. Leave it open-ended. See where it takes you. Before anything else, the thinking is what will differentiate you.The ideas are what will propel you. Creative shops have a unique way of looking at problems, a diverse and unexpected universe from which to pull fellow problem-solvers.
Do quick projects. Have a challenge? Pull in some thought leaders around it for a day or two. Pay them well and it'll still be a better value than your big agency full of layers and layers of juniorlings. (Sneaky plug: that's why Good People Branding is set up as a collaborative. We pull in who we want, when it makes the most sense, customizing a dream team to solve very specific business challenges. And it works.)