Drew McLellan, Author at McLellan Marketing Group

The I List

December 30, 2007

A year or so ago, there was the Z list. Next, the W list. Then, came the O list. Now, I think it is high time that we share with the world the power of blogging in Iowa.

Meet the I list.

If you’re an Iowa blogger, grab this list….add any Iowa blogs that might be missing and then post it on your blog. Let’s see how many we can get. If you’re not an Iowa blogger — grab the list and challenge your state’s bloggers to match or beat it!

Either way — what a great way to launch the new year — some link love and even more important — some long overdue props to the state that is not only setting the political course with our caucuses, but also charts the waters for bloggers everywhere.

The I list:

Adam Carroll
Andy Drish
Art Dinkin, CFP, CLU, ChFC
Association of Business & Industry
Babich, Goldman, Cashatt & Renzo
Barry Pace
BeatCanvas
Blue Frog Arts
Brett Trout
Bridges Financial
Broom Wizards
C Wenger Group
Carpe Factum
Claire Celsi
Cloud Nine Diamonds
Compass Financial Services
Conference Calls Unlimited
Dave Dreeszen
Des Moines Families
Dickson, Mackaman, Tyler & Hagen
DMWebLife
Do You Q?
Dr U Fantasy Football
DSM Buzz
Dwebware
Employer Ease
Eric Peterson
Focal Point Multimedia
Gift Idea Help
Home Know-it-All
Insight Advertising & Marketing
Iowa Bed & Breakfast Association
Iowa Biz
J. Erik Potter
Jann Freed
Josh More
Kyle’s Cove
Maiers Educational Services
McKee, Vorhees & Sease
McLellan Marketing Group
NCMIC Insurance
Purple Wren
Radio Iowa
REL Productions
Rental Metrics
Rita Perea Consulting
Roth & Company
RSM McGladrey
Ruby’s Pub
Runners’ Lounge
Rush Nigut
Ryan Rossinick
Simplifive
Snap! Creative Works
Studio 24 Design
Swing Station
The Members Group
The Mitchell Group
The Simple Dollar
Transition Capital Management
US Rodeo Supply
Victoria Herring
Wade Den Hartog
Wealth With Mortgage
When Words Matter
White Rabbit Group

Hat tip to Mike Sansone for compiling this list.

12/31 Update (more great Iowa Bloggers…)

24-Hour Dorman
Bleeding Heartland
Blog for Iowa
Century of the Common Iowan
Chase Martyn On Display
Cyclone Conservatives
FromDC2Iowa
Iowa Geek
Iowa Guy’s Blog
Iowa Progress
Joe Says So
John Deeth
NewsConference
OnTheStreet
Political Fallout
Political Forecast
Popular Progressive
Price of Politics
State 29< br /> The Radloff’s Random Midnight Thoughts
Thoughts From the Oasis Amidst the Corn

01/02/08 Update:

LavaRow

Know any more I should add?

A bag full of ideas 12/29/07

December 29, 2007

From time to time, I’m going to share a mixed bag of ideas, marketing tips, brilliant writing and sometimes — something that just made me laugh out loud. Here’s today’s offering:

This one had me thinking.: Here’s today’s offering: If you don’t already know about Christine Kane’s blog on creativity — you need to discover it. Quickly.

Christine brings back an idea she shared last year. Rather than setting a resolution — why not choose ONE word to be the guiding principle of 2008? Her post really triggers some soul searching.

This one had me signing "Happy Birthday" to all blogs!: NPR is doing a series on blogging to commemorate the 10th anniversary of blogs. They’ve got a great mix of audio interviews, articles and information. Really fascinating stuff. Hat tip to Susan Reynolds who shared this link with me via twitter.

This one has me saying "duh!": The New York Times declares that blogging is a low cost, high return marketing tool. Duh. This flash came to them based on a survey done by American Express. The article goes on to say that blogging requires writing skills and a time commitment. I’ll be damned.

Grab the mic: Dan Schawbel – With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

December 28, 2007

A blog is not just about a conversation, it’s about the ideas that flourish within the conversation and the influence that it has on others. By writing posts, you may in fact be changing someone’s life, their train of thought or a decision they could be making.

If you watched the movie Spiderman, then you must have picked up on the quote "with great power comes great responsibility." The quote was said by Ben Parker (Peter’s uncle) a few scenes before he was murdered. As Spiderman, Peter’s has the ability to fight evil or become evil and depending on how he utilizes the gift that was given to him, he can change the world for better or worse.

You are Spiderman.

You may not have webbing or spidey sense, but your writing impacts lives on a recurring basis. You’d be surprised how many people have a stake in your personal brand. Check out your subscription base for example and see how many people rely on you as a source of information for running their daily lives.

Having a blog is a powerful thing and empowers you to express your personal brand through writing, multimedia and community. If you put yourself on the other end of the spectrum, as the receiver of your own information, you’ll get a deeper sense of the value and authenticity.

Unethical behavior online, in which you plagiarize or falsely identify news or advice, can not only hurt your brand, but also negatively affect your readership.

For instance, if you write about how Google has changed their algorithm, in that the more links you have, the lower your PageRank, you are going to seriously hurt their business and your personal brand. You lose credibility. If you spread knowledge of new marketing strategies that you know have failed, the same effect may occur. Remember that not everyone who reads your blog has this knowledge and they come to you to acquire it, so be mindful of what you write.

If you don’t blog, then pay close attention to the credibility of the blogs that you read. It’s wise to review their profile; to ensure that they have the knowledge and field expertise required to be trustworthy. You can get a better sense of their brand by reviewing their past few blog posts, as well as the comments they receive and the network they have on their blogroll.

Bottom line –blogging is all about transparency. Your actions will speak loudly, so choose them carefully.

As a leading Personal Branding expert for the gen-y audience, Dan has a world recognized blog, a TV podcast series, awards and a magazine on the subject of personal branding. He is also the creator of the first 360 degree personal brand website that mixes his professional and personal life together into a compelling story. Dan has been featured in Fast Company Magazine, BrandWeek Magazine, Yahoo! Finance and has written for The American Marketing Association, MarketingProfs and other major resources.

Would you like to be a guest author on Grab the Mic? Just e-mail Drew!

What did 2007 stand for?

December 26, 2007

Greg Verdino summed up his take on 2007 in a great post earlier this month. You’ll want to go check it out to get the nuances of his thoughts, but in a very abbreviated form — he said the top 7 trends that defined 2007 were:

Merger Mania: Seems like everyone is buying someone…

Presence and Accounted for: Every day there’s a new beta for a social network being launched and everyone’s rushing to give each and every one a try.

Facebook Frenzy: About a bazillion people there. Nuff said.

The Mobile Year that Wasn’t: Everyone predicted this was going to be the year that mobile marketing was going to take off. Oops, not so much.

The Birth of Virtual Natives: Second Life to Webkinz. If you aren’t a member of one now…you will be.

Writers Wronged: What impact will the writer’s strike have on online content, videos etc.

And then Greg left #7 blank — asking readers to share what they thought was the 7th significant trend of the year.

So, here’s my take. A year ago, Time Magazine named YOU (meaning us) the person of the year….heralding the power and influence of social media.

It had to be the most talked about news item on blogs (other than the iPhone release) in ’07. And you can’t blame us. It’s tough being one of the first few million to do something, trying to break through. A little recognition is nice.

But…I think trend #7 is that the celebration was pretty premature. I believe that we’re still very much social media pioneers, a few million of us or not. And we are standing at the base of a very steep mountain. The climb is not going to be easy or short.

Step away from people who blog, read blogs, the media, marketing and advertising folks…and you will find a vast majority of human beings who are completely unaware of what social media means. If you said Second Life to them, they’d think you meant Saturday Night Live or you want to talk about your religious beliefs. They might have heard the word blog but it has no relevance to them. They don’t understand that social media has power — let alone how to harness it. Bottom line — we’re not on their radar screen yet.

As Gavin is famous for saying — you know something is mainstream when your grandma gets it. Well, grandma doesn’t get it yet.

I don’t take this as bad news, by the way. We’re riding the first wave of social media. It’s not mainstream yet but it will be. And we get to cut the path.

I believe trend #7 is/was that the euphoric fog lifted and most of us now recognize that while the journey is going to be a long one — the ride is going to be a blast!

How about you — what do you think the 7th trend that defined ’07 was?

New Year’s image courtesy of www.New-Year.in

5 marketing lessons from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

December 25, 2007

We’ve sung the song, teared up at the movie…but have we really considered what marketing messages are woven into the classic Christmas story — Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

I think not. So let’s correct that mistake right now. (And enjoy the film’s original trailer)

Marketing lesson #1: You can’t hide the truth.

Rudolph did not embrace the fact that he was different from all the other reindeer. He just wanted to have a cute little black nose and the chance to play some reindeer games.

You can fool people for a little while, but if you cannot walk the talk…don’t say it in the first place. Your consumers know you’re not perfect. They just want you to be straight about it.

Marketing lesson #2: Never make assumptions about how your consumers feel. Far better to ask directly.

One of the main reasons Rudolph took a hike was because he assumed Clarice wouldn’t love him now that his nose so bright was common knowledge. Think of the grief he could have saved everyone if he had just checked in with her.

You are going to be hard pressed to find a more insightful marketing tool than a customer survey. Sometimes the news is tough to hear, but I guarantee you — you can make some simple changes to significantly increase your customer loyalty and retention.

Marketing lesson #3: Your worst enemy can turn into your greatest ally.

Sure…the Abominable SnowMonster (or The Bumble as Yukon Cornelius called him) tried to eat his girlfriend but Rudolph came to see him as a buddy — even letting him put the star atop the Christmas tree. All it took was someone (Hermey the elf) listening to the Bumble and finding his pain (tooth ache) to turn the grumbling beast into a helpful and happy pal.

When someone clearly dislikes or even hates your company, product or services’ shortcomings, listen. If you really work towards understanding their perspective — you can not only save the relationship but you can turn that negative word of mouth risk into an advocate.

Marketing lesson #4: Create raving fans and a community by giving first.

Rudolph didn’t have to promise the Misfit Toys anything. At that moment, they couldn’t help him. But with a generous heart, he promised them he’d try to find them good homes with children who would love them.

When you do something without regard for "re-payment" of any kind, you create value. When you create value…people keep coming back. When they do that, you begin to build a relationship and a sense of loyalty and no one has even tried to buy or sell yet. Which makes the selling a whole lot easier.

Marketing lesson #5: When you find what makes you unique, it can be your ticket to new heights.

When Rudolph began to see his nose as an asset and recognized it was what set him apart from all the other reindeer, he suddenly got asked by Santa to take a leadership position. From then on, it was his calling card. People told others about his nose and pretty soon, he was known from coast to coast. That’s branding!

Companies like Apple and Disney rise to the top because they are proud of what makes them different. They don’t try to be everything to everyone. They recognize that having a niche means you can create brand loyalty as opposed to being lost in a sea of sameness.

Age of Conversation’s gift of life

December 24, 2007

Today seems like a very appropriate day to talk about the amazing gifts that the Age of Conversation has made possible.

All the proceeds of this remarkable book were donated to Variety, the Children’s Charity. Because we wanted the money to represent the international make up of our authors, we earmarked the money for one of Variety’s programs, Lifeline.

Lifeline’s sole mission is providing medical assistance to children with treatable and survivable heart conditions in countries where the appropriate medical facilities, expertise or resources do not exist.

Lifeline’s primary focus continues to be pediatric cardiac surgeries, but is also involved in pediatric neurosurgeries, cranial-facial procedures, tuberculosis, neo-natal clinics, pediatric rehabilitative medicine and plastic surgeries for children all over the world.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the authors and other bloggers — together, we have donated over $11,000 to the charity in 2007.

I thought you’d enjoy seeing the faces of some of the children who have literally had their lives saved in the last few months.

There are children alive and laughing today because of your efforts.

And added plus — Lifeline’s efforts will be featured on the Today Show (NBC) on Christmas Day. Not sure what time…but tivo it!

Rewards for logo consistency

December 23, 2007

When you are absolute in the treatment of your logo so that it becomes embedded in the minds of your consumers — then you earn the freedom to have some fun.

The best part — modifying your logo like this actually reinforces your brand.

So….how consistent are you with your logo? Have you earned this reward?

School Daze? Tag, I’m It!

December 23, 2007

Over the past year, the 7 (or 5 or 8) things about you meme has made its rounds. I first revealed five fascinating (my rating, not necessarily yours!) things about me about a year ago. Then, about a month later, I got tagged again by Chris Brown and this time offered up what my five favorite brands told you about me.

Then, in July, David Reich got me — only this time it was 8 things. So I sort of cheated and re-used the five I had originally posted and added three new ones.

Now, my friend and fellow Iowa blogger Angela Maiers has caught me once again. Angela blogs about education and was one of the blogs I spotlighted in my November blogtipping post.

So, I will beg your indulgence (I’m pretty sure you know all you want to about me!) and offer up some new truths about Drew — this time, ala my experiences during my school years to pay tribute to the work Angela does.

My speaking career began early: I gave the valedictorian speech at my high school. I had to get my speech approved by the English department head, so I was ready far in advance. The night before graduation, I woke up in the middle of the night and decided I wasn’t happy with the speech– so I completely re-wrote it and decided it was better to apologize than ask permission. So my speech was a surprise to everyone. My mention of TPing (not in the original) got a standing ovation.

I am gifted at TPing: Through much of my high school career, I was lauded for my TPing ability. The height my tosses could achieve, the obscure places I could get TP and my ability to allude residents, dogs and the police.

I would make myself sick about grades: I was much more of a perfectionist when I was a kid. And I set some unrealistic goals for myself. Straight A’s and nothing less. This wasn’t my parents’ pressure — this was mine. I was making myself so sick they thought I had an ulcer and we had to do all these medical tests. That finally got my attention and I realized I had better let up a little — and did so.

I didn’t start off so well: My poor mom had to hang out at the school for the first week of kindergarten because otherwise, I would not stay. I’m proud to say…she did not have to go to college with me!

My first major was psychology: I fully intended to be a psychologist when I first went to school. Some early experiences my freshman and sophomore year made me decide that wasn’t the right path and voila, a marketing and branding guy was born!

I broke my finger on the playground: We were playing football at recess and during a tackle, my finger got caught in a guy’s shirt and broke. We didn’t get it looked at soon enough…so it is still crooked today. (And aches when the weather is going to change!)

I am utterly incorrigible. I had a 7th grade teacher say this to me. I’m not sure how she meant it, but I took it as quite the compliment and still do, to this day.

There you have it, discerning readers — a little peek into the twisted beginnings of yours truly! 🙂

Since its the holidays, I’m not going to tag anyone specifically, but if you’d like to play along…here are the rules.

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

Grab the mic Friday: The Emperor Has No Clothes

December 21, 2007

I thought the first question was an easy one. "Why do you want to work on your brand?"

I told them how my friend, Michael Libby, had once pointed out to me that my business card, letterhead, brochures, and promotional items all had a different look, tone and feel.

He thought I would benefit from sending one unified message. "Besides" I continued, "we are moving our office and all this stuff will have to be reprinted anyway." As soon as I said it, I knew I was in trouble. I could see it in their eyes.

I was sitting in a conference room with great minds from both the McLellan Marketing Group and REL Productions. I did not want to have to pick one friend over another and they were interested in doing some collaborative work anyway. So I became the guinea pig.

Since this is Drew’s blog perhaps I should introduce myself. My name is Art Dinkin and I am a Certified Financial Planner practitioner here in Central Iowa.

Everybody, without exception, knows somebody who is in the financial services business. It is like being a four leaf clover on a football field. Chances are no one is going to look close enough to realize that you are not just like all the other blades of grass. After nearly twenty years in the business, it was time to invest in my brand. Marketing professionals are very familiar with brand discernment; this is what it is like from the other side of the conference table.

The process is simple, but not easy.

Have you ever seen the show What Not to Wear? The participant steps into this room, which is nothing more than a 360 degree mirror, while the professionals critique her dress and style. That is kind of what it felt like. I felt like I was standing in that room, completely naked, as my business was dissected. The truth sometimes hurts, but it was necessary for me to first recognize that my brand was broken.

Here is an example. When asked "Why do people do business with Art Dinkin?" I told them about my experience, knowledge, and integrity. "That is not enough" they said, "those qualities do NOT make you unique. What is it about your practice that differentiates you from everyone else?"

They helped me discover that I am unique. I have a very relaxed style and I can explain complex financial arrangements in the everyday language which my clients understand. My brand lies within my uniqueness. The knowledge, experience and integrity are only important once the brand message is conveyed.

Drew warned me that as I learned to embrace my brand that it would become a guideline for decision making, and it has. It is easy for me to see which ideas fit my practice, and quickly eliminate those that do not.

Like financial planning, branding is a process … not an event. I started with my look and feel. Today I have a business card and stationary set which matches my brand. I am in the process of taking updating my blog and website with the same color pallet and style (I hope to have it done in a few weeks).

There are other recommendations which I have set aside for the time being. Some seemed near ridiculous to me when I first heard them, but as I have become more comfortable with my brand they seem more realistic. Thankfully I know Drew will never tell me "told ya."

Drew’s note: Art experienced what many people do when they decide they need to think about branding. It can be overwhelming and a little scary. But it can also be absolutely illuminating. Art has a great blog that makes financial decisions, information and possibilities something we Average Joe’s can understand.

Art also makes a great point — branding is not a switch you flip. It’s an evolution and he’s well on his way!

Peas in a pod?

December 20, 2007

We talk about social media and its power to connect companies with their consumers. We explore the impact of getting down from the pulpit and standing side by side with your organization’s advocates and detractors.

Most of us are out here, teaching and learning because it’s part of what we do for a living. We do it with heart, but with a practical eye on the prize too.

And we remind everyone that it’s about the people. The listening. The authenticity. And boy is it.

Sometimes this social media stuff knocks me to my knees. It strips away everything but what really matters.

I don’t know Susan Reynolds in the traditional sense. We’ve never shared a meal or heard each other laugh. But I know her. I’ve followed Susan Reynold’s blog for some time. I love her humor and insights. Then, I connected with her on Twitter. I was rocked when a couple weeks ago, Susan shared that she had found a lump in her breast. Breast cancer has done a number on my family (like most) and I have a particular hatred for it.

Susan, with her usual style, decided to create a blog to share her story. One of the first tales she told was that she used a bag of frozen peas to ease the pain after her biopsy. Suddenly, in an act of support and solidarity at the suggestion of Connie Reece, people started changing their Facebook and Twitter avatars to what is now known as a pea-tavar. (see mine above).

In Susan’s words:

People who I am connected to through twitter have given me referrals, done research for me, baked for me, cheered for me, knitted for me, prayed for me, shared their stories with me, rallied around me, and started a fundraising campaign for the American Cancer Society in my name.

Tomorrow, Susan goes into surgery knowing that an entire worldwide, pea pod of people are there with her in spirit.

The majority of the world is still looking at applications like Twitter, Facebook and even blogging with great skepticism.

But I have to tell you…tonight when I think about social media, I’m not thinking about business or clients at all. I’m thinking about a woman who had the courage to share her very personal journey and how a community of support has welled up to surround her.

Tonight, social media humbles me with its compassion, ability to connect and the depths of human kindness it can share.

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