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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.

Start the new year with a BANG!

December 19, 2007

Here’s what I know.

Despite my harping about the importance of marketing plans and budgets, most of you don’t have either.

Even if you are one of the minority that has a plan — the truth is, you won’t get it all done. Painful but true.

But…you can get your year off to a running start. Check out my post over at Small Business Branding to learn how.

Looking for the Bank Islam logo?

December 18, 2007

If you’re using corporate logos for presentations, blog posts, internal meeting examples or just because you enjoy studying logo design — you are in luck.

Even if you want something as obscure as the Bank Islam logo.

Check out www.allfreelogo.com. They call themselves a vector logo database. I call them a treasure trove of visuals for a host of uses.

You can download logo files that range from the Chicago Cubs, Tommy Hilfiger to Air France.
You can also upload your logo to the database. While you’re there, check out their archive of articles about logo design.

They do require a free registration to access the database. (FYI: Most of the logos are EPS files, but some of them are ai files)

Are you boring your customers?

December 17, 2007

When was the last time you told a friend about an experience you had that was absolutely ordinary? A meal that was good. Customer service that was adequate. Nothing wrong…but nothing special either.

We sure notice when a product or service falls below our expectations but give us just what we expect and we’re pretty underwhelmed.

Actually, we’re jaded. We don’t notice, let alone talk about the ordinary. The expected. The good enough. We don’t get excited unless something extraordinary happens. That’s how we live our lives as consumers.

But when we put on our marketing hat, we’re astonished that the marketplace doesn’t applaud our efforts every day. Truth be told…many organizations are satisfied with just delivering satisfactory.

You don’t have to create a circus in your consultation room or have minstrels wandering through your store. You don’t have to serve gourmet snacks outside the dressing room. But you do have to find a way to infuse something remarkable into your product or service.

Now here’s the tricky part – it also has to be genuine. Consumers are not only jaded but they’re smart. Rightfully so – they hate being manipulated and they can spot insincerity a mile away. So a manufactured moment feels forced and insulting. The trick to creating the extraordinary is that it needs to come from the heart. The heart of the organization. Your brand.

It’s not as hard as you might think to take the leap to extraordinary. Take stock. Scrutinize every time you interact with a client and let your imagination off its leash. How could you change that moment and go beyond good to reach for spectacular? What would feel special and genuine from both your customers and your employees’ point of view?

What could you do that’s worth talking about?

Want some help navigating through cyber law?

December 16, 2007

Do you know:

How long you need to keep electronically stored information (ESI)?
If you’re liable for being able to retrieve ESI from an obsolete system? (Have any floppies laying around?)
What ESI you should destroy?
When you can and can’t use an electronic signature?
Ten legal oversights that may shut down your website?

Take heart…most of us won’t know the answers to these questions. That’s why there are lawyers, right? Now we can go one step better — that’s why there’s an attorney who specializes in internet law, blogs about it….and has written a book.

Brett Trout (a member of the Iowa Blogonostra of course) has released his book, Cyber Law, A Legal Arsenal for Online Business.

It’s not a sit down and read in one mad dash sort of book. It’s more of a desk reference.

Not only can you use the index in the back of the book to find exactly what you’re looking for, but Brett has also included a very rich appendix with sample forms, legal language for everything from privacy policies to your use of cookies and samples of non-competes, confidentiality agreements etc.

Whether you decided to sit down and read it from cover to cover, or use it as your legal reference guide, Brett goes out of his way to use language we non-legal beagles can understand. As you might guess from the cover…Brett is not your typical attorney!

One final question. If you couldn’t answer the questions at the top of this post — can you afford not to check out this book?

A holiday TV spot that stays true to the brand

December 15, 2007

This time of year, it seems like many companies choose between business as usual TV spots or dropping their key messages and instead — spreading some holiday cheer.

Leave it to Apple to find a way to do both.

P.S. Santa is bringing all the good boys and girls an Apple product this holiday season. Were you on the nice or naughty list?

(A hat tip to Paul Herring @ ChaosScenario for sharing the spot first.)

Peace on Earth…

December 15, 2007

This weekend will no doubt be a frenzied one as many around the globe rush to get those last minute holiday gifts, run packages to the post office, and think about all that needs to be done, business-wise, before the end of the year.

Like the rest of you, I am feeling a little harried and overwhelmed as the holiday prep time ebbs away.

It’s so easy to forget why this season, regardless of our religious beliefs, is filled with thoughts of laughter, family, friends and joy.

For all of us….here’s a little reminder that it’s really about something much bigger. (This video is a personal favorite of mine.)

Peace. Peace on Earth.

The worst thing you could do is have a blog (Grab the mic guest post)

December 14, 2007

I’ve worked in advertising and marketing. I’ve even been a consultant. But that’s not really what I or my blog is about, in fact it seems quite difficult to get to grips with what it is I do over on The Kaiser and I have been asked on a number of occasions to explain myself.

So I thought I’d do it here.

It would seem that I, on a regular basis, break all the rules and top ten tips for creating a successful blog; I do tend to delete them you see – which screws up all sorts of things that have come to seem important, like technorati ratings, google page rankings and all the other stuff that bloggers think they need to keep themselves going. But I’ve come to see these things as blogger’s-crack and have simply walked away from them.

What I try to do is create seasons of content, and I do this through creating, developing and launching characters into what we call the blogosphere. These seasons are loosely based on television formats. I try and create interest and addiction while the seasons are running which then climax into sorrow and disappointment when we reach the last episode.

I’m not interested in creating a constant stream of constant content. I’m looking for waves, dips and peaks.

It’s challenging for me both as a writer and as a performer; yes I’ve come to consider myself a performer as most of the characters are some disguised version of myself. It’s challenging for the readers too and sometimes I get it wrong and sometimes I need to pace the dips and peaks differently.

I’m basically running formats, content formats, that try to entertain, confuse, anger and empower people. They sometimes move people too. It’s hard work because I’m creating all the time and I’m trying to be original but that’s the fun of it, that’s the joy and when I get it wrong I seem to get it wrong for all of the right reasons.

And this is what I would like to share with you.

It’s tempting to read top ten tips and tricks, get bogged down with SEO nonsense and do all the other things that bloggers are supposed to do but the worst thing you could do is just have a blog. You need to have a format (not a niche) and you need to love that format and fight for it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge corporation, an agency, a small business or just a chap like me sitting in a little yellow kitchen, you need to have a format that you love because people will notice. Eventually.

Marcus Brown is the mad genius behind The Kaiser, Sacrum and many other blog legends. His marketing sense is fresh and keen. His humor is brittle and his heart is pure. I rarely read his work without nodding and at the same time, shaking my head at the brilliant delivery. He’s probably the bravest blogger I know.

Watch for more guest posts every Friday. Interesting in being a guest blogger here at Drew’s Marketing Minute? E-mail me.

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