Gearheads: The Sterling Communications Blog

What Would Don Draper Do?

Two recent developments have highlighted to me that we are in a brave new world of advertising.

The first is that Pepsi is passing on the Superbowl this year. After 23 years of providing ads that drew more commentary than the game itself, the company is saving millions by not buying air time on February 7^th, and will instead invest $20M in a social media campaign. I never watch football, but even I would tune in for the Pepsi commercial to see MJ, Madonna or Britney.

The second was an advertisement for the upcoming movie musical “Nine” which I saw last week. Embedded in General Hospital (GH).  And in One Life to Live (OLTL). (Yes, I freely confess to being a soap opera junkie; I developed the habit at my mother’s knee.) In all my decades of soap-watching, I’ve never seen this degree of integrated advertising. I shouldn’t be surprised; the first daytime dramas were produced by Proctor & Gamble a platform to sell detergent, hence the moniker “soap opera.”

The “Nine” spots were different. On OLTL, college kids watched an online trailer and discussed dancing and that the hot young cast included Penelope Cruz. Since one of the OLTL characters is a film student, he explained the origins of the film in Fellini and Broadway. On GH, it was the “Nine” movie poster on a bar wall that sparked a conversation between a 40-something couple, culminating in an invitation to see the movie on opening night (full details provided). This couple touched on prestigious cast members such as Sophia Loren. Both bits were followed by the real “Nine” TV commercial.

If these two spots had been well integrated, part of seemingly natural conversations (or as natural as any dialogue on a soap can be), I wouldn’t have minded. But it was SO obvious these were paid placements.

Helpful Lobby Lizards...

As a marketer, I'm always very interested and intrigued when I hear about creative ways companies market their services internally or externally. It is for this reason, I wanted to share with you the experience I had with the Four Seasons in New York city when we were hosting an investor and media  event this month for one of our client's, NETGEAR.

Since we were meeting with the media who had limited time, it was important that they could easily find the room we were demonstrating NETGEAR's Home and SMB products. Now, it might be a 'no-brainer' for most people to find the meeting room at hotels as they are usually conspicuously sign posted. However, at the Four Seasons, that isn't the case. In keeping with their understated and very chic decor, they don't have easy to read signage, nor are the meeting rooms easy to find. Instead, the Four Seasons have very helpful people, otherwise known as 'lobby lizards', not your usual lobby lizards, who approach you just before you get lost to point you in the right direction or assist you in your quest.

When I heard how the Four Seasons proposed to help us navigate the media to our room , I was intrigued and immediately put this concept to test. Indeed, it did work. Just as I was about to get lost and couldn't find my way, a very friendly and helpful lobby lizard came from their 'hiding place' and helped me out.

Being a marketer with a creative mind that sometimes never stops working, I thought what a great way for the Four Seasons to use their 'lobby lizards' as a promotional tool when selling their event and meeting rooms. I expressed my thoughts to the events manager, who liked the idea, but explained to me that it was strictly an internal term and could not be marketed externally as it wouldn't comply with the Four Seasons demure and classy image. Oh well, at least I tried and to this day I still dream of holding another event there, but with my very own lobby lizard.

As a side note, The Four Seasons was such a class act and they did a wonderful job ensuring our event was a success. I would highly recommend them to any company wanting to do an event in New York even without a personal lobby lizard.

Happy TweetsGiving!

What is Thanksgiving all about? Is it about stuffing yourself until you’re sure you’re going to explode, but instead you just go take a nap? Or maybe Thanksgiving is about the football – rooting and cheering for your favorite team until your voice is hoarse or playing your own game out on the front yard. Is it the yams? And the pumpkin pie, pecan pie, turkey, cranberry jelly, rolls, mashed potatoes, stuffing… well, you get the idea. All these things make up Thanksgiving traditions, but are they really what the day is about? It’s important to remember the best part of Thanksgiving is spending time with loved ones and expressing thanks for the various ways your life has been blessed.

For the last two years, the non-profit, Epic Change, has taken the spirit of Thanksgiving and translated it into TweetsGiving, a global celebration to change the world through the power of gratitude. For 48 hours, people all over the world are encouraged to express their thanks publicly through social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and various blogs. In addition to spreading messages of gratitude, people are invited to make contributions, both big and small, to Epic Change. During the inaugural TweetsGiving last year, Epic Change raised nearly $11,000 in 48 hours and built a classroom in Tanzania with the money. This year, TweetsGiving has already raised over $16,000 in just over 24 hours. The money raised this year will help to build other classrooms, a cafeteria, a library and a dormitory/orphanage for the same school in Tanzania.

As a former elementary teacher, I will always have a soft spot for children and schools. I believe education – in a safe, nurturing environment – should be available to everyone. Maybe that is why I am so drawn TweetsGiving, Epic Change and the Shepards Junior School in Tanzania. All I had to do was look at the photos and videos of the adorable students, to get the inspiration do anything I could to help. Fifth graders at the school are even on Twitter, dubbed the TwitterKids, and supporters are invited to tweet with the kids.

 

The best part is simple blog posts like this one will help Epic Change in their endeavors. So lend your support by spreading your gratitude to your network and let them know about TweetsGiving: tag tweets, status updates, pictures, videos and even songs with the hashtag #tweetsgiving. In addition to messages of gratitude, you can make a donation. Contributions big and small are welcome and needed! There is less than 24 hours left of TweetsGiving, so unleash your gratitude now!

Happy TweetsGiving and have a lovely Thanksgiving tomorrow. Enjoy your turkey, pie, football and loved ones!

Thanksgiving Apps to De-Stress Your Holiday

You know the Thanksgiving drill—a house filled with family, counters overflowing with food, and multiple cooks in the same kitchen. It is a time for love and laughter, but no matter how organized the host is, there is always a certain amount of stress that comes with the holiday.

Lucky for you, there are countless iPhone apps to make your day easier. In other words, to help you avoid the possibility of running around like a “turkey” with your head cut off (no pun intended).

There are apps filled with turkey recipes and all the trimmings that go with them. There are apps that tell you how to organize various types of Thanksgiving parties depending on the guest list. And there are apps to help synchronize your meal’s prep work and cook times so that your gravy hasn’t cooled off by the time the mashed potatoes are ready.

This season, Macworld has reviewed 8 new iPhone apps and provided you with the pros and cons of each, so that you can decide which one suits your needs best. Check out the link below and have a very Happy Thanksgiving! http://www.macworld.com/appguide/article.html?article=144030

All I want for Christmas...is Apple's new tablet

Apple has done it once again; piqued my interest before the new product is on the market. No, I don't know exactly when to expect it or even what it will cost, but, darn it, I want one. Yes, we have a Kindle 2 in our house and it even gets lots of regular use and sits proudly on the nightstand in the master bedroom. My guess, however, is that our Kindle 2 will be transferred to my parents shortly after the Apple tablet arrives on the scene. Time to get busy writing my letter to Santa, I guess.

Twitter Lists: How Many Have YOU Created?

Twitter recently announced its new “Lists” feature, which allows users to create a custom list/group of fellow Tweeters that others can follow with one-click. Twitter claims that “…Lists will be a new discovery mechanism for great tweets and accounts.” True, there are lots of possibilities with Twitter lists – grouping experts, specific industry areas, media, analysts, marketing/PR pros, etc. With Twitter Lists being the latest and greatest thing, people are jumping all over the opportunity to be the original creator of “THE” end all be all list, upping their celebrity and popularity status within the Twitterisphere. There’s already an available directory that is keeping track of the most awesome Lists on Twitter.

The advice of working harder not smarter comes to mind when spending hours creating your own list. Chances are, someone has already thought of your brilliant list and done the work for you. So, why not seek it out and follow it? I suppose for a TweetDeck user like me, it’s hard to jump into the List mania when I already have columns created with those tweeters I find valuable. I suppose I could create a list based on those columns for other people, but just haven’t gotten to that stage yet. Tweetdeck is planning on integrating Lists - it'll be exciting to see this rolled out, no doubt taking Lists to a whole other level.

I know of others holding out on creating their own lists until there are better tools out there for List creation and eliminating redundancies. Where do you stand? What Lists have you created and followed and have you experienced value from them yet?

In the meantime, here are some helpful articles to help get you started:

How to Use Twitter Lists

10 Ways to Use Twitter Lists

Twitter Lists: Frequently Asked Questions and Strategies

Back to the Future

In the tech business, we’re always in a rush to get ahead. It’s all about speed to market. Keep moving, keep changing, keep innovating. Everything can be improved and is just Version 1.0 for something. History gets short shrift. But I’m a historian by inclination, if not profession. I agree with Santayana that those who forget the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat them. So if you’re interested in learning a little more about “the backstory” of our business, read on:

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42, Repeat

A seminal event in technology was observed last week, with relatively little fanfare: the “founding” of the Internet. On October 29, 1969, the first transmission over the ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, occurred when a researcher at the UCLA computer lab sent an electronic message from his room-sized computer to a computer at the Stanford Research Institute. The purpose: to log into the SRI computer from UCLA. National Public Radio is running “an occasional series” called “The Internet @ 40” which looks at the people behind the Internet, its effect on our lives today, and predictions for the future. You can listen to the episode describing the events of October 29 (“’Lo’ and Behold: A Communication Revolution”), read the transcript or download the podcast.

Happy Halloween!

 

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween over the weekend. Last Thursday, we broke out the Halloween music, candy and some wine and carved pumpkins. We all had a terrific time and above are three of our lovely creations. No wonder Sterling was named one of the top ten places to work by PR News!

While we're still in the Halloween spirit, I thought I'd also add a couple pics of my kiddos in costume.

Oh gay Paris...

Last month when I had to travel to the East coast for business, I figured since I was half way to Europe, I would try to find a cheap flight to Paris.  I hadn't been back to my favorite city in about 7 or 8 years and I thought it was high time to connect with my family and friends again. Since I could essentially kill two birds with one stone on this trip, it was a no-brainer and I bought my ticket.

While on the East coast, I attended the Cleantech Forum in Boston working for my client, the Cleantech Group where I met with many interesting Cleantech companies. I had also helped organize a sustainable event for Think London to assist with their 'Routeto2012' road show to attract U.S. green technology companies that are interested in leveraging the sustainable efforts of the 2012 Olympic games in London. Essentially, I had clean tech, green technology and sustainability on my brain when I arrived in Paris.

My friend's who I visited in Paris lived in the center of Paris, right across from the Pompidou. If you've ever been to Paris, you tend to be on an eternal high, at least I am, influenced by the ostentatious architecture as far as your eye can see, eating great food and with weather in the high 70's at the end of September, it was hard to beat. So, when I found out that my friend's didn't have an easy way to recycle plastic, bottles, etc. in their apartment building, I was shocked beyond disbelief. I couldn't imagine that this was possible in this day and age, especially coming from a first world country, where we should be leading by example.

My friend told me that there was no system in place in their apartment and the closest recycling station was a 10 min walk away.  Ten to 15 years ago, this would have been acceptable. Today it's not. However, when my friend explained to me the situation, I understood him better and realized that in order for us to  protect mother earth, not only do we have to educate ourselves and change our habits, but the systems that are in place need to be easy and efficient so they become second nature to us. Thankfully for me, I have a recycling and compost station right next to my apartment. It's become second nature for me to recycle everything I possibly can.

Working Remotely as a Growing Trend and a Saving Grace

                                                                                                           
With the strides that society is making in technology it is not surprising to also see an evolution in the work environment of men and women. A decade ago it was necessary for employees to commute to the office every day. Fortunately, technology has offered us an alternative. Workers now have the flexibility to work remotely from places such as their home.

Recently, I had a close brush with a black and white furry creature that made me very grateful for this flexibility. I have gotten into the habit of jogging along a creek trail in the morning before work. In addition to the hordes of feral cats living along the trail, I have also come across a raccoon, a possum, and a couple of skunks.

One very dark morning I didn’t see the skunk until I heard a growling noise to my right. Turning quickly I was dismayed to see the wrong end of the skunk with its tail raised. Needless to say, I put on a burst of speed and don’t need to repeat the thoughts going through my head. Luckily for me, the skunk decided to play nice and didn’t spray.

It was as I was jogging home that I began to ponder what I would have done if things had turned out differently. My first thought was to wonder if the tomato juice remedy actually works. The second was to consider what I would have done about my job, since it is unlikely my colleagues would have welcomed me in the office. Several years ago I probably would have been forced to take the day off. Now, that would not have been necessary with the increasing resources that technology offers us.

Workers today have the luxury of enjoying greater mobility than the previous generation. Tools such as laptops, wireless Internet, email, communal servers and call forwarding allow employees to work from home, and still have access to all of the same resources that they would at the office.

As more and more people take advantage of this flexibility, it raises a question of how the work environment will look in another 10 or 20 years with even greater advances in technology. Will the physical offices of certain sectors of the workforce still remain, or will the growing trend of working remotely have caused them to become obsolete?