I am the business development person here at re:group. Recently my friend, Bryan, came by and asked about by social life. You see my husband died several years ago and some people seem compelled to ask if I am dating.
Well, being a marketing professional, I take a strategic approach to these things, so I explained, “In the past I was sort of co-branded with my spouse, so right now I am the process of a brand refresh. It started with Discovery, you know, review of assets, competitive audit, and key stakeholder interviews with my closest confidants.”
He had an odd look on his face as I added, “Then I moved on to build the brand platform. I was surprised at key appeals that were uncovered! Now in the design phase, I am working on a new ‘look and feel’, new hair, lose a few pounds, get fit and make a few tweaks, as they say in the business”.
Bryan smiled. “Oh I get it!” Jan chimed in, “You should go on line!” Things were getting out of hand so I continued, “The plan is to role out the new brand this summer. But it will be a soft launch, the media plan calls for SEO, natural search, none of this SEM/PPC for me. But I do think social technology will play a big role, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook will be huge networking opportunities. Twitter is a must. My Space, nope.”
I look forward to sharing the ROI in the near future, good, bad or behind schedule.
Posted in
branding Tags:
branding,
life,
positioning,
social media,
technology
re:group seeks an interactive media strategist planner with a minimum of 3-5 years experience. We need someone who:
- understands how digital fits into the overall client marketing strategy
- has an analytical approach and knowledge of both interactive and traditional research resources
- can plan and buy online and emerging media
- stays current on new opportunities and can advise on new ways to reach targets
- can develop and implement effective social media campaigns as part of integrated campaign
- can oversee/execute SEO, SEM initiatives and evaluate results
- has a working knowledge of analytic tools and can use them to evaluate performance
- can work with creative and account team to choose the most effective media alternatives for our clients
- understand ROI and can provide the client with a basis for measurement of digital activities
- is passionate and articulate and can craft compelling recommendation and present it to the client.
This person will participate in the development and management of effective integrated campaigans. They will manage external partnerships that will result in seamless and effective web development, search performance and ROI. Must have a demonstrated passion for interactive technologies. Must be able to work well in a team setting, which demands excellent organizational skills and clear communication.
Posted in
advertising,
general Tags:
buyer,
employment,
interactive,
job,
media,
planner
Al Nalli’s building butts up against our parking lot. Every night the blue lights shine and the blues blast from the windows facing our building. It drives some of our people (who work late for the peace and quiet) nuts. I love it. Particularly when it’s got a good blues beat. Although I must admit, the guy perfecting his single snare drum hit for hours on end did get a little tiring, probably for him too.
Al and his family have been in the music business for years. He has reportedly managed and produced for a number of notable acts big and small including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Styx and Kid Rock. His father’s Ann Arbor music store was once a competitor with Tom’s Strings and Things, in Birmingham.
I think Al has at least temporarily given up on his plan to sell his property to an out of town developer, probably as a result of increased vacancy and decreased demand for commercial real estate. He has finally fixed the falling concrete and re-rented the space. The building has kept its music roots with a Rock Band School and recording studio in the basement. It kind of goes with the tattoo parlor on the first floor.
Posted in
jan's corner Tags:
Al Nalli,
ann arbor,
re:group,
Rock Band School,
Strings and Things
My purple cup and I cross the street every day to get our fill of iced tea at “the bar.” We all call it that. No need to use its name as we all know where we are going. We know Chris and Steve and Amy and all the staff. Walking into the bar is like walking into the westside Ann Arbor version of Cheers. Casual, comfortable, warm and welcoming, if you get a booth (a window is the best) you can put your feet up and relax.
A fair amount of business gets done at the bar. We hold our operations meeting there on Wednesdays and often have to compete with the architects, lawyers and web geeks for a space. Of course the big round table is always reserved for the Hooper Hathaway attorneys. Being daily customers is rewarded with a table complete with roasted peanuts and pitchers of iced tea waiting in the corner by the window.
Steve is worried about the new Michigan no smoking law for bars and restaurants going into effect in 80 days. He asked if we could use our research tools to determine what percentage of drinkers are also smokers. He is afraid the drinking and smoking crowd will just stay home at night. His brother Chris on the other hand can’t wait. He thinks the opposite will happen, that their dinner business will increase once the smoke clears. I probably agree with Chris, the smoke has kept me away on more than one occasion. (Research data seems to supports that too.) I did suggest that if they were worried, they might develop a customer database with all those cards they collect in the fishbowl and talk to their customers about it.
There is a lot to be said for a good, family run, neighborhood bar. People have been meeting at The Old Town, for food and drink for over 100 years. I suspect if Steve and Chris keep at it they will do just fine in the future too, smoking or no smoking.
Posted in
jan's corner Tags:
ann arbor,
Hooper Hathaway,
Michigan Smoking Ban,
Old Town
I watch Mark Hodesh in the morning from the treadmill upstairs across the street. (He doesn’t know I am watching.) He goes about his early morning routine of opening his store, Downtown Home and Garden, putting out the plant displays, unrolling the awnings, washing down (or shoveling) the sidewalks, getting ready for the customers who stop in for bulbs, birdseed and Zingerman’s.
Mark is the consummate retailer. He has taken what was good about the old Hertler Brothers feed and seed store and grown it into a multi-million dollar business. While other businesses in town were moaning about slow sales, Mark enjoyed a sales increase in 2009. Authentic, quality merchandise, reasonable prices and good old fashioned service were probably responsible.
Mark’s windows match the season, or perhaps the season we are looking forward to. His rain barrels and seed sale are harbingers of spring yet to arrive in Michigan. Today’s display of metal art from Haiti reminds us of his (and Margaret’s) connection to the humanity of the world and the world of art. His values are as much on display as his merchandise. Whether intentional or intuitive, he applies all the core principles of building a great brand.
Posted in
jan's corner Tags:
ann arbor,
branding,
Downtown Home & Garden,
Hertler Brothers,
Retail,
Zingerman's
Will Google Buzz be a winner? At this point, it’s too early to tell. The new application Google Buzz is a social media sharing service that is integrated right in Gmail. You can share photos, links, videos, status updates, etc.
One advantage of Google Buzz versus other social networks is that it populates followers for you based off of your Gmail contact list automatically. They are encouraging social networking by creating another way for you to share content easily without barriers. Some other cool features are the real time updates and the ability to easily embed photos and pictures in your update. You’re also not limited to 140 characters.
Unfortunately, Buzz has a few limitations. Buzz updates are sent automatically to your inbox, as well as your Google Buzz tab. The biggest limitation I see is that although you can broadcast your updates and share information easily among your Google followers, there isn’t a way to automatically share this same information with your Facebook or Twitter followers. For now, it is its own encapsulated network. That, and the fact that you can’t Buzz with someone who is not on Gmail, will slow the viral spread of this new network.
What do you think of Google Buzz? Post your comments. And, once you’ve started playing with it, see PC World’s article on 5 Tips for Power Users
Posted in
interactive,
new media Tags:
buzz,
friend sharing,
GMail,
google buzz,
social sharing
re:group seeks an interactive media strategist/planner with a minimum of 3-5 years experience. We need someone who:
- understands how digital fits into the overall client marketing strategy
- has an analytical approach and knowledge of both interactive and traditional research resources
- can plan and buy online and emerging media
- stays current on new opportunities and can advise on new ways to reach targets
- can develop and implement effective social media campaigns as part of integrated campaign
- can oversee/execute SEO, SEM initiatives and evaluate results
- has a working knowledge of analytic tools and can use them to evaluate performance
- can work with creative and account teams to choose the most effective media alternatives for our clients
- understands ROI and can provide the client with a basis for measurement of digital activities
- is passionate and articulate and can craft a compelling recommendation and present it to the client.
This person will participate in the development and management of effective integrated campaigns. They will manage external partnerships that will result in seamless and effective web development, search performance and ROI. Must have a demonstrated passion for interactive technologies. Must be able to work well in a team setting, which demands excellent organizational skills and clear communication.
Posted in
advertising,
general Tags:
employment,
interactive,
job,
media,
social,
strategist
Welcome to Jan’s Corner. Figuratively, Jan’s Corner is my take on issues and events that cross my path. Literally, it is about people, places and events that take place in the world that is defined by the intersection of Ashley and Liberty in Ann Arbor, Michigan. OK, I may stray a bit farther than that, perhaps up to Main Street or down to 2nd or maybe even outside of Ann Arbor all together, but for starters, I thought I would focus on our corner of world.
It’s funny how you define your world. It can be the universe, or just a small place with a universe of experiences happening within it. The intersection of Ashley and Liberty is such a place. For me, it is work and work-out, breakfast, lunch and dinner, drinks and entertainment, friends and strangers. It is past, present and future. It is young and old, radical and conservative, the homeless and the very wealthy. It is effectively a cross-section of Ann Arbor at the intersection of two streets and four blocks.
The Fleetwood Diner anchors the southwest corner. It has been an Ann Arbor fixture at least as long as I have. Mark Hodesh, who now runs Downtown Home and Garden was the original owner. Open 24 hours a day, it has great greasy breakfast and the best Greek chicken salad in town. And coffee strong enough to stand a spoon in accompanied by the constant banter of Aviva and the regulars. (I always make sure to tip her well to keep on her good side.) Sometimes I wonder if the pierced and dyed crowd can recognize an old hippie in business attire.
Posted in
jan's corner Tags:
ann arbor,
Fleetwood,
Liberty,
re:group
We all know that advertising budgets are shrinking, so what do you do? Our tactic is to make your campaign the most effective it can be by really micro-targeting your best customers and potential best customers. You can make a small budget campaign feel like it is everywhere to the right people. Make sure you tailor your message to them, use only the mediums that they interact with or have contact with. If you targeting pet owners be where they are - Animal Planet, Humane Society functions, Pet blogs, etc. To them, it will feel like you are everywhere, and you will be within your budget.
Posted in
general Tags:
media,
microtargeting,
targeting
Many of our clients have expressed an interest in learning more about social media. So we’ve compiled a recommended reading list.
· Books – ranked by number of Amazon reviews
o The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly – David Meerman Scott (178 reviews)
o Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, Revised Edition by Andy Sernovitz, Guy Kawasaki, and Seth Godin (132 Reviews)
o Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies – Charlene Li, Josh Bernoff (94 reviews)
o Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time – Joel Comm (91 reviews
o Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust – Chris Brogan and Julien Smith (42 reviews)
o Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone Is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone – Mitch Joel (27 reviews)
o Secrets of Social Media Marketing: How to Use Online Conversations and Customer Communities to Turbo-Charge Your Business! – Paul Gillen (23 reviews)
o Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live and Do Business – Erik Qualman (23 reviews)
o Open Brand: When Push Comes to Pull in a Web-Made World – Kelly Mooney and Nita Rollins (18 reviews)
o Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR – Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge (15 reviews)
Blogs, etc.
o Brian Solis – briansolis.com, twitter.com/briansolis
Principal of FutureWorks, an award-winning PR and New Media agency in Silicon Valley. Solis blogs at PR2.0, bub.blicio.us, and regularly contributes marketing & tech insight to industry publications.
o Chris Brogan – chrisbrogan.com, twitter.com/chrisbrogan
Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency, and co-author of “Trust Agents.” He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.
o Charlene Li – twitter.com/charleneli, altimetergroup.com/blog
Charlene Li is the Founder of Altimeter Group and co-author of the business bestseller, “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies,” published by Harvard Business Press in May 2008.
o Joseph Jaffe – jaffejuice.com/jaffejuicetv/, www.crayonville.com/
One of the most sought-after consultants, speakers and thought leaders on new marketing, Joseph Jaffe is President and Chief Interruptor of crayon, a conversational marketing company, specializing in community, dialogue and partnership.
o Guy Kawasaki – blog.guykawasaki.com, twitter.com/guykawasaki
He was one of the Apple employees originally responsible for marketing the Macintosh in 1984. He is currently a Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures, and has been involved in the rumor reporting site, Truemors, and an RSS aggregator, Alltop. He is also a well-known blogger.
o Groundswell – blogs.forrester.com/groundswell/
Presents ongoing insights from Josh Bernoff and other analysts involved with the ongoing Forrester’s Social Technographics® study.
o Jeremiah Owyang – web-strategist.com/blog/, twitter.com/jowyang
Jeremiah Owyang is a Partner focused on customer strategy at Altimeter Group and author of the popular blog “Web Strategy,” which focuses on how corporations connect with their customers using web technologies.
o MediaPost Social Media Insider http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Archives.showArchive&art_type=66
Social media news from the media, marketing and advertising professional’s leading resource for complete news coverage, engaging events, a focused social network, and comprehensive industry jobs, directories and research.
o SmartBrief on Social Media – smartbrief.com/socialmedia/
SmartBrief on Social Media delivers the best news and insights on the business of social media. The editors become your personal research assistants, handpicking and distilling the most useful information about new and established social networks, user-generated content, blogging, wikis, media sharing, and more.
o Advertising Age DigitalNEXT – adage.com/digitalnext/
The Ad Age DigitalNext blog is a collection of news and opinions on the emerging media and technology space and its opportunities and impact on marketers. The group’s esteemed (and opinionated) contributors run agencies, startups, and creative departments and hail from all sorts of disciplines, including design and user interface, social networking and community, mobile, gaming and virtual worlds.
Articles, posts, whitepapers
o Top 10 Social Media Tools for Entrepreneurs – mashable.com/2009/10/26/social-media-entrepreneurs/
o Social Networking for Businesses & Associations by Cerado – www.cerado.com/…/Cerado-Haystack-Executive-Briefing-Social-Networking-for-Businesses-and-Associations.pdf
o Four Ways Social Networking Can Build Business – bnet.com/2403-13070_23-219914.html
o How to Get Started With LinkedIn – bnet.com/2403-13070_23-219860.html
o Metrics for Social Applications in a Downturn – courses.washington.edu/com529/page2/page7/files/page7_1.pdf
o 50 Ways to use Social Media, listed by Objective – web-strategist.com/blog/2008/07/15/50-ways-to-use-social-media-listed-by-objective/
o A Draft Social Media Metrics Model – webwalker.ca/2008/05/19/a-draft-social-media-metrics-model/
o Social Media Marketing Campaigns: How to Set Goals and Define Your Target Market – http://www.doshdosh.com/social-media-marketing-campaigns-setting-goals-defining-prospects/
o How to Measure Social Media ROI for Business – mashable.com/2009/10/27/social-media-roi/
o 19 sites that can make Twitter soar for you – networkedinc.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/19-sites-that-can-make-twitter-soar-for-you/
Posted in
general Tags:
blogs,
facebook,
interactive,
twitter
