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.
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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.
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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
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.
