I am not alone
Sep 27, 2007 RSS, Social Bookmarking
Last night was the first class in the E-marketing Certificate offered by the CMA (Canadian Marketing Association). In my new role as Marketing Manager, I am now responsible for the websites for the Kitchen Division. I am thrilled at this, because as my loyal readers will know I am slightly obsessed with anything to do with social media and the internet.
I have, since I started reading blogs, and playing with social media – been tirelessly promoting it to friends, colleagues and family members. I don’t do this because I like to hear myself talk. Nor do I enjoy the belittling remarks made by others – like yesterday “Michelle and her little forums or whatever…” I do it because I truly believe that as Marketers, or indeed anyone who works with products or services (or with the products/services of their clients) has a duty to at least understand new technology, what it enables us (aka consumers) to do, how it changes the way we communicate and blah blah blah. So my story to my friends, colleagues and family members has been:
- Learn to use RSS
- Play with Social Bookmarking
- Try Twitter
- Use Facebook…
- Read some good blogs (I have a list for you to start with on the side…)
Last night Michael Seaton – the teacher (from Client Side Blog and Podcast) said it best – he said that these are the tools of the trade, a toolkit so to speak. He talked about blogs and how you could learn a lot just by reading a few key blogs.
So now I know that I am not alone in how I feel about digital and social media. In fact, there was an entire class ready to learn and take it back to their respective companies – just as I hope to do with what I learn. Friends and colleagues, forgive me, but I must persist in my constant rambling about this “stuff” – as so many of you call it. Maybe one of these days I will convert someone…(other than my mother – mom you are just too much of tech-aholic)
That is why I started MEGO to begin with.
Popularity: 4% [?]
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Book Buying: Chapters-Indigo’s New Community
Sep 25, 2007 Books, Marketing & Communication, social networks
It seems to be my fate that every time I write a post, the very next day I find some relevant post or info, or video that I should have included or linked to. The other day I wrote about Changing the Book Buying Experience and today Tara Hunt at Horse Pig Cow writes about Chapters – Indigo and their new social space.
If you like books – this is a cool site.
Having worked in publishing for many years (if you want to know more – check out my brief career history!) I know that the book industry can be slow to adopt new technology and non-traditional methods. I have slowly seen change in this market, for example HarperCollins Canada is now Podcasting, Random House has great site for book lovers the Book Lounge.
It is a natural fit – social media – and book publishing. Book publishers have always relied on word of mouth to promote their books. It is this rather than advertising that builds authors, and books – this is why book publishers have in house publicists, and do very little advertising outside the book pages.
So on the new Chapters-Indigo community you can build your own profile complete with Top 10 lists, book reviews, check-out friend’s lists and build book clubs and groups. The process to add books to your lists is simple and easy. However, it didn’t seem that I could search for “groups”, only create them. This made me wonder if you could only invite friends to a group, rather than find other like-minded individuals in an existing group. For example, why would I create a Marian Keyes fan club when someone else already had? They have integrated the Chapter-Indigo site well with the community, if you are browsing and want to add a book to “your shelf”, “send to a friend” or add to your recommendations you can easily do so from the book page. It didn’t offer you the opportunity to Start A Group – and I imagine many groups will be “fan clubs” or discussion groups around particular books or authors so I think this would be a great addition to the site.
It would also be nice if they created widgets that users could post on their blogs, or Facebook profile. This would encourage sharing and of course would help spread the word of mouth on this new social community!
I wish I could build such an amazing site around food, and cooking. If only I had the support (financial and otherwise) at the company… In time perhaps. Or after every other small appliance company jumps on board!
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Food Fights
Sep 23, 2007 Advertising
Maybe it is just me. But I don’t get the decisions that were made to bring about General Mills latest viral effort – The Good Food Fight. To me it is just weird. It appears it was made to drive traffic to their slightly more useful website – Eat Better America.
The site allows you to start a food fight against the cafeteria lady, the Sushi man or concession stand Frank. You choose the who, and then the entree you want to throw at them. So you throw Spaghetti or a Sandwich, along with any food on the web page at them. At the end of the food fight you can do it again, send it to a friend or visit Eat Better America. Eat Better America is just another food and nutrition website.
So it is cute, but not cute enough for me to send it to a friend. Now if I could import pictures of myself or a friend and have a food fight with them….that would be slightly more interesting. Or if I could make up my own concoction…or meal – then throw it. Maybe I would get judged on how healthy the meal I made was. At least then it would actually teach America how to eat better.
The Food Fight application on Facebook is more useful and viral then this site (it has 52,000 users).
Of course I am no expert. Just my opinion.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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Changing the Book Buying Experience
Sep 22, 2007 Books, Social Media
I used to choose books based on a close friend’s recommendation, occasionally a best seller list, or more often through browsing the book shelves at a bookshop. I began thinking about how this has process has changed for me after reading a blog post The Indigo Experience:
“Why is it so hard to find a book?In order to do so you need five pieces of info:
1 – Name of the Book
2 – Author of the Book
3 – Bookstore that has the book
4 – Section in the Bookstore
5 – Knowledge of the sorting mechanism on the shelf “
I realize now, I very rarely “browse” a book store any more, in fact I rarely enter a book store unless I know exactly what I want, and that, that particular location has the book. I used to work at a bookstore, actually – I worked at the book store that Jeff Hiltz writes about in his post. I can recall the crowded front entrance where Indigo attempts to fit every bestseller, every award winning, and every current event book they have.
I worked in book stores before Amazon. This was before there was an easier way to find the perfect book. Bookstores are easy if you know what you want (and they have it). But, if you don’t know exactly what you want – be prepared to browse for awhile. Books are usually only placed in one physical space, when of course too often they could fall into multiple categories. A historical romance novel for example could fall into Romance, Historical or Fiction. Where do you start?
New technology has made finding a book easier. As John Hagel notes on his blog Edge Perspectives:
Converged networks systematically eliminate shelf space constraints, making it easier for customers to access a broader range of products and providers on a global scale. (As an aside, these converged networks paradoxically generate much greater diversity and fragmentation of markets into the myriad niches that populate the Long Tail). These converged networks also provide customers with much greater information about product/service offerings and vendors, including the ability of customers to connect with each other and compare their experiences with products and vendors.
Online a book can have as many categories as necessary. You don’t need to know what you want to read in order to find it. You can look up books you previously enjoyed, and find books that are in the same categories. You can look up Business, then Economics, then Natural Resources – delving deeper into more specific categories. If you find a novel that looks interesting, you can see what other customers bought that are similar. When it is so easy to browse online…why would I go to a bookstore to browse. A bigger selection with an easier way to find what you want- online book shopping is the way I do it now. If I do head to the bookstore, I find what I want online and then make the journey.
Even where I get recommendations has also changed. While I still occasionally hear about books from friends, but increasingly I find them online through Amazon reviews and Lists or through my Facebook Friends on the Visual Bookshelf.
The way I find and buy books has changed due to technology. I wonder what other processes have? What has changed for you?
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Today was just weird
Sep 20, 2007 A Good Laugh
Have you ever had one of those days that isn’t good or isn’t bad – only somewhat out of sync. Perhaps, if I were into Astrology I could say the moon was off its cycle, but since I am not knowledgeable in that field I will just say it was just weird.
It all started at Tim Horton’s this morning.
I was making a left into the drive-thru, waiting on traffic, when a car came from the opposite direction and made a right into MY SPOT. Oh well, life goes on. I did a groan to myself, pulled in behind the beat up 1970s mint grin boat, and began my morning ritual of putting on my makeup in the car.
(I am a mom of a 2.5 year old. Forgive me. But occasionally this is the decision I make so I can get into the office early. It is called multi-tasking!)
Back to my story.
I order my bagel and coffee (didn’t even have time for breakfast this morning). Get to the window, holding out my $20. The fellow at the window gives me my coffee and bagel and says “It has been paid for”. I felt like I was coming in to late to a TV program. I couldn’t comprehend what had happened. I had no idea what he was talking about. Perhaps he was speaking Dutch. Pardon? He repeated that it had been paid for by the guy in front of my, who said to say “Thanks”. For what..?
The big green car had pulled over and the guy was speaking to his friend who had pulled in beside him. So he bought me the coffee and bagel because I let him into line at Tim Horton’s.
I could see this happening when I lived on the East Coast where people apologize when you bump into them, or say hello to you when you walk by them. In the East Coast they wave you though stop signs, let you jay walk, and likely if they thought they upset you they would buy you a Timmies (certainly not a Starbucks!).
But this was the GTA. Horrible impersonal TO. Maybe he was a misplanted East Coaster?
Which reminds me – two friends of mine started a really neat community if you any of my readers are East Coasters. Check out East Coast Connected. Their purpose is
to “bring the best of Atlantic Canada to Toronto and bring the best of Toronto back to Atlantic Canada. Specifically”. I love this – they hope to promote “brain circulation” – as opposed to the typical “brain drain” as us East Coasters leave home to build a career.
Either way I suppose I should pay forward this kind deed…
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Productivity at the Workplace: Ban Facebook, Ban Telephones, Ban Human Conversation
Sep 17, 2007 Social Media, social networks
‘Productivity at the workplace.’ This statement brings up visions of people chained to their desk desolately watching the clock tick towards 5. It is time cards, and break buzzers. It reminds me of “The Bobs” in the movie Office Space, consultants brought into Initech to help cut costs.(Great movie!)
Time and again it comes up in life. Lunch is 45 minutes, not an hour. No personal calls at the office. No personal email. No Facebook. What? No Facebook? Is Facebook so huge they have to ban it in the workplace?
Studies keep popping up about how much companies are losing in productivity due to little ol’ Facebook. According to employment law firm Peninsula (UK), 233 million hours are lost every month as a result of employees “wasting time” on social networking.be. An Internet security company, SurfControl, looked into the issue, and it estimates that Australian employees spend approximately one hour a day on the social networking site. Using that number, they come up with the slack time costing employers approximately $5 billion Australian ($4 billion US) a year in lost productivity. Interestingly enough both companies offer Business Services. Surf Control offers e-mail solutions, and Peninsula is a consultancy “established to protect” businesses. It’s is no wonder they are making up these unbelievable numbers. Sadly, companies in Canada, US and the UK are jumping on board and banning social networks. Just as they once did for direct dial telephones, email, and other websites. Of course I think this is terribly short-sited. 1) Since these numbers are obviously blown out of proportion it seems it would actually end up costing companies more to pay for services to ban all the websites they would then need to ban (Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Bebo…)
2) Perhaps I am a child, but I dig my heals in when people tell me I can’t do something! It certainly won’t make me “more productive” if a company spends hours threatening to take away my brief moments of “my time”. There are people at every office that step away from their desk for a morning coffee (there is crew of guys at my office who do this with unprecedented regularity!) or for a smoke. On a regular basis people “waste” my productive time by popping by my office to have a chat about the latest Prison Break (so good!). What office member is going to police all of this?
3) It simply doesn’t recognize the current uses and future uses for Facebook and other Social Networks. How can we use these in our business environment? How can we use them to Market our products or services? How can they help us network and connect with potential partners in business?
4) As an employee I work frequently on weekends, stay late at the office, take my laptop home to work, and (gasp) use my Blackberry to answer emails when I am not at the office. If I was told no more Facebook – I would likely be more likely to rethink all these “free” hours I am working. I am sure I am not alone. Perhaps instead the employee is losing more money? More recreation time? More time with their families. If companies want to nickel and dime – we could track it more closely? I suspect they wouldn’t want to do that!
5) A break from work can actually improve your work. How often have you taken a break from what you are working on – only to go back to it more enthusiastic and productive!
P.S. There was an interesting discussion on companies banning Facebook on Episode 275 of For Immediate Release, a great Podcast if you are interested in Social Media and Public Relations.
Popularity: 3% [?]
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Television Advertising
Sep 16, 2007 Advertising
This will be a short one. Too long to Tweet. Too short to be one of my blog posts!
I was just reading a post from Being Peter Kim, titled The Media Consumption Diary. He has recorded his use and media exposure for a week. Interestingly he has also documented any advertising he remembered during that time period. He only updated his diary 2-3 times a day so I am sure his ad recall would only include anything that might have been memorable or interesting to him.
He spent 35 hours on the internet. I would estimate I do at least that. He watched 17 hours of television. I don’t watch that much. In both cases he didn’t remember any ads. I don’t recall any ads from my surfing the internet in the last two hours, let alone the last week. I rarely watch Television commercials (woohoo PVR), and even if I don’t fast forward I am usually multi-tasking on the computer, making dinner, reading a book (yes, I do this).
Just more information in my arsenal that TV advertising must be rethought. I oversee print and television advertising for my brands. I have increasingly tried to move budget out of TV to PR or Print – but it is a worthless battle. Last year they actually offered me more money for TV. Did I ask for it? No. I would prefer not to waste the companies money. It seems to me – no point doing TV if you can’t do it right. And if it means other marketing avenues are sacrificed then you definitely should reconsider. Seth Godin said something like this on his blog earlier.
TV is important to the owners is what I am told when I argue my point.
Perhaps, they should do a Media Consumption Diary.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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Are you out there my Moosehead friends?
Sep 14, 2007 Advertising, Consumer Brands
I have a feeling that Mooshead employees are in fact lurking. In the last three days I have had 10 visits from St. John, N.B. Which from a Google search I have determined is where the Moosehead head office is located.
So, Moosehead – what happened? Did someone not do their job? Forget to dot the “i’s” and cross the “t’s“? Or, perhaps it was an external mess? Did Alpha Course steal your photos? Did the stock photo folks sell the image twice?
Love to know how this mess-up came about.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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Where is Moosehead?
Sep 12, 2007 Advertising, Consumer Brands
If you have been reading my blog diligently (I know there are a few returning readers!) you will recall a story I wrote on a billboard booboo I saw in the east coast. Immediately after writing the post I emailed Moosehead sending them my URL leading them to my blog post – and noted that perhaps they should take a look at their stock photo contract. I received this email from Moosehead:
Thank you for sending us an email. We always appreciate our customers taking the
time to write us. We will do our best to reply to you in a timely manner. Thanks
for thinking about Moosehead when you think about beer. Cheers!
Weeks later, and guess what folks…nothing, nada, zilch, zero. Considering I sent an email through their website, using a form they had set up – and I sent one to Marketing and Advertising and one to Public Relations – I was surprised to not receive anything beyond this form letter. As well, unless Mooshead’s head office is using an outside Network or one that doesn’t indicate company name – it doesn’t appear that they have even visited the site.
On the other hand, kudos should go out to Loblaw Companies who obviously know how to use Google Alerts. I have had at least one visitor from the Loblaw network – there to check out my review on the Milton, Loblaws. While they didn’t jump into the conversation by posting a comment it was nice to see that they are paying attention to what is being said about them on the Internet.
If someone from Moosehead is out there…show yourself! Why have a web form for contacts if you aren’t going to use it. Perhaps my version and Moosehead’s version of “Timely Manner” is a bit different. They are beer drinkers, so perhaps they are more relaxed than I am.
Popularity: 2% [?]
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What Do You Want to be When You "Grow Up"?
Sep 10, 2007 Books, Marketing & Communication, Retail Marketing
On the drive into work today I was listening to the Inside PR podcast and the hosts Terry Fallis and David Jones were discussing the idea that often PR professionals never intended to go into PR – but rather have fallen into the career rather randomly. I began thinking about my own career path which may look less like a path and more like a trampled trail going nowhere at first glance. However, a closer look shows that the path is loosely connected.
HIGH SCHOOL
In high school parents, guidance counselors and teachers insist that you know exactly what you want to do when you “grow up”. They tell you to find out what you need to get there. They give you aptitude tests ( I recall mine thought I should be a teacher…) and course calendars for Universities. Your parents insist that you take all the right courses – Algebra and Physics – even though you are miserable in those classes and require a tutor… (turns out you don’t need either for a BA).
UNIVERSITY
I decided that since I enjoyed writing (enjoyed, doesn’t equal “good at it”) I should probably be a Journalist. So I went to Carleton University. It met the requirements-
(a) it had a good journalism school
(b) it was far from home.
Carleton accepts about 300 students, and by second year cuts that number in half by high grade requirements. I made it to second year, which meant I was one of the lucky ones. I completed my second year, but I realized early on that the type of writing they were having us do – wasn’t what I was interested in – “John Doe, 18, died at 11:00″. It was formulaic. I had little interest in memorizing writing formulas, and even less in re-learning and memorizing grammar rules (can you tell?). I transferred my credits to what was then called Mass Communication. I think at the time I had wild visions of working for the Government. This lasted only until I actually did a summer work program at Immigration Canada and then Health Canada the following year when I realized how dull it could be. No offense to government workers – you get some decent perks but it is balanced by bureaucracy and boredom.
While I was at University I worked at bookstores – as my other love is reading. I know, what a nerd. So when I was about to graduate from University and still had no idea what I wanted to do when I “grew up”- I searched the Internet for a profession. I found out that Colleges had programs on Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Publishing. So I applied to all three and determined I would extend my time in school. I was accepted into all programs but I chose Publishing. As a Senior Director at Health Canada said on my last day, ” So you have decided you don’t want to make money?”
BOOK PUBLISHING
I was thrilled when I got my first job in publishing making $30,000 grand with a company car. Sadly, at the time this was considered high for a new publishing grad. Some of my fellow grads got jobs making $22,000 (no car).
I worked in Publishing sales for four years. It was during my years in sales that I gained a passion for marketing. My territory was known as “Special Sales”, which meant non-traditional bookstores – Toys R Us, Whole Foods, Cook shops etc. The company pretty much ignored this territory within its marketing plans. They focused heir attention on the front list titles, pushing new books to the book reviewers and advertising fiction titles over the non-fiction and back list titles that ruled my retailers. I began creating newsletters, creating in-store promotions, and taking my team to trade shows.
TRANSITION TO MARKETING
I started and completed the Marketing Management program at Ryerson. I made it my goal to get a job in Marketing. No easy feat it turns out – to make the transition. Very few companies were willing to move me into a more senior role, with the experience I had – and I was not keen on taking the pay cut that was required to move into a junior marketing role! Marketing positions in publishing were few and far between which made the search more difficult. Eventually I found a position in one of the few publishing companies that took marketing seriously (in my opinion…) – Harlequin. Romance books.
I loved the job. I worked on catalogues, packaging, ads, tracking spending and the best seller lists. But the drive was long. The best time – 1 hour. Most days 1 1/2 hours each way. In the winter…it could be four hours. Brutal Toronto traffic. It was also before I got my ipod!
This time it was easier to find a marketing job – now that I had experience. I was even able to make it out of publishing into the more lucrative consumer goods arena!
NOW
I work for a company that most would assume is big – Conair. But we are a small group – just over 100 in Canada (including the Warehouse). I work for the Kitchen Division, where our Marketing team is just four people. Total. So we all do a bit of everything. Originally my job was in Product Management, with Communications and Marketing “on the side”. Now that part has become the largest part of my position as I have taken on more projects, and started new ones. I get to do what I love – Marketing. I get to affect change. I get to build the strategy and execute it.
THE FUTURE
You see in each job I discovered something else I love, which led me to the next job. What is next? Right now I love Social Media, I am excited by the future of Digital Marketing, I think the future of business is the Long Tail, companies need to accept the Cluetrain Manifesto, and I believe that “Word of Mouth” works and is a strong long-term way of building brands.
I suspect that in many fields, there are a lot of people that start going down one field only to end up somewhere completely different.
What did you want to be? Now what do you do?
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