Articles
Are You Unintentionally Putting Yourself At Risk to Personalize Your Marketing
A common complaint that I hear is “with everything being digital, nothing is personal.” In many ways that is true. Technology has given us the ability to make everything look perfect—even in its imperfection, it still looks perfect. It’s easy to copy, share, and distribute in many different formats all with a few clicks of the mouse. I am noticing that the trend is returning to incorporate personal signatures into marketing materials. Nothing is more personalized than your own signature—it’s you…
Will Membership-Based Brands be Successful in the Future?
Before we teleport into the future, let’s take a trip into the past. Organizations like Rotary, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, United Way, and the Lions Club to name a few, really became popular in the early 1900s. It was a primary resource for socializing, giving back to their community, and even personal or professional development and support. Clearly, these were the days before the internet and we could be “social” with the movement of a mouse or the swipe of a screen. People were expected to work…
Branding Your Event on Social Media with #Hashtags
Event planners and organizers are beginning to brand their events online using hashtags.
What is a hashtag?
Using the “#” sign and a word or phrase is a way for you to tell people and the social media searches what the theme of your content is. It’s a way for users to indicate that they are responding to or participating with, or even creating a new conversation or trend. They cover every topic from humor, to TV, business, politics, emotions, or even fans….you name it, and they exist! Watch this v…
What Does "Professional" Mean?
Buzz words here, there, and everywhere! Some think they make us sound smart. Others think they are overused and really mean nothing. Regardless of where you are on that spectrum, buzzwords are a reality that are here to stay though the meaning of them may change over time.
Having worked with businesses from all sectors and nonprofits in developing their brand, re-branding, or expanding their brand, I hear the word "professional" an awful lot! But what does it mean?
It could mean "showing the marke…
Customer Expectations at a Restaurant
I’ve been gluten-free for about a year now. In that time, I have learned to pre-screen restaurants to ensure that they either have a gluten free menu, they have gluten free options, or that they would be willing to accommodate. Living in Seattle also means that I am very spoiled—even if the restaurant doesn’t mention anything about gluten free options, the staff usually has enough training that we can make it work.A restaurant’s menu is perhaps their most valuable tool. Not only does it tell the…
The Pez Dispenser of Customer Service
To this day, I can’t figure out why pez dispensers are so popular. It’s a super cheap toy with some random head on the top of it. When you lift the head it gives you a less than average piece of candy. Is the excitement in moving the head or in receiving the candy?Clearly, I am not a part of their target market.
But that is ok. I don’t need to be. This simplistic view of what some consider to be a collector’s item is similar to that of a customer dealing with a company’s customer or tech support.…
Will You Do What is Necessary to Create Your Brand Movement?
It's been said that their perception is your reality.
Many companies believe that they have complete control over their brand. They believe that whatever they say, their customers, prospects and the market will blindly believe! Some of these companies also believe this to be true for their employees—as if it isn’t possible for them to discover the company's skeletons.
There was a time when that may have been true, but in the world of yelp, Facebook, and every other social media tool on the m…
Mel DePaoli is a RACE Exhibit Facilitator
You have probably heard about the “RACE: Are We So Different” exhibit at the Pacific Science Center (http://www.pacificsciencecenter.org/Exhibits/race) on display from Nov. 2013 through January 5, 2014. What you probably don’t know is that I am one of the facilitators for it! The exhibit has sparked conversation and contemplation in over 25 cities all across the United States.
If you go as a part of a group, you will have the opportunity to attend a pre-event and a post-event exhibit sessions fo…Saying Good-by to CIOs, Hello CMO!
I was reading the Accenture report, "The CMO-CIO Disconnect: Bridging the Gap to Seize the Digital Opportunity" (http://www.cmswire.com/cms/customer-experience/accenture-report-how-cmos-and-cios-can-play-nice-together-022230.php.) According to this report, by 2017 CMOs will spend more time with technology and analytics than CIOs. This trend has been wo…
Presenting the Business of Table Topics on Steriods
I have been a member of Toastmasters for two years now. I am well-trained and used to the fact that when I go to a meeting, I will be critiqued. And believe it or not, I actually like it because it helps me grow and improve.Last month, I was asked to present at my local district’s leadership training or Member Education and Leadership Expo (MELE). I was one of the breakout sessions and presented “Business: Table Topics on Steroids.” As you can tell by the name, I focused in on how Toastmasters n…