Some Creative Inspiration

Every self-respecting marketing person would dress up like a hippie for the sake of a marketing promotion, right?

Wait. Don’t answer that. Let me explain…

About three months ago my fellow FaceTime marketing colleagues and I came up with a video idea to promote the company’s no URL filtering fees promotion. We staged a take-off on Animal Planet where we observed a near extinct species: the URL filtering sales guy.

Response was great, really positive; people liked seeing a technology company injecting humor into things. We spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., then to build on the momentum we turned that one idea into a series we call the Larissa and Sarah Show, where my UK-based marketing cohort Sarah Carter and I star as roving reporters for FaceTime's Web Security Channel bringing viewers the latest developments and news in the world of Web security, compliance and management.

We’ve interviewed President Obama, we’ve taken a road trip to observe an IT manager…then last month we took it live, to the RSA Conference in San Francisco. Three and a half days of back to back Larissa and Sarah Shows in a 20x20 booth – I can still give the presentation in my sleep! And we combined it with an old-fashioned 60’s-style protest against high-priced URL filtering fees. It was a marketer’s dream – full creative freedom to carry an idea all the way through. We had tie-dye, we had protest signs, we had a protest singer….we got our message across, and we made it memorable!

Our presence at RSA landed us some press and blog coverage - NetworkWorld even named FaceTime a security company to follow on Twitter, specifically calling out the Larissa and Sarah Show videos as quirky (which we took as a compliment:-)). The best part? The prospects liked it - our sales people are hearing things like ‘you guys had the best booth at RSA!’ You have to agree it’s much easier to begin a sales conversation with that kind of opener.

I thought I’d share our fun marketing idea for some inspiration. It worked for our company – the humor, the slight way we’re making fun of ourselves instead of pointing to the competition – and we kept it personal. Sarah and I are real people. Real people who don’t mind crouching under a tree in a parking lot.:)

Camo and tie-dye might not be your thing, but there’s a unique idea out there for your company, too. What is it?

Honestly?

It was a family get together a few years ago, and in my absence my family began to speculate if I was going to show up. Some said, "Probably." Others didn't think so. Then my aunt chimed in, "He'll be here." Everyone turned and looked at my aunt because of her matter-of-fact tone. My grandmother said, "How do you know that?"
My aunt replied, "Because he said he would - Not only that... he will be on time!"
That was that, and the conversation shifted to other matters and preparing the food. The lunch was set to begin at 1:00 and at 12:57 there was no sign of me, yet the look on my aunt's face was as relaxed as it could be (she has nerves of steel - not a good idea to play poker with her).
Then at 12:58 the door knob began to turn and I walked through the door. As soon I stepped foot in the house, my aunt threw up her arms as if to signal the game-winning field goal and said, "What did I tell ya?!" My aunt has never been above gloating and savors every opportunity.
I soon realized her happiness was more than simply me joining them for lunch. That reaction from my aunt caused me to think that day. It forced me to pause and realize how valuable it is in life and business for others to trust what you say and feel comfortable depending upon you. It is priceless when others are 100% confident that you will follow through on your word.


A few weeks ago, I read this story in an eZine I receive from memory expert Ron White. It made me think about the value keeping your word really holds. In today's world where it seems like all we hear about is one corrupt CEO after another, someone who has built a solid reputation on integrity is rare. The dollar investment of keeping your word costs little, but the return on that investment is immeasurable. A reputation of honesty will take you further than any marketing dollar can ever get you, but put them together and you just can't lose.

Hooray for the Good, Old-Fashioned Library!

Recently, I was at Collin College in Plano, Texas for a Business Management and Marketing Advisory Board meeting. It was brought up that there was an 18-20% increase of library usage in the state and lines of people were waiting to get in every morning. What has caused this new trend? Free internet. With the economy being what it is, people are heading to the library to take advantage of the free computer/internet usage, browse the books and, I suspect, to just be around other people. And many people aren't aware that free computers and internet are available at their public libraries. The library is still the hub of information - just a different, more technological kind.

After not having been in a library since my college days, I strolled in to my local branch for some tax forms earlier this year. Other places had run out, but at the library, there they were - plentiful and free! It occurred to me that being in a library was a very different experience than, say, going to Starbucks. In the years since college, I've gotten my books from Barnes & Noble or Half Price Books. But those places don't have that comforting, familiar feel that libraries have.

I’m curious how many of you out there have visited your local library lately? I plan to be back again soon!

INSPIRATION BOX

During my freshman year of college I was in a writing class that proved to be quite the challenge creatively. I was assigned a paper –  which I wanted to ace, of course -- but every time I sat down in front of my computer: nothing. Not one word would flow from my head to my fingers and onto the computer screen – except my name. Time and time again, I was stuck, left frustrated and lacking confidence.

 

After days of torturing myself, I went to my professor for some guidance. While I was meeting with her she told me that during college, first jobs, and even just in life we need to step back, take a deep breath and allow ourselves to be inspired. She told me when she felt a bad case of writers block, a sour mood or a lack of confidence she would go to what she dubbed her “inspiration box.”

 

Inside this box she put anything that pushed her creative buttons and anything that made her happy. It could be as simple as a quote scribbled on paper or as individualistic as a childhood toy. She told me to go back to my dorm, take a deep breath and to find what inspires me and create my own box. I still have my “inspiration box” and I often find myself adding new quotes, images from old movies, dresses from runway shows, color swatches, event planning ideas, art, words I love (seriously, check out the word “halcyon.” It’s a gem), encouraging letters from friends and family, photographs, song lyrics, recipes, fonts, and the occasional photograph of George Clooney (a girl can dream, right?) 

 

The box is something I truly treasure. Anytime I’m lacking creativity, confidence or when I’m a little down, I open the box. I’m immediately inspired.  Since the economy is in a downturn, unemployment is on the rise, and even everyday life has its bumps, I think everyone should have an “inspiration box” or something similar that allows us all to take a deep breath and dive into our own creative euphoria.

 

 

 

 

Never Ending, Always Pending: A New Motto for Marketers?

Remember the movie, Groundhog Day? In it, Bill Murray plays a haughty TV weatherman assigned to cover the "rat," as he calls the world's most famous groundhog who will emerge to look for his shadow. Through some odd twist of fate, Bill's character continues to repeat the same day over and over, much to his chagrin and extreme aggravation.

In recent months, I have begun to have my own Groundhog Day experience, as I repeatedly jump to write creative proposals for new projects that just won't seem to materialize.

Without a doubt, the economy is the "rat" in this scenario, forcing even the most ambitious of companies to delay their marketing plans. "Maybe next quarter" is the all-too-common response to these never-ending, always-pending proposals for new business.

"Never Ending, Always Pending." Hmm. Has a good rhythm to it. It even rhymes. And when repeated in a sing-songy voice, it kind of lifts the spirit of a frustrated marketing professional. Perhaps I've stumbled on a new motto for marketers during these turbulent times?

Lest it sound like I'm whining, I'm not. It certainly could be worse. After all, these potential clients could actually be saying, "No." That would be bad. But they're not. They're just delaying their decisions.

For an eternal optimist like me, "Never Ending, Always Pending" prolongs hope. I know times are tough. Budgets are being cut. Clients and potential clients long to implement the oh-so-amazing marketing plans our team is proposing, even if they can't right now. I also know that eventually, the economy will improve, money will begin to flow again and these projects may come to fruition.

In the meantime, just as Bill Murray's character eventually accepts what he cannot change and reexamines his priorities, this "Never Ending, Always Pending" phase presents an opportunity to learn, grow and become even more creative. Which will enable us to be even more effective in helping clients take advantage of the next boom!

Determination

Of course, the economy is on everyone's mind these days. It's also on mine. However, something happened two years ago that changed my path in life. My 2 year old son was diagnosed with autism. After a period of mourning, my world changed. A friend told me "Now is not the time to think of your feelings, but to put those aside and focus on your son, and doing whatever it takes to give him the best future possible." At the time, I thought it was a bit cold and insensitive. I wanted pity. But, when the dust settled, I realized she was right. Once the shock and devastation wore off, I moved forward. I researched and researched and became determined to do whatever my son needed to assure a productive and fulfilling future for him.

2 years later, I am a more determined person. Everything I thought my future would be is not. I never dreamt of raising a child with autism, or fighting for his education, or helping other mothers in those delicate days following a diagnosis. But, I do. The autism community is one that I am proud to be associated with. Parents join together and offer advice, compassion and motivation on a daily basis. There are days when this network of "mother warriors" gives me hope and helps me dust off those bad days and get back to work.

I don't think any of us thought we would ever be in the midst of a recession in this country. But we are. And, what I've learned from the wonderful group of parents who are struggling with autism, and from my own child, is to never give up! I feel that companies need to stay positive. We need to work together to ensure success. Employees need to be motivated to come to work and produce results -now more than ever. Although some companies are facing the "fight of their life" so to speak, it is possible to make it, to come out on the other side. Hard work, motivation and dedication are crucial to the survival of our economy. I choose to be optimistic about this change in our country, and to plug away everyday, as I do with my son's treatment, and look forward to the success our country will have once the dust settles!

Show, Don't Tell. But show whom?

Last week I presented to ewomennetwork, an amazing group of women who run their own businesses. My presentation was titled "Soar Above the Rest: Smart Ways to Grow Your Business."

I talked about "Show, Don't Tell", one of my favorite methods of doing marketing. I explained that an example of "Show Don't Tell" is taking networking one step beyond by volunteering on a committee or on the board of a relevant organization. That way, people see what you can deliver and trust you with their marketing. Instead of hearing you talk about yourself, you are showing what you can do! When you volunteer, you give others a demonstration of how good your product will be: whether you are dependable, show up on time, follow through with your volunteer commitment and prove your integrity.

What has been on my mind lately since my presentation is the immense number of organizations I've been visiting or have been invited to attend: ewomennetwork, Sales and Marketing Executives International, Alliance for Women in Technology (ATW), WITI, Richardson/Plano/Dallas Chambers of Commerce, Carrollton Networking Group, American Marketing Association, IABC, and on and on. It's overwhelming. So starting today, I'm going to create criteria that will help me decide which to join and which to continue attending. I must consider my objectives: Meeting partners and new vendors, finding new prospects, winning new business, learning about the latest and greatest, branding my company, obtaining a speaking engagement, etc. Okay, here it goes...

My criteria will now be that the organization must:

• Meet a minimum of 2 of my objectives (e.g. learning and finding new prospects)
• BrightBlue Marketing will be of the minority in types of companies like ours, such as being the only marketing agency at this networking event
• Produce ROI after one year of membership

Have you thought about your networking criteria lately? We'd love to hear about YOUR methods.