Plain English

by John Dawe on March 9th, 2008

Lee Lefever and the folks over at the Common Craft Project are always coming out with creative ways to explain things using whiteboard/cut & paste methodology.

So much for powerpoints… this is way cooler.

Neat example: http://www.commoncraft.com/blogs

Of Buffets & Case Studies

by Jared on May 1st, 2007

I have to admit that even though I virtually eat, sleep and breathe marketing at this point; the allure of business school has taken hold of me like a buffet from which you want to take a bite out of everything. Lucky for me, these kinds of sentiments are apparently really common for incoming students but I wanted to share a really interesting experience from Vanderbilt-Owen’s welcome weekend a couple of weeks ago.

In a breakout session about the Marketing & Brand Management Track, the professor took out a case study to give us an idea of what a normal marketing class feels like. Suffice to say that my creativity was shot at that moment and I had a difficult time getting out of the B2B “silo” that I have been in for the last four years.

As you can imagine, this kind of took me by surprise because as a marketer, my initial response was to dig for more information. In a case however, you really can’t dig, you have to take what the story gives you and find a solution based solely off of that information.

I doubt this will be enough to throw me off a marketing track but it has given me a new perspective on reading business cases and applying what I know, internally in a B2B setting, externally to a B2C scenario. Next time you are reading the Wall Street Journal, or any other business publication, try to examine an article from a different perspective and see how it changes your approach to problems in your own “silo.”

20SMF Episode #63 - Mind Over Media

by Jared on April 12th, 2007

With media feeding a culture of social and intellectual mediocrity - are there any fresh ideas on how to change the state of things? Just such a guest, we have found!

Nina Boski of LifeBites Media drops by to discuss media, entrepreneurship and finding your own professional balance.

Show Notes:

• It happened at a business school reception…
• Interview: Nina Boski, LifeBites Media
• Game Plan: Be A Hero

Referenced Links:

• Sneak A Peak - Marketing Diner
• LifeBites.com - LifeBites Media
• Nina’s Book - The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs

Listen To Episode:

Download Episode:

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How creative is the life of an MBA student?

by Jared on March 9th, 2007

Yesterday around 3pm I took down at look at my Treo calendar and lo and behold: I had nothing scheduled for the rest of the day.

Of course, by rest of the day I mean my other life that happens after 5 pm. Still, the calendar was blank - no conference calls, no meetings not even a reminder to send an e-mail to someone.

Now that I am diligently ramping up my springtime projects (not to mention readying myself for Owen), this kind of calm is strange since it feels like I am producing new content for one venue or another every available minute of every day.

As an example, take a look at what I already have planned next week:

• Sunday: Busy
• Monday: Busy
• Tuesday: GYM; Free….for now.
• Wednesday: Busy
• Thursday: GYM; Busy
• Friday: Hold: Angioplasty with Dick Cheney

….Ok, so maybe I was stretching with that one.

The point still stands that this much productivity, coupled with my normal 8-5 “real job” output puts a slight strain on my ability to remain truly creative. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue but I am cognizant of the fact that when I do finally start business school in the fall, I will probably be just as busy - if not more so.

To keep up, I have a large cache of books, music and even creative, pointless writing I can do to refresh that store of ideas but the question still remains - is creativity that important in the life of an MBA student?

On one hand, creativity itself is thought of as a “soft skill” and one I don’t really see as fitting into any formal MBA curriculum. On the other hand (and from my experiences) if you don’t nourish that creativity other projects become stale and, in turn, less effective.

Ultimately, I think this is a good question to turn out to a larger audience - how does creativity play into your life as an MBA student?

Big-Ass Direct Mail Pieces

by Jared on January 17th, 2007

Direct mail is still supposed to be one of the most effective ways of reaching your audience. In business-to-business settings, we also know that this reliance is also turning up the heat for marketers to attempt new and innovative ways of using this medium.For example, take a direct mail piece that was sent by our good friends over at an industry news site.

They thoughtfully sent us a 3’ x 2’ poster board mock-up of what our potential ads would look like if we took advantage of the ad space on their homepage. Unfortunately for them, their ad space is way to pricey but at least we now know why.

If you had $5,000…?

by Jared on September 8th, 2006

Here’s a scenario:

• You need to create a campaign around uping the usage of a particular online tool
• Your audience is computer-literate, but can’t be considered technology savvy
• Your education costs are low since you already have in-house audio, video and Webinar capabilities
• Ultimatley, your client wants a non-traditional direct mail piece that will de-mystify the product and pull the audience through to actually use the tool.
• Your Budget: $5,000

If you could be as creative as you wanted to be - how would you spend that money?

20SMF Episode #42 - Sneak Peek at ‘The Diner’

by Jared on June 15th, 2006

Show Description:
Get a sneak peak at the new show - [The Marketing Diner] as Jared and Wendy talk shop about creating effective web marketing strategies, high-end condo clubs, and more!

Show Notes:
I) Intro The Diner
II) Condo Sales, Bouncy Balls
III) Effective Web Strategies
IV) Just Deserts: Websites Are Like Sandwiches…Or Strawberry Shortcake

Referenced Links:
[The Marketing Diner] – The new show
Weigh in on the new show!Send your comments and thoughts….like, now people! Don’t Wait!

Podcast:

Right Click And ‘Save As’ To Download Full Show

The Friday Line - Oh ego, my ego

by Jared on June 9th, 2006

As a manner of human nature, one of the quirks any 20-something marketer can be tripped up by is their own ego. True, a little ego can be good for you, particularly when it serves as the seed for self-confidence. However, too much ego feeds into the classic Greek self-destructive clycle illustrated in the story of Icarus. The basic gist being that there is a progression of ego to pride to self-destructive recklessness.

I only bring this up because I was reminded at a recent meeting that ego is an important part of the 20-something mindset, and thereby one of those double-edged swords that define the situation we are in. I had just completed a project and was eager to show off by results to my internal clients. Being of a creative mind, it’s hard to separate your work from your ego and was devastated as I stood there listening to the critique that seemingly unwound my reason for being.

Classically, I thought that because I thought my work was masterful (spelled E-G-O), that it was above reproach and would be welcomed as the DaVinci-esque solution I thought it to be. Boy, did I peg that one wrong…

Later on that week, determined not to be done in, I was wrestling with an on-going project that required my detailed attention in order to get it to our set previously-set goal. As my ego got the better of me once again, I put myself in a position where I crossed the line from being mindful of my marketing goals to being over-controlling to the point that I was going to damage the long-term objective of the project. Sure, I was ensuring that the short-term project goal was met but as my boss pointed out, at some point, I needed to shut my ego up and say “no” to my continued involvement to ensure long-term gain.

The problem with ego is that it is an intangible monster that can wreck more than just your day. You really can’t tame it and it makes you open your mouth when it would do you better to keep it closed.

Ultimately, it will be how you harness the ambition and drive associated with ego that determines whether it lifts you up or sends you spiraling towards the ground.

If you figure out how to do the latter, please feel free to tell me how you did it. I am very eager to know.