I’m going to brag for a few seconds and mention how good I am at finding sources for articles. Looking for a small business that practices open-book management? Give me 30 seconds. Looking for a female small business owner in Arizona that hires veterans? OK, I’ll need about 10 minutes for that one.
But my skill at finding sources is as obsolete as a typesetter’s now. And it’s all Peter Shankmann’s (and his Help a Reporter Out Web site). Let me rephrase: Thank you, Peter Shankmann
While many associations are beginning to see the value of how social networks and social media can help them, many still have reservations about Twitter. They might feel comfortable with writing for a blog or posting videos to YouTube, but they continue to question the purpose of a tweet. If associations will take a cue from the business world, they can harness the power of Twitter to meet some of their member communication goals.
Research from the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study shows that almost 60 percent of Americans interact with companies on social media sites. The survey findings also revealed:
It’s clear that the majority of Americans have an expectation and a desire to interact with companies through social media online, which helps explain why Twitter is one of the fastest growing social networking sites on the web. In only the last year its traffic has skyrocketed from 533,000 to 2.4 million visitors. To respond to this demand for communication from their customers, Ann Smarty, in her Search Engine Journal Blog, shares examples of how high-profile businesses are using Twitter:
Earlier this year at Hammock, Twitter played a pivotal role in an event website we created for the National Federation of Independent Business for its National Small Business Summit. The social media site included video postings, photo sharing, blogging and knowledge-sharing powered by Twitter. Using Twitter allowed organizers and attendees to post the latest updates and news from the event.
Wonder how you can use the power of Twitter to create a new avenue for communication with your members? Contact us for social media strategies you can benefit from today.
[cross-posted at RexBlog]
On Tuesday, amidst my live-blogging of the Future of Business Media Conference in the New York, I took a shot at CNBC for covering the economy in the way the Weather Channel and CNN cover hurricanes: with breathless alarm and Anderson Cooper dressed in rain-gear while panting in a way that makes every puff of wind seem like proof that, yes, this could be the Category 5 we’ve all feared.
At the conference, I heard business-side and news-side people from Dow-Jones, CNBC, Fox Business News, The Economist, BusinessWeek, Forbes.com and Fortune (to name a few) say something to the effect: This is a really difficult time, but this is the story of a lifetime and, well, it’s been good for our ratings (or newsstand sales).
So I guess I should not be surprised that since the business media is covering the “financial crisis” as if it is a weather event, business executives are using a term most associated with weather to describe how they are responding to the “crisis” that is leading to what our experts in the Economy Tracking Center in Miami are believing will be a Category 3, 4 or maybe even 5 recession. Or better yet, a nuclear winter:
Hunker down.
Look at a Google news search for recent uses of the term “hunker down.” This morning, you’ll see it is not only the go-to cliche for covering bad weather (the snows in the northeast) and natural disasters (the earthquake in Pakistan), but it is now the must-use term to describe anything related to how businesses and individuals are reacting to the “bad economy.”
As a business person, I understand the need to be mindful of the context and conditions you face. Certainly, if your customers are sitting on their wallets, you can’t pretend they are about to purchase your wares. Being flexible and prepared for whatever situation you face is the only way to run a business. But by focusing on the hunker down metaphor — especially the “we’re afraid” aspects of the term, there is a strong possibility that the “hunker down” activities are no more than duck-and-cover exercises.
Isn’t hunkering down the panic reaction to a situation that a calm, rational person might discover contains some opportunity? What if you’re in a business that suddenly finds all of its competitors re-trenching and pulling back and hiding in caves — if you hunker down, aren’t missing a unique opportunity to gain market share?
The term hunker down means two things: One is related to preparation for some type of pressure you’re anticipating. The other relates to hiding.
I fear that a lot of business planners are confusing the first type of hunkering down — anticipating and preparing for an economic downturn — with the second type of hunkering down: hiding.
If you’re a company or organization that wants to elevate its awareness — and brand — in the market you serve, the worst thing you can do — in good times or bad — is hunker down — as in, hide. The evidence is overwhelming that companies who market wisely and aggressively while others are hunkering down are the winners during — and after — a recession. For example, according to research conducted at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business during the last recession, “firms entering a recession with a pre-established strategic emphasis on marketing; an entrepreneurial culture; and a sufficient reserve of under-utilized workers, cash, and spare production capacity are best positioned to approach recessions as opportunities to strengthen their competitive advantage.”
Rather than use the hunker down metaphor, winner companies followed another metaphor — one from athletic competition:
“Athletes often choose times of stress to mount attacks: strong runners and bicycle racers may increase their pace on hills or under other challenging conditions,” the authors write. “In a similar vein, proactive marketing includes both the sensing of the existence of the opportunity (a tough hill and fatigued opponents) and an aggressive response (possessing the necessary strength or nerve) to the opportunity.”
A warning, however: The research indicates that it is only when companies are prepared for recessions (like cyclists who train for hills) who benefit. Thus, Apple with its pre-existing marketing and advertising savvy and a mountain of cash, is likely to benefit during this recession, as it has in previous ones, rather than another company whose marketing is inept, even in less challenging times.
Bottomline: Hunkering down is not the metaphor you want to be your guide when planning your marketing efforts for the coming months — especially if your marketing has been working and your competitor seems to be huffing and puffing already. Hunker down wherever you can — say, executive compensation — but use a recession to raise your visibility, not hide.
Fall has always been more than just a season to me. It’s the feeling of crisp, cool air, the smell of leaves changing color, the taste of Oktoberfest beer. Fall is a state of mind, for me, and it has a soundtrack, too.
No matter what time of year I hear certain songs (“Gaia” by James Taylor, “Pinch Me” by Barenaked Ladies, “If You’re Gone” by Matchbox Twenty), specific artists (Counting Crows, Katie Todd Band, Mat Pond PA) or even a single album (Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie), I immediately have a desire to don a hoodie and go camping, like I do most autumns.
To make sure I wasn’t the only one who associated music with the season, I asked my fellow Hammockites if they had any songs that made them sentimental or nostalgic for the fall, and luckily I discovered I am not alone. Here are some other fall favorites from around the office:
A couple of weeks ago (Oct. 4), my longtime boyfriend, Ian, and I snuck off to the mountains of Asheville, N.C., where we got married (barefoot) in a creek. In a really private ceremony: Besides us and the woman who married us, the only two other people in attendance were the photographer and the officiant’s husband (North Carolina requires two witnesses.) On our drive back, we called our family and friends to surprise them with the news. They were excited for us—even more so when we assured them we’d be throwing a huge party a few months from now.
A few people have asked me if I would change my name, since Goodchild was so, um, “unique,” to which I replied with a resounding “YES!!!” My entire life I have been called “bad child,” “devil child” (I have no idea where these nicknames came from, I swear), been asked incredulously if that was really my name, and have had to craft polite responses to “And are you a good child?” as though it was the first time I had ever been asked such a hilarious and witty question.
But now, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration at least, I am Megan Morris. So bring on the quips. After nearly 30 years with Goodchild, I can handle anything.
Many of us at Hammock are amateur film buffs, and our staff meetings often end with a thumbs up/thumbs down of the weekend’s top movies. At the risk of nominating myself for the ultimate film geek award, I have to admit that, for the past two or three years, I have been on a pursuit to watch all the movies in the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time. Now, I realize that all lists are arbitrary and subjective, but I figured the AFI list was probably better than most, as it was voted on by an army of film experts. I was this close to finishing when, last year, AFI did the unthinkable: They REVISED the list.
After calming down my Taxi Driver-like rage, I started comparing the lists (bemoaning the exclusion of epics like “Doctor Zhivago”) and added the new films to my queue. A few nights ago, I viewed the final movie on my list, “Sunrise,” a 1927 silent film by F.W. Murnau, that tells a beautiful story of forgiveness and redemption.
As a result of my self-imposed cinema class, I’ve created somewhat of a monster. I continue to add new films to my watch list and annoy friends as I pontificate on the finest work of Orson Welles, John Huston and Billy Wilder. If you don’t have time for your own reel-to-reel movie festival (i.e. have more of a life), take a look at a few of the AFI films by genre that earned my critical nod—and beware of a few I wouldn’t rewind:
Western: Most unexpectedly complicated: My dad loves Westerns (he watched double features every Saturday growing up), but I’d rarely agree to watch with him, assuming all were too predictable and cookie-cutter for my taste. But after connecting with Gary Cooper in “High Noon” (1952), Humphrey Bogart in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” (1948) and John Wayne in “The Searchers” (1956), it’s possible that I’m a new convert to the genre. And who doesn’t enjoy the ironic humor and undeniable charisma of Paul Newman and Robert Redford in 1969’s “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”?
War: Most surprisingly touching: “All Quiet on the Western Front,” a WWI film from 1930, still has relevance in its depiction of the horrors of war (though it fell out of the list in the revised version). It was just as moving to me as 1978’s “The Deer Hunter,” another devastating look at the sacrifices that war demands. And I’m not sure if this fits in the genre since there are no scenes on a battlefield, but I cried like a baby at 1946’s “The Best Years of Our Lives”—a story of three WWII veterans adjusting to very different lives when they return home.
Epic: Most disappointing: For all the films that connected with me, there were many that I just couldn’t recommend, even if I knew I was supposed to like them. David Lean’s 1962 “Lawrence of Arabia” is famous for its lovely cinematography, and the iconic desert scene is definitely a stunner, but it often bored me. Blasphemous, I know.
Probably the worst thing about AFI updating its list is that it forced me to watch two movies by D.W. Griffith. After suffering through three-plus hours of the 1915 “Birth of a Nation,” the AFI gurus of 2007 then said, no, his 1916 “Intolerance” is the superior masterpiece of the silent film era. Another three hours I will never get back.
Though not an epic, the Marx Brothers’ 1933 movie, “Duck Soup,” was just as difficult of a slog. It’s safe to say that the humor of Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo is lost on me. I did, however, get the unintentional humor of the interminably long “Spartacus” (1960), but I doubt my laughter at the famous “I am Spartacus” scene is the takeaway Stanley Kubrick had in mind.
Romance: Most joyful: I was completely charmed by the 1934 Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert romantic comedy “It Happened One Night.” Its elements—the meet-cute device, the fiery chemistry between the stars and screwball humor—are mimicked in a lot of romantic comedies today, but it did it first and best. All others should bow before this delightful movie’s throne.
This genre is all about the right mix of chemistry: I wasn’t expecting Katharine Hepburn and Bogart to give off quite as much spark as they do in the fun 1951 adventure “The African Queen.” The clever ways that director John Huston shows their affection growing is sweet to watch.
And I better understood Charlie Chaplin’s charm after the bittersweet romance “City Lights” (1931), a story of the Little Tramp’s love for a blind flower girl. You’d have to be made of stone not to tear up at the final scene.
Thriller: Most deliciously creepy: I’ve long been a Hitchcock fan, but I found new things to appreciate in re-watching “Vertigo” (1958), “Psycho” (1960), “North by Northwest” (1959) and “Rear Window” (1954).
The 1950 psychological drama “All About Eve” features a fun twist; the turn Anne Baxter makes from innocent to manipulator, one-upping the great Bette Davis, is chilling to watch.
And I loved the distinctive styles exhibited by Kubrick in the satiric “Dr. Strangelove” (1964) and by Arthur Penn in the taboo-breaking “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967).
That’s (Almost) a Wrap: Finally, here are the AFI films that made it into my top 10:
1. “Casablanca” (1942)—The beautiful cinematography, the unforgettable characters, the spot-on acting, the can’t-it-be-different ending, the memorable dialogue: Not sure what could knock this out of my all-time No. 1 spot.
2. “Citizen Kane” (1941)—You know how some movies get so hyped there’s no way you could ever appreciate them? Orson Welles’ mysterious, spooky, flawlessly constructed masterpiece is not one of them.
3. “The Graduate” (1967)—Benjamin Braddock perfectly embodies the disillusionment of youth. It’s made me a life-long Dustin Hoffman fan, and 1982’s “Tootsie” is another gem. (We’ll forget about the Ishtars.)
4. “On the Waterfront” (1954)—I loved Marlon Brando’s “coulda been a contender” scene, a touching illustration of longing and regret, and it made me better appreciate the actor’s status as the greatest actor of his generation.
5. “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962)—Has there ever been a more heroic character than Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch?
6. “Chinatown” (1974)—The film’s eerie tension and shocking violence bowled me over. Faye Dunaway is amazing in her freakout scene, and Jack Nicolson’s gritty detective made for just the right anchor for this cool, creepy film noir.
7. “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)— Jimmy Stewart has never been more appealing than in this Frank Capra classic. (I won’t even try to count how many times I’ve seen it.)
8. “Vertigo” (1958) or “Psycho” (1960)—Don’t make me choose!
9. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)—In the taxicab scene with the three war heroes, watch how well the actors play their characters’ ambivalence about returning home.
10. “It Happened One Night” (1934)—Wonder who wins in the Clark vs. Colbert hitchhiking contest?
If you’re a fan of anyone or anything, it’s always great to be around other people who share that passion. But if your coworkers, family or closest friends don’t share in that excitement, where is a fan to turn? Online, of course.
Several of us here at Hammock are fans of the TV show LOST. (The new season in February can’t start soon enough!) But any time we want to talk with like-minded fans when we’re not in the office with each other, a simple Google search of “LOST fan forum” will bring up 984,000 results.
We work with clients to plan content months ahead of time. It’s not uncommon to write a story on the history of Christmas cookies in June or interview entrepreneurs with summertime businesses in February. This early and detailed planning is just one essential piece of the publication puzzle.
I just submitted a story for one of Hammock’s teen-oriented magazines on surviving in the wilderness. While I’m steadily gaining more experience in hiking and camping, this article drawing on my modicum of expertise wasn’t exactly turned in on time. One reason? I spent far too long doing research on Backpacker magazine’s website.
The site immediately pulls you in with a fun online survival center that includes a library of how-to videos. Want to learn how to fend off a bear attack? How about stop a gushing wound? The Survival 101 section has the answers to common lifesaving questions, as magazine editors blend video and advice from experts to supplement their print content. The site acts as a true service to the magazine’s loyal readers, including this fan who will use the tips to impress my backpacking companions on our next trek. (Yes, I fully intend to dazzle all with my ability to build a fire with one match.)
I’ve posted a number of times this year about how, in an effort to engage readers and meet the needs of advertisers, some magazines are using incentives to drive their readers to action—specifically to text. As a reward for this behavior, readers receive special offers, the chance to enter sweepstakes or advance notice on hot products.
In a new twist on this concept, SmartMoney’s Sept. 16 issue will drive readers to text, but with a different motivation. Instead of tempting readers with the lure of special samples or deals, the magazine will send readers premium content in exchange for their texts. Within its pullout section on retirement, SmartMoney will include a call-out box with a texting code and the phrase “retire.” Once readers send in their text messages, they will receive a PDF article about retirement.
Obviously this advertising package is appealing to its sponsor, Genworth Financial, because the concept integrates different media and is measurable. And it allows Genworth to position themselves as a go-to resource for SmartMoney readers when it comes to retirement. While I admit the integration of media is cool, the element of this program that I find most intriguing is the promised content. Will readers send in texts? Yes, if they think the content will be valuable, but readers are savvy: They won’t respond to the call to action if it looks or sounds like advertising.
We at Hammock consider ourselves reader advocates, so we’re always cognizant of reader behavior in the media we create. If an advertiser, association or organization creates content for their audience that is compelling rather than self-serving, and if it’s written, designed and distributed with their target audience’s needs in mind, it’s much more likely to be effective, engaging and deliver ROI.