How to get rid of the toxin we consume ten hours a day April 16, 2012

Finally got to see a film that I have heard and read about: Miss Representation The film explores the role that images generated by the media and ad industry have on our society as it relates to sexual equality and self image – particularly of women.

In short if you think that any one of us are immune to the messages we get from 10 hours of exposure a day the average person gets (all media including internet) then you must see it.

It was moderated by Dr Jackson Katz. Katz is a PhD who begs that we all become educated about media. We must understand the influence it has.

The conversation about media he says is usually oversimplified. It’s either: Media images and messages are terrible and kids are running out and committing violent acts after listening to a song or kids are used to it, it has no affect and they can distinguish what is meant as entertainment. Both views diminish the role the media plays in shaping our society.

Because it is sophisticated, pervasive, unregulated and EVERYWHERE. Its affects are not imitative. The affects are Desensitization and Normalization.

Think about it. Our kids are learning about violence from CSI. They are learning in the absence of guidance from parents or real sex education – about sex- from the music industry. And girls- and boys- are learning about what it means to be attractive (and how important that is) from the fashion and ad industries. Everyone should be familiar by now with the stats about the destructive things young girls do to them selves in pursuit of an unrealistic and unattainable body. From eating disorders to cutting or self loathing – all to mimic girls in ads that are air brushed to be even more unreal than the surgeon’s knife has shaped them to be. And where did they get his idea that is what they should look like? We have allowed that image to become normal by letting it into our homes, our coffee tables, our radios, our TV’s and our 12 year old’s psyche. Why would your teenaged son think its ok to denigrate girls? Perhaps because the highest paid radio host in maybe the world has been doing it on air for decades.

So what should we do to fight against the misrepresentation perpetrated by these media giants?

#1 Turn it off

#2 Listen with your child to lyrics and read the zines and comment.

#3 Use the power of the purse to say no to any company who uses images that objectify woman, glorify and normalize violence – or both (and sadly they are becoming more intertwined) We are not violent.

We are not sexist, or bigoted, mean or homophobic. So why do we consumer 10 hours a day of messages/images that are?

Finally see the film. It will enrage you and empower you to as the website says Be the Change You Wish to See http://www.missrepresentation.org/

Timely Thoughts Perched on the Edge of a Season September 6, 2011

“Time, time, time- see what’s become of me while I look around for my possibilities”

I am thinking a lot about time today Last day of “summer ” and school starts tomorrow.

The weather in Michigan is echoing the impending changes with temps that have fluctuated from 96 to 59 degrees.

The nip in the air is clean and despite my mourning of summer- smells great.

“Seasons change with the scenery. Weaving time in a tapestry”

What happens to time when you are mot necessarily paying attention?

Where did the goals and hopes I had for summer go?

The were in fact replaced with the unplanned and simple pleasures.

A concert with old family friends- some planned & some surprises.

Gathering friends on lake in June after a friend’s brothers funeral.

Playing charades with 3 generations.

An unplanned car trip with my dad telling stories in the back seat.

Seeing the eyes of the 14 year old after getting off a jet ski.

Daily walks meeting neighbors with the pooch.

Bike rides on the lake.

Watching my daughter grow into a responsible young woman with her new “jobs”.

Today I watched a film about time- times past and yes, time travel- Midnight in Paris. Took me back to when I was 19 living for a semester in Paris. We thought then we had all the time in the world.

The movie poses the question- is this the best time? Or do we envy those in times past. Life was simpler, more exciting, and more authentic.

Yes and No.

It is hard for anyone living in Michigan to not think back to when we were growing up. Times were easier. Life was fairer. The path was more defined.

 These days. They are hard. They are confusing. They move entirely too fast.

We work too long. We rush through days and summer vacations. It is easy to get nostalgic for times past.

But the best time is our time- right now. We get to make the memories. Make choices and decide what’s important. Where we put our investments: our money our hearts, our time.

The new year starts tomorrow for two young folk in my house. It won’t be anything like my seventh or ninth grade.

And they won’t be who they are now next summer- teetering as they are on the edge of change and growth. But it will be great.

Lyrics: Simon and Garfunkel

Going Psycho to Get to Your Customers July 25, 2011

I was sent from a savvy client an article that summarizes the way I approach marketing. It distinguishes between demographics and psychographics.

When I chose marketing it was because I feel in love with the concept of psychographics. To me it was a combo of psychology, sociology and business basics.

It drives every decision we make today and is the core of the recommendations we make as marketing and communications advisers on behalf of our clients.

A client will call all excited because a salesperson has just been to see them with a “great deal” on a new vehicle. They swear that “their customers” will be reading or watching the new medium.

Because the sales rep reported that they shared the same customer. Females 25-54.

Now many seek this demo. Females consume disproportionately more of certain media. But not all females are the same- or equal as sales prospects.

This is not a knock on any media salespeople. I have reps that I have worked with for nearly 20 years and on whom I rely for industry updates and – yes- special deals.

But we dig so much deeper.

In order to place media or do any marketing you first have to really understand who buys your product. It sounds easy. But it is more involved than age and sex.

Instead of demographics- I want to know.

WHO
Which females? Those with kids? How old are the kids?

Are they working full or part time?

When they do buy your product ask

WHY?

Why buy it? How often? For what purpose? At what price? Against what competition

HOW do they make decisions?

From friends- and do they use social media to share info? Which media?

From traditional media- print, broadcast and how do they get that?
Online? Smart phone, radio or TV – online or live?

Once you know WHO then you can try to figure out HOW to motivate her or him.

Psychographics- It is part art and part science; hard work and a lot of fun

Read the article. http://mashable.com/2011/06/30/psychographics-marketing/

　

Skill Sets June 15, 2011

I am thinking a lot about skill sets, experience and value these days. Everyone wants the best and expects to pay the least for it. But do you get what you pay for?

The Money Thing
I met with a young woman about to launch her own company. She does not have the resources right now to retain us but she knows she wants to because of our years of experience. Others have advised her to think about working with an intern or student because of the affordability factor. But she has put us in her business plan and is going about assembling a top notch team I would be proud to work with.
Her launch may be delayed as she gathers resources but she knows it has to be right and you get one chance at a first impression.

The Resources Thing
This budding entrepreneur knows that to be successful she needs to be focused on doing what she does best and looking over someone’s shoulder is neither smart not efficient.

We recently met with a potential client and discussed the advantages of them bringing on a staff person or contracting marketing services. Because of their resources they know they may only be able to hire someone with limited experience. They were very cognizant of the real “cost” of such a staff addition in training and that is a commitment of resources from their present staff. Or you let them sink or swim. Often the result is that your customers are unhappy, your hire is unhappy because they got no support and turnover often ensues.

The Experience Thing
Saw a great headline the other day. It read: “Do not hire a social media expert”.
The article went on to encourage business owners instead to hire an expert in marketing or communications then empower them to become expert at using all the new tools of the trade including social media. Next month there may be another tool. But so augment your team wit the critical thinking and skills you need then get them the tools. Not the other way around.

Or as my dad would say: Get the very best person in their field and pay them as much as you can afford.

School’s Out- or In? June 2, 2011

Some of us rely on schools to do so many things for our kids ( in addition to keeping them on the straight and narrow, off the streets and out of our hair) but I was thinking that so many things we want to take place in an educational setting really should and often do take place in our homes.

Do not misunderstand I salute and adore my friends who home school. I totally get why they do it and know why I do not. That said we can all make our home the place to learn 12 months a year!

Make your Family Room the Library

Lots reading materials fill our house.

Magazines, newspapers, books, maps put on the fridge. Read Read Read. And yes reading on the laptop counts too.

Multi media is key so movies are awesome and even more so when viewed together

Make your Dining Room the Cafeteria (with no food fights)

Set times for meals

Manners

Nutrition

Conversation and fun

Make your Backyard (the driveway and the neighborhood) the Gym class

Move it

Get going

Have fun

Be a good sport

Make your Family Field Trippers

Factory tours

Battlefields

Music and art festivals

Water sports- it’s all good and there is no better time than summer.

Make Every Evening Walk a Science Lab

Look.

Talk.

Touch

Ponder. The trees, the moon, the clouds.

 

Remember- We are the first and best teachers of our kids. 12 months a year

Happy Summer!

　

　

　

 

　

 

Time is A Gift February 25, 2011

I remember a song from years ago. “Time is a Gift. Given to you. Given to you so you can do the things for the time of your life.”

When we spend time having fun we say “I had the best time ever”. And time “well spent” studying pays off on an exam.

But what about “just being” time?

I look at the best thing to happen on our winter staycation- My son and husband worked on a model airplane. Hours of painting and gluing, bent over little pieces. Together. No radio. Just talking. Or Not. Maybe about the aircraft and the battles they flew.

My husband is a very generous person with his time. He goes out to shovel the walk and spends 25 minutes visiting with a neighbor who is crippled with loneliness after losing a spouse of half a century.

My sisters have taken all their vacation days and travelled to be with my father over the last year helping him retrieve, catalogue, read, translate and enjoy letters from his mother and father dating to the 1930’s.

Today is the anniversary of the death of a cousin whose life was cut short at 60.

Today I learned of a loved one’s diagnosis with Alzheimers.

Today I took the time to call a friend losing their mom any day to cancer.

Time- a gift we can bestow on others. The gift of each day we get to be here. A gift that is given to us so we can- give it to others.

The Power of Breaking Bread June 17, 2010

Today I met for lunch with a half dozen people I had not met before to “network” and discuss social media. We met at a restaurant that I adore and was convenient for us all.

We were former journalists, marketing professionals, freelancers and staff members- all interested in learning more about the moving target we call marketing.

We shared useful tips, great food, and confessed our trepidations and successes with the ever changing landscape of new media.

I have many ways to communicate with people. I email voraciously. I have over 300 friends on Facebook (the majority of whom I actually know personally), and am on LinkedIn.

I attend industry functions and group meetings- which are crucial for those of us with home offices. I recently started tweeting. I use all these tools to stay connected and build relationships. And as my office partner will attest to – I talk on the phone.

That said- nothing matches the power of meeting the old fashioned way- face to face. Aside from the newest gizmos – I think it is four square-which I was really good at when I was 8- I like to meet people in real time.

By 1PM we had finished a fantastic lunch, (Kudos to expert staff at City Kitchen in Grosse Pointe www.city-kitchen.com who dealt with a power outage while we were there) shared tips I have already put into practice, laughed, exchanged ideas and made new friends. I left feeling recharged and grateful that people will still meet to break bread.

Tell All Your Employees to Go To Camp May 9, 2010

I just spent a few days at a beautiful YMCA camp in Michigan with a group of fifth graders. After coming home and reveling in a very long hot shower and a good nights rest, I have decided that much of what I learned (except the songs and dances) translate quite well for our work life.

Teamwork

Whether holding the rope as others mounted a 50 foot rock wall or cheering them on to the top- little can be achieved without it and anything can happen with it.

Rotate Jobs

Especially the ones no one wants (like bussing tables or composting the waste). Everyone has appreciation for the tasks they share.

Applause Please

You can get people to do almost anything (yes scrubbing toilets) if you acknowledge and applaud them.

Step Outside- Your Comfort Zone

Great things happen when you look fear (a large horse or a tall wall) and discomfort (holding a snake) in the eye and conquer it.

Everyone Wants to Have Fun

It is easy to make any task fun with the right attitude. And if your ego can stand poking fun at yourself or risking embarrassment- all the better.

15 Minutes No More March 18, 2010

The old expression that everyone has 15 minutes of fame I think needs to be revised to 15 nano seconds.

Our messages- and the attention they receive- or so temporal.You are top of the fold…then old news- in a manner of hours.The speed at which news becomes old so frightening.

I am on Facebook constantly. Timing of posts is key. You need to figure when people are there- when are they listening if you will.Your feedback or comments come right away. And after a few hours it is old news.

The reason is that there is so much info coming at us.So many posts and tweets, ads blaring at you as you pump gas; TV’s everywhere- post office, banks, and restaurants. — DMNews magazine cites that each of us sees more ads in one year than people of 50 years ago saw in an entire lifetime. I have seen estimates that range from 600-3000/day and the flux would be how tied into media ( all types of media) you are.

Do we really need to know what is going on every second? What is it that we need to know?

And as a marketer how do we stay top of mind after we have fallen off top of the fold?

Feed Your Head in 2010 January 5, 2010

What’s Playing in your Head?

I love the quizzes where world leaders and pop culture icons are asked to share their playlist. We read the list hoping to get some insight into their psyche.

This year with Santa’s generosity everyone in my house is plugged into an ear bud. (Yes Steve Jobs we know why your stock is at a record high). But what are pumping into our heads? What are we literally programming ourselves with?

I suggest that we must consciously replace the voices of doubt and fear in our heads.

Yes I live and work in Michigan where there is no shortage of worrisome news.In Detroit our entire economy has been turned upside down.

(Yes the signs were there and we should have heeded them years ago)

We have to rethink everything. How we make a living, how we build a career, how we “value” everything: assets, investments, people and opportunities.

What I know as a Michigan business owner is that fear or inaction is not an option. It is time to pull out all the stops in order to survive and ultimately to succeed.

So let’s put some new beliefs in our heads:

This is a storm – in the sense that the landscape will not be the same- but “riding it out” is not advised.

Accept the fact that business will not return to the way it was. Not in 2010 or thereafter.

Assume that while you “wait it out” there is a young start up taking chances and most likely taking your customers.

Then re-examine every resource you have.

Invest in your business. And see if anyone else will. Are there loans you can tap into for retraining or adding staff? Build your skills by attending every free seminar you can to build your skills and your contacts. Take chances. Be creative. Reach out and build new relationships.

For the record I am listening to Broadway show tunes. For me they always point to a way out and up for the scrappy one who takes chances and the road less taken is usually the one that leads to the happily ever after.

Happy 2010!