Dallas Likeminds

Likemind will be held every third Friday of the month at Buzzbrews from 8:30-10:30am. Anyone who reads this is welcome to come!

For Blog's Sake

I was over at Misentropy just now, reading what blogging does to planners. I think it should more accurately be titled: what blogging does FOR planners. Here are some of his highlights:

• helps us take notes
• mimics the process of memory formation
• helps us all grow big but remain small: i.e. we can have a multitude of conversations from one small place online, spreading our brand and our ideas everywhere but remaining in one place at the same time.
  

He leaves some more reasons unexplored: the 'Sandbox Universe,' the 'Mesh Memory' system, and the 'Free Lunch Cafe'. Send him a note over there if you want to know more, and let me know when you do so I can hop over and read it too. :)

I think blogging is great. I think growing, exploring, enthusiastic planners should be encouraged to blog: to share and develop their ideas. It's also very encouraging to read a blog and be inspired to push an idea further. A blog is a great digital example of how hard people work and how much time they devote to the important things in life (their life). A blog needs attention, it needs to be cultivated, organized and shared.

These are some planning/idea/creative blogs that get top honors for their devoted author and audience participation.

• Diablogue
• NoahBrier.com
• Herd
• Whistle Through Your Comb
• Russell Davies
• Get Shouty

And if you're a TED lover, hop over to Keeping Track to see a list of the 150 posts so far.
Blog on!

add stuff to your portfolio time...

Wandering around the internet this weekend, I found two ways to get your mind thinking AND possibly add work to your planning portfolio:

1. Planning for Good, a relatively new Facebook group has posted a brief for an Idea Village in New Orleans. Take a stab at it here, brief provided.
2. Account Planning School of the Web, originally created by planning celeb Russell Davies, is now being handled by Gareth at Brand New. The current assignment is for Mr. Clean, brief provided with project due date here.

It's Idea Time: Go! Have fun!

enough already, Write!

I've been in a writing funk since relocating to New York. I really thought my blogging was going to take off in full force once I was here. I was sadly un-aware that my environment had so much to do with my ability to focus on content quality. I thought all I needed was the thoughts.

It's not that I don't want to write or that I don't have anything to write about; it's more that "finding the time" hasn't moved itself to the priority list with get a job, find friends, settle into a living situation, etc. My life is chaotic and it's ironic that I can't find time to do the one thing that settles my mind. It's time to take control of my mind and harness it's power to focus on a path. So with a little help from Scott Berkun and his tips for writing, my goal is to get back into the swing of things.

start with a word: PR, Public Relations

write about writing: PR is something I want to figure out. It's in the realm of communications, I can't be too far off from comprehending HOW, WHAT or WHY in relation to the topic.

have a conversation: working on a blog-PR project right now, I shared my anxious reaction with a friend who was in total agreement with my take on the duty: It's like you're bugging people to pay attention to your topic; really intrusive, etc. But isn't this how some people view advertising? (yes) Thinking along these lines, I should be able to get the hang of PR. It's messaging and every message needs an audience, blah blah blah.

read/talk about/find something you hate: I thought about all of the Spam I get in my inboxes-these solicitations are very irritating. How is PR different? Hmmm...

warm up with something motivating: "All we can hope is that more people in the [PR] profession realize that it's about relationships and not pitches or target audiences." Ok, I've got my feet somewhat wet in the relationship/online department with blogs and whatnot, so using these relationships to network a message should be doable. (quote via Hyku) And actually now that I think about it, the way I currently think about PR is just an attitude which is changeable. :)

Ok, I'm ready to write. For other writing tips check out Berkun's blog (he goes on to recommend running and drinking whiskey). Cheers!

Consumer Reviews

Research done by Spendallyourmoneyhere-Mart says:

• 80% of shoppers have more trust in brands that feature reviews and that 75% of shoppers say it's extremely or very important to read customer reviews before making a purchase. Peer reviews are preferred over expert reviews by a margin of 6 to 1. (adagemobile)

Stick this in the back of your mind and take a trot around the internet. More companies these days are welcoming customer feedback (not Sprint) and are creating online platforms for user reviews. Yelp.com is fast-emerging as user-friendly and fun.

• Yelp is part social network, part localized review site - think Facebook meets Zagat - and it's fast becoming the web's gift to small business.
• When we discover something wonderful (or horrible), we love to tell our friends about it. We also turn to people we trust when we need a good recommendation. Yelp is enabling those conversations to happen on a massive scale. (money.cnn.com)

Yelp is quickly blending the boarders between a consumer review site (amazon, consumerreports, or epinions) and a social networking function (myspace & facebook). Web browsers (I'm referring to the people) are of course looking for convenience online as well as off. If a site can provide information as well as community, then it's good to go > or at least live on someone's toolbar for a while.

The question on companies' lips is: Will social networking sites make people buy more products? Answer: No, via Jupiter Research. But maybe the question should be: Will social networking sites make my products better, in turn creating greater customer love and loyalty? Answer: Yes.

• “Your customers are out there saying things about you, whether it’s on Yelp or on some blog. The faster you can fix problems, the better you’re going to do. Customer service is the new marketing.” (itbusinessedge)

network like a fan

we are all familiar with myspace and facebook > but have you ever used these services to meet new people? and i'm not talking about sending to/receiving from users with butt/tits pictures looking to "hookup." I'm talking about legitimately finding new people to hang out with, talk to, and network with.

when i came to new york two weeks ago, my blog was a huge connector for me. it put me in a realm with other people who blogged, this provided a sense of community, and this enabled me to connect in real-time. Examples are: Adrian and Johanna.

some other networks to start utilizing are:

• LinkedIn - you'll find a lot more professionals here, but hey, that who you want to talk to, right?
• Flickr - if you like pictures, then find other people who like the same kinds of visual stimuli
• Plannersphere - if you're a planner like i am, then join the "myspace" for planners, you'll find some heads/directors here and if you can chat them up, that's pretty cool
• Likemind - if you like coffee and stimulating conversation early in the morning, connect here for a friday social warm-up
• Meetup - have not used this one yet but seems like it's got a lot of potential

start connecting now! have a great weekend.

WebWare

just found a cool site guys ~ Webware: cool web apps for everyone.
this is it's little schpeel:

• "There's a shift underway in how people use computers and the Internet. Every day more utility is being delivered over the Web. Software is becoming Webware."

it's hosted by cNEt, which is definitely a techy site that knows what it's doing. I don't consider myself very literate when it comes to technical gismos & vocabulary. but most of us should remember how big Sillicon Valley and Y2K were for our 80s born generation. It's taken me 12 years to be receptive to new tech knowledge and actually seek it out.

One of the interviews I had resulted in my materials getting passed on to the interactive division within the agency. Five years ago, I would have said "eh, no, that's ok." But I jumped at the chance, excited prematurely for getting more exposure to the digital world.

oh, and this is a pretty cool article on social networking sites by Green Toolshed.
COOL!

moving for a J O B?

does the city an agency is in matter to the creative work that gets produced? this is a question i have on my 10 to ask in an informational interview. And I'd like to think the answer is yes.

i got the following from an adweek article describing Chicago's need to revive it's ad scene.
"New York is the center of the global advertising world. Los Angeles boasts world-class production capabilities. Outposts like San Francisco, Portland, Ore., Minneapolis and Miami lay claim to some of the industry's best talent. But Chicago's historic ability to tap into the heartland values of Middle America, most typified in Burnett's whimsical doughboy fetishism, now seems like an anachronistic throwback."

The cities I'm most interested in because of their blend of culture, music and the arts are: Boston, LA, and New York as far as agencies go. The question I ask myself is: if i lived there, would i be able to get a job easier than if I attempted to get one at a distance? hmmm...

think of the answers

Interviews can be exciting and stimulating, or they can leave you feeling like you're in way over your head. Some advice: Be prepared #1. You will have the opportunity to ask questions of the interviewer, have some good ones already thought up.

These are just a few that were tossed my way:

1. What is your ideal job?
   
2. Where are you in 3 years?
3. Have you discovered a trend ahead of everyone else? What was it?
   
4. What do you know about ____ agency?
5. What is planning to you?
6. So you don't have any agency experience? (have a good answer while you're still a great candidate for the position ~ energy, training, ideas, etc.)

more to come...

young blood in the industry

• With more young blood entering the advertising industry, Bildsten credits Brew with allowing new talent to explore their creativity.
• "Younger talents are interested in working for the untraditional agencies," Bildsten said. "They're not even interested in talking to the big traditional agencies but to the new breed agencies like ourselves because we are trying new things." AdAge.com

Brew is a small (8 person?) shop in Minneapolis. It has worked with Nikon, Porsche, Virgin Mobile, Citibank, and Time Warner Cable.

Anybody know more? They sound super cool. No website found. :(

Experience v. Passion

"you'd like to think we live in a world where passion and energy would mean something to an employer...but experience seems to be the old ball and chain bringing people together"

Gen Y makes a mark and their imprint is entrepreneurship sets the tone for this quote by yours truly this morning to dear ol' dad. I'm not flailing or discouraged, just frustrated.

• Experts say these children of the baby-boom generation, also known as Gen Y or echo boomers, are taking to heart a desire for the kind of work-life balance their parents didn't have.

I am part of a generation that has a certain passion for work (and life) that many of the people (get ready for a sweeping generalization) who are hiring entry-level youngsters aren't accustomed to in their own career.

When the job brief states "2 years (or more) of agency experience," it's a barrier to entry. It's meant to weed out the weak candidates. I'm still standing. Just a bit frustrated.

Chris Anderson

Wired magazine is pretty brilliant. Editor in Chief, Chris Anderson has a blog, check it out.

I got linked to Chris through Ed Cotton's Q&A with Ad Week. Ed considers Chris a thought leader.

This is a cool rant by Chris:

• The Intelligent Design movement has opened my eyes. I realize that although I believe that evolution explains why the living world is the way it is, I can't actually prove it.

• So, by this standard, virtually everything I believe in must now fall under the shadow of unproveability. Most importantly, this includes the belief that democracy, capitalism and other market-driven systems (including evolution!) are better than their alternatives. ~ Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief, Wired magazine

Imbibe

start a conversation...

might be easier over coffee, wine, or beer.

check it out.

find your voice

Think of it as building YOUR BRAND. What are your thoughts? What are you interested in? What image do you want to have? Do you have a mission?

At this junior stage, I encourage you to establish who you are (like in a relationship) before launching headfirst into an agency that might not be right for you. The environment and experience of an agency plays a key role in the work that will be produced. If you don't fit then most likely the work you create will suffer from a lack of synergy.

Think of the agency as a product and you are the consumer. You want the right product for you. You'd rather not waste time with a product that doesn't have all the features you think you need. Same thing with an agency: what are you looking for? Remember you need to be able to play.

But (isn't there always a but) we can't be picky at this stage....we are looking for that "in" and when it presents itself, we can't hesitate. Build your brand, look for the agency that loves it: if you build it, they will come.

CRANK

Jonathan Schwartz has deemed this era The Participation Age ~ "an open and competitive network fuels growing opportunities for everyone to create value and independence. If the Information Age was passive, the Participation Age is active."

Be Active. PWOW (planning words of wisdom): find a group to brainstorm with, invite marketing/advertising/business profs to join you...

I was invited by the fabulous Lynette Xanders - a contact I have from an informational interview years ago - to attend a CRANK session at the Doug Fir Lounge yesterday. Nine marketing professionals & one junior (that'd be me) had the task of creating new tagline ideas for two clients Lynette was working on. It was an exercise for us all to discuss new ideas and be vulnerable with our own creativity.

It was great to make new connections and have a chance to play over some beers with real-world advertising people.

CRANK ~
"It's a playpen for the industry's finest creative thinkers. A venue to let your talent run amok and divine ideas that make your toes curl. It's about ideation. And having fun with it. And drinking cheap beer with like minded souls who want to drive faster. Or even fly. In the land of the elusive right answer - and creative people - more is always better>>>>"
Thanks.

impressive resume guy

Weiden & Kennedy ~ supreme being and creative entity both rolled into one big bomb diggity agency in Portland, Or. I'm here. I'm in advertising. Shouldn't I want to work with this awesomeness? It's a question I hadn't honestly come to terms with until yesterday when I spoke with Steve Barry at WK.

Steve has Crispin, Goodby, and now Weiden on his resume. He gave me some great advice on planning and connections I should be making. He said I should think of ideas for clients and email them to head planners at the agencies.

He said it would be worth it to talk to a jr. planner at an agency like Goodby (one I'm interested in) to find out what they're used for/what it's like. He also advised me (in my spare time) to learn about the recruiting process for focus groups and research. *share ideas* COOL!

Planning "is the hardest thing to get into," he said. (yeah, especially at WK) For me, I'm just not there yet. I make too many sweeping generalizations about "cool kids" to actually be one myself. As a planner, I need to grow up a bit more. And that's Ok. Good luck!

use the term "courting"

At entry-level, think about what we're doing (really).

We are courting Senior Planners/Group Heads/Planning Directors, in hope for their attention.

To attempt to gain the favor of by attention or flattery.

We want to give these people attention AND flattery. How can we do that?

Court them with compliments, useful information, my attention and maybe a gift (what?) (jk). Don't forget the power of 3. Repetition will get your message through. Hit 'em up 3 times but use different tactics (email - call - email -postcard). go on and use it. *share ideas*

you need to be a salesperson

We need to sell our strategy. As clever as it may be, it needs to make sense to the client as a solution to his business problem. We cannot get lost in creativity. Some wise advice...

When I was a salesperson for Smooth Jazz radio (gag me), I didn't so much get the sales-part as I understood how businesses discriminate between media. Radio is cheap compared to Outdoor, but Outdoor is SO BIG. And come to find out, the size (literally) of a message can deliver real results more than we'd like to admit.

As I'm pitching MY new business (myself as a junior planner) to ad agencies and planning directors now, I need to keep this in mind: I am a salesperson; remember the Power of 3; and repetiton does work. My plan of action should be email-phone call-email.

Oh entry-level planning positions, where are you?

Miami Ad School

The Account Planning Bootcamp was fast-paced. We had a project each week for which we had to incorporate each week's learnings to come up with an awesome creative solution to a business problem. Each teacher emphasized a different aspect of planning in order to give us a holistic understanding of what we need to do.

Jen Urich - pay attention to a mindset/lifestyle
Jamie Webb - be innovative with your creative solutions
Kerry Stranman - you've got to be a people's person
James Fox -put your strategy in context for a new business pitch
Marta LaRock - dig deep, listen and ask good questions to find your Gold Nuggest insight
Domenico Vitale - think about the experience of a brand; how will it change behavior?
Eric Bruno - you need to have a toolbag to tap into your creative-side
Christopher Owens - Play with the creatives; get excited about the process


THANK YOU!!!!!

Top 10 Interview Questions

My Top Ten

1. Brief autobiography: how did you get to where you are?

2. What personal characteristics have contributed to your success?

3. Describe the personality of your agency.

4. What is the role of planning here?

5. What agencies/brands do you admire for their culture and ideas?

6. Wise words you’ve heard about advertising/planning.

7. What is the difference between advertising and marketing?

8. What websites do you check out every day?

9. What advice would you give someone trying to break-in to the industry?

10. Who would you recommend that I talk to about planning?