Companies who have managed to survive and thrive for many years have managed to stay ahead of customer demands through research and development. With social media, doors have been opened for every company to develop a community of their best customers and gain insight that can lead to new opportunities for products and or services. A good social media strategy and program can help you form a connection with your customers that wasn’t possible even 3 years ago and can drive your ability to adapt to customer needs and wants.
December 21, 2012, is the deadline when the world is coming to an end. However, there appears to be a little wiggle room here. Evidently the Mayans, who are credited with “publishing” this deadline, have added an asterisk to that date, explaining there is a lot more to the story.* It seems Hollywood has added some drama. Go figure.
But the drama that comes with meeting deadlines is very real. And there are many days where it becomes obvious that some of these deadlines are just not going to be met. It’s at that point in time when we learn the difference between “published” deadlines and “real” deadlines.
Published deadlines are very valuable. They help us set goals, get organized and establish milestones that need to be reached along the way. But even our most well-thought out plans can hit a snag, or time suddenly passes by and before you know it, that published deadline is no longer possible to achieve. When this happens, anxiety begins to set in, co-workers get crabby, mistakes are made and there is unhappiness everywhere. But this situation also opens up opportunities, and that’s when real deadlines are set.
Real deadlines force everyone involved to stop and reevaluate what really needs to be done and how the team can pull it off. The previously discouraged team is re-energized, united for a common purpose and mobilized to accomplish the seemingly unattainable task at hand. Together, they work smarter, use their creative talents to employ unconventional problem-solving techniques, and, in the end, have a huge sense of accomplishment and reason to celebrate a job well done.
Publishing deadlines is great and always the preferred means by which to reach a goal. But deadlines will be missed and when that happens, it doesn’t mean the goal cannot be achieved. Just figure out what really needs to get done and work smarter – together. Then enjoy life and don’t worry about it. After all, it’s not the end of the world.
So, what are you planning to do on December 22, 2012?
“People do not want to hear about simple things, they want to hear about great things–simply told.”
- Mr. Rogers
One of my most admired philosophers was Mr. Rogers (I must admit the name attracted me). He came across as a simple man, but his life lessons were full of great insight. The quote above is one of my favorites. It certainly defines the job of communications professionals and the role performed daily by many of my colleagues in the Flint Group.
It is important to start with comprehensive, accurate information and an in-depth understanding of your audience in order to properly develop your story. Of course integrity in the message is paramount, but the bigger the message, told in an easy to understand manner, the more impact it will bring to your brand.
Sounds simple right? Then why do so many companies fail?
Earlier this month, more than thirty Flint Group creatives convened at Lost Lake Lodge near Brainerd, Minnesota. The objective? To share ideas and learn from each other face to face at the Flint Group Creative Retreat. Designers and writers from across the organization spent (roughly) two days and two nights focusing on the future, improving creativity and expanding collaboration.
Things got rolling on Thursday, September 17th with an icebreaker led by SimmonsFlint designer Ann Simmons-Boushey, followed by a wonderful dinner at Lost Lake Lodge and a show and tell of creative work from each agency.
Later that night, we had some fun around the bonfire.
The next morning, our group put social media strategy to work. Writer, Lee Ziegler, and Flint Interactive designer, Alissa Pesta, led the workshop, assigning real marketing problems to small groups. Using Jason Baer’s Social Media Worksheet, the Flint Group creatives addressed the problems with strategies and ideas to create awareness, generate sales or encourage loyalty online.
That afternoon, it was time for our own unConference. Flint Communications art director, Frank Stegmaier, and writer, Phil Hunt, attended an unConference presented by One Club and the Society of Digital Agencies this spring. The experience and discussion was so valuable that we decided to conduct a smaller-scale unConference of our own.
There is no pre-determined agenda for an unConference. At the start of the event, we got together and proposed topics related to our industry and agency. After setting a a loose schedule, we talked and talked some more – documenting key points and outcomes along the way.
Some of the topics addressed included:
• The Future of Flint Group
• The Future of Print
• Surviving the Economy and the New Era of Advertising
• The Business of Design
• Ethics in the Creative Field
• Unconventional Printing and Advertising
• Social Media
• Video for the Web
• How Production Design will Change in the Future
• Interoffice Collaboration
• Finding Inspiration
• Presenting Concepts and Ideas
• Using Creativity to Make the Creative Brief Go Further
At night we wound down with another great meal, a butter sculpture contest, plus a bonfire and an outdoor screening of the 2009 Addy Reel. On Saturday, we finished up with some brainstorming techniques from copywriter Phil Hunt, and said our goodbyes.
It was a fun weekend, and a productive one, too. We came back on Monday with fresh perspectives and solid ideas for the future of our clients and our agency. Stay tuned for more thoughts and outcomes from the retreat.
The level of ‘connectivity’ in Alaska is pretty amazing. WIFI access, web enabled handhelds, digital mobile service and more. I guess I wasn’t surprised when I stumbled upon the most recent census stats for connectivity and found that Alaska is the second most connected state in the U.S. by household (behind New Hampshire only).
It’s no secret that Alaska is geographically isolated, but the people who live here are worldly and connected. They are very much in tune with the latest happenings around the world, and with the proximity to the Pacific Rim, Asia and Russia, their worldly nature seems to come naturally. Mix the geographic isolation with an inherent curiosity and you end up with a population that likely makes use of the Internet more efficiently than most areas of the U.S.
Businesses Lagging
So with such a ‘connected’ population, why are Alaska-based businesses lagging in their digital communications with Alaskans?
It’s true, most Alaskan businesses sport a website (it’s an expectation here). But when it comes to personal and social connection, Alaskans as business patrons are far ahead of the places they do business with. Alaskans love to be heard (just look at the comments section of any local article at ADN.com). They are passionate people, and they are voicing their opinion on message boards, wordpress, blogspot, flickr, twitter, facebook, ning, bebo, myspace and more. Want proof? As of the August, 2009 there were 174,240 Alaskans over age 18 with a Facebook account. That is more than one third of the total 18+ population of Alaska!
Missing the Conversation
So with all the conversations being held by Alaskans, do you suppose at some point they are talking about YOUR business? And when they are talking about your business, how do YOU know? What if they are saying something inaccurate about your company? Or worse, something damaging? If you are not actively participating in the conversation, how would you ever know? And how much damage could be done to your company reputation as a result?
Mining for Growth – Strategically
With internet connectivity and the growth of social media, the basic tenets of brand management have changed tremendously. A recent article describes managing your brand with social media. The article on Brand Bytes (an ADN.com blog about digital connectivity for business) describes how brand management has changed and the importance of having a social media strategy in place to help you manage your brand image in the digital world. And a recent AP article describes how businesses are connecting with their customers via social media. A quote from Alecia Dantico of Garrett Popcorn (@garrettpopcorn), “The conversations were already happening. My job was just to join them.”
It’s time for Alaskan businesses to begin engaging with customers in the digital world on a more social and personal level. Monitor a conversation, join a conversation, lead a conversation. Your customers are already here, it’s time that you start mining Alaska’s connectivity for your company’s growth as well.
AadlandFlint and the Flint Group has more than 50 professionals trained in social media strategy and development. Follow just of a few of our digital professionals on Twitter at @jlysne, @fijens, @areierson.
The professionals at SimmonsFlint are always hungry for new marketing trends, techniques or hot topics that we can share with friends and clients. Watch for a regular stream of insightful information – or join in the conversation.
But the drama that comes with meeting deadlines is very real. And there are many days where it becomes obvious that some of these deadlines are just not going to be met. It’s at that point in time when we learn the difference between “published” deadlines and “real” deadlines.
The level of ‘connectivity’ in Alaska is pretty amazing. WIFI access, web enabled handhelds, digital mobile service and more. I guess I wasn’t surprised when I stumbled upon the most recent census stats for connectivity and found that 
