Verb + Adjective

Candace Nelson, Founder of Sprinkles on how her customer bases...

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:00:29 -0400

Candace Nelson, Founder of Sprinkles on how her customer bases grows.

Speaking of extending value after hours, I stopped by the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM the other night. Without a peek into the numbers, the Cupcake ATM is a great way to extend their services. It was around midnight and the cake was still moist, so product quality is not a concern. I imagine many folks will even go to the ATM during normal business hours as it is a novelty, doubling up the revenue stream during the day. I’m looking forward to watching this.

Twitter Tip O' the Day

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:48:00 -0400

Some companies like restaurant, boutiques, and universities with weekend classes can benefit from weekend activity but do not have the weekend personnel to pull it off. That’s when you schedule your tweets to deploy while you’re out of the office.

My favorite scheduler is Tweetdeck, though there are a few others.

Tweetdeck is free and easy to use. In fact, scheduling tweets is probably it’s most fluid function as it seems to lack in the pushing replies through department. I also like the idea of adding the Tweetdeck app to Google Chrome to make it even easier.

Check out Tweetdeck.com.

Twitter Tip O' the Day

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:01:36 -0400

Just because Twitter is constant, it doesn’t mean you have to constantly tweet.

I liken it to the occasionally quiet or all white tv commercial. A lull in the constant barrage of messages and images can be more attention-grabbing then your next hashtag.

For more on the rules of social media marketing, not just Twitter, peep an article posted on Fast Company. #TheRules of Social Media: Everyone Says They Don’t Want To Be Marketed To. Really, They Just Don’t Want to Be Talked Down To

Twitter Tip O' the Day

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:10:35 -0400

I’ve witnessed a number of organization do a Twitter search and follow every person who mentioned their key word. This practice is the equivalent of buying a list of addresses from the post office and sending everyone near you a postcard. Not saying this is not an efficient tactics for direct service practitioners like the cleaners, or the newest pizza joint; but just as you give those postcards in your mailbox a fleeting glance and mentally mark them as spam, so will the new folks you follow.

Instead of just clicking follow, try to reply with a tip or fact pertaining to their tweet. This will not only make it worthwhile for the user to pay attention, it will demonstrate your value and spark a conversation.

meet Now Is the Time

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:30:40 -0400

Although the Chicago Public Library is not a non-profit, it is one of those civil services that get a pass. I stumbled upon the organization Now Is the Time, while visiting the library’s site and I’m a thoroughly impressed.

From their website:

About Now Is The Time

Now Is The Time is a citywide initiative inspiring young people to make positive change in their communities and stop youth violence and intolerance. The Chicago Public Library, Facing History and Ourselves, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company join forces to start this conversation in Chicago’s many neighborhoods, along with theaters involved in Now Is The Time to ACT and dozens of other organizations and institutions.

For the 2012-13 season, we’re hosting:

Events across the city
Media-making for youth
An interactive exhibit
Theater performances and classes for teens
Literary events
Visual arts activities
Workshops for educators

…And much more. Join us now.

Video

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:08:10 -0400

A school on the wrong side of the digital divide. This is very...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:40:42 -0500

A school on the wrong side of the digital divide.

This is very important and can’t get away from us. Poorer school are at a significant disadvantage and a lack of access to technology is sure to compound the issue.

Photo

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:04:09 -0500

10 Retailers Who Give Back During the Holidays

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:56:00 -0500

I’ve been reading all of these articles on better ways to spend your money than buying your relatives gifts, and well, I’m not buying it. We should at least be able to show our loved ones a token of our love on Christmas. Sheesh.

Here is an article by Ultimate Coupons that guides you on ways to buy nice things and support good causes at the same time. If you’re anything like me, now you feel a little less guilty.

During the holidays I like to donate bags of canned goods at my local grocery store, and when I’m buying gifts for my family, I buy a few extras and donate them to a shelter for women and children. I also like to shop at retailers who give back during the holidays. Here’s a list of some good places to give back while you’re getting gifts!

1. Nordstrom

Treasure & Bond, a subsidiary of Nordstrom, is a completely non-profit store. Buy gifts here, and all the after-cost profits go to charities that benefit New York children. You have to shop in-store, but if you’re in NY, go for it. This just opened in August, and I’ve never actually shopped there because I live on the opposite coast. If you’ve been there and bought gifts, leave a comment! I’d love to know what it’s like.

2. Macy’s

For the past four years, Macy’s has asked children to drop of their letters to Santa. For every letter dropped off, they donate $1 to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which uses money to help sick kids with life-threatening illnesses do things such as meet their favorite celebrity or take a fun trip. This costs nothing for you, so get your kids working on some letters! You could even drop off your own letter!

3. JCPenney

For three years now, JCPenney has teamed with the Salvation Army for the Angel Giving Tree Online campaign, which lets shoppers provide children and seniors in need with Christmas presents. You can even donate via an app on your SmartPhone or iPad! YOu can also donate online or in-store. Do what I do, and when you’re buying gifts for your friends and family, throw in a couple extra for those in need. Check out this program here.

4. Toys ‘R’ Us

For the third year in a row, Toys ‘R’ Us has teamed up with Shaquille O’Neill to spread the word about their toy and cash drive to benefit the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Foundation. Donate some cash or a new toy in the checkout line at any Toys ‘R’ Us location, and a needy children will have gifts to unwrap on Christmas morning.

5. Sears

The holiday season can be especially hard on families with members overseas fighting for our country. Not having Daddy or Mommy home to celebrate the holidays is heartbreaking enough, and not having money for holiday treats or gifts can make that person’s absence even harder to bear. Sears’ “Heroes at Home Wish Registry Program,” in its fourth year, enables you to go online and donate a gift card for military members, veterans and their families. I did it this year. It takes about a minute and it really helps families in need. The family at right lost their husband and father five years ago. Their only income in Social Security, and this program made it possible for them to make essential repairs to their home.

6 &7. Pepsi and 7-Eleven

Pepsi and 7-Eleven are getting together to help families in need this holiday season. Until Dec. 31, Pepsi will donate five cents from each 20-oz. Pepsi product purchased at 7-Eleven locations to Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that gives food assistance to 37 million Americans every year. After you buy your Pepsi products, you can double your donations by “checking in” to 7-Eleven on Facebook, so remember to do that! Pepsi will donate up to $250,000 to the cause. I love my Diet Pepsi, so this one is a no-brainer for me.

8. Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop, a grocery store chain, is having its 22nd annual Food for Friends program from Oct. 28 through Dec. 8. Shop at the store and you can donate $1, $3 or $5 to hunger relief organizations in your area. Stop & Shop’s goal is to raise more than $2 million this holiday season. Help them out with this goal! If you’re loading up on groceries for a big holiday meal, you can spare a few extra bucks to help those in need.

9. Petco

When families don’t have enough money to feed everyone, guess who goes hungry first. Sadly, it’s usually the family pets that go hungry, or get abandoned at shelters when families can’t afford to care for them anymore. If you love animals, then shop at Petco this holiday season. To participate, drop off dog or cat food at your local Petco. Hill’s Science Diet will match every bag of Science Diet cat or dog food purchased at a Petco store and donated to the Food Drive up to 100,000 pounds. If you don’t have a Petco near you, animal shelters can always use donations of food, beds, and toys.

10. Payless

At Payless, you won’t be asked to donate, because they use the profits from your purchase for good all on their own. Payless has pledged to donate 50,000 new pairs of shoes to hundreds of local charities this December, regardless of profits. Since the Payless Gives program was launched in 2008, the company has given away over 3 million dollars in free shoes to those in need. Shop at Payless for gifts this season, and you’ll know some of your money is helping people who are less fortunate than yourself.

Salvation Army Kettle Update

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:31:19 -0500

Mass. Salvation Army’s Kettle Collections Drop by a Fifth

Five weeks into its seasonal red-kettle drive, the Massachusetts Salvation Army says donations are down by more than a fifth from last year, reports The Boston Globe.

The charity said it has taken in $1.2-million, a 22-percent drop from the 2010 holiday season, when its bell ringers collected $3.4-million. The biggest drops have been in urban areas, with donations down 38 percent in Boston, 45 percent in Waltham, and 53 percent in Chelsea and East Boston.

Other Massachusetts charities are reporting similar drops. Judy Salerno, head of the charity umbrella group Foundation for MetroWest, said the drop-off comes as the economic downturn has created a spike in the number of people needing services. “Even if [contributions] were up, the problem is that need is way up,” she said. “The resource gap is bigger.”

"There’s only one resolution you need to make and keep. Do this one thing and you’ll be good to go..."

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:22:37 -0500

“

There’s only one resolution you need to make and keep. Do this one thing and you’ll be good to go for the year: Do what you say you are going to do, otherwise known as accountability. This one resolution can have any number of permutations:

If you say you are going to call, call. Promise to send someone information? Send it.Finish a job when you promised—or earlier—with quality work. Let people know as soon as you can when you are running late for a meeting or won’t make it at all. And, my personal favorite, make good on the promise “Let’s get together sometime.” Make a note on your calendar in the near future to set something up. Or don’t say it at all.

Every goal begins with your own accountability, whether it is business success, losing weight, developing your personal brand—whatever your goals may be this coming year.

Start now. This very second. You’ll be ahead of most of the world, long before their hangovers have worn off on January 1, 2012.

Happy New Year!

-Dayna Steele
@daynasteele

”

Did Benetton take it too far? This current campaign shows the...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:13:07 -0500

Did Benetton take it too far?

This current campaign shows the world’s leader in photoshopped lip locks. The Unhate campaign depicts Pres. Obama kissing Hugo Chavez and the Pope kissing Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, Imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.

Obviously, the Vatican is up in arms, however Benetton shows no sign of removing the ads. According to the New York Daily News, Benetton apologized, but has no plans to alter the campaign.

“We are sorry that the use of an image of the pontiff and the imam should have offended the sensibilities of the faithful in this way,” the company said in a statement.

Salvation Army Bell Ringers Go Digital At Donation Posts

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:08:00 -0500

Two things.

1. I wonder if people are going to be comfortable swiping their card at the kettle.

2. They bring in $2billion a year?!?!

After dusting off their traditional red aprons and donation pots, Salvation Army bell ringers will modernize their getup this giving season with a digital donation device.

The humanitarian aid charity, which brings in $2 billion in revenue each year, will enable shoppers and passersby to give money to the pot, even if they don’t have cash on hand, The New York Times reports. Sprint Nextel has donated Android smartphones equipped with Square’s credit card reader for donation-collectors to carry, which allows donors to swipe their card on the spot.

“A lot of people just don’t carry cash any more,” Maj. George Hood, the Salvation Army’s spokesman, told The New York Times. “We’re basically trying to make sure we’re keeping up with our donors and embrace the new technologies they’re embracing.”

The charity will employ the mobile-giving option at 10 locations in Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago and New York, according to the charity’s blog. Square charges a 2.75 percent fee for every swipe.

PCMag.com gave Square a “very good” rating and noted that “the experience is top-notch—for buyers and sellers alike.”

In addition to offering contributors a hassle-free donation option, Square also amps up security, according to the Salvation Army blog. The money is deposited directly into the charity’s account and means cash money on hand for thieves to steal.

Some Salvation Army posts that don’t offer the mobile donating option are, for the first time, pairing bell ringers with guards.

“We’d like to say we didn’t have to do it.” Merrilu Bennett of the Salvation Army told NBC-2.com. “It’s something that no matter what the cost to us - even though it’s something we hadn’t planned for - it’s worth every penny that we have to pay.”

Perhaps I’ve always had a soft spot for the Girls Scout...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:30:00 -0500

Perhaps I’ve always had a soft spot for the Girls Scout because when I finally became of age to join, the local troupe disbanded. Or maybe it’s just my love for Samoas but I’m consistently fascinated by the Girl Scouts branding and fund raising abilities. This latest endeavor with Lip Smackers screams “perfect” on every level.

Gift sets are on sale at Wal-Mart and Claire’s for $5.00

1111amblog: ATTENTION: CREATIVE MINDS We’re excited to announce...

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:17:49 -0500

1111amblog:

ATTENTION: CREATIVE MINDS

We’re excited to announce our first ever flyer contest! Put your photoshop/illustrating/drawing skills to work and submit a flyer of your own to promote our Light The Night fundraising page.

RULES:

Be sure to include on your flyer this link (http://tiny.cc/1111amLTNpage) as well as a quick blurb about our cause, and briefly explaining what Light the Night is. If you don’t happen to know, do a little research about our organization :)

Post your flyer on Tumblr with the tag #1111am (NOTE: It is very important to include the tag, that way we’ll see it!)

The deadline for this contest is Friday, November 11th 2011.

We will be choosing the winner for our favorite flyer to promote with, but there will also be another winner for the flyer with the most reblogs on Tumblr. Both winners will receive an 11:11 A.M. prize pack, and one will receive our new collaboration shirt with Veil Arms Clothing.

Be creative! We want to see something that catches our eye and can be used to promote our Light the Night fundraiser to raise funds and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society.

We have a lot planned for this week leading up to 11/11/11, so keep checking back!

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to write in our ask box, or email us at 1111aminfo@gmail.com

- 11:11 A.M.

(Thanks to our friend Colleen for the awesome sketch seen above!)

My latest promotional scheme for Career Services at...

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:36:00 -0400

My latest promotional scheme for Career Services at work.

Students are always foraging for snacks. What better way to give them what they want while giving them what they need.

Ordered through Branders.com

5 Rules of Marketing to Women

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:57:27 -0400

There’s a shortlist of mistakes companies and brands typically make when trying to sell products to women. Marketing missteps can hurt sales, but more importantly, they can actually turn women off from your brand entirely. If you’ve ever committed the sin of “pink it and shrink it,” it’s time to reimagine your strategy. Here are five pitfalls to avoid.

1) Don’t pink it and shrink it

The cardinal sin of marketing towards women is to “pink it and shrink it.” The woefully misguided approach goes something like this: Take a perfectly decent product, give it a marshmallow Barbie paint job and miniaturize it so it fits perfectly into tiny female hands. Ta da! Female friendly. We’re bound to love it, right? What makes things even worse is that the tech specs on “female orientated” models often fall short of the “male” counterparts. It’s not the color of a product that entices us, it’s the sleek design quality.

2) There’s no need to overtly target us

If you try too hard to push exclusively to women, we’ll see right through it. Take time understanding us like you would any other demographic, but please don’t overthink it. Just because we’ve got breasts doesn’t mean we have special needs. We’re different but don’t want to feel we’re that different.

Far too many products are rammed down our throats yelling “Look at me! I’m being relevant to women! Here come the girls!” It’s patronising, it’s ineffective, and often quite alienating. A subtler, more nuanced approach is always far more successful commercially.

3) An emotional connection is a big selling point

Studies have proven that women are likely to form more of a lasting emotional attachment to products, and campaigns that make an effort to engage with this often prove to be very successful.

A great recent example is upscale department store John Lewis’s beautifully executed ad “She’s Always a Woman to Me,” which whizzes the viewer at high speed through 70 years of a woman’s life. The reason this spot works so well is not only that it’s beautifully executed—which it is, heart-achingly so—but that it also promotes a strong, enduring attachment to a reliable brand.

4) Too much choice is no choice at all

Many men might be perfectly happy to sift through mountains of information in order to find out whether one little black box is slightly better than another little black box, but most women are overwhelmed by choice. If a product is a hassle to buy then we will cease to care about it.

So having a hundred near-identical products in the market can be a real turnoff: We don’t want unlimited choice, we want the right choice. We want to know that a product does what it’s supposed to and is obviously at the top of its field. We don’t have time to find a diamond in the rough.

5) It’s more about show than tell

Don’t use statistics to teach us that we need something. Instead, show us why we need it, how it can benefit our lives preferably in a way that’s entertaining, fun, and engaging. I’m much more likely to warm to a product if it’s marketing does not preach, but has surprised me or made me laugh. Top Gear is a great brand that has made cars accessible to both men and women by entertaining them.

@belindaparmar is the founder of @LadyGeekTV. Please join the Lady Geek campaign to end the stereotypes and cliches towards women in tech and Like us on Facebook.

I got this in my email this morning. Yay for Bennigans!

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:23:28 -0400

I got this in my email this morning. Yay for Bennigans!

The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity (International)

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:14:07 -0400

The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity (International)

On May 22, 2011, an unprecedented natural disaster impacted...

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:39:07 -0400

On May 22, 2011, an unprecedented natural disaster impacted the lives of tens of thousands in Joplin, Missouri. As a Mizzou Fan, you can do your part to help those affected by this devastating storm with this One Mizzou Tornado Relief T-shirt. It features “One State. One Spirit. with the One Mizzou logo” and the date of the event. Proceeds from the sale of this tee will go to Heart of Missouri United Way – United For Joplin. Visit uwheartmo.org for more information or to make additional donations.

Buy here

One time for my alma mater :)