Grin & Grumble

No, you didn’t just wake up on the couch at 2 a.m. to find a ridiculously in-shape man on TV telling you how you can get in shape by taking a few pills.

As I get older, I find the spot on my body that is most likely to pack on pounds is my gut. Any semblance of the six-pack muscles that were there in my late teens seems to fade slowly despite aerobic exercise and crunches.

Then along comes the July issue of Men’s Journal. In it, there’s an article about cosmetic surgery for your abs, “Six-Pack Abs, Made To Order.” It discusses high-definition liposculpture. It’s a process that molds fat to the ab muscles and literally carves the six-pack definition.

Okay, I don’t have the $20,000 to get the procedure. But, if I did, would I? Every time I’d gaze down at my gut, I’d think it looks good. But, it wouldn’t be me. I would have bought the look.

Have any readers had cosmetic surgery? Is there ever an internal debate about natural vs. surgical or would it just be me?

Crunch. Crunch.

It’s tough to be good in one field, never mind two. And, even if you compete at the highest level in the first field, it doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily compete at that same level in the second. Sure, it happens. If we look toward professional sports, Neon Deion Sanders did it. He played both professional football and baseball. That’s no small accomplishment, but clearly the gridiron was kinder to him than the diamond. It’s just plain hard to play with the best in more than one pursuit.

While reading Joseph Jaffe’s new media book, Join the Conversation, I thought about this scenario. I first learned of Jaffe when I began to listen to his podcast Across the Sound (now Jaffe Juice) several years back. He and pro PR guy Steve Rubel discussed the emergence of new media marketing and its affect on traditional marketing. Then Rubel left the show and Jaffe tried various guest hosts until he eventually left well enough alone and dedicated himself to a solo show. And, in time, he nailed it. Never the same format twice, Across the Sound/Jaffe Juice showcases Jaffe’s wit, intelligence, and mastery of presentation. It’s an hour-long, free version of what major global companies pay him to do when they hire him to deliver keynote speeches. Jaffe is a gifted speaker who holds your attention with a combination of industry insight, creative zest, and irreverent humor. Think about it. How many people can talk to themselves for an hour and make it educating and entertaining?

So, by the time I began Join the Conversation, I had listened to hours of Jaffe discussing new media and marketing. I knew that Jaffe believes that the old days of brands talking to customers are over. Instead, as the books title says, effective marketers are engaging consumers in conversation. Consumers have the podium and can lavish a company with praise or slam them at will. New media provides the platform for conversation and it’s the smart company that welcomes customer involvement.

Jaffe maintains this premise through his book (and his podcast). But, the road is winding. You see, Jaffe has an ability when talking to make tangential side trips compelling. However, this nonlinear style doesn’t always serve him well in the print format. As an example, in chapter 6, “The New Consumerism,” Jaffe talks about Weight Watchers as part of building connections and community. I expected a case study on how Weight Watchers did or didn’t successfully use new media to build its brand, but it didn’t happen. Instead, Jaffe hops on a carriage road and discusses his own quest to lose weight and how he chronicled the endeavor through “fatblogging.” True to form, the author’s diversion is interesting, but only at the end does he briefly get back to Weight Watchers by suggesting the company should have been involved in his fatblogging movement. As a listener of Jaffe Juice, I’m used to this straying from the topic, but others may find the circuitous journey a bit choppy.

The fatblogging section also brings to mind the type of reader who will benefit most from this book. In order to understand many of Jaffe’s references, the reader should have a good understanding of social media. A lot of new media jargon is tossed around. When Jaffe talks about his weight, he contrasts it with his alter ego. “(Unlike my cut Second Life avatar, Divo Dapto!)” The parentheses are often used to deliver jokes. But, Second Life and avatars? If you don’t know about Linden Lab’s Second Life, you’ll miss the joke and part of the meat of the book. Don’t know what Technorati is? Certain sections won’t mean as much to you. Jakob Nielsen doesn’t ring a bell? You’re out of luck.

Where Jaffe shines is in his examples of companies who either missed the new media boat or, conversely, those who are sailing on a beam reach while chatting up customers. As discussed in an earlier post, the former group includes FedEx, Smirnoff, and NBC. The latter group boasts such brands as Sprint, Mentos, and Nike. Jaffe doesn’t shy away from calling a spade a spade when companies ignore their customers. From my little experiment with FedEx, Smirnoff, and NBC—none of which replied to my hayseed post—I think Jaffe’s criticisms are warranted. Thankfully, a few companies are engaging in conversation and the author clearly points out the initiatives that are working.

Jaffe’s book is thought provoking. I do, however, vehemently disagree with one point that bubbled to the surface in the foreword. Stan Rapp, chairman of ENGAUGE Associates, says that the Internet is the center of the universe. No, not even close. People are the core. The Internet is simply a medium with which people can converse. I suspect Joseph Jaffe would agree with me.

Interested in new media’s role in marketing? I recommend taking in a couple of podcasts of Across the Sound/Jaffe Juice. Get a feel for Jaffe in his natural element. He’s first rate. Once you’ve listened, you’ll better appreciate his second career path, writing.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of Join the Conversation with the promise that I would review the book. If you would like to read the book and would be willing to review it on a blog, please contact me and I will send my copy to you.

When I first tried Twitter, I wasn’t convinced of its value. After many months of using it and after reaching a milestone (I have over 100 “followers”–not many, but hey), I’m still not completely enamored with Twitter.

For those who don’t know, Twitter is considered a micro-blogging application. Twitter asks the question “What are you doing?” and you answer in 140 characters or less.

Perhaps it’s my problem. Twitter and I may be diametrically opposed. Close family members often wish I would tell them more about what I’m doing. Twitter expects me to tell complete strangers? Silly Twitter.

Yet, people use Twitter for more than just updating their every move. I guess that’s what I find interesting about it, the different ways people use it. Here are a few:

• Ask opinions about a topic
• Give opinions about a topic
• Promote something
• Share interesting web sites
• Joke with web friends
• Introduce people
• Provide commentary during a professional sports game

I will say that the last point is arguably my favorite. I like seeing some of the sites people recommend. And, I did get introduced to a local group of web people through Twitter. It does have some value.

Maybe Twitter is like most things. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Some people have thousands of followers. Others follow thousands. The more people you follow, the more Twitter updates you receive. Maybe it’s about volume. I hope my followers follow a lot of people, because if not, they’re starving for updates if they’re looking only to me. I read “tweets” more than I “twitter.” Poor bastards.

Twitter has a significant user base. It also has some stability issues. There’s talk that people will be leaving Twitter for Plurk. Plurk? No idea. But, I am signed up for it.

Do you use Twitter? Do you use Plurk? How do you use them?

Want to follow me? I won’t jam up your stream with updates by the hundreds. Promise.

Recently, I worked with another marketing director on a project. He works in the profit world, however, so he was a VP of marketing. We discussed issuing a press release for an event that involved both our companies. Concerning distribution, he mentioned “his contact” for a group of local newspapers. I was intrigued. One contact for numerous papers? I was accustomed to working with the individual editors at each newspaper, developing a relationship with each one, and thankfully enjoying good press coverage with each paper. But it was work. No doubt about it. And now this guy says he has one contact?

As the conversation continued, it became obvious that “his contact” was his ad rep. He bought display advertising from her. He must have seen a confused look on my face. After all, we were talking public relations, not advertising. He sadly clarified with “I tell her that if she doesn’t run my press releases, I’m pulling our advertising. And, she runs them.”

I may be naive, but I’ve been involved with public relations in some fashion for over 10 years. The prevailing practice has been the advertising side of newspapers and the editorial side are two distinct entities. One does not affect the other. It’s more than a practice. It’s a necessity.

Imagine if the advertisers directly affected the editorial staff. The big advertisers would dictate the content of the newspapers. Journalists wouldn’t write what they feel are important, hard-hitting stories. They would simply be at the bidding of advertisers, scurrying around to create fluffy copy that pays homage to the money holders. It would be pay for play. You buy ads, we write nice stories about you. And, credibility and objectivity get launched from the vernacular of journalism.

Here are some benign, hypothetical examples. The Red Sox advertise heavily in a local paper. In response, sportswriters don’t question player trades, a controversial coach, or the latest bench-clearing brawl. They just chronicle the highlights, casting a pleasant glow on even the darkest of missteps the club makes.

Another one. Acme Industries wants to build a massive warehouse in a residentially-zoned neighborhood. Acme buys advertising. The hearty thanks they receive is no negative press about their building. The opposition, the neighbors, the citizens–they don’t read anything about the controversy. They just have new neighbors.

A free press is critical to this country and any free society. Sure, newspapers often are slanted. The Boston Globe is liberal. The Wall Street Journal is conservative. In the past, however, they haven’t been paid to slant either way.

A free press is part of the checks and balances that a society needs. A free press keeps citizens informed about the action of government, the state of business, and the complexities of other citizens. Its first objective must be to inform. Persuasion must only be an occasional goal and one that is clearly labeled for readers.

Newspapers are in trouble. New media is pulling readers to the Internet and away from printed pages. Is advertising revenue more important to newspapers than ever before? Perhaps, but is that revenue worth the loss of credibility?

In a recent article in Tufts Magazine, there was a quotation from the Chairman of The New York Times Publishing Company Arthur Sulzberger. The media boss said, “There are fewer and fewer news organizations that are willing to invest in the kind of quality journalism that keeps our democracy vibrant. It is not good for democracy; it is not good for America.”

The wall that has divided editorial and advertising is falling. Newspapers need to find new revenue models to survive. Objective reporting needs to return.

That VP of marketing may find it easygoing now. PR, the old-fashioned way, is hard work. But the reward for the labor is credibility. You shouldn’t be able to buy that. You should have to earn it.

I recently read Joseph Jaffe’s new media business book entitled Join the Conversation. In full disclosure, I requested a free copy with the promise that I would write a review of the book. (The review will be in a few weeks.)

In Join the Conversation, Jaffe calls out several companies for not embracing new media. He mentions Jose Avila who created all of his furniture out of FedEx boxes, showcased them on his web site, and then was slapped with a cease and desist order from FedEx for intellectual property violations. Jaffe felt Avila’s furniture making would have been a great opportunity for FedEx to make Avila a spokesperson or for a FedEx competitor to step in and say “use our boxes.” Neither happened.

Jaffe also rips Smirnoff’s Tea Partay campaign. Apparently the YouTube video was a runaway hit, but when visitors went to the site where the video encouraged them to go, they were greeted with “Under Construction.” (This is no longer the case.)

Yet another example is Jaffe’s own post about how he thought NBC’s The Office was terrible. In fact, he thought it sucked. For a long time, when people typed in “The Office sucks,” Jaffe’s post jumped up in Google’s first spot. Jaffe questions the whereabouts of NBC. Why did they not respond?

That’s my question. These examples are ancient in web time. Are NBC, Smirnoff, and FedEx doing a better job of engaging in the conversation that Jaffe talks about? Are they monitoring blogs and new media? I’m going to give them two weeks to see if they respond to this humble blog post and give us their side of their respective stories.

For my regular readers, do you know that you can monitor nearly any mention of your brand, your name, or a topic of interest on the web? Do you do it? If not, let me know and I’ll write a post about how you can stay on top of your image.

Ebby Calvin LaLoosh (Nuke): I ain’t pissing nothing away. I got a Porsche already; a 911 with a quadrophonic Blaupunkt.

Crash Davis: Christ, you don’t need a quadrophonic Blaupunkt! What you need is a curveball!

These lines are from one one of the best movies ever and certainly the best baseball movie. For those who haven’t seen Bull Durham, Ebby Calvin LaLoosh is an overly-confident AA ballplayer with a great fastball and no clue about maturity or curveballs. Crash Davis is the seasoned veteran who continually admonishes the young pitcher, teaching him how to act to get to the major leagues.

“What you need is a curveball.” I thought of this as I drove home tonight and saw little leaguers in their fancy uniforms. It’s been a long time since I played baseball, but when I did, we didn’t have fancy uniforms and trophies weren’t handed out like popsicles. We did learn to play ball. And, we learned about teamwork.

I think at times we should shed the decoration and remember the essence. It’s not the Ipod, but rather the music that’s important. It’s not the school you went to, but instead what you learned. Flashy blog designs and widgets are cool, but the words are most important.

I need to remember this as much as the next person. I need to remember to find something I like, peel back the rind, and savor the good stuff.

Find your curveball.

(Enough armchair motivational BS from me!)

Thank you for reading this blog. If you’re a regular reader, thank you two times over. If you write comments, thanks three times.

I’m looking for more readers. It’s not for ego reasons. I want more readers so that I’ll have more people commenting and the dialogue will be even better than it currently is. How do I get more readers? Although I’m a marketing person, I’m not exactly sure. However, I did run into a situation where tons of people engaged in dialogue. It speaks to why people go to a particular site or blog. Here’s a quick summary.

After a three-year break, I’ve taken up scuba diving again. I had air tanks filled with…air, but I had them filled three years ago. Was it okay to dive with this “old” air? I put the question to the members of ScubaBoard. I’ve learned a bunch from this discussion board and I expected that my question, posted in the equipment forum, would generate a good answer.

There were 46 replies (two were mine). They ranged from one sentence responses to multi-paragraph theories–with supporting calculations–on moisture’s effect on steel tanks and air. Wow! Here’s the thread. Unfortunately, as an English major, most of the chemistry was lost on me. I got my answer though!

Why did so many people respond to this question? Here’s what I came up with:

1. Organization: Scubaboard is organized. People visiting can quickly find information about many topics, among them equipment.

2. Interest: People share a similar interest. Visitors to the forum are into equipment. They like talking about it. Some are passionate about it.

3. Learning: People seem to appreciate learning from others on the board.

4. Teaching: People enjoy showing what they know. Usually on this particular board, they are pretty benign in their pedagogic roles (remember, English major), but occasionally there’s a bit of one-upmanship. People enjoy the debate.

Back to Grin & Grumble. Organized? Not particularly. It’s a about me and about marketing, but it’s random. That’s why I have the “You might like this blog if” tab. Interest? I think there are plenty of people who have related interests. Learning? Ah, not a lot going on here. I hope to make you think every now and again, but that’s really the extent of the learning. Teaching? I’d love more! Show me what you know! Make me learn!

Admittedly, this blog doesn’t come in very strong according to the four points created from the Scubaboard experience. Maybe 1 for 4 and that might be leaning a bit much on learning.

Why do you read Grin and Grumble? Do you agree with my four points about why people engage in dialogue on the web? How can I get more people like you to read the blog?

Thanks again for reading.

Local Boston colleges have been forced to build luxury dorms, replete with flat-screen televisions and posh decorating, in order to attract the brightest students says a recent article in The Boston Globe (The New Campus Crib). According to the article, schools like Harvard, Tufts, MIT, BU, and Boston College are spending millions of dollars to appeal to the well-heeled. Karen Nilsson, senior associate dean for student life at MIT, is quoted as saying the following: “Society has changed…These [are] students who have had their own rooms, their own bathrooms all their lives. They are going off to college and looking for those kinds of things.”

What’s a top school to do? MIT reportedly has equipped all dorms with fitness rooms and dance studios aren’t far off. Thank goodness! We wouldn’t want little Thurston Howell V to get his Prada shoes damp by having to walk to the gym.

The basis of this “appeal to wealthiest campaign” is funny at one level and disturbing at many others. It’s funny because The Globe has several students at my alma mater, Tufts, whining about the outdated common area in their dorm and the lack of a big screen television. Oh, the horror! Guess what? You’re going to Tufts or Harvard or MIT for a good education—not for the Italian furniture. (Full disclosure: I had a lousy dorm with a lousier roommate my freshman year…maybe I’m just bitter.)

On the more serious end of things, what about all the diversity that these schools champion? Where do the lower income, smart kids come in? Are they affected by the pricey “progress?” Absolutely! They get higher tuition/room and board! ‘Come on down, you lucky dogs! You’ve been accepted to your dream school but the only way you’ll be able to accept our invitation is to rack up $100,000 in student loans. Sure, education is expensive, but we also need some bingo for the new state-of-art parking garage that will let juniors and seniors store their Lexuses and Beamers out of the weather. After all, we have to compete with the other schools. Still want to come?’

Students should live in clean, comfortable buildings. Universities and colleges should spare the luxury junk and let the resulting cost savings reduce the already ludicrous price it costs to attend college. Will some students choose to go elsewhere? Maybe. But, who cares? Everything I read says competition to get into top schools is tighter than ever. And, seriously, is Silver Spoon Shannon really going to pass up Harvard because the dorms weren’t decorated by a renowned interior designer? If she does, Harvard has problems that are far deeper than cosmetics. I thought the defining element for Harvard and these other schools was academic excellence.

What do you think? Did you go to college? Am I being naïve to think that colleges don’t need to market to the wealthiest to remain competitive?

Sure, web 2.0 is fun. I enjoy my blog and I like reading other people’s blogs and listening to their podcasts. But occasionally, it’s nice to unplug.

We did that this weekend. We left a wildly enthusiastic dog at puppy care for the night and headed to Chatham on Cape Cod. Saturday’s weather was sunny and breezy and it was nice to be outside at water’s edge. No computers.

What’s more, we had massages. I don’t have an extensive base of experience with massages, but this one was great. It’s like the stress was mushed out. Mushed out? Something like that.

Tired of keeping up? Head out for a quick trip.

Can any of you tell me the difference between a Swedish and Deep Tissue Massage? I think I hear Brad Paisley singing “I’m still a guy.” Got to go watch the game.

Right out of the gate, I’ll admit it: Our lab Dempsey is spoiled. He receives a lot of affection, is alone very little, and gets a bunch of exercise. That said, we work hard to make the hard-headed canine remember his place in the pack. You see, Dempsey, even closing in on two years, is stubborn and likes to do things his way.

Some time back, we were concerned about some growling he was doing. From the time we got him at eight weeks, we’ve always tested him by giving him food and then momentarily taking it away. The idea is to let the dog know that we control his food–we’re the alpha. A dog that is possessive around food can be dangerous.

We take his food away and as long as he doesn’t growl, he gets it right back. As a puppy, I don’t think he ever growled. He’d sometimes plow his head further into the bowl as I took it, inhaling his chow as only a lab can. This would be cause for dinner to be removed for the night. Once he learned to give in (it only took him a day and then an occasional reminder), we’d give the food right back to him. So, I was shocked when a month ago, I walked by him while he was eating, gave him a quick pat, and got a fierce growl in return.

Several other similar incidents occurred. The good dog parents that we are, we asked his puppy day care if he’d been acting aggressively. They replied, “Dempsey? Oh, we use him to tire out all the other dogs. Lately, he’s been playing with a Doberman Pinscher puppy.” No aggression noted at the puppy day care, just appreciation for the stubborn dog that wears down the others.

We increased the food tests with Dempsey. I think he growled only once more and then resorted to his usual, “I’m really not happy that you’re messing with my grub, but you’re the boss” attitude. I guess we’ll just assume it was a phase.

Demspey, aka Wildman, further proved his ability to behave two weeks ago when he passed the Canine Good Citizen test. And, there wasn’t even a curve.