Obsessed with Conformity

On Loyalty

Why do you order Coke instead of Pepsi? Does Coke pay you? No, you pay Coke. You pay Coke for their product. It's a good product. You like the taste. You gladly pay them for it. As a result, you're a brand ambassador for Coke every time you order one in a restaurant, walk around with one in the office or open up your favorite beach umbrella emblazoned with the Coke logo. 

Coke wins because it has you as a lifetime customer unless they really screw up, or you give up high fructose corn syrup. You win because you've found a brand experience that you value enough to consistently pay for, be a walking billboard for and trust for UV protection. Seems weird doesn't it? 

It's the same with loyalty in sports. While most of us have never worn a jock strap in a Yankees uniform (yes, those of you in The Nation may substitute Red Sox), we gladly pay the Steinbrenners big money for the experience we have with their brand. They're damn sure not giving it away. We do it for the shared experience the moment Rivera closes out a game six and we feel a euphoric connectedness with other fans around the globe. The strange thing is - you're purchasing your own loyalty. To Coke. To the Yankees. To any brand. 

In fact, the only way a brand purchases loyalty is in the workplace. If you go to work every day for a company, and you're not C-level, you're selling your time. Sure, you're selling it for a price and hopefully you consider it a fair price, but really - can it ever be? I mean, not only are you selling your time, you're selling your loyalty. No? Really? Ok then, let's say that you're a copywriter for a big ad agency in NYC. You have a great salary, bust your ass 10 hours a day (ok, so writing copy isn't exactly something I'd put in the 'busting ass' bucket, but you know what I mean) and you have a sweet apartment a block from the 4 train. You're happy. And you're totally loyal to your employer. Then one day, as fate would have it, an agency in San Francisco comes calling. It's a better offer with a more money, better accounts, more perks, etc. 

Where's your loyalty? I'll tell you where it is - it's in SF. Yes, I could write a ton of contingencies that make it so the copywriter stays in NYC, but for this argument, my guy moved to SF, ok? However, in every other business application, loyalty cannot be purchased. Only earned. If you want lifetime customers, you make a great product and back it up with great service. Show people you care. Prove it. Again and again. In business, the only way to develop loyalty is to fulfill promises. And that takes time. 

Except, now that we have social media, it takes a lot *less* time. In the old days, if you wanted to sell product, you'd pay an ad agency to create a kick-ass campaign and flood the market with your call-to-action. Only, the best that this kind of communication can ever do is give commands. Sure, the ads would probably be clever, and the media well-placed, but it's still just a call-to-action. You put it out there - and hope. 

Social offers the opportunity to engage people directly. Directly! It's such a different idea that people struggle to wrap their minds around it and instead drive over to the gadget store to focus on tools that help brands monitor when people say things about them. This is the opposite of active. Yet, when you take a look around a Twitter stream filled with thought-leaders, gurus and experts - you notice that most of them talk about the tools, and how to manage, track and concatenate data flow. Yes, many of these tools are necessary to augment a social communications strategy, and a lot of them *are* pretty cool, no one talks about the actual dialogue between a brand and its prospects. What happened to the part where brands nurture loyalty? 

Dear brands, this isn't brain surgery. If you're going to be in social, do more than tell us how great you are, and intercept people when they have a questionable brand experience. Why not follow your customers? This is the chance you've been waiting for! Dump your upcoming direct mail campaign, and employ a direct engagement campaign here instead (no one reads your junk mail anyway). Put your resources into people who work for you and who are already (paid to be) loyal to you and who can can seek out and interact with people who will become so loyal to you that they will tell other people about their own positive experience with your brand. 

Loyalty. It's a conundrum. So how do you define loyalty? What brands are you loyal to, and why? Would you like it if one of your favorite brands sent you an @reply regarding a mundane tweet you made about how you found your lost keys? Or would that just freak you out too much?

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Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and parter at smashcommunications - a communications consultancy that's shifting with the rest of the world to social media as a primary means of audience interaction. You can follow him on Twitter @smashadv

Spreading the Love. Maximizing the Media.

Last week we launched a social media program for the upcoming Boxman Studios restaurant. The cool thing about this brand is that other than developing an identity and building a basic website that explains the concept, we're not doing anything 'traditional.' Sure, the website is SEO compliant, but we're not bidding on key phrases. Yes, we made a brochure/flier for a special event, but we're not producing high-profile 3D collateral. We're utilizing social media as the main vehicle to develop awareness for the brand, and to promote the restaurant. For more information on the campaign, click here. Also, as part of the awareness campaign, we created a naming contest for the restaurant. For information on the contest, click here.

After about a week, I think we've done pretty well. We've doubled our Twitter followers, have a few fans of the restaurant's Facebook page (we could use more, please), have received about 50 name submissions for the contest and are developing a very cool blog that will become the primary social media vehicle for both the brand and the restaurant going forward. But because we're bypassing traditional media, we have to get creative to ensure that when the restaurant launches in April, we have as much momentum as we can handle. Eventually, the food will be the thing that makes the restaurant successful or not, but we need people to try it out first - and that's where creativity comes in. 

The thing about traditional media is that it costs money. You want a radio spot - money. TV - money, Print - money. Social media - ? So I had the idea to pay a few people in Charlotte to tweet about the naming contest (JUST the naming contest), since that's the thing that will attract followers. And those followers will eventually see where the restaurant is located (as it will move daily) so that they can try the food for themselves and ultimately decide whether the restaurant succeeds by talking about it in their social circles. 

Three things about the controversial idea of paying people to promote the contest - 

1) We wouldn't just pay anyone. We'd only ask people who have been to Boxman Studios and have experienced the brand first-hand for themselves. They could always decline being paid, or decline to endorse it altogether. We'd not ask for people to be dishonest in any way. 

2) We'd not pay a lot. In fact, if the these people could take someone to dinner on what we'd pay for sponsored tweets about the contest - that would be a victory. We just want to show our appreciation for taking the time to visit the brand firsthand, and (if they wanted) pay them a little something in return. 

3) We'd not ask people to spam their followers. In fact, we'd only be looking only for a few tweets about the contest between now and March 18th to help get the word out to people in Charlotte. 

The point of this post is to be as transparent as possible. No, I would not make a public list of the people we'd ask to help out, and no, we'd not ask anyone who agrees to help out to publicly state that they're being paid to promote the contest. If these people decided to say they're being paid - that's their decision. And it would be perfectly ok with us. We'd not ask them to lie about anything - there really *is* a contest where we're giving someone $500 to name the restaurant. Look at it this way, if when the restaurant launches and someone isn't happy with the food or prices or service and they tweet their dissatisfaction, we don't control that either. Eventually, momentum for the restaurant (and the Boxman brand, for that matter) will take care of itself via social media. This is an organic space. People make up their own minds to say what they feel. The pay thing would just be a little boost for the contest. 

Anyway, this is a tricky situation, but one that I feel pretty strongly about. If Tide came to me tomorrow because I said something nice about their laundry detergent last week, and they offered to pay me $1,000 to tweet how clean my jeans were after using Tide, guess what - I'm taking it. Within reason, of course. 

So what do you think, will this work? Do people deserve to be compensated for promoting a brand or an idea within the networks they've worked so hard to build? Is this a bad idea that will backfire on the brand because *everyone* will want to be paid to say *anything* about it - or else not say anything at all? Any feedback you can offer is appreciated. Thanks for your time. 

Transparently yours, Jim

NOTE: As of Saturday, March 6th, we have decided NOT pay for sponsored tweets about the naming contest. This doesn't mean we don't appreciate people talking about the contest in this space. We do. A lot. But the idea of sponsored tweets in general is such a radical concept (to some people) that we feel that this tactic might overshadow all of the other (less controversial) tactics we're employing to promote the restaurant. I personally feel that one day we (as owners of our own networks here) may capitalize on our influence in ways that help put food on our tables or clothes on our kids' backs. Because big media companies and big brands should NOT be the only ones who capitalize from our word-of-mouth experiences.  

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and partner at smashcommunications. You can follow him on Twitter at@smashadv and @boxmanstudios.

The Ultimate Driving Experience

Remember those guys in middle school who wore T-shirts with big Chevy muscle cars eating little Fords, or the ones with giant Ford trucks crushing little Chevys until their headlights popped out? Remember those guys? The ones with permanent grease stains under their finger nails? Well, I wasn't one of those guys. I'm not a car guy. So when Kamran Popkin, @swagclub, invited me down to the BMW Performance Driving School (PDS) for a day, I was at once honored, and skeptical. 

But I got into my wife's Pacifica and drove to Greenville (Greer) from Charlotte, anyway. What the hell, I could drive fancy cars for a few hours. It would be kind of cool. In his infinite wisdom, Popkin invited several people from social media to attend this event - which no doubt garnered some buzz about the school, while also developing some loyalty to Kamran (and his company). Don't get me wrong, Kamran's not the type of guy to ask you to do or say anything on his company's behalf. In fact, if you check out his Twitter page, it's clear that just the opposite is true. Kamran was offering us a one-of-a-kind experience with nothing expected in return. Because that's just the kind of guy he is. 

But enough about Kamran. This was about the BMW experience. Not being a car guy, I've always just assumed that people who drove Mercedes or BMW were doing it for the status of the hood ornament - only. And while that might be true for many owners, the PDS makes you think differently about the brand. These cars flat out bust it. It's almost a crime to call them cars at all. More like land-jets. Land F-15s. I drove several of these machines at very high speeds. They fly. The video below is taken with the iPhone as I sat shotgun while an instructor drove (I forget the model - I'm not a car guy).

Everything about the BMW PDS is solid. The brand's clean lines and attention to detail resonate in every corner of this place. From the briefing room to the instructors to the sign above our fleet that stated, "Don't forget to breathe" - the PDS is more than just the ultimate driving school, it's the ultimate ad for BMW. Imagine all brands giving their prospects a chance to experience the very best that the brand offers, in a controlled environment that reinforces the promise of value - and charge them for it! Sure, the PDS might set you back a few bucks (a lot actually), but if you're looking to purchase one of these machines - the cost is insignificant. 

Which is to say, I will likely never own a BMW. A love for cars just wasn't passed down to me. So I'll continue to drive my old jalopy (a 1993 Range Rover with 85K miles that I bought to accommodate dogs and kids) and my wife's fancy car, when necessary. All I care about is getting to where I'm going. But, if you have the means, and you're in the market for a car that can outrun James Bond villains, I can't recommend BMW highly enough. 

At the end of the day, we were asked to fill out a form about the experience. On the form it asked which brands we associated closest with BMW. I could only think of two - Apple and Disney. 

One last thing, I was able to meet a couple of people on Twitter at this event, and at one point was a passenger in a vehicle driven by @sydneywilliams. She tried to kill me. I (somehow) survived. And don't believe her if she tells you she beat my time around the track. Ok, believe her. I'm not a car guy. 

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and partner at smashcommunications. You can follow him on Twitter @smashadv. 

Name The Restaurant, Win $500

  

Ok, here's the deal, Boxman Studios is opening a mobile restaurant and if you live in Charlotte, we want you to name it. And we'll pay you $500 for your genius. Why Charlotte? Because we're not opening this restaurant in Milwaukee, Phoenix or Boston. Not yet, anyway. So for this contest, we're sticking local. For a little more background on what we're trying to do, click here. 

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The Brief

Brand - Visit the Boxman website and get to know the brand a little. Then, make sure the name fits the brand. Remember, you're not naming a software company. It's a mobile restaurant that's not on wheels. 

Audience - For now, the restaurant will cater to an urban, business, lunchtime crowd around Uptown Charlotte. 

Primary Offering - Casual, walk-up dining from an organic menu featuring gourmet paninis, wraps, salads and more. 

Secondary Offering - Mobile. It's a restaurant that comes to its customers (and it's not a truck).

Snapshot - It's a mobile restaurant that moves from place to place each day of the week and features a menu created by a Cordon Bleu (Paris) trained chef using locally grown organic produce. And while it will focus on lunchtime business crowds, the restaurant is not limited to lunches or business crowds (important to consider when naming). 

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The Rules

1) You may only enter one name at a time, but may submit up to three names.*

2) Include the restaurant name and one sentence as to why the name works, plus your name. And please, no manifestos. We understand this naming stuff already, if your name needs more than a sentence to explain, it's probably not going to work anyway.

3) Follow @boxmanstudios on Twitter and become a fan of the soon-to-be-named restaurant on Facebook. 

4) Email your submission to contest@boxmanstudios.com by midnight on Thursday, March 18, 2010. 

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The Really Important Stuff

The person who submits the selected name receives $500.**

Winning entry announced Wednesday, March 24, 2010. 

If you try to cheat, you'll be caught. If you don't live in Charlotte, don't bother. In fact, let's say if you live more than 30 miles away from Trade and Tryon, you don't qualify (though if you're really close to that, just email us and beg). 

Don't just blurt out your proposed (legit) name on Twitter or Facebook. You won't win that way even if it's great. Email only. 

Yes, we could have made a donation to a charity instead of paying someone, but if you win, and you want to donate to charity - you're more than welcome. The reason we're doing this is simple - we're launching a pretty cool restaurant concept, and are banking on the community we develop in social media to help us.Thank you so much for your help. Good luck, and may the best name win. 

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*All submissions will be read and judged by Boxman associates. Should the winning name be submitted more than once, we will  rely on date/time stamps on email to determine the winner.

**Payment to occur within 10 days of the name selection. Winner agrees to be featured in a post on the upcoming Boxman blog. 

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and founder of smashcommunications. He's currently manning @boxmanstudios and you can also find him on Twitter @smashadv

Is that an iPhone in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

Some guys drive Corvettes...other guys....

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

A (real) Social Experiment

This April, Boxman Studios is launching a mobile restaurant. Yes, the same cool concept of bringing the party to the people will now...bring food. The idea is for the restaurant to move each day to designated areas around Charlotte (which have been approved by the city) and offer fresh, organic fare to the hungry daytime business crowd. Organic makes sense for a brand that's built on 'green' technology, as well as how we'll grow the customer base. In fact, our entire marketing strategy is based exclusively on social media. Organic, word-of-mouth. It's a perfect fit for a mobile feast. 

So from Facebook to Twitter and the forthcoming Boxman Blog, we'll be leveraging the core foundations of social media to help get the word out, let people know where the restaurant will be and when, and to foster community around the brand.  

Our first social media initiative is to facilitate a contest to name the restaurant. Basically we're asking folks in Charlotte to take some ownership in the idea for the restaurant. Because just like with the stray dog you find, if you name it - you own it. Only, we're going to pay you. We'll post details about the naming contest later this week, but I can tell you it's pretty cool. And did I mention we're paying? 

I personally look forward to the challenge of helping David Campbell get this restaurant off the ground without the use of traditional advertising media. It's a brave new world. And in case you're wondering, no, we're not out to 'crowdsource' ideas. Rather, this is part of a new marketing strategy to generate buzz for the restaurant, and the brand as a whole. And we're not stopping at the name, either. 

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and started smashcommunications, llc. He's currently manning @boxmanstudios and you can also find him on Twitter @smashadv 

The Nightmare of Losing Cable

After four years of buggy and frustrating performance, our Bose Cinemate home theater audio system finally died. Good riddance. Oh, and hello again Sony brand. It's been a while.

But when you upgrade a major component, you also tend to consider what else you can do. Our Vizio (also 4 years old) is working great, so that's staying. However, we think it's time to kill cable. Yesterday I bought a Mac Mini to replace cable. It can access everything online via wifi (plus our media library, work files, calendars, etc.) and I can always install an HD antenna to capture the free HD signals from our local stations. I hashed out the connectivity and thought I had everything in order, but quickly realized a few things. 

1) My old TV only has 2 HDMI ports. 

2) Actually listening to anything on TV through the Mini (like Netflix movies we rent online) requires the use of a headphone jack output. Only.

Problem one will be solved through a HDMI port w/four inputs and one output. Since the TV has only two HDMI slots, one of them must be reserved as output to the Sony audio system. The DVI/HDMI connection from the Mac Mini and the HDMI connection from the DVD player eat them both up. The port will allow for more expansion.

Problem two is what it is. I hope this can be solved by Apple one day, along with including Blu-ray technology in all of their computers.

But the fun doesn't stop there. If I really want to do this right, I may as well upgrade our 4-year old Logitech Harmony remote too, so it can handle the HDMI switchbox (plus, this remote has been dropped so many times it's held together with electrical tape.) And you can't forget a blue tooth keyboard/mouse (integrated) combo so you can sit on the couch and surf the web. 

• Mac Mini - $600
• Cables/adapters/etc - $200
• Hub - $80
• Remote - $200
• Key/Mouse combo - $80
• HD Antenna/cables - $100

Not counting replacing the Bose with the Sony (something we actually needed), this is getting pretty expensive. Plus, what if the audio sucks or the timing is off from video on the internet because of the 'headset' jack audio hookup from the Mini to the Sony? I mean, I'd be relying heavily on Internet feed for everything - MLB games, movies, streaming events - everything. If the audio is whack, that ruins pretty much everything. Oh, and will the wifi seamlessly stream the 15' from the Apple Airport to the Mini with no hiccups? 

 

Posted via web from Jim's posterous

Community Building

If Social Media is the best mass mobilization idea that man has discovered for global reciprocal communications that bring humans together, then it can be argued that Communications + Unity = Community.

Pretty cool. 

Posted via web from Jim's posterous

Answer to Yourself - The Soft Pack

Everything about this song reminds me of being twenty. Drink in its awesomeness. The Soft Pack. 

Jim Mitchem is a father, husband, writer and started smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv

Twenty Bucks

So here we are settling in for lunch at a place in a strip mall. We sit down, all four of us, when our oldest daughter gets my wife's attention. She points with her eyes to a location on the floor behind where a group of older teenagers are huddled around a table grazing on Americanized Mexican food. It was a twenty dollar bill. My wife picks it up. No one notices. 

"Where did that come from?" I ask

"Next to that kid's chair." she replies, in a hushed voice. "Agatha noticed it." 

"Well, we have to ask if they lost it." I say

"How?" 

"Excuse me," I shout to the backs of the teenagers. I'm a full-grown man. I can shout to teenagers to get their attention and damn well know it. Teenagers know it too. A tall boy with no facial hair turns to us. "Did you lose some money?" I ask him. He looks at the girl next to him, who shrugs as if to say no. Meanwhile my wife crumples the bill in her fist so they can't identify the denomination. The boy shakes his head, "No" and turns back to his lunch. 

My wife smiles. My oldest daughter smiles. I'm not satisfied. "Are you sure?" I shout over to the boy again. "Because my wife just found twenty dollars on the floor behind you." My wife gives me that "Dumbass!" look. The boy stands up and starts patting his pants. The girl next to him then asks him if he still had the twenty dollars she gave him earlier. He doesn't. He says he lost the money.

My wife hands it to him, reluctantly. He mumbles thanks, then hands the bill to the girl next to him.

My wife then turns to me with a red face, "Of *course* they're going to say they lost it when you tell them the amount." 

Now at this point in the story, you have to understand that we're raising two children. A big part of raising children is to make sure they understand the difference between right and wrong. Fact - that money was *not* ours. We didn't lose it by handing it back to people who said they were the owners. We did the right thing - even if the teenagers didn't. Who's to know whether it was really theirs? Who's to judge them? Not us. 

So we turn back to our lunch and get over the opportunity to be twenty dollars richer. Only, I kept my eyes on the teens. At one point one of the girls at the table, the fat one with the curly hair, stared at me with a smirk while the girl next to her (not as fat) rolled a twenty dollar bill over in her fingers - smelling it. At that point, I was pretty sure they were lying. Still, the only other option was to confront them directly and play Perry Mason in front of everyone in the restaurant. And because I'm a man, I could have. And I would have probably gotten it back too. But I'm a dad. I did the right thing. We did the right thing. Whether those punk teenagers did or not. 

We end our lunch and leave. Though I'm pretty sure those teenagers ended up in a ditch that night after spending the twenty bucks on a bottle of booze, plus the buyer's fee, and then taking Daddy's Lexus for a spin. 

Because that's how things work. 

Posted via web from Jim's posterous

The Formula for (Social Media) Success

If you've landed here expecting a bullet list on how to make a fortune in social media, go ahead and click the back button on your browser now. If anything, this post is written to reinforce a very traditional idea that worked for generations before the first billboard ever blocked out a tree, let alone in social media. 

Question: If you want a girl to like you (or a boy, for you sticklers), what is the best course of action

A) Lie your ass off and hope they don't care when they find out?

B) Be yourself? 

We watch a lot of movies, so I'm going with B. And you can replace 'girl' with any number of other things. You want that new watch? Steal it? You want to fly to Europe? Stow away? You want to be successful in social media? Lie and be whatever you think your audience wants you to be in order for you to reach some unrealistic goal? Or be yourself? 

One of the best bits of advice I have ever received is: 'Always tell the truth - there's less to remember.' As someone who didn't always follow this rule in life, I've found it to be as helpful today as when I first heard it 20 years ago. It's a helluva lot easier to be authentic than false. It just is. 

As an advertising copywriter, I've been asked to write a lot of stuff. And despite a general view that advertising is manipulative and evil, I've never once lied in an appeal - ever. Sure, I get people to think about TRUE ideas differently, but I've never lied (though I've been asked to.) Also, I've sold a lot of stuff. Truth always wins. 

Which brings us social media. Today I had a meeting with a client to talk about their social media strategy and was having a parallel discussion with a partner on how best to use Twitter (specifically.) After thinking about these things for a bit, I posted this tweet: 

 

This may be the truest thing I've written in this space. After all, influence is the number one factor as to why people do *anything* (next to getting paid for it, of course.) After I posted this tweet, a bunch of people agreed with the idea (Thanks for the RT,) and, of course, some people questioned it. There's *no way* that something as simple as authenticity can be a core foundation for brands to move around in this space. 

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that there are people who think that authenticity is not a very good idea for brands - period. After all, there's a whole school of thought in traditional marketing that the point of any advertising is to be in front of as many 'eyeballs' as possible. Why? So that one day, subconsciously I guess, the minions act favorably. Brilliant! 

Wow. Ok, assuming this isn't so brilliant, what's left for brands to do? How about making the best product possible and letting that stand on its own merit for people to decide for themselves? You know, like giving this 'word-of-mouth' advertising thing a shot. Especially since every single person in business recognizes 'word-of-mouth' as the best advertising available. 

Ok, but how do you get people to notice? Obviously, as we all know, social media is a great place to develop an audience who may or may not help you spread the word about your stuff - but not because you ask them to, rather because you sell good stuff. So the trick is to sell good stuff, have people in place who don't lie (and who treat people with respect), and always tell the truth about - everything. No, we don't need to know that the COO is sleeping with the receptionist at the Boulder satellite. At some point common sense must prevail. Rather, just be authentic. 

Perhaps the best advice about brand development (whether in social or not) comes courtesy of a dead English poet: "To thy own self be true." When you can do this, everything works out for the best. Always. Especially with the girl. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.  

Old Dogs

I’ve never had a dog get old on me. As a kid, a couple were put down for health reasons and I left home before another one got old, but until Tucker - I’ve never had to care for a senior canine. He's nearly 13, has wicked hip issues and uses one of his rear legs like an old man uses a cane. But he’s happy. Last fall, when his hips stopped working and he lost muscle mass, I thought it was the end. The vet gave him six months. Well, it’s been more than six months now and he’s still smiling. Sure, I help him up or down the back steps, but mostly, he manages. Slowly. One step at a time. This from a dog that was once the stud of the beach. 

What struck me today about how different it is with an old canine is the way I brush him. It wasn’t very long ago that brushing him meant wrestling a strong, squirmy dog excited about getting to go in the house to lay on the sofa. These days, he’s just as excited to go in to lay on the sofa, but the brushing has taken a docile turn. Where at one point when I’d thrash his fur and feel his muscles flex underneath, now I feel bone below his coat and my strokes are as gentle as how you might brush your grandparent’s hair. 

Tucker goes for his annual exam next week. Last year I was inquiring about final arrangements. He keeps surprising me.

Posted via email from Jim's posterous

Face for Radio, Voice for Twitter

Last Saturday I participated in an ad industry podcast. My first one. How'd it go? You can judge for yourself by clicking here. Bob Knorpp, @thebeancast on Twitter, was kind enough to invite me to join some very smart people on The BeanCast, a weekly, hour-long audio broadcast that brings the brightest minds from the ad business to a virtual round table to discuss current industry trends and news. 

This week's show featured Bill Green, @mtlb, Dirk Singer, @dirktherabbit and Ian Sohn, @iansohn, who are all accomplished professionals with wonderful speaking voices. Me, not so much. Plus, I rambled. And you can hear it all by clicking here. Yep, I loosely associated Toyota loyalty with how my father kept food on our table when I was a kid, and even proposed that the sticking gas pedals might be some kind of conspiracy. I don't know how Bob did it, but he somehow removed my inadvertent belching and all of my expletives. Bob is a pro. Really, he's like the younger, male, advertising version of Dianne Rehm. I strongly recommend that if you have anything to do with marketing and advertising, you subscribe to The BeanCast. You just download it to iTunes, then upload it to your mobile device and listen while you're at the gym, your kid's soccer practice or anywhere else you've got an hour to listen. I have for a while now, and have never been disappointed. Which is to say, you should download this week's show AND any of Bob's other 90 shows to establish your own reference point - and gain some keen industry insight. 

Thanks, Bob. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.  

How To Write Memorable - Old Spice

Evidently, the really smart people are working on the Old Spice account. Wow. If this ad had run during the Super Bowl, Betty White is an afterthought. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.  

The Parable of Social Media

Guest post by Callum Saunders Once upon a time, there was a small classroom in a local school.  The teacher used to come in every day, ordered his pupils to sit down and began talking at them, using methods he had crafted over many years.  The children were docile – they didn't know any different.  One pupil put his hand up to ask a question.  The teacher told him to be quiet.  The boy was. Then Social Media came along.  The classroom grew exponentially, until pupils from all over the world were all in the same classroom.  They started talking to each other.  They started to make small groups for those with similar interests.  They stopped listening to what the teacher was saying.  Frantically, the teacher tried to shout louder.  He tried direct mail, one-way e-newsletters, telephone marketing, print adverts, even giant posters!  But nothing caught the children's attention.  They didn't want to be spoken to.  They wanted to speak to each other. The teacher was in a frightful state!  All of his methods were no longer working – what was he to do?  Concerned, he went to visit the head-teacher,  Sat in her office, he quietly explained what had happened.  “Whatever am I to do?” he enquired.  The head-teacher, a wry smile on her face, turned to him and calmly assured him.. “Be part of the conversation.”  She said. Getting up, the teacher returned to his global classroom, where children from all over the world were now having thousands of conversations with each other, sharing news, swapping stories and getting together with others that held similar interests. Walking up to one of the groups, the teacher listened to what the pupils were talking about.  Slowly, he realised that it was something he knew lots about.  Waiting for a pause, he then proceeded to talk with the pupils.  They listened to him.  They liked the fact that he was talking with them about the things they liked.  The teacher grew happy again.  He used this new method to go round the global classroom and teach the pupils the things he wanted to teach them.  They started to listen to him again.  And everyone was happy. *** It amazes me how many marketers are still stood in front of the chalkboard, using traditional methods to engage a global room of consumers.  Like it or not, Social Media has changed the world, and marketers need to change with it.  Consumers no longer sit in rows like docile sponges, soaking up direct marketing that is thrown their way. Put down the chalk.  Walk amongst your audience and listen to what they are talking about.  What they want.  What makes them tick.  Listen. And then engage. @callumsaunders is a Digital Marketing Executive at the Stopgap Group (http://www.stopgap.co.uk) you can also find him here http://www.callumsaunders.co.uk and here http://www.linkedin.com/in/callumsaunders.  Posted via email from Jim's posterous

Thanks for the RT

This post is dedicated to everyone who has ever thanked anyone for an RT (retweet.) I used to do it, but don't anymore. Here's why - 

1) Clutter. I talk enough here for most streams. 

2) I don't understand why people thank others for passing along information. 

I'm a fairly nice guy. So part of me wants to follow the general rules of etiquette and do the polite thing. After all, I'm a writer. It's my nature to reciprocate (see #1 above.) 

I recently saw someone tweet about www.retweetrank.com. Curious, I went to the site and queried my own twitter handle (no password needed, by the way). Turns out I'm like in the top few percent in retweets (yes, I was as shocked as you are.) Anyway, knowing this, how could I possibly thank everyone who has ever retweeted me? If If you think I look like a jerk for not thanking people, imagine thanking only *some* people. Please know that I do really appreciate that people think some of the things I share here are worth sharing with others. I'm totally grateful for that. Who wouldn't be? 

But I still don't get the public thanking thing. If anything, the person RTing you is thanking YOU for passing the information along to them so they can share it with others, right? In which case, the appropriate response to someone who RTs you *should* be, 'You're welcome.' 

Anyway, if you've ever RTd me, thanks. And you're welcome. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter and founder of smashcommunications, llc. You can find him on Twitter @smashadv.