Obsessed with Conformity

How Social Media Healed A Little Girl's Broken Heart

Every summer we spend a couple of weeks on a beach near St. Augustine, Florida. And every summer our youngest daughter's birthday falls during vacation. Cozette, who turned 6 this year, is a fairly easy child to please (unless you count her growing penchant for apparel, in which case I can only guess that I'm screwed in a few years). We spent her day playing in the surf, and went out to dinner that night. Easy. The only thing she really wanted was to get a bit of fudge from Kilwin's. It was 8:55 when we left the restaurant, and the clock struck 9:00 precisely when we arrived at Kilwin's. Just as the manager bolted the front door. I looked in the store and there was a line 12 deep waiting to be served. Yes, they were hopping, but the manager was adamant about the store being closed by pointing to his watch (it was literally 9:00 p.m.) I explained that my daughter (who was holding my hand) only wanted a little piece of fudge and that we would be no trouble. The manager didn't budge. 

Granted, the guy was probably all of 25 and likely had his eye on a date after work, but that didn't stop me from sending out a Tweet about our experience. I dropped a #fail  on them for breaking the heart of a little girl. Within an hour, I received a Tweet from @KilwinsCLT (George Click) who apologized for the problem with Kilwin's St. Augustine, and offered to remedy the situation when we got back to Charlotte. 

It took a few months, but we finally ventured out to Ballantyne to visit Kilwin's last weekend. We were met with smiles from Hunter and Chelsea who told us that Cozette was allowed to pick out any slice of fudge in the store - compliments of Kilwin's - and 10% off anything else in the store to boot. Cozette was thrilled. It took a good 10 minutes for her to pick out fudge (sampling here in the picture), and we actually got off light with our 'other purchases' considering how delicious everything is there. 

I just wanted to share this story - as yet another example of how Social Media is helping make the world a better place. Putting customers back in control - where we belong. Too many brands today have forgotten this golden rule. Not George Click though.  

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

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For the record, Cozette got over the incident in St. Augustine on her birthday pretty quick (like I said, she's easy to please). I just thought that the way this customer service problem was handled was worthy of mention. I highly encourage anyone who has similar experiences with brands (for good and bad) mention it on Twitter. This is our medium. We're advocates of one another here.

Being Social IRL - personal lessons from #sofresh

I didn't want to go. When I first heard about Charlotte's inaugural Social Media event, Social Fresh, I didn't want anything to do with it. I'm not exactly what you'd call a mingling guy. But I knew I had to attend because I truly believe in this medium of advanced communications, and there were people coming that I wanted to meet in real life. Plus, it was three miles from my house. 

Except, by the time I got around to buying a ticket - the event was sold out. So I Tweeted that I tried to attend, but wasn't going to be able to go. Secretly, I was pretty relieved. Especially since I saved face in public by saying that "I tried." Whew - I was off the hook. But then event organizer Jason Keath said that I could volunteer at the event and even save a few bucks in fees. 

Great. 

But no, more than volunteering to standing around being nice for 8 hours (i didn't expect to *really* stay the whole time), there were pre and post parties around the event. But I don't drink, so at some point most of these kinds of things just get too loud and silly for me. I showed up late to  the pre - and didn't stay very long. It was already loud - and flipping hot. But it was also kind of cool. I didn't hate it. I left early to kiss my kids goodnight, and because I knew the next day was going to be hell. 

I used to be in the USAF. Back then I got up around 6 a.m. every day. Sometimes 5:30. I got up at 5 to volunteer for SoFresh. I resented it all the way to the Holiday Inn parking deck. When I arrived, Nathan Richie was pulling in and we walked to the staging area together. Most people looked stunned to be awake and actually functioning. The coffee sucked. I had a banana and tried to mingle. I found that I mingle like I Twitter - by hovering around a conversation and then busting in with a remark or two. People in real life look at you funny when you do this, but oh my Lord - people in Social Media invite random, relevant and thoughtful dialogue. It's a beautiful thing and the foundation from which I built my day on at SoFresh. So I tweeted (and mingled) my ass off. And people smiled. No funny looks. There was a lot of geek talk. A lot of business talk. And a lot of laughs. 

I was going to follow up on SoFresh with an obligatory recap of how great the speakers were, how compelling the panels were and how valiantly the volunteers performed - but I already did all that from the event. Everyone was great. Everything was great. And of course I heartily approved of the sofresh icon (thanks for that Jason). A big shout out to Lyell Petersen for suggesting the shot above (of some of the volunteers.) And a big thanks to Armando Bellmas, who was a snapped off just a few amazing photographs. 

In the end, #sofresh was a blast and I'm glad I went. I met a lot of smart people, and connected with smart people I've admired from afar on Twitter. It's amazing to me how a couple of hundred kindred spirits can energize each other in a way that leaves a lasting impression on everyone.  

 

I had to rush home to my kids after the core event, so I missed out on the post-party. But yes, I stayed till the end. 

Pictured in the photo above: @sethjwyatt, @crystaldempsey, @tinkhanson, @93octane, @smashadv, @katiemarie, @loricollins, @underoak (kneeling) @tonyabishopnc, @brianbaute, @lizvinson

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

Dare to be Human

I love this.

Free Hugs Campaign (music by Sick Puppies.net )

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

Hail the Victorious Dead

We didn't talk much about family heritage growing up. There were no tales of heroic deeds by famous grandfathers who put their lives on the line for our country. No stories of compassionate great aunts who ground their hands to the bone in support of troops. We were only told that we were descendants of William Tecumseh Sherman, which, growing up in the Deep South was like a Bigfoot skeleton we kept deadbolted in the closet. Despite this, we were conditioned at an early age that the sacrifices made by others to protect American freedom were noble deeds worthy of our utmost respect and honor.

I enlisted in the US Air Force out of High School and served 4-years under President Regan. So the closest I came to losing my life for my country was when I drank too much Soju in the ROK and tried to pick a fight with a train. But I was absolutely willing to die for the idea of America.

Despite our many flaws, we represent the great human experiment in pluralism. We think differently. We worship differently. We date differently. But none of that matters next to our united belief that all human beings are born with certain inalienable rights. And that as long as we all play fairly with each other, we can make this work. Yes, this takes sacrifice. But next to giving your life for your country, the sacrifices you must endure to do your part in making this a great country are trivial.

Try to imagine what it must have been like to be on the battlefield in Antietam. Or on the beaches of Normandy. Or in the jungles of Cambodia. Or on the streets of Fallujah. Unless you've been faced with the prospect of giving your life for your country, you simply can't imagine it. Neither can I.

So please, take a moment on Memorial Day and Veterans Day to think about how lucky you are to sit comfortably in front of your monitor while you read this note. And then think about the sacrifices of others who made this moment possible.

God blesses America every day. Take the time to notice. Hail the victorious dead.  

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

In the Name of Love

If there's one thing all humans know from the moment we emerge from the womb, it's that Love is good. It's as clear and simple at that point in our lives as breathing. As we get older, however, the idea of Love morphs into different things for each of us. For some, Love turns into a lust for power or sex or money or electronics or religion or politics or...you get the picture. But this post isn't about your personal definition of Love. It's about the word Love. The idea of Love. 
 
When you consider how many songs, poems, paintings, movies, etc. were created with the idea of Love as its core concept, we can all agree that this one little word has a pretty huge impact on us. On all of us. Across cultures. 

On April 4, 2009, we conducted a test to see whether Love really could conquer all. And boy, did it. Thousands of people across Social Media tweeted, posted and mentioned I Love You. This blog received over 70,000 visits, and #iloveyou was a top trending topic on Twitter. More importantly, this one innocuous yet powerful act  changed people's lives - if only for a day. Don't believe it? Check the comments below. 

This year we're not conducting an experiment, we're building on momentum. On April 4, 2010  (a Sunday), we ask that you post "I Love You" in your social media circles JUST ONCE. No, we're not asking you to say you Love Social Media, or Facebook, or Twitter, your mother or even your pet iguana for that matter. And we're not asking you to endorse any religion, ethnicity, brand, holiday or any other possible reason you could conjure. We're just asking you to post "I Love You" once in one of your social media streams.  In Facebook as a status, in Twitter as a post, hell - you can even post it in Linkedin if you want (it's a Sunday, so no one is going to think any less of you for spreading such a positive message).

Why Because with all of the shit in the world today we need this. 

We do not seek to own this endeavor in any way. So please, take this concept and run with it. After all, you can't really copyright Love. The only profit we seek is to look into our Social Media stream and see hundreds or thousands of people sharing an emotion that we were all born with - and to remind each other that Love is still the most powerful force on earth.

Among thousands of others, U2 wrote a song about Love for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It just so happens that April 4 is the anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. Again, this initiative is not an endorsement of any group, ethnicity or religion. But it's a damn fine coincidence to spread Love on a day that's scarred with hate. 

Join us on April 4th by using ten little characters to help change the world. After all, there really is no downside. I Love You. 

Become a fan of ILoveYou on Facebook

Follow @sayiloveyou on Twitter. 

Lyrics to 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' by U2

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come, he to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

(nobody like you...)

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love...

Be Quick or Be Dead

I have always loved writing outdoor advertising because it routinely offers the toughest challenge to A) get the audience to notice, B) make them feel something and C) get them to take action. Back in 2003, when I wrote this billboard, we had approximately 2.5-seconds to accomplish A, B and C. Today, it's probably less. Yes, outdoor is challenging, but if we're going to litter the landscape with billboards, let's try to at least make them good (and effective). For the record, we helped reduce the euthanasia rate in Charlotte by about 25% over the two years this campaign ran. 

Jim is a father, husband, copywriter, daydreamer and founder of smashcommunications. Follow him on Twitter at @smashadv

Walking the Talk

Charlotte Photographers Armando Bellmas and Mike Carroll have committed their own resources to helping Charlotte's homeless community through ClotheCharlotte.com. Each photographer has offered to take a family portrait free-of-charge in exchange for donations of coats, hats and gloves. Visit the the artist's links above to help support this great cause.