Deliberate Practice

May 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Steve Rubel has an interesting, if not shocking, post about practice and becoming and expert.

 Read it and think about how that technique could be incorporated in your organization.  Each employee should understand online media and deliberately practice creating buzz a little bit each day.  No, not two hours - don’t worry.  But a little bit every day, measuring it and reporting it.

Some will succeed, some will fail and a few will become rock stars.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

Super Hero Cards

April 22, 2008 | 2 Comments

If you are a regular reader or know me personally, you know we have some very unique business cards that are shaped like bee hives.  They get great results and are well worth the little extra to pay for a die cut.

Today I stumbled upon Super Hero Cards.  I am not sure I want to see me in tights, but this is a good option for those people that want to have fun, stand out and have something different.

I usually get two or three people asking me “What ideas do you have for my card…” after a presentation.  Creativity in such a small and portable space takes time, but take a look at that site for a different take on the business card.

Updated:  Benjamin Bach emailed me his Super Hero card.  Here it is and see his comment.Email Super Hero

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Networking, Blog 

7 Tips to Protect Employee Evangelists

February 8, 2008 | 2 Comments

We always encourage people to do it themselves.  Your employee base can create a lot of buzz for you.

Today I talked to someone that was creating a lot of buzz for a company she used to work for.  She left the company and it ended up going out of business.

The problem that resulted from her was this.  She’d set up pages on myspace, facebook, etc. and built communities around herself and the company.  When the company went under, all those people got upset and she was the only person left as a visible target.

Then, because a company email was used to set up those accounts, she could not cancel them because it no longer existed.

So here is someone that did everything right, and ended up hurting her personal brand.

So how do you protect yourself?

  1. Use a free email account that you can access even if the company shuts down your email - Whether you are fired, quit or the company closes.
  2. If you are building buzz on your own time, work more on your personal brand as an expert but mention the company frequently so you both get buzz but you are building an asset for yourself.
  3. Don’t say something you may regret later.  If you say your current company is better than a competitor, you may find it hard to get a job with the competitor later on.
  4. Don’t build a community around a product that is likely to fail.  It is a lot of work to create a good community and you must have the focus be broader than a product that you are not sure will make it.
  5. Keep a list of things you need to update in the case of a major change.  If you leave the company, you will need to update a lot of things.  LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Blogs, Twitter, MyBlogLog, etc.
  6. Don’t promote something you do not believe in.  In fact, don’t work for a company you do not believe in.  But if you are stuck for the time being, don’t create fake buzz.
  7. Take your time in creating buzz.  Make good choices and be careful not to say things that can be misinterpreted or used by a competitor.

The general best way employee evangelists can protect themselves is to respect and manage their own personal brand as well as those elements of company buzz they create - with an eye on growing both independently in the future.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Employee Advocates, Blog 

Tim Ferriss on Personal Branding

January 29, 2008 | 2 Comments

Tim Ferriss has an excellent post on personal branding.  Let me add to his comments here.

1st captured your personal brand via domains, blogs, etc.  (Even if you are not writing regularly to them.)

Then use this platform to promote those things you care about in your life.  It could be where you work, your favorite hand cream, your kids soccer team, etc.

Talking about things you care about diversifies your online footprint and could lead to more career success.  Consider how an employer is going to feel about an employee that is out there writing positive things about the company.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

Get Your Leprechaun On

January 2, 2008 | 2 Comments

Ron McDaniel LeprechaunMy dad died before he turned 60 just a couple of years ago.  At his funeral, one of the two pictures that were diplayed was this one. 

He really loved St. Patricks Day and had a big party every year.  He dressed as a Leprechaun and greeted everyone at the door.  The kids searched the house for hidden Leprechaun treasure (chocolate gold coins) and the adults usually needed to have someone drive them home.

He was fun and energetic year round, but it was this party, and this picture that brought back the most vivid memories for people.

Standing out and being vivid in someone’s mind is not just being good, being funny, being interesting.  If you want to create a memory that lasts more than 5 minutes, you have to go the extra mile and get your Leprechaun on.  Then people will be talking about it long after you are gone.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

New Social Business Network - Spock

December 19, 2007 | 2 Comments

For the past week I have been getting a lot of requests for me to join Spock.

 I finally signed up to check it out.  See me here.

The things I like about it are:

  • Love how they build pages that relate to you.  If you sign up and most of the pages they list related to you are really about you, you are probably doing a good job of personal branding.
  • Love the ease of adding tags and other elements.

Things I do not like

  • I tried many times to upload an image and it always failed.  I finally added an image url link and it worked.
  • Tried to upload my linked in list several times, and it always failed to finish the process and sent me to an error page.  I finally did a few connections one at a time.

I think this tool has some potential and is interesting.  If you like to get into these things early and do not mind the confusion and bugs, you may want to sign up.  This can easily become the best central place to manage your personal brand.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

Explore Successful Personal Brands

December 12, 2007 | 13 Comments

What are other people doing to build their Personal Brand?

Review each of the following people’s personal brands and see if you can answer these questions:

  • What does each person strongly believe in?
  • How does each person make a living?
  •  What things do they have that invite me to get to know them better?
  • What catches your eye on their websites in the first 5 seconds?
  • What non-business topics do they care about?
  • On a scale of 1 – 10, which people do you want to get to know better? 8 or higher, why?

My goal with this list is to give you some big and obvious ones, as well as up and coming personal brands that you may not know.  Consider this a tour of personal brands - and if you want to post this article on your blog and add some other examples, you have my permission.  The only thing I ask is not to add someone JUST because they have their picture on a blog.  They have to really be working on branding themselves.  Also, please reference this orgional post if you copy and modify this.

You may look through this list and decide that they are mostly very successful people, and that is why they have the money to build a great brand. But they started someplace and continue building their brand even today.  It is a life long effort and pays off in the future.  What things did you notice on these sites that you can start developing for yourself?

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

How Employee Ambassadors have transformed Kodak

December 10, 2007 | 1 Comment

I had the pleasure of seeing Jeffrey Hayzlett speak a few months ago.  It was especially impressive to me because Employee Evangelism is something I usually have to dig for, and here was a CMO talking about how Employee Ambassadors are a huge part of their growth.

I got the chance to ask Jeffery some questions about how it works for Kodak and how they implement it.  Be sure to check out the link to their Print Ambassador program.

1) Question:  Kodak has gone through some major changes in the past few years. How has your employee-base changed?

Jeffrey Hayzlett: Kodak has gone through an historic transformation from a vertically integrated manufacturer to a diverse supplier of digital and conventional solutions. That transformation was successful due to the enormous talent of the Kodak employees. Now a horizontally lean company, the Kodak employee remains one of the company’s greatest resources…that has not changed.

2) Question: With so many newer employees, has it been easier to encourage Employee Ambassadors?

Jeffrey Hayzlett: I’m proud that two of Kodak’s strongest assets are our people and our brand. Employees have long been ambassadors of the brand. In fact even after retirement, former employees continue to support and tout Kodak solutions. While there have been many change in the past few years, I think one of constants has been both the employees and the public’s desire to see Kodak succeed in its transformation. That support was one of the factors in the success of the transformation to a new Kodak.

3) Question: Can you give me one or two examples of non-sales staff that have been successful ambassadors? What impact did they have on the organization?

Jeffrey Hayzlett:  We have recently implemented a program called FAST here at Kodak. FAST is set of operational guidelines designed to drive sustainable, profitable growth.

 

FAST stands for Focus, Accountability, Simplicity and Trust.

 

In short, the FAST behaviors require us to treat everyone — internal and external — as a customer.

 

If we treat everyone as a customer — by delivering as promised and making no excuses — the company prospers.

 

Another initiative is our new BOOYAH Recognition Certificate. It’s a fresh way to recognize individuals at Kodak for exceptional on-the-job performance, dedication, and commitment. Too often we forget to recognize and thank an individual’s contributions - this certificate provides the opportunity to signal our appreciation in a very visible, upbeat way.

 

The term “booyah” is a spontaneous expression of passion and joy, usually brought on by victory, success, or some other significant accomplishment. For us, it represents the acknowledgement of a job well done - a great idea, an outstanding attitude, or an obvious effort above and beyond the call of duty.

 

4) Question: How do your encourage active ambassadorship? Is it required or optional?

Jeffrey Hayzlett:  I believe Gandhi said it best. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” People tend to model the behavior of those around them. As the Kodak leadership team models the behavior of an ambassador, it fosters that behavior in the Kodak community. Conversely, the leadership team learns from employee ambassadors as well. It is vitally important to the company as it keeps all levels of the organization in true communication.

5) Question: Overall, how has this program of actively cultivating a culture of employee ambassadors helped Kodak?

Jeffrey Hayzlett:  The Kodak brand continues to grow stronger, both internally and externally as our employees hold themselves personally accountable for achieving the corporate goals. My overall observation is we have happier employees. As we continue to develop an environment that fosters a personal sense of ownership and commitment, we build company based on pride. The result is a company with a brand that each employee can call their own, a company of employee ambassadors.

Who is Jeffrey Hayzlett?

Chief Business Development Officer and Vice President,

Eastman Kodak Company

Jeffrey Hayzlett serves as Chief Business Officer and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. He has responsibility for Corporate and Product Public Relations, Communications and Public Affairs, Brand Management, Corporate Sponsorships, Market Development and Corporate Relationships and Partnerships. Mr. Hayzlett reports to both the CEO and COO of the company.

Mr. Hayzlett joined Eastman Kodak Company in April 2006 as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group (GCG), leading all marketing activities for GCG. Mr. Hayzlett has nearly 25 years of international marketing, sales and customer relations management experience.

Mr. Hayzlett is currently a member of the board of directors of the Business Marketing Association (BMA), the Electronic Document Systems Foundation (EDSF) and is on the advisory board of the CMO Council. He is chairman of the Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) Foundation for Marketing Education, and is a permanent trustee to the SMEI Academy of Achievement Hall of Fame. He is also a two term past chairman of SMEI. Mr. Hayzlett remains a trustee of Pi Sigma Epsilon National Education Foundation.

Mr. Hayzlett has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from Frost & Sullivan, a global business research and consulting firm. He was recently named one of BtoB Magazine’s Best Marketers of 2007. He was awarded the International Business Person of the Year Award by the International Printers’ Network (IPN), received The British Association for Print and Communication (BAPC) Honorary Life Member award in 2004, and the National Association of Quick Printing (NAQP) Industry Award of Distinction in 1997.

Mr. Hayzlett speaks frequently around the world on graphic communications and marketing, including presentations in 2007 at the Canadian Marketing Association’s National Convention and Trade Show, “THE Conference on Marketing,” the Direct Marketing Association Leadership Forum, Print Oasis, and the National Postal Forum.

To find out more about Kodak, visit www.Kodak.com and don’t forget to check out that Print Ambassador program to see some examples of Ambassadorship in action.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Marketing ROI, Employee Advocates, Word of Mouth Marketing, Blog 

Interview with Scott White - Brand Identity Guru Inc.

November 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment

In a perfect world, employee evangelism strengthens your brand and spreads its message.  But unless you have a strong brand that clearly stands for something and can be easily passed from person to person, your brand can never grow legs and take off running.

BIG - Brand Identity GuruScott White, the Big Kahuna of BIG – Brand Identity Guru – agreed to give us a few tips on making the brand more Buzz friendly.  For more information read his blog: http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress and use his research services  if you want to pump up your brand.

Ron: Scott, What are 3 simple ways to improve a brand that most people can do themselves?

 Scott:

1. Social Media- get on Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace etc. It’s easy and free and you can pick up some great business.

2. Blog- on a regular basis, tell your story, be compelling and honest.

3. e-Newsletter - sending out an e-newsletter is simple and very inexpensive to do. Staying in front of your prospects is really important.

Ron:  What does a brand expert like you do that is different?  What could someone expect if they hired a professional brander?

Scott:  They would expect us to develop a brand identity and positioning that are different and unique. I’ve been out to see Fortune 500 company’s that can’t tell me their own positioning. Why are you better? What makes you different? Are you ready to live that brand?

Ron: If someone wants to create a buzz, what does their brand need to have to make success easier?

Scott: A definitive brand identity. If Volvo the auto maker stands for safety what do you stand for. It’s the toughest question a company can answer.

Ron: Who should contact you and how do they reach you?

Scott: Anyone responsible for their company brand should contact us. And we’re a small boutique branding agency of only 15 so call me directly at 508-238-4347 or email me at swhite@brandidentityguru.com. Ask for the BIG Kahuna!

Thanks Scott.  Remember, if your Brand is weak, employee evangelism will be much harder.  Check out there excellent website and blog.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Blog 

Wait a minute, maybe it did suck.

October 17, 2007 | 2 Comments

I got an automated email from Amazon today saying based on my previous purchases, I may be interested in … Duct Tape Marketing.  See this image and read the review….

Duct Tape Marketing

You would think that they would have some way to put in a 5-star comment instead of one that calls the book tepid and disappointing.  I already own the book, and I found it a very good marketing overview that would be a very good tool for any business owner trying to get the whole marketing picture.

Then I read this review and started thinking…. maybe I am wrong and the book is not that good.  Certainly marketing people do not benefit much from it….

The fact is, most reviews are written from the point of view of the reviewer, and do not consider what the target market is.  One bad review Buzzoodle Buzz Marketing got was from an advanced marketer that was disappointed the book was filled with easy things to do, even though that was exactly my intention.  Oh well.

The real point of this post is to keep an eye on all those automated things that are out there.  Your Linked In profile, reviews, blogs, etc.  You can’t always control them but at least keep an eye on them and make sure they put your best face forward.

Posted by Ron McDaniel | Filed Under Branding, Buzzoodle, Internet Marketing 

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