Morningstar Communications Luminary Blog

If you could only keep one form of technology, whether the Internet, I-pod, cell phone, DVR, etc. what would it be?

A morning radio show asked Kansas City listeners to call in and share their views on this very same question, not long ago, and it got me thinking. Do we really need all of these new gadgets and gizmos?

As marketers, think about how these new forms of technology continually change and influence the world of marketing. How many times a day do we email colleagues, surf the Web for consumer and client research, post updates on Twitter and Facebook?

Now what if these things didn’t exist? What would marketers do to survive? Could we handle it?

One of the distinct pleasures of my job is working with great clients. This summer, we began working with Tension International Automation Solutions (TIAS), a subsidiary of Tension Envelope Corporation (they have a big sign on top of their building just south of downtown, kinda like the Western Auto sign). They design and build automation systems for central fill, mail order and specialty pharmacies.

One of the key things that makes them special as a company is the scalability and flexibility their systems offer. This is especially important for pharmacies that are waiting to see how changes in healthcare are going to affect their businesses. You can check out videos that show what they do -- it's actually pretty fascinating.

One of the key things that makes them special as a client is they are simply great people to work with, and they're super-enthusiastic about their business. Last week, they hosted us for a working lunch. We were greeted with our lunches packaged and labeled -- a specialty of the packaging side of their business. Though it was an extra effort they didn't have to do, it brightened our day and reminded us we are lucky to work with many fun people, including the folks at Tension.

Recent articles in both Forbes, “Women in Philanthropy” and The New York Times, “The Power of the Purse” demonstrate the great strides women are making as philanthropists. Beyond the financial clout women wield today (according to the Forbes story we control more than half the private wealth in the U.S. and make 80% of the purchases), I was encouraged by the way in which we choose to contribute.

First, women donate more of our wealth than men. And, we choose our gifts differently. Women give regularly to other women in need. In fact, private foundations and public charities focused on helping women and girls have grown at a faster rate than the overall foundation community, according to Forbes.

Recognition ranks low on the priority list for women and we tend to give more as part of drives that include other women. This trend underscores what many high-profile women philanthropists have touted, that empowering women and girls can serve as a means for creating economically successful communities, especially since 70% of those living in poverty today are women and children.

Both stories highlighted Women Moving Millions an organization that reflects this growing movement.  And, here in Kansas City, The Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City raises, invests and grants funds to promote equity and opportunity for women and girls.

Somehow, I am not surprised women understand creating lasting change means working together strategically to make a difference. The “power of the purse” doesn’t just empower women and girls, it helps all future generations.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of learning from the Bean Baron, more commonly known as Danny O’Neill, at the American Marketing Association of KC’s August luncheon. Danny is president and owner of The Roasterie, a coffee favorite in KC.

Danny and his team’s use of innovative partnerships and a focus on customization stood out the most. The Roasterie is currently working with other local innovators, including Christopher Elbow and Shatto Milk to create coffee flavored confections. These partnerships help expand the Roasterie brand through different channels.

In addition, the Roasterie has MyBlend, an innovative way to customize your cup o’ joe. Coffee enthusiasts fill out a series of questions to determine their perfect blend, then customize the label with words and photos.

Freshness, quality and education. They are seen in everything the Roasterie does and after attending today’s luncheon I’m ready for a good cup of coffee at the Brookside location and a Saturday morning tour to learn more about this magic bean.

Never underestimate the power of a hand-written note.  That’s right.  A simple piece of paper adorned with your writing.  Invest about a minute of your time, an envelope and 44 cents – you will make a huge impression.

There’s high-tech, and low-tech.  And we need all of these tools to do our jobs.  Computers, phones, PDAs, printers, copiers, etc...  (Oh, and sometimes still a fax machine.)

Just yesterday, one of our vendors told Shanny that they took her handwritten note and used it as the centerpiece of their team meeting, commenting that “nobody takes the time to send a handwritten note anymore.”

What a shame.  And what a lost opportunity.

When you go through your mail each day, how many handwritten notes do you get?  Perhaps one a week?  One a month?  I bet you remember the last note you received, and can’t really remember the last five email “thank you notes” that you received.

I’ve even been known to send thank-you notes to people I treat for breakfast or lunch.  After all, they gave me some of their time, which is the most precious gift of all.

Our client, Hallmark Business Expressions, sells millions of business-appropriate correspondence tools.  Nobody does it better; check them out.

Or just use your own stationery.  Or even a simple sheet of paper.

My friend, Steve Cody, has a hugely popular blog, RepMan.  He wrote about The long lost art of the handwritten note.  We were proud to be the impetus for this post.

Times are tough.  We’re all watching every penny we spend.  Yet we still need to build and strengthen relationships that are important to us.

Send a hand-written note.  Your Mom would be proud.

Onward and upward.

I’m not sure how it worked out that my first full day on the team at Morningstar was also “back-to-school” day in our area, but the coincidence wasn’t lost on me.   I was always one of those kids who actually liked going back to school.  As a student then (and a part-time college instructor now), I always equate back-to-school to opening day in baseball – everyone’s in first place and the future seems as bright as it can possibly be.

As I depart from almost a decade spent in corporate America and return to the agency business, I’m excited about helping our clients identify what makes them excellent and then using the power of cross-platform strategic communications to add value to their businesses.

After more than 20 years in marketing communications, working with small and large local companies, huge multi-national corporations, nonprofit associations, etc., I was looking for a team that was already a proven success and that would allow me to apply my skills in the most creative way possible.  I’ve found that home in Morningstar Communications and can’t wait to get started.

So, I’m happy to be embarking on another fresh start this fall season.  Now I’m just toting a much bigger backpack.
 

“Group Project.” Every over-achieving student cringes at the sound of these words and every “slacker,” shall we say, gets a little excited.

It’s not a secret. Everyone knows that when a teacher assigns a group project two of the four group members will do all of the work, but yet all group members will receive equal credit. I’m happy to report that this is not the case in the business world.

I recently had the privilege to assist my fellow co-workers in a series of group projects. It was tedious; it was stressful; but it was rewarding. I even found myself leaving the office with a smile on my face. Why, you may ask? Teamwork.

Each member of the team pulled his or her own weight and even offered additional help to those drowning in work. It was a “breath of fresh air” working in an environment where everyone came together to achieve the common goal.

I left college with ill feelings toward group projects. I now come to work excited for the opportunity. So to all of the over-achieving college students—your hard work will pay off. And to the rest, good luck.

We continue to get asked by clients – especially b-to-b clients – the question, “Does engaging in social media make sense?” A new survey of b-to-b and b-to-c professionals came out, demonstrating social media has seen dramatic growth among b-to-b marketers. Here are some interesting stats:
•    Twitter ranked higher among b-to-b (70%) than b-to-c (46%) of respondents.
•    81% of b-to-b marketers are on LinkedIn, compared with just 25% of b-to-c marketers.
•    Facebook is the most-used social media site overall (74%) and enjoys high use among b-to-b marketers (60%).

So we know b-to-b marketers are using social media – but are their customers and prospects? That is the more important question.

And for that answer, we can turn to Forrester B-to-B Marketing Analyst Laura Ramos, who says:

… at Forrester we’ve studied how B2B buyers participate socially and found that participation is much higher than U.S. adults in general. Second, business buyers are always looking for new sources of information and are actively turning to social media channels these days for information to support their purchasing decisions.  Using social media to engage your target business buyer audience may seem daunting, but it’s possible to be successful if you focus first on your audience and what you want to accomplish by engaging with that audience socially.

Read the entire interview with Laura Ramos.