Don’t oil it up

When personalizing a direct mailer, few mistakes will come across as being more “greasy” than that created by misspelling someone’s name.

A company (and its agency or design firm) spends a lot of time and money creating and sending items like this with the intent of creating good will and of course, sales. But when my name is spelled incorrectly, it didn’t just earn a “no sale” from me. It's not neutral - it's "negative:” they are less likely to get business from me as a result. I don’t hate the company for errors like this – but I won’t even consider their services in the future.

OK, maybe it’s just me and my quirky last name (that’s capital “O” and capital “H” and that “comma thing” between them is called an apostrophe), but nothing is more personal than a name. And when it’s spelled incorrectly, it tells me that you don’t really know me and that you don’t really care enough to get it right.

It’s not just one of the first precepts of journalism – it’s also one of the fundamental rules of good personalized marketing:

Whatever you do, spell the name correctly.

Got that, NTG? (stands for, "Not Too Good"). Oops, I spelled it wrong, NTB.

Sorry.
Jim O’Hare

Is this bud for you?

Here it is – the perfect discussion for the middle of a “good old fashioned” Midwest winter, smack dab in the middle of the not-so-good, new-fashioned “Great Recession.”

So, when does a recovery actually begin, anyway? 

Learning how to perfectly time and execute a graceful, productive recovery is of keen interest in this harsh winter, this harsh economy. It’s especially top of mind for me; just yesterday I learned of a serious illness that a seriously good friend of mine is facing– more on that later.

Regarding all recoveries, it seems they share these traits:

1. They begin immediately after everything seems like it can’t get any worse; be aware, though, this typically doesn’t mean that improvement comes dramatically. It usually does mean, though, that on average next week will be better than last week, and so on. Small solace, perhaps, but it often is enough to begin the healing in earnest.
2. Recoveries begin by honestly acknowledging the situation; until you face all the facts head on, you really can’t go anywhere.
3. Action and attitude are equal partners in accelerating and sustaining the recovery. Without both, your recovery will be shallow and short.

The best illustration of the timing of a recovery comes from nature. Most of us first notice signs of Spring in March, after the first warm day. We hear birds singing and in particular, we see new buds on trees.

Those buds, however, actually began forming on the tree way back in November, even before that last leaves fell. Next season’s fruits were already in place, gathering form and nutrients before the shortest day of the year. Already, nature had laid the groundwork for a recovery before the shortest day of the year, before the humbling storms of January. Likewise for us, our recovery must begin even before we’ve hit bottom.

And so to my "bud" Michael, even though your surgery is over a month in the future, you might say “this bud’s for you” (even though we’re typically partial to stronger libations). Your attitude and your actions are signposts of a strong recovery that is already in progress.

May the process that all of us need to go through, both personally and collectively, be as full of laughter, commitment and energy as is your recovery.

Put it in reverse

The importance of looking backward

About 25 years ago, network television coverage of sports, football in particular, literally added a new twist: reverse angle coverage. A reduced cost of cameras and an increased appetite by viewers for a “better than being there” experience led first to a second view, and today as many as 10 different views of a play. Too bad that video coverage of business, educational, and philanthropic events doesn’t follow suit.

• Engaging speaker with a great message at a podium?
  Check.
• Fixed microphone and camera on the podium?
  Check.
  
  
• Speaker who likes to move around?
  Check. 
• Mike her with a wireless lav mike and put your best shooter on her.
  Check.
  
  
• Attentive, engaged audience that laughs, applauds and asks questions?
  Check.
• Camera and microphones to pick up the audience?
  Um, no.

The short lesson: when spending significant resources on a large event that includes speakers who deliver great messages, spend the few extra bucks. Make the audience feel like they are part of the presentation by including them in the video that’s projected to the audience and captured to tape for future use. With the addition of one “reverse angle” camera, you’ll now have the option to cut to video of two audience members who are laughing during the speaker’s funny story. When the presentation reaches a particularly poignant moment, the speaker’s words and gestures will tell the story, but the expressions on the audience’s faces help sell the story even more. And when an audience member asks a question, it will be captured for all to see and hear, both live at the event and in the post-production you might do.

So for your next event, think backwards. After all, if you don’t consider the audience as part of your total production, you’re not really being considerate of them as an audience, either.

A "way to go" shout out to the crew at Cleveland's Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) for their "spot on" use of video at the recent Small Business Conference, shown in the illustration above. Well done!

An SASE is "organic?"

We suppose we could provide 1000 examples of our idea of “organic communications” and never exhaust creative discussion. One of the concepts of “organic,” as we conceive it, is made clear when someone take advantage of both “old fashioned” ways of doing business and combines it with new ways of communication. Here’s an example.

During a recent video shoot, we left a small cloth case behind for our Flip Mino HD. We tried to buy a replacement from the Flip website, but no luck - none are available. So we sent a quick email to customer support that explained the situation – we wanted to purchase a replacement case but we needed to know how to do it.

About an hour later, we received a surprising reply (see the image) :

So the next day, we dropped an “SASE” (Stamped And Self- Addressed Envelope, for those of you under the age of 30) and our request was on its way. And four business days later, our case came back in our envelope. Back and forth from Cleveland to San Francisco, two days each way. We never had to set foot out of the office (we left our envelope for our letter carrier in the mail box), and our total investment was 88 cents (two Forever stamps).

So now we have our handy little Flip Mino HD, protected from scratches once again. And we have a new respect for the efficient marriage of email and the postal service. It’s “organic” because it’s simple, it’s sustainable . . . and it works.

Would you rather. . .

Formally or informally, you’ve probably played this game: Someone asks a “Would you rather. . . ” question with two choices offered. An example might be “Would you rather have a great dinner or a great dessert?” or “Front row seats at a basketball game or private loge seats to a football game?” Then, people jump in and answer the question and maybe in the process reveal a bit about themselves, especially if they give a reason that makes sense (even more so if they give a reason that does NOT make sense). Good game to play with a group of 8 year olds or a group of college students – different questions, of course.

Based on this concept, answer this question: “Would you rather maintain your eyesight or your hearing – would you rather be blind or deaf?” When I was younger, I would have opted for eyesight. Too much to see, and so much that can’t be done (e.g., driving a car) without vision.

As I get older, though, I’m not so sure. I remember the opinion of my father, expressed to me when he was in his 70s. He had at least two good friends who had lost either their vision or their hearing, and he had much contact with other deaf and blind people. Without a doubt, he said that the blind people were far more social and connected to a world that they couldn’t see than were those locked in a silent world. Recently, I have observed enough to agree (posthumously) with my father.

As this relates to marketing, content and communications, I’m a bit torn. The power of visuals is with me everyday – photos, imagery, stunning video. In just a few moments, a few visual elements can tell a story with deep emotion and nuance. But lately I’ve become caught up in some amazing podcasts and other “audio only” media that conveys deep meaning and learning that seems focused due to the fact that only one sense is at attention.

So, if you had to convey your content to your audience and you could only utilize sight or sound, “would you rather . . .?”

The perfect moment, the imperfect tool

One of the most frustrating moments for anyone who earns either a living or enjoyment from capturing images or audio is that moment when opportunity intersects with scarcity.

A fleeting image or quick soundbite presents itself, you recognize your chance, you only have a moment to capture the moment . . . but you don’t have the tool you wish you had.

A great image of a rainbow that literally ends on the road ( see how the colors of the rainbow change the trees which are a couple of hundred yards up the road – I thought all that ‘rainbow’s end’ story was the stuff of the Lucky Charm leprechaun). A great opportunity captured with . . . my camera phone.

An ancient dog that had just been placed in the vestibule of Cleveland West Side Market by his loving, equally ancient master. Vigilant, loyal, ignoring all who came past, he had attention only for that old guy with the cane who would take him on the 15 minute journey back to his home only a half block away.

Again, the crumby camera phone and the even crumbier snapshot I grabbed. Still, any media you can capture of a moment worth remembering is better than none at all.

And as they say, the best camera is the one you have with you.

Hillary on Free Speech - with a unique twist

When people communicate and they are uncomfortable with what they're saying, it's pretty easy to tell. It's not always a matter of dishonesty - sometimes it's more a matter of "I'm going to say this, I'm not really sure about it, and I don't know too much about it, but here goes."

In this one minute video, see if you can pick out the exact point at which Hillary starts to feel uncomfortable ("ums", eyes moving around, voice moving down in volume, etc).

And isn't it amazing that the Secretary of State of the U.S., third in succession to the highest office in the land, is talking about . . . well, you'll see.