Over the past several years I have become, what I like to think, an expert in social media. I teach classes, consult with small businesses, develop brands, and launch books using integrated digital media strategies. I’ve been very focused on using it as a vehicle for helping people and businesses optimize their success. And I’ve never really been involved in social media as a fun, personal thing, with the exception of Facebook a little bit. Everything I’ve done with Facebook, twitter, and Linkedin has been with a very specific purpose.

Until now.

My sister-in-law, Manira “Sam” David, was recently diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. Of course it was such a shock to our whole family, and to all those close to her. If you’ve ever had a trauma such as this happen to a family member or friend, you know the series of emotions that pass through your mind and heart very quickly: concern, confusion, anger, more concern, fear, helplessness.

And you ask yourself the questions: What do I do? How can I help? When should I call? What’s happening? You don’t want to call if she doesn’t feel up to talking, or if a lot of others are calling, too. If you’re in a different city, like I am, then you can’t go visit, or sit with her during a chemo treatment.

From Day 1, Sam started posting her progress and news about her treatments and doctor visits on Facebook. Read more

I don’t typically blog, tweet, or comment on political issues. But, a couple of weeks ago I was in Washington, D.C., and walked over to the Mall with a friend of mine to see the new Martin Luther King, Jr. monument. Along the way, we meandered through the Franklin Delano Roosevelt monument. I had never done so, despite so many personal visits to the Mall as well as hosting visitors there.

As I stopped to read and reflect on each of his quotes, I couldn’t help but realize that most of what he said then applies now. I’m as frustrated as every other American about the gridlock in Washington, the focus on campaigning and getting re-elected at the expense of forward progress, and the struggles of most citizens to find work, support their families, and keep their homes.

I think that Mr. Obama should take the next meeting of the politicians (notice I say “politicians,” not Congressmen and women, not Senators, not State Representatives—because really for the past few years they’ve only acted as politicians, not as representatives of the people). And he should hold session at the FDR monument, walking them by some of Roosevelt’s quotes, let them pause and consider the meaning, and then say “Let’s do that.”

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” ~First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933. Read more

I follow Seth Godin. I read his books. I pay a lot of money to go hear him speak. I apply to every opportunity he presents to work with him in his offices (although he hasn’t chosen me for one yet.) And I agree with him 95% of the time. But he’s missing something; two things actually.

In his recently released book, Linchpin (Penguin Group Publishers, New York, 2010), Seth talks about how to become invaluable to your organization. When you are a Linchpin, you are not merely an employee, rather you are an artist. You:

• Provide a unique interface between members of the organization

• Deliver unique creativity

• Manage a situation or organization of great complexity

• Lead customers

• Inspire staff

• Provide deep domain knowledge

• Possess a unique talent

You are indispensable.

I strive to be a Linchpin with every client, and on every project. And I have proudly surrounded myself with Linchpins on my team. Each one of them creates art, speaks out, and is indispensable to me. We do great work—bold, progressive, thought-provoking, and effective.

I’ve also gotten fired from jobs for being a Linchpin. Leaders of organizations need us in their companies if they want to move forward and create amazing products and services. But very few appreciate the Linchpin traits once faced with them. Trust me, I know from experience! In an article from the Harvard Business Review (written quite a few years ago, but still oh so relevant) entitled “The Subordinate’s Predicaments,” by Eric H. Neilsen and Jan Gypen, the authors talk about differentiation vs. identification, with the dilemma being to come across as being very different from the superior in terms of skills, aspirations, values, and professional concerns, or to identify with the superior as someone to emulate. Linchpins typically come across as being very different. Which is okay (as the article states) as long as this is identified early in the relationship. The authors also imply that superiors many times embrace the difference. This might be so, but many subordinates, especially in these trying economic times, are so protective of their jobs that they would rather not risk it and fly under the radar. Our economy has stifled many would-be Linchpins. That’s the first thing that Seth misses.

The second, and more critical thing missing from his inspirational teachings has to do with Human Resources—H.R., you know, the ones that do the hiring. Read more

“It’s no longer about who you know. It’s about who knows you.”~Connie Glover

After TIME magazine featured Mark Zuckerburg on their cover as the 2010 Man of the Year, Fast Company magazine followed with an article about the power of Facebook as part of an overall marketing strategy.  “By any measure, 2011 is the year Facebook must be taken seriously by each and every brand. Not because of what it’s worth as a company, but because of how that valuation reflects the potential impact of Facebook on every industry including entertainment, advertising and sales of all types.”

But while I will always answer the question, “Do I really need to do social media with my business?” with a resounding “Yes!”, you must commit. Worse than not including social media in your  marketing mix, is setting it up, and then not being consistently and frequently engaged.  Because marketing is no longer about “telling” your customers what you think they should know; it’s about being actively involved in a conversation.

Social media allows you to listen to what your customers are saying, about you, about your products, and about your competitors. More often than not, when they ask you a question they are really telling you something. And the more you respond to their comments and inquiries, the more you appear to really care about what your customers want. It’s almost like free market research!

This from the Razorfish Digital Outlook Report “Current media mix models are falling down; they are based on older research models that assume media channels are by and large independent of one another. As media consumption changes among consumers, and marketers include more digital and disparate channels in the mix, it is more important than ever to develop new media mix models that recognize the intricacies of channel interaction. Since online media is often linked closely with other media (TV can drive search, search can drive magazine usage and so forth) we need to  adopt new ways of measuring to account for the true complexity of media in the digital age.”

For small businesses in particular, there may still be room for radio, tv, and newspaper ads. But paid media is still just that―paid.  Read more

My friend Terri Thornsvard has an enviable job as a docent at the Madison, Wisconsin Museum of Contemporary Art.  She recently wrote a blog that I thought could be applied to branding.

“I joke a lot about shoes —especially my Louboutins (which incidentally I do not have). I have 3 daughters and I have told them that when I am old, senile, and in a wheel chair in a nursing home they are to put high heels on me, paint the soles red and tell me they are Louboutins. My point is, that over the years I have been trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. Like many of us I have had many roles to play but could never comfortably settle into a label or shoe that fits. Read more

William McDonough, sustainability thought leader and author of the innovative concept and book by the same name, Cradle to Cradle, frequently poses the question in his lectures, interviews, and book, “Where is away?”  In a throwaway society, when you throw something away, where is that, exactly? If we really knew the answer to the question…and I mean really understood what that meant to our planet, would we manufacture, consume, and dispose of things differently? Read more

Miller Coors beer and the Gap apparel could have learned a huge lesson from Tropicana orange juice on how NOT to rebrand.  I’m usually a very big advocate of “less is more” in marketing and P.R. I believe that shorter, bolder statements trump paragraphs of texts, especially in Web sites and press releases.  I think you can say a lot with a little; and when it comes to graphic design, that is the case sometimes as well.

But the recent debacle with the Gap trying to change its logo was a testament to the fact that when it comes to your brand, less may not be more. Several companies, including the ones I named above, have tried to…i don’t know…appear more contemporary? Cleaner?  Minimalistic?  Whatever the motivation, none of these things were accomplished.  The result in all cases was an insultingly simple design that was not only  generic, but also an insult to the consumer [and fellow marketers, I might add.]

We are all aware of the impact that social media has on news and business.  Everyone has a voice. Good as well as bad spreads…like a giant global wildfire.  If companies are smart, they will pay attention to the feedback, and in this case, the backlash.

Tropicana was the first to make this very public mistake. Read more

I’ve lived in Charlottesville, VA for about 3 1/2 years, and most people that live here, have gone to school at University of Virginia, or have visited find that this is a really pretty city. I agree, but I must say, it’s also pretty trashy! And I mean that in a literal sense. There is a lot of litter here, everywhere: trash, broken bottles, food, dog poop. And it’s on the downtown mall and public sidewalks where people walk, run, bike with their kids, or push their babies in strollers. I’m ashamed and embarrassed about it, annoyed, and quite frankly, confused. In this day and age where the environmental and sustainability messages dominate the print and airwaves, who litters? Who purposely rolls down their window and throws out their McDonald’s bag, or tosses their beer bottle on the sidewalk, or allows their dog to do their business without picking it up? Who is that unconscious?

I’m a Texan—one of the obnoxiously proud ones—and love the phrase we coined in the 1980s, “Don’t Mess With Texas.” It became the anti-littering campaign for the state, but it also started a movement, giving rise to a new consciousness about what it means to not trash our state, our neighborhood, our country, our planet. And that was over 25 years ago, before “green” became the most common word in the English language. Read more

By Mark Glover, Guest Blogger

After 45 days and millions of gallons of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico I continue to see the focus of criticism, blame, and anger directed at British Petroleum. It is my opinion that this environmental crisis goes far beyond BP. This is not a BP issue, it is an industry issue, a global issue, an environmental issue, and most importantly, a leadership issue.

Like everyone else I have followed closely the events surrounding the oil spill in the gulf, the sudden acceleration of motor vehicles, the contamination and recall of food products, the emergency landing of aircraft in the Hudson River. These events do not happen by accident; they happen because businesses and industries are not in what I call “organizational equilibrium.” By this I mean that there are not as many people or resources ensuring the safety and effective production of goods as there are people and money needed to sell and distribute them. Every industry and business within that industry has responsibilities to uphold a standard of ethics, good manufacturing practices, and to play a role in developing regulations that safeguard the public and environment from catastrophe.

What I expect to see with a catastrophe like the one in the gulf is for leaders not just from BP, but ExxonMobil, Gulf, Chevron, Texaco, Shell, and CITGO to pool their vast technical and financial resources to execute a solution. Read more

In my first blog in this series, I addressed my experiences at Whole Foods Market from the perspective of  talent management.  This post will address my question, How Sustainable are the Whole Foods Sustainability Initiatives?

During my recent graduate studies through the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University many of my research projects and areas of study focused on global food issues, sustainable agriculture, urban agriculture, and global organic farming practices. So I am able to look at this from a perspective that includes the importance of WFM’s impact on the food industry worldwide!

According to the 1983 Brundtland Commission Report from the United Nations, the true definition of Sustainability is “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”  While most people think of “sustainability” as environmental, the environmental piece is only one of three. Sustainability in organizations involves environmental operational practices, economic health, and social responsibility―concerns for employees and the community.

Compare this to the Core Values that Whole Foods has built its company on since 1980: Read more