Flavors of Me

I really like the personal web page I created with Flavors.me. I decided to make it the web link in my Twitter profile. I can't include an unlimited number of links like in my Google Profile (unless you pay a small fee of $20 per year), but it makes up for that limitation with great design options (mine is obviously still a work in progress).

What do you think? Do you like Flavors.me or Google Profile better? Are there any others you like better?

Nike launches soccer ad on Facebook, doubles fans

I was watching the (boring) Champion's league final during which Nike debuted for TV their ambitious, three minute (yes, 3, that's not a typo) soccer advertisement, Write the Future. But I had already seen it on Facebook.

Apparently, a lot of other people had, too. By debuting the ad on their Facebook page, they doubled their number of fans (likers?) to 1.1 million according to Inside Facebook. Here's the ad:

OTASessions takeaways

Last week, I attended the first annual OTASessions in Sioux Falls, S.D. The event was dreamed up by local dreamer (and I mean that in a good way) Hugh Weber. There were lots of people who answered the call, but Hugh deserves the credit for putting the event together.

Anyway, Hugh put out the call for reactions to OTASessions so I thought I'd blog my two cents worth. My primary takeaways (besides the pile of books pictured here)...

...were two:

1. Companies that show their bumps and bruises will get credit for it (Spike Jones). I find that so many companies think that every communication has to be spit-polished, vetted by everyone, thoroughly sanitized and (of course) can only be good news. The problem with that is that business is not simply a steady progression of positive news. So people will go elsewhere to get the negative news and because you weren't willing to provide it to them, they are more likely to ignore your positive news as well.
2. Partially-finished art is more powerful because it invites the viewer to interact with it and add their own context (paraphrasing Jonathan Harris). Jonathan made many profound, inspirational points, but of all of them, this one stuck out the most. He said it in reference to a torn photo he found on the ground with a partial inscription on the back, but it is applicable to a lot of what we as bloggers (should) do. As writers, we often fail to remember that whatever we write is only half of the context of that work. The other half is the audience reaction. Many times I think my blog posts have to be the complete record. Sometimes it causes me to not post anything because I can't get it all done. I've had far more success when I throw out a partial thought and ask others to react to it.

Anyway, those are the two primary thoughts kicking around in my head following the event. Perhaps that will change as I start reading other reactions and the books I took home. In case you're interested, here are some other thoughts  I tweeted throughout the day:

1. congrats! well-deserved! RT @electricpulp: We just won the "Work. Play. Do Good. Award" from #otasessions. And @guykawasaki did intro vid!6:52 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

2. RT @brupert: Johnathon Harris is seriously blowing minds at#otasessions4:46 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

3. RT @brupert: Congrats to @electricpulp on the Work. Play. Do good award. #otasessions4:12 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

4. RT @joleneloetscher: Keep doo-ing good @hughweber.#otasessions4:11 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

5. RT @AstronautStudio: "Experiment all the time" @timbrunelle#otasessions3:15 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

6. @spikejones how do you convince companies to show their bumps & bruises? #otasessions2:32 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

7. http://twitpic.com/1b2y0a - Good advice from @spikejones (but pre-empted by @chrisbrogan) #otasessions2:28 PM Mar 26th via TwitPic

8. show people your bumps and bruises & they will appreciate you for it @spikejones. #otasessions2:18 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

9. RT @kmjensen: Spike Jones: 90% of word of mouth marketing happens offline. #otasessions1:54 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

10. I got a book! Thanks Gary V. RT @ThePostSD: Gary Vaynerchuck#otasessions http://post.ly/VhBT1:52 PM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

11. http://twitpic.com/1b2ckt - #otasessions panel w/ @chrisbrogan @julien and @mitchjoel12:47 PM Mar 26th via TwitPic

12. RT @GBVeerman: @chrisbrogan Everyday: 30 minutes listening, 60 minutes connecting, 30 minutes posting. #otasessions11:23 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

13. @chrisbrogan: promote other people's stuff 12 times as often as your own #otasessions11:21 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

14. @chrisbrogan: we can listen to people at the point of need - coolest thing about social media11:09 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

15. me please! RT @otasessions: Dear #OTAsessions guests: We have 2 BlackBerry/1 Droid chargers at the registration table if your phone is dying10:20 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

16. you r missing out! See @otasessions RT @Trey_Lane: "Am I missing something? What is #otasessions?10:16 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

17. RT @ThePhoenixSun #FF @ejgertz @gharman @egies@Kenwardjr @drgrist @nathanschock @kate_sheppard@KateGalbraith @NRDC @trailgirl @sarapresler10:12 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

18. #OTASessions RT @chrisbrogan: I never know the content of my speeches until I know the passions of my audience10:10 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

19. RT @chrisbrogan: Oh, and for #ff? Go find the new talent. Forget me.10:08 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

20. @mitchjoel was very good RT @jeremyorion: Hoping that the trite quotes from #otasessions aren't indicative of the quality of the speakers10:03 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

21. RT @sjhalestorm: Build communities while it is not obvious - before you *need* it - @julien. #otasessions9:57 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

22. RT @addiegraham: Nope. We are embracing the change! RT Wonder if mainstream media at #otasessions are uncomfortable listening to @mitchjoel9:55 AM Mar 26th via PockeTwit

23. @argusleader: I am a little uncomfortable listening to @mitchjoelb/c there is a lot more I could be doing #OTASessions9:40 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

24. Now listening to @julien at #OTASessions9:36 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

25. Wonder if the people from mainstream media at #OTASessions are uncomfortable listening to @mitchjoel9:17 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

26. http://twitpic.com/1b0zqb - @mitchjoel: real marketing is about real interactions b/w real people #OTASessions9:06 AM Mar 26th via TwitPic

27. @mitchjoel: my marketing is focused on reaching an audience of 6: 6 CMOs #OTASessions9:05 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

28. @mitchjoel: you create your own media experience #OTASessions8:53 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

29. @mitchjoel: more grandparents than HS students on Facebook#OTASessions8:51 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

30. http://twitpic.com/1b0vbp - @mitchjoel: Hernan Cortez burned the ships, we need to reboot8:44 AM Mar 26th via TwitPic

31. @mitchjoel: people don't click on banner ads #OTASessions8:44 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

32. At #OTASessions and listening to @mitchjoel from SPOS8:38 AM Mar 26th via mobile web

33. Enjoyed the #OTASessions Pre-Party tonight and looking forward to tomorrow

The ebay listing that got away

This morning, I read an interesting post on the New York Times Soccer Blog, Goal. The title of the post is what originally caught my eye: English Club for Sale, on eBay. Apparently, a company that was enlisted to find a buyer for the Tranmere Rovers, put the team up for sale on ebay for the sum of $10 million.

However, the auction ended early, apparently because the club was not happy with being listed on the popular online auction site. Here's the listing: Own an English Football Club - Tranmere Rovers FC. I particularly like that the item included "Free shipping" and "No Returns Accepted."

Why discuss on a PR blog? Well, I believe ebay's brand has been a bit tarnished by the statement from Tranmere Rovers Chairman Peter Johnson, saying he was very disappointed to discover that Dornoch Capital had chosen ebay.com as a route to find a potential buyer and would not have given permission for them to do so had he been asked. The perception is that ebay is good enough to list your old football shoes, but not a football club. Ebay would do well to enter the discussion of this before this view becomes solidified.

For my part, I just wish I'd have had the chance to put in a bid before the auction ended.

Glue should be recycled

At a recent job, I started a corporate blog and contributed many posts to it over my time there. After my employment with the company ended, they left up my posts but removed my name from all of them. This blog is intended to keep the posts I wrote so that they won't be lost if the blog is ever taken down.

No Comment = I'm Guilty

During a recent media training session I wanted to make it clear  what message saying "No Comment" sent to the public, so I wrote the following on a white board:

No Comment = I'm Guilty

When a charge is leveled against you and your answer is no comment, everyone who reads/sees/hears that automatically assumes that you are hiding something and are therefore guilty as charged. I don't know which lawyer came up with that phrase, but it's time to rid it from the American lexicon.

Guess what? The media agrees with me. Check out a recent blog post from Lou Raguse on KELO-TV's Inside the Newsroom blog. In that post, he discusses a story he aired on a city counselor who settled a sexual harassment suit but maintains his innocence. Had that counselor declined to comment, everyone would have known about the settlement and naturally assumed that he did it. But since he went on camera to explain his side, the viewing public is forced to consider the possibility that he did settle only to avoid an expensive court fight.

Here's Lou's synopsis: There are two sides to every story. Too often only one side is willing to explain their position. Fortunately, that wasn't the case this time. Unfortunately, Lou also said that he usually gets a refusal to comment from those the "negative" side of an issue.

The next time you're confronted with bad news, try telling your side of the story. You never know. The public just might believe you. Alternatively, you could just let them know you're guilty and say "No Comment."

Sometimes it takes a story

Sometimes, especially when something is new, it takes a story to really explain it and get a consumer to take action. Let me explain.

Over the past several months, I have been seeing more and more compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL). The little bit I recalled included some benefits that motivated me just enough to decide to replace all of my regular lightbulbs...right after they burned out.

But then something came along that sped up my timetable. That something was an excellent story by Charles Fishman in Fast Company Magazine: How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change the World? One. And You're Looking At It.

The story clearly spelled out the benefits of the CFL for the consumer: the bulbs use 75-80 percent less electricity and last 6-8 times as long as incandescent bulbs. That means that the more expensive CFL bulb pays for itself in five months, while lasting five years.

So I'm saving money, which is nice, but the story goes on to tell me how I'm not only saving money but also doing my part to save the planet. Here's the motivator:

...if every one of 110 million American households bought just one ice-cream-cone bulb, took it home, and screwed it in the place of an ordinary 60-watt bulb, the energy saved would be enough to power a city of 1.5 million people. One bulb swapped out, enough electricity saved to power all the homes in Delaware and Rhode Island. In terms of oil not burned, or greenhouse gases not exhausted into the atmosphere, one bulb is equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the roads.

In other words, the CFL gives me a painless way to save the environment. Where do I sign up?

But it took Fishman's story to bring home a point that advertising for the product could not. If you look at the package from GE, you only get one side of the story: the savings to the consumer. Eyeballing the package tells me that the bulbs last five years, use less electricity and all eight will save me a total of $300. Is that enough for the consumer to shell out the premium price? It wasn't for me.

But the story was. The following weekend I drove to Sam's Club and purchased enough CFL packages to replace every lightbulb in the house. My wife thought I was crazy...until she read the story and found out that I was saving money and the environment. If GE can get their advertising to tell the story as well as Fishman did, maybe more people will replace their bulbs.