I recently participated as a panelist on a webinar titled “Your Brand Advocates- How to Find Them and What They Are Worth,” along with Kety Esquivel (from Ogilvy), Rob Fuggetta (from Zuberance), and Frank Eliason (on his last day at Comcast — he’s now with Citi). We talked about what a brand advocate is, and how brands can identify and energize them. Here are my slides along with a few thoughts and tips.

Brand advocates, at their core, are people who really like and care about a brand. They are the opposite of critics because they’re out there talking about the brand and recommending it to their friends  (aprox 150 if they’re sharing those recommendations online, according to Forrester). What they say actually resonates with others because there is a trust between friends and connections. These brand advocates cannot be bought, forced or created, so others perceive them as genuine fans of the brand.

Brand advocates are brand advocates because they’ve had good experiences with a brand and they are willing and able to share some enthusiasm. Of course, brand advocates aren’t always positive and they aren’t always the most vocal or social (as we might assume they are). They do expect the best from you… and that is a good thing. (more…)

Big ideas have been essential to advertising since it’s early beginnings, and they are often the subject of great admiration and inspiration. Many have become interested in the process of identifying big ideas, executing them, and measuring their success, but what about the process of coming up with those ideas? Where do big ideas really come from? 

Glenn Griffin and Deb Morrison are the authors of “The Creative Process: Illustrated,” a fantastic book about how advertising’s big ideas are born. They are also university professors and scholars who have built great ad programs; Glenn at SMU, and Deb at UT and the University of Oregon. On the most recent “The Social Nerdia Show!” we talked about creativity, education, the brilliance of Old Spice Man, award shows, BP’s advertisements, and of course, the release of their book, which includes insights from some of the ad industry’s greatest (ie. David Kennedy himself).

Listen to this entire episode of “The Social Nerdia Show!” with Glenn and Deb on the Flash player below. You can also subscribe on iTunes, stream from your phone on Stitcher, and listen to upcoming shows LIVE on blogtalkradio.

While there has been some debate about whether education has an impact on creativity, Glenn’s research as a PHD student showed that there is ”largely a positive and significant influence.” It was as a PHD student that Deborah became Glenn’s mentor and their conversations about the source of creativity, particularly in advertising, is where the idea for the book became implanted in their minds.

The Creative Process: Illustrated

Deb told me that “process matters“ and “process is beautiful” so their book is an exploration of “how people think about thinking.” (more…)

Bob Phibbs is a business motivational speaker, and consultant. He is also the author of “The Retail Doctor.” While I don’t work in retail these days, retail is close to my heart because I come from a family of entrepreneurs and I worked in retail businesses from a very young age. Many retailers and small businesses have taken a hit in the last couple of years and I really think Bob’s book is a great read for anyone wanting to transform their business, from returning to basics to leveraging Social Media. Below is an interview with Bob.

1. You’ve written a great book about growing and turning around a retail business. How did you get started in retail and what motivated you to start sharing your expertise?

My first job was as a janitor at a jewlry store in Glendale California when I was 16. i learned then that appearances were everything.  I put myself through college working retail and like so many people my part time job became my career.  I build a small regional set of western wear stores from 5 to 55 before quitting and realizing I could do more on my own as a consultant. I never looked back.

2. Social Media has become an extremely hot topic for businesses because it is now fairly easy to engage directly with customers and potential customers. What are some of the most important things retailers should be doing to use Social Media effectively?

How about what they shouldnt do? Social media is not taking your Val-Pak coupons and tweeting them or offering Facebook Fan page coupons.  Most effective are finding ways loyal customers can share things meaningful with your other loyal customers. Encourage them to post a video of the child who received the gift purchased at your store. You can’t be like the big brands so keep it small and honest. That’s what brings people back time and again. In the book, I mention Pufferbellies in VA, I think they do a great job with  their blog and Facebook page. (more…)

Social Media is really all about this: integrating life and technology.

Facebook is the most widely used, widely known, and perhaps widely trusted social network in the world. As someone who got on Facebook when it first launched for universities (I was part of the SMU network before most people knew what Facebook was), I’ve seen Zuckerberg & Co. grow and change through the years, and one thing is for sure: Facebook has a bold and ambitious vision to become the web’s social platform.

I vividly remember having conversations in which people made fun of Facebook back when MySpace was “the social network.” I also remember making fun of Facebook myself… only to jump in a few days later and realize that social media was what I wanted to do with my life. I figured that the social web is full of visionaries and I’d rather spend my time learning from them and becoming a bit more like them (creative risk-takers with ideas that could change the world), than simply doing the whole get-a-job-to-buy-the-groceries thing. The social web was is fascinating and it’s evolving at a pace that is astounding. I wouldn’t be surprised if Facebook eventually actually try to connect us to everything (like I jokingly predicted a year ago).

Anyways, if I’m right in saying that social media is about the integration of life and technology, then Facebook is really unto something.

As the Social Media Manager for Samsung Electronics, I worried a bit when the rumors about the terminology changes from “Become a Fan” to “Like” started to emerge. (more…)

If you’re reading this, you’re a human being. A person with feelings, thoughts, joys, passions, fears, etc. All companies are made up of humans; people just like you and I. Sure, you can automate much of what a company does, you can hide it behind buildings and legal terms and conditions. You can even use technology instead of people to make them more efficient, effective, and easier to manage. But, deep down, every company is comprised of people.

If you’re reading this, you’re also a “customer.” The word is not as exciting as “people” because none of us want to be seen as mere “buyers” of things. Still, we are all customers because… we buy things.

So if we’re all humans and we’re all customers, companies could act a bit more like people, right? And they could see all customers a bit more like, well, people. Humanizing a company or brand is not making it less powerful; it’s simply realizing that without the human beings working there and without the human beings purchasing things/services, such company would not be much more than a bunch of tangible and intangible things that would eventually rot.

I bring this up because the rise of the Internet and real-time conversations have forced many companies to be much more human, and that’s a good thing. Still, companies need to WANT to be more human. The power of apologizing is one example of how a company can be more human.

Apologizing does at least four things: First, it acknowledges the harm done. Second, it shows your humility and expresses respect and appreciation. Third, it opens up the door for forgiveness. And finally, it provides the opportunity to change. (more…)

If you’re not on Foursquare… You should be.

Location + Badges = Utilitarian + Fun.

Here’s an informal SXSW Interactive session featuring Dennis Crowley (Foursquare), Christopher Barger (GM), and B. Bonin Bough (Pepsi).