Michael Surkan was our guest at last week's OCA meeting. Michael, a 20-year technology business vet, has recently turned his attention to the technique and power of podcasting - as a way of building a valuable, credible network.
Podcasting is not new to Michael. He's been getting together with friends to talk about and share ideas on economic topics, but after a round of layoffs ended his 9-year career at Microsoft, Michael started Entrepreneurs Northwest to create a new network of career-building relationships.
His easy-to-follow recipe for starting your own podcasting channel is a sure-fire methodology for increasing your connections while learning more about a particular subject. And by sharing that knowledge with others, you not only give back, but you begin to be seen as an authority on the given subject. If you're looking for work, and in today's economy many people are having to reinvent themselves to do so, this could be a valuable way to open new doors.
I took great notes at the meeting, but why don't we have Michael tell you everything you need to know to start podcasting.
Showing posts with label Social Media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Social Media. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Hiring Expectations Up - and What CMOs Are Looking For Specifically
A friend of mine, in doing some research for a large software company located in Redmond, WA, found a great article indicating CMOs are looking to ramp up hiring. Originally posted in March, the numbers from the article back up the recent surge in hirings we've witnessed through OCA.
The article, from MarketingProfs.com, pulls its information from a CMO Survey conducted by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the AMA. It touches on hiring plans, the expected upswing in Social Marketing, and what hiring managers in the industry are looking for in candidates.
Click HERE for the full article, or HERE for the survey results. Below is just a snippet.
Hiring Plans
Nearly one-half (46.7%) of companies say they expect to hire new marketers during the next six months, while 61.4% plan to hire in the next year and 77.5% plan to hire over the next two years.
On average, companies plan to increase hiring levels 8.2% in the next six months, 12.9% in the next year, and 24.1% over the next two years.
Work experience will be emphasized: Only 27.1% of hires are expected to come from universities.
Among skill sets, Internet marketing, innovation and growth, CRM, and brand management will be the most sought after by senior marketers.
The article, from MarketingProfs.com, pulls its information from a CMO Survey conducted by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and the AMA. It touches on hiring plans, the expected upswing in Social Marketing, and what hiring managers in the industry are looking for in candidates.
Click HERE for the full article, or HERE for the survey results. Below is just a snippet.
Hiring Plans
Nearly one-half (46.7%) of companies say they expect to hire new marketers during the next six months, while 61.4% plan to hire in the next year and 77.5% plan to hire over the next two years.
On average, companies plan to increase hiring levels 8.2% in the next six months, 12.9% in the next year, and 24.1% over the next two years.
Work experience will be emphasized: Only 27.1% of hires are expected to come from universities.
Among skill sets, Internet marketing, innovation and growth, CRM, and brand management will be the most sought after by senior marketers.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Road Trip Nation
Did you know what you wanted to do with your life when you were 20?
How about now?
Road Trip Nation is a number of things. It is a social media project of State Farm, it provides creative content for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and American Public Television, and it's program for a number of other organizations. Solid strategic partnerships and a model for leveraging network effects for all involved.
It is also an interesting exploration of career paths. How successful people got to where they are: Doing what they love. And making a living at it.
Check out the interviews on you tube and visit the site for inspiration.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Notes from 6/4/2010 - Crowdsourcing, Social Media, and More
From Mark Farmer and Duane Hobbs, who stepped in last week and led the OCA meeting...
The combination of rainy weather and a lack of parking (SVC had both a seminar AND a tree blown down in the parking lot) kept the meeting smaller-than-average level of attendance, but the attendees were top of their field and compelling!
Of discussion was:
Crowdsourcing: What it means to Creatives
------------------------------------------------------
Discussed that crowdsourcing DOES radically affect creatives. It is hard when you've spent years developing and honing a craft that was once highly valued, but is now becoming commoditized. Never the less, arguing against evolution leaves you with the dinosaurs.
Evolvers may find themselves:
- Becoming the in-house creative that -- rather then produces from start to end -- now manages crowdsourced resources, educating the company on what quality is, what is needed and managing the crowdsourcers.
- There will ALWAYS be a place for specializing: that is, becoming one of the top 5% at doing ____X____
- Joining in the crowdsourcing
Social Media Metrics: Quantity vs. Quality
------------------------------------------------------
With Social Media becoming more and more evolved and valued, the question remains: How do you MEASURE its efficacy!? There are ways to measure ROI, but all of these ways NEED to differentiate between *quantity* (how many connections, subscribers or followers, how many page visits, how many re-broadcasts) and *quality* (was the re-broadcast in a positive light -- "you have to see this, it's so cool!" -- or negative "Watch this: BP STILL doesn't get it!").
Quality often requires a different, subjective standard of measure, but frankly, is more important in social media, than quantity.
In discussing social marketing's strategy of strengthening relationships, Duane added in a profound observation that "Asking people for something often strengthens the relationship," and companies AND people can use that, by judiciously asking others for something they are easily able to supply (opinions?) and willing to supply.
Resume Review and the Job Search
------------------------------------------------------
Members spent time critiquing others resumes. Duane observed he felt he would be FAR ahead if "If I spent as much time improving my resume and asking people out to coffee to learn about them as I do in applying [for jobs]", a point well made: Your resume is ONLY "marketing" for YOU. A/B test it and actively solicit consumer (erm... prospective employer) market research on it's efficacy in marketing YOU.
Duane offered to be a guinea pig on this one, committing to reporting to the group in 3 weeks HIS results in asking at least 3 prospective employers to critique his resume.
What Help Do You Need!?
------------------------------------------------------
We ended with a recommendation Gayle Rose had made some time ago: By going around the room, each person announcing what help or connection they needed assistance with this week; the entire room brainstorming connections and tangible help.
The combination of rainy weather and a lack of parking (SVC had both a seminar AND a tree blown down in the parking lot) kept the meeting smaller-than-average level of attendance, but the attendees were top of their field and compelling!
Of discussion was:
Crowdsourcing: What it means to Creatives
------------------------------------------------------
Discussed that crowdsourcing DOES radically affect creatives. It is hard when you've spent years developing and honing a craft that was once highly valued, but is now becoming commoditized. Never the less, arguing against evolution leaves you with the dinosaurs.
Evolvers may find themselves:
- Becoming the in-house creative that -- rather then produces from start to end -- now manages crowdsourced resources, educating the company on what quality is, what is needed and managing the crowdsourcers.
- There will ALWAYS be a place for specializing: that is, becoming one of the top 5% at doing ____X____
- Joining in the crowdsourcing
Social Media Metrics: Quantity vs. Quality
------------------------------------------------------
With Social Media becoming more and more evolved and valued, the question remains: How do you MEASURE its efficacy!? There are ways to measure ROI, but all of these ways NEED to differentiate between *quantity* (how many connections, subscribers or followers, how many page visits, how many re-broadcasts) and *quality* (was the re-broadcast in a positive light -- "you have to see this, it's so cool!" -- or negative "Watch this: BP STILL doesn't get it!").
Quality often requires a different, subjective standard of measure, but frankly, is more important in social media, than quantity.
In discussing social marketing's strategy of strengthening relationships, Duane added in a profound observation that "Asking people for something often strengthens the relationship," and companies AND people can use that, by judiciously asking others for something they are easily able to supply (opinions?) and willing to supply.
Resume Review and the Job Search
------------------------------------------------------
Members spent time critiquing others resumes. Duane observed he felt he would be FAR ahead if "If I spent as much time improving my resume and asking people out to coffee to learn about them as I do in applying [for jobs]", a point well made: Your resume is ONLY "marketing" for YOU. A/B test it and actively solicit consumer (erm... prospective employer) market research on it's efficacy in marketing YOU.
Duane offered to be a guinea pig on this one, committing to reporting to the group in 3 weeks HIS results in asking at least 3 prospective employers to critique his resume.
What Help Do You Need!?
------------------------------------------------------
We ended with a recommendation Gayle Rose had made some time ago: By going around the room, each person announcing what help or connection they needed assistance with this week; the entire room brainstorming connections and tangible help.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Using Google Adwords as a job search tool
It's a fact of life, the number one thing people are curious about is themselves (and what other people think of them). Here's how one creative put that bit of human insight to work... in his search for work.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Notes from 5/7/2010 - "Managing Social Media"
Last week's meeting started off with a bang, literally, as we somehow got sidetracked into a lively discussion about gun control and the 2nd Amendment. (We might all be marketers, but some of us are clearly on opposite sides of the table when it comes to the subject.)
We quickly, however, got back to business and talked about more pertinent topics, such as how to effectively manage multiple forms of Social Media. One recommended application that several of us are employing is HootSuite, which lets you manage multiple Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts in "one easy to use interface." The free software application lets you schedule tweets, track statistics, and personalize how you view what's going on in the social realm.
NEWS!
Friday's guest speaker will be Terah Brossart from The Creative Group, a national creative staffing agency. Terah will tackle all our questions about the Seattle market and will bring along some Salary Guides TCG has produced. Upon request, Terah will also discuss the rise of Social Media and how folks are landing jobs in this area.
Congrats to Meghan Ragsdale, who was elected Chair of Ad 2 Seattle, the AdClub's sub-group for those 32 years of age and under. They just had their 1st event last night, as they are looking to 'relaunch' the group back into prominence within the creative community.
JOB NEWS!
Jen Pearce has recently started in a contract role as Media Author II with Xbox. She said the connection was made when she met reps from Creative Circle at our April 2nd meeting. Congrats, Jen!
And I've heard of two other offers, but I'm waiting (as are they) for final confirmation, before broadcasting to the world.
We quickly, however, got back to business and talked about more pertinent topics, such as how to effectively manage multiple forms of Social Media. One recommended application that several of us are employing is HootSuite, which lets you manage multiple Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts in "one easy to use interface." The free software application lets you schedule tweets, track statistics, and personalize how you view what's going on in the social realm.
NEWS!
Friday's guest speaker will be Terah Brossart from The Creative Group, a national creative staffing agency. Terah will tackle all our questions about the Seattle market and will bring along some Salary Guides TCG has produced. Upon request, Terah will also discuss the rise of Social Media and how folks are landing jobs in this area.
Congrats to Meghan Ragsdale, who was elected Chair of Ad 2 Seattle, the AdClub's sub-group for those 32 years of age and under. They just had their 1st event last night, as they are looking to 'relaunch' the group back into prominence within the creative community.
JOB NEWS!
Jen Pearce has recently started in a contract role as Media Author II with Xbox. She said the connection was made when she met reps from Creative Circle at our April 2nd meeting. Congrats, Jen!
And I've heard of two other offers, but I'm waiting (as are they) for final confirmation, before broadcasting to the world.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Notes from 4/16/2010 OCA Meeting
In-depth and very engaging discussion at last week's OCA meeting.
Below are three different subjects that we covered:
All-in-One Job Descriptions
- We've all seen them... job descriptions that encompass everything plus the kitchen sink. Below is a shortened list of duties from an actual job posting on Craigslist:
Someone in the group had an interesting point and analogy. Would an engineering firm post a job position that required a candidate to have mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering experience? We understand the need for marketing generalists. And, of course, smaller companies can't afford to hire specialists, but rather need employees who can wear several hats.
Regardless, there's an overwhelming sense that recruiters and hiring managers are expecting the recession's talent pool to produce all-in-one candidates - at bargain prices. In addition, all too often job seekers are interviewing for positions that are mislabeled. PR/Communications roles, for instance, that are titled "Marketing Director," etc. and the kitchen sink mentality could indicate a lack of real knowledge of how the many functional areas of marketing actually work within a business.
Social Media
Another interesting position requirement we're starting to see everywhere is a need for "Social Media experience." Not only are companies looking for this, they're searching for job candidates who can lead them in this area. Postings for Director of Social Media and Social Media Strategist are popping up across the job boards.
Is it a fad or a viable marketing tool companies can utilize? Our group definitely skews toward the latter view. SM is a way to build relationships with customers, opening a two-way conversation. This added avenue of communication can then lead to product improvements, address customer satisfaction complaints, and help launch new products or services.
While Social Media may not result in a direct correlation to bottom-line sales, monitoring tools, such as Brandwatch and Radian6, are helping marketing organizations realize their return on investment.
Networking
While most of us are exceptional at dissecting positional statements and recommending communications strategies, it's an interesting conundrum when we need to look inward and market ourselves.
One obvious way to do so is by networking. Two weeks ago, we touched on the need to build tactical relationships with companies and hiring managers. What's often lost, however, is the crucial aspect of casting a wider net.
- Let everyone in your professional and personal network know that you're looking for work. You never know who may hear of an opening.
- Stay top-of-mind by doing so more than once. If time has passed, people may assume you've already landed something and not think to pass you the lead.
- Be specific, and ask for help. Let people know what you're looking for and ask if they know of anyone with whom you should connect.
Below are three different subjects that we covered:
All-in-One Job Descriptions
- We've all seen them... job descriptions that encompass everything plus the kitchen sink. Below is a shortened list of duties from an actual job posting on Craigslist:
- Write, design, and produce materials, including proposals, presentations, corporate collateral materials, and more.
- Write press releases, seek opportunities for press coverage, track press activity/presence.
- Advertising concept/writing/design for newspapers, sponsorships, and other publications.
- Website design and maintenance for corporate site, intranet, extranet, and property sites.
- Develop and maintain corporate mailing list/company database for use by sales force.
- Research new technology, resources, and marketing tools.
Someone in the group had an interesting point and analogy. Would an engineering firm post a job position that required a candidate to have mechanical, electrical, structural, and civil engineering experience? We understand the need for marketing generalists. And, of course, smaller companies can't afford to hire specialists, but rather need employees who can wear several hats.
Regardless, there's an overwhelming sense that recruiters and hiring managers are expecting the recession's talent pool to produce all-in-one candidates - at bargain prices. In addition, all too often job seekers are interviewing for positions that are mislabeled. PR/Communications roles, for instance, that are titled "Marketing Director," etc. and the kitchen sink mentality could indicate a lack of real knowledge of how the many functional areas of marketing actually work within a business.
Social Media
Another interesting position requirement we're starting to see everywhere is a need for "Social Media experience." Not only are companies looking for this, they're searching for job candidates who can lead them in this area. Postings for Director of Social Media and Social Media Strategist are popping up across the job boards.
Is it a fad or a viable marketing tool companies can utilize? Our group definitely skews toward the latter view. SM is a way to build relationships with customers, opening a two-way conversation. This added avenue of communication can then lead to product improvements, address customer satisfaction complaints, and help launch new products or services.
While Social Media may not result in a direct correlation to bottom-line sales, monitoring tools, such as Brandwatch and Radian6, are helping marketing organizations realize their return on investment.
Networking
While most of us are exceptional at dissecting positional statements and recommending communications strategies, it's an interesting conundrum when we need to look inward and market ourselves.
One obvious way to do so is by networking. Two weeks ago, we touched on the need to build tactical relationships with companies and hiring managers. What's often lost, however, is the crucial aspect of casting a wider net.
- Let everyone in your professional and personal network know that you're looking for work. You never know who may hear of an opening.
- Stay top-of-mind by doing so more than once. If time has passed, people may assume you've already landed something and not think to pass you the lead.
- Be specific, and ask for help. Let people know what you're looking for and ask if they know of anyone with whom you should connect.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Notes from 4/9/2010 OCA Meeting, Job News
ONE NEW MEMBER joined us Friday:
- Dianne Stiefel has more than 20 years of sales experience, most recently in the mortgage banking industry.
THIS PAST WEEK, we broke into smaller groups to further network on a more intimate basis. We also discussed issues that we're encountering during our job searches with the idea of looking to address them through OCA and possible guest speakers.
Items we talked about:
Social Media - The advent of this area has been exponential, and there are many jobs in the market looking for experience at various levels. Razorfish, for example, currently has an opening for a Director of Social Media. Curator PR is interviewing candidates for a Social Media Strategist. A quick survey of Craigslist shows 64 positions posted in the past 30 days looking for some form of Social Media experience.
Action Item:
- Identify and contact a Social Media expert (or group) to come in and provide a primer and to discuss where this area is going with relation to marketing. Last July, Spring Creek Group did a guest appearance with OCA. I'll see if we can get them back in. Another resource might be Ben Straley, CEO of Meteor Solutions.
Building Tactical Relationships - It's one thing to work a room at a networking event, gathering cards and asking how you can help other people. But it's another with taking those 5 to 10-minute relationships to the next level, and really getting to know people. How can we build tactical relationships that we can leverage during the job search?
Action Item:
- Reach out to Sandy Jones-Kaminski, networking guru, to see if she can visit us and impart her wisdom.
Age Discrimination / Being Overqualified - Call it what you will, it's something many of us have encountered. We've got years of experience, but maybe more experience than the job description calls for. Or, we're pursuing a new area of interest, something we do not have as much actual experience with. And despite being very willing to take a lower- or entry-level job, we're still deemed as 'too expensive' or labeled a 'flight risk.'
Changing Directions - For several OCA members, the job search has taken us down a new career path. Graphic Designers are pursuing the web. Marketing professionals are exploring Social Media. How can we best position ourselves to employers (and to those with whom we are networking) to demonstrate the new direction we're taking?
Action Item:
- Contact trusted recruiters and HR reps at the companies we're targeting, to see if we can get a panel discussion lined up to tackle the two points above.
Job Search Tips - What has worked for others, for those who have been successful at landing full-time or contract positions? What did they learn from the career coaches, the job consultants? Did they spend time concentrating on networking or honing multiple copies of their resume to fit the job description?
Action Item:
- Contact OCA alums to see about setting up a "Reunion Show" to discuss what they've done to land their current positions.
JOB NEWS:
Donna Sellers is now Director, Brand Marketing at Parallels.
Congrats, Donna!
- Dianne Stiefel has more than 20 years of sales experience, most recently in the mortgage banking industry.
THIS PAST WEEK, we broke into smaller groups to further network on a more intimate basis. We also discussed issues that we're encountering during our job searches with the idea of looking to address them through OCA and possible guest speakers.
Items we talked about:
Social Media - The advent of this area has been exponential, and there are many jobs in the market looking for experience at various levels. Razorfish, for example, currently has an opening for a Director of Social Media. Curator PR is interviewing candidates for a Social Media Strategist. A quick survey of Craigslist shows 64 positions posted in the past 30 days looking for some form of Social Media experience.
Action Item:
- Identify and contact a Social Media expert (or group) to come in and provide a primer and to discuss where this area is going with relation to marketing. Last July, Spring Creek Group did a guest appearance with OCA. I'll see if we can get them back in. Another resource might be Ben Straley, CEO of Meteor Solutions.
Building Tactical Relationships - It's one thing to work a room at a networking event, gathering cards and asking how you can help other people. But it's another with taking those 5 to 10-minute relationships to the next level, and really getting to know people. How can we build tactical relationships that we can leverage during the job search?
Action Item:
- Reach out to Sandy Jones-Kaminski, networking guru, to see if she can visit us and impart her wisdom.
Age Discrimination / Being Overqualified - Call it what you will, it's something many of us have encountered. We've got years of experience, but maybe more experience than the job description calls for. Or, we're pursuing a new area of interest, something we do not have as much actual experience with. And despite being very willing to take a lower- or entry-level job, we're still deemed as 'too expensive' or labeled a 'flight risk.'
Changing Directions - For several OCA members, the job search has taken us down a new career path. Graphic Designers are pursuing the web. Marketing professionals are exploring Social Media. How can we best position ourselves to employers (and to those with whom we are networking) to demonstrate the new direction we're taking?
Action Item:
- Contact trusted recruiters and HR reps at the companies we're targeting, to see if we can get a panel discussion lined up to tackle the two points above.
Job Search Tips - What has worked for others, for those who have been successful at landing full-time or contract positions? What did they learn from the career coaches, the job consultants? Did they spend time concentrating on networking or honing multiple copies of their resume to fit the job description?
Action Item:
- Contact OCA alums to see about setting up a "Reunion Show" to discuss what they've done to land their current positions.
JOB NEWS:
Donna Sellers is now Director, Brand Marketing at Parallels.
Congrats, Donna!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Social Media Inspiration
AgencyTwoFifteen has just launched a campaign for Microsoft's KIN, a new Windows phone "designed to handle busy social lives - online and off."
The campaign, initially consisting of videos posted on Facebook.com/KIN, is already being talked about and shared on AgencySpy, YouTube, Creativity, etc. The fact that the launch of the ads coincides with the launch of a rebranded agency doesn't hurt. (AgencyTwoFifteen has just parted ways from McCann, where they were known as T.A.G., and now operates under the bigger umbrella of holding company Interpublic.)
Given the product, it's a smart (and interesting) way to create buzz and to generate a following of targeted consumers who will want to keep track of Rosa, the campaign's hero and anointed "socialogist." Rosa will use the phone to validate her friends, making visits in a documented journey around the country.
The campaign, initially consisting of videos posted on Facebook.com/KIN, is already being talked about and shared on AgencySpy, YouTube, Creativity, etc. The fact that the launch of the ads coincides with the launch of a rebranded agency doesn't hurt. (AgencyTwoFifteen has just parted ways from McCann, where they were known as T.A.G., and now operates under the bigger umbrella of holding company Interpublic.)
Given the product, it's a smart (and interesting) way to create buzz and to generate a following of targeted consumers who will want to keep track of Rosa, the campaign's hero and anointed "socialogist." Rosa will use the phone to validate her friends, making visits in a documented journey around the country.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Notes from 1/29/2010 OCA Meeting, Job News
Welcome to two new OCA members:
- Al Stankowiak, former Director of Marketing for Talisma, a CRM solutions provider for higher education.
- Denise Paley, graphic consultant and marketing sales rep, most recently with Revolution.
For several weeks now, the topic of blogging has come up - specifically regarding the utilization of a blog and tools such as Twitter as a means to digitally establish yourself (and your 'brand') online. The idea: start being viewed as an expert on 'something' - anything, by providing your opinion on certain topics.
The common lament? "What am I going to blog about?" Ideally, start writing about the area in which you're looking to be hired. If your career planning is hitting on all cylinders, this should be an area for which you have a passion - and an opinion. With online tools such as WordPress and Blogger, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Worst case, it will give you something to do and help you focus your thoughts on the business landscape.
Back in December, I referenced Michelle Goodman's article "TwitterPatter" that she wrote for NWjobs.com. In it, she tells the story of Karianne Stinson, who went from teaching elementary school to a job in public relations - using Twitter to build her online profile. (Michelle has her own blog, Nine To Thrive, which is another great resource for work advice.)
Job News!
- Carolyn Hazard has over a week under her belt in her new role as Senior Graphic Design Presentation Specialist at Silver Fox Productions on Capitol Hill. Carolyn is enjoying the new job and has kindly offered to stay connected with OCA. She says Silver Fox is growing and could be looking to hire soon. Stay Tuned!
Congrats, Carolyn!
- Al Stankowiak, former Director of Marketing for Talisma, a CRM solutions provider for higher education.
- Denise Paley, graphic consultant and marketing sales rep, most recently with Revolution.
For several weeks now, the topic of blogging has come up - specifically regarding the utilization of a blog and tools such as Twitter as a means to digitally establish yourself (and your 'brand') online. The idea: start being viewed as an expert on 'something' - anything, by providing your opinion on certain topics.
The common lament? "What am I going to blog about?" Ideally, start writing about the area in which you're looking to be hired. If your career planning is hitting on all cylinders, this should be an area for which you have a passion - and an opinion. With online tools such as WordPress and Blogger, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Worst case, it will give you something to do and help you focus your thoughts on the business landscape.
Back in December, I referenced Michelle Goodman's article "TwitterPatter" that she wrote for NWjobs.com. In it, she tells the story of Karianne Stinson, who went from teaching elementary school to a job in public relations - using Twitter to build her online profile. (Michelle has her own blog, Nine To Thrive, which is another great resource for work advice.)
Job News!
- Carolyn Hazard has over a week under her belt in her new role as Senior Graphic Design Presentation Specialist at Silver Fox Productions on Capitol Hill. Carolyn is enjoying the new job and has kindly offered to stay connected with OCA. She says Silver Fox is growing and could be looking to hire soon. Stay Tuned!
Congrats, Carolyn!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
User-Generated Content Inspiration
Can the Super Bowl show us where advertising is headed?
Last year I posted a link to CareerBuilder's 2009 Super Bowl ad, from Wieden + Kennedy. Then in May, the online recruiting company said goodbye to the agency and opened up the creative development to the general masses. Similar to Doritos, who last year won USA Today's annual Super Bowl ad poll, CareerBuilder devised a contest to drive user-generated content. Nearly 1,000 entries later, the company has posted the 3 finalists to determine which spot will air during "the big game." They're also sharing behind the scenes footage and interviews with the spots' creators. Below is one of the :30 ads, which were produced by the company's in-house advertising group in California.
This year Doritos had over 4,000 entries (battling for a possible $5 Million in prizes) in its CrashTheSuperBowl contest. They've whittled the competition down to 6 finalists, 3 of which will air during the game. Below is the best of the bunch.
Both companies utilized social media (Facebook and YouTube) as a way to promote the contests and drive traffic to their micro-sites. And rather than debut the highly anticipated ads during the game, as most advertisers do, each company has reaped the benefits of additional reach, media impressions, and buzz by sharing content along the way. Awarding prizes and follow-up press coverage will only ensure that the campaigns live a long, full life.
Last year I posted a link to CareerBuilder's 2009 Super Bowl ad, from Wieden + Kennedy. Then in May, the online recruiting company said goodbye to the agency and opened up the creative development to the general masses. Similar to Doritos, who last year won USA Today's annual Super Bowl ad poll, CareerBuilder devised a contest to drive user-generated content. Nearly 1,000 entries later, the company has posted the 3 finalists to determine which spot will air during "the big game." They're also sharing behind the scenes footage and interviews with the spots' creators. Below is one of the :30 ads, which were produced by the company's in-house advertising group in California.
This year Doritos had over 4,000 entries (battling for a possible $5 Million in prizes) in its CrashTheSuperBowl contest. They've whittled the competition down to 6 finalists, 3 of which will air during the game. Below is the best of the bunch.
Both companies utilized social media (Facebook and YouTube) as a way to promote the contests and drive traffic to their micro-sites. And rather than debut the highly anticipated ads during the game, as most advertisers do, each company has reaped the benefits of additional reach, media impressions, and buzz by sharing content along the way. Awarding prizes and follow-up press coverage will only ensure that the campaigns live a long, full life.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Notes from 11/20 OCA Meeting
No new members to report, but... we did get together and talked about resumes, social media, and the Taproot Foundation.
Resumes
Paul Verner recently attended ProLango's resume writing 2.0 workshop, and he shared some his newly learned insights with the group:
- Write your resume for the recruiter, not the hiring manager. The purpose of the resume is to get you the interview.
- Contrary to popular belief (and all of us in the room last week), ProLango suggests 3 pages if you have more than 5 years of experience, 2 pages if you have 3-5 years of experience.
- Focus on keywords that tie to the job description. Repeat them within the resume, as current automated readers pick up on these (and the number of times they occur) and will flag your resume as one that is a good match.
- Not rocket science, but identify "tasks and results." Use percentages and dollar figures to highlight sales, cost savings, etc. - what you contributed.
Social Media
Gayle Rose asked if any of us had examples of Social Media case studies. We were able to quickly pull up several examples online (and sites with lists of hundreds of examples).
My favorite of the past year: Crispin Porter's "Whopper Sacrifice," which won a 2009 Cannes Titanium Lion, and asked, "What do you love more, your Facebook friends or the Whopper?"
233,000 friends were dumped in just over a week. I wish I'd known when this launched... I could have cleaned up my Facebook account and gotten a burger (or 3).
Taproot Foundation
Duane Hobbs recently started working on a project for the Seattle chapter of Lighthouse for the Blind. It's always nice to hear how some of us are putting our skills to good use.
Reminder... No meeting this week, 11/27, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We'll reconvene next Friday, 12/4.
Have a safe and fun Turkey Day!
Resumes
Paul Verner recently attended ProLango's resume writing 2.0 workshop, and he shared some his newly learned insights with the group:
- Write your resume for the recruiter, not the hiring manager. The purpose of the resume is to get you the interview.
- Contrary to popular belief (and all of us in the room last week), ProLango suggests 3 pages if you have more than 5 years of experience, 2 pages if you have 3-5 years of experience.
- Focus on keywords that tie to the job description. Repeat them within the resume, as current automated readers pick up on these (and the number of times they occur) and will flag your resume as one that is a good match.
- Not rocket science, but identify "tasks and results." Use percentages and dollar figures to highlight sales, cost savings, etc. - what you contributed.
Social Media
Gayle Rose asked if any of us had examples of Social Media case studies. We were able to quickly pull up several examples online (and sites with lists of hundreds of examples).
My favorite of the past year: Crispin Porter's "Whopper Sacrifice," which won a 2009 Cannes Titanium Lion, and asked, "What do you love more, your Facebook friends or the Whopper?"
233,000 friends were dumped in just over a week. I wish I'd known when this launched... I could have cleaned up my Facebook account and gotten a burger (or 3).
Taproot Foundation
Duane Hobbs recently started working on a project for the Seattle chapter of Lighthouse for the Blind. It's always nice to hear how some of us are putting our skills to good use.
Reminder... No meeting this week, 11/27, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We'll reconvene next Friday, 12/4.
Have a safe and fun Turkey Day!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Notes from 10/30 OCA Meeting, Social Media
At last week's meeting...
Among many a topic, we talked about Taproot, and a project Duane Hobbs has just been selected to work on as Brand Strategist. He'll be helping with a rebranding and messaging project for Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind
The Taproot Foundation has come up at several OCA meetings. For more info, click here for 2 older posts with notes/links about the good work they do.
Social Media Update
We have 3 volunteers who have stepped forward to help keep our social media outlets up to date with information about events, articles, and the latest news.
- Daniel Holland / linkedin
- Suzanne LeMere / OCA blog
- Mark Jovan / twitter
Yes, you read that correctly, OCA now has a Twitter account.
http://twitter.com/1connectionAway
OCA e-mail distro vs. OCA LinkedIn group.
Several people have asked recently to be added to the e-mail distro or have connected thru our LinkedIn OCA group. Both have over 70 people, but there's not a 100% correlation. For instance, there are 20+ folks listed in the LinkedIn group that I haven't technically met, most of whom are gainfully employed. So, if anyone is looking to reach a broader audience, make sure you communicate to each group.
Among many a topic, we talked about Taproot, and a project Duane Hobbs has just been selected to work on as Brand Strategist. He'll be helping with a rebranding and messaging project for Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind
The Taproot Foundation has come up at several OCA meetings. For more info, click here for 2 older posts with notes/links about the good work they do.
Social Media Update
We have 3 volunteers who have stepped forward to help keep our social media outlets up to date with information about events, articles, and the latest news.
- Daniel Holland / linkedin
- Suzanne LeMere / OCA blog
- Mark Jovan / twitter
Yes, you read that correctly, OCA now has a Twitter account.
http://twitter.com/1connectionAway
OCA e-mail distro vs. OCA LinkedIn group.
Several people have asked recently to be added to the e-mail distro or have connected thru our LinkedIn OCA group. Both have over 70 people, but there's not a 100% correlation. For instance, there are 20+ folks listed in the LinkedIn group that I haven't technically met, most of whom are gainfully employed. So, if anyone is looking to reach a broader audience, make sure you communicate to each group.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Notes from 10/16 OCA Meeting
No new members to report. That's probably a good thing.
Small, but lively group, this past Friday. We covered several topics, including:
- Online portfolios (OCA is setting up a 2-hr WordPress WorkShop); Steve Andrews, art director, suggested the web site / service, Wix.com, which is where he developed his site.
- Our top targets. We had the suggestion that next week, our 'homework' is to bring a list of the companies we're looking at - to compare and contrast - and, more importantly, to see who has connections within these firms and agencies.
- Marchex, who is hiring product and product marketing jobs, as well as looking for a Media Buyer, here in Seattle.
- LinkedIn, and how companies are using the tool to quickly vet possible employee candidates. HR reps at companies, such as T-Mobile (which is where the inside info came from at a recent information session), can look to:
* double-check that the resume you've submitted matches that of your profile
* how well-connected you are (would a Sales Rep candidate only have 23 connections?)
* see how well-liked you are (how many recommendations does this person have?)
* use it to check references.
Small, but lively group, this past Friday. We covered several topics, including:
- Online portfolios (OCA is setting up a 2-hr WordPress WorkShop); Steve Andrews, art director, suggested the web site / service, Wix.com, which is where he developed his site.
- Our top targets. We had the suggestion that next week, our 'homework' is to bring a list of the companies we're looking at - to compare and contrast - and, more importantly, to see who has connections within these firms and agencies.
- Marchex, who is hiring product and product marketing jobs, as well as looking for a Media Buyer, here in Seattle.
- LinkedIn, and how companies are using the tool to quickly vet possible employee candidates. HR reps at companies, such as T-Mobile (which is where the inside info came from at a recent information session), can look to:
* double-check that the resume you've submitted matches that of your profile
* how well-connected you are (would a Sales Rep candidate only have 23 connections?)
* see how well-liked you are (how many recommendations does this person have?)
* use it to check references.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
FREE Career Seminars with ProLango
At a couple recent OCA meetings, we've heard of a group over on the East side that is offering up free career seminars for the job seeker. Paul Anderson runs ProLango and bills himself as a "career psychology consultant."
In addition, ProLango is hosting a Career Mixer on Monday, September 21st, over in Bellevue. Click here for details.
"Using his background in psychology and communications Anderson specializes in helping his clients achieve stronger sales, effective communication, top careers, and masterful public speaking. His unique combination of communication and business psychology enables executives and businesses to significantly improve performance and productivity."
Upcoming seminars:
Resume Writing 2.0 Seminar
- Learn WHY your resume doesn’t work in Today’s market.
- The importance of personal branding and why it’s so useful.
- Do cover letters work? What purpose do they serve?
Career Search 2.0 Seminar
- Why is it so hard to find a job today?
- Why Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) is the gateway to finding new opportunities.
- Where to find positions that are never posted publicly.
- What recruiters won’t tell you about your permanent hiring record
Psychology of Interviewing Seminar
- Why is it so hard to pass an interview?
- Take advantage of the number one hiring mistake that most managers make.
- How to leverage psychology to pass any interview.
In addition, ProLango is hosting a Career Mixer on Monday, September 21st, over in Bellevue. Click here for details.
"Using his background in psychology and communications Anderson specializes in helping his clients achieve stronger sales, effective communication, top careers, and masterful public speaking. His unique combination of communication and business psychology enables executives and businesses to significantly improve performance and productivity."
Upcoming seminars:
Resume Writing 2.0 Seminar
- Learn WHY your resume doesn’t work in Today’s market.
- The importance of personal branding and why it’s so useful.
- Do cover letters work? What purpose do they serve?
Career Search 2.0 Seminar
- Why is it so hard to find a job today?
- Why Social Media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) is the gateway to finding new opportunities.
- Where to find positions that are never posted publicly.
- What recruiters won’t tell you about your permanent hiring record
Psychology of Interviewing Seminar
- Why is it so hard to pass an interview?
- Take advantage of the number one hiring mistake that most managers make.
- How to leverage psychology to pass any interview.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
NOTES from 7/24 OCA meeting
Welcome new members:
- Suzanne LeMere - recent graduate with a wealth of prior business experience
- Mary Beth Lambert - non-profit marketing expert
A record crowd for last week's Social Media and Marketing presentation with Spring Creek Group principal, Andy Boyer. A full room got a dose of explanations and insight from one the area's leading companies. Stories were told, laughs were had, and a lot of knowledge was imparted.
Below are some highlights of the discussion:
- Insights: "Social media is not a campaign, it's a culture." People aren't necessarily going to your web site to look for answers; they're going to chat rooms and the blogosphere to find out about your products and for customer support. (ex. YahooAnswers)
People can be extremely influential and make companies jump at the drop of a hat. "People are going to the highest mountain to shout where they feel they can be heard."
- Future trends: Anything that increases the conversation between a brand and its customers.
- Example of a company (or product) that has done well to integrate social media into its marketing mix: bing from Microsoft. They generated a buzz as to what the name of the search engine would be, then released the name just prior to the launch - and had more than 50,000 fans on Facebook within 20 hrs.
- B2B vs. Consumer social media - B2B has a much smaller number of influencers, so keep pushing relevant material to those people. Go deep, and know your audience. With Consumer brands, you're dealing with the masses - wanting to increase your number of loyal followers. This can be tricky, as you have less control, and can respond to fewer items - but the same goes in terms of knowing your audience.
- Words of advice for those in Job Search mode: "Control your brand." Before and after interviews, hiring managers are researching you. Make sure you have a handle on what's out there to be viewed. Check accounts on Facebook and any other digital source that could have info on you.
"What is the definition of Web 2.0?"
This question came up and was actually a bit difficult to answer for all -- because there is no right answer.
Christine Goetz sent over this link, which explains from a web design look and feel perspective: "It allows web users to use the web with great ease."
http://blog.magnoninternational.com/web-20-look-and-feel-of-a-website/
Another view, and how I would define 2.0, is the emergence of focusing on the interaction of the user / viewer.
From Wikipedia: "It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the Web."
- Suzanne LeMere - recent graduate with a wealth of prior business experience
- Mary Beth Lambert - non-profit marketing expert
A record crowd for last week's Social Media and Marketing presentation with Spring Creek Group principal, Andy Boyer. A full room got a dose of explanations and insight from one the area's leading companies. Stories were told, laughs were had, and a lot of knowledge was imparted.
Below are some highlights of the discussion:
- Insights: "Social media is not a campaign, it's a culture." People aren't necessarily going to your web site to look for answers; they're going to chat rooms and the blogosphere to find out about your products and for customer support. (ex. YahooAnswers)
People can be extremely influential and make companies jump at the drop of a hat. "People are going to the highest mountain to shout where they feel they can be heard."
- Future trends: Anything that increases the conversation between a brand and its customers.
- Example of a company (or product) that has done well to integrate social media into its marketing mix: bing from Microsoft. They generated a buzz as to what the name of the search engine would be, then released the name just prior to the launch - and had more than 50,000 fans on Facebook within 20 hrs.
- B2B vs. Consumer social media - B2B has a much smaller number of influencers, so keep pushing relevant material to those people. Go deep, and know your audience. With Consumer brands, you're dealing with the masses - wanting to increase your number of loyal followers. This can be tricky, as you have less control, and can respond to fewer items - but the same goes in terms of knowing your audience.
- Words of advice for those in Job Search mode: "Control your brand." Before and after interviews, hiring managers are researching you. Make sure you have a handle on what's out there to be viewed. Check accounts on Facebook and any other digital source that could have info on you.
"What is the definition of Web 2.0?"
This question came up and was actually a bit difficult to answer for all -- because there is no right answer.
Christine Goetz sent over this link, which explains from a web design look and feel perspective: "It allows web users to use the web with great ease."
http://blog.magnoninternational.com/web-20-look-and-feel-of-a-website/
Another view, and how I would define 2.0, is the emergence of focusing on the interaction of the user / viewer.
From Wikipedia: "It is characterized as facilitating communication, information sharing, interoperability, user-centered design, and collaboration on the Web."
Monday, June 29, 2009
NOTES from Meeting #23, June 29 @SVC
Healthy discussion about Social Networking - how some companies are jumping on a bandwagon they don't completely understand, while some organizations are missing the boat and the added opportunities to extend their brands.
One company in Seattle that is getting very active: Spring Creek Group
In fact, two of their principals, Clay McDaniel and Andy Boyer, will be teaching two courses on the subject at the School of Visual Concepts.
As I check my Twitter page, update this Blog, see who's connecting on LinkedIn, and log in to Facebook... I'm thinking the timing is right.
One company in Seattle that is getting very active: Spring Creek Group
In fact, two of their principals, Clay McDaniel and Andy Boyer, will be teaching two courses on the subject at the School of Visual Concepts.
As I check my Twitter page, update this Blog, see who's connecting on LinkedIn, and log in to Facebook... I'm thinking the timing is right.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Social Media webinar - 4/14 @ 9am Pacific
VisualCV will host a webinar titled "Incorporating Social Media in Your Job Search."
From their website, the webinar will cover:
- Web 2.0 and the job search
- Presenting your strengths in a VisualCV
- Social media resources for the job search
- An efficient use of social media in the job search
- Social media job search success stories.
From their website, the webinar will cover:
- Web 2.0 and the job search
- Presenting your strengths in a VisualCV
- Social media resources for the job search
- An efficient use of social media in the job search
- Social media job search success stories.
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