ME 52-37: Exploring the Alchemy of Content Marketing

Rachel Parker is currently Senior Copywriter and "Brand Voice Alchemist" at Lyrica Copywriting. Rachel's diverse background includes full-time positions on both the corporate and agency sides of marketing and communications as well as a broad array of freelance work. Her client list includes some of the biggest names in Houston: Hewlett-Packard, SYSCO Foodservice, AIG American General, Methodist Hospital and many more. She has worked side-by-side with clients large and small to help them build brands, establish print and online presences, and make their voices heard across their markets.

Rachel Parker
Brand Voice Alchemist
Lyrica Copywriting
Twitter: lyricacopy
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lyricacopy

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
My Google Reader, where I pick up Mashable, Social Media Examiner, Seth Godin and Social Media Today, plus some specialized branding blogs like Interbrand and Brand New.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I love Nick Usborne's Web Content Cafe for content ideas and blogging tips, and my buddy Richard Baron always has interesting ideas to share at Signalwriter. When I really need a brain break, I'll mosey over to BuzzSugar or Entertainment Weekly for some entertainment lowdown.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
The ability to create a distinct brand and maintain it consistently across all channels.

What's the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost every day and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?
I've been seeing a lot of buzz around content marketing lately, which, as a writer, gives me major warm-fuzzies! I think we're getting to a place where content--and by "content," I mean not just text on a page, bu also video, audio and interactive elements--really is starting to take center stage, and clients are willing to pay for it. I've heard it said that we're flooded with information but starved for knowledge, and there's definitely a market for those who can compile all that info into functional, usable resources.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
I'll admit I had my doubts about location-based social media, but now I really do believe it has some staying power and yet-untapped business uses.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of marketing specialty?
It's important not push your own agenda. True, our clients are paying for our expertise, but we can't just become talking heads. First and foremost, we need to really listen to and respect the client's needs, goals and values.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumer or business?
Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, and our challenges as marketers is having enough customer contact to stay front-of-mind without becoming a nuisance.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
If the brand is strong and resonates with people at a visceral level, it'll be highly portable across borders... as long as you do your homework thoroughly and understand the culture you're reaching out to. Let's not forget the ill-fated Chevy Nova campaign.

Best pieces of advice you have received professionally or personally?
Be yourself, everybody else is taken.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
I had big dreams of becoming a stage actress!

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
I really like what WalMart's done with their brand, from the softer logo to the friendly tagline "Save money. Live better." And i love that they've actually backed it up by cleaning up their stores and really focusing on improving their shopper experience.

To tweet or not to tweet?
to tweet! in just a couple of years, Twitter has evolved from a tweener playground to a viable business MarCom tool, even playing a key role in political developments like the student movements in Iran. It's definitely here to stay.

ME 52-36: Multicultural in Digital Motion to Keep Authenticity and Engagement with Consumers

Tiffany Griffin has been taking steps in the agency world toward her current role as Sr. Digital Strategist at Footsteps, which specializes in the motion of consumers as they move through culture, gender age and environment. Prior to joining the multicultural marketing and advertising agency, Griffin spent time with the Arnell Group and Steelcase. Her ability to see the consumer and place them as a priority in any project that she works on helps her adapt to the ever-changing marketplace.

Tiffany R. Griffin

Sr. Digital Strategist
Footsteps


What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Facebook, Twitter, AdAdge, BrandWeek, TargetMarketNews... tech blogs: Mashable, TechCrunch, BlackWeb2.0

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
News sites: New York Times, HuffPo, The Root.

New York Magazine, High Snobette, Satorialist, Trend Hunter, Twitter

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

PEOPLE skills! You've got to understand people, be interested in people, and be willing to talk and gain insights from people.

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

"Catch phrases" authentic and engaging. The corporate talk "at you" process is dead. Most of the big wigs made tons of money with compelling creative that "talked at," but not with the consumer. Well, it's a new day. Between job loss, consumer access to information, and Gen Y and their mindset becoming the dominant culture, the old ways just won't work. "Authentic" and "engaging" are definitely overused, but they are necessary elements to include in planning.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Location based check-ins. It's a consumer thing more than a brand thing really. In this share-nation and personal brand building culture, check-ins show how social you are, it shows your interest and can make you an expert with status if you frequent the same places enough. Location check-ins are great for the ego... and let's face it, we're self absorbed.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

Don't put the BRAND before the CUSTOMER.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

Companies are still silo-ed and there's too much red tape. As authentic, transparent and engaging as some companies want to be, their structures just don't allow it.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Some big ideas can transfer. Basic human sentiments are relevant across languages and cultures. A smile, love, death... these images resonate across. Even more obscure ideas can transfer if the situations presented are localized and relevant to the audience. But some ideas aren't culturally relevant and the audience just won't "get it," no matter how much it works in the original marketplace.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Go home. Take a bubble bath.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Pediatrician.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

TWEET for sure!

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity within the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?

Multicultural digital behavior.

ME 52-35:Consumer insights and understanding market trends in the manufacturing world

Located in China, Ivan believes that ideas like innovation and going green are popular all around the world, and if marketers can utilize local cultures to interpret global issues is what makes a global campaign effective.

Ivan Lee

Executive Assistant

Apache, Footwear Ltd

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?

Linkedin, I have joined some groups about marketing and shoe manufacturing.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?

I really enjoy New York Times. It offers various topics and information.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

It requires creativity, communication skills, and the ability to draw consumer insights.

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Since I am in OEM, marketing trend doesn't matter too much to our business so far. But as a manufacturer, we do need to observe the sports trend and other sports brands' products to keep our minds sharp.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

I feel behavioral targeting is getting more and more personal and better defined. For example, when I browse NYT from China, the website delivers ad in simplified Chinese version.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

Lowering the price

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

I feel designing plays a more and more important role in the marketing world. People usually don't really know what exact products they want. If a marketer couldn't foresee the possibility of good designs, s/he literally kills the chance to make a difference.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?

I believe great marketing ideas do travel across boarders and cultures. Ideas like innovation, love, green power, etc. are popular around the world. If marketers can well utilize local elements/cultures to interpret globalwise issues, they could deepen the marketing effects and evoke more responses.

Best piece of advice you have received?

Stay hungry, stay foolish

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

I wanted to be pilot when I was a little boy. Till today traveling around the world is still one of my life goals.

ME 52-34: A little learning is dangerous

Ming-Chin Wu

Analyst, Internet Marketing
Academy Sports + Outdoors

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mingchinwu

Twitter: hikkie

What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Emarketer Daily, WSJ, Creative Wannabe, Seth Godin’s blog, How to Change the World. I love Adage, but not everyday.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Facebook, Groupon, Daily Candy, Lucullian Delights , A hungry girl’s guide to Taipei

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Analytical skills and creativity

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Mobile Marketing. Everyone asks about it, everyone wants to get into it. However, mobile applications, mobile platforms, and mobile as a media channel are very different marketing tools and vehicles . The most common pitfall is not fulling understanding what the mobile experience is, and trying to duplicate internet marketing efforts into a mobile screen.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

Social influence marketing. With the rise of the user revolution, in the retail world, allowing consumer ratings, comments, and elevating consumer opinions to influence other shoppers - I believe this is here to stay.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

In retail, customer service is first but when it comes to merchandise and promotions, often times marketing folks focus on products instead of the consumer. It is so important to be consumer-centric, and plan marketing efforts with the consumer in mind.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

With technology changing so fast, how do businesses adapt to innovation and understand how to reach younger audiences while their media consumption and habits change so rapidly?

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think understanding the consumer is key. Deep consumer understanding allows you to pinpoint whether or not to develop an entire new product based on a local consumer insight, or to adapt to a global concept.

Creative ideas are definitely different from culture to culture, even within different regions in the same country. If a strategy is based on a human’s unmet need, the creative strategy should be catered to the local market.

Best piece of advice you have received?

“A little learning is dangerous”, a quote from Alexander Pope. My dad used to say this to me since I was very little. People become easily confident when they have tasted a little bit knowledge, and it’s dangerous because it can cause people to think they are more than an expert than they really are.

The full quote is

“ A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Persian spring; these shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”

Alexander Pope in An Essay on Critisism, 1709

I remember I re-learned this quote again when I got into my first car accident the 3rd month I started driving. First and second month of driving I was still very cautious, but the third month I started to feel more confident and that’s when you start to make mistakes.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Performing artist. I still have a tape of me singing in the bath tub when I was 6. When I was little, I also used to choreograph to Debbie Gibson’s songs, make my sister be my back-up dancer and force my mom to watch us after her long day of work.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

Tweet if you are good at it.

ME 52-33:Speaking the Global Language of Sports

Matt Van Tuinen is the founder of MVT Public Relations, which specializes in sports and lifestyle public relations. Currently, he is managing the global public relations for the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament, the most attended non-Grand Slam tournament in the world, and the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament, the final stop of the Olympus US Open Series. His depth and range of sports-related public relations crosses platforms, countries, sports and athletes and sports journalists, make him a linguistic expert in the global language of sports marketing and public relations.

Matt Van Tuinen

Founder
MVT Public Relations


What site(s) do you have to visit everyday for Marketing news?
Sport Business Daily, Sport Business Journal, Darren Rovell's CNBC Sports blog, NYTimes.com, Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
ESPN.com, SI.com, The Big Lead, Twitter, Facebook

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

Relationship building--the greater one's network of meaningful relationship, the more likely one is to be able to tap into resources to help with success. Strong relationships internally often help build consensus. Agencies will run through walls fro clients they have a strong relationship with. From a business building perspective, the more vast your network is, the more likely you are to be in a position to capitalize on opportunities.

What is the recent "it" Marketing phrase/trend of the moment that you hear almost everyday and what does it mean for the industry and the marketplace?

Social media--in my world of Sports, it has become an integral way that athletes connect with fans. Before Facebook and Twitter, it was harder for an athlete to quickly and simplistically connect with fans. Now, if you are Venus Williams, you fire off a tweet from wherever in the world you are, and instantly update your followers with what is going on in your life. It creates a strong bond, and can be an effective marketing vehicle for that athlete's sponsors, if it's done correctly and not too often.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?

The evolution of mobile marketing. The ability to connect with people wherever they are, with content specifically targeted to their interests, offers dynamic options for people to market their product or company to consumers. This area will only continue to grow exponentially in my opinion.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your speciality?

Fail to be current, or knowledgeable about emerging trends or latest developments in your specialty. Exploring the latest concepts and formulating thoughts and ideas about how it could, or could not be applied to your specific area or business, is vital.

What's an imminent hurdle in the Marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or businesses?

I think this current recession is having a substantial impact and it could be more long range than people think... shifting gears from desire or want-based, to much more value/need-based happened quickly for a lot of conusmers. That isn't to say that people won't always want a new phone, computer, clothes, car, etc., but realistically the cast majority of consumer dialed it way, way back, and I don't know that it will change for the next 2-3 years. It isn't that people won't spend, even on high-priced items, but companies have to appeal to a different side of them. if a product, event or experience falls into a want category, it needs to be communicated in a way that fulfills a basic need, say happiness, instead of appealing to their desire for bigger, better or more. They are getting the same thing, but perception is vital.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
Ideas, at their core, can transcend language and continents, but if often has to be tweaked to fit each culture. Sport is a global language. Look at the World Cup, the Olympics, or the expansion of the NBA into China and other countries. The idea of sport or competition is an idea that has great commonality around the world. LeBron James, or someone like Michael Jordan, works as a marketing tool for the NBA in any country or language.

Best piece of advice you have received?

There is no substitute for hard work (Edison). Most of the very successful people i know worked exceptionally hard to get where they are at.... Sure, they might have caught some breaks along the way, but in the end, their hard work paid off.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?

Shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. If they are looking for an aging left-handed shortstop, I'm still available.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

I love Twitter, however, I don't tweet. Twitter is such a useful tool to stay up with what journalists, athletes, celebrities, companies and more are doing, reading, linking to, etc... I think it's here to stay.

What do you think are some of the most promising models for monetization of digital content? iPad. When I first saw the demo for Sports Illustrated on the iPad, it blew me away. I think the possibilities for the newspaper/magazine/journalism industry are substantial with this device.