ME 52-45: Natural Born Storytellers Seek to Capture Your Attention through Data Visualizaton

In addition to graphically representing her Diet Dr. Pepper obsession (2.8 cans a day), Kennedy Elliott is also a natural born storyteller, who's able to grab your attention (with the concentration to prove it) by way of data visualization, information architecture and web design. Elliot spends her time as a Carnegie Knight News21 fellow in Chicago*. She has a Master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, with a concentration in interacitve storytelling and media management from the Kellogg School of Business. This gives Elliott a very specialized area of expertise, but also making her invaluable to the qualitative and quantitative sides of Marketing.

*from a previously conducted interview

Kennedy Elliott
Carnegie Knight Fellow
News 21, Initiative on the Future of Journalism

What site(s) do you visit every day for Marketing news?
I read everything. I follow a lot of websites relating to media in any capacity: Mashable (of course), Nielsen Wire, Reuters technology news, the New York Times' Media Decoder, Wired (a favorite), TED online, even EFF and the list goes on and on. Since I am most interested in visual communication, I keep up with Smashing Magazine, Web Design Ledger, Flowing Data, A List Apart, and a few other design related blogs.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Again, since I'm more of a visual person, my favorite fun sites feature highly creative content. I love the photo website Un Jour a Paris--Cyril Genty, the photographer, is amazing. I like the New York Times' interactive content as well. A lot of innovative material that I'm interested in pops up on blogs and You Tube, so I have to be plugged into social media to keep up.

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?
In my field, the buzzword is definitely "data visualization" and "infographics." They are oten used interchangeably, but to me, they mean very different things. In my exploration, there are many more bad infographics than good. It's a balance between meaningful content, a strong narrative, of course, design. But nowadays, any kind of informational design is deemed an infographic, which is not really how I view things. So in my opinion, "infographic" is a buzz word that has a much broader definition than I'm used to.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Twitter and Facebook are the obvious ones. I kind of cringe every time I hear a major corporation plugging its Facebook page, becasue I feel like Facebook is so unstable right now, in terms of reputation and useage. I'm really looking forward to what Diaspora turns into, and if it'll be better than Facebook and LinkedIn for businesses.

What is essential not to do when it comes to your area of Marketing speciality?
You can never forget your audience. What do they want to know? How do they want to consumer it? Never forget your audience. I was fortunate enough to have a professor drill that into my head.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I don't have strong feelings either way. But I think that people, in genral, are deeply connected with their geographic location spiritually, culturally or otherwise, so I always factor that sort of sub-segmentation.

Best piece of advice you have received?
What everyone is told at a young age--do what you love doing and the rest will fall into place.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
The answer to this is a little weird for me. Growing up in a small Southern town, I remember that the first thing I wanted to do was paint houses. I have no idea why! I think I didn't undertand that artistry reaches many profession, but at a young age, I just wanted to paint!

Is Marketing more of an art of science?
An art for sure! No one should use a formulaic approach to Marketing--the formula only gets you so far. The rest is creative.

What a recent campaign/presentation you admire?
Ever since I first saw posters for it in England in 2004, I've always admired Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. It's a little in-your-face, a little show-and-tell-y, but Marketing campaigns like this are paving the way for more honest Marketing for women in the future. Other companies have since caught on to showcasing the "real woman" (whatever that is), and it's become less of an issue to avoid using the carbon modeling copy.

ME 52-44: Communication skills and its direct impact

Michelle WicMandy wears many hats. As the Director of Marketing at Southeast Media, she is also a marketing adjunct professor at University of Houston, and also takes up the role of Director of Chapter Development at Houston AMA ( American Marketing Association). The greatest skill ever marketer should possess, in her point of view, is communication skills - both verbal and non verbal - to achieve business results and motivate colleagues. She also stresses the importance of networking, and the value of grasping great learning opportunities that lay ahead of an individual.

Michelle WicMandy
Director of Marketing
Southeast Media

Linkedin : http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michelle-wicmandy/1/a29/5b8

What site(s) do you have to visit every day for Marketing news?
Maybe not everyday, but I enjoy eMarketer, the Email Experience Council, Marketing Profs, SEOmoz, Mashable, websitemagazine.com

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Whichtestwon.com, copyblogger

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?
Every marketer needs to portray a positive attitude and employ excellent verbal and non-verbal interpersonal communication skills. Clear, diplomatic, positive communication is key to building successful relationships whether interfacing with internal colleagues or outside contacts. Take a few extra minutes to personalize messages and converse with associates on all levels. Inject some humor, too. We all need a little more laughter and a little less stress.
Your communication skills directly impact your ability to achieve sales, motivate team members, complete projects and make friends.

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?
Social Media continues to generate hype. Although the online social communities twitter and Facebook have infiltrated the airwaives, some continue to believe these sites will be automatic revenue generators. That is, if you build it, the customer will visit often and spend. Creating and managing the site is only one step of the entire process. The real trick is attracting members, engaging them in the conversation and maintaining interest to bring them back for more – whether online or in the brick-and-mortar store - and build brand loyalty.

There have been fads in the Marketing world. In your opinion what are recent developments that are here to stay?
In my opinion, twitter will stay. It’s an excellent PR and search tool. When combined with a Google search, it becomes very powerful.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
Overstating your qualifications can prove disastrous to your reputation. Be truthful with your business associates when discussing your area[s] of expertise as well as your limitations. You’ll gain much more respect from your peers and your clients. Honesty pays off handsomely..

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? does globalization work or is localization more effective?
My experience is confined to the national level.
Using online tools such as Go to Meeting, skype, basecamp, drop box, social communities and many others facilitates information sharing and human interaction regardless of location. Spanning the globe and interacting with a variety of cultures definitely creates opportunities for generating a greater amount of ideas. Localization, however, gives the advantage of a deeper understanding of the local market, trends, psychographics, behaviours and such.

Best piece of advice you have received?

On a professional level, I have received TWO best pieces of advice.
1. Get involved in peer groups and stay connected. Join professional groups, maintain your education and network. Some of the best ideas and creative solutions will derive from like-minded professionals. This suggestion came from a marketing professor.

2. Take a position for the learning opportunity over the salary. Education is priceless and will open doors. The experience gained will lead to advancements or new opportunities. A colleague offered this advice early in my career.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
In third grade, I wanted to be a teacher. Throughout my career as a marketer, training and development has often been an added responsibility. For more than 10 years, I’ve been an adjunct lecturer at the University of Houston – Downtown. Funny how things turn out!

Is marketing more of an art or a science?
Marketing is both an art and a science, but I believe marketing is more of a science. To achieve success, one still needs to follow the rules to develop a program with a solid framework. We need to plan, research, implement, measure results and then make adjustments. Add, the tools of the virtual world: PPC, web analytics, web development/coding, email metrics. These require methodical processes that provide measurable, quanititative results for analysis. The art is adjusting and tailoring the program – the grap to fit the needs of the customer and make it uniquely ours.

Where are the pockets of growth and opportunity within the marketing industry for people, as they're looking at their careers?
Online marketing continues to grow as companies are devoting a larger portion of their marketing budget to online efforts. Accredited universities are either offering courses devoted to online marketing or are in the initial stages of adding marketing technology in their business programs. Many colleges and universities are beginning to develop master’s programs in marketing technology.

ME 52-43: Even if you Weren't Watching, I'd be Doing this Anyway

George 2.0 is a man of many talents--not only restricted to Marketing. In addition to being Program Director for the Wondaland Arts Society, he's also a brand manager, master of ceremonies, an actor, a writer, a producer, a beat boxer, a poet, a rapper and a singer. Exercising his multiple artistic talents helped George develop a unique POV and enable him to see a holistic promotional platform and how to best tap into the commercial and social media landscape.

George Twopointoh
Program Director
Wondaland Arts Society

Twitter: http://twitter.com/twopointoh

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

If you have not read All Marketers Are Liars or The Purple Cow by Seth Godin, I highly suggest it. His blog provides the perfect set of daily cliff notes to his aggressive approach to marketing. I don't go to the 4A's conference page daily, but I do frequent the site, as they are very much in tune with how minorities use the viral loops and the tools available to them to disseminate information. Some marketing news sites I visit are: AdAge, Media Bistro, KissMyBlackAds, MarcusGrahamProject.

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

Inspiration: I am fascinated by how quickly the hip-hop bloggers aggregate and update their content. It seems like if you miss just one day of checking in with them, you might miss out on key subtext to the ongoing social commentary that Hip Hop has become. So I typically visit dopeboyz and nahright from my phone fist thing in the morning. The same goes for pitchfork. You can tell a log about how the day is going and how people will feel by understanding their soundtrack.
Fun: Georgetwopointoh - I check my own wordpress blog every day, not just because I like it, but because I need to see what's up there. I sometimes schedule posts a week ahead of time so when I get the tweet that a new post is up, it becomes a "Being John Malkovich" moment for me. I get to see myself the way others do, which makes me constantly aware of my online profile. I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I check Twitter more than any other site. As an aggregate there just isn't a better hub for news, voyeurism and micro blogging. I suppose it is a fun way to pass time, but it is rapidly becoming necessary for work in any field.
But, the reigning champion of all fun sits to me is YouTube. If you don't have a YouTube clip that you can pull out at parties, then you have not been wasting nearly enough time at work. On it, you can catch anything from last night's walk off homerun to keynotes and press conferences. If you don't check YouTube in that section that shows what people are currently watching I promise you will be left out of all the water-cooler jokes. (special shoutout to Antoine Dodson) One of my other favorite sites is BroccoliCity. It's always sunny over there and of course it's organic. The latest in footwear, they have it. Noveau furniture, yep. And of course some good recipe.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

I find that it comes down to simply knowing how to speak to people. I think people return to my blog or my twitter feed or my viral videos because they enjoy the way I communicate. Possessing a unique ability to communicate using multiple mediums is a much needed skill, after all consumers can be found in multiple marketplaces. I try to constantly remind myself that communicating is as much about listening as it is about speaking. I believe a good marketer listens to the demand before trying to convince or inspire consumers to patronize an arbitrary fad. A good marketer must be observant and not imposing.

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?

Hashtags. As Twitter has become such a significant channel of communication in our culture, hashtags (#) have bled into our every day speak. Many consider hashtags unconsciously even in verbal dialog. And though the casual coffee chat doesn't always include folks verbalizing "Hashtag" before the given meme, tweeters have learned to brand their pet phrases like #randomthought or the popular excuse #thatisall. Hashtags have cemented themselves securely within the lexicon, because they register topics in conversation and can be cataloged digitally. So, not only are they becoming more present in face to face conversations, but they are employed by marketers looking for free, up-to-the-second analytics.

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

Viral Verticalization. Many online markets are popping up and allowing marketers the chance to speak to a specifically targeted audience. Product managers and site developers are mimicking the functionality of existing popular sites and specifying them to their brand. I was initially put off by what I found to be copycat marketing, but as they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This includes adding Twitter-like feeds to Facebook, YouTube like video players to dance studio websites and widgets upon widgets in the side panels of any website or blog with free space. I have found cellphone commercials to the biggest proponents. It seems like every commercial , and product for that matter is impersonating one particular brand.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

I live by the mantra "even if you weren't watching, I'd be doing this anyway." That's the best way that I know how to be true to my brand and myself. So I try NOT to get caught up with how I will be received before I am finished developing a product or its roll out strategy. I try not to concern myself with how people are going to receive my project; far too often this concern paralyzes creative ability.

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

Boredom. Commercials are getting significantly shorter and tweets are only 140 characters because people have short attention spans. Often categorized as fickle, the changing trends and the consumers' desire to change with them often gets in the way of brand loyalties. This inevitability urges significant changes in the way we market to consumers and businesses. Previous generations of consumers demonstrated more brand loyalty, whereas current generations tend to be more influenced by our peers than by product performance. If today's Marketers hopes to increase brand loyalty they will have to adapt.

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

Marketing ideas can and definitely do travel across continents and languages. It is evidenced in the borrowing from other cultures. In the case of music, many American musicians that cannot get their music played on Top 40 radio will travel abroad with their brand to find that their non-English speaking audience knows their every word. More often than not, this exposes them to products that they might have otherwise been unfamiliar with. As a Thrival, I find myself in competition with individuals from around the globe. So limiting my product, image or ideas to local consumers is, well...limiting. I can respect local initiatives, but is has been my experience that localization has an expiration date.

Best piece of advice you have received?

"Find a job you truly enjoy and you'll never have to work a day in your life." I heard that from my father, George 1.0, when I was a child. I don't think he knew that i would spend most of my college days avoiding the eventuality of a 9-5, but I have found a job that I love. Every morning I wake up excited that I get to do exactly what I want to do. I try my best to encourage the same determination in every person I meet.

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

A gas station attendant. I loved the smell of gas, and I figured what better way to smell gas than to work as a gas station attendant. Following that I wanted to be Michael Jackson. I never became either of the two.

Where are growth opportunities within the marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

I have found that the greatest growth opportunities are in user generated content. I started a campaign called "Turn off the TV" that seeks to convince dreamers to use the resources available to them to create the kind of content that they would like to see. This consists of, but is not limited to Laptaping--a process by which one uses their built in web camera to create viral videos, their Facebook and Twitter pages to market these videos and their own viral voice to maintain brand consistency. I have found that many marketers are beginning to recognize the power in putting program direction back in the hands of the consumer, often empowering their consumers to promote their brand. I am constantly seeing companies offer prizes and money through competitions in which the user turns over brand-centered content in the form of jingles and commercials.

What is a recent campaign/presentation you admire?

The Thrivals 3.0: The Global Brain. At this year's annual Idea Festival the Thrivals are hosting an entire day at the conference. Their goal is to get the world to see the powerful combination of what can happen when learning, music, art, imagination, science and technology are combined. Thrivals are a brand of thinking about the future. I have been impressed by their viral efforts and their ability to identify other like-minded individuals in an effort to figure out "What is next?" I am looking forward to Thrivals 3.0. It is a meeting of the mind from across the world. Take the quiz here. I'm Thrivalerious. What are you?

ME 52-42: Marketing Consultant speaks of immediacy in the marketing communication world

Having worked in marketing and advertising for 30 years, Imelda believes that adaptability to change is the key to a marketer’s success. As a consultant, she keeps up with the immediacy of communication, new interactive technologies but holds strong to the fundamental principles of marketing, such as avoiding an ADD culture.

Imelda Gott

Marketing & Advertising Consultant and Contractor

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/imelda-gott/2/724/676

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?

NYTimes.com, wsj.com, Adage.com, aibchouston.com, and some energy-related sites.

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

Rottentomatoes.com, Pandora, chron.com

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?

Adaptability to change—in the market and even in the client.

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?

The recent phrase that resulted in a huge change in the company for which I work is “Move the Dot.” After being on vacation, I heard a co-worker discussing a very expensive presentation that was made to our top executives. The premise was that you wanted to do whatever was necessary to “move the dot” and make people want to buy your product. It really didn’t resonate, since the company is an energy wholesaler. All the business units were to operate as independent businesses, and I couldn’t really figure out how this would impact sales—until I realized that the “product” was not what the business units were producing—the excutives were going to sell the company. Four months later, the company is now in the process of a merger.

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

The immediacy of communication. While this has been building since the mid 1990s, with the growth of sophicated smaller devices with huge storage in the past couple of years, marketing has really changed. While this has tremendous advantages, I think that sometimes the creative process suffers from the standpoint of actually having enough time to develop concepts and ideas.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?

Reacting immediately: While sometimes our best idea is the first that comes to us, it is essential to think a few steps ahead and consider alternatives.

What's an immediate hurdle in the marketing world that you think will cause significant changes to the way we market to consumers or business?

Actually I see two: Anonimity and our ADD culture. Although as marketers we attempt to create a personality in our communications, where is the person or people behind the message? For success, I think there must be the overture at least to a two-way communication. The other is the expectation by many audiences that five seconds is enough to convey the message.

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

They do it all the time. I love to see the best commercials from other cultures—the humanity of comedy, the beauty of a country I’ve never been to. Clothing designers have done this for centuries. Globalization works, and there is no avoiding it. But there must be a local approach, something that says there is integrity in the product.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?

“There’s perfect and there’s commercially acceptable.” This was told to me by a printer when I was really just starting in my career. Striving for perfection is great, but don’t be like one of those priests pacticed self-flagtion. Go on to the next project.

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

An Interior Designer.

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?

I don’t tweet, but that is not to say that it’s not here to stay. I might tweet later. I might start tweeting next week—if I find something I can’t get any other way. It will be around for a while, but it might just end up the equivalent of a landline phone in a few years. Who knows?

Is Marketing an art or science?

I think that it’s both. The soul of the artist has to compete with the soul of the machine, but that is what makes marketing such an interesting field. Someone will think of the most creative way to present an idea, and it may also encompass reaching people with a very old marketing technique. Look at the Apple stores: the most innovative products using pure point of purchase to reach customers.