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.

ME 52-41: Experiments in Data Marketing Gone Right

As a member of a media solutions team, Gabrielle Gibbs provides customized solutions by integrating client data and other data sets with Nielsen Media and consumer databases. Her role changes daily from tactical sales collateral to web banner ad campaign execution to figuring out how to strategically promote solutions oriented go-to-market strategy for existing products. Surrounded by data, Gibbs' role showcases her as the ultimate liaison between art and science for the media sphere.

Gabrielle Gibbs

Nielsen

Sr. Manager Client Consulting, Media Product

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

NYTimes.com, Adage.com, Cynopsis.com and Mediapost.com

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

One of three music sites: Pandora, Grooveshark or last.fm to start the day off with some good tunes. Theskint.com, nymag.com, brooklynbased.com and brokelyn.com, when I want to know what is going on in the city.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?

Being observant. To deliver the right messaging a marketer needs to not only hear what the challenges are to reach their target consumer but survey what else in the environment might be exacerbating the clients issue i.e. changing business model, the entry of a non-category competitor or budgetary constraints.

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?

Marketing accountability. All the players in the marketing life cycle agencies, media companies and advertisers are being held at a higher standard and need to validate their decisions to stakeholders i.e. when creating a media buy, positioning inventory within and across platforms or establishing campaign an integrated campaign. This need for accountability has elevated the need for research and more importantly insights to help drive decision making. There is a push to have first class metrics to justify being the agency of record, being on the buy or the success of a campaign.

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

Media devices like the iPads, Kindles, Android phones. While these devices may be new, now they are a symbol of how the tide is changing and more importantly how consumer appetite to consumer media or staying connected is only going to continue to expand.

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

Data dumping. While it is an exciting time to be in marketing research it is very easy to run an analysis and provide a spreadsheet to your client pat yourself on the back and think you have provided a disservice. You have lost sight of what a client truly needs which is solution not more data to comb through. If you can provide the insight that goes with your analysis you will go from being a data provider, which is easily replaceable, to a solution provider and indispensable partner.

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?

Cross-platform. It's complicated! The questions are numerous for both media companies and advertisers from how do I monetize my platforms to how do I measure the effectiveness to what is the right metric. I don't think one company can do it alone (be it a research company, media company, agency or advertiser). I think the true cross platform solutions will be built upon the insights and learnings from a combination of these companies coming together to move the industry forward.

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

It's always good to have a global perspective to help you truly understand the big picture but in marketing research and media research in particular, local insights are needed as the penetration and adoption of certain media platforms change from region to region or market to market.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?

Network & Network! Networking should not be reserved for the job seeker. Expanding beyond your professional circle beyond your immediate co-workers and even company is important. You never known what you can learn or who you can meet by striking up a conversation in your office's cafe or elevator. The same goes for personally. A new network can introduce new hobbies, restaurants and cities to travel too and hopefully some good couches to crash on.

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

Pediatrician. Sadly, that dream died with Freshmen year of college due to a chemistry experiment gone wrong.

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

Tweet! Why not? I found that focusing on an area of interest helps to make the "twitter"-verse more manageable. I'm honing in on the Night life activities event and foodie culture in NY. Though I do feel I get out of it more than I give which is why fatigue in bound to happen to those helping me devise my social calendar.

What are growth opportunities within the Marketing industry, as people are looking at their careers?

Being comfortable with data and being able to synthesize it is an asset. You don't need to be a data junkie but being able to interpret data allows you to have a conversation to speak more strategic business issues and be a liaison between marketing, research and product management.

*Any comments/views expressed in this blog post reflect the personal opinions of the original authors and not The Nielsen Company

ME 52-40 - A passionate Local SEO marketer

What makes a good marketer? It's the drive and simply being passionate about what you do - day in and day out. As Director of client services, Julie helps locally-based small businesses stand out amongst their competitors using SEO strategies with efficient budgets. She stresses the important of social media influence and how to own conversations and increase influence.


Julie Zare
Director of client services
DIYSEO

Linkedin:http://www.linkedin.com/in/juliezare
Twitter: juliezare

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?
MediaBistro, wsj.com, TechCrunch, ClickZ, SearchEngineLand, SearchEngineWatch, Smallbiz Trends, Duct Tape Marketing, Smart Brief, and many more.

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
I follow many sites and blogs on a daily basis. Some of my favorites are: GrubStreet (I’m a big foodie), Etsy (could browse for hours without even buying anything), Facebook, Twitter (via the Tweetie app), GrooveShark (for my music fix), and many of the daily deal sites (Groupon, LivingSocial etc).

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
A good marketer is passionate about what they do. In addition, it is essential to always know what’s going on in the marketing world around you, whether it is the latest social media trends, the newest start-ups, or a new partnership across the country. Today’s world of marketing moves fast and is extremely competitive. Being in the know and staying current is important to keep up with everyone around you.

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 world “local” is a keyword that I hear many times throughout my day. Local marketing, especially in search engine optimization, can very much help a business stand out from its competitors. For example, small businesses can optimize website content to make sure their business is seen on local search engine results. This can be performed by adding the business address or map to the site, or claiming and updating their listing on local resources such as Google Local or Yahoo! Local.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Social media marketing and reputation management is here to stay and is not just a fad. I know a lot of people are still getting used to the idea of Twitter, Facebook, and more as essential marketing tactics. The power of social media is something that a business or brand should be aware of and leverage as much as they can. Not only does creating your social media presence allow you to own a conversation around your business, but you can engage with your customers and clients and increase your overall influence.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
I think not being open to ideas and opinions around you would be a negative trait.

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?
Budgets and deciding how much marketing dollars you are willing to spend on a campaign or idea has a large influence on your company and what you want to spend going forward.

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think both globalization and localization are effective, depending on what your goals are. My company, DIYSEO, really focuses on how small businesses can best leverage local seo. If your business is locally-based, standing out among your nearby competitors is crucial in getting found, and there are numerous ways to do just that even with very little budget.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?
Wow, this is a difficult question! Professionally speaking, knowing that hard work almost always pays off in the end. Also, if you are passionate about something, go for it. Steve Jobs famously spoke about how important it is to love what we do in order to create extraordinary work. He said, “If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.”

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
When I was in elementary school, I always wanted to be a second grade teacher. One of my best friends and I would even create lesson plans and tests to practice whenever I came over to her house. We took turns giving each other the tests, grading papers, and writing on the chalkboard. :-)

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

What is a marketing campaign you admire?
The Old Spice campaign and its overall results is absolutely astounding. It will be interesting to see this campaign's influence on brands' larger viral campaigns going forward. Go here and read some of their statistics to see what I'm talking about: http://bit.ly/9e9bfE. :-)

ME 52-39: Slacktivism gone; Engagement to stay; a Philosophic Philanthropic POV

With the speed, weight and hunger to succeed in the philanthropy space, Hannah Wilson races deftly through the world of celebrity and cause related marketing. Whether it's a non-profit or a Fortune 500, or straddling the delicate balance between editorial and business in publishing, Wilson appears to have perfected the art of sustainability when it comes to her own marketing career. She takes and encourages others to take the long term, strategic view, rather than just focus on the short term gain that will end up costing the would-be philanthropist and the cause that needs help.

Hannah Wilson

Member Services Coordinator

Admiral Center

Twitter: admiral_center, howabout22

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahwilson

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

New York Times, ESPN, HuffingtonPost (particularly the impact section) People (I know--life's rough when you have to read celebrity news), I also subscribe to PRDaily and Cynopsis.

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

Grooveshark--tunes to keep me upbeat; LKaeInteriors--for decorating inspiration for my imaginary future home; Doublex.com--women's perspective on news (more newsy, less snarky than Jezebel); Facebook.com--where I find the most links to interesting things from my friends; I get daily e-mails from Seth Godin, UrbanDaddy, VitalJuice.

Greatest skill a good Marketing professional requires?

The ability to ask the good questions. Good questions to me are not only solid content-wise, but are also timely. Asking them at the right moment in the conversation is almost as important as what you ask because you can really open people up and get not just a direct answer but additional insight and information that you weren't counting on.

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

Sustainability. Celebrities want to do the "it" thing in terms of causes and how they support them. We talk about sustainability because popularity can be fleeting, and for athletes especially, the ability to rally fan support decreases over time. When deciding to create a program, celebrities have to think about how long the cause will hold their interest and how much they want to invest in it. You don't want to be known as the person who withdrew support from a struggling and deserving organization. What that means for my work is that we encourage our clients to partner with existing organizations so that the long-term success of a program isn't dependent on winning championships and having blockbuster hits. It's simply enhanced by broader awareness and financial support from their celebrity brand. If you create a great program, it will attract others' interest and ultimately the funding to make it sustainable. Celebrity branded programs with established partners make more sense than a pet project du jour.

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

Slacktivism. I say this without judgement even though the word is inherently negative. Slacker-activism is alive and well on Facebook, Twitter, through ribbons, bracelets and (my least favorite) pledging people for various runs and walks. Though with the latter at least people are responding to a call-to-action and actually giving money to help you reach your personal best time in the name of charity. Slacktivism is a passive way of giving your support to something that you don't always care a lot about through the power of word-of-mouth, persistence on social media, and ease of transaction, you might say you "like" or support, or at best click or text-to-give. Social and mobile media campaigns have made it easy for people to donate but not truly engage in a cause. Because at the heart of every non-profit is the need for money I see nothing wrong with getting a quick $5. We in the field need to work harder on the engagement piece to make these slacktivists, true evangelists.

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

It's essential not to underestimate the value of a good personality. You can't be fake and you can't get caught up in the glow of a big name. Celebrities may seem like they live in a superficial world at times, but they aren't superficial people. You will also spend a lot of time working with their agents, managers, PR reps, family and friends and you'll do much better with all of them if you're authentic and if you treat people with equal respect and deference. This is an industry of relationships and relationship building, without good ones, you can't get anything done.

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

Privacy is and will continue to be a major hurdle and is an evolving issue. Consumers want customization and appreciate a message that will reach them on a personal level, while at the same time they get angry and quite simply freaked out when they feel that companies know too much about the. Perhaps we as consumers would be happier if companies knew more about us so we could really get what we want, but we're unwilling to allow that. There is so much data collection going on but getting the consumer's buy-in to use it without the feeling of violation is going to continue to be difficult.

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

Globalization definitely works--there are products, ideas and messages that resonate universally. I do think that localization is most effective. It's easy to understand that there are differences in the way things are done in other countries, but I've recently learned a lot about our differences domestically and can never assume that what works in Seattle will work in New Orleans. It's important to understand that success will mean something different everywhere.

Best piece of advice you have received professionally or personally?

Our CEO once asked me to evaluate some people based on the criteria "speed, weight and hunger." I didn't understand what that meant at first, but now I know it's a measure of how successful a working relationship will be. Speed: you need someone who is going to be a quick learner, thinker and doer. Weight: You want someone who has a strong presence in the room and has good ideas. Hunger: You want people who are passionate about the work that you are doing and the way that they do the work. I now use that as criteria for self evaluation.

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

A teacher. I thought teachers probably loved spending their days with kids like me. Who doesn't love a know-it-all, sassy, six-year old?

To tweet or not to tweet?

I say tweet! I'm far more interested in reading other people's tweets than maintaining my own Twitter presence and even with the applications to do so, I struggle to maintain our organization's account and my personal account, but I'm trying to get better at it. By the time I do, Twitter will probably be out. Sorry, I think it's a fad.

Is Marketing more of an art or more of a science?

It's a little of both. Science will tell you who to reach and how, but art is ultimately going to do the work and make the difference.

ME 52-38: How do Marketers Break Back into the Mix?

In one way or another, "I'm with the band" seems to have been a mantra for Sarah Epler, Social Media Coordinator for MTV . Whether it was watching as her dad manage rock stars during her childhood, interning at record labels, working at a radio station, crossing paths with music bloggers and fans during her Hey! Nielsen days and now working at the television network that all musicians have to make a stop at, music has played a part. She's a crossover success story, not from country to rock, but from the creative side to the business side of entertainment and from traditional communications to the forefront of new media. Location based, word of mouth, credibility and content, it is evident that Epler has learned the art of marketing and understands the rhythm and beat of social media--a "marketing" rockstar in her own right.

Sarah Epler
MTV
Social Media Coordinator

What site(s) do you visit every day for marketing news?
Since I work mainly the Social Media space, I'm a hug fan of Mashable. However, online marketing seems to be constantly changing and updating so much that I really don't depend on a particular blog or site for news. i tend to get all of my info from the incredibly connected and aware group of friends, colleagues, and fellow social media geeks that I've curated on Facebook and Twitter. I'm completely in the dark without them... but let's just keep that between us, shall we?

What site(s) do you go to at least once a day for fun and inspiration?
Aside from Facebook and Twitter, I really like Buzzfeed and am constantly on the intensely collaborative blog community Oh No They Didn't. I'm lucky that my job is dependent on pop culture news and conversations, but these sites are also the beginnings of incredible viral content. Buzzfeed has started to implement metrics and very user-friendly tracking that only adds to the overall experience of participating on the site.

Greatest skill a good marketing professional requires?
The insight and ability to simplify. In my experience, simple compelling, and uncomplicated campaigns are the most effective.

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?
RETWEET! It's still kind of unbelievable to me that clicking on button can disseminate information to millions and millions of people, but it's one of the easiest and quickest ways to take advantage of WOM marketing and keep your original and intended voice. Best of all, it's free.

There have been fads in the marketing world. In your opinion, what are recent developments that are here to stay?
Online, social and mobile are here and they're going nowhere. I'm really interested to see what location-based online mobile applications are going to do in the future. Foursquare is a fun user experience, but I don't know if we as marketers have figured out the best way to use it yet. I think it has the potential to be huge, but not every puzzle piece has clicked into place. I'd like to see it rise to its full potential and someday rank with Facebook and Twitter.

What is essential NOT to do when it comes to your area of Marketing specialty?
A follower's loyalty is only as strong as the content that we put out. This means not only keeping fresh content on our outlets, but not always asking our followers or fans for something in return. Also, we make sure that we are completely transparent. In this job, credibility is king. if a brand loses its credibility, it's lost everything.

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?
Consumers are constantly inundated with marketing and advertising messages to the point where we have learned to ignore and turn off. With so much self-controlled content, how do marketers break back in?

Can Marketing ideas travel across continents and languages? Does globalization work or is localization more effective?
I think that a mix between globalization and localization is the best way to go. Working in a non-location based capacity has taught me to meld the two to best connect and get a point across.

Best piece of advice you have received professional or personally?
Intern as much as possible! I started interning when I was 17 and did so throughout college. Every job I have gotten has been because of the skills I learned and the connections I made while interning everyhwere I could.

Growing up, what was the first thing you can remember wanting to be?
My dad managed rock bands when I was growing up and I always wanted to be the girl who sold t-shirts at concerts. Put on a sassy attitude, travel the country in a bus with rockstars, and not have to wake up early in the morning? Being a merch girl sounds like the best job ever. But then again, that was before Facebook.

To Tweet or not to Tweet? Fad or here to stay?
HERE TO STAY! I'll admit, I find myself incredibly lucky to do what I do every day and that I'm able to take advantage of such a great platform and way of communication.

Is Marketing more of an art of more of a science?
I think it's definitely more of an art. If you figure out a formula for the perfect marketing campaign, send it my way.