Miss America Goes Digital
As CMO of StoryRock Electronic Publishing, Sharlene Hawkes wants every service man and woman to have a Remember My Service digital yearbook that highlights their military experience. And this former Miss America and one of the first female, on-air, ESPN sportscasters certainly has the energy and passion to make it happen.
As Hawkes points out, the military is capturing hours of video content that isn’t being used. In addition, the tools available today to bring stories to life makes it easy to create a digital publication that is interactive, engaging and far more memorable. The popularity of social networks like Facebook and MySpace are driving awareness and creating the expectation for more than a static picture book. Paying tribute to a fallen friend through a story captured on video is more personal and helpful to the soldiers, the family and to the military.
Hawkes talks with Brad Baldwin about her efforts to share the Remember My Service to military leaders, business executives and even local communities who want to gives something back to those who have served.
Download This:
iPod
Optimizing Online Business with Omniture
Over 2,000 of the world’s top online marketing talent — and those spending 30% of the world-wide web ad budget — descended upon Salt Lake City for Omniture’s annual Summit on web analytics. Omniture is recognized by Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative companies (interestingly, 66% of the top 50 are Omniture customers).
Chris Parkin, Sr. Director of Genesis Solutions and former Sr. Director of Product Marketing, sits down with Brad Baldwin between sessions to talk about the trends and advances in online business optimization.
Download This: iPod
New Media Helped by Traditional News Distributors
Marketing organizations are realizing the benefits of social media. Business Wire, traditionally viewed as the distributor of news to the mainstream press, is jumping into the social media world with products and services that expand a marketer’s reach into the new media realm. Like traditional journalists, bloggers can leverage the news wires to keep abreast on topics or issues. Business Wire crosses over to include new media publishers as it offers organizations services from the wire, including offerings like multimedia enclosures, text optimization, social bookmarking, tagging or something as simple as trackbacks. In one example, Engadget was able to get news of a new product release along with an official high-quality product image so they didn’t have to link to a lower quality picture on another site.
Malcolm Atherton presented at the Blogging for Business conference in Salt Lake City and took time out to talk with Brad Baldwin about how traditional news distribution services are adapting to support bloggers and new media.
Download This: iPod
Social Media Successes and Failures
Edleman’s VP of Interactive, Gary Goldhammer, shared successes, failures and trends in social media during a keynote at the Blogging for Business conference. Goldhammer offers his insight and experience from working with a number of clients and trying to measuring the success in social media campaigns. He discusses if it’s even possible or maybe too early to measure. Goldhammer talks about organizations that have good momentum and strategies and debates with Brad Baldwin on whether agencies are pulling clients into social media or if clients are pushing hard to include new mediums into their campaigns.
Note: unavoidable construction noise makes a guest apperance in this recording
VideoOrangeSoda: Online Marketing with Fizz
After Jay Bean launched and sold his former company ah-ha (now Enhance Interactive) to Marchex, he put his experience in local search, web marketing, and company building to work at OrangeSoda.
OrangeSoda’s primary focus is on helping small and medium-sized companies have online marketing success. They do this through a web-based system that lets OrangeSoda and their clients easily create and manage campaign, track success, view reports, and optimize search results. Their integrated system let’s small business owners work with all the major search engines and advertisers through a single, simple web user interface. OrangeSoda pushes everything out and collects all the results so their clients don’t have to worry about all the different requirements from each ad system or search engine.
Bean explains the secret behind the OrangeSoda name to Brad Baldwin as well as why it is focused on online marketing for small and medium business.
Blogging for Business Conference (10/22/2007 - SLC, UT)
The Blogging for Business Conference is coming to Salt Lake City Monday, October 22nd, 2007. Brad Baldwin catches up with Matthew Reinbold and learns that the organizers are focused on delivering content that will benefit the business-minded person interested in learning about social media and it’s benefits.
Keynotes:
- Wendy Piersall, eMoms at Hom
- Gary Goldhammer, Edelman Interactive Vice President
Speakers:
- Cheryl Snapp Conner, Snapp Conner PR
- Lee Gibbons, Podango
- Rand Bateman, Bateman IP Law Group
- David Politis, Politis Communications
- Lindsey Pollack, on Selling to Gen Y
- Malcolm Atherton, BusinessWire
- Tim Stay, Know More Media
Location / Date / Time / Cost:
- Marriott Downtown (across from Symphony Hall)
- Monday, October 22, 2007
- 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
- $299
More details on the conference can be found at the Blogging for Business web site http://bforbconference.com.
Mercato: Funding Marketing and Sales
Greg Warnock has a soft spot for entrepreneurs. Whether it’s through mentoring, work deals at vSpring Capital, or angel investing, Warnock has seen a lot of companies. He’s also learned that it takes more than good technology and a strong development team to succeed.Trained as a computer scientist, Warnock recognized his bias for technology and unique IP–and he still does. However, after watching startups move from development stage to marketing and sales launch, Warnock has a new perspective on the challenge of emerging as a serious contender. So much so that Warnock and Alan Hall have created a new fund, Mercato Partners, that is focused on funding marketing and sales efforts.
Warnock introduces Mercato Partners to Brad Baldwin and describes the focus for the fund.
Measuring Service Experiences with Richard Hanks at Mindshare
As a former EVP and Corporate Officer at Marriott, where he led the marketing strategy, sales, distribution, and revenue management efforts for Marriott’s 13 lodging brands and $18 billion in sales, Richard Hanks knows a thing or two about service. Today Hanks is the President of Mindshare Technologies, which is all about measuring and reporting on service experiences.
From mystery shopping to restaurant to call centers to retail to hospitality to travel, Mindshare Technologies provides an easy to deploy and customize ASP service measurement solution where executive teams can monitor and determine individual customer experiences. In addition to survey tools, Mindshare also provides alerts and triggers that notify management and action teams so they can take care of a poor experience quickly, before it becomes a problem for the organization.
Cheryl Snapp Conner, SNG PR Partner & Executive PR Director
Social media and public relations activities are converging at different paces and in different ways for companies. Cheryl Snapp Conner, Partner & Executive PR Director at Salt Lake City-based Snapp Norris Group/SNG PR talks about this evolution and the impact of social media on PR strategy. Describing the phenomenon as ’shifting ground’ and a ‘moving target,’ Snapp Conner shares her professional insights, shares success stories from SNG’s clientele, and also comments on best practices–including how not to mix social media and public relations.
Founded in 2002, award-winning SNG PR is one of the industry’s premier public relations firms, and was voted the “Best PR Firm in Utah” by the readership of Connect Magazine.
SkiUtah Press Conference Highlights Awards & Warren Miller Film
Nathan Rafferty, SkiUtah President, kicked off the 2006-2007 ski and snowboarding season at a downtown Salt Lake City press conference. All the resorts were there, including Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, Solitude, The Canyons, Park City, Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Wolf Creek. Even some of the big-boy press like KSL (NBC affiliate) and KUTV (CBS affiliate). And of course Rocky Mountain Voices was there!
Items I found interesting:
- The USA and Utah both saw an increase in ski days in 2005-2006, about three (3) percent more days than previous year.
- Utah has a seven (7) percent marketshare of total ski days — Colorado has 20 percent.
- Average expenses per day about $260 (ah, yeah I feel that one)
- Utah Travel and Tourism spent $2.5M promoting winter in Utah
- Warren Miller’s latest movie Off the Grid featured Utah — and its great late-season powder.
- SkiUtah has started it’s own blog, written by Kent Hyden. He’ll treat the readers to a daily dose of what it’s like to ski more than a 100 times per year!
Also, the Utah resorts piled up the awards this year. Here’s a list of some of the mentions.
- Four of Utah’s resorts placed in Skiing magazine’s Top 25 resorts list:
- Alta/Snowbird (#2), Snowbasin (#10), Park City Mountain Resort (#11), Solitude #25
- Utah ranked #1 for Secret Powder Stashes
- The Top 30 Readers Poll named seven resorts: Deer Valley (#2), Park City (#5), The Canyons (#15), Snowbird (#21), Solitude (#25), Alta (#28), Brighton (#29)
- In a list of Top Resorts for Snow, six of 6 of 10 resorts are located in Utah: Powder Mountain (#1), Alta (#2), Snowbird (#3), Brighton (#4), Solitude (#6), Deer Valley (#8)
- Top 10 for Best Access included seven Utah resorts: Park City (#2), Deer Valley (#3), The Canyons (#4), Snowbird (#5), Solitude (#6), Alta (#8), Brighton (#9)
- In the Value category, four of 10 resorts belonged to Utah: Powder Mountain (#1), Alta (#2), Brighton (#6), Solitude (#9)
- Top 10 for Overall Satisfaction included 4 Utah resorts: Alta (#1), Deer Valley (#4), Snowbird (#7), Powder Mountain(#8)
- Four Utah ski areas were recognized in the best Weather category: Deer Valley (#1), Brighton (#2), Solitude (#3), Alta (#5)
- Deer Valley once again clinched the #1 slot for Grooming.
- In the Service category, Deer Valley ranked #1 and Snowbasin #3.
- For best Lifts, Snowbasin came in at #1 and Deer Valley #5.
- Best Terrain/Variety: Alta (#6), Snowbird (#7)
- Best Terrain/Challenge: Snowbird (#2), Alta (#3)
- Best On Mountain Food: Deer Valley (#1), Snowbasin (#2)
- Best Service: Deer Valley (#1), Snowbasin (#3)
- Best Terrain Parks: Brighton (#7), Park City (#8)
- Park City Mountain Resort was awarded Terrain Park of the Year for 3rd consecutive time.
Will it Blend? $50 Gets Six (6) Million Hits in Five (5) Days
George Wright, Marketing Director at Blendtec, invited us back stage for the filming of Blendtec’s next “Will it Blend” video. Currently YouTube’s #3 most watched video producer, Blendtec has found an amazing ROI for their $50 marketing spend. With over 6 million visitors to their WillitBlend.com web site in just five (5) short days, it’s been like hitting the mother-lode for the typically under-the-radar commercial small appliance manufacturer. More interesting than the awareness is Blendtec’s use of blogs, RSS, and comments from watchers/readers to feed future creative. And with over 10,000 comments from prospects in 10 days since their campaign launch, there’s certainly no shortage of ideas.
Tom Dickson, the chief actor and executive office at Blendtec, establishes trust through his “extreme blending” product demos and down-home personality. As Wright says, “what you see is what you get.” Destined to be an MBA business case classic, Blendtec spins up a brand-building showcase through its use of social media technology that even the hippest Madison Avenue firms are struggling to figure out.
As seen on:
Walkabout Interviews at UTC’s Hall of Fame Event
We mingled and mixed in with the techie crowd at the Utah Technology Council’s (UTC) 2006 Hall of Fame Awards event. Of course we had our mics rolling. Hear short interviews from:
- Eric Smith — Control4
- Bruce Law — Sprout Marketing
- Roland Whatcott — Symantec
- Senator Orin Hatch — US Senator from Utah
- Coleman Barney and Willy Donahue — Cogito
- Paul Ahlstrom — vSpring Capital
- James Divver and Thomas Lund — Zions Bank
- Mike Levinthal — Independent Venture Capitalist
- Congressman Chris Cannon — US Congressman from Utah
- Senator Bob Bennett — US Senator from Utah
- John Valentine — President of the Utah Senate
- Richard Nelson — President, Utah Technology Council
- Clay Olsen — Timeline Films
- Ken Knapton — ContentWatch
Jeff Kearl on Logoworks Moving Beyond Logos
Corporate design used to be a challenging problem for small businesses. That’s where Logoworks entered the market. However, today Logoworks can bring hundreds of designers to task to deliver the creative for any business, small or large. This includes designing business card, web sites, collateral, spiffs, and much more. And of course, you can still get a great logo design.
Jeff Kearl recently changed roles from Chief Marketing Officer to Chief Strategy Officer at Logoworks. Logoworks is #66 on Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500 List of the fastest growing companies. Listen to Jeff discribe Logoworks’ plan for growth by attracting new partners like OfficeDepot and Ebay and bringing a network of over 300 designers to the creative process.
Talking Podcasts with InsideUtah
Inside Utah #62 Friday, 10/27/06
Jennifer Napier-Pearce, an award-winning journalist living in Salt Lake City and the driver behind InsideUtah, invited those of us at Rocky Mountain Voices to take the “interviewee” side of the mic and share our purpose and vision for the community play and future of Rocky Mountain Voices. Jennifer soon learned that we’re a lively bunch with lots of side humor bouncing off in every direction. Of course Cydni did what she does best and brought the conversation into focus. Thanks Jennifer. You’re a “great” interviewer and do awesome work with your podcast production.
Keep it up!
Cydni, Kip, Tim, Brad
Technorati Tags: InsideUtah, Podcasting, Podcasts
ARMA Coverage: Bill Forquer, EVP, Compliance Solutions Business at OpenText
With OpenText’s recent acquisition of Hummingbird, OpenText continues to add products and service to strengthen their Enterprise Content Management position. Bill Forquer, Executive Vice President of Compliance Solutions brings his personal experience of joining OpenText through an acquisition 8 years ago. He also brings his direct experience with compliance and records management to our questions on leveraging a single system to provide the necessary records and reports when dealing with multiple agencies and regulatory bodies.
This podcast is sponsored by NextPage and ARMA.
Technorati Tags: ARMA, Compliance, NextPage, Open Text, Podcasts, PodTech, Records Management, Software
-
Syndicated on PodTech
