Monday, February 4, 2013

How Advertisers Made The Suer Bowl Power Outage Work For Them

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How Advertisers Made The Super Bowl Power Outage Work For Them

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome after a sudden power outage in the second half during Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Call it the Super Bowl of real-time marketing.

Savvy advertisers quickly took to Twitter tonight to capitalize on the unexpected power outage during this year’s Super Bowl. “We do carry candles,” Walgreens tweeted when the power went out at the Super Bowl. “We also sell lights.” Oreo tweeted, “Power out? No problem,” posting an ad that finished, “You can still dunk in the dark.” Meanwhile, Tide tweeted, “We can’t get your # blackout, but we can get your stains out,” posting its own ad. Audi took a direct hit at competitor and Superdome naming rights-holder Mercedes-Benz with this tweet: “Sending some LEDs to the @ mbusa Superdome right now…”

They and other marketers responded to–indeed, capitalized on–an unprecedented event with instant on-brand communication.

“This is an example of the new world of marketing where things happen so fast, where brands respond real time to the environment,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at the Kellogg School ofManagement. “In the Super Bowl tonight we saw advertisers respond to other advertisers–for example, right after Mio runs their spot, SodaStream puts out a tweet that says, ‘ @makeitmio is delicious in SodaStream! Try it sometime.’ Everybody is responding incredibly fast. This is a huge change. It used to be you created a Super Bowl ad and you were done. Now what’s happening is marketers are generating content and interacting with people all throughout the game,” he said.

“What was nice about the power outage is everybody jumped on their mobile devices when the power went out and everybody started talking about the game but moreso about the ads, which was a positive development because it gave the early advertisers an even bigger impact,” Calkins said. It’s a consequence of marketing’s speed that during the Super Bowl advertisers are creating new messages every few minutes.

What are the implications on the Super Bowl as an ad stage? “The Super Bowl provides a platform and prompts a discussion,” Calkins said. “A Super Bowl ad is a ticket to participate in all of these discussions, because very few people are talking about brands that aren’t on the Super Bowl tonight. the brands on the super bowl–either good or bad–are being talked about. what it says is marketing is really changing because you have to respond so fast. getting a supper bowl ad is important but its just the first step.

So how can brands measure the ROI of instant advertising? “It’s very tough, but it’s very smart,” Calkins said. “When SodaStream is out there commenting on other people’s ads, it’s just a way to multiply the effect of your spending.”

How You Can Build a Lasting Legacy

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How to Build a Legacy

This isn't about people just remembering who you were. Here's how great leaders build a legacy that goes beyond fond memories.

Getty Images

Apple CEO Steve Jobs looks on before announcing the new iPhone 3G as he delivers the keynote address at the Apple Worldwide Web Developers Conference June 9, 2008 in San Francisco, California.

One of the strange bewilderments of business is why so many entirely competent leaders finish their leadership journey without leaving behind much of a trace, while others--not necessarily more brilliant--leave behind a legacy.

What is it about some leaders that enables them not only to make an impact during their careers, but to continue to change how people act and think in their organizations (sometimes, in an entire industry) even after they've gone?

Some of it, of course is simple exposure.

Being the head of a Fortune 100 company gets your leadership principles disseminated somewhat more ubiquitously than if you're running a three-location chain of bedding stores. But the less glamorous truth is that some leaders simply do a better job than others of building and instilling a legacy.

If you want to leave behind more than a memory; if you genuinely want to change the industry or organization you work in for the long term, here's how to do it:

1. Know what matters. You can't leave behind a legacy by accident (well, you can, but it's usually a negative one). Until you know, clearly and unambiguously, what you want your legacy to be, it's tough, if not impossible, to begin building it.

The foundation of building a legacy is a deep sense of knowing--not just knowing what is important to you, but what is non-negotiable.

In a sense, it doesn't matter what those non-negotiables are. They could revolve around corporate culture, team-building, production quality, customer service, innovation, or any one of a thousand other things. What matters is that you know what they are.

It helps to put your non-negotiables down on paper. Write a manifesto. Print off a pdf and distribute it. Revise it regularly, over time, amending the wording to clarify and hone your non-negotiables. Strip away everything that's merely a 'nice to have', until the manifesto sings your legacy a cappella--clearly, and uncluttered by distracting background melodies.

2. Get off the front line. Take a look at that list of non-negotiables. It won't take root in your organization (and you can't build your legacy) if you're stuck permanently in the weeds managing the day to day detail of your business, division, department, project, group or team.

Yes, managers leave legacies too, but they're different. Manager legacies are tactical, anecdotal, of the "do you remember so-and-so...?" sort. We're talking about leaving a leadership legacy--a touchstone to guide future generations. That can't be built from behind a spreadsheet or in the bowels of a powerpoint deck.
Find a COO. Delegate more. Redraw your job description. Make Friday's a "no-managing" day.

However you manage it, if you're serious about leaving a leadership legacy, you need to get out of the front line and spend time - lots of time - with people.

3. Nauseate yourself. And what do you do with your people, now that you've stepped away (at least somewhat) from the front line?

Answer: Make yourself ill.

Seem strange? Well, here's the thing: If you spend time with truly great leaders, leaders who are building a lasting legacy, you'll notice they all have one thing in common. They repeat their non-negotiables endlessly, ceaselessly, ad nauseum.

They do so verbally, and by example. They do it in meetings, both formal and informal; they repeat them in one-on-ones; in performance reviews and all-staff meetings; in writing and on the phone; they regurgitate them as the answer to as many questions as tortured logic will allow. They recycle them, reprint them, reinforce them, insistently.

Great leaders drive home their non-negotiables over and over and over again, to the point where they feel physically ill at the thought of repeating them even one more time.

And that's just the beginning.

One industry leader I've worked with for over 20 years told me that he'd only begun to drive his personal leadership vision into his company after 12 years of ceaseless pounding on his "non-negotiables".

When the sound of your own voice repeating the same basic principles one more time makes you feel sick, then you've started the construction of your legacy.

4. Leave. Ready for a statement of the stunningly obvious? Leaving a legacy behind requires you to no longer be there.

Sadly, many leaders miss this vital point, and hang around too long, lingering until the point when what would have been a towering legacy is diminished by time. (This happens not just in business. It happens regularly in sports, religion, politics and entertainment too. Think of how many well known leaders in their field would have left a much more substantial legacy had they simply stepped away earlier.)

Do yourself - and your legacy - a favor. Quit while you're at the top. Go transform some other part of your life.

Les McKeown is the author of the bestseller "Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track--and Keeping It There" and is the CEO of Predictable Success, a leading advisor on accelerated organizational growth. His latest book is "The Synergist: How to Lead Your Team to Predictable

Saturday, February 2, 2013

10 Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day

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10 Things Extraordinary People Say Every Day

They're small things, but each has the power to dramatically change someone's day. Including yours.

Want to make a huge difference in someone's life? Here are things you should say every day to your employees, colleagues, family members, friends, and everyone you care about:

"Here's what I'm thinking."

You're in charge, but that doesn't mean you're smarter, savvier, or more insightful than everyone else. Back up your statements and decisions. Give reasons. Justify with logic, not with position or authority.

Though taking the time to explain your decisions opens those decisions up to discussion or criticism, it also opens up your decisions to improvement.

Authority can make you "right," but collaboration makes everyone right--and makes everyone pull together.

"I was wrong."

I once came up with what I thought was an awesome plan to improve overall productivity by moving a crew to a different shift on an open production line. The inconvenience to the crew was considerable, but the payoff seemed worth it. On paper, it was perfect.

In practice, it wasn't.

So, a few weeks later, I met with the crew and said, "I know you didn't think this would work, and you were right. I was wrong. Let's move you back to your original shift."

I felt terrible. I felt stupid. I was sure I'd lost any respect they had for me.

It turns out I was wrong about that, too. Later one employee said, "I didn't really know you, but the fact you were willing to admit you were wrong told me everything I needed to know."

When you're wrong, say you're wrong. You won't lose respect--you'll gain it.

"That was awesome."

No one gets enough praise. No one. Pick someone--pick anyone--who does or did something well and say, "Wow, that was great how you..."

And feel free to go back in time. Saying "Earlier, I was thinking about how you handled that employee issue last month..." can make just as positive an impact today as it would have then. (It could even make a bigger impact, because it shows you still remember what happened last month, and you still think about it.)

Praise is a gift that costs the giver nothing but is priceless to the recipient. Start praising. The people around you will love you for it--and you'll like yourself a little better, too.

"You're welcome."

Think about a time you gave a gift and the recipient seemed uncomfortable or awkward. Their reaction took away a little of the fun for you, right?

The same thing can happen when you are thanked or complimented or praised. Don't spoil the moment or the fun for the other person. The spotlight may make you feel uneasy or insecure, but all you have to do is make eye contact and say, "Thank you." Or make eye contact and say, "You're welcome. I was glad to do it."

Don't let thanks, congratulations, or praise be all about you. Make it about the other person, too.

"Can you help me?"

When you need help, regardless of the type of help you need or the person you need it from, just say, sincerely and humbly, "Can you help me?"

I promise you'll get help. And in the process you'll show vulnerability, respect, and a willingness to listen--which, by the way, are all qualities of a great leader.

And are all qualities of a great friend.

"I'm sorry."

We all make mistakes, so we all have things we need to apologize for: words, actions, omissions, failing to step up, step in, show support...

Say you're sorry.

But never follow an apology with a disclaimer like "But I was really mad, because..." or "But I did think you were..." or any statement that in any way places even the smallest amount of blame back on the other person.

Say you're sorry, say why you're sorry, and take all the blame. No less. No more.

Then you both get to make the freshest of fresh starts.

"Can you show me?"

Advice is temporary; knowledge is forever. Knowing what to do helps, but knowing how or why to do it means everything.

When you ask to be taught or shown, several things happen: You implicitly show you respect the person giving the advice; you show you trust his or her experience, skill, and insight; and you get to better assess the value of the advice.

Don't just ask for input. Ask to be taught or trained or shown.

Then you both win.

"Let me give you a hand."

Many people see asking for help as a sign of weakness. So, many people hesitate to ask for help.

But everyone needs help.

Don't just say, "Is there anything I can help you with?" Most people will give you a version of the reflexive "No, I'm just looking" reply to sales clerks and say, "No, I'm all right."

Be specific. Find something you can help with. Say "I've got a few minutes. Can I help you finish that?" Offer in a way that feels collaborative, not patronizing or gratuitous. Model the behavior you want your employees to display.

Then actually roll up your sleeves and help.

"I love you."

No, not at work, but everywhere you mean it--and every time you feel it.

Nothing.

Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing. If you're upset, frustrated, or angry, stay quiet. You may think venting will make you feel better, but it never does.

That's especially true where your employees are concerned. Results come and go, but feelings are forever. Criticize an employee in a group setting and it will seem like he eventually got over it, but inside, he never will.

Before you speak, spend more time considering how employees will think and feel than you do evaluating whether the decision makes objective sense. You can easily recover from a mistake made because of faulty data or inaccurate projections.

You'll never recover from the damage you inflict on an employee's self-esteem.

Be quiet until you know exactly what to say--and exactly what affect your words will have.

The Real Business Behind The Superbowl

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Loud and Proud

The famous foam finger: Only the roots are humble.

The foam finger may be the only product famous not as an object of obsession but as a symbol of obsession. At the Super Bowl or a Pop Warner game, waving and thrusting in the stands, it amplifies devotion and evokes the deep connection between fan and team. The finger is defiant and triumphant and a little bit rude. We're No. 1! We're No. 1!

The dynamic digit was born in Texas, at a high school football pep rally. On a Friday afternoon in 1977, the Cy-Fair Bobcats were girding for a game with a conference rival. Observing the raucous, riled-up crowd, industrial arts teacher Geral Fauss retreated to his office and took out a sheet of poster board. He drew an outsize hand with the index finger raised, then sketched in knuckles, a picture of a bobcat, and "#1." He then sliced it out with an X-acto knife. In shop class, students saw the hand and made their own versions, which they waved at the game. The Bobcats lost. The hands were consigned to the trash.

A year later, No. 1-ranked University of Texas challenged Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, and team spirit was joined with entrepreneurial impulse. Over three weeks in his garage, Fauss used a jigsaw to cut 400 hands from Masonite: 200 in the "#1" raised-finger configuration and 200 that mimicked UT's famous Hook 'em Horns gesture (index finger and pinky up; thumb crossed over the second and third fingers). After spending the night in a Volkswagen van outside the stadium, Fauss set up shop on a street corner. A guard hustled him along but then suggested he talk to the guy in charge of selling novelties. The novelties guy agreed to let Fauss hawk fingers inside the stadium in exchange for 35 percent of sales. He also advised Fauss to raise the price from $4 to $5 to avoid the need to make change. The fingers sold out in half an hour. Some Notre Dame fans bought Hook 'em Horns and held them upside down. (It may have worked. The Fighting Irish trounced the Longhorns, 38 to 10.)

Fauss experimented with materials. Masonite was heavy enough to do serious damage in the event of a brawl. So was Homasote, a kind of fiberboard. Styrofoam worked better, and polyurethane best. It was light, didn't break, and could be compressed to make shipping cheaper. You could also slit the bottoms so fans could insert their hands, making the enlarged fingers--like their beloved teams--extensions of themselves.

In 1979, Fauss brought 5,000 hands to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans (Crimson Tide 14, Nittany Lions 7) and once again sold out. So long, teaching career. He launched Spirit Industries and obtained copyrights on designs for the "#1" hand, Hook 'em Horns, and Texas A&M's "Gig 'em" hand (fist out; thumb raised). Nine U.S. companies now make foam fingers under license to Spirit.

Spirit employs 40 to 75 people, depending on the season. Fauss remains at the helm; his son, Deryl, runs day-to-day operations. Today, the company produces a variety of promotional items. But in terms of sales, the foam finger is still No. 1.

Tips On Becoming A Master Networker

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Scott Gerber

Sep 18, 2012

Become a Master Networker: 5 Quick Tips

Networking advice from Dave Kerpen, CEO of Likeable Media, and Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council.