Last week, I had the unique opportunity to be a passenger on an in-flight refueling mission on a KC-135 Stratotanker at Grissom Air Reserve Base with the 434th Air Refueling Wing — the largest refueling wing in the Air Force Reserve Command – outside of Peru, Indiana.

How does a refueling mission like this fit with PR?

Grissom Air Reserve Base (ARB) teamed up with the Hoosier PRSA chapter to create a hands-on social media event. They opened the day with a panel discussion on crisis communication that featured public affairs staff and PRSA members.

During the day, Grissom ARB wanted us to share our real-time experience via our favorite social media outlets, which was an interactive demonstration of the importance of social media in every industry.

The experience was a truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At the end of the day, I walked away having learned much more than I expected. I gained new perspectives on the ways social media can work for us – as well as a new appreciation for the U.S. Air Force.

Force multipliers in action

Social media acts as a force multiplier to get our messages, stories and news to the public; by using multiple channels, our ability to reach our audience drastically improves. In a similar way, the 434 Air Refueling Wing (ARW) acts as a huge force multiplier for the U.S. Air Force, greatly improving its efficiency. Witnessing both of these in tandem last week was fascinating.

Social media can be used to enable others to work for us, spreading our key messages, good news and best pictures (we love our twitpic apps) to the masses. Through our friends and followers on Twitter and Facebook, and through our loyal blog readers, we are able to advertise ourselves, or our companies, and broadcast our messages to a much wider audience, at a much faster rate, than ever before. Throughout the day at Grissom, 13 of us tweeted, twitpic-ed, recorded and updated our statuses. We used our favorite apps to share with our friends and followers a little piece of what Grissom does on a daily basis.

Similarly, in-flight refueling missions allow the Air Force to conduct several operations much more efficiently. It allows pilots to fly longer missions and cover greater distances — bringing troops and supplies to U.S. military stations around the world. The 434ARW from Grissom runs more of these missions per day than any other Air Force base, acting as a great force multiplier for the Air Force.

At 31,000 miles above the Appalachian Mountains, traveling at a ground speed of 405 mph, sitting on approximately 120,000 pounds of fuel pouring at a rate of 6,500 pounds per minute into the C-17 flying next to us… I realized just how vital (and cool) these missions actually are – and how important the 434ARW is to the Air Force and the defense of our nation.

Tags: Communication, current events, Public Relations
Posted in Communication, Digital Media, Public Relations | 1 Comment »

Making physical changes to enhance communication

Over the next few weeks, there will be some exciting office space changes going on here at Miller Brooks. Part of the first floor (primarily in our PR department) is getting a makeover using some wonderful Kimball® Office products. It is our first “physical” dive into the alternative workplace strategy (AWS) arena.

What is an alternative workplace strategy?

AWS is a fundamental transformation in the way work is organized, managed and performed. Almost 25 years after the first mention of AWS, we are beginning to see it carried out in some of the largest companies around the world. Central to this transformation are technological advancements that allow a highly mobile, agile and widespread workforce to conduct business anywhere at any time. Real estate cost pressures are another force driving AWS. A more remote workforce utilizes less office space, but can accommodate more employees.

Companies are embracing this fundamental shift to completing work, by scaling back on office footprints and demanding flexible, mobile and scalable furniture solutions that can easily be adjusted up, down or reconfigured as needed. The office of the future brings people together, in an effort to foster collaboration and innovation.

Technology is also playing a critical role in enabling people to work from remote locations whenever face-to-face interaction isn’t necessary; even then, new forms of high-tech virtual telecommunication technology is proving to be a great alternative to face-to-face communication.

Latest trends in AWS

One trend related to AWS involves allocating more space for teaming and casual areas: places where people can gather to brainstorm or socialize. A recent Gensler survey found people spend 32 percent of their workdays (more than 2.5 hours per day) collaborating with others. These casual gathering spaces drive demand for more soft seating and marker boards to support team activities.

We’ve also seen an increase in demand for smaller conference rooms that can serve as multifunctional spaces: small team rooms, spaces for private conversations, or areas to focus on work that requires a high level of concentration.

Another offshoot of AWS includes lower panel heights and mobile, flexible furniture. According to research conducted by Judith Heerwagen, a Seattle-based environmental psychologist, 80 percent of office interactions are unplanned and occur as a result of one employee visually monitoring the availability of another employee.

Intrigued? You will be able to see all of these elements in action here at Miller Brooks very soon. Stop by anytime after August 9th and check it out!

Tags: Communication, Design, Miller Brooks, staff
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Holistic thinking: taking some cues from the guys at Apple

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, says: “I like to skip and jump to the spot needed and get straight to the point and do what’s needed.”

Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, the two minds who created today’s strongest brand, arguably started a revolution when they founded Apple. Like all great leaps, they fueled their “make it simple” mantra with imagination and passion. Sometimes the skip and jump – like Wozniac says – is what you need to increase speed and keep a concept intact. By skipping and jumping, you’re breaking the bonds of gravity and enjoying the lucidity of an unaltered idea. You may also sidestep the nattering nabobs of negativism.

Sometimes we hear the term “holistic” thinking as a similar description of skipping and jumping to conclusions. Holistic simply means a philosophy characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. No matter how you build on a concept, be it as a linear progression or as a skip and a jump, remember to celebrate the richness of creation and allow everyone to follow their own path to creation, innovation, and inspiration.

Tomorrow, think about the leap of faith that brings great ideas. The clear-eyed focus that delivers the solution. The simplicity of an unaltered idea.

Tags: Commentary, Communication, fun
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I am not sure which is harder to believe: that YouTube has been around for five years, or that YouTube has only been around for five years. All I know is that my 11-year-old son, on average, uploads 4-5 videos a week, while I have never uploaded a video.  I do, however, watch videos, and often.

So, whether you are a YouTube junkie or not, in honor of its 5^th birthday, here are some YouTube stats that will more than likely astound you.

First, a little history:

February 2005 – Founders register domain name
April 23, 2005 – First video is uploaded
December 2005 – Official launch (8 million videos watched per day)

July 2006 – 100 million views per day
October 2006 – Google acquires YouTube for 1.65 billion

June 2007 – YouTube launches in 9 countries
October 2007 – Queen Elizabeth launches a YouTube channel

January 2008 – 10 hours of video uploaded every MINUTE
May 2008 – 13 hours of video uploaded every minute
October 2008 – 15 hours of video uploaded every minute

April 2009 – Receives Peabody Award
October 2009 – 1 billion viewers per day

March 2010 – 24 hours of video uploaded every minute
May 2010 – 2 billion viewers per day

Now, some fun facts:

19 seconds length of the first uploaded video
1.96 million number of times the first video has been played
185.39 million number of times the most popular video, Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance,” has been played
15 minutes time an average person spends per day on YouTube
70% of traffic is from outside the USA
94 of Ad Age’s Top 100 run campaigns on YouTube
2 billion views per day, which is 2 times the prime-time audience of all 3 major U.S. networks combined
100 Years of video that Content ID scans every day
2,159,651 subscribers of the number-one channel, NigaHiga

Can you imagine what life would be like without this site today? Has it impacted your life in a particular way?

Check out this video that YouTube created to commemorate the milestone. Happy birthday!

Data from YouTube and Website-Monitoring.com

Tags: Communication, online
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Why you no longer need a bouncy ball and a court to play

When our slew of Miller Brooks employees head out to lunch on any given day of the week, I’m usually on my phone within the first few minutes after we sit down at the table. My co-workers, who know me well, don’t need to ask what I’m doing. They roll their eyes because they know I’m “checking in” to our favorite lunch spots on Foursquare.

The growing location-based social media application trend is led by Foursquare, a service that provides real-time user location updates specific to a venue. Location-based services (LBS) like Foursquare are expected to really take flight in 2010 — providing they aren’t beat out by location-based features being added to Twitter and Facebook.

Much like the case with Twitter before it mainstreamed, many have heard of Foursquare, but very few actually use it or understand how it works. So if you’re among those who still think Foursquare is a playground ballgame played on a court divided into quadrants, I’ll help you out.

Let’s start with a quick breakdown of the application, and then I’ll give you my two cents.

What is Foursquare?

Foursquare is a location-based social networking application for mobile devices.

How does it work?
Users go to a venue (whether it be a restaurant, bar, park, retail store, office, etc.) and check in using their mobile application. When you’ve checked in, you are awarded points. Foursquare adds up the number of times you’ve been to that location. You receive more points at certain places, and when you are the person who has checked in to that venue the most, you become the mayor.

What is a badge?
When you become a regular user, and start checking in at multiple venues, you will receive badges for your check-in. From the start, there are a slew of beginner badges you receive for becoming an active Foursquare user. First, you’ll receive the newbie badge, then the adventurer badge, then the local badge, and so on. Badges and points aren’t really connected; badges are more of a reward system for interesting check-ins.

My two cents

Now that you know how it works, let me tell you what I think about Foursquare: it’s awesome!

I see two main arguments for the use of Foursquare, whether it’s for fun, for work… or simply because you’re starting to feel left out!

• Competitive gaming quality: I’m convinced that the competitive nature of the application makes it quickly addicting.  (It was for me!) I’ve only been on Foursquare for 5 months, but as a person who’s new to Indianapolis, I’m always sure to check into my new favorite hangouts.  I don’t want to miss out on the points or badges I might receive that will document the discovery of my new city. To help keep the application competitive, most mobile Foursquare applications feature a “LeaderBoard,” which shows you the amount of points you’ve earned on Foursquare each week – resetting every Sunday evening.
• Networking: The “check-in” aspect of Foursquare creates a stream of content that contains all your daily travels. Other users can then follow your stream and engage you in conversation about your favorite places. It’s another way for you to connect with someone and get to know him or her better. You can also follow other people’s check-ins to see where they have been. If your friends are using Foursquare, you can locate them in the city without ever making a single phone call. Also, as you watch your friends check in, you may discover some great restaurants and shops that you never knew existed!

Foursquare’s Challenge

The application clearly has the “cool factor.” As of early 2010, it claimed about 725,000 members — and it has only been around since early 2009. But the question is, can it be proved useful? Besides being fun, Foursquare was launched for business — and participating businesses say yes. Here’s why:

• Foursquare allows venues to provide deals and discounts to the Foursquare users who check in. Some even offer special deals to mayors. It’s another way for businesses to engage their patrons.
• As a business owner, you can learn a lot of valuable insights about your customers by monitoring their activities on Foursquare. You can find out where else your customers go, as well, to learn who your competitors are.
• Businesses can monitor their brand presence across social media mediums. You can identify both your biggest supporters and people who might be unhappy with your company. You can then engage these people and make sure they continue to be supporters of your brand, or right the wrong and gain back a customer.

As Foursquare becomes more mainstream, the application is rapidly gaining users (adding almost 100,000 in a 10-day period during SXSW in Austin, TX). But as the fan base builds, questions arise as well. One in particular: with people checking into (and out of) their homes via Foursquare updates (which can push out to Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn), is personal privacy at risk? This, no doubt, will be a hot social media topic throughout 2010.

Can you really weigh what you think about Foursquare if you don’t give it a try? Sign up at Foursquare.com and tell us what you think!

Tags: Communication, online
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Check out this tacky info. In an interesting turn – products are now tracking people:

Facebook and its predecessors showed how to connect with friends. For example, Facebook set the standard for connecting with websites and Foursquare and its peers established how you can connect with locations. Now, various augmented reality apps on mobile devices are starting to create ways to connect users with anything they can see through their phone’s viewfinder. An app called Stickybits is building connections and content around barcodes. For $1.29 a user can download the app which allows him/her to take a photo of a barcode and upload it into the database. Once completed, the user is connected to all other users who scanned the same barcode. The social network allows users to enter in text or upload additional photos or videos which will then be connected to the selected barcode.

Contrary to most social networks which entail people tracking products, with Stickybits the products track people.

Tags: Communication, Miller Brooks, online
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Approximately 100 sales and marketing executives from 32 national building-products manufacturers recently gathered at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis for Miller Brooks’ 2010 Marketing to the Architect and Design Community Symposium. In its second year, the event once again provided an excellent opportunity for these sales and marketing executives to “engage, interact and connect with architects and designers.”

Through speaker presentations and a panel discussion, attendees learned about new trends and technology currently impacting the architecture and design industry, as well as best practices for cultivating stronger, more mutually beneficial relationships between manufacturers and design professionals.

Presentations from industry leaders

Three speakers, who know this industry firsthand, shared their insight:

Claire Conroy, editorial director of residential architect, Custom Home and Custom Home Outdoors magazines:

• The objectives of custom home designers often differ from those of custom homebuilders. Combining this knowledge with understanding and respect will build trust and result in more successful projects.
• She encouraged marketing representatives to work toward a better understanding of their custom home architect customers and their specific needs. The result? You’ll build a more solid relationship.
• Relationships breed business. “If you’re just coming to their office to sell to them, they will see right through you.”

Keynote speaker Rex Miller, founding member of the Mindshift Consortium — a building and design industry think tank — and author of The Commercial Real Estate Revolution presented “Mindshift: A New Way To Look at a New Problem”:

• Today’s digital culture is being driven by technologically savvy young minds. Miller encouraged audience members to embrace the ideas of younger employees and incorporate the new trends – such as social media and Building Information Modeling (BIM) – into their companies’ business models.
• Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) is a growing trend intended to minimize the waste of time, materials and labor. Project teams organize themselves before the project, selecting teammates based on talent and ability to cooperate, instead of low bids. The architects, designers and contractors work together as a unit — not as individuals — and share risks together. Project design and coordination using BIM is the tool that makes this operational style possible. “BIM helps the trades to interact better on projects and produce better results.”

And Alex Oliver, CEO and founding partner of Los Angeles digital media firm Igloo Studios:

• Some monumental digital design tools have been developed in the past 30 years, from AutoCAD^® to Revit^® and Google^® SketchUp, over the past 30 years.
• Now? 3-D digital modeling software is seeing huge growth. For example, approximately 1.3 million unique, new applications of Google SketchUp pop up every week online.
• Each tool has its merits for designers, and they should use the tool that is the best fit for the project. “There’s more than one software solution, and there’s more than one set of tools,” Oliver said. “Users of Revit don’t just use Revit. Users of Google SketchUp don’t just use Google SketchUp. There’s interaction between all of these programs.”

An interactive panel discussion

Moderated by Conroy and featuring Miller and Oliver, the panel included a diverse group of architects and interior designers:

• Sara Busby, CKD, owner of Sara Busby Design in Traverse City, Mich.
• Lynda A. Anderson, IIDA, LEED AP, associate principal at RATIO Architects in Indianapolis
• John Senhauser, FAIA, owner of John Senhauser Architects in Cincinnati
• Thomas A. Cheesman, AIA, principal at RATIO Architects

Panel members fielded questions from audience members, delivered both by text message and microphone, about issues affecting the relationships between architects and the marketing and sales departments of manufacturing companies. What issues generated the most discussion?

• Reaction to New Digital Technology — many of today’s veteran architects have embraced digital modeling but still sometimes prefer to receive physical product samples from manufacturers. This provides them something tangible to present to clients.
• Trade shows — Trade shows are still important to architects, as they allow them to see new products up-close and speak with manufacturer representatives face-to-face.
• Architect-Manufacturer Relationships – Manufacturer representatives should get to know their architect customers better in order to help them do their jobs and educate them on the uses and benefits of a particular product.
• Time Is Money — Architects are very busy, so manufacturer representatives must make efficient use of this time during sales calls.
• Setting Ground Rules — Architects need to set ground rules with manufacturer representatives, letting them know what it takes to get their products specified.

Response from attendees

So, was the symposium useful? What did attendees have to say when it was done?

Amy Lee, marketing manager for CertainTeed Gypsum‘s group: “The symposium provided useful information, not only about how to market to and communicate most effectively with architects, but also about current trends in the architectural field. We learned from the speakers and the panel what’s most important to architects, what kind of information they need from us, how they want to get it and when they want to get it.”

Mark Johnson, director of sales and marketing education for KraftMaid^® Cabinetry: “This event offered incredible learning in a very short period of time — I really appreciated how these top-notch people made such good use of our time. If the architects share what their needs are, as they did at this event, hopefully the marketers will listen.”

And one attendee even blogged about the experience afterward! Check out Eric Nilsson’s thoughts on the CertainTeed blog.

Many, many thanks to everyone who was a part of this event. Do you have additional thoughts, questions, or comments to share? Let us know below!

Tags: Communication, Events, Marketing, Miller Brooks
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Balancing the two to reach your audience

From a personal standpoint, I see my three-year-old navigating the Internet almost seamlessly (yes, I’m there monitoring where he goes). He doesn’t know that the letters “v-i-d-e-o” mean video and that “g-a-m-e-s” mean games, but he certainly knows what will happen next when he clicks on those letters. A year ago, he went up to the TV to push an image he saw and was disappointed that it didn’t do anything. This is, of course, after he paused the TV program.

Your target audience may not include my three-year-old son, but his way of thinking is a good demonstration of how you have to approach your media plan.

Think like your audience

To reach your target audience, your brand needs to be promoted wherever they may live, work, and/or play. And to meet your desired goals, you have to deliver the right message, at the right time, to that right audience, at a sustainable frequency. (Piece of cake, right?) In today’s world, that rarely means using print or online exclusively, but more likely a blended, integrated mix.

I have seen b-to-b media plans move from 100% print, to gradually integrating online media, and now, even 100% online media buys.

So, what should you do? What’s next? How do you keep your messaging on par with the behaviors of your audience?

The growing integration of digital media

As of last month, here’s what a couple of prestigious marketing research firms are predicting:

Forrester Research, in its “B2B US Interactive Marketing Forecast, 2009-2014”:
B-to-b spending on interactive marketing will more than double in the next five years, jumping from $2.3 billion to $4.8 billion in 2014.

Outsell, in its “Annual Advertising and Marketing Study, 2010”:
Digital marketing expenditures will account for 40% of overall b-to-b marketing spending in 2010, while print will account for 31.8% in 2010.

There’s no denying that if you’re not considering using digital media to reach your audience, you’ll likely be left behind.

I don’t know what my son’s generation will be called, and I don’t know what comes after “digital native.” But I do know that he is a fan of technology, and it isn’t moving fast enough to keep up with him. He will help change media as we know it, and I look forward to that future.

Just a few weeks ago, we shared a video that considered the future of publishing. What’s your take on the future of media?

Tags: Communication, Media, online
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How we could all learn something from the Butler approach

The Dawgs are coming home!

Unless you are one of those folks who thinks March Madness is about the weather varying 40 degrees in 24 hours, you have heard about the “underdog” Butler Bulldogs going to the Final Four. The media loves a sentimental story, and what could be more sentimental than “small-fry” Butler coming home to Indianapolis to play in the Final Four?

You’ve also inevitably heard one of the many references to the movie “Hoosiers,” saying Butler is a similar Cinderella team. It’s a nice story, and it may sell copy. But this self-proclaimed basketball aficionado disagrees.

The Butler basketball players are not Cinderellas. They are a group of individuals who, through great leadership, have mastered teamwork. And because of that, they beat #1- and #2-seeded teams made up of individuals who, frankly, had more talent, height and depth.

So, what exactly is teamwork?

Teamwork: “A joint action by a group of people, in which each person subordinates his or her individual interests and opinions to the unity and efficiency of the group.”

Success occurs when all the individuals harmonize their contributions and work toward a common goal.

In other words, you can have a group of superstars, but if they do not work well as one unit, chances are they are not going to be as successful as you would think. If everyone does his or her job well, then it increases what the team can accomplish.

Teamwork, the Butler way

Butler lives teamwork, from their coach down to the 15th man. We all know Mack and Hayward, and yes, they are as good as just about any point guard-wing duo in the country. But then there are Nored and Vanzant who, teamed with Mack, are a defensive backcourt to be reckoned with. And how about Smith, a freshman who came in and played 12 terrific minutes when Howard was on the bench due to foul trouble? Smith hadn’t seen a second of playing time since March 9th.

In the games Butler played against both Syracuse and Kansas State, these opposing teams made runs late in the second half to take the lead. But Butler didn’t panic. They relied on what got them there – teamwork – and went on a run of their own to seal each game. With teamwork comes poise, maturity and the ability to execute at crunch time. Butler does that.

After the game, Coach Stevens recognized and gave credit to all 15 players, not just Mack and Hayward.

“If you don’t believe it, you can’t achieve it,” Stevens said. “This program has been built on a foundation of, ‘Hey, where you’re at is great…but success is having and excellence is being.’ You have success, but if you want to continue to have it at a high level, you’d better be excellent.”

Now, I’m tempted to explain how this applies to business — but this Jayhawk thinks that would be hitting you over the head.

Image from the Butler Final Four Facebook Page.

Tags: Communication, current events, Indianapolis
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How audience segmentation can get you through a recession

Very few industries are recession-proof, and the commercial laundry market is no exception – though it seemed like it at one time. After having recently returned from the Maytag Commercial Laundry annual distributor meeting in Orlando, I have a better appreciation for market conditions within these segments and for the way Maytag’s trust in its distribution partners has helped it weather the economic storm.

The formerly recession-resistant commercial laundry market

Market conditions within the coin store, multi-housing and on-premises laundry segments were all tough in 2009. While this may not seem like surprising news, during previous challenging economic times, coin-store owners could count on this as a recession-resistant business. Last year was different. In an unusual pattern, Hispanic populations shrank within urban markets due to lack of jobs, and a tight credit market reduced new store openings.

Multi-housing and on-premises laundry were both affected by the liquidity crisis as well. While the replacement-product market remained strong, the prognosis for commercial development in 2010 and the next few years remains cloudy.

Yet despite all the doom and gloom of market conditions, many of the Maytag Commercial Laundry distributors reported 30-, 40-, and even 60-percent revenue increases across market segments. Once again, those prepared for changing market conditions can leverage these times to gain market share from others who are frozen in place.

So, how did they do it?

Craft messaging based on your audiences’ current needs

To prepare for the challenging year, Maytag and its distribution partners focused their messaging on decreasing energy costs through purchasing high-efficiency equipment.

By properly segmenting its audiences, Maytag was able to understand the audiences’ needs and clearly communicate the key brand benefits that were most timely in 2009. It crafted motivating offers and delivered messaging that drove business owners to think of long-term benefits versus short-term gains.

Nearly every company can adopt a strategy like this and benefit, and it works in times of great prosperity, too.

Your primer for marketing success in challenging times:

• Segment your audience
• Develop key messaging by audience
• Motivate by needs-based messaging

Does your audience segmentation line up with your key-messaging matrix? What survival strategies have you adopted in the last few years?

Tags: Communication, Marketing
Posted in Communication, Marketing | 1 Comment »