January 20, 2012
The Art of Listening
Have you ever noticed how many people are using social media these days? Everyone from your best friend to your mom is posting on Twitter, Facebook and other online communities. What would you do if I now told you that someone was listening to what’s being said? All the conversation online, ranging from opinion sharing to insightful product reviews to emotional support makes social media the largest focus groups and companies are beginning to listen.
According to SocialMediabiz.com, the companies that will succeed in the current market place, “will be social businesses, committed to forging deep and meaningful relationships with their customer”. Organizations that hope to connect with their consumers, need to be dedicated to listening what they have to say. Online monitoring or “listening” is almost a necessity for any organization. Organizations large and small have invested serious dollars to putting their ear to the metaphorical ground to inform their decisions relating to “product development, customer support, public outreach, lead generation, market research and campaign measurement.”
Most conversation online are unsolicited, that’s what makes it so pure and valuable. For instance, a pharmaceutical company wants to hear how patients talk about their drugs and an agency wants to know what aspect of their commercial is annoying. Companies also “listen in” to put out threatening fires and reach out extraordinary customers.
In terms of executing a listening strategy, there are tons of social media monitoring vendors, each designed to fit the varying needs in the market place. To get an understanding of what providers our out there, check out “The Forrester Wave”, a 2010 evaluation of the top listening platforms in the market.
Social media monitoring is a practice that is here to stay, so why don’t you stop and listen…you may be surprised what you hear.
Filed under: Communications, Social Media
December 16, 2011
Gifts that Give
So here we are. It’s holiday season again…and you need to find that perfect gift. Here in New York City, lines and lines of people wait to see the festive window displays on 5th Avenue, unimaginable crowds snap photos in front of the Rockefeller Christmas tree, and someone is hosting a different holiday party each night. Now if you’re like me, you wait until the last minute to buy gifts for your loved ones! To avoid the crowds and the stores, I prefer to do my shopping from the comfort of my own home. As I was looking through the million “gifts that give back” lists, we thought it would be cool to share some new products and organizations you might not know about…but that anyone on your holiday list will love. Now, I’m not saying I don’t love TOMS Shoes or FEED bags, but here are some new and unique gift ideas for your loved ones this holiday. Enjoy!
For your Family Member, Mentor or Boss
Let’s Get Ready: College Access
Let’s Get Ready is an amazing organization that wants to see a day when all students, no matter what socioeconomic background, can have the support they need to reach college. The Mission of Let’s Get Ready is to expand college access for motivated, low-income high school students by providing FREE SAT preparation and college admission counseling. Let’s Get Ready relies on a cadre of student volunteers, or “coaches” to be mentors and role models in order to achieve its mission. Here’s what your money can provide:
$50 provides all books and materials for a Let’s Get Ready student.
$100 supports a training session for our college Coaches.
$250 funds a program graduation ceremony (including diplomas and refreshments).
$500 sponsors one Let’s Get Ready student.
Visit www.letsgetready.org to donate in a loved one’s name and help a student go to college.
For your Best Friend, Sister, Significant Other
Nomi Network*: Job Creation for Survivors of Human and Sex Trafficking
Did you know there are more humans in slavery today than ever in history? According to the UN, there are over 27 million slaves and trafficking is a $32 billion dollar business. Nomi Network was created to address this issue and is dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty that perpetuates human trafficking globally. Specifically, Nomi Network leverages the fashion industry to implement product design, development and marketing strategies for slave-free products.
This process creates employment and career development opportunities for women who are survivors and/or at risk of being trafficked. Nomi also manufactures products with its signature label, “Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body ®” to raise awareness about this global humanitarian issue. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of these bags provide wages, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and meals for the women in South East Asia. Visit www.nominetwork.org to donate or purchase slave-free products at www.buyherbagnotherbody.com .
For your Client, Family Friend, or In Laws
ONEHOPE Wines: Cancer, Veterans, Autism support
ONEHOPE is a great example of companies who build in philanthropy into their business model, much like TOMS, Warby Parker, and many other socially conscious companies we love. ONEHOPE was started by eight friends who created a thriving business from wanting to support a friend who was fighting cancer. They believe that giving back is good business. What’s amazing is that 50% of their profits will be donated to deserving causes, including issues such as children’s health, veteran’s support, autism, cancer, among others.
To date ONEHOPE has raised over $400,000 for a wide range of charity organizations. This holiday, you can give your co-worker, family member or loved one with a great bottle of wine that gives back! Wines starting from $18.99, with a minimum of $3 to a non-profit, can be purchased online at www.ONEHOPEWine.com.
Filed under: Campaigns, Communications, fundraising
Tags: Let's Get Ready, Made With Love, Nomi Network, ONEHOPE, UNICEF
December 9, 2011
An Interview with Lily: Sesame Street’s Food Insecure Muppet
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, is once again setting a great example of how to tackle a difficult subject in an approachable and unique way. As part of their Food for Thought initiative, the organization is bringing the important issue of childhood hunger to light with the introduction of a new Muppet, Lily. And I got the chance to interview her.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 4 American children are food insecure (a.k.a. hungry) and 9.6 million of them are under the age of 6.
“In that Sesame Workshop model, we looked at how you structure a story around this issue in a way that presents the child’s point of view,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President for Outreach and Educational Practices at Sesame Workshop. “We figured the best way was to create a wonderful Muppet who had experienced food insecurity so that we could really point it out from a child’s perspective.”
Enter Lily. A 7-year-old Muppet who knows all too well what it feels like to be hungry.
Abigail Quesinberry: Hi, Lily! It’s so nice to meet you! So, Lily, I understand that your family hasn’t always had enough food to eat. What’s it like to not know where your next meal is coming from?
Lily: Well, um, that’s kind of a hard question… My mom is really good about doing the best she can and my dad… I guess he’s been a little mopey lately. I try not to think about it too much. But I’m pretty lucky because there’s this thing at school where I get a free breakfast and lunch. Before that, it was really hard… my friends would go sit together at lunchtime and I would say I wasn’t hungry or I had a stomachache or something because I just was a little embarrassed, you know, or ashamed about it.
Filed under: Communications, Content Production
Tags: changing behavior, Food Insecure Muppet, Lily, Sesame Street
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