Fired From Using Facebook?

MSN.com posted an interesting article today about people who have been fired because of their social media status posts.  

I ask...is this fair?  The internet is free speech right?  Yes and no.  The meat of the article claims that posting negative comments via Facebook and Twitter are public and can be used against you - especially comments about your job.  

For example.  An employee emailed his boss saying that he had an emergency around Halloween.  A couple days later, pictures of that person at a Halloween party surfaced - the day he supposedly had his "emergency."  The business took action by firing the person.  

In a situation like this the employee shouldn't have lied.  But at the same time a person should be able to take time off for whatever reason if they have personal time available.  Posting pictures of yourself dressed in a fairy costume makes him one crayon short of a full box.  And not because of the costume choice, but because a number of his Facebook friends are co-workers. 

Moving on... 

My friend at a local agency said she got a nasty email from her boss asking her to refrain from using text messaging and Facebook during work hours.  I'm shocked to hear this micromanaging from a media agency (especially when she wasn't using Facebook excessively).

As technology moves forward, social media is becoming a vital part in any business - especially businesses in media, advertising and sales.  If we plan on marketing social media we should be fluent in it.  Practice what we preach. But that's just my opinion.  

In the meantime, check out Social Media Pitfalls posted today on MSN.com and let me know what you think.  

Someone you know get Facebook fired?  If so, I want to hear their story.  Post a comment or send it to quinn.kathner@gmail.com.  

How Twitter Makes You A Kick-Ass Writer

As a copywriter, we often lean towards long copy.  It's no secret.  And I'm guilty of it myself. Projects that should take minutes to write turn into hours of long, drawn out copy that ends up on the cutting room floor.  

My problem? I take too many words to get to the point.  It's a rookie mistake, too, that's the burning part of it.  So how does twitter help us become better writers? Simple.  

Space.

With tweets, you've only got 140 characters so you'd better get to the point.  It's nice to have a limit so you know what space you're working with.  Before I start projects (after the creative process begins) I like to do mock-ups of where I want graphics and copy. 

Headlines.  

You also need to kick up your headlines to get attention.  Check out the headline.  See?  It's much more attention-grabbing than "How Twitter Makes You A Better Writer."  Blah.  Add some zing to your headlines.  

Edits. Edits. Edits.

I'm also guilty of writing tweet headlines in a flash.  Meaning it's easy to mistype words. And with only 140 characters, a typo reflects a rather high percentage of error. 

From space and headlines to edits, Twitter can help your short game writing. So have I convinced you to sign up for Twitter?  

The Loop.

I'd never imagine that I'd have a different opinion about 12th street.  

I grew up in rural South Dakota.  The population sign was (and still is) in my front yard.  It reads, "Woonsocket, SD, Population 741."  In high school I was that girl who didn't have a lot of friends, but I had a few really good friends.  One of those good friends lived in Sioux Falls, her name is Chasity.   

Now Chas and I have lost contact throughout the years, but I always look back to my high school years and know that I survived because of her friendship and her location.  I'd visit Chasity as often as possible.  But there was one activity in Sioux Falls that our parents told us explicitly not to do.  So naturally, we did it: cruise the loop.

The loop was made up of 11th and 12th streets - one way streets that looped around.  It was a dangerous-esk area of town.  People would linger, smoke pot or crack or whatever.  Apparently my parents thought that if we cruised the loop we'd become pot-smoking hippies or whores.  

My first perception of 12th street was bias.  I was 16 years old girl, easily influenced by my parents and other adults perceptions.  Their perception became mine.  It's true that a 16 year old girl   

So fast forward 10 years later.  I'm now 26.  That paranoia about downtown SF still lingered.  Until I started working downtown at 6th and Main at Fresh Produce.  

Sure we get our share of sketchy people walking by, but rarely do I ever feel that they'd sell me drugs or murder me.  More often than not, people have said "good morning."  My perceptions changed by going outside my comfort level and learning to block out the negative perceptions of others.  To not be so easily influenced.  These are good words to live by.  Everyone can have their opinion, just don't try to persuade me into believing yours.  Easier said than done.  

I love downtown Sioux Falls - so much culture and history.  We live on west 12th street (not downtown, but it's still on 12th), my kid goes to a daycare center downtown and we do activities and businesses in downtown.  And without the fear of being shot.    

Over the past years, I'm sure downtown Sioux Falls has changed, but what I'm most proud of are the changes that I've made as a person.  I'm able to think for myself and not be influenced by others irrational paranoia.  Maybe that comes with age or maybe I've just grown up.  Or maybe I grew up with crazy people.  Maybe it's all of the above.  For what it's worth we all need to go outside of our comfort area and see it's really not that scary.  

Freevertising - Did You Get Your Big Hug From McDonald's?

Every Monday from July 13th through August 3rd, McDonald's gave away a free sample of their McCafe Mocha's.  According to corporate execs, it's one of the largest sampling initiatives done by McDonald's.  And giving away free stuff is a very big part of advertising and marketing plans right now.  In this economy, why?  

People are constantly being bombarded with advertisements.  System overload.  That's why McDonald's turned to "freevertising," a new twist on an old technique of sampling.   

According to trendwatching.com - "Free Love," also known as "freevertising," is an all-out war of getting customers attention - the handshake - well, more of a full-body shake.  

While companies literally open their arms and give consumers free stuff it's clear that consumers win.  We love free stuff, but we also feel the need to say "thank you" which translates into a purchase.  In McDonald's case, it's one delicious way of increasing business.  Sneaky, but delicious.  

Check out Trendwatching's article on "Free Love."  It's worth a hug. 

Having Problems? Don't Fix It, Shave a Bear.

Normally I don't read every post made by Seth Godin, but today I read a real home run. It talks about how we cover up problems instead of fixing them.  

The big elephant in the room is global warming.   And instead of fixing the problem, we cover it up.  Seth Godin lists of a bunch of examples, but one I can think of is our government.  Instead of reducing federal spending and cutting back we print more money.  I hope some of that newly printed money was allocated to razors because we just shaved a bear.  A big bear at that.    

In this ad, it's the poor bears who are forced to shave to adapt to the rising temps.  (Speaking of temps, the one degree of separation battle rages on).  

What a great concept for a PSA.  Attention-grabbing and deep.  Very deep.  Excellent perception.  No one wants to see a bear shave itself.  Click here to watch the PSA.  

Read the full article on Seth Godin's page by clicking here.  

The Silence of the Lambs

I'm 26 years old and watched The Silence of the Lambs for the first time last night. Yeah I know, but I was a very protected kid forced to watch PG-13 movies until I was 18. So my excuse for waiting 9 years to watch this thriller is fear. I was very afraid of this movie until I sat down and watched it.

It was tastefully done meaning the acting was good and the graphic scenes weren't that graphic. Check out CSI: SVU and tell me that's worse. And when The Silence of the Lambs came out back in 1991, graphic displays were a HUGE deal. People weren't used to seeing or imagining that kind of disturbia, now you can't watch your local news without going into shock mode.

TV desensitizes our minds. Radio rapes our ears. YouTube viloates our souls. Yeah yeah...life's full of smut. If you haven't watched The silence of the Lambs in a while, you should. Takes us back to simpler times. Times when people could be canabals and gentlemen. But that's another topic for another post.

Degree of Separation

As temps outside heat up. Temps inside go down. Makes sense. Does it make sense to fight about a thermostat degree? Probably not, but inside our house it's the different between an igloo or a hot box. We translate that into a happy house and a not-so-happy house.

Enter ringside weighing in at 160 pounds - Lincoln "I hate air conditioning" Kathner (aka my husband). He sleeps in sweatpants in 90 degree weather. His internal thermostat is a thing of wonder.

I enter opposite ringside - weighing less than Lincoln but trust me, I'm ferocious. My internal thermostat is programmed to go into shock if our house temp climbs above 73 degrees. Trust me, it's hot.

Nevertheless we compromise. Meaning I'm dressed in a tank top and shorts while Lincoln looks like a human snow globe. It's go time.

I set the temp to 73 and walk away. An hour passes - it's now set to 74 and I'm getting red in the face. Literally, I'm getting hot. I gaze down upon a snugly wrapped up Lincoln sitting on the couch. I ask myself if it's worth the fight - the lousy one degree of separation!

If you're living in a one degree of separation battle with your significant other, roommate or life partner please, let me know how you solved it.

Sioux Falls Airshow Excitement

Chiropractors in the area cleared their schedules Monday, July 27. Why? It was the first Monday after the Sioux Falls Airshow where regional spectators tilted their heads to the sky for two full days of high-flying excitment.

Check out the very awesome website here. Advertising was done by local SF agency, Fresh Produce.

I'll Have a Box of Water, Please.

The new 16.9 oz plastic Aquafina bottles suck.  They’re made with 50% less plastic and are extremely thin.  When you go to open the bottle, you can’t get a solid grip and end up squeezing the bottle forcing water out the top. 

This is just to say that I love the environment, but I’m sick of having water spilled on my desk.  Whatever happened to the idea of boxed water is better?  That was a sweet design, check it out here.

And if you’ve become a victim of these new water bottles stay strong.  Unlike the bottles (Awww BURN).

Topic of Being Cryogenically Frozen Heats Up.

Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."  

There's a myth out there saying that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen.   It's not true.  It's actually the opposite.  He was cremated in 1966.  He died of lung cancer.    

I listened to the latest This American Life podcast where they turned up the heat on cryonics.  It has inspired me.  Not because I want to be a popsicle when I die, but rather the possibility of achieving eternal life.   

As I got deeper into the podcast, the issues of being cryogenically frozen evolved into writing a "This is Just to Say" poem (kind of like a fake apology before we die).

If you haven't listened to the podcast, go ahead.  Do it now.  

I'll wait. (Click here to listen).  

Powerful stuff.  If you could come back in 50, 100 or 200 years after dying...what kind of world would you awaken to?  

Well.  Perhaps this is a bit heavy.  But it makes you think.  Going back to fake apologizes.  

If Walt Disney made a "This is Just to Say" poem for Mickey Mouse, it might have gone something like this:

While I created you,

I'm sorry I didn't make you anatomically correct.

What can I say.  

I was so young. Innocent.

You probably cursed my name after meeting Minnie.

But forgive me,

because your offspring would have been creepy.

Walt Disney left us with words of wisdom saying our dreams can come true if we work hard enough.  Maybe this phrase inspired the brains behind being cryogenically frozen.

A Copywriter’s Checklist: Seasoning Salt. Fire. Check.

“But this is only the first round, ok,” I said.   

“Jeeze, how much time do you need to drop it like it’s hot,” he said.  “And don’t forget your seasoning salt.”  

“Fine. You want salt,” I asked.  “I got so much salt it’ll give you a heart attack.”

No reaction.  I scuff.  We move on.

Shake the seasoning salt.  Shake it good.  Because when you add flavor, you add a little something extra.  And extra is better. 

Point and case.   

Picture being stranded on the freeway with a sharpie and a piece of cardboard.  What would your sign say?

Tasty:  Going to Kansas City.

Real Tasty:  Need a ride to Kansas City to surprise Mom for her birthday.

What a difference right?  The message isn’t lost – you still need a ride to Kansas City.  But you’ve added some seasoning salt.  And it’s better. 

We go to work.  We sit at a computer.  And we pound on a keyboard.  If you’re lucky, your boss will let you go on a creative excursion – like to the nearest vintage shop.  And if you’re real lucky, (in regards to your work) you’ll have a boss that says it’s your best piece of work yet.  Then demands a complete rewrite.  I’m lucky like that.

It’s so easy for me to call up a blank page, pound out the creative brief and start.  

Enter the world of copywriting.  We can’t just touch the flame - we must have a reason for burning ourselves.  Our reason can be found in The Copywriter’s Checklist.  

It’s the list I use after the prepping phase before concepting.  It’s like a prayer.  Only it’s to Ogilvy.

• Does the copy fulfill the promise of the headline?
• Is the copy interesting?
• Is it easy to read?
• Is it believable?
• Is it persuasive?
• Is it specific?
• Is it concise?
• Is it relevant?
• Does it flow smoothly?
• Does it call for action?

There you have it – Big 10 for copywriters brought to you via The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert W. Bly. 

In conclusion, copywriting is a technical art.  It’s about the seasoning salt.  The spice.  The something extra. 

But remember, you’re not changing the world.  You write ads.  Season salt it up.  Then set your work on fire. 

 

Super Fresh Business Cards

Check out my new business cards for Fresh Produce - an ad agency in Sioux Falls, SD.

The Restaurant Where You Pay What You Want (or Can)

I found this article about a couple that opened a non-profit restaurant in Denver, CO. The idea is that you can pay what you can or volunteer an hour to eat. A young couple opened the SAME (So All May Eat) cafe with $30,000 of their IRA money. The restaurant is doing well and operates upon the belief that everyone deserves to eat, no matter how much they can pay.

And get this - it's organic food.

Click here to read the entire article. Visit the Web site here.

Everyone Needs to Feel Invested in Something

The recent 6 months with the stock market have been like a soap opera. It's down, it's up, it's down - then it's WAY down....and I too got caught up in drama. Today I bought my first stocks (not linked to an IRA) and it feels pretty good.

At age 25, I am the proud owner of 150 Daktronics, Inc. stocks. I carefully monitored the stocks for about 6 months prior to purchase and feel confident. I still feel like I don't know squat - like that guy from the "Boom Goes The Dynamite" video when I try to tell anyone how the stock market actually works.

But the truth is, everyone has a need to feel invested in something. For some it's the stock market - for others Canadian pornography. It's a most righteous feeling - investing, no matter where you put your assets.

Fun To Learn Time!

The term is: "Paper Gangster." 

Fake, wanna-be who tries to be ghetto/thinks he/she is from the streets.  Should be listening to Rush and wearing Dockers while earning a living cleaning daddy's Lexus and painting his white-picket fence.

Compliments of Urban Dictionary.  You always have the right answer when I need it - big thumbs up!

Pepsi Logo Owns Up

This dude nails it.  Check out the new Pepsi logo. Ridiculous.  You can find this image along with other stuff here.

Pepsi isn't off my radar yet, stay tuned....  

Minty-Fresh Explosive Marketing

One of the coolest things about the Web is that when an idea takes off it can create tons of buzz for free. Most viral marketing is started by accident for amusement, not marketing. Remember the "dancing baby" from the mid-1990's? It was low-tech and a bit sketchy, but it was cool and instantly became viral.

The majority of campaigns created specifically to go viral fail. Worse, some companies set up fake viral campaigns with an approach that feels forced and advertisement-like. They don't understand that it's all about luck and timing.

There's a formula for creating an explosive viral campaign. This formula combines great (and free) Web content that is new, exciting or funny and may even include a celebrity. It also needs fuel - that's why you need a network of people to spread the message (thus the name viral).

My favorite example is the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment that turned viral by accident. The video clip shows what happens when you combine 200 liters of Diet Coke and 500 Mentos mints. The reaction was explosive - and it caused a classic viral phenomenon.

In only three weeks, millions of people had seen the video and the blogs were buzzing. The creators of the experiment even appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and The Today Show. Needless to say Mentos and Diet Coke marketing were excited from all the free exposure!

This is why companies need to be monitoring the Web for any content, good or bad, which is related to their products. And if an awesome viral explosion begins (and you didn't create it), don't just sit on the sidelines - get into the game!

MillerCoors Leaves Bloggers Buzzing

This question has been on my mind since Sunday night: why hasn't anyone executed the 1-second ad during the Super Bowl or even on the web before? And what is all the hoopla about?

Did Saatchi & Saatchi really pioneer this idea? Hardly. Call me a buzz kill, but check the list of attempted:

http://www.nme.com/news/eels/33707
A band called the Eels tried to do this last year but were turned down because they couldn't afford the entire 30 seconds. Also, they would not run 30 different commercials that were a second long because they feared it could cause seizures.

http://www.the1secondfilm.com/
Bringing the world together 1 second at a time also tried this. The film is one second of animation followed by one hour of credits that will include a documentary. It's a non-profit collaborative film project and anyone can join for free. If you donate $1 or more you get a Producer credit.

Let's go back to the MillerCoors ad. The 1-second execution has made headlines both in the newspapers and on the web, however, are we making a big fuss over something so simple? Don't get me wrong, I loved the spot and the concept - just seems to be a green idea (or recycled).

Maybe S&S figured out a way of producing the idea better than anyone else....or maybe they had a friend at NBC. The blogs posts have been positive except for the predictable few. Can't wait until next year to see who will steal the show.

Permission Marketing

According to Seth Godin's blog, "Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them."

I'm on my e-mail account 9 hours a day, I follow people on Twitter and feel that permission marketing is a necessity now-a-days...here's an example why:

I was at my local American Eagle store in the mall and it took forever to check out. While I was purchasing two items, the store clerk asked for my zip code, phone number and e-mail address (none of which they actually got). I can see for marketing research why they need the zip code and phone #, but I was perplexed about my e-mail address. Apparently they send out notices of when items are on sale, upcoming events and stuff along that nature. I declined to give out my info only to receive a nasty "okaaaay."

I didn't know that checkout person and I certainly don't want to be bothered with an e-mail every few days announcing it's the sale of all sales. When I do see your e-mail I'm going to block you. And I'll enjoy it.

So many companies don't understand that they need to have permission to market to their current or future customers and that it's not acceptable to gather their e-mail address from informal locations without a real explanation of what will be sent. A massive amount of spam from you is only going to turn recipients off and you'll find yourself blocked.

Permission marketing is a delicate area to master, but when done properly it serves as an invaluable resource. If you take care of your customers and treat them right, they'll take care of you.

I love Kathy Griffin but.....

This is just too awesome not to post. Thanks go to TMZ.com for the photo!