Advocacy Amplified

For those who haven’t visited the offices of A Squared Group, I’ll let you in on a little secret. The walls are GREEN. Not all the walls, just certain walls. We like it that way. So imagine what a lark it was to read this week’s NY Times article, by Fred Bernstein, extolling the benefits of green walls!

Check out The Color of Comfort, which also mentions fantastic playwright, John Patrick Shanley. And satisfy our curiosity – what color are your walls?

Having just returned from an invigorating four days in Chicago for BlogHer, I am still mulling over all the conversations I had with other bloggers in attendance, and the information shared during the conference sessions. One issue, in particular, is at the forefront of my mind and, based upon the blogosphere chatter, on other attendees minds as well… SWAG. Was it an effective way for Brands to reach their target audiences, or did it do more harm than good?

As Jack Neff discussed in his article for AdAge, and I can attest, there was an abundance of swag at BlogHer – at sign in, at most sponsor booths and at almost every party. Obviously, there were a variety of reasons why over 1200 women (and men) attended BlogHer. The expectation of swag was clearly one of them. In fact, some bloggers brought extra, empty suitcases in which to cart home their loot. With so much stuff, Brands struggled to get noticed in the midst of a lot of clutter.

Based upon my experience, and numerous conversations with women throughout the conference, here’s how it looked from the ground…

The acquisition of swag took on a life of its own. At the SocialLuxe event, which, by most accounts, had the best swag bag, some bloggers did indeed morph into coyote scavengers, taking bags that were designated for others and/or more than one bag. This party took place on the night before the main conference started. The frenzy to take stuff only grew from there. It wasn’t about brand awareness or brand loyalty. It was about possession.

Some attendees approached representatives at booths and in suites with queries about free stuff in lieu of a more commonplace greeting, like “hello.” Quantity usurped quality. Collecting overrode conversing. At the ShutterSisters event, on the final evening of the conference, the hostesses made a radical decision to hold back the promised swag bags, opting to send them to RSVP’d guests after the fact, simply in an attempt to return a level of civility and purity to the proceedings.

What happened to all the stuff?

As a result of all the frenzy, what happened to much of the branded material was… NOTHING. Coupons were abandoned on lunch tables. Multiple branded thumb drives and Mrs. Potato Heads were left for hotel housekeeping. Tote bags were recycled. As Mr. Neff attested, “…maybe even check out one of (Chicago’s) pawn shops this week” to discover where all the stuff went.

Is this what Brands want?

It can sound very impressive to say a Brand has reached every influential female blogger – 1200 targeted consumers – in attendance at BlogHer. Every company that had a coupon or gift in the BlogHer registration bag can make that claim. It is a hollow claim, however, if the brand impression is fleeting, or makes more of an impact on the Sheraton cleaning staff or pawn shop clerk than The Bloggess.

If Brands want to establish lasting relationships with their consumers, motivating long-term loyalty and genuine word-of-mouth enthusiasm, the “bury them in swag” approach does not appear to be the most effective vehicle for communication. Instead, Brands should concentrate on nurturing one-on-one dialogues and memorable brand experiences to foster a level of engagement that doesn’t dissolve upon check-out. Bellhops may have less luggage to wrangle, but bloggers and Brands will ultimately be better served.

Who doesn’t love water? We all use it. We drink it. We swim in it. We try to conserve it. But how informed are we, really, about the range of its uses, other than those of our own, and the plethora of dangers that challenge its purity? I, for one, am always thirsty for more information. Recently, I came across a gorgeous, interactive website, Waterlife, that gave me pause. It’s not about all water, just that found in the Great Lakes region – an area that contains 20% of the earth’s remaining natural fresh water supply. Fascinating, no?

The site takes a moment to load. It is worth the wait.

Upon entering the site, I am greeted by a floating collage of photos that merge into the image of a coyote – or perhaps it is a wolf, or a dog. Each photo leads to a different story, told via beautifully shot video and straightforward text. Thus far, my favorite is “Water Is Poison,” about the Beluga whales at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

The site is in support of a Canadian-funded documentary, Waterlife, written and directed by Kevin McMahon. It won the Hotdocs 2009 Special Jury Prize for Canadian features. Unfortunately, it’s currently only being shown in Canada. Hopefully, however, it will float down to a Southern California cinema soon. In the meantime, I’ll check back in with the coyote.

The message of Waterlife isn’t particularly new, or terribly pallatable – some statistics are truly horrifying. This interactive website, however, conveys that message in such a way – through cool graphics, compelling data and interactive storytelling – that I am inexorably drawn in and willing to take note. That’s what I consider successful communicating.

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

With the holiday weekend upon us, I find myself thinking about fireworks, BBQs… and ants. These tiny creatures can wreck havoc on an otherwise joyous gathering. I’ve been known to kill them on sight. Evolutionary biologist Olivia Judson has made me rethink my abhorrence of the critters. In her opinion piece for The New York Times, she makes a very heart-warming case for these abundant insects. She also points out that, amongst all the chatter in the world, there’s a lot that we’re not hearing. 

Check out the entire article, “Operator? Can You Put Me Through to Ant Nest 251?”

I love this lesson from the animal kingdom! After all, while my concern for how one nest of ants talks to another may be at an all time low, I am continually striving to identify the most effective way we humans can communicate. 

So, on this 4th of July weekend, I will honor the ants. How? Well, I’ll try not to kill any. And I’ll remember that big explosions and flashy spectacles, while fun, are not nearly as meaningful as those unexpected conversations struck up with new friends by the fire pit.

Happy Independence Day!

For those just tuning in, I’d like to announce that A Squared Group has an inter-office book club.  One of the many unique perks that makes this place an awesome one at which to work, the book club is a quarterly affair. So, it’s time to select our next book. Drum roll, please…

This summer’s read is Devil’s Garden, by Ace Atkins.

Our book club works like many others. One of the team members chooses a book. The selection requirements are as follows:

a) Subject matter must be relevant to our work, convey our sensibility as a company and/or address a prescient cultural issue, as determined by the individual making the selection.

b) It may be either fiction or non-fiction.

c) It may be of any length. One caveat:  those who choose tomes that rival the size of a dictionary better have a persuasive argument to back their decision.

A Squared Group provides a copy of the book to every team member. Each person’s name is put in a hat. One name is drawn out of that hat. That lucky individual leads a discussion about the book, in three months time.  

The discussion is frequently raucous. It is had over lunch. It reflects the respect we have for each other’s ideas and the pleasure we take in listening to each other’s opinions. In short, it’s a lot of fun.

Would you like to join in the conversation? If so, pick up a copy of Devil’s Garden. Find some moments in the next few months during which to read it. I’ll be doing the same. At the end of the summer, I’ll let you know what everyone here thought about the read, and I’ll look forward to hearing your feedback.

Happy reading!