FCC Forum

I attended last week’s Fairchester Communications Council Spring Forum. The speaker was Robert L. Dilenschneider, plugging his new book, Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed, which will be available in July.

The book serves as a guide to gaining and wielding power in a high-speed world being transformed by technology. Dilenschneider lists 10 principles that serve as chapter headings in the book.

Accept, adapt and accelerate—or atrophy
Be prepared to start—over and over again
Think innovatively—forget about just keeping up
Seize the opportunity in every crisis
Look beyond the new rules—to connect
Take the heat—and never compromise
Keep focusing on your strengths
Keep growing your network by shaving it
See acclaim, but practice humility
Search for power, but never forget to share it

What struck me about the program was that recent AMA meetings had touched on some of the most important aspects of his presentation.

Technological Changes and Challenges: In September 2005, Michael LeBeau of Byte Interactive (now merged with Story Worldwide) discussed the role consumers play in brand building and dismantling and how marketers could interactivate their brands. Dilenschneider talked about how an unnamed company’s unnamed product or service could have been hurt by an unspecified blog or web-based comment. By some type of “hard work”, harm was averted. In contrast, LeBeau detailed how one blogger/videographer publicized his protest over the high cost of replacing an Ipod battery and forced Apple to revise its policy and reduce the price of a replacement battery. What do you think was the more meaningful example? As my old boss used to say, “the devil is in the details”.

In another recent AMA program this April, Ettore Rossetti, Associate Director of Internet Marketing for Save the Children, discussed how to use Web 2.0 and social networking sites to build brand awareness. Rossetti shared Save the Children’s strategies using squidoo.com, secondlife.com, what kindofworlddoyou want.com and sixdegrees.org.

Another of Dilenschneider’s principles involves growing your network. “Connect with People” was a cornerstone of Rich Gee’s March presentation to AMA. Gee, principal and founder of Rich Gee Coaching, outlined specific, simple steps to help you connect with people and shared personal examples to help us relate to his advice.

Event of the year!

Digital media is sweeping the AMA this May with an event of the year. Don’t miss this fabulous presentation complete with Hors D’oeuvres, wine tasting, dessert, and even a DJ. Held at a special venue, Palace Digital Studios, Lori Greene from A&E’s History.com and Biography.com will deliver a special interactive presentation. You won’t want to miss this exciting evening or the media clips that will be shown in the newly renovated theatre at Palace.

Lori Greene oversees all broadband and text content and digital design for A&E’s History.com and Biography.com. Prior to her work with A&E Lori was the vice president online development for Court TV Online. She also spent a span of time with the Food Network where she worked as a producer on shows including Ready Set Cook, In Food Today and Celebrating a Fat Lady. Lori holds a BA degree from NYU, speaks several languages and has traveled all seven continents.
Palace Digital Studios is one of the most advanced digital media production centers in all of New England. Palace’s multi-purpose theatre/sound stage will play host to this special AMA event. The studio is outfit with a large shooting stage, motorized lighting grid, and a full compliment of High Definition & Standard Definition television production services. Check your email or visit the AMA site at http://www.amafairfieldcounty.org/ for details. And the icing on the cake…. attendees are invited to take advantage of bringing one guest for free with each paid entry - so bring a friend or colleague. Don't miss it....See you there!

Client/Agency Relationships

Mary Perry, President of Promotions at Ryan Partnership, say that real fast a few times and it’s like a tongue twister. But there was no twist of the truth from Mary’s presentation at January’s meeting. She was right on the mark with her discussion about client and agency relationships. It’s true they are more difficult these days with lots of pressure on both sides from headcount, margins, revenue, etc, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the most out of the relationship.

First, Mary told us that you’ve got to live by some basic principles or else it could result in a rocky road. Trust, respect, communication…sound familiar? How easy it is for us to forget them during these days of immediate gratification and movement at lightening speed. Then, Mary suggested a path of many different action steps along with following that all-time popular creative brief which should work to both parties benefit.

Members weren’t silent this meeting with lots of great comments and questions afterwards on the subject, and sharing of past experiences from both the client side and the agency side.

Don’t miss next month’s favorite meeting where AMA critiques the Super Bowl ads. There will be an impressive panel of professional marketers. Bring a friend and cast your official vote for favorite commercial. See you there!

Holiday Wine Tasting

You've asked about what we have planned for our December event and here it is (drum roll, please) --

AMA Holiday Wine Tasting Event: An evening of casual networking and celebration of the holiday season to be held at the Fat Cat Joe Café on the evening of Wednesday, December 6. This special AMA event will take place from 6pm – 10pm next to the Fat Cat Pie Company, located at 5 Wall St., in Norwalk.

Join together with your colleagues in celebration of a great year and looking towards another. A night of fun and networking includes wine tasting throughout the evening with more than 5 different selections of red and white wine. Food will be served, including an assortment organically grown and gourmet-prepared hors d'oeuvres and cheeses, as well as the Fat Cat Company’s famous thin crust pizza with all the fixings. Coffee, Tea and dessert will also be provided.

As a thank you to our loyal members, prizes from various local businesses will be raffled off throughout the night to support Save The Children. This fine organization will be speaking with us in 2007. Rumor has it that Best Buy might have donated something special!!

We can't wait to see you there! Please RSVP now at www.amafairfieldcounty.org for the discounted rate.

What do you think about this new idea? Have you been to the Fat Cat before?

Hispanic Marketing – mucho interesante
If you didn’t attend this AMA meeting you really missed a lot of very interesting information about a huge target market, the Hispanic market. You know being a marketer I am not fond of numbers and this presentation had a lot of them but it was all good. Good and amazing. Amazing because if you haven’t been involved in Hispanic marketing you’d be amazed to see all the statistics and demographics. What a marketing opportunity. Makes you want to sit down and start creating targeted programs immediately. And in case you do, don’t forget about all the things Mason & Bauza www.masonbauza.com talk about like myths, family, transcreation, culture, and the emotional components.

And when it’s all said and done, your Hispanic marketing that is, you can sit back with your whole family (extended too) and watch the commercials on TV (in their entirety…no flipping with the remote) or else listen to them on that Reggaeton station.

Adios

Hispanic Marketing Tonight

I can't wait to go to tonight's meeting. I missed the last one and I heard that it was great. One of my friends was very tired from work and almost bailed but decided to go. She said that she got some great ideas for a customer presentation that she would be working on the next day.

The Stamford Advocate was covering the event as well. The paper is looking for some good marketing experts to call for industry quotes, etc. Make a note to contact them, all of you branding legends and marketing gurus. Our own Freddie Clary, market research extraordinaire, was quoted at the end of the article.

So tonight's topic is Hispanic Marketing. There was a great panel on a similar topic years ago but I lost my notes so I'm glad that this is coming up again.

Do you have any favorite topics or speakers from past years? We would love to hear from you.

Also, keep your ear to the ground for a GREAT holiday party this!! We are trying something NEW AND IMPROVED.