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.
5 comments:
I'm a PR professional but always found the AMAFC to be the best local professional group. The caliber of speakers are head above the rest.
Sorry, the caliber of my grammar is not heads above the rest
I'm sorry that I missed it. Sounds like another powerhouse meeting! Hopefully I can attend the special meeting in May!
Sounds like a great meeting but just goes to show you that you don't have to go far to find out what you can learn right in your own local group.
I'm looking forard to the next AMA meeting on June 7. I remember Richard Costello, former GE CMO talking to the chapter a few yeaars ago about marketing and brand identity - it will be interesting to see what his predecessor has to say about the same subject.
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