Marketing Eye

Friday, 28 June 2013 16:07

How to be a good parent.

The first disclaimer I have is that I am not a parent. In fact, I am nowhere close. I have a dog, whom I love dearly, nieces and nephews – but that is it.

It seems odd that I would choose to write this blog, given my situation, but as odd as it may be, I think there is some relevance.

On Wednesday, I was flying from Chicago to Denver and there was an African-American woman with two children under 2-years of age who were crying. As I watched the situaiton, I heard snickers around this lady getting louder and louder with people complaining “just my luck to sit next to screaming kids” and “I have a headache already”. 
Published in Mellissah Smith
A simple conversation can lead to anything. Literally, anything.

Like many entrepreneurs, gravitating to other entrepreneurs or business people is natural. Talking to a Neurosurgeon is not.

"It's not brain surgery" is one of my favorite sayings. The other, "it's not rocket science". It seems quite apt that I find myself in conversation with a neurosurgeon, whose gene pool is only bolstered by the fact his father is a rocket scientist.  Was I intimidated. Hell yes! But how impressed I was to be having such an intriguing and relevant conversation with a neurosurgeon, was only interrupted by moments of wanting to be opportunistic. I had to literally stop myself asking if a sperm donation was a point I could include in the discussion. Now, what single woman wouldn't want to have a child with this gene pool?

Nevertheless, when I pulled myself together, I realized the synergies between business and neurosurgery isn't actually poles apart and much closer than one would think. As a marketer, we have certainly learnt a lot from neuroscience and consumer behaviour, but the outlook of how a surgeon views what they do, was what struck me as being something every entrepreneur can learn from.
Today I met with a woman who had worked in experiential marketing and it occured to me that so many experiential marketing companies are out of date with new marketing techniques. Only 18 months ago, I remember speaking to a local experiential marketing company and showing them how to incorporate social media into the mix. Really? Had they been sleeping under a rock? 

Fortunately for them, they were not alone, but I have noticed they have been using that free advice and have spruced up their efforts - big time! The old-fashion event gals and guys who started experiential marketing firms are being overtaken by more creative outfits like buzzer.nl who have taken experiential marketing to a whole new level.
Yesterday I learnt that my reference to Hot Atlanta is actually not meant to be Hot Atlanta but in fact, Hotlanta. 

Here I am going around thinking I am uber cool using Hot Atlanta as reference to the city that I have come to love, all while everyone else desperately wants to correct me, but don't. Possibly because they feel sorry for my constant need to become more familiar with American terms and sayings to help me fit in a bit better and feel like I am really part of the crowd.

Unfortunately, that's not my only failed attempt at "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". At a launch party for Hublot and Ferrari last night at Buckhead's hottest bar, Yebo, I remember walking outside at 9pm and thinking how amazing it was that it was still light, after totally missing an entire thunderstorm with lightning as I was having a fabulous time. Everyone in sync began to tell me how "nasty" the weather had been. Really nasty!!!! I laughed and repeated it to them trying desperately to mimmick their accents.
Published in Herald Sun and on www.news.com.au on June 12, 2013 and written by LIsa Mayoh.

WITH videos going viral every day and more products to be sold than ever before, marketing has never been more important. But how do you create and execute a marketing or advertising campaign destined to meet the masses?


Well for starters, if everyone is walking in one direction, turn around and run in the other.

That's according to experts, who admit that yes - creatines often do their best work over a game of ping pong.

Mark Held from www.thinksalot.com.au says the key to good advertising is keeping the message simple.

"You're essentially telling a story," the award-winning creative director tells news.com.au.

"So the story should always appeal to its audience, and be delivered in the right tone of voice.

"It's about finding something interesting and truthful about the product or service, then giving it a pinch of wit and charm so it becomes more easily palatable to the people you are talking to.
Published in Marketing
Monday, 10 June 2013 09:39

Why inspiring marketing campaigns work

"Be the best you can be" campaign by Children of America is being launched on Wednesday officially in the US market, by childcare company, Children of America, tells children and parents that "if you want to run, run as fast as you can. Don't worry if you fall over - just get back up and keep running, running, running."

Children of America hired Australian headquartered marketing agency newcomer, Marketing Eye, to establish the company's social media presence while at the same time inspiring children, parents and even teachers to be the #bestyoucanbe.

The marketing campaign will run for three months and will entail all facets of the social media mix along with a campaign to encourage people of all ages to inspire other's on how they are being the best they can be.


Published in Marketing
Friday, 07 June 2013 12:39

What I learnt from a 24 year old

edMost founders and entrepreneurs have their heads stuck so far up their you know what, to actually take the time to truly learn something from the young guns in their offices.

Another gross generalization, but the reality is that too many of the Gen-Xers who have started businesses 5 years ago, are working their butts off and are not spending the time needed to lessen their load by giving the young, up-and-coming executives the chance to really make a difference.

Here's my experience. I was sharing a glass of wine with Maikayla Desjardins, a Marketing Executive at Marketing Eye Atlanta yesterday and I asked the question, "why did you leave your job in New York and come and work for me in Atlanta?"

Her first response was: "You sold me on Atlanta as this awesome place to live - but let's face it, it's not quite New York!"
Today I was asked the question, "what inspires you to come up with blogs?"

The answer is simple: "things that happen in every day life often inspire me."

If the truth be told, the blogs have been few and far between of late because inspiration is being cluttered with real life work, legals and end of financial year in Australia.

Jackson, a talented young guy on a 3-month internship with Marketing Eye asked the question and then followed with, "what do you think of tattoos?"

I had to think - not much. I don't have one myself, but many people do. They don't offend me, nor do I think that it would affect my decision in hiring someone or giving them a promotion, but this is not the case with all organizations it seems.