My Favorite Marketing Terms

While marketing may be a single bullet point in your regular leadership team meeting agenda, how much time does your team actually apply to marketing your products or services? With all the buzz surrounding social media, traditional marketing has taken a back seat, and that’s a shame.

All types of business – whether B2B, B2C, or non-profit – should spend the time and effort to understand all elements that fall within the marketing pie, and one important piece of the marketing pie includes the terms that appear again and again.

While marketing dictionaries exist in print and online, here are my five favorite marketing terms:

BRAND PERSONALITY:
With so many brands in the marketplace and so much noise as a result of social media, now marketers treat brands as if they had personality traits. When brands are given human personality traits, such as, creative, friendly, happy, etc., brands quickly stand apart from the crowd.

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP):
Years ago, people joked that if they had two minutes in an elevator with Bill Gates, they had to be prepared to articulate their company’s competitive advantage or their personal brand in two minutes or less in what became known as an "elevator pitch." The elevator pitch has gone the way of the Ford Edsel, and in its place, we now have the unique selling proposition. What makes a company unique? Why should a company stand apart from the competition? Why should a company be an industry leader? And for personal brands, for example, what makes Taylor Swift different from other singers?

SOCIAL LISTENING:
Sprout Social has a wonderful definition: "Social listening involves analyzing conversations and trends related to your brand. These include conversations relevant to your company, competitors and industry at large. Insights from these conversations are used to make informed marketing decisions. Social listening is about more than tags and @mentions. Sure, listening involves acting on direct feedback from people. But it also involves reading between the lines."

Here's a breakdown of social listening:
(1) Who is your audience?
(2) What does your audience want?
(3) When is your audience engaging with you?
(4) Where is your audience active and engaged?
(5) Why does your audience talk about you?
(6) How can you better serve your audience?

CALL TO ACTION:
Everyone in a marketing capacity should always sing this tune and provide this reminder. For every campaign, initiative, strategy, you must always have a call to action to attract prospective customers. Here are some examples: Subscribe now. Download this case study today. Complete this survey now. Sign up to receive a free gift today.

KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS (KPMs) (also Key Performance Indicators or KPIs):
This term is so important that it should be on the mind of every business person each and every day. All marketing campaigns must be evaluated to determine the return on investment. How many click-thru’s to your main website or campaign-specific landing pages resulted from emails? How many leads came as a result of tradeshow attendance or telemarketing? How many likes appeared on your Facebook page? How many mentions and retweets appeared on Twitter/X? How many of your videos were uploaded on YouTube? How many sales resulted from your social media activities? Don't implement any marketing campaign without first knowing how you're going to measure it's success.

What are your fave marketing terms? Please chime in and share.


Image Credit: Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

To read more:
Glossary of Branding Terms:
https://brandsbyovo.com/glossary-of-branding-terms/

Branding Glossary - How Brands Are Built:
https://howbrandsarebuilt.com/branding-glossary/

The Ultimate Marketing Dictionary of Terms and Definitions
https://coschedule.com/marketing-terms-definitions

The Ultimate A-Z Dictionary of Marketing Terms:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/inbound-marketing-glossary-list

Monday Morning Quarterbacking the Ads from Super Bowl 58

What do you remember from Super Bowl Sunday? This year, the game went down to the final seconds in overtime yet, so for football fans, the game was a genuine contest. But for marketers and those who watch the game for the ads, there was not as much excitement.

There was no ad similar to Apple’s 1984 ad. There was no ad that was as memorable as Budweiser’s post-9/11 ad from 2002 with the kneeling Clydesdales. There were no animated Coca Cola polar bears, and there was no Tweet memorable enough to rival Oreo’s "dunking in the dark" from 2013. And one thing to note for this year's batch of ads: no brand mentioned the Covid-19 pandemic, which was a complete reversal from the ads during the 2021 game.

According to CBSNews, "This year's crop of Super Bowl ads featured dozens of top brands, from Anheuser-Busch's iconic Clydesdales to Uber Eats' spot featuring Jennifer Aniston and Victoria and David Beckham...This year's advertisers are not only spending $7 million to buy half a minute of airtime, but are also opening their wallets to secure stars like Jennifer Aniston and Snoop Dogg, as well as on glitzy productions. And many companies post their ads ahead of the Super Bowl, hoping to build buzz and capture attention."

According to Aimee Picchi, "Super Bowl ads command a premium because the game is typically the most-watched media event of the year. That gives brands a chance to reach more consumers at one time than anywhere else, and many companies use the opportunity to trot out new products or introduce a new slogan. There's another reason why brands are so willing to pay up: About 3 in 4 people say they are actually excited to watch the ads during the Super Bowl. Families and friends typically watch the game together, and often talk about the spots as well as the game itself — a discussion that can carry over at work the next day, experts say."

Jura Liaukonyte, marketing professor at Cornell University's SC Johnson College of Business explained further, "This shared experience can amplify the emotional resonance of advertisements, making them more memorable and effective. When viewers watch the Super Bowl, they are not just passive recipients of content — they are engaged in a communal event."

This quote from Landor Associates is timeless and worth repeating: "Here are three tips to help you, your dad, or even your football-crazed grandma decide which brands scored a touchdown with their commercials: Is the ad on-brand? Will you remember the brand tomorrow? And, does the ad speak to the times?”

Without further ado, here were the ads that stood out to me from this year’s group:

DOVE: The theme of this ad was to support, encourage, and empower female athletes. The hashtag was #KeepHerConfident.

DUNKIN: This ad featured actor Ben Affleck, his friend Matt Damon, and his wife Jennifer Lopez. Since Affleck had appeared in previous ads for this brand, the appearance continued his brand storytelling and humor.

BEST FOODS MAYO: This ad featured a cat who became famous by saying MAY-O instead of meowing. For cat fans, this was a very amusing and memorable ad.

KIA: A young female ice skater wanted to skate in front of her father and someone else who was represented by an empty seat at a skating rink. It turned out that the girl's grandfather was in a wheelchair at home and unable to attend the performance at a rink. So the girl's father drove her to the grandfather's home and hooked up his EV9 vehicle to strands of lights to create a beautiful rink in front of the house. The girl and her father brought the skating performance to the grandfather, thanks to the EV9. This ad tugged at the heartstrings.

BUDWEISER: The brand's famous Clydesdale horses made a return appearance and also featured a dog, who helped guide the horses through the snow to make a beer delivery. While the horses and dog are wonderful brand ambassadors, this ad was not as memorable as previous ads.

Also, there seemed to be lots of movie ads, more than in previous years. However, I am looking forward to WICKED THE MUSICAL, the next Minions installment, the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, and the next installment of Kung Fu Panda.

During the game, while sharing posts on Twitter/X, the following brands stood out with their posts: Pantone, National Park Service, Library of Congress, and Elmo. If you missed their posts, check them out.

A few timeless words from Jacques de Cock, a faculty member at the London School of Marketing: "The Super Bowl is a phenomenon unsurpassed in the world. It is one of the few national social events, which is also why social media traffic during the game is so high...What is also remarkable is that advertising is not viewed as something to skip but is seen by 77 percent of viewers as part of the entertainment, and therefore, more watched and engaged with than any other television advertising during the year."

A famous brand stood out in New York City and also on Twitter/X for those around the world:

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING: During the game, the building changed the color of its lights based on which team scored a touchdown, and at the end of the night, the top of the Empire State Building was lit up in red to celebrate the game's winner, the Kansas City Chiefs!

Today, the official countdown begins for Super Bowl 59, scheduled for February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, the 11th time that New Orleans has served as host city. Will we see an ad or two that will go down as the best of all time? We'll have to wait and see.


Image credit: Pantone.


To read any of my previous Super Bowl ad recap posts, search #DebbieLaskeysBlog using the term “super” to access all the links.

To watch all the ads from Super Bowl 58, here’s the link:
https://sports.yahoo.com/super-bowl-commercials-grading-the-best-and-worst-of-the-2024-games-ads-161907255.html

Happy Lunar New Year!

 

Gung Hay Fat Choy, or translated into Cantonese: "Wishing you great happiness and prosperity."

2024 is the Year of the Dragon and is celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean cultures around the world beginning today.

Will your brand add a dragon or the color red into your logo, mascot, promotions, or communiations? Here are some brands that are participating in the festive celebrations:

BARBIE
Mattel unveiled its 2024 Lunar New Year Barbie doll. According to Mattel, "Barbie is enchanting in a traditional xifu costume, inspired by the beauty of Peking Opera, a cultural treasure of China and often performed to celebrate Lunar New Year and other Chinese holidays. Her elegant robe in lucky red with a colorful peony print symbolizes good fortune. Her dramatic water sleeves are used to create beautiful hand motions and expressions on stage. The look is completed with an ornate headdress with peony accents and cyan blue shoes with pink poms."

CLINIQUE
Clinique's make-up line stood out with festive red packaging on its "dramatically different mosturizing lotion" and "cheek pop highlighter."

CHARLOTTE TILBURY
Charlotte Tilbury released a limited-edition Luxury Palette in celebration of Lunar New Year. This iteration of her best-selling eyeshadow quad, entitled Queen of Luck, features highly-pigmented golden pink, warm terracotta, and champagne gold hues.

PAT MCGRATH
Pat McGrath released a limited-edition Bronze Borealis New Year Edition, which features four bronze and copper hues. These shades deliver saturated color in a single swipe.

DISNEY
A plush version of Mickey Mouse dressed as a dragon was available for sale, and clothing was also available featuring other familiar characters dressed as dragons.

HELLO KITTY
Hello Kitty unveiled a red holiday-themed "Pineapple Cakes" gift box.

HONOLULU COOKIE COMPANY
Honolulu Cookie Company unveiled a "Year of the Dragon" green cookie gift box featuring a dragon and a large red pineapple.

POTTERY BARN
Pottery Barn designed a white and red "Lunar New Year Dragon Lazy Susan."

KATE SPADE
Kate Spade launched a Lunar New Year collection featuring dragon motifs on everything from handbags to dresses to dragon-inspired jewelry pieces.

TIMBERLAND
Timberland’s Lunar New Year collection features boots blending the brand’s classic design with unique dragon-themed elements. The Timberland Heritage 6-inch lace-up boot, crafted from Timberland premium leather, is available in red for men and black for women.

MACY'S
Macy's home department unveiled a red and gold "Lunar New Year Dragon Teapot and Cups Set."

According to Marca.com, "In the Chinese worldview, the dragon is not perceived as a fearsome creature, but as a divine being that bestows power and good fortune. It is associated with positive characteristics, such as, wisdom, vitality, nobility and benevolence. He represents primordial strength, prosperity, courage and renewal."

According to ChinaHighlights.com, do not give a clock or watch as a Chinese New Year gift. "Clocks and watches symbolize running out of time. This is especially an uncomfortable reminder for seniors. Giving a clock or watch as a gift is the biggest no-no in Chinese culture."

Next year, the Year of the Snake will begin on January 29, 2025. So, clothing and make-up brands, start counting the days!


Image Credits: Mattel, Clinique, and The Walt Disney Company.

Review of REEL MARKETING

I "met" Julia Carcamo on Twitter (now X) back in 2012. Since we were both marketing professionals with a passion for brand-building, marketing communications, and advertising, we decided to collaborate in a "She Said, She Said" format discussion about the 2012 Super Bowl's ads in posts that appeared on each other's blogs the Monday following the game. We followed that initial collaboration with several others throughout the years.

Recently, Julia published a book called REEL MARKETING, THE ART OF BUILDING A CASINO BRAND. As she explained, "After years of building and refining casino brands, I've been able to codify the process under five pillars for casino branding. This quick read is a valuable primer for anyone responsible for developing casino brands that will resonate with guests, team members, and stakeholders today and into the future. My wish is that you fall in love with branding in the same way I did."

Julia began her analysis of brand marketing by providing a checklist that will look familiar to most marketers:
(1) Start with WHY.
(2) Research your target audience.
(3) Develop your positioning.
(4) Create your brand identity.
(5) Develop your online and offline messaging.

However, Julia elaborated with what she referred to as "Jules Rules of Branding," that can actually be applied to brands in any industry:
(1) Know your audience/target/market.
(2) Brands are built from the bottom up - how well does the team member journey mirror the brand experience for customers/guests/stakeholders.
(3) Operationalize your brand - create a culture for your internal stakeholders, your employees, who need to understand your brand promise in order to be effective brand ambassadors.
(4) True brand programs share DNA - be selective and only offer the things that make sense to your brand.
(5) Make your brand iconic - iconic brands become symbolic of something more than a mere product.

"Your brand is what the world - outside of the four walls of your casino - thinks of you. Brands tell the world what you stand for with every color, word, and image you use. Effective branding makes you memorable, so guests can easily find you...But branding takes time. It takes effort. Creating an engaging brand can assist you in reaching your business's highest potential, but it takes strategy and vision. Thinking that slapping a logo everywhere and calling it a day is the opposite of strategic branding."

For brands, such as, casinos and others in the leisure, hospitality, and entertainment industries, the brand experience is critical for building successful brands. This is why employees and team members (also referred to as cast members in Disney-speak at Disney theme parks) must combine their culture and brand into a single set of values. Successful brands in these industries create a memorable and positive brand experience, also referred to as a customer experience.

"When team members are engaged with the brand, they will think and act "on brand." Team members become your best brand ambassadors because their belief in the brand promise is deep and emotional. They make decisions by thinking of what is right for the brand in the long-term rather than choosing what will produce short-term results...Internal branding is less about a logo an colors and more about a philosophy that will focus team members and your operations. It is centered on the company culture and promises to guests, team members, and partners, creating a passionate army of ambassadors. Although it has a slightly different focus, it is still an integral part of your external branding."

And lastly, how important is sound when creating a brand? Think about the "dun-dun" sound heard in the introduction to television's Law & Order franchise shows. You immediately know that "it's time for a story ripped from the headlines." The sound is reminiscent of a jail door slamming and is legally protected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

What is the most recognizable sound in the casino industry? If you answered "the sound of slot machine coins falling into the tray" to signify winning, then you're correct. However, the industry transitioned to coinless machines. So, since customers/guests wanted to HEAR a winning sound, the sound of "winning" was engineered into slot machines.

According to Charles Taylor, the John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing at the Villanova School of Business and Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Marketing and Consumer Insights in Pennsylvania, "Sonic branding can be defined broadly as the strategic use of sound as a part of a brand identity."

Other examples of memorable audio or sonic logos include:
(1) "I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener"
(2) State Farm: "Like a good neighbor"
(3) Folgers: "The best part of waking up"
(4) Netflix: "Ta-dum"
(5) T-Mobile: series of notes
(6) MGM films and television: lion roar
(7) THX: "The Audience Is Listening" with sound

My applause to Julia for capturing the key elements in building a memorable brand and for sharing them in a concise manner. My advice: read her book and take lots of notes!

SHARE THIS: When team members are engaged with the brand, they will think and act "on brand." ~@jccarcamo #brandbuilding #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Read Julia's and my original collaboration (February 6, 2012):
Which of the Super Bowl Ads Do You Remember?
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2012/02/which-of-super-bowl-ads-do-you-remember.html

Read about Brand Experiences and Customer Experiences:
Want Your Brand to Soar Above the Competition? Learn from 6 Amazing #BrandExperiences (April 2, 2018)
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2018/04/want-your-brand-to-soar-above.html

Read "The Need To Be Heard: Why Sonic Branding Is Growing In Importance" on Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2023/07/31/the-need-to-be-heard-why-sonic-branding-is-growing-in-importance/?sh=59b11c27673a

Connect with Julia at these links:
Website: www.jcarcamoassociates.com
Twitter/X: @jccarcamo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/j-carcamo-&-associates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcarcamoassociates


Image Credit: Julia Carcamo.

Marketing News of the Week: TV Show News, Facebook, and More

This past week, there were news stories that reflected brand positioning, personal branding, social media, customer experience, advertising, and more.

Sam Waterstone's Departure from Law & Order
If you're a fan of this famous Dick Wolf TV dynasty, you know who epitomizes the law: Sam Waterstone's character, Manhattan District Attorney Jack McCoy. Since 1994, and in more than 400 episodes, his personal brand was consistency and honesty. The show's introductory sounds "dun-dun" just won't sound the same without Jack McCoy in the head office.

Jon Stewart Will Return to The Daily Show
Famous Comedian Jon Steward will return to The Daily Show each Monday night as guest host beginning after the Super Bowl. According to Howard Anglin of The Hub, "Stewart’s return starts with one big advantage over his whilom proteges: he can be funny. Another advantage is that he actually seems to care about normal Americans. His charity work, for example, is mostly in support of veterans and first responders. Finally, and most promising for anyone hoping for something more than a weekly court jester for the DNC, Stewart has a cranky independent streak that means he can sometimes surprise."

Facebook Celebrates 20th Anniversary
According to Euronews, "Facebook is now two decades old. And despite its slow descent into cultural irrelevance with younger generations, it remains the largest social network in the world. Today, Facebook counts over 3 billion active monthly users – a third of the world’s population. But Facebook’s age is starting to show, and like many people you may know, it’s veered way off course from its original goal – to bring people together (for free) and help friends keep in touch. Scroll through Facebook today and you’ll find less posts from your actual friends and more sponsored ads harassing you to purchase things you searched for once on the internet, fake news articles with thousands of comments from conspiracy theorists, and old family friends documenting every aspect of their lives in blurry photographs and cringey captions."

Customers Sour on Self-Checkout
Do you like self-checkout at stores? Do you use self-checkout? According to a new study by researchers at Drexler University published in the Journal of Business Research, "Regular checkout featuring a human cashier makes customers more loyal to a store and more likely to revisit in the future than self-checkout. The study comes as some companies remove self-checkout machines and others adjust their self-checkout operations. Customers feel more rewarded by a store and feel like they were treated more valuably when using regular checkout because it involves less effort and cashiers handle the scanning, bagging, and payment process, the researchers found. Regular checkout also makes people feel that they are receiving the service they are entitled to as customers, the study found."

In addition, a survey from hospitality product provider Tensator revealed that 33 percent of retail shoppers chose not to complete a purchase because of a bad experience with a self-service kiosk.

Consider how these negative experiences - where customers would like to pay and complete transactions - can affect a brand experience.

King Charles III Receives Cancer Diagnosis
According to a statement released on the Royal Family's website: "During The King’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted. Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual. The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer."

It is surprising that cancer organizations around the world did not take this opportunity to promote cancer awareness, cancer screenings, etc.

Budweiser Clydesdales
And if you're eagerly looking forward to this weekend's Super Bowl in order to watch the very expensive ads, according to the premier magazine of the west, Cowboys and Indians, "Budweiser and the iconic Clydesdales are back with a timeless message of resilience, determination, and coming together over a beer. The spot is rooted in the scenes, storylines, and on-screen magic that shaped the brand’s legacy as one of the top advertisers of all time."

What other marketing news stood out to you?

What will be the marketing buzz next week, keeping in mind that everyone will be talking about the Super Bowl ads on Sunday and all next week. And don't forget to swing by #DebbieLaskeysBlog the day after the big game for my annual review of the ads!


Image Credits: Michael Dwyer/The AP (Facebook) and Anheuser-Busch.

To read about the history of the Budweiser Clydesdales:
https://www.anheuser-busch.com/about/clydesdale

Review of ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA

I "met" Jenny Li Fowler on Twitter (now X) a few years back. Fast forward to the present. The covid happened, of course, I had to mention that since the pandemic impacted life for all individuals and marketing communications for all brands. Jenny appeared on my blog in a Q&A in April 2022, and recently, she became a published author. Jenny's commentary is always enlightening, so when I heard about her new book, I knew I had to read it. But first, a few words about social media.

In many of my previous roles as marketing manager, marketing director, and marketing consultant, I've also served double-duty as social media manager for nonprofits, large for-profit companies, and emerging brands. While responsible for social media posts, I have been the voice of strategy for my brands, meaning that I have always explained to senior leadership teams, boards of directors, and sales teams that the voice for all posts must be consistent with the brand, the theme of the posts must be consistent with all other marketing messaging, and above all, a social media strategy must be in alignment with the overall brand marketing plan.

With that in mind, what social media posts or campaigns stand out? To me, the most memorable posts took place during the Super Bowl on February 4, 2013, when there was a power outage at the beginning of the game's third quarter. The following Tweets, that appeared on Twitter, were posted soon after the power went off and demonstrated that these social media teams understood social media, marketing, and their brand positioning:

Oreo:
Power out? No problem. [Photo: You can still dunk in the dark.]

Lowe’s:
Hey dome operators at the Big Game, there are a few Lowe’s nearby if you need some generators.

PBS:
This might be a good time to think about alternative programing. #SuperBowlBlackOut

Now, let's talk about Jenny Li Fowler's book, ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA - HOW TO BUILD FLOURISHING ONLINE COMMUNITIES. First, a little about Jenny Li Fowler. She is the director of social media strategy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is in charge of developing and executing Institute-wide social media initiatives and campaigns. She provides social media consultation and direction for more than 200 departments, labs, and centers; and manages the Institute’s flagship Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts.

Jenny explained in the book's preface, "This book is for both rookie social media managers as well as seasoned social media professionals. It gives new managers a structure to build a social media strategy and tips to succeed in the position, and veteran professionals a unique perspective on navigating the challenges of the job and steps to advance the position."

Here were (what I considered to be) the stand-out questions posed by and written by Jenny:

What's the difference between strategy and tactics?

Why should your brand define your lane?

What are some reasons that people follow social media accounts?

What are Jenny's "Six M's of Social Media?"

Is your audience currently on that new platform?

Listening is a form of engagement.

Always explain the WHY behind your brand.

Don't plan content too far in advance.

Do you conduct a competitive analysis of your competitors' social platforms?

Since every member of the C-Suite wants to talk about metrics, Jenny wrote, "Numbers can't speak for themselves; it's the stories we build around them that are compelling or misleading...Just because a metric is large doesn't necessarily mean it's impressive or positive. The opposite is also true - just because a number is small doesn't mean it's not impressive."

An important section of the book explained the many roles comprising a social media team - since these roles are no longer performed by only one person: "Director of strategy; Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn specialist; writer; photographer; videographer; graphic designer; animator; and data scientist."

And Jenny reminded readers that when mainstream news stories become the buzz on social media, before your brand enters the discussion, ask yourself these important questions. If not, your brand may find itself in an unexpected crisis:
(1) Does it fit your brand's voice or tone?
(2) Does this content support your social media strategy?
(3) Have you posted similar content before? If yes, how did it perform?
(4) Is it related to your brand or organization in any way? Is it a stretch?

SHARE THIS: Good content will always attract an audience. Content that entertains, is relatable, or adds value. ~@TheJennyLi #SocialMediaTip #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: Social media is not always the most effective mode of communication for the audience you're targeting. ~@TheJennyLi #SocialMediaTip #DebbieLaskeysBlog

SHARE THIS: Social media is not a one-size-fits-all communication tool. ~@TheJennyLi #SocialMediaTip #DebbieLaskeysBlog

Jenny ended her book, "As long as social media exists, there will be a need for people to manage it and, like all professions, it will evolve...It will be interesting to see what social managers go on to do. There have been a lot of articles written on how social media managers are the next CMOs, but I think there are also many opportunities for social media strategists in the internal and strategic communications space."

Two points that Jenny discussed toward the end of the book have remained with me because they have dramatically changed the world of social media. When I added social media marketing to my resume in 2009 (by creating personal accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and a blog on Google's Blogger before working on accounts as part of my professional marketing roles), I can personally say that these two issues were not part of the social media landscape. However, fast forward to today, and it seems that everywhere you look, there is hate-speak, trolls, bullies, and misinformation. In addition, when HR professionals promote "work-life balance," they are definitely NOT talking about the lives of people who work in social media. The Internet never sleeps, and the news cycle is 24/7/365.

What do you think? Is a social media manager who lives and breathes a brand's promise and handles its digital communications ripe for becoming a future Chief Marketing Officer? Or, is the person in this role destined for a lifetime of brief posts on Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, etc.? The future of any social media manager is defined by what he/she/they achieve/s for their brand - and the tools found in Jenny Li Fowler's book will, without a doubt, assist in the individual's success. My advice: read the book and be inspired!


Read Jenny's Q&A on this blog (April 11, 2022):
Social Media Campaigns and Storytelling
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2022/04/social-media-campaigns-and-storytelling.html

Connect with Jenny at these links:
Twitter/X: @TheJennyLi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylifowler

Image Credit: Amazon.

The Best Book I Read in 2023

Did you read a lot of books last year? I recently reviewed the list of books I purchased from Amazon and local bookstores and realized I read 50 works of fiction during 2023. This means that, during 2024, I have set a goal of more than 50. And Goodreads has made it easy by providing a hashtag for the project #GoodreadsChallenge.

Before I look through my "must-read" books - both fiction and nonfiction - and my "it would be nice to read" list, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on my favorite book of 2023.

I may have been late to the adventure, but I read REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES in late-2023. Simply put, it was a wonderful book, but before I dive in with my reasons, I would like to extend a shout-out of gratitude to Melanie Bell and her Leaders Who Fiction book club for the recommendation to read the book and the virtual discussion that took place in late-November.

I don't want to provide any spoilers because I believe everyone should read the book, so I will share a brief overview: An elderly lady meets an octopus, makes friends with an octopus, and meets her extended family.

Naturally, there is much, much more to the story, but I don't want to slip up and give away any of the exciting layers. And the title has an interesting twist too. Suffice it to say that this story will remain with me for a very long time.

According to an article in The New York Times, "Shelby Van Pelt, a former financial consultant, first had the idea that morphed into the novel in 2013, when she took a fiction writing workshop at Emory University in Atlanta. One of the assignments was to write a short story from an unusual perspective, and she came up with an acerbic octopus who was bored and frustrated by his confinement in an aquarium. Her teacher pulled her aside and suggested she build something larger around the character, and she began writing vignettes about the octopus."

So, if you have not yet read this book, add it to the top of your MUST READ LIST. You'll be glad you did!


Article in The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/books/remarkably-bright-creatures-shelby-van-pelt.html

Interview with the LA Public Library:
https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-shelby-van-pelt

If you'd like to join the next Leaders Who Fiction virtual book club meeting, check out @LeadersWhoFiction on Instagram for details.


Image Credit: Amazon.