I'm just saying...

A Taste of Independence, Some Assembly Required

2010-07-03T08:16:00.001-05:00

Check out this creative idea for a patriotic cake from 17andbaking.com. It's perfect for the 4th of July. If you're ambitious enough to make it, note that it's best to bake the cake layers the day before and refrigerate overnight. It will be easier to cut, assemble and frost. Enjoy!

http://17andbaking.com/2009/07/01/a-little-taste-of-independence/

Posted via email from Diane Charno, "I'm just sayin'..."

Alice for the iPad Shows Why E-Books Are Cool

2010-04-14T10:04:00.001-05:00

I’m a big fan of e-books and my Kindle, but the iPad just made e-books even cooler. It's like the moving pictures and books from the Harry Potter movies. The latest Alice for iPad app is an interactive experience where you just don’t read it, but you can shake it, stir it and more to bring the story to life. This app is $9 in the App store and there’s a free, lite version too. Pretty good if you ask me, as I’ve paid more for hardcovers and story time in the past.

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Posted via email from Diane Charno, "I'm just sayin'..."

The New Apple iPad - Mad TV-style from 2007

2010-01-27T20:57:00.002-06:00

Today Apple unveiled the new iPad, but it looks like the Mad TV crew thought of it a couple year's ago.

Posted via email from Diane Charno, "I'm just sayin'..."

Social Media Upends Ski Resort Marketing

2009-12-03T21:04:00.001-06:00

Check out this interesting video where CEO Rob Katz of Vail Resorts talks about how they've decreased spending on long-lead media in favor of shorter-lead digital and social media efforts. As many of us know in the tourism industry, the consumer decision cycle for planning a getaway has practically become non-existent. People are often planning a trip within a week of the getaway and when it comes to snow, it's often based on the latest conditions. Vail Resorts shifted dollars from long-lead media to digital where they can be more responsive based on weekly, even daily, conditions. So, what do you think about their approach? How are you changing things up to respond to shorter trip planning cycles?

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid52412902001

Check out even more commentary on the video at adage.com. http://adage.com/aboutdigital/article?article_id=140710

Posted via email from Diane Charno, "I'm just sayin'..."

Tourism Pays

2009-11-03T19:35:00.001-06:00

Visit Denver created a nice YouTube video showing how Tourism means more than visitors enjoying the state. Tourism means more jobs, taxes and a better quality of life. Tourism pays for Denver and Colorado, just like it pays in many other communities. Kudos Visit Denver on the nice video. And, thanks @billgeist for pointing it out.

Posted via email from Diane Charno: I'm just saying...

Sesame Street Mad Men Parody "We're Happy Men"

2009-10-02T10:58:00.001-05:00

This makes me happy. We’re happy, happy, happy. The emotional rollercoaster of Mad Men.

Posted via email from Diane Charno: I'm just saying...

The Vendor Client Relationship - In Real World Situations

2009-09-17T09:42:00.001-05:00

This video went viral earlier this year. Over a half million people watched it in less than 14 days. Sad, but true – the vendor client relationship has been tough during the economic downturn. Clients are working to get more for their reduced budgets. Of course, you would never ask for these types of “savings” from your favorite restaurant, hair stylist or store. Some of my favorite lines:

“I don’t want you to work for free, it’s just a test…”

“I can cover the hard costs, but that’s as far as I’m willing to go.”

“This is not a challenge, it’s an opportunity.”

“Show us how you made it so we can do it on our own in house.”

The video was produced by Scofield Editorial, a production house in Indianapolis, and they’re using it as a new biz piece. Check out http://www.vendorclientvideo.com/.

So, what do you think? How do you respond to these type of requests from clients?

Posted via email from Diane Charno: I'm just saying...

LEAKED: New iPhone Commercial - Too Funny!

2009-08-27T09:40:00.001-05:00

There really is an app for everything….

Posted via email from Diane Charno: I'm just saying...

Twitter 101 Best Practices Applies to Real People Too

2009-07-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Twitter released “Twitter 101”, a special guide for how businesses can use Twitter. It provides a lot of great information on getting started, key terms, case histories and best practices. Although this guide was created for businesses, I think there’s some great information for real people using Twitter, particularly in the best practices section. Below are some best practices - some taken right from the guide, others altered to fit a real person tweeting, and some of my own thoughts.

· Think of Twitter as a place to build relationships, not just broadcast information. It’s not just about posting what you had for lunch. It’s more about sharing information, joining the conversations and having some fun too.

· Include a bio description, location and avatar image. Personally, I don’t follow back people I know nothing about. You may be a spammer or a bot. If people think you’re a spammer or a bot, they may block you.

· Use a casual, friendly tone in your messages.

· If you like a particular message, retweet it. People often like the sharing and amplification of their ideas, so retweet cool stuff.

· Post links to articles and sites you think folks would find interesting. Think about the type of followers you have and what they might be interested in.

· Don’t spam people. Twitter’s following model means that you have to respect the interests and desires of other people here or they’ll unfollow you. The most common way to run afoul of that understanding – and to thus look like a spammer – is to send unsolicited @messages or DMs, particularly when they include a promotional link.

· Too make sure you’re not spamming folks, Twitter also recommends to avoid the following:

o Posting duplicate updates to an account, especially throughout the day.

o Cross-posting duplicate updates to multiple accounts.

o Following churn: Following and unfollowing the same people repeatedly, as well as following and unfollowing those who don’t follow back.

o All of the above could be violations of Twitter’s terms of service which could lead to your account being suspended or shut down.

· Don’t use any of those “get lots of followers” services. You should build your following organically. It’s not a numbers game on who has the most followers. You want to follow real people or businesses because of the information they share or conversation you may have.

· Don’t follow hundreds of people all at once without building up a following along the way. When I see an account that follows hundreds or thousands of people, but only has a couple followers and tweets, I’m not likely to follow back. Start off with a few people you know, some local businesses or news networks. Begin engaging and build from there. It can also be overwhelming to follow a ton of people right off the bat. Information overload may scare you off.

So, what do you think? Do you have some best practices to add? Comment below. You can also find me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/charno. To see Twitter’s business guide, click here: http://business.twitter.com/twitter101

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Another Good Rule of Thumb from Seth

2009-07-15T20:30:00.001-05:00

More smart thinking from Seth Godin. In his latest “Gotcha!” post, he shows how good karma can create more customers and bad karma less. His rule of thumb:

“My rule of thumb is this: every person you turn away because your product or service isn’t right for them turns into three great customers down the road. Every bad sale costs you five.”

Great rules to market by, don’t you think? Don’t force it if it’s not the right fit. You can see the full post here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/07/gotcha.html

By the way, I’m staying away from Anbesol.

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Charno Seeks New Opportunity

2009-07-07T12:26:00.001-05:00

Download now or preview on posterous

dcharnoresume.pdf (235 KB)

Just as the title reads, I’m in the market and seeking a new opportunity. Last week, Boelter + Lincoln had another round of cuts due to the loss of the Wisconsin Tourism account and I was let go. While I absolutely loved the past 10 years at Boelter + Lincoln, I’m ready for a new chapter in my life. Below is a summary of my background. If you think we may be a good fit, or have a great lead, let me know. Thanks!

For nearly 18 years, I’ve been passionate about advancing my clients’ brands and generating results. I have a reputation for providing superior service, insight-driven strategies and delivering projects on target, on time and within budget. I’m seeking a management-level marketing position where I can continue to grow professionally, as well as grow your business. Client experience includes: Wisconsin Tourism, Wisconsin State Fair, Journal Sentinel, JobNoggin.com, MATC, NTC, Green Bay VCB and Eagle River Chamber of Commerce.

Learn more about me at http://linkedin.com/in/dianecharno, follow me at http://twitter.com/charno or email me at dianecharno@gmail.com.

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

How a Simple, Single-Minded "Tourism" Campaign Took Home a PR Grand Prix

2009-06-22T22:04:00.001-05:00

Earlier today I shared a post on “A Really Good Job” campaign from Murphy-Goodie. It reminded me of the awesome campaign that Tourism Queensland did with their “Best Job in the World” campaign. It was a huge PR success and did a great job utilizing social media. It has already won some big awards and now it won again at International Advertising Festival in Cannes. Here’s a post from Matthew Creamer on AdAge.com talking about the latest.

How a Simple, 'Single-Minded' Campaign Took Home a PR Grand Prix

http://adage.com/cannes09/article?article_id=137499

Here’s a case study video on the project:

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Import Your Blog to Posterous

2009-06-22T20:53:00.002-05:00

Cool. I just came across this Mashable post by Jennifer Van Grove. Posterous will now let you import posts from your other blogs. You can even select which posts you want to import. And, like other things on Posterous it’s super easy. I started up the Posterous blog a little later then my original blog, so I can't wait to try it out.

Posterous Wants You (To Import Your Blog) via Mashable

http://mashable.com/2009/06/22/poseterous-import/

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

A Really Good Job - Vote On The Applicants

2009-06-22T11:56:00.001-05:00

Here’s “a really good job” opportunity that I totally missed (not that I could move to Sonoma for six months). Either way, the application deadline has passed, but we all still have a chance to vote on who gets the job. Murphy-Goodie, a family-owned vineyard in Sonoma County, created a website http://www.areallygoodejob.com/ in search of a social media maven to come experience the vineyard and blog, tweet and post about it. It’s a six month job for $10,000 per month and includes accommodations. You can view all the applicants on their website or YouTube. They’ll announce the top fifty applicants on June 26. Check it out. http://www.areallygoodejob.com/

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Another YouTube Cover Letter

2009-06-09T21:14:00.001-05:00

Here’s a follow up to the “Today’s Cover Letter” post yesterday. This guy’s video was in response to the new Boone Oakley agency website on YouTube. He plays off their story in order to tell his. Unfortunately Boone Oakley’s not hiring for now. Check out his video here:

And, here’s the Boone Oakley agency site on YouTube:

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Today's Cover Letter

2009-06-08T20:33:00.002-05:00

Social media is really changing how people apply for jobs, especially in the ad world. Rather than a standard cover letter, resume and portfolio, people are building websites, starting twitter campaigns and even posting youtube cover letters. Here are two recent examples of people trying to get jobs at Crispin Porter + Bogusky:

1) Last month, Chris Kahle (http://twitter.com/chriskahle) launched his own twitter campaign. He offered to pay $1 to charity for the first 200 people who tweeted Alex Bogusky urging him to hire Kahle. The tweet also included a link to his site where he had a message to CP+B. It was clever and yup, he got the job. (Here’s a link to his site, but it looks like it’s down right now: http://thisischriskahle.com/projects/cpbtweet/)

2) The latest is a YouTube cover letter to CP+G from two soon-to-be Miami Ad School grads. This effort is having its own viral effect as people are now tweeting the video or blogging about it (like me). This was just posted on June 4^th so it remains to be seen if they’ll get the job, but I’m sure they’ll get noticed. Check it out here.

So, what do you think about these new fangled ways to get a job? Is it just a clever way to get noticed during these tough times? Do we risk spamming and annoying potential employers? I think it’s clever for now and is a great way to get noticed. The first ones have the most to gain. As someone who also hires, I think it can get old as more and more people take these approaches. Sure, I’ll be entertained by the first few. But, after several people try to reach me this way many times… I’m likely to start tuning it out. What do you think?

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Social Media Smackdown - DMOs

2009-06-06T17:20:00.001-05:00

I just came across a great post from Mengel's Musings. She has a social media smackdown series and her latest one compares how two DMO's (destination marketing organizations) are using social media. She compares Columbus, Ohio to Columbia, South Carolina. Both have an impressive presence on many social media outlets, including facebook, flickr, myspace, youtube, twitter and more. Check out the post and then let me know what you think. Oh, and if you're a DMO, how do you think you would stand up in a social media smackdown?

http://www.amymengel.com/2009/05/20/social-media-smackdown-columbus-ohio-vs-columbia-sc/

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Creative Yoga & Fitness Advertising

2009-06-06T15:41:00.001-05:00

I’m finally catching up on reviewing some Posterous blogs I subscribe too. Clementine posted these to her blog: Reflections of Me http://reflectionof.me/. I had to share. Enjoy!

Collection of creative advertising campaigns for yoga and fitness centers from all over the world.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

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See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Visit Las Vegas' Latest Push Asks "What's Your Excuse?"

2009-06-06T14:52:00.002-05:00

Today I was catching up on some TV (The Real Housewives of New Jersey – a guilty pleasure) when I saw the latest Visit Las Vegas spot – Chinchilli Day. A man creates a fake holiday as an excuse to stay an extra day in Vegas. Then the commercial asks, “What’s your excuse?” I had to learn more.

“What’s Your Excuse?” is the latest campaign push for Summer travel to Las Vegas. It’s another round of spots that depart from the “What Happens Here” branding approach in order to have a more direct tourism push and message. In this case it’s “add an extra day to your Vegas getaway this summer”. From what I hear, Visit Las Vegas is not benching “What Happens Here” campaign forever, but will evolve it and launch again in the future. Perhaps when the tourism environment improves.

If you’re looking for more excuses to take an extra day off for a trip to Vegas, check out “Shin Wack”:

And, you can find more holiday excuses here: http://www.visitlasvegas.com/vegas/features/summer/holiday.jsp

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Easter Bunny Funny

2009-04-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

This makes me laugh every year.

Posted via email from Diane Charno's posterous

Schaum Torte - A Perfect Spring Dessert

2009-04-10T16:02:00.006-05:00

Do you like Schaum Torte? I'm making it for Easter. Seems like lots of people have never heard of it before. It's an old German meringue dessert that is served with berries, whip cream and sometimes ice cream. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try. Enjoy! http://dianecharno.posterous.com/

To Blog or Not to Blog...

2009-04-05T16:18:00.009-05:00

That is the question. I started off the year with the best intentions to start this blog and get active with Twitter. As of April, I'm doing pretty good with Twitter, but not the traditional blogging thing. It makes me wonder, do I need to do both.

Today, there are so many places for us to be "social", share and join the online conversation. I'm active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I'm using FriendFeed, rrs feeds, digging and bookmarking. Now, I'm seeing more use of newer blogging services, such as Tumblr and Posterous, where they make it super easy to post. So many options. If I try to do it all, I'll spend my entire day online.

Like most people, I need to streamline. I need to find efficiencies in this social media world. Right now, I'm most active with Twitter. It's fast and easy to use. I could use a blog to expand on thoughts and projects occasionally. Okay, so maybe I'll continue to do both. The next question - should I invest the time into this blog? Should I try one of the other services, such as Tumblr? What do you think?

Best Job in the World – Real or Fake?

2009-01-19T18:22:00.007-06:00

In times of shrinking budgets and cluttered media environments, marketers are constantly looking to get a bigger bang and “buzz” for their buck. Tourism Queensland developed a unique initiative that’s captured a lot of attention. It was off to a good start, but today’s news shows that they were less than genuine.

In their latest campaign, Tourism Queensland has invited people to apply for the Best Job in the World– to be the caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. You’ll be paid $150,000 to live in a three-bedroom villa with a pool and spend time playing on the island for six months. The workload? Just 12 hours per month to produce a video diary and blog on all of your experiences. Sounds pretty good to me. So how do you apply? Just submit a 60-second video on why you deserve the job and fill out an application. All the details can be found at the campaign site IslandReefJob.com. You can even check out some of the other video applications on their site or YouTube.

The buzz on this campaign took off like crazy. Within a few days, they had over a million visitors and a ton of applications from around the world. One woman even tattooed herself for the job. Or at least we thought she did. Today, Tourism Queensland admitted that two videos were produced by their agency and they failed to label them as examples. The videos have now been removed. As a result, there’s even more news on the "Best Job in the World", but it’s not as positive as before.

I really think it’s a good campaign and with all of the buzz generated I'm sure it will be considered a success. However, we can learn from this. As marketers, we need to create authentic experiences and communications for our consumers, not fake ones. Still interested in the Best Job in the World? You have till February 22nd to apply.

My First Week on Twitter

2009-01-13T15:23:00.002-06:00

It’s been a week since I began to tweet and it’s not what I expected. Like others, I thought it was basically a Facebook status update, but without all of the other Facebook features. I checked it out a year ago, signed up and tweeted once:

@charno checking out twitter

Then I never went back until last week. Second tweet:

@charno is checking out twitter again

Is that all there is to this? Why do I need to do this? I’m already connected to a bunch of friends on Facebook. How is this different? After a week, I’ve found that I use both in different ways.

Facebook

I’m connected to people I know in person – real friends and colleagues.

Status updates are more personal and general – Diane is sick of snow.

I share more personal stuff like photos.

Twitter

I’m connected to some people I know in person, but most I don’t know - industry experts (social media, tourism, marketing, etc.), businesses, and news organizations.

Tweets are less about what I’m eating for lunch and more about connecting and sharing information.

For me, it’s less out personal play and more about business, tracking the industry, staying up to date on trends and news, as well as learning how others are using Twitter. I also wouldn’t mind getting to know some of the awesome social media mavens out there.

Getting Started

If you’re not tweeting now, maybe you want to check it out. Here are a few tips on getting started.

Set up a Twitter profile/handle - It’s recommended you use a real photo or avatar and be honest in your bio.

Connect with people - You can start by using the search email feature on Twitter to find your friends already tweeting. Once you’re connected to a few people, check out who they follow and connect with others you know or want to know. You can also search Twitter for topics of interest and follow those tweeting about the same things.

Learn the language - Check out the Getting Started area on Twitter. Watch how others are tweeting.

Manage your tweets - Check out some of the Twitter apps that help you organize your tweets. I like TweetDeck or find some others on the Twitter download page. These apps are nice for creating groups and filtering tweets.

Start tweeting.

This is a simplified intro for an individual. A business or organization needs a more in depth Twitter strategy developed. Are you ready to tweet? Then follow me @charno on Twitter.

Here's to the New Year and a New Blog!

2009-01-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

As tradition for many, I've made some resolutions this year. I'm going to strive to live my "Best Life" along with Oprah and improve many of the typical things like health, weight and money, but I'm also going to work on increasing my online presence via social media. So here I am with my first blog.

To be honest, I'm not very comfortable with this writing online thing, but I need to start somewhere. I think I'll just start off with sharing what's going on in my life and see how it evolves. Topics may include:

Marketing - I work for Boelter + Lincoln Marketing Communications and manage some great campaigns and initiatives for some cool clients in the tourism, recreation, education and media industries. I've been in the industry for over 17 years and enjoy reading and sharing experiences.
Social Media - I've been active online for years, but not as much in the social media world. To be honest, it's growing so fast that it's hard to keep up while doing everything else. I'm already an active user of Facebook and LinkedIn and as of this week, I'm using Twitter. I'll share some of my thoughts and adventures as I play in the Web 2.0 world.
Knitting/Crochet - I love to knit and crochet, but I've never really tracked or shared my projects. I've read lots of other knitting/crochet blogs and gathered some great project ideas and tips. I'll share some of my projects here.

That's about it for now, but who knows, I may share some other musings or current events. Just remember, I'm new to this and I hope to learn and become better at blogging. Please share your comments, tips and feedback. I look forward to connecting with you all and joining the online conversation.

I'm just saying...

A Taste of Independence, Some Assembly Required

Alice for the iPad Shows Why E-Books Are Cool

The New Apple iPad - Mad TV-style from 2007

Social Media Upends Ski Resort Marketing

Tourism Pays

Sesame Street Mad Men Parody "We're Happy Men"

The Vendor Client Relationship - In Real World Situations

LEAKED: New iPhone Commercial - Too Funny!

Twitter 101 Best Practices Applies to Real People Too

Another Good Rule of Thumb from Seth

Charno Seeks New Opportunity

How a Simple, Single-Minded "Tourism" Campaign Took Home a PR Grand Prix

Import Your Blog to Posterous

A Really Good Job - Vote On The Applicants

Another YouTube Cover Letter

Today's Cover Letter

Social Media Smackdown - DMOs

Creative Yoga & Fitness Advertising

Visit Las Vegas' Latest Push Asks "What's Your Excuse?"

Easter Bunny Funny

Schaum Torte - A Perfect Spring Dessert

To Blog or Not to Blog...

More on Fake Viral Videos

Best Job in the World – Real or Fake?

My First Week on Twitter

Here's to the New Year and a New Blog!