While marketing is a dynamic and ever-changing field of study and profession, one major underlying tool marketers utilize is psychology. Innovative marketers have a true understanding of their target market’s actions, and use this expertise to shape their client’s approach. Understanding why a generation, society or any group of people acts the way they do is essential to connecting and communicating efficiently with them. 

However, there are other ways to apply psychology on the job to improve not only your career, but also your happiness and personal life. I had the pleasure of attending a guest lecture by Dr. Mark McKinney and Dr. Steve Fedorko in the Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University, where they spoke about this notion in depth. As psychologists who spent many years in the marketing and advertising world, they had an interesting perspective on how to succeed in business. Their book, My Client Is The Devil, is a “groundbreaking book to help client service professionals deal with stress on the job by learning simple techniques to become more psychologically hardy”. While I have not yet read the book, their presentation inspired me to take a step back and evaluate my perspective on life.

Client service fields are notorious for “burning out” their employees. Drs. McKinney and Fedorko attempt to alleviate the stress placed on these employees by emphasizing the importance of three competencies: control, commitment and challenge. Modern psychology has found that people who exhibit control in their personal and professional life, stay committed to their goals and readily accept challenge tend to be more resistant to stress and have a contagious effect on the people around them.

Everyone knows that positive people are more fun to be around, but sometimes people need a reminder to spread a little positivity. Drs. McKinney and Fedorko proposed a tool to help alter our perspective that may initially seem trivial, but has truly transformed my daily outlook in a positive manner. Rather than looking at a situation and making outward statements such as “why me?” or “this isn’t fair,” instead ask yourself what positive outcomes may come of this situation and assume that others are well-intended. The Drs. provided examples of how to apply this attitude that ranged from dealing with road rage to major work dilemmas. By practicing this attitude in smaller, every-day situations, it transforms into a habit.

Epictetus, a philosopher and teacher in Rome in the first century, said, “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.” While this idea has been around for thousands of years, in our modern world full of constant business and high expectations it is easy to forget how big of a role our attitude plays in our happiness and eventually our overall success. Taking a moment to think before we react truly puts the problem we are dealing with into perspective.

Branding Rocks!

Duh! Of course we are going to say that. It’s what we do. It’s what we are passionate about! So you have your logo. Sweet! You have a vision. Fantastic! You have beautiful photography. Terrific! But do you have a brand? Not quite.

At the core of every marketer is a storyteller. We love to tell stories about:

• products
• places
• experiences
• … well we don’t really need a list – we just like to tell stories!

Digital media has opened up the communication lines for marketers. In the ‘old days’ (as my children say) you had a story to tell about your company, product, place or experience but you had to pay mightily for that story to be shared. Now there are several public forums that you can utilize to tell your story, which is a MARKETING DREAM.

So what does this have to do with your brand? Your brand is your story and vice versa. Why is it important to have a BRAND strategy in addition to your marketing plan? Here’s 8 reasons (we could give you 80, but we will save some for porch conversations):

#1 Your story makes you uniquely you! No one else is the same, which DIFFERENTIATES you from your competition.

#2 Consistent branding translates into RECOGNITION.

#3 Your brand is a PROMISE to your customers, your team and to the marketplace.

#4 Brands create an EMOTIONAL CONNECTION with your customer.

#5 Branding creates TRUST with all audiences.

#6 An established brand provides BUSINESS VALUE.

#7 A compelling background, history or brand strategy will MOTIVATE your staff and provide DIRECTION.

#8 Branding can FOCUS and guide your marketing efforts, saving time and money.

Sounds pretty good, eh? So what are you waiting for? It’s time to start rockin’ YOUR brand strategy!

Today is January 15th, of course it’s not too late! There’s never a deadline for making assessments of the past and setting goals for the future. In fact, now is the perfect time.

Full disclosure: I’m not a big resolutions kind of gal. There’s too much pressure to stick to them, and many of us stumble in keeping them. A goal, however, is a measurable and achievable thing. It’s a win to work towards. Achievement feels rewarding and gives momentum to continue and achieve bigger.

So you have some work goals. Kick-off meetings are in full swing and corporate goals have been finessed and delivered. And you have some family goals. The holidays allowed you to hit the re-set button and assess personal goals for yourself and your family.

Now is the tricky part – melding the two. It’s always a delicate balance. While family will always hold the trump card, you have obligations at work and work supports your family. Here are my suggestions as you map out your quarter or your year:

• Categorize the goals – are they strategic, operational, educational or organizational? This gives you some direction.
• Think about the steps you need to take to achieve the goals. List them. Assign dates to them. This all helps them feel more tangible and achievable.
• Assign deadlines and pick your top three goals. When those goals are met, re-assess and keep going.

There are going to be days that you get nowhere near your goal, and other days that the lens focused on your goal seems so perfectly crystallized. Remember that any movement is just that – movement. Put one foot in front of the other and think about the bigger picture. You WILL get there!

As you welcome in the New Year and think about personal goals for 2016, don’t forget your kids! Maybe you’ve thought about goals such as spending more time with them, making sure you’re saving enough money for college expenses or planning a special family vacation. These are great goals, but there are also some you can make that involve spending quality time with them to educate them financially and help ensure their future success.

Commit to activities that will teach them the importance and value of money.

There are many ways to teach kids about money, but actual activities that include engagement with a parent and others can be very effective, and don’t always require a lot of time or money. Here are three activities to consider with your kids in 2016 that can be fun to do together!

Show them the basics of saving by taking them to your bank or credit union.

It’s fun for kids to go beyond the ATM or counter, and walk inside for an actual appointment. If you can, open a small account for them with their allowance money or cash gifts from the holidays or a birthday. If the account is tied to yours, fees may be waived or minimal. The pride that comes with holding their own deposit slip, or seeing an online transaction for their own account, and hopefully shaking the hand of the local manager, makes for a special moment with your child. They can be encouraged to deposit additional money with you as they earn it or receive gifts or allowance, and when ready, obtain a debit card to learn to watch their balance and spend their money wisely.

Taking your child to your bank for their first official appointment can be a very special event for them to celebrate a New Year, birthday, or some other achievement. Consider talking with them about setting a goal for a fun trip with you to the bank this year.

Introduce them to investing by introducing them to your financial advisor.

If you have a local relationship with a financial advisor, ask if they will meet briefly with you and your child to spend some time explaining the importance of investing. Hopefully you can also open an account for them at that meeting if they have saved enough money, or that cash gift from grandma was large enough! The meeting can be kept simple by discussing worldwide companies your kid is likely already aware of – think Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Amazon, etc… Talking about these companies, how they make money for shareholders, and how to participate through various mutual funds is something your child will likely show interest in, especially if you’ve taken the time to introduce them to your personal advisor.

Creating a knowledge of the companies kids love beyond the products purchased and consumed is eye-opening and fun for them, especially when they recognize they can save their own money and invest in some of their favorite ones. They certainly understand hoverboards, Star Wars, and the other big sales hits of this past season!

Teach them to contribute their own money to causes they care about.

Once your child has a basic awareness of saving and investing, it’s wonderful to teach them why we give some of our money to causes we care about. They may have already volunteered their time, given away old clothing or toys, or placed coins into an offering plate or red bucket, but we also need to help them find their own passions for causes and develop good habits for giving financially.

You can discuss things they love and care about, talk about where there may be needs, and look at options for supporting those needs. They may love animals, have concern for those that are strays, and decide to send their money to an animal shelter. They may be sad for children that go hungry and want to give to a food bank. They can find causes around art, music, sports, and numerous areas of interest.

Then decide, what is the plan for giving? For example, is their allowance $5 weekly, and will they consider giving $5 every other month? Will you match that $5 for a $10 contribution? Once you make your decisions, it’s good for them to find a chosen charity’s website to contribute online, or for a younger child to help address an envelope for mailing your check.

When you receive the email or letter of thanks from the organization, sharing it with your child will teach them their small contributions are important and meaningful. Collecting letters like these with them over the years is a great goal, but also a reflection of time, and money, well spent.

May you, and your kids, have a financially healthy and Happy New Year!

Forrester predicts that in 2016, US advertisers will spend more on digital advertising than TV ads. Interactive marketing spend (email marketing, social media, display advertising and search marketing) will be 30% of marketing budgets (up from 24% in 2014).

Whether you are a start-up, a small business, or a business that is well-established, you should give yourself the gift of an interactive marketing strategy in 2016.

An October 2015 study by Pew Research Center found that 65 percent of American adults surveyed use social networking sites. Without social media as part of your interactive plan, you miss delivering your message to two-thirds of the U.S. population!!

Already rockin’ a social media plan? Awesome. Go you!

Let’s talk Facebook. In 2015, Facebook was the only platform to see a drop in active usage (-9% per the chart below). As Facebook fine-tunes their ad machine, organic growth is almost dead, so efforts on this network seem to be for not. In fact, several articles are calling for a move away from Facebook.

*Global Web Index – social-q1-summary-report

But not so fast! Facebook is still the largest social media platform with 1.55 Billion users. YouTube is in second place with 1 Billion. All other platforms are in the millions. So rather than move away from it entirely, we suggest you pay attention and leverage your audience.

Gone are the days of random posts and sporadic efforts. You need a strategy to maximize your investment. Your strategy should include content, consistency, connection and currency (advertising spend). With the right approach you can:

• Maximize your spend
• Reach new customers
• Grow your overall interactive reach

As an example, right now, L’Amour Des Pieds (one of our clients) is running a contest, which is a great way to connect. The marketing goal was to increase e-newsletter subscription, so we used a boosted post on Facebook to promote sign-ups.

Entering the contest is easy:

1. Like the L’Amour Des Pieds Facebook page
2. Sign up for their e-newsletter on lamourdespieds.com
3. Follow L’Amour Des Pieds Instagram (@lamourdespieds)

The contest ends today at 5 p.m. and the email database has already tripled! It goes to show what a focused strategy can accomplish.

Do you have your interactive marketing strategy for 2016? The ‘Porch is ready to help you rock it!

A week ago, my Christmas tree inexplicably came crashing to the ground, and with it, 16 years of family ornaments, a new one chosen every year by each of the five members of my family, came crashing down with it. Keepsakes shattered. Memories lost. It was heartbreaking.

But after the glass was swept away, the tree re-decorated, and my attitude re-adjusted, the loss reminded me of some very important things that I sometimes lose sight of in the holiday hustle and bustle:

1. Memories Have a Shelf Life – Strive to Make New Ones. I was surprised to learn that my kids couldn’t remember who chose many of the ornaments and why. Things that are meaningful at one point in time may fade, so embrace change and allow yourself to make new memories.

2. Nothing Is Perfect – Let Go of That Notion. Your holiday is not a magazine spread! Let go of the idea of perfectionism – it’s unattainable. And unimportant.

3. Open Your Eyes! The holidays are happening all around you, don’t spend your time frantically running around. Whittle your to-do list down to only what is truly necessary. Slow down. Say no to things that aren’t important. Open your eyes and enjoy.

4. Be Thoughtful. And Grateful. And full of thanks for everything and everyone around you that enriches your life. This is the time of year to recognize those people and tell them how important they are to you. Do it! It feels great.

5. Don’t Forget – You Need Time for Yourself. Togetherness is wonderful and celebrations are fun; but taking time for yourself ensures that you will remain centered and better able to create a peaceful holiday.

This season, remember what’s important, and ENJOY. Happy holidays, everyone!

We tend to go through life amid a continual buzz that productivity brings – endless email, phone calls and deadlines. And although this productivity fuels our life, it is also important to drown out the distractions, and focus on the importance of listening.

To most of us, listening seems like common sense. Don’t we all listen? The answer is no. In fact, I myself have spent the last 20 years hearing people, rather than really listening. Only recently have I truly understood the difference.

My limited years of life experience may have rendered this realization obvious or trivial to others, but for my generation of millenials, this art is lost. As a generation of young people dependent on constant communication, we search for instant gratification and quick conversations to fill our days. I have found that recently as I focus on this idea, I have learned more about my friends and family, and even more about myself.

Stepping back and sincerely listening to what others are saying allows you to understand their point of view, interpret the problem better, and solve the problem more efficiently. Listening and having empathy towards others is something that is highly overlooked in the business world, and when implemented can really give you and your business an edge in a competitive market. In the marketing world, where client relationships make or break a deal, listening to your clients’ wants and needs is necessary to get the job done correctly.

So remember to take a step back, especially during this hectic holiday season, and listen to the people closest to you. Listen to your clients to better understand their goals and how they want to achieve them. Listen to your family and friends to understand their emotions and help problem solve. But most importantly, listen to yourself. Dedicate time daily to thinking about your happiness, goals and aspirations and listen to what your mind and body are telling you.

“When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” –Ernest Hemingway

We all recently celebrated Thanksgiving, spending the day focusing on what we’re grateful for. But it shouldn’t end there. Gratitude is not a moment, not a day, not a week, but a way of life.

There are obvious things to feel grateful about – food, shelter, family, friends. But don’t stop there. Be mindful. What does being grateful really mean? Where did the feeling come from?

According to The Gratitude Experiment, focusing on gratefulness and expressing gratitude raises our level of well-being and happiness. In an experiment, a test group was divided into three, with one group directed to journal gratitude, one group directed to journal the things that irritated them most during the day and one group was allowed to choose their focus. Not surprisingly, the group focusing on gratitude had a much greater sense of well-being. Statistics show that cultivating an attitude of gratitude increases overall happiness by 5%.

Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at University of California, Davis is leading a research team to quantify the causes of gratitude and its effect on health and well-being. They feel strongly that it begins with children. If we can raise grateful children, we are way ahead as a society.

Our friends at The Gem also focus on gratitude as part of their recommended daily regimen. It has a place of honor in the daily GEM journal distributed during their “Day in the Life” series. In fact, it is part of the mentality surrounding their brand. As an element of integrative nutrition and holistic living, gratitude is near and dear to the heart.

There is always something vying for our attention. The holidays bring commitments and distractions, professional to-do lists are ever-growing, our culture of connectivity brings with it no shortage of dismal world news, anxiety over the economy and political positioning, and the responsibilities of our home lives loom large. But take a moment at the end of each day and reflect on at least a couple of things to be grateful for. Some days it will pour out. Some days, you’ll be lucky to be thankful for the roof over your head. With practice, it becomes easier.

As a member of the rockin’ team on the Porch, we are actively and mindfully grateful for our wonderful clients and the chance to have an impact on their business and grow with them.

What are you grateful for?

As I began my SMU coursework to earn a BBA in marketing and a minor in advertising, I was excited to jump right in and learn hands-on marketing techniques and design a campaign. However, when I walked into my first advertising class, I was met with a bland textbook and dry lectures. I dreamt of getting my hands on some real work and trying to make a difference.

My prayers were answered this semester when I enrolled in Digital Media Landscapes, an advertising class taught in the Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University. For the past few months I have not only begun to learn the technical side of the business, but have had the opportunity to work hands-on by designing a campaign with my team for an organization on campus.

Here are the top five things that I have learned this semester:

1. Digital is everything. In this day in age, direct communication between a brand and its customers is the key to success. The social media platform has allowed companies to speak publicly and directly to their customers, and my generation of millennials relies on this constant communication to create brand loyalty.

2. Teamwork really does make the dream work. This semester our class was split into 10 groups, and we were all given the task of designing a campaign for an on-campus organization that plans to go national next year. While everyone on a team will not and should not possess the same strengths, focusing on each individual member’s talents will produce the highest quality work overall. Even though every idea will not be “the one”, bouncing ideas off one another gave us the ability to combine our strengths to formulate one solution.

3. If you’re not a good strategist… find one. In the marketing and advertising field, every team needs a good strategist; someone who knows the client, understands the customer, and can see the path that makes everyone happy.

4. Communication is key. Communicating with your team, your client, and your audience is necessary for success. Building a relationship with your client allows your client to build a relationship with customers, and in such a competitive market these days, client relationships and brand loyalty are everything.

5. Know your audience. Now, this may seem like an obvious necessity in both marketing and advertising, but forgetting whom you are targeting not only leads to an unsuccessful campaign, but an unhappy client. When you make the audience your number one focus, you drown out the white noise of confusion and unnecessary information, which allows your team to have a clearer vision of the problem and solution.

While memorizing definitions and the history of advertising has been nothing but beneficial to me as I apply that knowledge in this class, there is just something extremely satisfying about creating my own work. I look forward to continuing to apply these valuable lessons in my college career and post-graduation.

She arrives early at Starbucks for our first meeting, is already working on the first item of our Front Porch Marketing orientation “to do” list, and impresses me with how eager, engaged, and talented she is. An SMU undergraduate student majoring in marketing with a minor in advertising, she is ready to learn, ready to work, ready to rock it.

Folks, if you hear someone rambling about all of the flaws they see in the next generation, make a positive choice – don’t listen to them.  In fact, I won’t list any of the negative commentary I read while researching Gen Y, because there is no reason to give it any cred. Here is what you need to know as you consider making our future leaders a part of your business team – They are:

• Energetic
• Tech-savvy
• Intelligent
• Cost-effective
• Bilingual
• Flexible
• Eager
• Civic-minded

Take a quick peek at Wikipedia and you will learn that Millennials, also known as Generation Y, were born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s and are sometimes referred to as the Echo Boomers, because estimates of the number in the U.S. exceed 80 million. Read a bit further, and you will discover that authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, who wrote specifically about this generation in a book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation (2000), predicted this group would become “civic-minded” similar to our great G.I. Generation.

Interns Rock!

It doesn’t matter if you work for a Fortune 500 company, manage a nonprofit organization, or own a small business – there is benefit to hiring this generation of interns. In my previous sales management career with a Fortune 250 company, some of our most successful regional sales leaders made the business case for bringing on part-time interns to provide local sales support, and markets where we hired tech-savvy millennials to join tenured teams produced the most amazing sales results.

Nonprofit organizations can also benefit greatly from these hires. With tight budgets, extensive workloads and purposes great but challenging, nonprofits can bring in unpaid interns from high schools and colleges to help out while engaging them in an important cause. A family member of mine runs a foundation for exceptional children specializing in autism therapies, and has numerous interns on board helping to assist these children and their families. It is life changing for these interns and the families in need, and some of these interns have made this their career and purpose following graduation.

For a small business, an intern can make a real difference, and Front Porch Marketing has been rocking it successfully with student interns for several years!  As experts in unlocking the social nature of brands for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and franchisees, we make certain our clients are getting access to experienced marketing and advertising professionals, while utilizing young talent to provide a social media view and analysis when we need it. Rocker Interns on the Porch are part of our culture – it’s just how we rock n’ roll.

We are excited to welcome our Future Rocket, Rachel McMains!

One more fantastic intern on The Porch…ready to rock it.