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?

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.

Think of the last few things that you bought, big or small—a new phone, a pair of yoga pants, a new car, a pair of shoes, even a food item. All of these products have one thing in common: the company you purchased them from is selling you a lifestyle.

So what is a lifestyle brand?

Webster defines a lifestyle as an individual’s whole way of living, and a brand as (a) an identifying mark or label (b) the make of a commodity or (c) a special kind.

Wikipedia’s says: A lifestyle brand is a company that markets its products or services to embody the interests, attitudes, and opinions of a group or a culture. Lifestyle brands seek to inspire, guide, and motivate people, with the goal of their products contributing to the definition of the consumer’s way of life. They often operate off an ideology, hoping to attract a relatively high number of people and ultimately becoming a recognized social phenomenon.

In Forbes article A Survival Guide For Symbolic And Lifestyle Brands, they point out “(Lifestyle Brands) deliver strong social benefits through which a consumer will be able to subconsciously answer the question, “when I buy this brand, the type of people I relate to are…” they create a sense of belonging or disrupt the status quo. So, Nike aligns people who want to push their limits. Club Med connects those who wish to communicate; The Body Shop, those who value nature.”

If you are a lifestyle brand or if you aspire to be a lifestyle brand, you must fully grasp the lifestyle your customer aspires to and you must reflect it in thought, word and deed. You need to clearly communicate that you embrace the same ideals as your customer, but also define your product.
Consumers have started referring to brands as if they have their own personalities. Have you found yourself saying “That doesn’t seem like them” or “That was off-brand”? Case in point: a brand whose red cup can wage a war on Christmas.

In today’s constant barrage of communication, people want transparency, authenticity, and honesty. They want to admire and trust the brands they bring into their life. To create a lifestyle brand, you must:

1. Discover Your Brand: What do you want people to feel about your brand? Determine what lifestyle aspirations your brand fulfills, and communicate accordingly.
2. Create your Brand: Clearly define your brand personality. Your identity needs to be holistic. What is your brand’s whole way of living?
3. Communicate Your Brand {with confidence}. Be conversational. Our friends and family enhance our lives with their adventures and personalities. Consumers expect that from a lifestyle brand. Create experiences. Share your personality. Form connections. Express your personality on many different platforms.

“In designing a lifestyle brand, you have to know more than just designing clothes,” Tommy Hilfiger

Here on ‘The Porch we are making brands rock your lifestyle daily.

Friends, it may be time for a branding and marketing intervention: We love you. We value you. But sometimes, you need to recognize when it’s time to play in your own sandbox. 

We say it all the time on The Porch, “Branding and marketing are more an art than a science,” and our rockin’ Front Porch Marketing Team has spent more than a combined 80 years honing this art form to make a difference in our client’s businesses.

But we can only make a difference if our clients let us.

Our best clients are passionate, excited about their work, and open to new ideas that will enable them to leap ahead. We tell our prospective clients that we work best when we are partners, not vendors, and are treated like a member of their internal team. We believe in direct conversation and diving in the strategy debate while getting our hands dirty.

So … in the spirit of direct conversation (which is a foundation on which The Porch was built), here are a few recent examples of when you, Ms./Mr. business owner, leader or department head, should rock away from the branding and marketing table … rock far, far away friends:

1. You scribble your logo ideas down on paper and/or mock them up yourself on whatever design software du jour. Design software and a favorite font do not a creative director make. Our team of creative professionals work with our clients through a formalized branding process that crystallizes the brand’s vision and ensures that the brand puts itself out there in the best way possible.
2. You recommend a CMS platform for your website because that is the platform you use to manage your child’s sports team and its schedule. We develop and re-design websites constantly for our clients and their brands. We know what works and what doesn’t. Trust us to make these decisions that will accomplish your business needs and goals.
3. You are going to hire an intern or an admin to manage your social media. Both of those positions are vital to a company’s operations. But neither are qualified to take on something as important as social media. Why not go ahead and have your financial manager do it??? (See what I am trying to say here?)
4. You call a half day meeting with your business consultant, VP of sales and VP of marketing because your VP of sales doesn’t like a showroom sign created by the marketing department. Give the power to the people and let sales and marketing handle their feud that has lasted longer than the Hatfields battled the McCoys.

We believe collaboration is key. Bringing team members in from other departments for planning meetings and brainstorming sessions can add new perspective, create different ways of thinking and spark new ideas. Says Pharrell:

Remember, however, we branding and marketing peeps like to work “in a room without a roof.” So let’s work together! We are fully vested in getting your business the desired outcome. After all, if you aren’t successful, neither are we.

Rock on friends.

Chief Rocker Julie Porter can be followed on Twitter and Instagram and so can her company. Follow Front Porch Marketing on Twitter by clicking here, like us on Facebook by clicking here and follow our LInkedIn company page and Instagram fun.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I lay in bed gazing at my newborn daughter, then just 2 months old, who was sleeping in the bassinet beside me. My husband had left hours earlier for a business trip, and I sleepily turned the television on.

The chaos and confusion in New York was just unfolding. And as the hours passed, it became worse. And worse. And worse.

What I didn’t know then was that my husband was supposed to be in a meeting at the World Trade Center that morning. The meeting had been moved a short time prior to his office in midtown, where his co-workers watched the unfolding scene in horror from their conference room window.

I often think of how my family narrowly avoided tragedy that day. My daughter didn’t lose her father, but 3,051 other children did lose parents. Wives, husbands, friends, neighbors, employees, public servants – such a heartbreaking loss of life.

But what rose in the aftermath of those horrible events was a tremendous sense of community and service. It made us all proud to be Americans. And today, on the anniversary of September 11th, Americans will unite in service in the same remarkable way that so many came together following the attacks. This National Day of Service and Remembrance honors all that this day has come to represent.

It doesn’t take much to take me back to those days and feel the tragedy, the sadness. But what I want to remember more is the bravery. The fighting spirit. The selflessness. The coming together. The service.

Those are the things I want to walk with me. Today and always.

Your brand’s reputation is among the most valuable assets your company has so how are you protecting your brand? It defines your company and helps it stand out from competitors.

As Warren Buffet said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and five minutes to ruin it.”

This is especially true today with social media – what used to be a 24-hour media cycle is now a 24-second social media cycle.

Unfortunately, even with diligent, proactive risk management, a crisis can happen at any time. No company is immune to misconduct by employees, the sudden resignation or illness of a key leader, product recalls, accidental injuries/fatalities, natural disasters, etc. So, you need to prepare, anticipate and plan ahead – because it’s not a matter of if a crisis will occur, it’s a matter of when. The cost of a crisis to a company can be huge, and most crises require attention within the first 24 hours.

What can you do to prepare?

Create a crisis management plan to ensure a rapid and adequate response, maintain clear lines of reporting and communication and set rules for crisis termination. You must protect your brand.

Crisis management is NOT THE SAME as risk management. Risk management serves to minimalize and hopefully avoid crisis. Crisis management is actually dealing with a crisis.

To create a crisis management plan:

• Research your company’s record
• Identify all potential crises
• Create and prepare your crisis team
• Schedule media training sessions
• Stage regular crisis readiness simulations
• Assess and update crisis plans

Want to learn more?

Come hear Front Porch Marketing present on “Protecting Your Brand” at Danger Zone 2: Active Shooter Seminar presented by FBI Dallas Citizens Academy Alumni Association this Thursday, September 3, at the Charles W. Eisemann Center in Richardson, TX. The seminar is designed for individuals, business leaders, school teachers and administrators, church leaders and anyone seeking to gain knowledge should you ever encounter an active shooter in the workplace.

As a country, we are averaging one active shooter every three weeks. No location is immune from these events happening. Danger Zone is a great program with a proven track record of success that will greatly increase your chance to survive the ordeal.  For more information and tickets, click here.

A special shout out to our friend and advocate Rod Fullenwider at D&L Entertainment for including us in this event. We appreciate your continued support Rod!