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April 2016 - Gemba Marketing
Believe it or not, reading is still a favorite leisure activity across all generations. Yes, it’s true. Despite our obvious obsession with social media outlets, Clash of Clans, and Netflix binging, we still value reading. As a writer, this is jolly good news. Reading is one of the best ways to escape from the challenges of our every day lives and divulge ourselves in someone else’s struggles, triumphs, and hard-earned advice. And with warmer weather on the horizon, I’m taking a wild guess that a lot of us will be spending our summer days lounging in hammocks with a good book in one hand and a fruity adult beverage in the other. At least, that’s what I hope we’ll all be doing this summer. One can dream, right? To help get you started, us Gemba folk put together a little reading list of some of our favorite books that’ll have you smiling, crying, and thinking deeply while swinging in your hammock. 1. Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes After a lifetime of refusing uncomfortable situations, Shonda Rhimes, creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, dedicates an entire year to saying ‘yes’ to invitations, opportunities, and anything she would have otherwise declined. This book chronicles her inspiring transformation and demonstrates how one simple word has the power to change our lives. “This hilarious story of Shonda’s year of saying yes to everything opened my eyes and mind to accepting opportunities that were initially uncomfortable. It’s in these moments that we grow. If we ignore those challenging situations, we rob ourselves of experience.” ~ Gemba contributor: Sarah 2. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie The...
Last week we packed our bags, kissed our honeys goodbye, and made the five-hour trek to The Windy City, Chi-Town, the City of the Big Shoulders or, as most people call it, Chicago. We went to Chicago. IEG’s 33rd Annual Sponsorship Conference was going down so, naturally, we needed to be there. The event is the “single-best opportunity for properties to showcase their unique assets to new sponsors and for agencies and industry suppliers to demonstrate their capabilities to new partners.” Basically, it’s a mega networking opportunity designed to engage, provide insight, and kindle potential partnerships and sponsors across all industries. We squeezed a ton of learning into three little days, and we even had some cocktails along the way. Here, our top 3 nuggets of industry wisdom gained from the conference: 1. Put consumer value at the top of your marketing priority list Among the dozens of speakers and round table discussions was Karin Timpone’s keynote presentation on customers and relationships. Karin is the Global Marketing Officer at Marriott International, Inc., and she discussed the ways in which Marriott has shifted their marketing strategies to incorporate global partnerships that focus more on adding value to their customer’s lifestyles. This theme of adding value was the red thread that echoed throughout the entire conference. We all know by now that the millennial generation is the most powerful storm of influencers of our time. They crave experience, connections, and consumer empowerment, and their loyalty and commitment are two traits most brands aim to capture. So it makes a ton of sense that more and more brands should shift their partnership strategies to include more personal brand engagement based...
Millennials have been given a bad rap over the years. They’re egocentric, entitled, complainers, lazy, uninformed, etc. Even the cohort in question is willing to acknowledge their negative stereotypes. 59% describe their generation as self-absorbed, 49% say they are wasteful, and 43% admit they’re greedy, according to a recent Pew Research Survey. I could go on, but I’ll stop there because, as a millennial, I’m starting to hurt my feelings. On a more positive note, we’re also known for our passionate mindset, our innovative spirit, and our deep desire to form meaningful connections. We’re educated, too. Granted, we’ll be in debt for the rest of time, but at least we’re educated, right? Right? But one the most notable and prestigious characteristics embodied by my generation, besides our fondness for memes and Harry Potter, of course, is that we genuinely appreciate the beauty of a high-quality glass of craft beer. That’s right. I went there. Millennials have outstanding taste in adult beverages. It’s just a fact. According to Nielsen, the craft beer industry has seen a 14% revenue increase in the last year, while beer as an overall industry increased 4.6%. And when we consider who might be responsible for such success, millennials are at the top of the list. Millennials are more casual drinkers compared to other generations and 43% prefer craft beer to domestic beer. They value flavor, character, and independence, and they’ve discovered that the craft beer industry satisfies all three. So what is craft beer, and why is it so appealing to the younger folk? By definition, an American brewer is “small, independent, and traditional,” according to the Brewer’s Association. They produce less than...
“A person’s success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.” – Tim Ferriss Last week I attended a training seminar on the benefits and guidelines of giving and receiving effective feedback. The training was intended to ”improve our leadership capacity and overall professional and personal effectiveness.” One thing I love about working for Gemba Marketing – we’re always on the lookout for continuous improvement opportunities. Our love of learning binds us all. We’re nerds. It’s fine. Feedback is ubiquitous. We do it everyday. We thank our coworkers for completing tasks. We show appreciation to our spouse for that one time they did the dishes. We compliment our stylish friend whenever they wear that cat sweater we love so much; we give praise to the coworker who brought donuts to the office. Whether we’re aware of it or not, we give feedback all the time in the form of compliments and praise. Positive feedback is easy, sometimes effortless. Critical feedback, on the other hand, haunts most people’s dreams. I don’t know a single person who enjoys telling someone about the things they’re doing wrong at work. And if such a person exists, I don’t what to meet them. Ever. Critical feedback is hard, awkward, and might be one of the most uncomfortable things the human mind is capable of feeling. Yet it’s a crucial skill to master. When done effectively, feedback changes a person’s behavior and ultimately improves workplace efficiency and camaraderie. In fact, according to data from OfficeVibe, companies that implement regular employee feedback have a 14.9% lower turnover rate than...
Here’s a semi-fun fact – the average person sends and receives approximately 130 work-related emails every. single. day. Whoa, right? That’s a crap ton of emails. If you want to get technical with it, that’s 16.25 emails per work-hour. In today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy work environment, there’s no denying that email is the number one form of communication amongst basically every employed person with a pulse. The trouble is, email is stressful, especially when you’re sending important information to your boss, or your future boss, or the person you hope will be your boss after you nail that job interview. There’s a lot of pressure in crafting a well-written, eloquent email. But sometimes the stress (or laziness) gets in the way and we end up sending something that reads more like an eighth-grader’s poorly-procrastinated literature assignment than a highly educated inquiry written by an adult. Thankfully, we’re sharing some tips and tricks that will take your email skills from ordinary to extraordinary and basically guarantee you make a lasting impression on whomever you’re trying to impress. 1. Always, always, always fill the subject line with key information. Think of the subject line as a newspaper headline. Keep it brief, but make sure it adequately explains what your email is about. More often than not, the subject line is what determines whether the receiver will open your email or hit delete. 2. Begin with a professional greeting. The first line of your email sets the tone for the rest of your message. It’s your personal handshake and should be taken seriously. Don’t screw it up with a limp attempt at introducing yourself. Be firm, but polite. Confident, but friendly. Most...
