I love, love, love Fourth of July fireworks. As a little teaser for this weekend’s festivities, I decided to see what was out there for online build-your-own display games, and how easy they were to use. Here are some of the top Google results, and how they rate …
All you have to do it click! Only gives you the traditional umbrella-kind of fireworks, but you can choose from some exciting backgrounds like “Grand Finale at the Carnival” and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. Also filed in the “Dumb” section of bored.com, so maybe there’s no coolness bonus points.
Another click to shoot. Again,there’s only one kind of firework, but the response time (click to boom) is very quick. Especially considering the game was posted in July of 2002, like, pretty much dinosaur times for the internet.
Good for kids – you just pick from three different fireworks and the display is cute and cartoony. I’m pretty sure the sound effects were pulled from a firing range, not a fireworks display, but with so few guns in England (and no Fourth of July), I guess we have to cut them some slack on the realism.
Not for the faint of heart. Engineering degree is helpful. You can set fuel amount, explosive force, particle decay and bursting charge, as well as wind shear and gravity (you know, in case your digital display is set on the moon). It’s a bit challenging to get a good end result – I’m pretty sure 90% of my show would have ended up in the crowd of innocent bystanders.
So I had to register in this one, and may or may not have signed up for a year’s subscription to Better Homes and Gardens in the process. BUT, I got to pick six types of fireworks (bouquets, streamers, etc.) and a city backdrop. The sounds effects were pretty realistic,and you could email to a friend with a personal message, which may or may not sign them up for a year’s subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. Clearly a lead generation tactic, so I suppose that’s the point.
In 1979, the U.S. was facing an economic crisis not unlike today’s. The Dow Jones plunged as low as 742 and our dependence on foreign oil led to swelling inflation and unemployment.
Sounds familiar, right? Today, we’re right back in 1979 with the same problems and dire outlook. People have lost jobs, homes…and basically their hope in the American dream. Failing banks and businesses. Failing consumer confidence.
But take a look at this:
In 1979, inflation was 12.5% with unemployment at 11.5%. The same numbers today? Inflation is around zero, while unemployment currently sits at 7.6% and even lower in Sioux Falls. Now imagine you’re an alien who’s just landed on Earth. Would you hope it was 1979, or 2009?
There’s definitely a lot of fear and uncertainty out there right now. But not a lot of perspective.
We’ve been through tough times like this before, and the main thing making this recession more severe is our perception that it is.
But you might know all of this already. What you don’t know is how to communicate it to your shareholders, employees and customers. At L&S, we believe in leading by example. We’re investing more in new business efforts and self-promotion than ever before. Why? Because we know it’s the smart way to react in a recession, and we’re telling our clients to do the same.
Here are six other areas where you can take the lead:
Guard your most valuable assets – customers. Instead of resting on your laurels because you’ve already won them, keep and increase their business through CRM programs, product improvements and value-added services.
Find the people who are ready to buy and give them everything they need to purchase. That means detailed online product information and e-commerce, responsive customer service and open, accessible businesses that invite you to buy.
Optimize your budget allocations. This has nothing to do with the size of your budget, but how resourcefully you’re using it. Pick the right media to do the heavy lifting, backed up by supporting media to complete the circle and guide customers.
Protect your core brand. It’s who you are, and having an identity is even more important now when other brands are losing sight of theirs. Keep who you are and what you have to offer at the heart of all you do.
Deliver a value proposition. We’re all scrimping and saving. So pump some value and relevance into your brand.. Cable television isn’t a luxury – it’s an affordable alternative to nightlife and movies. Baking soda is more than a cooking ingredient – it’s an air freshener, cleaner and facial exfoliant. That’s creating value.
Spend more. Or at least consider it. Market share can be gained more quickly and with less effort during a recession. So while your competition is pulling back, you can pull ahead by leaps and bounds.
The reality is, this recession won’t last. But if you play your cards right, what you do during it can.
Marketing girl, here. I know it’s been awhile, but I’ve really been thinking this morning, and it all has to do with American Idol.
Finally! At last, we’re getting to the really good stuff. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like the horrific singing, crazy outfits and group performance drama just as much as any girl. It’s a time-honored tradition of the show. (Can you have a tradition in less than 10 years?)
But this is what I really love. We’re down to the top 12, or in this case, 13. You KNOW that the people still left in the competition can sing. Now they’ll get into the themed nights where they feature an artist or genre, and I don’t even care if it’s a type of music that I don’t like. I’ve come to the conclusion that the music and performances that are really great are the ones infused with passion and energy. That’s why we love live concerts, and I know that’s what draws me to the music I love. It’s the stuff you can feel beyond the words and lyrics. It’s what drew me to Thriving Ivory and Sugarland. It’s what edged my secret boyfriend David Cook over the other David last year.
It’s the passion and energy that gives these American Idols that little extra something to get them to the top. It’s what’s going to win it for one of them. And it’s what everyone in America is envious of. We can say we wish we could sing like that, but my gut tells me that what we really want is to put as much passion and energy into what WE do as these singers do with their performances.
Being at L&S for awhile now, I’ve seen all the workings of passion and energy right here within the walls of this agency. I know that every agency probably says that about itself, and it’s probably true for some of them. But I’m convinced that it’s different here. I’m going to go all cheeseball now, but the passion and energy is what makes the great ideas come to life. It’s what makes us excited about coming to work. It’s what makes us throw the flag when it’s not good enough. It’s what makes us, as our fearless leader Scott would say in the words of Jim Collins, get from good to great.
This passion and energy exists somewhere in everyone’s life. With these13 people from across America, it’s singing. Why in the heck else do you think they added an extra one this year?
The workforce is constantly changing. Today, we represent diversity, in many aspects, and as an agency and we need to ensure that we continually support those around us who offer different perspectives because one-size doesn’t fit all in this expanding world of new clients, new technology and new challenges.
At Lawrence and Schiller, our leadership encourages us to take control over our professional lives. We are asked to step up and to develop our own futures here — if we see a need, find a solution and move it forward. So a few weeks ago, a few of my female colleagues met after work for drinks, dinner and conversation. In addition to the normal gossip of shoes, new restaurants or celebrity-itus, our conversations turned toward work life. How well do we know each other and how can we support each other’s careers within our agency?
An idea was formed and a peer-networking effort has started. This is a way for us with more experience to interact, support and learn from those just beginning marketing careers. On the flip side, we also want to stay connected to issues that matter for young women in today’s fast-paced environment.
This effort may have started as a way to support other female colleagues’ success within this company. But after some initial research on similar efforts in other companies, I’ve found that this type of networking creates an internal reflective process that creates additional benefits for the agency — efficiency, knowledge transfer, collaboration and overall improved communication across disciplines and teams.
Progress is everyone’s business and I’m looking forward to connecting with others in the building. If anyone has great books or topics to help get this launched – please post them here. I’d love to hear your successes in similar efforts.
Quality of Life, Quality of Work and Quality of Operations. The agency has an internal mantra that speaks to a well-balanced life. Being a new employee and wanting to embrace all that is 5280, I have put it to the test this week. My family has been a bit under the weather over the past 10 days. It started with a double ear infection for my 5-month old son and now my 22-month old daughter has Influenza B. My husband Clint and I have used excessive volumes of sanitizing wipes and hand gel to keep the germs at bay. This is also the week that I have started back on my quest to be more fit by running on our treadmill in the basement of our house. Reading this, you may be thinking – what is she doing? Is she crazy? Working, family, treadmills – is all worth it? Yes, and it’s because I love my life and I love my job.
Last week I spent time discussing full circle marketing, and this week it’s about a “full circle” life. The agency is built by the hard work and dedication of a great team, or teams, of people. People who have personal lives that need to be balanced with the work we do each day. Our teams are willing to take on new challenges each day – finding innovative ideas for campaigns, embracing new technology, or submitting revision number 20 for a client. And in return for this dedication, for the hard work, the agency returns the favor in a meaningful way, aka through support of my personal challenges and allowing me to use resources such as remote access
I’ll continue to have days of sick kids or struggle with finding time to work out, but in the end, I know that I’m supported in all that I do, work-related or not, because of the people I interact with each day. This passion, our shared motivation, makes it easy for me to enjoy my life at L&S. Even though I have personal commitments, I am also committed to my team, which includes our many clients.
