Join me on my way to full stache status. This is a random one for sure, but this organization Supporting Kidds is helping children cope with the loss of a parent and all proceeds go their way. We grow mustaches to grow the funds they have to help.
Check out my page to learn more and offer support: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/neildougherty/mustaches-for-kidds-2012
Nowadays, Facebook is taking quite a hit in the media. After an IPO generally viewed as a failure and big business abandoning ship on Facebook’s advertising platforms, you’d be led to believe that the social media giant is destined for the grave. I say that’s total bollocks. And here’s why: because Facebook makes people feel good. And feeling good is rarely in surplus. It’s a commodity that Zucks and his crew will find a way to monetize.
So forget the skepticism and the voyeuristic nature of the Facebook engine. Focus instead on the feel-good things it can do for you. In my case, I don’t get out much because the 3 kids under 2.5 thing is quite a challenge. Recently, we tried to go to the zoo and it lasted 25 minutes. It’s that crazy. On Facebook, I can share the 1 picture I got of my 2.5 year old son at said zoo with my Grandmother. Generations removed, she’s on Facebook. And she loves pictures. Feel-good stuff for sure.
I’ve got plenty of college friends that I don’t see much, if ever. We try to plan meet ups, it doesn’t work, and that’s life. Yet Facebook gives me a glimpse of their lives I can’t get anywhere else. I’m happy when they’re happy, bummed when they’re bummed, and I’ll take a picture of their kids at a park or enjoying an ice cream over a tasteless internet meme any day.
Facebook may be this or may not be that, but I dare say that more of its users associate it with positive interactions than they do with negative interactions. And when you feel good, who knows, you may even go so far as to click on an ad. Or not.
Oh no, not another infographic. Admittedly, I’ve been enjoying my fair share lately. And the one below does a nice job of breaking down global attitudes about creativity in the workplace and in education. The results come from a study commissioned by Adobe that reveals a clear Creativity Gap. While the majority of those polled agree that creativity is key to innovation and economic growth, they also admit they’re not reaching their creative potential. More than 75% of respondents admit creativity is not encouraged in the modern workplace. Check out the study results for yourself here.
Don, Pete, Peggy, Roger. Ah, our favorite days of advertising yore characters are back. This past Sunday saw the return of AMC’s Mad Men to the tube and in our house there was a good bit of anticipation. Then we watched. And watched. And kept watching. Lord, was that a long 2 hours of television. I didn’t expect a 2 hour premiere honestly and I think many would agree they didn’t need it. Like The Sopranos before it, Mad Men has a tendency to amaze fans one week and seemingly pass gas on them the next with a dud of an episode. This season opener sat somewhere in between those extremes. Don continues to redefine mercurial, declaring at one point that he “doesn’t care about work.” Nobody respects Pete – poor guy. Roger is useless and he knows it. So he keeps drinking. And he’s by far the funniest character on the show. I could go on. But that’s what they did…to no real effect. Hey Matt Weiner – keep it at an hour. And bring the original Bobby Draper back. (I’m always amazed by how cavalier television series are about swapping out child actors.)
If you’re new to Mad Men or just need to catch up on the overall plot line, here’s a great synopsis courtesy of The Atlantic Wire: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/03/mad-men-five-minutes/50302/
It’s been awhile since I updated the blog, and for good reason. My wife and I welcomed twin babies Declan Edward and Peyton Mae on February 2, 2012. To say things are hectic is an understatement – finding a minute to add this post was challenging. Parenting twins is definitely something that tests your mettle. Hopefully we’ve got what it takes to navigate this craziness.
I’ve been busy today trying to get up to speed on WordPress, which I have to say I’m enjoying so far. I’m also surprised that the domain neildougherty.com was still available.
Neil Dougherty 
Dear Brands, Please Don’t Tell Me to Hurry Up
12 JunPhoto by Frans Van Heerden on Pexels.com
Not a week goes by that I don’t get at least five emails (from retail brands I generally respect) landing in my inbox with the phrase “Hurry Up!” in the subject line.
Now, I could do a little better at managing unsubscribes to avoid this annoyance altogether.
But as a digital and social marketer across a number of industries, I realize that email marketing is a critical component of any brand’s media mix. It still reigns supreme as the preferred channel for permission-based promotional messages. Which is why I keep an eye on promotional emails for trends in both form and function.
Still, while subject line scientists will point to urgency as one of the keys to a successful email, I don’t need to be told to “Hurry Up!” so bluntly in my inbox. It’s okay to say, “There’s still time,” or some similar and predictable construction. That I can live with. (Or just tell me what percentage off I can get this week.) But there’s always been something grating and inconsiderate about the phrase “Hurry Up!”
As many professionals struggle to slow life down and stay in the present, the last thing anyone needs is a brand demanding we go faster, faster, faster. Sure, we may have conceded the personal nature of the inbox years ago, but we don’t need to get bullied by a brand in it.
So sorry. You won’t be upping your open rate if I have anything to do with it.
Consider a piece on Inc. I recently stumbled across, penned by Minda Zetlin. She lists and recalls a number of TED Talks about taking time off or slowing down your pace, and one in particular where journalist Carl Honore admits he was reading way too fast to his son at bedtime in order to get to something else on his list.
It was a wake-up call for him. And when I read it I thought to myself, “Crap! I’ve been doing the same exact thing. Curious George might not be very good at exercising patience, but he’s never had to move along quite this fast either.”
As the influence of technology and choice compels us to go faster at nearly everything we do, slowing down becomes a battle – and most of the time we’re losing the battle.
Undoubtedly retail brands are facing stiff competition and disruption in every category, making the immediate sale very important. They’re not always in a position to tell their story over time and nurture the customer relationship, for fear they’ll lose the relationship as quickly as they gained it. In a way, their own first-time shopper discounting and free shipping strategies may become their double-edged sword. So they deliver messages relentlessly. And they demand of us.
Here’s hoping the smart ones will ditch the “Hurry Up!” reference in their subject lines and elsewhere.
Note: This blog entry previously appeared on my LinkedIn profile. But I thought I’d share it here on neildougherty.com too!
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