Posts Tagged ‘sioux falls’
Box Scores: Nov. 2-8 – “Customer Service, SEO & Freaks and Geeks”
Nothing helps you enjoy a week like great weather. Fortunately, we’ve been having some unseasonably wonderful weather here in good ol’ Sioux Falls, South Dakota, so the Deep Bench crew is in fine spirits on this fine Monday morning. Hopefully you’re in fine spirits as well, but whether you are or you aren’t excited about the new week, we’ve got good news: Box Scores are in. So read up and learn from some of the best posts that the blogosphere had to offer last week.
-“Stop asking the wrong blogging questions”
First up is a great post from Mack Collier regarding superpowers and how you can give them to your readers with your blog. Mack tells us to consider this question: “What will a reader gain from having visited your blog?” rather than “What can my readers do for me?” His advice is sound, so read the post for the full details. Then start putting the insight to good use.
-“6 Cheap Tips For Better Customer Service”
David Spinks is producing some consistently stellar content over at The Spinks Blog, and this post on improving your customer service is no different. Tips like “Don’t get mad at people for wanting help” and “Check up on your customer once in awhile” seem simple, but David’s easy-to-relate-to explanations make this post easy to pass along to anyone, whether it’s to your lone customer service rep or to the head of your entire customer service department. So…probably do that. After you read it, obviously.
-“4 Ways To Build Relationships With Web Content”
Stepping in and rocking a guest post on the PR-Squared blog is no easy task, but Shannon Paul brings some great insight to this post on using web content to build relationships. From the interesting examples leading up to the meat of the post (like awesome, though barely known, musician Nick Drake and doomed-by-its-own-brilliance TV show “Freaks and Geeks”) to the actual helpful tips like outbound links and guest posting, this one is worth the read.
-“25 Link Building Tactics to Improve Blog Search Engine Rankings”
This post is pretty much exactly what it says it is, and that’s a good thing. Lee Odden brings his expertise in the SEO realm to help folks improve their blog search engine rankings. Even just half of these tips would be helpful to just about anybody with a blog. If that includes you, check them out, learn from them, and put them to good use.
Plenty of posts have been written on the “who owns social media within the agency” question, but this Amber Naslund breakdown is one of the best we’ve come across on the subject so far. SPOILER ALERT: Amber thinks social media is an organization-wide effort. Now, if you really want to understand why she thinks that (trust us, you do), check out her full post and do some learnin’ while the learnin’s good. You’ll be glad you did.
Rain or shine, Deep Bench Box Scores will (almost) always be ready on Monday mornings. This week we were fortunate enough for it to be shine. But even if the weather isn’t spectacular where you are, hopefully these great posts from some brilliant minds managed to brighten up your Monday. Let us know what you thought (or if we left out any great posts) by leaving us a comment below or filling us in on our Facebook page. Oh, and if you want to make sure you never miss another set of Box Scores (or any of our other posts), you can subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking here.
Photo (“Nice Weather”) c/o Rachel Amarette. Thanks Rachel!
Box Scores: Oct. 5-11 – “October Snow, Carp & Verizon’s Revenge”
It’s Monday, October 12th, and if you live in normal places, it’s probably brisk autumn day. If you, like us here at Deep Bench, live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, there’s snow on the ground. But just like the trusty mailman, we’re here to deliver Box Scores so you can start your week off right. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, nothing would keep our beloved Box Scores from you. So, read up, learn a bit, and tell us what you think the comments below.
-“Are you Seeking Value, or Waiting for it?”
Kicking off Box Scores this week is David Spinks. David compares many of the people in the social media industry to…a bunch of carp. And manages to make perfect sense while doing so. Read up, and do your best not to be one of the carp in this industry (or life in general).
Julien Smith reminds us that it’s easy to see other people’s success as luck rather than hard work. Then he reminds us that successful people faced the same obstacles most of us face today. They just overcame them. Will you overcome your obstacles?
-“Enough With the Social Media Guru Attacks”
There seems to be a consistent amount of talk in the social media realm regarding the “posers” of social media who call themselves “experts” or “gurus.” Lots of people can’t stand that. And then there are some people who are tired of people getting upset and worked up over the people who call themselves “experts” and “gurus.” Jason Falls brings up some good points in this post (although one of the embedded videos has a bit of NSFW content). Either way, his point of “do good work and stop worrying” is worthwhile advice.
-“Storytelling: Actionable Insight from Analytics”
Julie from Top Rank’s Online Marketing Blog shares a recap of the MIMA Summit breakout session “Storytelling: Actionable Insight from Analytics.” As she puts it, “The need to better understand the value and application of web analytics data as well as social media measurement is critical for companies that want to compete online.” We agree. Read her post to see more insight and thoughts on the matter.
-“Verizon to iPhone Users: ‘Want Five Times More 3G Coverage? There’s a Map for That.’”
While we at Deep Bench don’t typically think anti-competitor ads are the most effective way to promote your company, this Verizon ad manages to do just that in a clever way. Living in iPhone-less South Dakota, this spot brought a vengeful smile to our faces. What do you think of the ad?
-“Culture Shock: Defining Moments in an Agency’s History”
Bottom line: this Advertising Age post from Phil Johnson is worth a read. The post’s subtitle reads “It’s Not What Your Office Looks Like; It’s What’s Inside That Counts,” and Phil does a great job of explaining, from personal experience, how true this is.
This week’s Box Scores brought a solid variety to the table. From fish to social media gurus, iPhone mockery to the excitement of analytics, we offered up quite a mix. What do you think? Did any (or all) of the Box Scores posts rock your face off? Were there any posts from the blogosphere you felt should’ve been included that weren’t? Let us know in the comments below or tell us on our Facebook page.
Photo by katmere.
Do you find solutions (or just complain about problems)?
I used to live in College Station, Texas. I now live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Consequently, I don’t often run into old friends up here in Sioux Falls. So when my friend from College Station said his roommate’s band was playing in Sioux Falls and he was going to travel up with them, my excitement grew.
As a result, I ended up at Nutty’s North on Wednesday night to hang out with my long-lost friend and hear his roommate’s band (Flawless Escape…which was awesome) and a more nationally-renowned band called Flyleaf (which also rocked).
And then I realized something. I’m a hypocrite.
I often find myself complaining that I don’t particularly feel like there’s a “lot of stuff to do” in Sioux Falls. That, after having lived in larger “college towns,” the Sioux Falls landscape isn’t really aimed at engaging the 18-24 year old demographic in which I currently fall. That I wish I were in a city like Minneapolis or another place full of ways to have fun.
Here’s the hypocrisy: I’m not trying to change things. I’m not trying to make a difference. I’m simply complaining about a situation I’m fully capable of changing/adjusting. It’s just easier not to.
How often do we as marketing and social media strategists fall into that trap? How often do we complain that “We could do that campaign so much better!” or ask ourselves “What were they thinking when they made that ad?”
But do we follow that up by going out and changing things? Do we ever step up and say, “Their campaign is awful…let’s show them how we can do it better!”?
Because, until we’ve done that, we’re all just being hypocrites.
I mentioned earlier that I went to a concert Wednesday night. I’ll openly admit that I would have NEVER gone to the show if my buddy wouldn’t have been in town. But, while I may complain about a “lack of ways to have fun,” it’s obvious that this city has plenty of opportunities to provide for a fun night. It’s just a matter of whether I choose to whine about the limitations or choose to take advantage of (or create) those opportunities.
Learn from my mistake. Don’t be a hypocrite. Come up with solutions rather than complaints. That’s when change happens. That’s when we up the ante and transform the industry in a positive way.
And that freakin’ rocks.
How about you? Have you seen opportunities to improve (rather than complain) and then taken advantage of those opportunities? Have you done something fun lately that you had never done before and care to recommend it? Disagree with the post entirely? Let us know by leaving us a comment below, hitting us up on Twitter, or dropping us a line on our Facebook fan page.
-Mike
P.S. – Here’s some video footage from Flawless Escape’s performance at Nutty’s North (straight killing it, fo sho)…
P.P.S. – That sick photo is by Barry Dolton.
Sioux Falls: A Creative Scene Poised for National Success?
Have you ever been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota?
If you haven’t, you’re missing out.
Let me repeat that. If you haven’t been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you’re missing out.
Let’s back this up a bit. In a New York Times story Sunday (July 12, 2009), the Times talked about the thriving creative community of Minneapolis and their efforts to unite a large number of their creative agencies in order to better highlight the creative talent Minneapolis features. Another interesting element to this movement is the fact that they are also going to emphasize this newfound unity in a website called “MinneADpolis, the City of Advertising” (www.minneadpolis.com).
That’s all information you can get from the Times story, so read that when you have a chance. But there’s more to it than just the fact that they’re working together to make things happen…
Minneapolis is tired of being overlooked as a hot spot and hub for the creative marketing, advertising and PR industry. There are numerous worldwide agencies located in Minneapolis producing great work every single day (and plenty of smaller shops creating equally impressive work, locally and nationally). Frankly, many of these agencies feel they are getting glossed over by people assuming the only good creative work comes out of New York, California and Chicago.
Now that’s all fine and good. City pride, pride in local work and agencies, etc. Sure that’s important. But what’s more important is this:
They’re actually DOING something about it.
Keep in mind, this isn’t some happy-go-lucky, “we’re all friends here” realm of rainbows and sunshine. These are all companies who directly compete for local clients as well as national and worldwide clients. Whether it’s the larger firms going for larger clients across the country or the smaller agencies who are aiming high for those same large clients (as well as smaller, local clients), these 27 squads certainly have a reason to ruthlessly fight for every client they can get.
But they also recognize that connecting and working together will do more for their own agencies, their regional advertising and creative community, and the city of Minneapolis as a whole than they can achieve trying to scrap it out as individuals against NYC, Chi-Town, Cali and other major advertising markets.
Will there be problems? Probably. Will there be substantial success in the long run? Most likely. Is the creative community of Minneapolis attempting to do something that could change the game for “smaller” creative communities across the nation?
Yes.
Which brings us back to the beginning.
Sioux Falls is a fantastic place. Not only did CNN rank Sioux Falls as the 45th Best Place to Live and Launch in 2009 (citing that “it costs an estimated 45% less to open a business here than in New York”), but it’s also been named Forbes’ #1 “Best Small Place For Business And Careers”… FIVE years in a row (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009).
More importantly, between the stellar freelance community and strong presence of talented agencies, Sioux Falls is home to some of the most creative minds in this country (not region…country). I know I’m a little biased, but I genuinely believe there is an overwhelming number of extremely talented creative people who could do amazing work for major companies nationwide if given the opportunity. Yes, that was a ton of adjectives. They were all sincere.
So what’s the point? Well, as we in this region know, the Sioux Falls creative community is a competitive community. We want to do the best work for the best people and companies here. We want to do great campaigns for the biggest clients on the eastern side of the state, the western side of the state and everywhere in between.
I just wonder, if we work together a little bit more, whether we could be doing great campaigns for the biggest clients in the country.
Do I think we’ll be forming a “South DakotAD” group tomorrow and have national clients pour in by the dozens? No.
But we here at Deep Bench are willing to get the bus rolling now. Drop us a line if you want to come along for the ride and help us make our great creative community even greater.
After all…I did say that if you haven’t been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, you’re missing out. It’s up to us to make the rest of the world realize how true that is.
What do you think? Does Sioux Falls have a chance to become a national hub of creative work from creative agencies? Are we destined to forever be considered a “smaller market” compared to other major cities? Share your thoughts below in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
Photos by jennlynndesign.
Sioux Falls Business Journal: “What’s in a name…or title?”
The Sioux Falls Business Journal recently featured Deep Bench and fellow Sioux Falls advertising company ADwërks in a story on marketing and advertising businesses that use creative job titles to help differentiate themselves from the typical “agency” titles. As Head Coach Hugh Weber put it, “It makes it clear from the moment they get my business card or read an e-mail that we do things differently than a standard organization.”
To read the full story at the Sioux Falls Business Journal, click here, or read it below.
What’s in a name … or title?
Labels convey unique business approaches
“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Some local professionals put a spin on Shakespeare’s theory of identity. Would a rose with a better name smell even sweeter?
With the variety of titles out there now, LeisureSuits went to the roses themselves to find out if their unique labels sweeten their performance.
Jim Mathis is principal and certified advertologist at Adwerks Inc. Actually, he’s the “world’s only certified advertologist.”
How did he attain such distinction?
“You just make up a name that sounds like fun,” he said. “So the certification process – I joke that it just happened over cocktails.”
But there is a point.
“The big thing is just that we don’t take ourselves too seriously and we’re not afraid to have a little fun with our jobs,” Mathis said.
In the Adwerks office, there’s also a director of legume enumeration (bean counter), congruence coordinator (traffic and projects manager) and ambassador of media logistics (media director), among others.
At Deep Bench Strategies, Hugh Weber is president and head coach.
Rather than hiring standard positions, his advertising company relies on freelancers, Weber said.
“They’re by no means my staff, they’re free agents. So I get to be a bit of a talent scout and cheerleader, but that doesn’t fit on the business card,” he said.
It also sends a message to clients.
“It makes it clear from the moment they get my business card or read an e-mail that we do things differently than a standard organization.”
Also at Deep Bench, the offensive coordinator handles operations and project management, and the special teams coordinator handles creative freelancers.
Evaluate your business game plan for success
Hugh Weber’s guest column advising companies to “evaluate their market landscape and look internally to evaluate return on time invested” is up online at the Sioux Falls Business Journal. Give it a read by clicking here or by reading the full story below.
“Evaluate your business game plan for success”
Have you taken the time recently to evaluate the market landscape in your industry? No matter the industry, technology is lowering barriers to entry and changing the speed of competition.
Have you taken an opportunity to look internally and evaluate the return on invested time for your daily activities? A simple time-management review can have a substantial impact on a company’s bottom line.
Have you considered sitting down for a thorough review of your marketing strategy to determine a clear return on those invested dollars? I’m not talking a change of brand or a revised Web presence. I’m referring to a holistic evaluation of the way you spend your advertising budget. Whether you spend $400 or $40,000 per month, you should have a sense of what type of return you are receiving on that investment, and whether it could be spent more efficiently or effectively elsewhere.
If you’ve said “no” to any or all of the questions above, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, you can assume that your competitors may be a step ahead of you.
It would seem an absolute certainty that there are things you don’t know about your business. These blind spots may be in your marketing plan, internal communications strategy or, even worse, in the area of consumer experience. The unfortunate reality of the situation is that what you don’t know is costing you.
Perhaps it is just costing you time, but it’s even more likely that what you don’t know is costing you money.
Wasteful spending and poor strategic choices can be even more costly than simple dollars and cents. It’s even possible that what you don’t know is costing you customers and revenue. To defend against these costs, I suggest a detailed, three-step process.
First, analyze your playing field. Whether you have endless competition or a virtual monopoly, a world of activity circles around you and has a direct impact on your bottom line. This evaluation should be as comprehensive as possible and should set the tone for all of your efforts moving forward.
Next, establish a game plan. Just as you wouldn’t set out for a travel destination without a map or directions, you can’t expect to reach a successful business destination without a series of benchmarks and action goals as well as a clear picture of where you’re headed.
Finally, look for the opportunities to include a little razzle-dazzle. Too often, companies reward those that echo the company line. Instead, this is the opportunity to let your unique products and culture shine through in truly innovative ways.
Weber is president and head coach of Deep Bench
hugh@thedeepbench.com
“Sioux Falls man’s video attracted Ford’s attention”
The Sioux Falls Argus Leader covers Deep Bench’s own Hugh Weber, who was recently named one of 100 Ford “Fiesta Agents.” The Argus’s Jay Kirschenmann covers the story, which you can read below or at the Argus Leader online by clicking here.
“Sioux Falls man’s video attracted Ford’s attention”
A creative video application for an upcoming national promotion won a Sioux Falls marketing company owner free use of a 2011 Ford Fiesta for six months.
It won’t be hard to miss Hugh Weber as he cruises around town: The big guy will be driving the small, bold-magenta-colored car with custom detailing.
Weber, 32, made the application video driving his SUV, wearing a giant sombrero, occasionally stopping to play the maracas and a piñata shaped like a guitar. Ford picked his video from among more than 4,000 entrants looking for a chance to become a part of the carmaker’s “Fiesta Movement.”
Ford is loaning 100 of its 2011 Fiestas for the promotion that leads to the car’s upcoming release.
Weber picks up the 2011 Fiesta May 6 in Denver.
Weber is president – he calls himself head coach – of the Deep Bench, a strategic planning and innovation firm.
“We knew we’d have to be big thinkers to cut through the clutter and get Ford’s attention,” Weber says. “Several people have said our video was their favorite, which is pretty humbling.”
Weber will keep the cameras rolling for the next six months as he travels and documents special “missions” as one of what Ford calls “Fiesta Agents.” See his winning video online at http://tinyurl.com/bnmyq9 or search with key words “Hugh Weber Ford” on YouTube.com. Or, you can just watch the embedded video below.
Or, check out the (hilarious) outtakes here…