I had an interesting conversation this weekend with my cousin about education.  It was really a bit of a debate.  (This is where the people who really know me laugh, because I seem to enjoy debating…)  For brevity, I’ll just say that he argued for experience over formal education and little ms. mba argued the opposite.

The truth is that there are so many ways to learn – formal school programs, community college, trade schools, independent learning, mentors, work experience, and the list goes on and on.  Learning demands a kind of openness that defies ones ego.  I know quite a few popular quotes on education that say learning is also about unlearning things you thought were correct.  To learn, a person has to admit that they don’t know everything – and that openness gets harder and harder as we age because we need to believe that we know what we’re doing.

I have a bit of a learning routine now that I’d like to share with you, my friends, family, and oddly enough my colleagues who actually subscribe to my blog.  I’ve been watching my stats and… weird, but growing. 

• Take a class – I find certificate programs exciting.  I try to take at least one formal class every year.  Georgetown has some great programs for professionals.  I’m thinking about Project Management now…  Already did certificate in web design.  The structure forces accountability.  If you don’t learn anything in a class, it’s your own fault.
• Read smart mags – I have a subscription to The Economist and Harvard Business Review.  I make it a point to read through those every month.  Sometimes I fall short because though I love The Economist, the content can be kinda dense and difficult to get through quickly.  Since my HBR subscription is digital, I print those and keep them with me at work.  While I’m waiting for people to arrive at meetings, I can sneak a page in here and there – and lunch time too.
• Watch Podcasts - There are so many and you can not only learn but listen to things that inspire you to dig deeper into your craft, and even discover new passions.  I have all sorts of podcasts from language lessons to Ted.com which I believe is one of the most inspirational sites I’ve ever seen.
• Watch Documentaries - Though movies can be biased by the director/producer’s position, they can be very informative.  I watch documentaries on everything from birth to business.  (Not that I have any interest in birth…)
• Talk to Smart People - I think very carefully about the people in my circle.  I want them to be thoughtful, smart, and intellectually curious.  Surrounding yourself with thinkers is one of the smartest ways to get better, faster.  I’ve found my friends’ intellectual pursuits to be a source of motivation for me to keep sharpening the saw, and finding my way.

I may seem like I think I have all the answers, but the truth is though I don’t have all the answers, I am constantly  looking.

And I’m not doing that anymore.

If the last five years haven’t proven to you that digital marketing (communications, media, etc…) is important, well I’m just not sure that reading my blog is going to be that convincing push you need.

Today, Feb. 23, 2010 I am shifting my focus. I am putting my energy into seeking out other people and organizations who believe to create an impact. I want to work with businesses who have a brand worth believing in to get them an audience of customers that share their values.

If that’s you… reach out. me@madialogan.com.

The excuse that digital media is new doesn’t work anymore. There are books, case studies, agency experts, and other things that help people understand what it is, and how to interact with it. The lack of planning is lazy and it reminds me of a quote from a book I’m reading now called Start with Why. “They never have time or money to do it right, but they always have the time and money to do it again.” and it’s true. When a large part of the rework required on these types of projects could have been avoided with planning – well there’s some missing accountability there. Why didn’t you anticipate this?

Just because you can make mistakes at a cheaper financial cost doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t get the very best first product as close to right as you can. There are real risks to your brand perception and those risks should make you want to get as close to right the first time as you can.

To borrow from another brand… Walmart, you’ve come a long way baby.

Remember when everyone hated Walmart? It started out as a family run business and then as it grew, it became the evil empire.  There was even talk of a curse when the Waltons tragically lost two family members in one year.  A documentary that detailed the sins of Walmart was very popular and this is when I think the brand people realized there was a real problem here.

So what happened? My theory is that some corporate soul searching went on. Now whether or not soul searching can happen in for-profit corporations may be debatable, but it appears as though the company has made some significant changes to compete and work to improve the quality and perception of the Walmart brand.  Aside from branding, the corporation also faced real business hurdles because of how their brand was perceived.  I found an article from Emory’s Gozuieta School of Business that does a good job of summarizing:

According to several accounts, Wal-Mart is struggling to establish stores in the West and Northeast and in urban areas like Chicago because these areas are more unionized and particularly concerned about the company’s social policies. Wal-Mart has flourished in the Republican red states, but the company is virtually blocked out of expanding into Democratic blue states.

In 2009 the low cost retailer was ranked in the top two Fortune 500 companies and number 5 for profitability. With numbers like that most companies would have strong corporate giving programs. Philanthropy is a duty to most but always a plus in my book. Most recently, Walmart has contributed over 1 million dollars of aid to Haiti.  Big companies have great potential for good -or- maybe to whom much is given, much is expected…

Walmart is now the largest retailer of organic products.  It’s a volume game and they’ve got great distribution and expertise in supply chain management.  The move to organics is consumer-driven but the brand also benefits.  In addition to their big move into organics, the store is working with suppliers to help them adopt more sustainable business practices and more organic products.  In July of 2009, Walmart announced that they would create a worldwide sustainable product index which would provide consumers with a rating about the sustainability of products the store carries.

I vaguely remember issues about Walmart not paying a living wage, union busting, and discriminating against female employees.  But all of that seems to be like a distant bad dream.  Now, shoppers walk in with their reusable Walmart bags and load up on organic fruit and sustainable products.

Brand strategy or just good business? It’s great when you can do both with the same strategies.

With everything going on with Toyota, I’m wondering will this help American car makers win some market share back from foreign carmakers.  It does get a little grey since foreign cars are manufactured in the U.S.  I’m not speaking from a protectionist stand point.  I just wonder if American car makers are not capitalizing on the opportunities presented them.

Before, American car makers didn’t seem ‘incentivised’ to improve the quality of their product.  It was common knowledge that other cars had higher resale value, less mechanical issues, and overall longer running time.  In the past 3-5 years though it seems that those same car makers have to innovate or risk becoming non-existent brands in the future.

From a strategy perspective I would see an advantage in American car makers doing something to capitalize on the opportunity. Thoughts?

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I never saw Microsoft as the company that would make the iPod.  I never thought of Microsoft as the great innovator.  I am a huge fan of the company but not because I see it as trendy, cool, hip, new stuff, haha we put out a new thing and beat everybody to the punch kind of company.  That’s Apple.  I’m fine with that.

I don’t have an Apple computer.  I have a Gateway with large I’m a PC stickers on it.  I have a Zune music device that complements my $14.99/month membership to Zune Pass, a Microsoft service that let’s me download all the music I want.  I have a Blackberry that I adore and until the case is proven that my productivity will go through the roof, I’m not learning another phone interface.  I am a true Microsoft fan.

I see it differently.  I think that Microsoft has taken on a role that democratizes technology.  They build products and negotiate partnerships to create products that accommodate smaller budgets.

I think Microsoft could stand to bring new products to market faster but the iPad, Kindle, and iPhone don’t make me feel any differently about the Microsoft brand.  I watch fashion shows to see what’s in, but  I wear J.Crew.

I am a marketer, and a pretty serious one.  I am a writer.  I emphasize getting a point across – one on one or in a group.  I am a speaker.  Clearly I like to talk people and I’m pretty good at it.

I am a singer and a songwriter.  I’ve released two albums and am finally back in the studio working on the third.  My albums have digital distribution and can be found online at iTunes, Napster, Amazon, and other marketplaces.  Yeah Madia does music and Madia [a.k.a. logan] does marketing.

I always thought people should pick something, and get good at it.  It wasn’t because I didn’t think people could be good at multiple things.  I did and I do!  I think that when we summarize people in our head, we can only fit one thing.  As people we define other people in a very small box.  I think most mental summaries are a word or two.   Mother.  Musician.  Marketer.  Writer.

We define people by the role we know them to play or the role that is most prominent – and because of that, I conformed to the idea that I have to be one thing now that I’m a grown up and can no longer pass for a college student.  (maybe a grad student…)  People told me I had to pick something.

So I’m coming out to multiple groups that I have worked very hard to keep separate.  Why?

• It’s bound to happen.
• I might as well control the message. (inner marketer)
• If we’re friends you’ll hopefully make my box a lil bigger.
• If we’re not friends, maybe you’ll resist putting others in a box.

If you’re a person of multiple talents, I think letting the walls down is good.  It shows you have multiple strengths and sometimes unique insights as a result of your multiple perspectives.  They told me to pick something… but I’m ignoring that advice.

Remember Michael Porter?  He wrote a couple winners for the Harvard Business Review. Don’t be too hard on the image.  He’s a strategy guy to the core and from the look of it a passionate speaker.

I picked up an old copy of an article he did called Strategy and the Internet.  Some things are dated.  The article was published in March 2001.  It’s astounding that so many things he talked about in the article are still relevant.

“We need to move away from the rhetoric… and see the Internet for what it is: an enabling technology – a powerful set of tools that can be used wisely or unwisely, in almost any industry and as part of any strategy.”

Yes I am the same blogger that talked about being free to experiment yesterday – but the point here is that even if you are testing approaches, you are paying attention to and quantifying the value you hope to gain from your digital marketing.

Porter, also known for developing the 5 forces analysis hits on some other key points that I needed to hear:

• “The most successful dot-coms will focus on creating benefits that customers will pay for, rather than pursuing advertising and click-through revenues from third parties.”  Right on Porter.  We’re all distracted by advertising but for most sites shall not live on ads alone.
• “By creating separate internet strategies instead of integrating the internet into an overall strategy, companies failed to capitalize on their traditional assets…”
• “Virtual activities do not eliminate the need for physical activities, but often amplify their importance.”

Ah sound strategy.  It’s like hearing your parents tell you to do your homework.  You know you should.  You know it’s best and somehow you drag your feet anyway.

I will throw in a plug for Harvard Business Review because… well I like it.  I get it at my f/t for free in the library and I read it all the time.  When I was in business school I signed up for the free online version and still get it so that works too.  They have some new blogs that one could get some value from.  http://hbr.org

I still don’t think business gets it.  Let me be more specific.  I’m not sure that some businesses get the implementation of digital media.  They don’t understand the commitment.  Today I thought of an analogy that made so much sense I had to break my rule of not getting carried away with multiple blog posts in a day.  Since I’ve just enabled comments – this is a big move for me.  To the point.

The wedding and the marriage.

The way a lot of businesses are still interacting with digital media reminds me of the couple all excited about the wedding.  They plan.  They budget the resources to pay vendors, florists, caterers, venues, etc… and after all that, they have their day. After the day – things tend to get a little tough.  Hence the divorce rate.  I always think to myself, maybe instead of the fancy centerpieces they should have sprung for marital counseling or preparation for the journey.

In the same ways people tend to focus on the wedding and not sustaining the marriage, businesses overemphasize their foray into digital media.  Look at us we’re blogging, podcasting and tweeting.  What businesses lack is the core strategy and expectation that they will have to experiment and customize these tools to accomplish the goals they’ve set.  The idea that you’d be able to start a blog and instantly build a following, master the feedback process, and strike chords with every post is not naivete, but a bad expectation to have in the first place.  It is very much like having a marriage and believing that every day is going to be filled with rainbows and sunshine.

I’m sure you could have a big wedding that kicks off a 60 year marriage but if I had to choose I’d pick a smaller wedding and a huge 50 year anniversary party.

Businesses should celebrate their successes in digital media, not their decision to participate.  Manage leadership expectations appropriately and continue to test and perfect your approach to accomplish the goals you created.  In this case – it takes commitment to celebrate.

The Society of Digital Agencies released a well done report on what we can expect in 2010.  The report is clean and well structured.  Up front you get a lot of statistics from companies about how they’re using DM.  The ones I thought were particularly interesting gave insights about digital budgets and technology/platform priorities.  (Yes, Flash is still king.)  For right now we can chalk up the talks about the iPad killing Flash to… well just talk.  The report also goes into how digital strategy is changing.  I love strategy so this was a great read.  The report also gives some good tips on how organizations should be using social media and this could be very useful to you if you’re starting or already own a business and want to get into or improve your interaction with social media.

If you work in DM you should already know about it.  If you don’t but it seems like something you could stand to learn about, then I say go for it.    At least download the report and save it to your useful articles file.  You’re going to want to reference this one plenty.

http://sodaspeaks.ning.com/page/digital-marketing-outlook