Why is there so much WHITE SPACE

Revered by both film critics and businesspeople alike, the 1992 movie Glengarry Glen Ross is a darkly comic film depicting two days in the lives of four underachieving real estate agents. Unhappy with the agents’ close rates, the owners of the real estate firm bring in Blake, a ruthless executive played by Alec Baldwin, to motivate the agents to close more deals. Blake’s single-minded sales approach becomes readily apparent when he quickly unleashes a torrent of verbal abuse on the agents, angrily pointing out that their one and only goal is “A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing.”

Interpersonal communications aside, I can appreciate the fact that Blake was trying to bring focus to the agents. For me, I view Corporate America largely through the prism of public relations. This is my focus and in this capacity, I am often called upon to work with businesses to build rapport among employees, customers, investors, or the general public. After consultation, my recommendation is almost always a slight variation of Blake’s mantra: “A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-communicating. Always be communicating!”

Repetitive and persuasive communication with target audiences is a widely understood concept but one that can be difficult to implement. Businesses know they need to communicate but they sometimes struggle with the message, frequency, or mode. And if left unaddressed for an extended period, this can damage brand and create irrelevance in the mind of key constituencies.

The important thing to keep in mind is that regular communication fosters healthy relationships with your target audiences and healthy relationships nurture greater brand allegiance. There are no shortcuts to successful communications. It takes work and a commitment to see it through but the returns are well worth the investment.

In closing, here are seven tips to help keep you communicating more effectively throughout the year:

1. Develop a planned communications schedule and follow it religiously.
2. Know your message(s).
3. Be a good listener; incorporate target audience feedback in your internal/external communications.
4. Cultivate happy customers who are willing to talk positively about your company, product or services.
5. Establish mutually beneficial relationships with media influencers and maintain regular contact – not just when you need a story placed.
6. Leverage the power of third-party validation.
7. Don’t be a stranger to social media.

Oh, and by the way, I think Blake would agree with me when I say this, “Coffee is for communicators only.”

- Bryan Wyatt

Given the amount of advertising in the world, you’re going to see ads with ideas and concepts repeated over and over again. It probably doesn’t matter much to the consumer. The words “sale” and “special” never seem to lose their effectiveness. As much as writers and designers try to be fresh and original, it’s a challenge, even among the world’s best agencies. And sites like this prove the point.

—Scott

I’m going to miss the Olympics – at least for a little while. Although part of me is happy to get back to my regularly scheduled programming and give my poor TiVo a rest after a crazy 17 days. What a great Winter Games – despite some of the warmest temps on record and having to truck/fly the snow in! The US scores more medals than any country has in the history of the Games. And Canada wins the most gold medals ever with 14… Congrats to the host nation!

Here are some of my favorite moments from the Winter Games.

1. Seth Wescott – USA, Gold Medal in the Men’s Snowboard Cross. After watching his dismal performances in the qualifying rounds, I really didn’t think he had a chance. But true to form, Seth put the pedal to the metal and successfully defended Gold!
2. Shaun White – USA, Gold Medal in Men’s Halfpipe. Nothing like knowing you’ve won the Gold before you even make your second run. And what a victory lap it was – scoring even higher than the first! That kid never ceases to amaze me.
3. Lindsey Vonn – USA, Gold Medal in Women’s Downhill. No one made me more emotional during these games then Lindsey. I’m not sure if it was her complete break down after her win or what but I sobbed too!
4. Bode Miller – USA, Gold Medal in Men’s Super Combined. After years of watching Bode fail to win the Gold, it was so great to see the smile on his face standing atop the podium. Finally!
5. USA Men’s Bobsled Team – Gold Medal in the 4-Man. It took 62 years, but they finally did it. Steve Holcomb and company ended the US drought in the 4-Man Bobsled.
6. Evan Lysacek – USA, Gold Medal in Men’s Figure Skating. I’ve never been a big fan of figure skating so I didn’t watch much of it. When I heard Lysacek beat Plushenko, I was shocked and amazed and happy someone finally took down the controversial Russian.
7. Joannie Rochette – Canada, Bronze Medal in Women’s Figure Skating. With the most emotional performance in the Olympics, Joannie skated to Bronze just days after her mother passed away. How she had the courage to do that, I’ll never know…
8. USA Men’s Nordic Combined – Lead by Johnny Spillane, the Nordic Combined team lead the charge – winning more medals than in any other winter games in history!
9. Aksel Lund Svindal – Norway, Gold Medal in Men’s Downhill. After a horrific crash a few years ago at a race in Beaver Creek, it was inspiring to see Aksel come back to win Gold in the Men’s Downhill.
10. USA Men’s Hockey – Silver Medal. I don’t think I’ve ever been so engrossed in a hockey game in my life. And while it was disappointing USA didn’t win Gold, congratulations to Canada. What a win for the host nation! And kudos to Ryan Miller who was voted MVP of the tournament despite the loss on Sunday.

See you in 2014 in Sochi Russia! (Ok, not literally… I don’t think I’ll be making the trek!)

~Stacy

So to play off Nikki’s previous post about the likelihood of things… I am marveling at the growth and resonance of the MaineLine coalition in our state’s business community. What are the odds that a state that is almost as far away from Haiti as you can get in the US — and with one of the smallest populations — would be able to make a real difference? What are the odds that businesses across all industries and sizes would be interested in joining the coalition?

There have been so many amazing things that have started to happen, that I can’t help but stand back and feel grateful. And while MaineLine hasn’t yet started to make an impact in Haiti, the fact that I know it is coming and could prove to be a model for other states to follow, is one of the most satisfying feelings on the planet.

If you are a business that has customers or suppliers in Maine or is headquartered here, I encourage you to consider joining the coalition. Large or small, retail or industrial, if we all come together, we will not only be able to pool together some tremendous resources, but our collective involvement and brand recognition will keep the media attention and the funds flowing from the public as well. Maine has so much to offer Haiti. Even small pledges of support, when pooled together, will make a tremendous difference.

From our vast natural resources to our creative economy, there is no limit to what we can achieve by bringing all these minds and contributions together. Retailers and restaurants could contribute a percentage of sales from a particular month or special product. The timber industry could contribute raw materials for rebuilding houses. Consulting firms of all types can lend expertise and financial support. Employees at companies could come together and raise support. The options are endless and bound only by our creativity and long-respected Yankee work ethic. Learn more and get involved today!

– Kim Stiver

CD&M embarked yesterday on a Healthy Maine Partnerships road tour. Our first stop: Presque Isle. We would leave Portland at 6:30AM, meet in Freeport, one stop for coffee, two stops for a bathroom break and we would be to Presque Isle in no time. Well, 6 hours according to Bob (our boss). Sounds easy, right? Well the journey proved to be a series of “Did you know’s” and “What are the odd’s?” To paint the picture, there are five of us traveling in a mini-van – Karen Barlow (Account Executive), Krista Nordgren (PR), Judy Kelsh (Account Executive), Bob Cott (Supervisor), and myself.

Let’s note that Judy is 34 weeks pregnant (close to full-term), Krista is not an earlier riser and packed her own pillow, Bob’s suitcase was 1/8 the size of all of ours, and Karen’s car was just detailed because of the amount of dog hair in her car. Which, despite her efforts within the first two minutes Bob, who has a strong sense of smell, complained about.

And we’re off…..

When Karen asked if anyone brought the GPS. Bob said, “Why? Just go straight.” And so we do.

In the car ride, many conversations would begin, like…

Did you know that Judy’s dog, Baxter, is named after Baxter State Park where they don’t even allow dogs?

Did you know that the song “Anything For You” by Gloria Estefan was on when Karen and her high school boyfriend broke up. And that her class song was “Little Red Corvette by Prince.

Did you know that Bob doesn’t have a uvula (the punching bag in the back of your throat). Apparently when he had is tonsils removed, the doctors accidentally cut it out. Oh, and he can fall asleep in any transportation.

Did you know that Krista has a major crush on an Olympian? (See last post)

Then came our conversation about how dangerous roller coasters were. I disagreed. I said you had a better chance of dying in a plane crash – so naturally, all of us on our iPhones searched it. This sparked a series of random discussions about the odds of things happening. If you wondered, here are the odds:

Odds of bowling a 300 game: 11,500 to 1

Odds of getting a hole in one: 5,000 to 1

Odds of getting canonized: 20,000,000 to 1

Odds of being an astronaut: 13,200,000 to 1

Odds of winning an Olympic medal: 662,000 to 1

Odds of an American speaking Cherokee: 15,000 to 1

Odds that a person between the age of 18 and 29 does NOT read a newspaper regularly: 3 to 1

Odds that an American adult does not want to live to age 120 under any circumstances: 3 to 2

Odds of injury from fireworks: 19,556 to 1

Odds of injury from shaving: 6,585 to 1

Odds of injury from using a chain saw: 4,464 to 1

Odds of injury from mowing the lawn: 3,623 to 1

Odds of fatally slipping in bath or shower: 2,232 to 1

Odds of drowning in a bathtub: 685,000 to 1

Odds of being killed on a 5-mile bus trip: 500,000,000 to 1

Odds of being killed sometime in the next year in any sort of transportation accident: 77 to 1

Odds of being killed in any sort of non-transportation accident: 69 to 1

Odds of being struck by lightning: 576,000 to 1

Odds of being killed by lightning: 2,320,000 to 1

Odds of being murdered: 18,000 to 1

Odds of getting away with murder: 2 to 1

Odds of being the victim of serious crime in your lifetime: 20 to 1

Odds of dating a supermodel: 88,000 to 1

Odds of being considered possessed by Satan: 7,000 to 1

Odds that a first marriage will survive without separation or divorce for 15 years: 1.3 to 1

Odds that a celebrity marriage will last a lifetime: 3 to 1

Odds of getting hemorrhoids: 25 to 1

Odds of being born a twin in North America: 90 to 1

Odds of being on plane with a drunken pilot: 117 to 1

Odds of winning a straight up on a single number in online roulette: 37 to 1

Odds of being audited by the IRS: 175 to 1

Odds of having your identity stolen: 200 to 1

Odds of dating a millionaire: 215 to 1

Odds of dating a supermodel: 88,000 to 1

Odds of writing a New York Times best seller: 220 to 1

Odds of finding out your child is a genius: 250 to 1

Odds of catching a ball at a major league ballgame: 563 to 1

Odds of becoming a pro athlete: 22,000 to 1

Odds of finding a four-leaf clover on first try: 10,000 to 1

Odds of a person in the military winning the Medal of Honor: 11,000 to 1

Odds of winning an Academy Award: 11,500 to 1

Odds of striking it rich on Antiques Roadshow: 60,000 to 1

Odds of getting a royal flush in poker on first five cards dealt: 649,740 to 1

Odds of spotting a UFO today: 3,000,000 to 1

Odds of becoming president: 10,000,000 to 1

Odds of winning the California lottery: 13,000,000 to 1

Odds of becoming a saint: 20,000,000 to 1

Odds of a meteor landing on your house: 182,138,880,000,000 to 1

Chance of an American home having at least one container of ice cream in the freezer: 9 in 10.

Chance of dying from any kind of injury during the next year: 1 in 1,820

Chance of dying from intentional self-harm: 1 in 9,380

Chance of dying from an assault: 1 in 16,421

Chance of dying from a car accident: 1 in 18,585

Chance of dying from any kind of fall: 1 in 20,666

Chance of dying from accidental drowning: 1 in 79,065

Chance of dying from exposure to smoke, fire, and flames: 1 in 81,524

Chance of dying in an explosion: 1 in 107,787

Chance that Earth will experience a catastrophic collision with an asteroid in the next 100 years: 1 in 5,000

Chance of dying in such a collision: 1 in 20,000

Chance of dying from exposure to forces of nature (heat, cold, lightning, earthquake, flood): 1 in 225,107

Chance of dying in an airplane accident: 1 in 354,319

Chance of dying from choking on food: 1 in 370,035

Chance of dying in a terrorist attack while visiting a foreign country: 1 in 650,000

Chance of dying in a fireworks accident: 1 in 1,000,000

Chance of dying from overexertion, travel or privation: 1 in 1,428,377

Chance of dying from food poisoning: 1 in 3,000,000

Chance of dying from legal execution: 1 in 3,441,325

Chance of dying from contact with hot tap water: 1 in 5,005,564

Chance of dying from parts falling off an airplane: 1 in 10,000,000

Chance of dying from ignition or melting of nightwear: 1 in 30,589,556

Chance of dying from being bitten by a dog: 1 in 700,000

Chance of dying from contact with a venomous animal or plant: 1 in 3,441,325

Chance of dying from being bitten or struck by mammals (other than dogs or humans): 1 in 4,235,477

Chance of winning a bingo game where 100 players manage four cards each: 1 in 100

Chance of dying from a mountain lion attack in California: 1 in 32,000,000

Chance of dying from a shark attack: 1 in 300,000,000

Chance of having a stroke: 1 in 6

Chance of dying from heart disease: 1 in 3

Chance of getting arthritis: 1 in 7

Chance of suffering from asthma or allergy diseases: 1 in 6

Chance of getting the flu this year: 1 in 10

Chance of contracting the human version of mad cow disease: 1 in 40,000,000

Chance of dying from SARS in the United States: 1 in 100,000,000

I think the best ODD of the day was:

Your odds of getting to Presque Isle by going straight on 95: 0 in 1

You’ve got it. Anyone traveling north, make sure you take the second to last exit, or you’ll end up in Canada! Little did we know our trip would be extended slightly. With no U-turns available we wound up at border crossing. The Canadian border patrol thought we were a bunch of clowns and laughed at us saying: “It’s fine with me, but good luck getting back into your own country. You are the ones that made the passport rules.”

Judy and I were frantically trying to snap photos because we wanted to document it. We were all doubled over laughing. Who would do this? Only us. Only us with Bob!

We did as the border patrol directed and headed back for the USA. As we approached our border patrol Judy and I were still snapping photos. As we reached our patrol he asked us to provide him with all of our license and passports – UMMM… small problem. We didn’t expect to be going to Canada so none of us had a passport. While I’m still snapping photos, the border patrols specifically looks at Judy and I and says, “Have you taken any photos?”

Our answer, as innocently as we could: “No.”

After running our ID’s through the computer we were finally on our way to Presque Isle. It was certainly an adventure! And we’ve got photos to prove it.

(Oh, and it doesn’t take 6 hours to get to Presque Isle. Even with the Canadian detour it took just under 5 hours.)