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It’s almost the New Year and, like many bloggers, I find myself taking time to look back on 2011 before looking ahead to 2012. To help you prepare for the year ahead, let me offer a quick list of books, blogs and articles that came across my desk this past year that are worth review:
- I’d humbly offer one of my own blog posts to start the list. Life is but a dream offered inspiration from a children’s song.
- Walter Isaacson’s book about Apple co-founder, chairman and CEO Steve Jobs.
- Inc.’s It’s Cheaper to Keep ‘Em article by Karl Stark and Bill Stewart on customer retention.
- Fast Company’s 30 Second MBA offers some really great advice “from the trenches”. Take a look at Great Inspirations.
- Even if you don’t work for a bank or credit union, any marketer can learn from the insights offered by Jeffry Pilcher’s The Financial Brand.
- Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust.
- Inc.’s Top 5 Most Common Networking Mistakes article by Jeff Haden.
- Onward - How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul by Howard Schultz.
- Ron Shevlin’s Snarketing 2.0 – A Humorous Look at the World of Marketing in the Age of Social Media.
- Inc.’s 10 Zen Ways to Nail Your Next Presentation article by Eric Schurenberg.
- And last, but not least, a few days before Christmas I was gifted a copy of RelationShift – Revolutionary Fundraising by Michael Bassoff and Steve Chandler. The concepts offered have application far beyond fundraising.
I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Welcome to the first business day of the new year. Over the past few weeks any number of sources have been doing their best to help us prepare for 2011 with their predictions for the upcoming year:
Mashable offers up its roundup of predictions for the Web in 2011 here.
Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and administrator of Social Security. offers his predictions about the US economy here.
CNBC’s Mary Thompson offers her predictions for the banking sector in this video.
Forbes offers a few thoughts on individual philanthropy in 2011 in this article.
In addition to predictions, we’ve also had the promise of more data from the 2010 U.S. Census to help us prepare for 2011 and beyond. In December the Bureau released the population count of 308,745,538 along with apportionment totals for the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. The really in depth information, the summary files for the 2010 Census data, will be released “on a flow basis” from April 2011 through September 2013.
In other words, only time will give us a clearer picture of the profile of our nation… and only time will reveal the relative accuracy of these predictions.
For now, the one important insight I carry into the new year is that the shifts and changes within our personal and professional lives will continue to be fast-paced and far-reaching. How we chose to respond to those shifts and changes will be the greatest factor in determining whether or not this year turns out well.
Whatever the new year holds, I’ll do my best to keep exploring the horizon with you. Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011.
As I wrap up business for the holiday, I thought I’d share a quick link to MediaPost’s analysis of the worst marketing nightmares of 2010. Their story points to the BIG mistakes — the ones that can’t be covered up with apologies and media buys — like the Gap’s rebranding decision. YIKES. Thankfully they retreated from this logo quickly and kept their old logo, and learned that their customers actually care!
What can we learn from these blunders? The article essential points to how the agencies responsible for these marketing mishaps were nowhere to be found when trouble hit…and the client was left standing alone. Perhaps that is the thing to keep in mind in 2011…ultimately, you are your own brand champion. If a creative team offers something that doesn’t seem to fit, run – do not walk – to the nearest exit!
That’s it for now. Have a great holiday. I’ll be back on 1/3/2011!
