Ramblings of a Muse

I am someone who has been in the marketing and communications industry for a while. My style is documentary, digital and interactive content mixed in with a little FB / T / #Hash / WP. Welcome.

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Bon Bon Bon Musings

Funny, sometimes you need a kick in the pants.

For quite a bit, I have been memorized by the refresh of downtown Detroit. So much so that I’ve dedicated many weekends and evenings trekking downtown for events and journeying to new sites to see. Well, and frankly, in the midst of my journeys I’ve found old gems hiding in plain sight as well.

What does this have to do with anything, really?

The answer is that even a seasoned Muse needs to be inspired into action at times.

I had lost my glow. I really had. Moving from a creative agency that did big projects for big global companies to the corporate world in a role managing MARCOM. A little yawning but on the side I still kept up with cutting edge campaigns, industry news and quietly searched for clever marketing that would help me find my zen place once again.

All of this preamble to celebrate that a tiny little chocolate may have just done the trick.

Enter Bon Bon Bon. 

Tucked away in a micro-shop outside of Detroit, located in Hamtramck, Michigan, Bon Bon Bon has emerged as a tasty little chocolate ninja that has this Muse reeling. 

After a short line, selection of my happy nuggets and awesome convo, the ride home felt like forever. I held this tiny package in my hands with an amazing wonderment - I mean look at the layers of brand messaging - reinforcing that yes, you will enjoy this nonconforming deliciousness like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

The box is actually corrugated packing material with nothing on it but cardboard. Well, that’s just the beginning. Bon Bon Bon chocolates are spunky and communicate their quirky personality with stickers and packing tape, speaking a message of moxie for those who take a moment to read further.

The specialty packing tape warns us all of possible disappointment! If we are envisioning fancy ribbons, shiny packaging, ruffled paper cups or crazy animal shapes, we will not find them here. Instead, Bon Bon Bon reinforces their brand over and again, from the ruff edged box to the words set forth - it is really this simple - “we believe that good people deserve good chocolate”.

A product of Detroit bracelet wraps it all tight with a statement to the side that offers a human perspective on why they take so much time and effort with their chocolates. Genius brand extension.

Just when you thought you had experienced the best on the outside, Bon Bon Bon takes it a step further with cool stamps, tape and tiny Bon boxes, enclosing your happy place one bite at a time.

This is a happy Bon, tucked away, waiting to impress with a final cut of the branded tape. How clever indeed.

Finally it is revealed. A tiny Bon appears as you cut through the final layer of tape. This nugget of happy has brought our brand journey full circle with the interior box stamping and unique shape that unfolds right before your eyes.

All of this, the entire ride, has awakened this Muse once again. A tiny little chocolate and the brand journey that enveloped it every so precisely has shaken me awake to the whimsical state that Detroit has cultivated.

This town has spent years revitalizing itself, laying fertile ground to quirky new businesses and ideas that truly have an edge. I’m outright giddy with enthusiasm that I’m located in this space, at this point in time, able to explore even deeper down the rabbit hole, finding more of this magic in Detroit and beyond.

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Bon Bon Bon website  |  facebook  |  explore it!

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Reciprocal Liking - Stop the Ask

Today someone in my network liked a page for another individual in my network.

Then promptly asked, publicly, for a "reciprocal like".

The nuances and etiquette of social media. What a long conversation we could have through a vast landscape.

However, a quick nugget for today ~ folks select and "like" pages based on a complex internal preference system. Liking the page is personal or at least was prompted by a personal spark, an inspiration of some kind from that person.

Requesting someone "like" your page because you've liked theirs, well, that's stepping on the endearing factor of your brand - minimizing the likeability of your page into an ask.

Similar to the difference between a solicitation email and someone stumbling upon your brand and falling in love.

Stop the ask.

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Perspective

I've always used a hamburger to illustrate perspective.

Yes, a hamburger.

What just came to your mind as you read the word hamburger? The golden arches? A gourmet stuffed burger with shoestring fries from your favorite upscale restaurant? Something from your personal grill at home?

As you can see, this answer is so very unique to each person. And, it's only a hamburger!

So what I find even more interesting is how people differ from each other from a perspective point of view.

For example, when I write on my Linked In that I'm very effective, calm, cool and collected in a high stress, high change environment - I'm sure those who read it step back and envision in their minds what that means to them. High stress, to one person, may mean the time they forgot their wallet on a blind date. Another may remember the time they had to pull a kitten out of a burning building.

The definition seems to change depending on who's reading it and, more importantly, relating to it.

Why does any of this matter?

Because I think quite often those with low expectations or lack of experience use words to puff up their goods to create a buzz or impact that may not have been earned just yet. Their definition of high change environment may not fit at all with the culture of your company.

And on the flip-side, those who are pretty amazing often seem ordinary or have a lack of self-promoting that, at first, may confuse you. Yet as you dig deep you realize, there's a master among us.

All of this to paint the picture...

Perspective is important. Ask the deeper questions and listen carefully to the answers.

As a PS: have you ever heard a true guru refer to themselves as a guru?

Suppose my next post will be on humility!

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This is my favorite TED 2012 thus far this week.

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Hey trust me, I'm the first to question if QR has much of a shelf-life left. However, some marketers simply won't give up, pushing QR into the spotlight. This is an interesting look at real-life coolness using QR.

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I enjoyed this article by Alex Knapp. And although all of the items are very insightful, the last one is pretty darn important. Failing to learn from the mistakes made in initiatives, campaigns and fixes is a huge oversight.

If you consider what fuels innovation and transformational thinking, it all begins with the solving of a problem or challenge. Glazing over the fact that challenges and failures do exist will never get to the heart of what could be the next leap in evolution.

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Zen Marketers - My Muse Thought-trail

So, the other day as I was driving in our local downtown district, chewing on a ganache caramel (yes, it was bliss) and considering the attention I paid to every single morsel of that thing, I began to realize something. Every layer of flavor was simply melting on my tongue - so much so, that I may visit Fralia's once again to buy a handful! And it was then that I had an epiphany. Marketing Creatives (who are truly creative, not simply persuasive) already practice the art of Zen. In fact, dare I say, we are somewhat wired to be enlightened through our senses (do we have any?) thus our natural state of mind mirrors key elements of Zen practice.

The foundation of that practice is to be exceptionally present in the moment, so much so that you notice subtle opportunities, distinct environmental shifts (smells, coloring, the puff of the clouds, the hum of the city) and figure out how to be in that environment with purpose. Creatives who design, write or lend strategic vision to Marketing initiatives take such a unique approach to seeing what's in front of them and even more, how to make it all work to end up with a lovely piece of art.

Next time you pick up a mag or look at a website, investigate it with great purpose. Look and see if you can figure out what the Marketing Creatives may have been thinking as they placed a swoosh, splash of color or word for emphasis. You'll begin to truly see as a Creative if you dive deep.

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I enjoy this blog quite a bit as my dedication to strength-based leadership and instilling the principles associated with great personal discipline, reliability to self and empowerment.

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This TechCrunch read got me thinking about a quick FB status I posted about a year ago saying something like --- I'm in [random coffee shop] and everyone is pulling out their laptops while I cruise my FB / email / etc on my phone.

Now, I'd alter that a bit to say ...my iPad.

It is so true that tablets have changed the way we all experience the virtual office and home away from PC. My poor laptop is so neglected, it is developing a complex.

I'm curious: Do you still use a laptop and why?

As a caveat, I do have a laptop at work and enjoy working on it. Probably wouldn't trade it in for a tablet [yet] as I often have mega files open and editing graphics, text, etc while responding to email. And, let's be honest, tablets can be a pain to type FAST on when you are assembling a book, a blog post or a long text email.

But, away from that, I tablet.

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This is a totally outdated, clunky website BUT it asks nothing of you and presto, after filling out one tiny little bit of info, it provides you with your first tweets.

How fab.

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I am smitten. Just outright in love. Sometimes a campaign is so well organized, thought-out, assembled and implemented, it simply captures the heart. Nike always seems to get us, don't they?

Now, the Life is a Sport [Make it Count] initiative is king. What are your thoughts? Has Nike hit it once again?

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Public: http://bit.ly/xuibpj

Behind the Scenes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZzmHt3dj7w

A Window In: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C28vPth3Xio

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Innovative advertising technique ~ talk about engaging the audience and, even more, being of great value in the process. Kudos.

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Musings: Focus

You cannot do it all. As a company or even as a person. Something always has to give.

If you cannot explain in a concise way who you are, then there's trouble brewing.

The flipside is yes, there's always that hidden compartment in your purse of goods right? Where you store all sorts of odds and ends about yourself or your company. There's always MORE to show and tell.

But that's when you've already captured the interest of clients or employers.

Moral of the story?

Top three / top five.

Top three things that differentiate you from the rest - what sets you apart?

Top five things that are expert level abilities - could do them in your sleep, plan them out perfectly, consistently and implement them with ease.

The rest is yet to come.

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There's a method to this Social Media madness. It is important, at the very least, for each of us to realize how the Facebooks and Twitters capitalize on our content. Of course, then there's the social profiling and data mining - but that's for another day.

Is it wrong? Not sure if that's the argument, rather, just be informed.

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This is a cool little gadget for the iPhone that takes 360 degree photos. Want!

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MS codes look prettier ~ does this matter? Which one would you choose?

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Social Media | cost and estimates on return