Last night on the way home I took the long way, in order to stop off at Whole Foods. It was late and dark. And for a while I drove in complete silence. Then I turned the radio on and I happened upon this talk show, don’t laugh… the Dave Ramsey show. You know one of those shows where folks call in with their financial woes and the person on the other end gives you advice.

I have said this before, but I don’t believe in personal debt except for the home you live in and even that needs to be in balance with what you can really afford. I don’t believe you should finance your cars or vacations or toys. Period. If you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money. Well, seems Dave feels the same way about that. But what struck me last night was how very kind he was to the folks calling in. One person called from Chicago who had gotten on a great path to saving (thanks to Dave) and then lost his job that very day. Dave asked what skills he had and he found out he was a master electrician. His advice, get in your car and go to Houston, where they need you. Things will get better for everyone in the spring and perhaps you can see your journey as a great four month adventure. They need you down there. Wow. That just struck me as such a sensitive and right thing to say. “They need you down there.”

So where am I going with all this sentimental rambling? Well, if you hang out around here at all, you know this: Brains on Fire believes and works hard to help companies discover the shared passions between a brand and its customers. We believe great organization create and support movements, not advertising campaigns.

I personally believe we are going to see a movement bubble up in this country to “live better by living within your means”. And it will be without a doubt, one of the most amazing outcomes of our current struggle.

So, who will love and support and add valuable knowledge to those conversations? Could there be a bank, who rethinks everything they do in an effort to support this new way of thinking and living? They have valuable knowledge to share for certain, but do they have the courage and compassion to really put the customer first (like so many claim in their traditional advertising)…and can they make a reasonable and fair profit at the same time?

Maybe it’s some other type of organization that will lead the way? Credit unions or insurance companies, perhaps. But someone should definitely step up the plate to lead and share and guide in my humble opinion. There is a huge opportunity for a brand to gain trust and love and support for leading the charge in a meaningful way.

What do you think?

Stay with me. Running errands at lunch yesterday, I was flipping stations on the good ‘ol FM radio and heard that oldie from Prince back in 1986, “Kiss.” And it got me to thinking.

You don’t have to be rich to my girl.
You don’t have to be cool to rule my world.

What that means to us as marketers: It’s not about “influence.” It’s about passion. As I’ve said before and I’ll say again, influence can be made/taught. Passion can’t. And I know there was a recent big debate about what influence means when it comes to Twitter, so let me give my two cents: Your number of followers doesn’t mean jack. There are tons of people that randomly “follow” you in hopes that you’ll follow them back. They could care less about what you have to say. You are a set of measurable eyeballs to them. That’s it. Rant over.

Ain’t no particular sign I’m more compatible with
I just want your extra time and your…kiss

And that’s what we’re looking for – that compatibility between a brand and a person. Common interests. Shared beliefs. A perfect match.

Ultimately, and the ultimate reward we all seek – is the gift that someone can give us of their precious extra time.

Thanks for the lesson, Prince.

So how does this possibly relate to what we all do on a daily basis? Well, for me it’s a great reminder that while social media is great, there is still a lot out there to be discovered. There’s no doubt that “social media” is the latest buzz phrase and Twitter and Facebook are the belles of the ball right now. And they are great tools. But as they become mainstream, they are becoming just another channel to push messages through…and the noise is increasing. Yes, there are some shining stars (no pun intended) when it comes to companies using these tools to have a conversation, but the vast majority of the companies using the social media platforms are still just pushing information. Not conversing.

My point is that there’s a big ‘ol universe out there when it comes to marketing. A lot of it hasn’t been discovered yet. And it’s a reminder that Twitter and Facebook and YouTube and all the rest of it, well, it isn’t the center of the universe. These are great online tools. But that’s all they are: tools. How are you using these tools to support real-world conversations? Real-world face-to-face interactions? Because that’s where the real traction happens. And that’s where those new universes will be discovered.

GQ.com started a daily video series eleven days ago giving practical and not so practical expert fashion tips. The goal of the video’s is “How to become a Well-Dressed Rebel in 30 Days.” I think the video’s are great, it puts fashion designers in a more approachable space. But GQ drops the ball a bit, pages and pages of comments offer GQ the ability to have a deeper and actual two-way conversation with their readers. It would be great to exchange with GQ’s design team and even better would be to have conversations with designers like Simon Spurr. Still some magic is happening here as the readers rate the tips and give each other fashion and buying advice.

So guys, watch a couple of GQrules video’s and try some of their rules out for that next new business presentation or to surprise that special someone in your life.

Geno’s New Year’s resolution #7 Think smart and purposefully, and dress the same way.

As a New Year was approaching, in my typical backwards fashion I started thinking about New Years resolutions and flipped to 2008 reflections. I blame Beth Harte for that Beth posed this question on twitter; “How many of you marketers out there actually write a plan, stick to it and measure against it?” Beth followed that up with her post on MarketingProfs “Why Writing Plans Can Be SMART.”

I was very fortunate to work on three very different social media projects in 2008.
Beth’s post made me think back on what I learned in 08, what I think I did well, and what I can improve on.

Three words come to mind: Preparation, Listening, and Participating.

This wonderful new marketing world is for Bakers. Bakers that don’t worry about flaws and in-perfection. There is an art to that. I watched my nieces baking and then decorating Christmas cookies. Every gingerbread man and snowflake cookie had a difference some subtle, some large. But they still tasted yummy.

Great bakers and chefs have that trusted recipe it’s their preparation, but then they add a pinch of this and a pinch of that, my Mom has it… a baker’s magic.

Then comes the tasting, sampling the cream cheese icing, licking the batter bowl…and listening to your taste buds.

I think what makes cookies so special during the Holidays is the sharing of the cookies. My Mom made a batch to eat right away and another batch for later. I liked the batch to eat right away, because we all shared in the goodness together, making sounds of yum and gulping down milk. They seemed better shared in that moment with my family.

That magic goes into social marketing too. You need to prep, and develop a plan. Then you need the magic. The magic I’m talking about is really not magic at all, it’s simple but often overlooked and undervalued; listening and participating.

I met some amazing people in 08. I became inspired by their stories, their knowledge and how they shared their passion. Passionate crafters and teachers, passionate park-goers and gardeners, passionate retail employees, and passionate tattoo artists. In my case participation was having the opportunity to meet these passionate folks analog style, face-to-face. Being the conduit for the brands we’re working for. Showing that they care, and we care about them, and we are curious about their lives and what they value. It’s been pretty damn awesome, thinking back on it.

So, who’s baking some cookies in 09? If you do invite me over, please.

Have you looked at the “Hello” tab on the new Brains on Fire website? Well, here’s the “making of” video.

The same is true with marketing today. Now everyone can see your flaws. The cracks in your company. The lines and wrinkles are so very obvious. But we’ve learned that we shouldn’t worry about covering them up anymore. They make us human. They make us imperfect. They are a part of reality.

So embrace the new hi-def world. Because your flaws let people know you’re just like them. And after all, that’s who people trust… people “just like me.”

The above is based on a story by John Lasne.

So grab a shot of tequila with us, settle in and poke around a bit. It¹s
still spanking new and might have a couple of hiccups, but we couldn’t wait
another day to share it with you. We¹d also love, love your feedback and
suggestions, so have at it.

Here¹s what we¹re jumping up and down about around here:

1. It’s kind of like “Brains on Fire LIVE” since the site is pulling from
our blog, our various twitter accounts, flickr, you tube and our speaking
engagements blog every two minutes. The site itself is a just a frame that
draws from all the places we show up online. How cool is that!?? Even our
case studies are pulling from flickr sets. We¹ll add even more work and case
studies in the coming weeks.

2. There will also be a new section in mid January titled “Published”. This
area will hold papers we¹ve written as well books and podcasts that our work
has inspired. Hopefully, this will be come a resource for anyone who is
interested in learning more about Brains on Fire’s unique views on Word of
Mouth Marketing and creating movements.

3. You can navigate by tag. Check that out in the upper right hand corner.

4. The HELLO section makes us smile. (Can you guess who’s singing?)

5. It’s done on time and because of that ­ everyone is taking a
much-deserved extra holiday and we¹re officially closing on Christmas Eve.
(Be sure and check in late Christmas Eve, though. Cordell has a story to
share, a gift really, for everyone.)

6. And last but not least, we’re excited to have found some happy and
ridiculously talented new friends at FL2 interactive in Denver, Colorado who
helped us every step of the way! They have been really patient with us (can
you imagine Brains on Fire as a client???) and pushed us with new ideas and
suggestions every step of the way. We love you FL2! Same tribe.

Cheers, love and all that good stuff!

Mike London is in first year as head coach at his alma mater the University of Richmond. He replaced a very successful coach who moved on to the big boys as an assistant coach at Tennessee. The Shadow of Coach Clawson hung around London the whole season. As the team’s success grew question’s were raised as to who gets credit the old coach or the new coach. To London’s credit he doesn’t care, he said let media decide who gets credit.

What I found really interesting and relevant to brands and their customers are these comments by London; “The biggest thing probably that I’ve gotten out of football is the personal relationships that you need to have with individuals, players and people,” London said. “If people feel you have their best interest at heart, then they’ll go the distance for you.”

“The X-and-O part of it, you hire good coaches to do what they do.”

From my point of view I relate far more with a brand that values a relationship with me a customer. As the current economy continues to cough and sputter, I think we can all apply Coach London’s advice; “If people feel you have their best interest at heart, then they’ll go the distance for you.”

PS If Richmond wins Friday night they will be the second private institution to win a FCS championship. Who was the first? Furman, of course.

PPS The Brains on Fire blog will be undergoing maintenance starting today through the weekend, so there will be no post tomorrow. And if you submit a comment and don’t see it posted, that’s why! We’ll post it when things are moving again. Thanks!