They don’t work.

So many companies want the popularity of a Facebook or the reach of an Engadget so badly, they that jump right in without doing any of the heavy lifting. Then they expect people to flock to them and can’t understand it when they don’t.

But you know what? Facebook started with a tiny handful of people. And Engadget started out with a small audience. Then they grew. Organically.

It’s tactic-itis people. It’s throwing applications against the wall and hoping to god that one of them sticks. When you jump in the middle of the process, you sacrifice the most important component of what makes a community work (and what makes it sustainable, too) ” the groundswell. The legwork of going out and talking to people and asking them what they want from you. How you can support them. Connect them. Empower them.

When you try to bypass the heavy lifting and jump right into tactics, you’re doomed. You’re creating MORE noise.

So know before you embark on creating word of mouth movements online and offline: there are no shortcuts. The road to long-term, sustainable movements might be a little longer than the quick-fix, but the ROI blows it out of the water.

Speaker: Spike Jones
Inc. Magazine (Inc. 5000)
NYC

Details to come!

Speaker: Spike Jones
Association of National Advertisers ” Marketing Accountability Conference
Dana Point, CA

Word-of-mouth marketing is the flavor of the month right now. Viral marketing, online videos, social networks, blogs, and buzz events are all new tools in our expanding marketing toolbox. To truly make an impact, we, as marketers, must take that bold next step of releasing control.  We must hand the reins to our most-passionate customers.

Chad Vincent, president of Fiskars Brands, and Spike Jones, Firestarter of Brains on Fire, will lay out the blueprint for the creation of the “Fiskateers,” Fiskars’ crafting ambassador program.  This best practice case study not only connected the company with its customers, it increased loyalty, online conversations, and sales - and that was only the beginning.  Fiskateers is no longer a marketing program; it is a movement.

Speaker: Spike Jones
Association of National Advertisers - Southern Marketers Committee
Dallas, TX
Word-of-mouth marketing is the flavor of the month right now. Viral marketing, online videos, social networks, blogs, and buzz events are all just new tactics in our expanding marketing toolbox. To create something truly impactful, valuable, and sustainable we, as marketers must take that bold next step of truly releasing control. We must hand the reins to our most-passionate customers.

Chad Vincent, president of Fiskars Brands and Spike Jones of Brains on Fire will lay out the blueprint for the creation of the “Fiskateers,” Fiskars’ crafting ambassador program.  This best practice case study not only connected the company with its customers, it increased loyalty, online conversations, and sales - and that was only the beginning.  Fiskateers is no longer a marketing program; it is a movement.

A few people have asked me to share the internal Tequila Shot Book we’ve mentioned on the blog. This is our book of beliefs here at Brains on Fire. Our pirate’s manifesto.

This year we connected our goals as an organization to our beliefs and for me it has been inspiring - life changing really - to get in writing the why behind the goals we are working toward as an company. Each of the 12 beliefs had a “making it real” section with specific tactics and goals to well, “make it real.” (I left those specifics out of this pdf.) Check out here:

link: Tequila Book PDF