Social Design & Marketing

Check out these sites, they have some good info on what the design industry is doing to remain socially responsible.

http://www.designismconnects.org/

http://www.idealist.org/

What would you do to land your next client or job???

As the job market tightens, job seekers are becoming more creative in their efforts to attract the attention of potential employers. One-in-ten hiring managers (12 percent) surveyed by CareerBuilder.com reported that they are seeing more job seekers try unusual antics to capture their attention in 2008 compared to previous years.

Some of the most memorable tactics identified by these hiring managers include:
* Candidate advertised on a billboard.
* Candidate carried around a sign that said, "Will work for paying bills."
Candidate brought a broom to the interview to "clean up the waste and corruption in the office."
* Candidate wore a shirt to the interview that said, "Please hire me."
* Candidate showed up with breakfast for the employer every day until hired.
* Candidate approached the hiring manager in a restroom.
* Candidate sent a giant cookie with "Hire Skip" written in frosting on it.
* Candidate parked outside of the office building with a sign that said, "Seeking employment."
* Candidate wrote a poem about why she wanted the job in her cover letter.
* Candidate promised to give the employer a foot massage if hired.
* Candidate noticed the employer wrote a blog about a particular restaurant. She persuaded the restaurant to put her name on the menu so the employer would see it the next time he ate there.
* Candidate created an electronic resume with flash animation and musical score.

So I ask myself, what can I do to make an impact??

Hmmmmmmm, think about it.

It's Not All Bad News

As a Marketer, it's hard not to play into the whole "sky is falling" mentality that we're hearing everyday. I talk to some of my clients who are cutting back (some foolishly and some intelligently) on their advertising dollars. Afterall, Marketing typically has the largest budget in every company, which means it's usually the first budget to get cut when times are tough.

One of our clients, Russell Korman Fine Jewelry and Watches, presents a unique approach to their business and has for the 30+ years they've been in Austin. They aren't afraid to go to the people, as evidenced by their weekly appearances at Texas Tailgating parties on campus. The owners are out on the streets selling shirts for charity, leather goods, bracelets and passing out coupons for potential repeat business. It certainly helps that they are also officially licensed to sell the Exclusive UT Tag Heuer Watch (Hook 'em!).

In addition, this past weekend, they ran a promotion with Pandora jewelry. The first 500 people to bring in two canned good items for the food bank would receive a free Pandora bracelet valued at $35.00. Not only did they pass out ALL 500 bracelets over a two-day period, but they wrote rainchecks for 300 more! Plus, they raised almost 2000lbs of food for Hurricane Ike Relief Efforts and the Capital Area Food Bank.

This promotion was supported by a week's worth of print ads and paid radio on various stations. It also received generous support from local sponsors Majic 95.5 Radio (who ran interviews and PSAs), The Austin American-Statesman, CiCis Pizza and Tiff's Treats.

Economic times may be a little bumpy, but a good promotion and unique "grassroots" marketing tactics will always work in a big way.

Hi blog!

Here's an excerpt from Stan Richards of the Richards Group, the company Marketing Matters will one day join as one of the top independent agencies in the US! :) It's about dynamics in the workplace and people's differences coming together to create something awesome.

“I’m of the opinion that people- like the ones who work for you, for example- generally like the idea of different types of people, different tribes, being thrown together for a common purpose. They like the idea of working with colleagues who are unlike themselves, working out the frictions, having a good laugh about it later, and getting some spectacular stuff accomplishes. Or they would like it they thought it were possible. Experience has taught most of us that the world doesn’t really permit that sort of thing. If there’s a peaceable kingdom at all, it’s out yonder.

There’s something inside people that’s wishing for a peaceable kingdom. At some level, we all understand that human enterprises are more colorful, potentially more successful, and in many ways a whole lot more fun when you get contrasting types and talents involved.”

Stan Richards The Peaceable Kingdom http://www.richards.com/

For Marketing Matters Austin worker beezz

Welcome to the in-house blog section of Marketing Matters Austin. This is our special place to share with each other. Aww. :D

This is for you guys to post what you've got in your head about where we're at, where we're going and what we should be looking to in the future.

Share cool websites, ads, publications, ideas, new technology, funny jokes, and anything else that you can think of to help us improve as a group.

Finally, feel free to make new posts on here that you think we need!

Thanks,

Shane Schmidt
Interactive Media
Marketing Matters Austin

Testimonials

Good morning,

This is the area for you, our beloved clientele, to leave us your thoughts, feelings and your experience with Marketing Matters here in Austin Texas.

We would love to hear from you!

Enjoy, and thank you for your business!

Shane Schmidt
Interactive Media
Marketing Matters Austin

Welcome to Marketing Matters new Blog!

Hey everyone!

We now have a blog. We can discuss and share our thought and ideas here! This will allow us all to really get those ideas, feelings, and suggestions out, without having to fill up eachothers emails.

I will also be adding a link to the blog on our Marketing Matters Austin website!


This should also give our clients, and fan club a place to speak highly of Marketing Matters, and give us kudos, testimonials and just blog it up!

Have fun!

Shane