Consistency; Or Why This Post Is So Damn Short
July 29, 2010
Be real. Be relevant. Be around.
We give that advice to our social media clients all the time. Being real and relevant are pretty self-explanatory. Being around means engaging with people wherever they might be and doing so consistently over time.
Consistently over time. That’s the tricky part. Go back through almost any blog or twitter stream and you’ll find periods of inactivity, followed by “Hey, I’m back! Things have been crazy!” Here at Planet HQ, we call that period “May and June, 2010.”
So we’re going to try some of our own advice. Doing something consistently over time (anything!) means keeping it manageable. You know those first five blog posts where you broke down the history of western civilization? Killer stuff, but I promise no one made it past the First Punic War. And more to the point: that pace isn’t sustainable! Even David Foster freaking Wallace, probably the finest (and most obsessive) writer of our lifetime, followed up the 12-kajillion page Infinite Jest with little doo-dads about lobsters and swimming pools and state fairs.
If it’s okay for DFW, it’s okay for me. And you too. This post is done. I’m out.
How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Tradeshow
July 20, 2010
I go to a lot of tradeshows. Curse or perk? Hard to say sometimes. But given the industries that we work in, and how they tend to align with my personal interests, the shows I end up at are typically pretty cool.
Case in point: Two days ago I got back from ICAST which is the big-daddy fishing show in Vegas. And in two weeks, I leave for Salt Lake City and Outdoor Retailer: the heart of the outdoor biz (backpacking, climbing, apparel, etc.). Definitely two of my favorite shows.
But I gotta be honest, it’s taken me years to actually feel at home at either one. Why? Well for starters, a tradeshow is basically a party thrown by manufacturers for buyers (meaning retailers). And like all the best parties, not everyone’s invited.
Of course, I’m technically invited. But since I’m not a manufacturer, nor a buyer, my name badge reads “John Besmer: Industry Associate.” You might think that’s better than “John Besmer: Dickhead.” But when you’re trying to strike up a conversation at a tradeshow, it’s only better by a little bit.
(As an aside, I’m curious to see how the phrase “John Besmer: Dickhead” shakes out with Google. Now I’ve mentioned it twice. That should do the trick.)
Back to my point: this scarlet-letter name-badge thing throws me. Of course the concept makes perfect sense. At a tradeshow, people should be aware of who they’re talking to. But knowing, straight out the gate, that someone doesn’t want to talk to me is rough. I have a hard enough time even saying hello to the potentially indifferent. And now this!
Dagnabbit!!! How am I supposed to tell people that Planet can help them sell more stuff??? That Planet has tons of industry experience! Web! Print! Video! Right here! Now! Holy crap!
Well… it turns out I couldn’t tell them. They wouldn’t let me. So I stopped trying.
And you know what? That’s when the conversations started happening. Only now, we weren’t talking about the stuff I was pushing. Or the stuff they were pushing. We were talking about the best way to figure 8 for muskies. And about trailhead mishaps. And about the best mountain town bars in Colorado. Real stuff. Human stuff. Stuff that’s worth discussing.
Before I knew it, I was in the party. Like really in it. I really know people at these shows now, both personally and professionally (or both). And of course, there are many more folks that I haven’t met yet, but will. All because I eased up a bit.
You often hear social media being compared to cocktail parties. You know: Be cool, converse, get to know people, don’t just sell your stupid stuff. Well it turns out parties are like cocktail parties too. Just be real, be relevant, and be around. Good things ensue.
Looking forward to Salt Lake City!
Madison Fireball!!! And Zombies!!!
April 16, 2010
So Wednesday night we had a mysterious fireball in the sky over Madison (over the Midwest actually). Kristina forwarded an e-mail about it, which spurred some chatter at Planet. I present the following for no reason at all, other than I think it’s pretty funny, and we’re overdue for a blog post.
So, first is the e-mail that Kristina forwarded from a guy at the University of Wisconsin Space, Science, and Engineering Center. Followed by the internal Planet e-mail chain that ensued. Read the rest of this entry »
The Planet Propaganda Outdoor/Sports Reel
April 12, 2010
If there’s one thing we love around Planet HQ, it’s makin’ reels. We use them to showcase different aspects of our work. Over the last few months we posted the Planet Propaganda Tech Reel and Planet Propaganda Animation Reel. We’re going back a bit here for our Outdoor/Sports reel which includes a good mix of print, interactive, and motion-based work. You might notice a few pieces overlap with our tech reel, but this is the only place you’ll find DT getting zapped by ComfortBot.
Yes Son: Dance Like A Doof
April 9, 2010
If you’ve got kids, you’re always looking for a chance to teach ‘em something. Even though you know there’s not a chance in hell they’re going to listen. Especially when it comes to bigger topics like “choose your own path.”
Well, last night I decided to let YouTube do the teaching for me. And by God, I think it worked. I sat Coleman (10) and Tobias (7) down in front of the computer and hit play. They sat entranced, big grins. And then afterward…
Tobias: Was that dude in his underwear?
Me: Maybe. But why do you think I wanted you to watch that?
Coleman: Because you think I should dance like a doof… pause… even if I’m the only one… pause… cuz sometimes…
Me: Exactly.
And then we watched it again. This video just makes me so happy. You gotta let it roll through.
