Posted by Lindy Dreyer under
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I’m the Switzerland in the smackdown between the innovation revolutionaries lead by Jeff De Cagna and the bastion of incrementalism lead by Maddie Grant. Jamie Notter gives us a nice summary, focusing on how people experience change. From my perspective, we all need to foster innovation in our own ways…but for those of us who are not CEOs or top executives, that means working within the cultural boundaries the leaders of our organizations have set.
But given an inch, you should take a mile.
I equate marketing talent with superhero powers–we have stuff every organization needs for making long-lasting, strategic changes. Didn’t realize you were a superhero, did you? 
If you want to be an agent for change from within the marketing department, what can you do? Well, wait for the door to unlock and then throw all your talent behind getting that door open. Here are three ideas…
- Use your copywriting and language skills to take rough ideas for change and make them sticky and inspiring.
- Collect data and market research that points to the overwhelming need to innovate, either by adopting new technology, rethinking products, creating a free membership category, or whatever the right change is.
- Be a fearless, positive voice in conversations about change, even as you help frame the discussion to focus on the target market that you understand so well.
Sometimes, small things–a line of copy or an e-mail from a member–are big things that can totally change the direction of an organization. The trick is to have the eye to spot it, have the courage to stand behind it, and have the ability to communicate it to the right people at the right time to make it come to life.
Now, about that revolution…
Posted by Sue Pelletier under
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If you have any sensitive information on your laptop or other electronic devices, you may want to store it elsewhere when crossing the border, according to this article in Travel Weekly (free sub req’d). From the item:
A federal appeals court in Pasadena, Calif., ruled that the federal government has a nearly absolute right to inspect […]
Posted by Mickie Rops under
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These two outstanding images (not graphically outstanding, of course, but outstanding in message!) are from a presentation of Garr Reynolds (found here) in which he summarizes some key points from Dan Pink’s new book (written in manga - comic bookish) called: The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need. Take a few minutes to view the slides; there’s a great message there (and of course in the book too). I just…
Posted by Ann under
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Today, Seth Godin provides associations with a lens with which to focus value creation: “Organizations that can help us manage the infinite are facing a huge (can I say it? nearly infinite) opportunity.” Rather than being clubs for PLUs (People…
Posted by Kevin Holland under
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I always talk a lot about knowing your market, serving your market, not trying to be too broad for fear of losing your market, etc. But Tony Rossell’s comment on my last post made me think that I want to make sure I’m not sending the wrong message here.
When I say you should know who […]
Posted by Lindy Dreyer under
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Hey RSS readers–I’m creating an About Me page for Blogger. I thought I’d do a nifty label negation to my feed so I can create posts like this without bugging y’all, but I found that either Blogger doesn’t support it, or none of the forums are talking about it. So sorry for the wierd post…I knew you’d understand.
I’m a marketing junkie. And I’m a total nerd for association work. How much of a nerd? Besides being very active with ASAE, I recently co-founded YAP, a networking group for young association professionals. So it just makes sense that I write for the Association Marketing Springboard. It’s the ideal way for me to record and share my personal quest to find the most effective marketing techniques that can be applied to membership organizations.
My Day Job
Most recently I was the vice president of client services for CK Marketing Solutions, Inc., a boutique marketing communications firm just outside of DC. I left at the end of March and I’m currently taking a two month hiatus from the 9-5 grind to re-focus my training and hone my skills for my future clients. Come June, I’ll be back to work…so let’s talk before then.
How I Got Here
I started in the tradeshow industry where my team successfully promoted and operated exhibitions for a variety of corporate and association clients. Maybe you’ve heard of some of them–Staples, ExxonMobil, BPAmoco, Sunoco, MicroStrategy, PeopleSoft, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Society, National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP), Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) International and more. From there I moved my focus to associations, applying my attendance marketing experience and adding membership and product marketing to the mix.
8 Things Meme
Here are 8 things you might not know about me.
How to Reach Me
You can e-mail me at mjdreyer [at] gmail [dot] com. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. I’m based in Washington, DC and I’m always happy to chat.
Posted by AEM under
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When shopping at Jewel-Osco, I received a coupon for a free lettuce. I bought it (it was free) on my next visit and received a half-price coupon for the same product. I bought it again on my next visit. I liked the lettuce so much that I bought it at full price on subsequent shopping trips
I got hooked on Matt?s Chocolate Chip Cookies, Home Run Inn Pizza (for my kids), and Oberweis Dairy (the ice cream, not the politician) after trying free samples at running events. I take advantage of CVS Pharmacy discounts designed to lure shoppers from other stores.
Associations are pretty good at securing coupons and samples from companies for trade shows, membership promotions, educational meetings, and other activities. They are not always keen on giving away their own goods, though.
Association Forum offers gift cards to renewed members for use at certain educational sessions. Health clubs often distribute free, one-day passes to let prospective members sample club facilities. Some associations, though, are hesitant to follow suit.
Not-for-profit organizations can make good use of coupons by offering gift cards or discounts to members or prospective members who renew their dues, attend an educational session, visit an expo booth, or participate in any type of event.
People are more likely to join, buy, or participate if they?ve had a sample or if they receive a discount. You aren?t losing income. You are receiving payment that you would not have gotten otherwise.
Posted by Sue Pelletier under
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Check these out: Craziest Shoes From Around The World. While they’re all just bizarre, I’d pick these as the weirdest:
They’re just wrong on so many levels…
Posted by jeffpi1@gmail.com (Jeff De Cagna of Principled Innovation LLC, the association community's leading voice for innovation!) under
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Sharing the experience 140 characters at a time!
I’m the Switzerland in the smackdown between the innovation revolutionaries lead by Jeff De Cagna and the bastion of incrementalism lead by Maddie Grant. Jamie Notter gives us a nice summary, focusing on how people experience change. From my perspective, we all need to foster innovation in our own ways…but for those of us who are not CEOs or top executives, that means working within the cultural boundaries the leaders of our organizations have set.