MOST shoe boxes – that is.

The exception to that rule landed on my doorstep earlier this week when my 16 year old daughter’s online purchase was delivered. She was “all about” what was inside the box — while I was enamored with the package itself. (Go figure!) Can’t say I’ve ever seen such a cool cardboard shoe box before.


So right about now . . . half of you are asking the question “does the fancy printing, the attached hardware and the atypical drawer-slide configuration of the box make the shoes any better?”  Nope – but it certainly established an undeniable impression of distinction.

Next question formulating in your brain; “Does this really matter?”

If given the chance, retailers around the globe would unite and respond with a resounding “you betcha.” The concept of “added-value” is one of today’s most valued (no pun intended) and effective marketing tactics.

So yeah . . . a regular ole, vanilla shoe box would have done the job, but this cutting edge retailer (Buckle®) knows the importance of first impressions – and presentation – AND the bottom line.

Did we miss the first alarm nine years ago? Did we, as a state, simply push the snooze button and go back to sleep?

Nine times?

In my business we often over-use the phrase “perception is reality.” Unfortunately, as it relates to the well-being of our State’s children the perception could not be more real or more disappointing.

On all ten measurement standards presented in this newest study, Louisiana is in the bottom ten states on each and every one.

It begs the question, doesn’t it?

Why?

How can we permit such a problem to exist in the first place – much less linger for nine years?

Our leaders find funds for everything from chicken farms to golf courses. And, I do not make light of the positive economic impact of most of these types of endeavors.

But, on the basis of economic impact alone, providing a better life for our children is critical to the economic future of both our state and our children.

It is time, no actually it is nine times past time, to decide specifically what steps we will implement to lift our children out of the bottom tiers of health, economic status, family structure and education.

Sure, there were slight improvements and while we all celebrate that we cannot ignore the fact that too many of our children live in abject poverty and are at risk.

What are some answers, real answers? The longer term solutions sometimes seem so daunting that we ignore immediate opportunities to make a big difference in the everyday lives of children.

Programs are in place – right now – that can and do provide assistance. Here in our own area we have access to projects that include providing backpacks with food and other items for children to take home. That is but one program. There are others and there are people in place who work tirelessly to help make a difference.

While we explore the longer-term solutions we can take advantage of the programs already in place. Instead of using all of the funds set aside each year for capital outlay programs, dedicate a small percentage of it to child related programs.

Experience reminds me that someone will create an unnecessary administrative bump in the process. What I am suggesting is far too simple, some skeptics might suggest. Simple, though, is exactly how we must begin. Most importantly, however, is that we must begin or next year we could find ourselves ranking 49th for the 10th straight year.

Louisiana, please let’s not hit the snooze button again. The time is now.

A man sits outside of a café as he taps on his laptop. A woman zooms by on her way to work. They both drink coffee. He savors with pleasure. She gulps with pace.

Nowadays, it’s all about speed. Speed is vital to the way society operates. Businesses adapt to meet these needs, and in the process two styles emerge.

Coffee, for example, has morphed from its originally crafted form to a less personal one, which involves a packet of powder in a plastic cup handed to you from a window. This form, which now greatly outnumbers the traditional coffee shop style, is found in fast food restaurants across the globe and is on the rise. People, more specifically Americans, go to these places to get in and out, not for the ambience or the furniture.

Tamp & Grind / 828 4th St. Alexandria

One notable exception is Tamp and Grind, a local downtown coffee shop. They’re an example of a holdout in this sweeping movement. Their goal is to create a mindful experience, not maximize efficiency and speed. They focus on slowing you down and catching your breath. You are encouraged to sit, listen to the music and enjoy the beautiful artwork on the walls. This is a place that cares about the experience you have from the time you walk in until the time you leave.

This isn’t just about a type of business. It’s important to remember the past on our way to the future. There was a time when the coffee shop was a getaway that everyone enjoyed; the place where everything slowed down. People read the newspaper, drank a cup of coffee or ate a slice of pie before going back to work. It was the ideal place for relaxation and conversation.

Each of these styles plays an important role in our society. Sometimes you have to grab a cup to go. It’s understandable. Mild doses of each will keep everything balanced.

As you make your way through your busy work week, take a moment or two to think about your part in this battle. Are you a patient patron or a speedy sipper? Or do you alternate? Our world is changing. Will you?

They’re sharing, and fanning and following more than ever before. They do it from the car (not recommended), at the bar, while they’re in line, as they browse. It’s a mad, mobile, interconnected world.

Some developers have found new ways to connect us through the places we visit and businesses we frequent.

Sites like Foursquare, Gowalla and MyTown allow you to ‘check in’ to different locations. These location-based games rely on the GPS built into your shiny new smartphone. Think of it as a glorified “here I am” tool for the digitally social.

A quick primer…
Foursquare encourages “people to explore their neighborhoods and then reward people for doing so.” You go to a business, “check in” to Foursquare on your phone. Your friends are notified. You receive recommendations about things to do in the area. You earn points with frequent “check ins” at the same place. The most visits to a venue makes you “mayor” of that venue.

Gowalla works on the same idea, encouraging people to “Go out. Go discover. Go share.” Check in and tell your pals you’ve arrived on Facebook and Twitter. Visits let you earn and trade virtual prizes and swag.

The NY Times says “MyTown turns the real world into Monopoly”. This iPhone-based app lets you virtually buy and rent your favorite real-life locations based on your visits. With more than 500,000 users and and 31 million check ins (at the rate of about 6 per second) – the game aspect is the focus.

Regardless of the emphasis – sharing, digital prizes or collecting rent – people go into local businesses and tell others.

So what’s a business to do?
In some cities, local businesses encourage users to show their phones to servers or cashiers to show their loyalty. Some offer a “Free Drink for the Mayor of Joe’s Cuppa Joe” or “Been here 10x? Free fries for you!” Others promote their participation with signs, Twitter or sidewalk blackboards.

There’s an advantage to hyper-mobile applications like these. You’re engaging potential customers who are already out and about. You can offer them a reason to walk through your door…a sort of digital-coupon with street cred. And because of the social tie-in, the word of mouth offers a return on your investment.

Granted, it’s a niche audience right now – but everything starts somewhere.

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Carrying that pie analogy further – consider your brand pie’s basic parts:

1. Traditional marketing (crust)
2. Customer experience/interaction (filling)
3. Social media (creamy topping)

These parts intermingle and depend on one another to provide an impressive “complete bite.”

Traditional marketing
Mediums like print, broadcast, outdoor allow for creative that connects with people on an emotional level. Here you’re able to tell a flavor-filled branding story which consumers take in, react to and relate with.

Customer experience
This sets you apart from the bland competition. You must provide interactions that make people want to come back for seconds and thirds. As we’ve said before, your brand is built at every point of contact. But it centers around experience. Each encounter with your waitstaff, customer service, technicians, salespeople, delivery drivers, hostesses should make a customer feel linked with your brand. Remember: It takes a costly dose of marketing and social media to overcome bitter experiences.

Social media
The reinforcer. You prepared an identifiable base with your marketing story. You served up a fulfilling customer experience – the kind of encounter that makes them want more. With this foundation, now you’re ready to top it off with a sweet two-way street of communication. Social media now has meaning and relevance. The amount followers or fans isn’t nearly as important as the amount of love and loyalty they feel to you.

Yes this is the era of social media. But remember it’s just one ingredient in the whole pie. Without the other ingredients, all that remains is fluff.

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So are you really offering the same cup of coffee, sandwich, salon experience or customer transaction as before? Or is it just a tad – shall we say – watered down?

Don’t kid yourself into thinking no one notices.

Sure, you MIGHT be able to pass off your super shrimpy shrimp poboy with a shrimp or two less without a ruckus. But then the Corner-Cutter goes on a snipping spree. They didn’t notice the shrimp, so let’s switch to frozen fries, and use a less expensive (read – generic) bread, skip the pickle, serve it on thinner plates and charge for extra condiments.

After this nose dive into the pot of sub-par offerings – you’ll be lucky to have any loyal customers left.

Folks become very aware of quality once its gone. It isn’t a fuzzy, “eh, they won’t miss it” luxury item. Quality separates you from the standardized pack. Quality – or lack thereof – is part of your brand. Where your quality goes – your reputation quickly follows.

Which way are they headed today?

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All have a similar effect. Each fuels the pursuit for excellence within us.

The crew at KJA just experienced that rush as judges awarded our firm for three recent Public Relations endeavors.

The Central Louisiana chapter of PRAL (Public Relations Association of Louisiana) recently hosted a competition to showcase and bring attention to the exceptional quality of Public Relations work being done here in our own area. KJA Communications Group is delighted to be among the winners for various awards.

The winning projects:

1. Media Press Kit – Wall of Random Koolnez:  Awarded Certificate of Achievement
2. Self-promotion – Wall of Random Koolnez & KJA’s Mind Finds:  Awarded Judges’ Award for Outstanding Creativity
3. Blog – KJA’s MindFinds:  Awarded Certificate of Achievement

And, yeah — we’re already working on those next award winning projects. Now, more passionately than ever.

* Robin Cosenza leads KJA’s Public Relations division.
Way-2-geaux Robin and team!!!

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What do YOU love?

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The KJA team embraces every opportunity to both appreciate and reveal the nature of design. We find an appropriate example in the freshly revised $100 dollar bill. Which, as currency, carries a message that is completely innocent of agenda.

At a glance, you’ll notice the redesign is cleaner and less crowded, resulting from advancements in security technology. The design of the older bill relied on intricate patterns which have become relatively easy for counterfeiters to reproduce. The new design replaces these bulky patterns with a pair of slim ribbons, making counterfeit attempts a much greater challenge. Additionally, the newly freed space allows Franklin’s portrait to be larger. This treatment, along with the enormous golden 100 featured on the back, helps those with visual impairments easily identify the bill’s denomination.

The next time you step out into the blur of information, be reminded of what design provides. Not only is it a platform from which to address an audience, in a language that everyone understands – it also ensures information accessibility.

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• Social Connections (family & friends)
• Health
• Education
• Attitude
• Opportunities

.
But there’s another well documented – but often overlooked – aspect.

• The Arts (participation in and involvement with).

Yeah, that’s right. The VISUAL and the PERFORMING arts..

Why is it important?

Research indicates that people who have a background in the arts experience life at a very different level than those who lack that exposure. Things like . . .

• more developed habits of critical and creative thinking
• more perseverance and dedication to a given task
• better psychological and physical health
• greater self-discipline, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills
• better performance on standardized tests
• more likely to remain in school
• enhanced healing and recovery from hospitalization.
  

  

Not to mention that the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 BILLION in economic activity every year. Double WOW!!!

So, the old excuse “that’s just really not my thing” needs to be re-evaluated. The arts impact every single individual with a broad range of benefits.

Yes, you too.

Perhaps the words of acclaimed New York City acting teacher, Stella Adler sum it up best . . .

Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.

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