Could that Superman be you?

Over the past few weeks the buzz surrounding the opening of Davis Guggenheim’s “Waiting for Superman” has been great. Whether it be the New York Times’ movie review or “NBC News” dedicating a week of coverage to education reform with its Education Nation series, the focus has not only been on the politics of education reform and the role of government in fixing the issue, but more importantly the need for everyday people and the business community to respond to challenges facing our communities. It serves as a reminder that you could be the Superman or Superwoman that your community needs.

This past weekend I participated in Slow Food USA’s Dig Day of national service. The Slow Food Denver chapter recruited volunteers to build garden sinks and garden signs that would then be distributed to some of the schools participating in Denver Public School’s school gardens program. The beauty of this day was the diversity of the volunteers. The group consisted of a few families from the local school, members of the Slow Food Denver chapter and about 25 members of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation’s 2010 Impact Denver and Leadership Denver classes. Both classes selected two schools to support that are currently participating in the school garden program. Although some of us have school-aged children that may or may not attend schools within the district, more than not, we chose the projects because of the importance of supporting public schools and the recognition of a school’s impact on its surrounding community.

Our day was such a success not only because of the hardworking volunteers, but also because of companies like CH2M HILL that donated materials and Whole Foods and Noodles & Company that provided lunch and dessert to make it all happen. The end result of this day didn’t come from a vote or debate, but instead from the strong desire of everyday people to make a difference in their community.

On Sunday, I took a few minutes to watch “Meet the Press.” I will admit that I am caught up in the buzz and can’t wait for “Waiting for Superman” to open in Denver. David Gregory was reporting from New York as part of the NBC coverage dedicated to education reform. As expected, Gregory asked his questions of administration leaders, school reformers and union heads, but Gregory said it best as he closed out the show, “… if you drive by a public school, even if your kids don't go there, walk in and ask how you can help, whether you can tutor or provide resources to a teacher.”

Whether it be public schools or other issues impacting your community – Are you ready to take Gregory’s advice and walk through the doors to be that Superman or Superwoman?

~ Kristina

Cause Marketing is Thriving - Thanks to Moms and Millennials

A former boss of mine (at a nonprofit) once declared that I have the “nonprofit gene” – meaning I was willing to forego a for-profit income for the chance to live out my passion on a “nonprofit salary.” And while I now work in the for-profit sector, I like to think I still have that gene – it just manifests itself now through my interest in cause marketing. That interest leads me to follow a number of different cause marketing blogs and other resources, and I was particularly intrigued by Cone’s recent release of its 2010 Cause Evolution Study.

Happily, it revealed that even with the tough economy of the past few years, cause marketing is alive and well – and still very much supported by consumers. Some of the encouraging statistics revealed by the study include:
• 88 percent of Americans say it is acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing
• 85 percent have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about
• 80 percent are likely to switch brands, similar in price and quality, to one that supports a cause
• 61 percent say they would be willing to try a new brand or one unfamiliar to them when it supports a cause

Drilling down a bit further, the study reveals the market segments that are largely driving this support for cause marketing initiatives:
• Moms: 95 percent of moms find cause marketing acceptable (vs. 88 percent average), and 92 percent want to buy a product supporting a cause (vs. 81 percent average). In addition, moms purchased more cause-related products in the past year than any other demographic (61 percent vs. 41 percent average).
• Millennials (18-24 years old): 94 percent find cause marketing acceptable (vs. 88 percent average), and more than half (53 percent) have bought a product benefiting a cause this year (vs. 41 percent average).

Beyond the consumer, cause marketing can play an important role in recruiting and retention as well. In fact, 69 percent of Americans consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work. Perhaps even more compelling – 92 percent of employees say they feel a strong sense of loyalty to their company (vs. 61 percent for those whose companies are not involved in supporting a cause).

It seems that more and more companies are understanding just how powerful cause marketing can be – in terms of social good, yes, but also in terms of benefit to the company’s bottom line and employee satisfaction. At GroundFloor Media, we work with a number of nonprofit agencies in various capacities, and it is always gratifying to see the support they receive from other for-profit companies. For instance, we’ve watched our pro bono partner, Tennyson Center for Children, develop wonderful, mutually beneficial partnerships with several for-profit companies over the years, including Noble Energy, PCL Construction Enterprises and Blu SKY Restoration Contractors.

Finally, in advising clients regarding cause marketing endeavors, we always encourage them to select a nonprofit or overall cause that aligns well with their business and target market. For instance with our client Qdoba, GroundFloor Media administered an extensive Zoomerang survey to 7,500 franchise and corporate employees to determine what cause Qdoba employees were most passionate about. Upon completion of the survey, youth and family initiatives were identified as the chosen area of charity focus, and Starlight Children’s Foundation was ultimately chosen to be Qdoba’s national nonprofit partner. The results of the Cone survey support this approach – 91 percent of respondents said that a company should consider supporting an issue that is a) important in the communities where it does business, as well as b) one that is aligned with its business practices.

What about your experience with cause marketing? Does what you’ve seen in the marketplace reflect the results of the Cone study? We’d like to hear your thoughts!

~Amanda Brannum

Don’t Write Off The News Media Quite Yet

Yes, traditional news media is dying, but the news part is alive and well and even thriving on a variety of online mediums. Recently a new Pew Research Center study looked at trends around how Americans get their news. What I found most interesting were the results: the impact of digital platforms on traditional news sources. As a former newspaper journalist, I know first-hand that fewer people are reading the paper, but this survey confirms that the public is just getting their news from other sources. And more people are following the news.

The study shows that on a given day Americans spend 57 minutes getting news from television, newspapers and radio. That time has remained constant for the last decade. But the study found people are adding an additional 13 minutes of news consumption gathered from the Web. And the online numbers, as the survey report notes, do not include time spent getting news on cell phones or other digital devices, the arena where news producers are now focusing so much of their effort and seeing so much potential.
Some of the study’s highlights include:

• 83 percent are getting news from a wider variety of sources
• 34 percent of the public say they went online for news – on par with radio and slightly higher than daily newspapers
• When cell phones, email, social networks and podcasts are added in, 44% of Americans say they got news through one or more internet or mobile digital sources
• 26 percent said they read an actual newspaper, down from 38 percent in 2006
• While 26 percent of all Americans say they read a print newspaper, that figure falls to just 8 percent among adults younger than 30
• 37 percent said they got news from a newspaper, including online editions, down from 43 percent in 2006
• 19 percent said they read a magazine, down from 33 percent in 1994
• 75 percent of Americans report getting news from one or more of these mediums: 58 percent watching television news, 34 percent listening to news on the radio, and 26 percent reading a print newspaper. This compares to the 44 percent who got news via the Internet or another digital platform.

What does it mean for the future of our industry? We recently worked with a GroundFloor Media client to get an editorial placed in the online version of a newspaper, and the results were overwhelming. The piece showed up on searches, RSS feeds and was rebroadcast on a variety of sites. Before, we would have simply tried to get it placed in the print publication, and as many of you know, not an easy task given the shrinking newspaper space. But now, we have more, and sometimes better options in the online world. And as this study supports, that’s were people are going for news anyway.

~ Gil Rudawsky

Twitter Fire Storm

Watching Colorado Unite on Social Media During the #BoulderFire

The continuously blurring lines between traditional and social media have never been more apparent to me than this past Monday (Labor Day) around noon MT. I was killing time at home between errands and decided to check my Twitter feed. Countless tweets tagged with #BoulderFire caught my eye and it became clear that a dangerous and destructive wildfire had broken out in the foothills.

The “traditional” side of me quickly turned on the television and I began furiously flipping through the local stations to find out more details. What did I find? Nothing. I couldn’t find a single station that had broken through the horrendous Monday afternoon television choices to report live from Boulder. So, the social media geek in me settled in on the couch, iPhone in hand, and read what seemed like hundreds of #BoulderFire tweets.

Information poured across my HootSuite dashboard faster than I could refresh the stream—evacuation details, TwitPic and YFrog images of the smoke and flames, animal rescue instructions, and Mile High Red Cross shelter announcements for evacuees. A few local Denver TV stations did seem to take notice of the social media groundswell regarding the fire and began retweeting first-hand accounts and important instructions. However, virtually witnessing the local and regional support from every day citizens was a powerful and exciting experience for me personally. Twitter was uniting Boulder and surrounding counties in real-time to come to the aid of those impacted.

Since Monday I’ve been monitoring the fires almost exclusively on Twitter. Some of my favorite updates include:

@alicia4181: I only know of the boulder fire because of twitter

@5280PRGal: Why do hurricanes get huge media coverage, yet I haven't seen much mention of the #boulderfire on @cnn @foxnews

@HumaneBoulder: For help w/pets 2nite call Dispatch 303-441-3333 Pets will be housed either here or transported by officer to @LongmontHumane #boulderfire

@jasper9: Is there a list of businesses offering assistance for #boulderfire anywhere? if not, lets get a public google doc going

@MelindaJordan: RT @lostremote: Twitter is playing a key role in #boulderfire, from evacuation alerts to independent reporting. http://bit.ly/9Xo9KG

@laurasrecipes: Just feeling so proud of this community...in awe of generosity, high tech information flow and amazing joining together...#BoulderFire

My prayers go out to everyone affected by this fire and I urge our local social media community to continue this virtual newsgathering and support system long after the TV trucks move to the next big story. If you know of any ways that @GroundFloorPR can help, please let us know. We would also appreciate your help in spreading the word about a fantastic effort by the Colorado Fall Home Show (@cogardenshowinc) to help with fire relief efforts. The Colorado Fall Home Show (presented by Colorado Garden Show Inc.), running this weekend (Sept. 10 – 12) at the Colorado Convention Center, announced it will donate $2.00 of every ticket sale to the Colorado Red Cross to help with relief efforts for the wildfire near Boulder. Thanks for your help!

~Alexis Anzalone (aka @aanzalone)

Proper Interview Etiquette

Tips for Acing Competitive or Informational Interviews

The day I graduated from college, I took off with a backpack full of clothes, a pair of old running shoes, and a Let’s Go Guidebook and headed toward the Southwestern Pacific Ocean to New Zealand. I immediately fell in love with the South Island and decided that I would channel my past four years of higher education into a job working as a jet boat assistant in Queenstown. Needless to say, I called home to tell my parents of my grand plans and found out that their intentions for me appeared to be quite a bit different. So, after six weeks of wandering somewhat aimlessly, I was nicely reminded to get my rear end back on a plane. My time had come to get a real job and so I headed off to Washington, DC and started sending out resume after resume. Looking back I wish someone would have sat me down and politely explained the unspoken rules of interviewing.

I now have the opportunity to meet with plenty of young job seekers for informational interviews and have gathered some entertaining stories through the years. I have compiled a few tips to consider when you are interviewing for a position or simply meeting someone for an informational appointment.

DON’T

1. Wear sunglasses during the interview (on your head or on your face).
2. Take a call on your cell phone.
3. Talk about how intoxicated you were during the weekend.
4. Snap your gum or slurp on your coffee.
5. Wear crazy jewelry, green nail polish, an unruly hairstyle, or noticeable eyebrow piercings.
6. Forget to ask questions. But avoid questions whose answers can easily be found on the company website.
7. Ask questions about salary and benefits unless you receive a job offer. It is presumptuous and annoys the person across from you.
8. Challenge the interviewer to a competitive match (I once had someone show up with a little Ms. Pac Man game and challenged me to play with him because he had read that it was my favorite pastime).
9. Give overly rehearsed and prepared answers. You come across sounding scripted and unauthentic.
10. Ask to borrow cab fare.

DO

1. Research the company you are meeting. Understand their competitors and their clients.
2. Practice interview questions with a friend or relative, or practice answering questions alone in the car. Folks may think you look strange, but it is well worth the extra effort.
3. Be aware of your body language. Don’t slouch. Maintain eye contact.
4. Be on time for your interview (or even a little early).
5. Avoid nervous habits such as tapping your fingers, pulling on your hair or playing with a pen.
6. Keep the interview positive. Please do not make negative remarks about any previous jobs, employers or colleagues.
7. Use proper English—avoid slang or jargon.
8. Treat the receptionist the same as you would the CEO.
9. Follow up with a handwritten thank you note. This is not only proper etiquette and a common display of appreciation, but it also allows you to reaffirm one or two key points you talked about in the interview.
10. End quickly and courteously. Do not linger. Thank your interviewer for the meeting with a strong handshake and a smile.

This list could go on forever – there is literally an endless array of “dos” and “don’ts” for an interview – and not everyone agrees on every aspect of that list. However, some basic “interview etiquette” tips that are important to remember are listed here.

If you want more, don’t forget to check out Andrew Hudson’s job site. He is always full of great tips…

~Laura Love

Living a Balanced Life: Let’s Go Back to Kindergarten

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over and it is back to school time. During a teacher conference for my son to prepare him to head back to the classroom, I saw a poster Robert Fulghum’s “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten,” and thought it provided great wisdom for all ages and stages. It has been a long time since I read it and I wanted to share and reflect on its message. Everything you need to know to be successful at home and in business is in there somewhere. Here’s the text:

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:
• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don't hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Just think what a better workplace or home life we’d have if we took the time to learn something new every day, be creative for an hour in the afternoon, or open our minds and just wonder. Are you sharing successes with your colleagues? Are you taking the time to LOOK and more importantly LISTEN before you make decisions or give directions to your team?

Go ahead, read it again.

~ Amy Moynihan