1 Package Brats

1 Bottle Beer

1 Onion

1 Can Sauerkraut

You can probably figure it out from here … Go Packers

Was 2011 a year to remember? Are you entering 2012 with a new outlook, a plan or a resolution?

At my age (let’s just say middle age) there are always great things that happen with family, friends, vacation, etc that you will remember, but in 2016.5, will you look back at 2011 and say, “Boy, 2011, just turned me around, what a great year”.  If I do look back and say that, which I might, and feel like I will, I can point to one reason….

PEOPLE

This year, I had the opportunity to talk with, get to know and reacquaint myself with good people.

I chatted more with my brother (WI) and sister (CA) and parents (FL).  I spent a day in Wisconsin with 3 childhood friends.  I learned about good marketing from a superstar in Colorado.  I learned about passion for ones work from a lady in Florida.  I got included in a brilliant group of creatives from SC and NC #itykwim.  I learned about who drags you down and who picks you up, who I can count on and who I want to strive to be.

There are two people I am especially thankful for in 2011, and if you know them, you aren’t surprised, #sscl and #bandicoot.

The first is on everyone’s list, it’s like writing about Michael Jordan being a great basketball player.  His advice is free and seems to know exactly how to reach people, with meaning.  I can only hope to continue to learn from him.  By the way, on the 2012 advice, #3, really.  I hope you all have one of these peeps, I am glad I do.

The latter opened a new world for me in online marketing and changed the way I look at my business/job/career.  EVERY time I called or needed help, I had his full attention.  But, for me, on my side, it was more.  Just Friday a friend said to me, “Bandicoot is genuinely good people, we are blessed to have him in our tribe”.  I couldn’t have said it better myself.

And for 2012….

Yesterday I was in a checkout line, and after the man in front of me checked out, he turned around and handed me a gift card and said, “Hey, there is 3 or 4 bucks on here”, and he walked away.  Imabe more like him in 2012.

The traditional day after we were in Sanibel Island shark fishing.  We were actually just “fishing”, but since we caught more Hammerhead shark than any other creature, we will call it shark fishing.

Hammerhead shark can grow to 20ft long, here are the monsters we caught.

We also caught redfish, hardhead catfish (aka tourist trout), and one of these, yeesh …..

I also had a bit of a mishap with a sandwich tern so if you are an animal lover and want to spread the love this holiday season, spread some here http://www.crowclinic.org/ The bird was safely released, in good health, 2 days later.

I couldn’t help myself Saturday morning, the sun came up and the pond behind Chuck’s condo looked to good to pass up.  Every cast the fake worm was getting hammered.  (note to self: more fishing in golf course ponds next year)

I caught you a delicious bass (or 2)

Even Chuck got into the action

I say it every year, but next year, more fishing

How about a little Reuben samich at Carnegie’s Deli?

We had to go see The Carter, one of the top five dirtiest hotels in the U.S. (no, we did not stay there)

We rode the subway and relaxed on city benches…..

…..inspected the public works and always watched our step…..

Finally we went to the concert of a lifetime (I think I have said that before, but can never say that again) and they must have heard we were coming

It was a great show, basically adding Metallica to the last GREAT show I attended.

Four of the best (and my favorite) metal bands of all times.  They were all solid, but Metallica blew everyone away.  Opening with Creeping Death and For Whom The Bell Tolls, closing with Seek and Destroy after Battery.  Knocking out all the classics, Master of Puppets, Fade to Black and Sad But True.  But, pulling out Overkill and the spirit of Lemmy with the rest of The Big 4 bands could have been the highlight.  Amazing stuff by all 4 bands.

And I am still debating the oddest thing I saw …..

A man with a satchel (European handbag) or a man wearing Capri’s ….. at a Slayer concert …..

Lately the gerbils have been working overtime as I consider “good” marketing.  Looking back at the lunch and browsing back through the tweets, the light bulb finally cracked through the haze.

So, there are these periphery pieces of marketing that folks do out in black and white areas of the target, maybe like tossing a one-time ad in because you were cold called by a cheap rate or blindly sending out an untargeted email.

So then, we get to the blue and red,  here is where a little more effort gets put in, but the tools still dictate.  ”You follow me on Twitter, so you must have read my junk.”  This is where you put together decent campaigns and you might, in some cases get decent results.

Finally, the yellow sweet spot that Geno was talking about, the movement, not just the campaign.  WOM.  Walk with your customers, don’t just talk to them.  Evangelists.  #Fiskateers (you know the story).

We all want to think we market to the sweet spot, but do you really put in the effort?  Do you find the ‘customers’ with passion, do you listen to them.

My number one take away (paraphrased to the best of my aging memory) was that BOF listens to their clients and does not let the shiny new marketing tools dictate the direction.

Of course, pulling off Alice Cooper, Kiss and Spinal Tap in the same presentation was solid.

And, I will leave you with the image from my favorite slide (exact color a bit sketch)

She is a professional organizer and though she can do her thing nationwide, her target was Southern California.  She lives there as do many current clients and prospects.

The basis for her Twitter feed was very simple.  First, follow people in Southern California who will follow her back.  Second, politely #followback real people who follow her.  Third, send out a valuable piece of information at least every other day.  No tools, no tricks, just a good social network built follower by follower.

One year has past and she has 1050 followers.  199 tweets were sent.  She was retweeted 38 times and mentioned a total of 67 times.

I felt that the location of the followers was very important, and those results are also good.  18% (189) of her followers did not declare a location (ie. “anywhere you want me”).  Of those that declared a location, 55% (473) were in Southern California, 30% (259) were in other parts of the US, and 15% (129) were international.

The polite #followback “rule” hurt the statistics over time, as the first 500 followers painted a much better picture.  435 of those followers declared a location, 73% (319) of those were in Southern California and 20% (87) were in other parts of the US.

Though the type of business (BtoC) and the large population area (LA-ish) aided in the growth of this feed, the theory was solid.

The Organized Connection can be found on Twitter @organizeconnect

3305 miles by airplane

2888 miles by car

205 ft  below sea level (Death Valley, Salt Creek)

125 degrees F (Death Valley).  HOT and windy.

47 degrees F (morning near Brian Head, UT)

12 states visited (SC, NC, TN, KY, IN, IL, WI, MN, NV, CA, AZ, UT)

10 different roadside animal warning signs (rattlesnake, desert tortoise, bighorn, deer, cattle, donkey, wild horse, domestic horse, prairie dog, elk)

9 National Parks/Monuments/Lands (Bryce Canyon, Dixie Forest/Red Canyon, Zion, Cedar Breaks, Vermillion Cliffs, Pipe Spring, Death Valley, Lake Meade, Kaibab)

4 time zones, and at least one night spent in each.

3 great childhood friends visited.

2 very cool state properties (Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Parowan Wildlife Area)

1 ghost town (Rhyolite)

1 road impassable due to snow

1 video of me cruizing down a massive sand dune

For the past 4 years, I have had the pleasure of attending the BMA (Business Marketing Association) National Conference.  This year, it was in one of my favorite cities, Chicago.

As attending conferences go, I am picky about what sessions to attend.  I work for a medium size food manufacturer/distributor and sometimes I get into a session with a Fortune 50 CMO’s,  waxing poetically, and the scale of the message is lost on my application.  My goal is to always find sessions in which I can pull a nugget or two of information or scale the information to fit my needs.

My TOP 3 of the conference:

1. On the first night of the conference the BMA treated us to a boat/cruise on Lake Michigan.  This was an opportunity to eat, drink and socialize with conference attendees and speakers.  The conversation I had that stuck with me was with Lawler Kang, author and speaker.  He was one of FIVE morning sessions the next day that I had to choose from.  Thankfully, I chose his session and was happy I did.  Check him out.

2. Seth.  Poke The Box.  If he doesn’t make you think, check your pulse.  Go start something.

3. The BMA Colorado Chapter wrote a book.  Amazing, 24 B2B marketing pros contributed.  3 of the authors talked about the process.  Of course I read Carla’s chapter on the train to the airport and can’t wait to read the rest.  Advice From the Top: The Expert Guide to B2B Marketing

New Orleans has got to be my new favorite city.  It just felt right.

Of course, we had great food, The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant and The Gumbo House were both excellent, from the atmosphere, to the “local” service to the food.  And of course, they both claimed to have the best bread pudding in town ….. I will tip my hat to the Old Coffee Pot Restaurant.

The music ….. we were there for 3 night, Mon, Tues & Wed, live music on every corner, and in between ….. I will tip my other hat to Trickback at Krazy Korner.

The mountains were cold and blue.

Checking in at the New Orleans airport got me my first foursquare prize, a luggage tag.

The cabbies were a bit surly.

There is a casino near Bourbon St. (that I never made it to, imagine that)

The people were great, and every bar we went to (really just 1, maybe 2) was like walking into Cheers ….. I will tip a third hat to @lmnahay at Bourbon Heat.

The long, grueling, physically demanding days at the trade show could have turned the week the other way, but this city made it feel right for everyone.

Sometimes ….. it just feels right.