Category Archives: Community

posted by Cathy

Feb 09, 2012 @ 7:22am

Ethics, Gratitude and Crowson Stone Printing

A lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge since I first opened the doors of the company now called Riggs Partners. I couldn’t begin to count the relationships that have come and gone in those 25 years: clients, consultants, employees, vendors. But there have been two constants since that very first C.C.Rigg’s day in 1987. Me. And Crowson Stone Printing.

The partnership between an ad agency and a printing company is a significant one. The Riggs/Crowson relationship is built on a foundation of deep trust and mutual respect; in all these years, neither has ever had to look over the other’s shoulder to inspect for quality, ethics, intention. Never.

In 1998, our company founded a little pro bono initiative called CreateAthon. In one phone call, Crowson quickly agreed to become a part of our “printers confederacy,” providing free printing for a number of CreateAthon nonprofits. In 2001, they stepped up with an offer to print it all.

Since then, Crowson Stone has provided free printing for more than 75 CreateAthon clients, with a market value that surely tops the $1,000,000 mark. (We don’t know the exact amount since Crowson doesn’t keep score.) And that number doesn’t take into account the countless projects they produce outside the scope of CreateAthon, either pro bono or at a nonprofit rate. It doesn’t take much of a leap of faith to suggest Crowson is among the most philanthropic companies in their industry. Certainly they are in South Carolina.

The past few years have not been easy for those in the printing business, and Crowson Stone is no exception. In spite of visionary leadership and significant (early) investment in digital, challenge after challenge piled at their door. Still they remained committed to their customers, refusing to compromise on quality, integrity, ethics. Under the leadership of John deLoach, a man among men, they continued to serve their clients with honor.

Like so many who love Crowson Stone, I was beyond happy to learn INDEXX Printing from Greenville, South Carolina, is stepping in with support. I believe this is a good business move for INDEXX, yes. But I also believe  that when they looked at Crowson, INDEXX saw a company with a soul worthy of saving.

Thank you, Crowson Stone, for all you have meant to me, to Riggs Partners, to the Midlands of South Carolina, and to the nonprofits you have served. We owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

And we extend a warm welcome to INDEXX Printing. You have not only demonstrated great business acumen in your partnership with Crowson Stone, you have already served this community well.

the early days at 819 Main Street

Our friend Dick Terry (with Catherine Traywick). For many years, he was the face of Crowson Stone to Riggs.

Hot Off the Press CreateAthon Party at Crowson Stone

Still doing good: John deLoach (l) and John Stiles (r) of CS; Dean Schuster (aka the deanguin) of truematter

Comment (1)
posted by Teresa

Jan 18, 2012 @ 7:00am

TEDx Columbia: A beautiful day

Sharing CreateAthon and the pro bono love

Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining 14 other speakers and performers at the inaugural TEDx Columbia event. What began for me as an Oh my God, how will I ever have time to prepare for this item on my never-ending list became a transformative experience second only to CreateAthon, my subject de jour.

While I was more than humbled to have the opportunity to spread the CreateAthon gospel on such a distinguished stage, I was more moved by the cumulative effect of the day. It crept inside me as these words bounced in and out of every conversation.

What if. Who knew. We can. You can. I did. I asked. Yes.

There also was a lot of talk during the day about Columbia and the undiscovered potential of our city as evidenced by the talent, intellect and passion of everyone assembled at TEDx Columbia. The mere fact that we “did TEDx” was viewed as a great achievement. Certainly it was.

I submit the greater outcome of the day, however, lies in a heightened awareness of the other. Look at what that other person is doing. Look at the terrible thing that happened to her, and what she did with it. Look at the risk he took.

TEDx gave us a day to put down our own ego-driven lens and peer through the lens of the other. To soak in our fellow man’s distinctive experiences, and to consider just how vital it is that we all see the world a little bit differently.

After all, if two of us are exactly the same, one of us is irrelevant (to quote Jay Coles).

I think the world’s a little more beautiful today, being reminded of that.

So many thanks to the incredible TEDx Columbia team and fellow speakers for inviting me to be part of this incredible experience, for working so hard to make it such a success, and for entering my life as new friends.

Comment (0)
posted by Teresa

Nov 07, 2011 @ 9:58am

Nonprofits Must Position Themselves for Pro Bono

I had the opportunity to attend a thought-provoking session in DC on Thursday hosted by Taproot Foundation, one of the nation’s strongest voices for pro bono service. It came on the heels of the launch event for a Billion + Change, a national movement to mobilize a billion dollars (now 2 billion) in pro bono services from American corporations by 2013. I sat on a panel alongside leaders from global corporations such as IBM, Dow Corning and HP who talked about their corporations’ pro bono and skills-based volunteering efforts. I was there to talk about CreateAthon® as an example of what a small company can do to build scale around its pro bono efforts.

Taproot’s founder and champion of all things pro bono, Aaron Hurst.

In the Taproot session that followed, there was much discussion around the fact that companies are sometimes reticent to develop pro bono programs for nonprofits because the nonprofits are not ready. That is to say, nonprofits may not have seriously considered or strategically planned for receiving pro bono counsel from professional organizations.

Why on earth would a nonprofit not be ready to accept pro bono services? Consider these stark but unfortunate truths:

The nonprofit has not developed a strategic plan of any kind. Professional service organizations will be wary of committing their employees’ valuable time to work for a nonprofit that has no idea of where it’s really heading or how it can possibly get there.

The nonprofit is not ready to execute the recommendations provided to them. Companies that provide pro bono consulting services to nonprofits offer highly sought-after, professional solutions, and nothing is more frustrating than to see smart planning sitting on a shelf. A nonprofit must have adequate resources —time, money, manpower — to carry out the counsel delivered to them.

The nonprofit is scared of letting “outside” consultants critique their work. Let’s face it: some people just don’t want to hear they have been doing it wrong or could do it better. Could it make them look bad in front of their boards? Heaven forbid.

The pro bono tide is rising, as evidenced by the commitment of A Billion + Change movement. Nonprofits will be wise to consider how they can strategically position their organization to be a worthwhile investment of time for companies that are actively seeking pro bono opportunities in their community and throughout the country. Don’t let tactical shortsightedness get in the way of what can be transformative progress for your organization.

 

 

Comment (0)
posted by Julie

Oct 26, 2011 @ 12:47pm

A marketing lesson from my dentist.

Now that I am an adult, I have been to a few dental offices. Some I have dreaded. Others I didn’t mind. I have patiently waited hours past my appointment time in an uncomfortable chair reading a two-month-old golf magazine. Then there was the time my dentist quit without sending any sort of letter or announcement to warn me about the stranger who was to be my new dentist.

But that’s all history now. I have the best dentist ever.

I came to the practice by a referral from my husband. Actually, not really a referral. It was more out of frustrated disgust. Unbeknownst to me, my dentist of many years had “retired” and sold his practice to a new dentist. When I learned this, I was in the chair. I didn’t leave in a huff. I let the nice new dentist clean my teeth then decided to find another new dentist who was a little closer to home.

My husband suggested I go to his dentist, Dr. Thomas Pitts. Initially, I hesitated since the office was all the way in St. Andrews. Yes, all the way. I live in the city. A drive on the Interstate defeated my whole closer to home qualification. So naturally I made my next appointment with them.

Ten years later, I am positively head over heels for this practice for so many reasons.

They are nice. Everyone who works there treats every patient with full courtesy. Do not confuse this with catering to customers’ whims and complaints. They treat you respectfully and they ask the same of you.

Snowflakes. Each year starting around December 1, they leave white paper, scissors and tape in the waiting area. They want you to make a cut-up folded paper snowflake (a la Kindergarten) and tape it to the window. They don’t mind if you leave the paper bits on the floor either. There’s only one downside to this, which is the next reason I love them.

I never wait more than five minutes. During December no wait is a bit of a bummer. There’s only time to make one snowflake. They have nice, comfortable furniture and all kinds of up-to-date magazines. If you ever had to wait, this would be a great place to do it. You never will though. Not here.

Halloween. Last year I was actually there on Halloween and everyone had on a costume. Even Dr. Pitts. My teeth were checked by a pretty creepy looking vampire.  How often can you say that?

They care about their patients. They know and remember me, my children, my life. They have called me to let me know they could see me earlier because of a cancellation. Their goal is not to simply meet patients’ expectations; they truly want to exceed them. While that good to great stuff is lip service for some organizations, this one lives and breathes it effortlessly.

The staff. Dr. Pitts is a very nice guy. He’s got a wry sense of humor and he’s a great dentist. He shakes your hand at every visit. The office staff and hygenists are all very nice and good at what they do. From what I can see, Dr. Pitts is equally kind to his employees. They appear to be valued, respected, included and empowered. Obviously, there’s not much turnover.

When I was in the other day, I asked them how they get most of their new patients. I really wasn’t surprised when they said they don’t advertise. All of their new patients — 100% — come via patient referrals. When you treat patients that well, you don’t need to advertise.They get a key part of marketing so many businesses never grasp.

How you treat people is the biggest message of all.

 

 

 

Comment (3)
posted by Cathy

Oct 19, 2011 @ 3:33pm

Celebrating The GOOD Night

This is not so much a blog post as it is a love letter—a love letter to the Power of Good. To Open Hearts. To Friendships, new and well-seasoned.

Three years ago, on what would turn out to be merely the cusp of a game-changing Recession, I got a phone call from David Kunz, executive director of The Cooperative Ministry. I did not know David at the time, but I heard something in his voice that prompted me (against all sense and reason), to take the request he made of me to my business partners.

“The Cooperative Ministry serves the working poor in this community,” he said,”and the economy has dealt us a double blow.” Financial support for TCM was way down at a time when more people than ever were desperate for the kind of help they provide.

Would you be willing to develop a television spot to run during the holidays? David had delicately asked.

But there was more to the story. The Cooperative Ministry had been gifted a performance of the Hootie and the Blowfish megahit “Hold My Hand,” sung by the incredible Benedict College Gospel Choir. Perhaps the song could be a powerful soundtrack for the spot, he offered.

Interesting, I thought. But still there were a thousand reasons to graciously decline.

(1) No Production Budget DOES NOT = Powerful TV.

(2) We were already in work overload, doing our best to support clients in a crippling economic downturn.

(3) We had an event in place to support nonprofits, and we had held it just two months prior to this phone call. CreateAthon allows us to focus our pro bono efforts into one concentrated time period—and we hadn’t quite wrapped up that work yet.

And yet I felt compelled to approach my partners with the possibility of helping The Cooperative Ministry. They really need us, and right now, I said. With no hesitation, there was a unanimous partner vote. Yes, they said.

It was not an easy assignment. We were committed to creating television, yes. But we also believed there was a larger story to share about the gifting of the song. We brought in volunteer creative teams to help craft what ultimately became a movement, With A Little Love. The team built a website. Keely Saye oversaw an inbound program. Ryan Cockrell produced a phenomenal video. Mad Monkey created TV magic:

Get Adobe Flash player

Many on the team also developed a heart connection with David Kunz; his phenomenal deputy, Courtney Thomas; and the starter of this movement, Hootie and the Blowfish drummer Jim “Soni” Sonefeld.  Each of those light-filled souls gave way more than they took, and they introduced us to other heart connections that have filled these three years with so many grace-filled moments the power of Doing Good simply cannot be denied.

So it is quite the understatement to say we were humbled when CreateAthon was honored by The Cooperative Ministry at their oh-so-swell gala, The GOOD Night. We thank them from way deep down for their generosity. And we thank every volunteer who has been a part of Riggs CreateAthon since its inception in 1998, as well as the nonprofits who have supported us and cheered us on all these years. We especially thank David Kunz, Courtney Thomas, and all the folks at The Cooperative Ministry who worked so hard to make The GOOD Night sparkle so brightly.

You have, do doubt, been a gift to us.

David Kunz and Courtney Thomas, celebrating The GOOD Night

CreateAthon Crew, in part

Teresa Coles and Cathy Monetti

Kerry Fulton and Ryon Edwards

Jay Coles and George Fulton

Teresa Coles, Pam Plowden and Kevin Smith. Now what's so funny?

Comment (0)
posted by Apprentices

Aug 23, 2011 @ 2:21pm

Inspire Ownership

When I meet someone interesting, I usually ask “What’s your best advice for me?” And then I write it down. As I flipped through my coffee-stained Moleskine this morning (stained being an understated description of this summer’s Great Coffee Spill), I came across this little gem:

Act like an owner. – Chris Colbert, CEO of Holland-Mark

Chris told me a story about an empty yogurt cup. On his way into the office one morning, he noticed a used yogurt cup – just hanging out on the floor of the entryway. It looked pretty gross. Had his arms not been full, he would have picked it up. But they were, and besides, a whole office of employees would be coming in behind him. Someone would surely dispose of it. When he left for lunch, the yogurt cup was still there. He brought the empty cup to their next meeting, where it became an object lesson in ownership and responsibility.

What does it really mean to be an owner? To take responsibility for our investments. We choose to do this or not do this every day. We can be owners in our relationships, in our workplace, with our brand of toothpaste. We get to decide when something matters enough to us to take action.

The key for marketers is understanding what inspires that transition from mere participant to owner. What does it take for a brand to become meaningful enough for a person to claim their part – however small – in that brand’s story?

People step up where their contributions matter.

People who love your brand are more common than you might think – but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re your brand advocates. I’m a fan of CVS pharmacies. When faced with a choice between CVS and Walgreens, I’ll always choose CVS. In fact, I’d even call myself as a “CVS loyalist.” But I’m not sharing my CVS love with anyone in my life. I’m not a fan of CVS on Facebook. I don’t follow them on Twitter. I don’t know if I’ve ever visited their website. Why? Well, I’ve never been asked. And if I do decide to fan their Facebook page, does CVS actively want to hear from me? Is their online community centered on getting to know and love the people who love them the most?

People step up to be part of something.

We all want to belong. Think about the brands people talk about, the classics they are proud to wear and claim and be identified by. The common denominator is a vibrant community, a sense of group identity. We are more likely to take ownership when we feel we are joining something larger than ourselves.

If you want to create brand loyalists, keep doing the things that make your organization special. And if you want to create chatty brand loyalists, build a community that inspires your employees and your biggest fans to claim their own piece of your brand story.

 

Comment (0)
posted by Julie

Aug 22, 2011 @ 1:55pm

Consumers are social. Is your nonprofit?

One of my biggest a-ha moments at last week’s social media gathering, Social Crush, was Michael Brito’s keynote presentation on social businesses. Or rather, how social consumers are rewriting the way businesses communicate.

The days of disruptive, business-controlled marketing are fading. For budget-strapped nonprofits, this is great news. Even better news is how advocates, ambassadors and fans readily discuss and share brands, causes and nonprofits without incentive. It’s a powerful opportunity every nonprofit should embrace.

Michael shared his take on the many advantages for organizations that usher in a socially inclusive business model:

Discovery

Social consumers are Googlers. They search products, people, trivia, nearly everything. Google and other search engines are our back-up brains. Once a half-hearted luxury for many businesses, websites are now a primary marketing tool. Online activity and content creation — which includes usage of Facebook, YouTube, blogs and Twitter — give organizations better search results and “feedshare.”

Participation

Most nonprofits already have built-in advocates. They will like, fan or follow an organization or cause they believe in. Their online activity gives nonprofits opportunities for direct interaction and dialogue which build and strengthen relationships with advocates and attract the attention of new advocates.

Sharing

Even better, an energized base will share with friends and other micro-communities where they spend time. Your reach multiplies and your messaging goes father. Plus, fans usually don’t just consume content; they often create it.

Advocacy

Building relationships nurtures advocacy. Advocates talk about you because they want to, not because they have to. Advocates are trusted. They aid and influence others. Today’s social tools put our voices and those of our advocates next to willing and receptive ears.

In many ways, the playing field is more level than it has been in years. A solid content strategy can reach farther than a million dollar ad buy. An engaged corps of advocates effectively multiplies the efforts of sparsely staffed groups. Messages are limitless and unrestrained by 30-second windows of time.

If the social consumer is not yet heard in your organization, it’s time to take action.

Social is not a fad. It’s the new consumer expectation.

 

Comment (0)
posted by Cathy

Aug 18, 2011 @ 7:00am

10 lessons from Social Crush, Day 2, Part 1

It is the grand gift of a new communication paradigm that has left many of us feeling overwhelmed rather than in-the-digital-know. Starting tomorrow, and every morning following, ask yourself:

What is it that we can stop doing?

Repeat with me so I will know you heard correctly:

What is it that we can stop doing?

According to Kipp Bodnar from Hubspot, a presenter who knows a thing or two about magnetic content, it goes like this:

Experiment. Track. Then STOP (if it is not working), or DO MORE (if it is working).

the gospel according to Kipp

Does this rock your world the way it does mine? I can’t remember a single time in any aspect of my life, personal or professional, when I was encouraged to just give something a try to see what happened, knowing full well I had permission to simply STOP if things didn’t work out as I planned. This concept (is that even the right word?) is truly a game-changer, and I believe it will impact the way we create, innovate and evaluate across a broad business — if not cultural — spectrum.

Needless to say, it is the biggest Day Two takeaway for me from Social Crush, an incredible, all-encompassing seminar held this week in famously hot Columbia, South Carolina. Here are a few more:

2.  People don’t like to be marketed to. They like to have their problems solved.

3.  Kipp’s Formula for Success (and I believe anything he says)

  • Get the basics right
  • Maximize content discovery
  • Create conversion ubiquity
  • Test and fail fast
  • Optimize for maximum leads

4.  Ebooks and webinars rock.

5. You can get it done 15 minutes a day. (Okay, maybe I don’t believe everything he says.) But here goes:

  • 5 minutes Twitter/Facebook
  • 5 minutes LinkedIn answers/groups
  • 5 minutes Google alerts

Remember, monitor, then spend time where it is working!

6. You must have a schedule for what you are going to publish.

7. You can never publish too much stuff if your content is good.

8. Make it clear what you want your reader to do. Make it clear if you stand six feet away from the computer.

a lot of good stuff in here

9. It’s important to have a rhythm to your posts.

10. The web compounds over time, just like a 401(k). The results are exponential. Keep at it.

So that was just Kipp’s presentation, and there were three following it, including great tips on legal, SEO, new tools, blogging and more. Another day, another post.

Until then.

Comment (2)
posted by Cathy

Aug 16, 2011 @ 10:25pm

13 lessons from Social Crush, Day One

the crowd at Social Crush Columbia

Here’s the crazy thing. My biggest takeaway from Day One of this large and impressive social media conference, called Social Crush, is such a simple thought:

Listen. And respond.

We already knew that, didn’t we? And yet how easy it is to forget.

It’s like going to a cocktail party and feeling out of place. You get a little nervous, and before you know it, to be charming and interesting, you start blabbering on and on and on about Every Little Thing You’ve Ever Done and the stranger in front of you nods mechanically and quickly makes a move for the cold hors d’oeuvres.

Listen.

Do you know who you are talking to? What do they care about?

And respond.

Where do your interests overlap? How can you make a connection?

We need more creative farmers, it's true

I made a note in my very fabulous We Need More Creative Farmers sketchbook, made ‘specially for me by my friend and former art director Larry Thacker.  (I interviewed him when he was a young VCU grad just because I liked his name. Seriously.) Anyway, I made a note with a big ol’ star to remind me every time I find myself in social media the-toolbox-keeps-expanding overload: (whew) Just listen. And respond.

Here are the other Big Takeaways for me.

2. There’s a difference between being a social brand (one person’s job) and a social business (5 percent of everyone’s job). ~ Thanks Tim Moore

3. An advocate is someone who talks about your brand when you’re not listening. ~ Tim Moore, again

4. Offer real value. And use Farmer English. ~  Thanks Ty Downing

5. Follow local influencers. And wear great shoes. ~ Victoria Harres

6. Promote other people in ways that don’t benefit you.  ~ Victoria, again

7. Humanize the brand. (There is so much to say about this! Another post, another day.) ~ Victoria

8. Inspect your audience, and your content, frequently.  ~ Victoria

9. Work the phrase “That would be hot!” into my presentations/client conversations. (Oops. That was a note to myself. Just liked it. Tim? Ty? Skeeter? Kip? Not sure.)

10. There is no control in social media. There is only training. ~ Mike Brito

11. To coordinate your efforts, have a hub and spoke model. ~ Brito

12. The platform doesn’t matter. The content does. ~ Glen Gilmore

13. (on the future of social) Keep your eyes on the customer and understand their behaviors. You’ll be fine. ~ Brito

Looking forward to Day Two.

*Editor’s note: There was so much smartness flying so fast around the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center that some, or all, of the comment credits in this post may be wrong. The author accepts full responsibility for such matters and begs the forgiveness of any offended party. Particularly @glengilmore.

Comment (0)
posted by Apprentices

Jul 12, 2011 @ 2:46pm

Listen and Learn.

My mother handed me many valuable life lessons, as mamas should. Now that I’m all grown up, I’m confident that one of the most important things she taught me was simply how to be a good listener. She modeled listening as an action rather than a passive state of being. When you talk to my mother, she leans forward, nodding earnestly in time with your words. She asks you questions. She really wants to know what you think.

In this business (and the rest of our world), we get too busy to do the work of true listening. Caught up in to-do lists and horizon lines, we forget to slow down and take stock of our surroundings.  Lately, I’m reminded to listen everywhere I look. Last week, as we worked steadily away on a soon-to-be-launched campaign, we decided to stop and ask the client for some specific feedback. And we listened. What we learned shifted our creative direction, ultimately leading us to even stronger work. All because someone took time to listen.

listen.

Marketing professionals aren’t the only ones who should be listening to their clients. Talk to your customers. Ask them questions. Pay attention to what they say. I’m looking at you, Netflix. I logged into my Netflix account recently to discover a redesigned interface. I’m not a fan. It feels unintuitive and slow. That’s beside the point. What matters is that I’m not the only one. There are thousands of Netflix lovers who are unhappy with the new design and being pretty vocal about it—and Netflix seems to have closed its ears. Keep the new interface or return to the old design, there’s one thing the brand should absolutely be doing:listening. And responding, of course, because the goal of listening is always to go further or to improve.

The people in your world—clients, customers, friends, family—have things to say. Pay attention. As Cathy Monetti says, you learn so much when you listen.

 

Comment (0)