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Welcome to the first – and hopefully last – annual award for the most in-touch retailer and service provider email. In so many words, let’s honor the promotional emails we’ve all received in the last 10 days from retail brands that didn’t seem completely tone deaf. The flaws in the methodology here notwithstanding, these are the brands who in a professional “unsubscribe me from this list” opinion, inboxed me with the best note at a time that’s confused us all.

Why such a short list? There are too many brands completely missing the mark. St. Patrick’s Day came and went (you’d be excused for not noticing), yet I received a note from one clothier encouraging me to buy their green sweats. OK, your email marketing tech was set and you simply forgot. Mistakes happen. I get it… but then they emailed me two days later w/ another “great offer.” Another retailer thought it best to celebrate the vernal equinox with their spring kick-off sale. It was a good discount, but huh?!

Ultimately, they’re always selling something and in the most normal circumstances, everyone is always buying something. That’s a third of our nation’s GDP. The key here though is that the most cognizant brands this week made human connection their main business and sales second.

Open Table – This reservations app was quick to engage with local business owners on how they could work together. They knew it was in the businesses’ best interests to sell restaurant gift cards. As they put it: “This allows restaurants to maintain some cash flow to pay employees and bills — and gives you something to look forward to in the future!” Supporting small businesses is absolutely critical and Open Table used their brain, recognized the landscape has changed, and they put their restaurant partners first (unlike every airline telling me that now is a great time to fly!)

The New Yorker – A nod to thought-provoking journalism, something for which we should always pay a premium. This magazine, among other publications, started offering their content for free because one of the most valuable commodities in these and other times, is information. Per their email: “Amid the demands of ‘social-distancing,’ we are, like you, finding creative ways to keep in touch with one another and do the very best work we can for you. As part of that effort, we’ve made our news coverage and analysis of the current crisis on newyorker.com available for free to all readers.” As a former journalist, bravo, New Yorker. And for those of you who are in need of some reading material to fill in the time and want to support great journalism, you can subscribe here.

Equinox – They stayed open as long as they could but were eventually forced to close and freeze memberships. Since the outbreak began, they were punctual about member updates and immediately had an at-home workout solution when we all got locked in. In the words of their chairman: “Be safe, remain healthy and we look forward to welcoming you back into our clubs as quickly and safely as possible.” Their at-home free workouts are updated daily and are practical.

Danner – Random as it is, I bought a pair of boots years ago and remained an email subscriber for their blog photos. Seriously, their blog is gorgeous. They announced corporate office and store closings like many companies, but this retailer went with the deep, thoughtful cut. “And those who choose the unlikely path, those who cut fresh trails, those who pioneer through uncertain times …Be assured, though our doors may be closed, we continue to work behind the scenes to serve you.”

That last line reminds me of our agency and many other firms (some of whom are competitors) and brands I respect.

I’ll update this list in the coming weeks when my colleagues weigh in, but the Slack channels are flooded with enough right now.

Stay safe, friends.

Successful teachers have a tool kit full of strategies they can tailor to different students, depending, among other variables, on a student’s aptitude, age, background knowledge, and interest in the subject matter. Effective teachers use a variety of both successful and unsuccessful past experiences, observations, and training to choose the best way to communicate their knowledge. I learned this lesson on a Fulbright grant, teaching English to 1,500 13 to 19 year-olds in a rural Malaysian high school. Each day, (crucial directions to get to work included “turn left at the mango tree” and “watch out for cow crossings on Jalan Secondary School”), I would arrive at school prepared for both lesson plans and extracurriculars, and for me to be called on to give a surprise school-wide speech or guest teach a class I had never met before.

While there, my personal teacher tool kit contained a variety of methods, from filing through my mental Rolodex of synonyms and connecting concepts to my students’ various native languages of Bahasa Malaysia, Lundaya, Dusun, or Murut (sometimes English was their third or fourth language!), and culture to embarrassing displays of low-grade acting levels, lots of laughter, and whiteboard art.

The same tool kit metaphor can be applied for marketing and communications professionals. Crucial umbrella skills for communicating with clients are the same broad skill sets that teachers mine to communicate with their students. The most important of these general principles include:

Meet your client where they are and try to bring them with you to a place of understanding. Clients may not at first understand your strategies, media insights, or bigger picture tie-ins. My students often used English words and phrases in a uniquely Malaysian way that took me a while to figure out and use. (For example, “following someone home” means they are giving you a ride.) Similarly, clients may be invested in their own ideas and approach. Investing time to fully understand to what current methods they are deeply attached and why will help you to better get their buy-in on your ideas and ultimately plan your PR program.

Consider different ways to explain the same concept. Sometimes I would say one thing in class, but my students would hear another and I would have to act out game instructions or draw examples of grammar concepts on my trusty whiteboard. Similarly, sometimes a client’s view on an idea is due to a misunderstanding. Slight changes in word choice or differences in angles with which to explain your concept can help enormously. Think about the messaging and tone already used by the client and aim to match that style where possible.

Make your client feel at ease. Comfort begets trust. When my students became more comfortable sharing their individual fears around making English mistakes, our increased levels of trust let us work together to overcome them. When clients can openly share their challenges, obstacles to smooth communication are more efficiently addressed. Showing you already speak their language – whether that be a personal communication style or overall industry insight – is an essential skill for a strong partnership.

Just as effective teachers are in tune with their students and use specific and pointed strategies depending on who they are teaching and which ideas they are trying to impart upon their students, marketing and communications professionals should develop a diverse set of strategies tailored to different types of clients. This diversity of skills will serve them well in successfully communicating their ideas to clients in our ever-evolving industry.

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GDPR. I didn’t know the importance of those letters, much less what they mean, at one point either. Now, these letters and their impact are embossed on my mind like a loved one’s birthday: important to remember and potentially a price to pay when you forget. If you’re part of the marketing team for a global firm, you’ve likely had a hand in implementing the necessary requirements set forth by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by now.

Most in financial services marketing roles have adjusted to the new status quo, but in 2020 we can expect an influx of similar changes with big industry effects. In fact, the 4A’s recently made a plea for the US’ first similar act, CCPA, to be delayed, while Google is forcing our relationship with browser Cookies to shift. 

CCPA Hands Data Control Back to Consumer

The state of California started the new year with the implementation of the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Upon its enforcement date of July 1, 2020, CCPA aims to provide California residents with more control over their personal data, including opting out of companies’ ability to sale said personal data. Where we’ve learned to think about GDPR compliance as an ‘opt-in’ requirement, CCPA is focused more on empowering consumers to opt-out. For example, one compliance requirement is to include a ‘Do Not Sell My Personal Information’ link in a clear and conspicuous location on your website’s homepage.

For now, not every firm has to worry about CCPA compliance. The Act currently only regulates for-profit entities doing business in California that have a gross revenue greater than $25 million, annually buys, receives, sells or shares the personal information of more than 50,000 consumers, or derives 50 percent or more of its annual revenues from selling consumers’ personal information. The law also applies to any entity that is controlled by a business that meets those requirements or shares common branding with a business that is covered.

If that description doesn’t fit the bill for your firm, don’t get too comfortable yet. Tech companies around the US have voiced support for a federal law that covers the whole nation to avoid the complexity that would come with a growing number of individual state laws of this kind. A number of other states have privacy laws working their way through legislation, so marketers would be well prepared to brush up on GDPR & CCPA now (even if you are not mandated to comply) and get ahead of the coming wave.

Tracking Cookies No More

As of February 4, 2020, Google Chrome joined other major browsers in not allowing third-party cookies to be sent cross-site by default. Google also announced that within two years it intends to fully block third-party cookies in Chrome web browsers.

Did you hear the collective sigh of marketers and ad-tech firms following this announcement? This marks a massive change for the industry due to the browser’s market share (63% worldwide market share, according to StatCounter). While cookies have been instrumental for marketers in gaining consumer information to create the most targeted and successful advertising campaigns possible, they must now focus on gathering and using first-party data to match and hopefully exceed those results. As of now, there is not a clear alternative for advertisers in the wake of third-party cookie loss. In order to manage the loss of third-party insights, marketers need to evaluate what first-party data they have available and get more creative with analysis of the data to reengineer for activities third-party data was previously strong in, such as reaching new audiences.

The Road Ahead

What lies ahead for privacy regulation and changes in available data sources and how they can be used remains uncertain, but a loose roadmap is beginning to take form. While these changes are not ideal for marketers that must adapt quickly to new ways of thinking, there are positives to embracing these changes with open arms (and quickly). Start taking a comprehensive look at the data sources available to you, how they may be impacted, and how they can be cleaned to the most up-to-date versions possible. Hopefully, you’ll find yourself with clean data that provides the opportunity for clear, highly targeted marketing tactics that reach an audience already primed for engagement with your company.

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From cover letters and resumes to reference checks and writing tests, looking for a new job is no easy task. For many people, interviews are the hardest part of the process. We obsess over what to wear, how to prepare, when we should follow-up, how much to laugh, even what kind of paper to print our resumes on! Here are some ‘do’s and don’t’s’ to keep in mind when preparing for the big interview.

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Do your homework.

As an interviewer, I can always tell when someone’s taken the time to study up on my firm and our work. You don’t need to know everything about a company, of course, but be prepared to talk about what aspects of their mission or their past work interest you. Is there a specific campaign that resonates with you? A social post about their culture that you enjoyed? Invest some time and energy in researching the company beforehand and you’re sure to stand out from the crowd.

Don’t start off on the wrong foot.

Always bring a copy of your resume. In fact, bring several copies—just in case! Nowadays, most interviewers are likely to have printed, reviewed, and annotated your resume before you arrive. However, on the off chance your interviewer doesn’t, it’s good to show initiative and preparedness by having some ready to go.

Dress to impress. Research the industry standards for professional attire in your chosen field, and dress accordingly. Employers want to know that, if hired, you can be relied upon to represent the company well.

Timeliness is also key. While we all know accidents can happen, do your best to arrive on time so you’re starting things off on the right note. Interviewers are taking time out of their workday to meet with you, and you want to be respectful of their schedule and workload. Ideally, you’ll aim to get to the area 15 minutes early, just in case you get stuck on a delayed subway, get lost finding the office, or need some time to collect yourself before heading in. Plan to head in the actual office five to ten minutes early, at most, to avoid inconveniencing your interviewer—you never know what else someone might have planned in their schedule!

Do be prepared to discuss your experience and the industry.

While resumes are useful for getting a sense of your background and skillset, nothing is as valuable as face time with a candidate. This is your time to shine! Tell me about your accomplishments at previous jobs/internships (or with student groups/teams, if you’re still in school). Did you save the company money? Hit a fundraising milestone? I want to know what you achieved, how you did it, and what you learned. I’m looking for people who are excited to join my team and positively contribute—show me that that’s you.

It’s also helpful to read up on the latest news in your industry. For example, if you’re looking for roles in marketing/PR, brush up on campaigns that have made waves recently. We’re looking for folks who care about what we work on, so if you’re already passionate and informed, you’ll stick out from the pack.

Don’t spend the whole time talking.

I know, I know, I just said an interview is about sharing your experience, but it should also be a discussion. You want to learn more about the company and the team you’ll be joining, and to do that you should be prepared to ask questions and engage with the interviewer’s responses. Plus, nobody wants to work with someone that monologues or speaks over them, so don’t do it in the interview.

This is your opportunity to get an insider’s perspective on the company—you can only learn so much from the careers page or Glassdoor reviews, after all! Before the interview, spend some time thinking through what you’d like to know about the culture, the team, and the company’s future plans. That way, you can make the most of your time with the interviewer and figure out whether the company and role are a fit for you.

Do be professional.

Aside from learning more about you and your background, interviewers are also interested in gauging your sense of professionalism. We want to know you’ll be able to conduct yourself well with any clients, vendors, prospects, or other external parties that we work with. Err towards the side of caution if you don’t know whether an anecdote or topic is safe for discussion. A good rule of thumb is stick to what you’d feel comfortable discussing with your grandparents at tea—so avoid politics, partying, religion, and your love life.

Don’t forget to send a thoughtful thank you note.

It might seem obvious but sending a thank you note to everyone you interviewed with is the best way to follow-up and ensure you’ve left a positive impression. If you don’t have all the contact details, ask your recruiter if they can pass them along, or politely ask those interviewers whose details you do have to send along your thanks. Some interviewers might even axe your application completely if you neglect to send one, and if you’re in close running with another candidate it could bump them into the lead. Don’t leave the easy brownie points on the table—send the note!

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Be confident in what you bring to the table for a prospective employer and show them that through your conversation and demeanor. Invest some time in preparing beforehand and remember to follow-up afterward, and you’ll set yourself up for success – and maybe even clinch that dream job offer. Good luck!

It seemed like a good idea at the time: Relocate my primary residence from New York to Florida in 2005, bounce between Fort Lauderdale and Manhattan and enjoy the benefits of both cities.The plan was for me to “super commute” for a year. Almost two million miles and 15 years later, I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I’ve spent countless hours navigating flight delays and cancellations, and commuting to and from airports, to say nothing of the approximately 3,500 hours (or 146 days) I’ve spent in the air. By the numbers, my round-trips are the equivalent distance of the earth to the moon just shy of four times. Numbers aside, my time in the air has been nothing if not instructive. Herewith are the five most valuable lessons I’ve learned while winging it up and down the East Coast. Read the full piece at PR Daily.

5 career lessons learned on the fly

We’ve reached a point where a large portion of our every day may incorporate a social media component to enhance and complement our activities. As such, the collective whole of communications and marketing professionals have spent countless hours and written thousands of words on how to engage target audiences through the social fad du jour.

While many have rushed to embrace the myriad channels and the social media obsessed culture pushing them, not every company has adopted a comprehensive plan to managing and growing these channels in the long term. In fact, the CMO Council found 45% of marketers feel they lack the necessary talent, technology, and processes to master omni-channel brand marketing. Those marketers need to push their budget holders to move the dial on those strategies – brands with strong omnichannel customer engagement have an 89 percent customer retention rating, compared to 33 percent for brand rated at weak engagement, according to research by Aberdeen Group. It’s clear a dedicated and clever omni-channel strategy pays off.

Those who are successful will find a way to pick the channels appropriate to their brand and remain cohesive between them, without regurgitating the same information give or take the allowed character limit. Unless your company only uses one social platform, you need to have more than one social strategy – You need individual plans and campaigns created independently for Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Though overarching themes will permeate all channels, you shouldn’t be regurgitating the exact same copy on each platform.

So how do we as marketing and communications professionals avoid this “social regurgitation?”

First, define what the overarching goals are for your marketing strategy and how they may differ between each channel, and then make sure you have defined the type of content best suited for each channel based on those parameters. If you’re a retail company, you’re likely using Instagram to gain awareness, as an active shopping destination and for consumer research, while your LinkedIn page would be telling the corporate story and offering related news, job postings, etc.

Second, harness the power of each of those channels and their features to keep your followers interested, but not overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by the amount of content. Rather than explain a new product via multiple posts or too-long captions, explore the engagement you receive with the ephemeral content provided through Instagram Stories. Take care to keep those fresh and your followers will eventually come to expect a new installment from you at a set pace: whether it be a series of quick educational bites, demos, or behind the scenes looks into your greater product campaign.

Brands are also now aware it is becoming harder and harder to get their feed posts across to consumers thanks to Instagram’s updated algorithm. Advertising can help reach through those algorithms and bring your content directly to the intended consumer and brands are catching on to the opportunity: Sprout Social reports social media advertising spend in the US is expected to reach $18.4 billion in 2019.

While the impact of these trends on the consumer world is obvious, other industries, such as Financial Services, should take note of the efficacy of these channels for their strategy as the millennials using them grow their wealth. An excellent example is Robinhood’s sponsorship of YouTube videos from the Funhaus channel, which primarily produces video-game focused content, from gameplay to industry news reporting. In one video, Robinhood offered listeners a ‘FREE stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint to help you build your portfolio’ alongside a dedicated sign-up link, allowing Robinhood to track the referrals from this advertising effort. I’d expect these are dollars well spent for the diverse range of Funhaus viewers – falling into the ever-muddied waters of social media, advertising and influencer marketing.

Until we reach a point where one social media platform trumps them all, give your audience a clear path to engagement with your brand in various channels, in the way that best suits them. With fresh content applied in new ways across each, followers won’t find you stale, and you’ll see the positive feedback reflected in engagement, followers, and ultimately revenue.