|
Andrea Learned wrote a great post this week on her own blog about connecting on a human level with your community....
Inspired by a fun and quirky profile of a realtor in her local Burlington, Vermont, paper, she wrote that the pitch-free interview was less about business than about "just about getting to know this person in the community... I think it's worth a lot, and believe that even purposefully 'advertorial' efforts, could learn from it."
As in: Can businesses do a better job with its collateral? Can the executive team profiles or staff listing be just a little offbeat? Can you relax just a teeny bit, Andrea says, "and let the humans inside and outside your brand connect to one another in a similar manner?"
I'm a huge proponent of creating a memorable voice for your company that's not silly, just distinct. To that end, here are 10 things you probably didn't know about Daily Fix contributor and marketing to woman consultant Andrea Learned.
1. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, it would be… veggie burritos
2. If I weren't a marketer, I would be a… lifestyle coach
3. Something I would like to do, but haven't had the chance… sail the Atlantic Coast, visit New Zealand
4. The last concert I went to… Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
5. My favorite toy as a kid… I *hate* to admit this: Barbie
6. When I'm not working, you'll find me… Walking my dog, doing Pilates, riding a horse, hiking in Stowe...
7. My favorite TV show is…House (the one about the doctor, not a show on HGTV)
8. My oddest paranoia or superstition is…That my dog knows what I'm thinking.
9. My last movie I saw was…Casanova (Netflix, not in a theater)
10. If I could have dinner with a famous person, dead or alive, he or she would be…author May Sarton
|
Comments
Ann, thank you for bringing Andrea to life. It will help all of us relate to the human behind the blog.
Furthermore, I think this format may be the best branding idea I have come across in eight years. (I hope that says more about you than about me.) In fact, I may add the format to my web site.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 08.18.06
Lewis -- Thanks for the kind words, but no brilliance here. I ripped off the idea, too. : )
I've known Andrea for a long time -- she used to write for me at the ClickZ -- but I still marveled at the fact that Andrea's favorite childhood toy was a Barbie doll! Mattel would love that the author of "Don't Think Pink" was a one-time afficionado....
Posted by: Ann Handley | 08.18.06
Okay... it's confession time. My wife has a trunk-full of Barbie's and Barbie accessories. I'm waiting for a good eBay moment.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 08.18.06
Ann,
What a great idea, I wish I had had it earlier! :)
Since you are doing a whole series, you could try to analyze commonalities to determine the profile of a typical marketing blogger. For example, do we all love House on TV? :)
Eric
Posted by: Eric Kintz | 08.18.06
Barbie didn't have quite the negative connotation in the early 70s that "she" may have now. But, look at what we uncover by releasing these truths to the world? Lots of others to sit with in the same embarassing boat. ;-)
Posted by: Andrea Learned | 08.18.06
That's funny I fear that every dog is smarter than I am.
Another great post Ann, this is your strength, giving a 'human face' to these marketing topics. Great job giving us some insight into Andrea.
Posted by: Mack Collier | 08.18.06
Omigod! I loved Barbie (actually still do) and I love House!(I even watch all the reruns.)
Some interesting thoughts here. I enjoyed the profile of Andrea, and found Andrea's snapshot of the realtor compelling. The key is being authentic---something that is often hard to do consistently, I think, even when one has the best of intentions.
Posted by: Anne S. | 08.19.06
My favorite childhood toy was my super cool green machine. Who needed a steering wheel when you had two levers at your disposal which could instantly put you in a tailspin. And Barbie was pretty cool back then. Before she got into all that "augmentation" nonsense.
She just got caught in with the wrong crowd. Great post Ann.
Posted by: David Aarmano | 08.20.06
I had the Big Wheel but I have some comics from the early 70s that have the Green Machine ads in them, a definite classic!
Posted by: Mack Collier | 08.21.06