Wednesday, October 28, 2009 |
posted by Sue Heuman |
Here at Focus Communications, we work hard to develop innovative solutions for our clients. Most days, everyone is nose-to-the-grindstone, head down, intensively writing, designing or pondering strategy.
Once a year, however, we take a break from the madness for a different kind of, well, madness!
The annual Focus Communications pumpkin carving contest!
In fact, this is the 3rd annual contest and each year has been won by a different staff member. For weeks leading up to the contest, staff talk smack, trade taunts, and plot secretively about their designs. The night before the contest, everyone is required to hollow out their pumpkins and draw on any designs, so that carving is all that's left. This leaves time to munch on a little pizza, ordered in to help carbo-load for the big event! It's a special day here in the office for a couple of reasons.
First, it provides much-appreciate comic relief to an otherwise business-as-usual day. Second, it allows staff to express their creativity in new and innovative ways. Lastly, there are BIG prizes at stake. First prize is a Hallowe'en tiara and magic wand with which the winner can command the staff. This year's winner pledged to rule fairly and honourably - and, really, that's all you can ask. Other prizes include Hallowe'en pencils and socks, fake nose and glasses, and a funky drinking straw.
In the end, a good time is had by all, and everyone takes home a custom pumpkin ready for display on Hallowe'en night.
Not too scary, really.
Shift in Communication
Monday, October 5, 2009 |
There is an enormous cultural shift going on right now – something that I expect will be chronicled in history as a major turning point in civilization. No, I’m not just talking about Twitter or Facebook; rather, I’m talking about the shift from organization-centric communication to consumer-centric or individual-focused communication.
In the retail setting, today’s consumers know a lot about the products and services they purchase. Sometimes more than the salespeople serving them. They source their own information, seek out opinions and reviews, and custom tailor the products and services to meet their needs. The Internet has opened a whole world of information, available at our fingertips – that’s not new.
What’s new is the ability for customers to read reviews or comment on products and services in the moment using smart phones that have Internet access. With Twitter, for example, bad customer service is regularly reported on the spot via cell phones or smart phones, reaching thousands of people. This is a vast difference from the days when poor customer service was reported to a few friends and family. Consumers are more influenced by peer reviews than advertising, so the impact is significant.
The point is; communication is evolving at breakneck speed. May we live in interesting times...
We’ll talk about this in future posts.
