Relating to Generation Y…

I just got back from the National Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City.  One of the keynote speakers was a young fella (Generation Y guy), and he talked about how to best communicate to/connect with Generation Y.   He left us with some interesting take-aways:

• Generation Y’ers are adamant about wanting to be recognized and treated as unique individuals.  So we must strive to customize things for them.
• They really relate to key life moments, and pictures of those moments, e.g.  their high school and college graduations, special anniversaries, getting married, etc. 
• Don’t ask them for referrals.  Instead, ask them “can I help any of your friends?”
• The most important day of the year for this generation is………you guessed it:  Their BIRTHDAY! 

Dave Patterson

Do it right, or not at all…

I referee basketball as a hobby. And every time out I make it a point to always hustle up and down the court, trying to always be in the best possible spot to get the call right.

Now, when I’m watching a basketball game, I find myself sometimes getting upset at officials. But not for making what might appear to be a bad call, but rather for not hustling, not giving it their best, all the time.

And I suggest the same attitude should hold true in how you manage your company’s marketing efforts. Do it right, or don’t do it at all. And I believe that is particularly important when it comes to managing your brand. Making sure that what your company has to offer to your customers is positioned “right” from the start will go a long way toward maximizing your success. Do it right, or not at all!

Insights from National NAMA conference

Just returned from the annual National AgriMarketing Association (NAMA) conference in Kansas City. As always, it was a great networking opportunity.  And I came away with some marketing-related insights to share:
· We marketers now in some ways need to “unlearn what we’ve learned.”
· We must “earn attention” by creating interesting and useful information.
· Encourage other marketers to share information…the speaker referred to it as promoting “Word of Mouse.”
· Video will be an ever more powerful way to share information on the web.
· Do not put up any web content that has not been properly optimized.

The motivational speaker had a couple of thoughtful suggestions:
· Always greet people enthusiastically, i.e. make them feel like you truly are happy to see them.  It will make all the difference in how people interact with you.
· When you are not sure what to do…do something.

And finally, one speaker talked about how to generate, and then evaluate ideas.  I really liked his closing point:  We marketers need to fight for good ideas.  And if we don’t think an idea is worth fighting for, then it’s probably not a good idea.

Welcome to our world (blog)!

With this launch of the Patterson Interactive blog, we have created a forum for sharing with you thoughtful, marketing-related insights and ideas.  Even better, we look forward to learning from you, and thus welcome your comments.  As you know, the new power of marketing is in the interaction.  So let’s share…and in doing so help make us all better at what we love to do:  interactive marketing.  Welcome to our world!