My daughter’s elementary school participated in an event called Jump Rope for Heart last week. This is a national education and fundraising event sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

Jump Rope for Heart is a fun way for young students to become involved in volunteering and fundraising. The event engages elementary and middle school students with jumping rope and other physical activities that get their heart pumping while empowering them to improve their own health and help other kids with heart-health issues.

Prior to the event taking place at the school, youth participants ask friends and family for donations. The funds raised by the schools help in the fight against heart disease and stroke through research, education and improving patient care. In short, the money goes to help save lives.

I attended the Somerset Heights Elementary Jump Rope for Heart last week. I was there for the second grade event and I was truly amazed at how energetic and enthusiastic the students were. They jumped rope, leaped over hurdles, jumped on mini trampolines, hula-hooped, sack raced and hopscotched for an entire hour! I was tired just watching them participate.

My daughter was very excited to have the opportunity to take part in the fundraiser. She was very proud to have had a hand in raising the funds that will go to help others, especially children in need. This was a great opportunity for the students and the school to get involved in a good cause while still having fun and learning about good heart health. This is the eighth year that Somerset Heights students have participated in the Jump Rope for Heart program and they raised approximately $4,600 in funds.

For more information about how you can get involved in Jump Rope for Heart, visit www.heart.org/jump. What volunteer or fundraising activities do you enjoy participating in? Share your thoughts or comments below.

-Jane Tomassetti

Music lovers and Android users unite! Google Music is a free, cloud-based service allowing users to store and stream up to 20,000 songs online, all of which can be pulled from your iTunes library with easy-to-use software. While the service itself is available to anyone, it gets even better for Android users. The Google Music app is a mobile music player that instantly connects your device to your online library. You can even purchase songs from Android Market, which become instantly stored on the cloud. Need to go offline? The app lets you store songs on your device’s internal memory, making it easy to access your favorite music without a data connection.

SPOILER ALERT: the iPad 3 release date will be announced within the next couple of months as prominent tech sites leak component information.

Sorry if that ruined the surprise for everyone, but product releases like this seem to be more and more common. Companies are becoming savvier about consumer behavior and how to leverage it using various media outlets, with social media leading this charge. It goes like this: someone, somewhere leaks an image from a new product, a blog picks it up and runs with it. This story causes Twitter/Facebook/Google+ users to get excited and go crazy, thus giving what was supposed to be an internal, under wraps project an exceptional amount of buzz, even if the actual release is still months away.

We have seen all the big tech hitters do this countless times, particularly Apple. People will talk to no end about new innovations because these masters of the tease are so good at keeping product launches secret or only offering sparse details on product capabilities. In addition, the fire is fueled by the countless rumor websites existing with the sole purpose of trying to predict Apple’s every move. In fact, Apple hasn’t yet made an official iPad 3 announcement, but they’re also not denying what prominent tech sites are saying because this creates buzz without Apple spending any marketing dollars.

So why are some marketers so good at generating buzz while others make the effort but still come up short?

Let’s look at an example that recently caught my eye. I am a runner; ergo I am interested in finding the best new shoes to get through marathons this year with the least amount of physical damage to my feet. I have found that shoes that promote a natural gait are what work best for me so I run in Newton shoes, which is in the midst of revealing its 2012 product line. However, some industrious triathlon blogger had tracked down specs and images of the whole line approximately two weeks prior to Newton’s official reveal, which significantly ruined the excitement around the new product announcement. While my brand was stumbling a bit, Nike teased a February 21^st press conference with glimpses of woven-top shoes that claim to allow runners to move quicker for longer periods of time comfortably. All this had my attention. In fact, I was moved to retweet every cool little thing about these Nike shoes before I realized I wouldn’t even wear these woven-top shoes because they would pinch my feet and take me out of the race before it even started.

Regardless, Nike succeeded where Newton had failed because they did a better job of controlling the leak of information and giving just enough of a peek to keep people coming back but not so much as to ruin the launch. When Newton did release its product announcement, it didn’t acknowledge the fact that they were shouting out old news. And so it fell very flat. New news is what people want and awareness of the current environment is critical if you are going to capitalize on generating interest in your not-yet-available product.

Have you ever bought into the buzz surrounding a product release? Does the payoff ever match the hype? Let us know what you think by commenting below.

-Robby Cecil

Approximately 9 days, 4 hours and 16 minutes ago my awesome wife Liz gave birth to our second child, Franklin Patrick Larson. But who’s counting, right? Since it’s my turn to write our weekly Whatever Wednesday blog article, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share what I’ve found to be the most useful techniques in keeping a newborn as happy as possible, as often as possible. I call these techniques “Dad’s secret weapons” and it all comes from a man whom I consider a prophet living among us: Harvey Karp, MD a nationally renowned pediatrician, child development specialist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the USC School of Medicine. You can learn more about him on his appropriately titled website: www.happiestbaby.com.

Karp teaches techniques for calming newborns (even ones with colic) by utilizing what he calls the 5 S’s. These S-words are:

• swaddling
• side/stomach position
• shushing
• swinging
• sucking

The whole point in using these S-word techniques all at once or in any combination is to simulate the environment your baby grew so accustomed to while in the womb. Karp states, “Overstimulation is not nearly as big of a problem as understimulation… Babies miss the rhythmic, hypnotic sounds and movement.” In the womb babies hear a whooshing sound that’s actually louder than the typical household vacuum cleaner. This should give you an idea of just how loud your shushing may need to be. Couple the shushing with swaddling, swinging and the side position and you’ve found the “off switch” for your crying newborn.

With my first child, watching Karp’s DVD The Happiest Baby on The Block was by far the best thing I did to prepare for caring for a newborn. I’m using all the same techniques the second time around and they’re still working like a charm! I feel so strongly about these methods that I firmly believe a viewing of Karp’s materials should be mandatory during the hospital stay for both parents. In fact, I could probably do an infomercial about it, so if you’re out there Harvey, drop me a line. Now somebody go find me a screaming infant and a swaddle blanket and I’ll show you how it’s done. I only ask that you make sure the diaper is free and clear first.

Are you all done with the newborn thing and are wrangling a troublesome toddler now? There’s a DVD and book for that too here.

Further Reading:
Dr. Karp’s Website
Five S’s May Calm the Crying Infant (by Linda Little for Medscape Medical News)
The New Way to Stop Colic, Reduce Crying & Eliminate Tantrums (YouTube Video)

Do you currently have a newborn of your own? Are you familiar with Dr. Karp and his techniques? Please let us know your thoughts by commenting below.

-Brian Larson

Have you ever seen a familiar face on the big screen, but can’t recall a name or where you saw that actor last?  The IMDb app has your back.  Just like the website, the Internet Movie Database app lets you search the world’s largest collection of actors, actresses and celebrities to see a complete history of appearances.  Or maybe you’re looking for information on a specific movie or TV show?  Access over 2 million titles and view user ratings, expert reviews, plot summaries and more.  You can even search local movie theaters, find showtimes, get directions and watch trailers before deciding which blockbuster to see next!

Two recent experiences with customer service (or lack of) caused me to pause and reflect on a brand’s strength through positive and negative experiences. While we’d love if our products and services garnered only rave reviews, that’s just not realistic. So how can negative experiences be mitigated, especially online?

First we’ll start in Hell. Well, Hell’s Kitchen that is. I journeyed to this downtown Minneapolis restaurant on a recent Friday evening with a group of co-workers, nine in all. We came in a little after 5:00, which is a popular time, I know. But as we descended into the “greeting area” the front desk gentleman simply asked, “How many?” We told him nine. He responded, (bitterly sarcastic) “Have you heard of a reservation? They’re super fun and super easy to make on those computer things.”

Although upset by his rudeness, we still inquire about the wait time.

Mr. Personality: “45 minutes,” even though there were at least five open tables within sight.

Us: “Really? Even with all these open tables?” (And multiple rooms?)

Mr. Personality: “Yep. Because we have a lot of RESERVATIONS tonight.” I suppose that was his subtle way of asking us to leave.

So now (as you can image) we’re mad, walking out, grumbling about out his darn lousy customer service. Come on—we’re professionals who will spend and tip well. Even if there were a big wait, had he just been polite we would walked away from Hell’s Kitchen to return another time. Instead, I will make a point not to go back. I’ve recited this story in-person and now online. I even sent the restaurant’s manager an email detailing this experience and have gotten no reply. So I think I’ll leave Hell to Dante and find a place that welcomes my business downtown.

Flash forward to this past Sunday when I headed to the AMC theatres in Eden Prairie to catch the Oscar-nominated Descendants with a gift card. I made it through nearly 45 minutes of the movie when I thought, “Who cares what happens, is this supposed to be good writing? And hey, isn’t Adele on 60 Minutes pretty soon?” So I left to not waste any more time, mad at myself for not seeing War Horse instead and wasting the nice gift card on this snooze fest (plus some pretty lousy popcorn). I headed to the well-marked Guest Services area to see if anything could be done. The very nice manager was personable, understanding and gave me a free movie pass and snack item so next time I could return to enjoy a show. Wow! I felt like AMC theatres wanted my business. I thanked her for standing behind her brand and she said they want happy, repeat customers. What a novel idea! Are you listening Hell’s Kitchen?

I think there is a lesson to be learned for marketers and brand builders by informing you of these events. First, is to acknowledge that your brand is reflected not only in marketing materials, but by individual employees, or brand ambassadors. So you better equip the “front lines” to communicate well. And second, is to tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing.

According to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), word-of-mouth harnesses the voice of the customer for the good of the brand. And it acknowledges that the unsatisfied customer is equally powerful. In an often-heard statistic, a typical dissatisfied customer will tell eight to 10 people about his or her experience. One in five will tell 20 or more. And these word-of-mouth statistics are understated in today’s social marketplace where a tweet or Facebook post can be seen by hundreds in just a matter of minutes.

There are ways to learn what customers think, beyond your business’s Facebook wall. Check yelp or Epinions for unbiased reviews. It’s worth a monthly check to identify any negative reviews and attempt to resolve them. Companies can work hard to make people happier, to listen to consumers and make it easier for them to recommend your business to friends. And most importantly, remember that each small interaction counts—you never know who might put you in their blog.

Are there specific sites you like to use to gauge feedback? Have you righted a negative situation for your business? We’d like to hear!

-Jenny Silgen

Late last week Hennepin County took the unprecedented step of closing all lakes to vehicle traffic. It’s not necessary to be an avid fisherman like I am to see that the unusual decision was made during one of the warmest, strangest winters in recent memory. In fact, within the fishing community, ice conditions have been a hotter topic than fishing reports. A Star Tribune article from February 10 noted “unseasonably warm weather and unpredictable ice conditions have plunged eight vehicles into the water since mid-January—six in the past seven days.” And more vehicles have fallen through since then.

To me, the most interesting point about this issue is not that Sheriff Stanek decided to close all county lakes to vehicle traffic—that seemed to be a fairly sensible decision based on the odd winter and the abnormally high number of vehicles dropping through the ice. But quite frankly, I was surprised to see such a quick call of (what some considered) government overreach and “rights violations.” Many argued Sheriff Stanek’s decision represented a “slippery slope” that will make it easier for the government to impose greater restrictions on sportsmen in the future. The theory seems to be if they can close access to cars and trucks in the winter, what’s to stop them from prohibiting a boat launch in bad weather during the summer? Keep in mind, people are still free to walk or drive an ATV to their favorite fishing spot. They just can’t drive their car or truck.

Is public discourse really on such thin ice that any decision made by any government body will be met with such resentment? After all, this judgment was certainly within the sheriff’s authority and was made as a safety precaution. Considering how infrequently this statute is put to use, I find it hard to buy the slippery slope argument. If anything, the statute is used so infrequently it seems to illustrate how reluctant the county officials are to use it except under extraordinary circumstances.

But on a larger level that goes beyond our little fish bowl in Minnesota, have people become so jaded that their initial reaction is to fight any decision the government makes? I certainly hope not. As a state and a country we have much bigger fish to fry.

What are your thoughts?

Read more blogs from SCG’s 41 Stories.

-Jeron Udean

The fun (and addicting) Words With Friends app has been catching on like wild fire throughout our office. Play the virtual crossword puzzle-like game with friends and family by syncing the app through your Twitter or Facebook or by creating a Words With Friends user account. Have fun building words and trying to outscore your friends by reaching for those bonus squares. Warning: this game is incredibly difficult to put down! Are you hooked yet?

Political candidate logos are often quite predictable: NAME IN ALL CAPS, the same palette as the American flag, and trite symbols like stars, stripes, and banners waving in the wind. It is curious that the majority of politicians play it safe with the visual aspect of their brand. After all, their logos have the potential to get a massive amount of impressions. Yard signs, billboards, commercials, bumper stickers are just a few of the endless types of applications. With this much expected exposure, one would think a candidate would want to stand out in a sea of repetition.

In 2008, Barack Obama debuted a logo that broke free from the monotony of the past. Designed by Sol Sender, the eye-catching mark stood out because it had an actual concept. The campaign logo’s prime goal was not only to improve name recognition. According to Sender, “We were looking at the “O” of his name and had the idea of a rising sun and a new day. The sun rising over the horizon evoked a new sense of hope.” The result? The design became one of the most recognized political brand logos and is being used again in Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.

Fast forward to this year’s election. After witnessing the graphic design breakthrough four years ago, I was excited to see even more progressive political design. Let’s take a look.

After reviewing the final four logos in the GOP race, I was shocked at how similarly boring they were. In the GOP roster, all of the tired motifs had returned: name in ALL CAPS, very similar (and overused) serif typeface and generic red striped banners waving. The tag lines even step on top of each other, with an emphasis on the word “America.”

The only brand that stands out belongs to Obama. Implementing his 2008 icon into 2012 is a great transition. Smartly, the original logo is not altered; it is given new life with placement. Also given new life is the typeface Gotham. For 2012, type foundry Hoefler and Frere-Jones created a new custom version of their Gotham typeface by adding serifs. On their website, Hoefler mused, “Can we add serifs to Gotham? For the President of The United States? Yes We Can.”

What are your thoughts on the campaign logos?

-Joy Wagner

One of the burdens of being an adjunct professor of PR and Advertising is the obligation to read many of the newly and often hastily published books on social media. So many of them are pretentious, shallow and fraught with hyperbole and weak critical thinking that it is hard to stay unjaded enough to spot a gem. I have spotted that gem and would like to encourage you to spend a few hours to read one of most interesting and insightful books on social media that I have come across. Here is a short preview of the book.

“The Dragonfly Effect,” by Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith, offers a clear and compelling digital approach for nonprofits and others interested in discovering “quick, effective and powerful ways to use social media to drive social change,” as the book’s subtitle promises.

But this book is not just for nonprofits and companies involved in cause-related marketing. Although many of the examples are about efforts to help others, the book also offers useful ideas that brands can use to build meaningful relationships with customers and importantly, employees. The broader scope of this book is on using social media to inspire people to take actions that will truly make a difference. Illustrations of how this can work for brands include examples from large companies such as Google, Nike and eBay as well as from smaller ventures such as Groupon, FourSquare and Cookpad.

This book is interesting, persuasive, extraordinarily well-researched and yet easy to read. It is part narrative—with an assortment of rich, compelling stories—and part instruction manual. “The Dragonfly Effect” is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how small acts can add up to big change. Social media may be the best vehicle mankind has ever had to enable that vision and this book lays out insights to move productively toward that vision.

The authors of this book are uniquely well qualified for the challenge. Jennifer Aaker is a professor of marketing at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business; Andy is a principal of the consulting firm Vonavona Ventures. This book will stay with you, like a very nutritious meal. No empty calories here, like so many of the other social media books that have less carefully arrived on the shelves. This is a very thoughtfully written book.

I find myself regularly referencing the book’s primary themes in conversations with clients and students as we discuss social media strategies and opportunities. Particularly useful are the four tenants of social media the authors have synthesized from their research and practical application. These four elements:

1. Focus,
2. Grab Attention,
3. Engage, and
4. Take Action
are the metaphorical four wings of the dragonfly.

“The Dragonfly Effect” is the kind of book I like to keep extra copies of handy to give to clients to help them understand social media and the enormous potential that it possesses. It is also a book I have now included in my assigned reading list for Strategic Communication Campaign Planning at the University of Minnesota.

If you are going to read just one book on social media, The Dragonfly Effect, would be an excellent choice.

-Patrick Strother