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

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

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

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

When conducting lead generation activities, one of the first things you will discover is the great variance in contact rates throughout the course of a single day. There are a number of factors that determine contact rate, such as:

• the industry you are calling,
• the level of decision-maker you are trying to reach, and
• the complexity of your offer.

It is not uncommon for a company to see contact rates range between 10% and 30%, depending on the time of day you are calling. One of the unique advantages an out-sourced service provider offers is the ability to staff projects based on the best time of day for calling to achieve a higher contact rate.

Ready for some math? Let’s use the range of 10% to 30% as an example. If your average contact rate is 20% and you make 20 calls per hour you will reach four decision-makers each hour of calling (20 x 20%). Over an eight hour day that would be 32 contacts. Taking it a step further, a study of your call results may reveal that you have a 30% contact rate between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. A call center could staff eight people to make calls during that peak hour of the afternoon and could potentially reach 48 decision-makers in the same amount of time. By doing so you would increase your productivity by 33% and of course—generate more leads. Granted, this is an extreme example but it helps to illustrate the advantages of out-sourcing lead generation.

How would a 33% increase in contacts affect your revenue projections?

Read more blogs at SCG’s 41 Stories.

-Randy West

So, at the beginning of the year, rather than making my goals the typical “must lose X number of pounds this year” and “eat less junk food and sweets,” I set out to make more specific and more manageable goals. I discovered smaller daily goals would contribute to my overall resolution to eat healthier and enhance my fitness level as well as help make my resolution seem more attainable. For example, a few of my goals are to drink at least 2 Nalgene bottles of water a day, eat at least one vegetable and/or fruit with every meal, run at least 20 miles per week and get a personal record for a half-marathon.

I’m very proud to say that I have been sticking to most of my goals, with the exception of a few indulgences, which are perfectly okay every now and then. However, I have recently encountered one minor setback: my chronic back issues (thank you scoliosis), which have flared up in a major way after running the Twin Cities Marathon this past year followed by a 10-mile race three weeks later. This has put a damper on my ability to achieve my 20 miles per week running goal without feeling excruciating pain afterwards. My chiropractor has been a great help in keeping the pain at bay but has also strongly advised me to cut back on the running and try cross-training or simply to run less. This news, if you’re a runner like me, is one of the most disappointing and discouraging things to hear, especially if you’re trying to achieve a PR for a race.

Rather than let this obstacle completely get me down and put a damper on my motivation, however, I resolved to face it head-on and with more gusto. I’ve been doing a run/walk combination on my runs to lessen the impact of the constant pounding that running does on my back, doing more strength training with a focus on my core and back to ease the strain on my spine and trying other methods of cardio like circuit training, getting on other machines like the elliptical or stationary bike and aqua jogging.

When it comes to resolutions, obstacles are inevitable. Here are some tips to overcome and stick to any of your resolutions:

• Find support. Staying motivated is much easier when someone is right behind you, pushing you to achieve your goals.
• Set short-term goals. When we set longer-term goals, it’s tempting to put it off because we think we have plenty of time to achieve them. Short-term goals will help you stay on track.
• Don’t forget these things take time. Because resolutions require changing habits, results won’t happen immediately. In fact, it takes four weeks for new behaviors to become habits. Focus on day-to-day improvements that will only get easier with time.
• Remember the reason behind the resolution. When you find yourself slacking on your goal or feeling like giving up, remind yourself why you chose this resolution.
• Think positive. Develop a personal mantra (mine is simple: “You’re strong. You can do it. Just keep going.”) or find an inspirational quote. Do whatever you can to keep a positive outlook when your motivation starts to fade.

How do you stick to your resolutions?

Read more blogs from SCG’s 41 Stories.

-Mary Nhotsavang