StoryTeller Media & Communications | Public Relations | Marketing | Video Production
Minneapolis/St. Paul Marketing and PR agency and video production company|StoryTeller
Ed’s Blog
The Everlasting Christmas Shopping Season
I don’t watch much television these days and when I do it’s usually either a news show or a sporting event. Sorry, NBC, but “must see TV” doesn’t really get seen in our house. That said, I’ve noticed the surge of Christmas shopping advertisements on TV and frankly I find it a bit obnoxious. “Black Friday” hype wasn’t enough, now it has to be “Black Friday,” before Friday, just in case it’s red Friday instead of black! I get it, I understand and appreciate the challenges of retailers, but I wonder at times, where does it end? Will we some day start seeing “early Christmas shopping” specials in August? I can hear it now, “it’s not too early to get a jump on Christmas!”
When our kids were little we used to read to them a Sesame Street story called “Elmo Saves Christmas.”
In the story, Elmo, is granted a wish and he asks that every day be Christmas. Well, that was a great idea until the little red muppet realized that if every day is Christmas, the holiday is really not that special anymore. As I look at the growing Christmas shopping season I think about Elmo and wonder, “where does it end?” Will retailers extend the season so long that Christmas morning gets lost in the sales and deep discounts? Or have we already reached that point?
The I Generation
Has anyone labeled this current generation of teenagers? I mean, we have Gen Y, Gen-X, Boomers, etc. How about this: Gen-I? It would be fitting, wouldn’t it? This group has grown up with the iPod, iPod touch, iPod shuffle, iTunes, iPhone and iPad. Heck, if they have $100 a year, they can even have a me.com account. My question is, will this be a generation that has the ability to think of anyone but themselves first? You say, well, at least there’s YouTube, but even their moniker is “Broadcast Yourself.”
Lunch with Jeff Prouty of The Prouty Project
One of the most enjoyable part of our work is meeting new people and making new friends in various businesses. We’ve recently crossed paths with a wonderfully creative and interesting strategic planning group called, The Prouty Project. Jeff Prouty, a former Price-Waterhouse guy, is the CEO and founder. He’s also one of our new favorite people. Jeff and his team work with CEO’s, upper level management teams and boards of directors to help them dream big and then reach their dreams. Their mission statement says it all: “We exist to creatively stretch leaders to achieve bigger goals, bolder strategies and better collaboration.
StoryTeller 2011 Forecast
September. It’s here and hard to believe I blinked and now it’s more than half way over! Fall is one of my most favorite times of the year… the smell of burning leaves, the cool mornings that make my daily run a little more manageable, the renewed energy and excitement of the yellow school bus turning the corner and the anticipation of the new experiences that lie ahead for my kids. The excitement takes me right back to when I was a child and my mom and I would make the annual trek to the “Dime Store” (wow that makes me sound old!) to buy my new school supplies and school shoes. She loved buying new school supplies just as much as I did.
There is something that feels so cleansing about this time of year. For me, Fall is no longer about the newly organized binders and pencil cases, but it’s the time of year that causes me to reflect on where we have come and most importantly where we are going. As a company, it’s the season that allows us to make sure that the ship is on course and to begin focusing our efforts on what waters we will sail as we look to 2011.
Here’s what I know you can expect to see from StoryTeller next year:
- A continued focus on applying the traditional principles of Public Relations to the new and ever changing social media strategies
- We will make sure we are as up to date on the latest trends, tools and strategies we think will help our clients be successful
- A transformation of our video studio space that will allow our clients to be creative in ways they have not even imagined
- Our commitment to you, our clients, to deliver the best product at the the best price within the timing that you expect it.
Finding the Right Job Sometimes Means Saying No
We recently offered a job to a young candidate to help with a critical part of our business. This is a job that the young person would grow into and develop, which in plain terms means, what this job is today is not what it’s going to be. We were (and are!) looking for a unique person with very specific skills and experience. Certainly not someone who falls off the proverbial turnip truck. Fortunately, she turned it down.
When Talking is Better Than Texting
One of the longest running and biggest challenges of emails and text messages is inflection and expression. Sure, you can write in ALL CAPS IF YOU REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE A POINT and you can smile 
or wink;), but so much is still lost in translation. Then there are those who hide behind e-mail in communication. You know the people who do it, in fact, maybe you even do it. But why?
Father’s Day Gift
As the proud father of three wonderful children, the meaning of Father’s Day for me hasn’t changed, it’s just broadened. A tradition in our house is the handmade Father’s/Mother’s Day cards. Aside from being sweet gestures of love and appreciation, they will be tender keepsakes as our kids continue to grow. My wife spoils me and turns on the green light for me to make of the day what I choose. Even with all that, my thoughts on Father’s Day are not only my own thanks giving, but on the gifts that my father gave to me.
Are You a Thought Leader?
For the record, I’ve always disliked the phrase “thought leader,” mostly because about a year and a half ago, it was another business buzz phrase (ie. 24/7, gitter done, step it up, etc.) that was overused, abused and misused. That said, it always made me wonder, “what IS a ‘thought leader?’”
Removing Barriers for Peak Performance
We all have them. They keep us from doing what we need to do, from becoming a better business person, employee, father, mother, daughter, son, etc. They are often irrational, aggravating and in some cases draining. I’m talking about barriers in your life. If you’ve been meaning to do something, but just haven’t done it because “something” always gets in your way, you probably know what I’m referring to – it’s that “something.”
The Key to Happiness: Setting Realistic Expectations
Parenthood teaches you many things. Some things you expect to learn, like changing a diaper in the back of a car or simply changing a diaper! Then there are things that I’ve learned through raising children that have less to do with bringing up kids than about life itself. They have taught me that most things in relationships revolve around expectations.