How to Double Your Klout Score in Less than Two Weeks

The Klout Score is the current standard measure of online influence. Klout takes in terabytes of data of social interactions from across the web, from Facebook to Twitter to Youtube. Using large scale analysis and distributed computing, Klout is able to perform predictive analysis to understand when people create content, and how others react to that content. The Klout approach aggregates signals, content, and social graphs from various platforms into a single Hadoop cluster. Once the data is aggregated, Pig and MapReduce jobs run machine learning algorithms that produce metadata for users and their friends. This metadata is loaded into Elastic Search as well as HBase for consumption. Although this provides a robust and scalable data processing pipeline, a couple key areas that contribute to success are 1) understanding social media knowing what questions to ask of the data and 2) building feedback loops into your content so Klout learning models improve over time.


So, there you have it.  Blog more.

How Many Twitter Followers Does Your Chief Creative Officer Have?

As a business development leader at a top 10 global agency, I have filled out thousands (literally) of RFIs and RFPs.  When you consider that the average RFI/RFP has -- at a minimum -- 30 questions, then I have probably answered more than 30,000 questions.  What's amazing, though, is the fact that not one single client has ever asked me -- How many twitter followers does your Chief Creative Officer have?  Or - What's your CEO's Foursquare score?  How much Klout does your Digital strategist have?  How many facebook friends does your agency have?

Why aren't clients asking these questions?

If I was a procurement officer, or a CMO, I would want to know the answers to these questions before I even entertained entrusting my hard-earned brand to a potential marketing partner.  How can an agency offer counsel on emerging and social media, if they aren't actively participating in its narrative?  When agencies fake it (and, ghasp -- they do), they can cause serious damage to the reputations of the brands they serve - and the people behind them within the client organization.  

Falsities and truths mingle in the land of RFI/RFP writing.  But numbers don't lie.  Next time you search for any agency -forget about their D&B score.  It's their Klout that you are really interested in!

Mayor of ROI!

I learned today that I was elected to Mayor of Mansfield Community Park.  (Well, it's better than the Iowa Caucus!)  My official first act as Mayor is to raise revenue for the Central Smile Bank.  Effective immediately, everyone entering the mark must smile and greet their neighbors with a hardy, "Hi.  Hello.  Howareya?".  All dogs must receive increased favorable attention from children and seniors.  Parents will not be allowed to raise their voices at soccer games and little league, unless it is in praise.  Coaches can not argue plays, unless it is to give the other team the benefit of the doubt.  I know this all sounds so very goofy.  But, in today's climate, I think that the Return on Infectious behavior will be extremely positive.  Have a nice day :-)

What Does My Kitchen Sink Have to Do with CRM?

My Sorry Sink

The faucet on my kitchen sink broke today.  Tim-the-Tool-Man that I am, I got out my monkey wrench and went to town.  Mistake # 1.

An hour and a half into it, and it's off to Home Depot for a new "Handle Assembly Kit".  Only Home Depot ain't got such part.  So, I buy a new faucet.  Mistake # 2.

$268 and two hours later, I realize that this won't work.  Sooooo - at 1:45 PM - I send a Hail Mary pass to the plumber.  Unbelievably, the plumber says he will be there between 2 PM and 5 PM --- TODAY!!!! Did I mention it was Sunday.  Torrential downpour, hailstones the size of Texas.

My Plumber - He Deserves a Plug!

He gets here, as promised.  Tells me to return the new faucet for money back.  Pulls a "Handle Assmbly Kit" out of his butt - and stick a fork in it - she's done!

Imagine if Comcast (or insert any bloated quasi-monopolistic pseudo-service organization here), operated like my plumber!  Oh what a world it would.  What does my plumber know about CRM that many marketers don't?

1.  Service with a smile
2.  Stand and deliver
3.  Add real value

You just can't fake that stuff.

For My Friend Ken Beatty: The Smartest Guy I Know

Everyone knows that winning new business requires a great deal of creativity.  But sometimes, creativity comes from the most unlikely source – the data guy.

I was in a pitch once, and the Client said:  I agree with your recommendation, but I think you made a serious error in your ROI calculations.  Do you really expect me to believe that (2/10) = 2?  Prove it!

So, the Account Lead said – “No can do.  This is out of scope!”

The Media Lead said – “We can do it.  But we’ll need more budget.”  

The Creative Director said – “Well, I know it looks funny; but, technically, it’s still within brand guidelines.”  

The Strategic Planner said – “This is really strange.  But, let’s see how it plays in focus groups.”

But, the Data Analyst stood up and said – “That’s easy!”

                           (2 / 10)   = Two / Ten

“T” is common.  Hence   = wo / en

Now, “w” is the 23^rd letter and “o” is the 15^th.

Similarly, “e” is the 5^th letter, and “n” is the 14^th.

Hence,

                        (wo / en)   = (23+15) / (5+14)

                                          = (38 / 19)

                                          = 2

Analysts are never worried about what the answer is.  They will always ask, “Which answer do you want?”

That is my friend Ken.  The best data guy I know.

Account Management: You Can't Handle the Truth

O. Burtch Drake, once said, “the discipline of Account Management has been so inextricably tied into the DNA of the agency business, it has been taken for granted.”

I’ve worked in account management my entire career, and I couldn’t agree more.  For far too many years, account managers have been derided as smooth talking, over-privileged, hipster Madmen. That may have been the case during the age of the three-martini lunch.  But, in today’s age of social solipsism, I hold that there is no role more fundamental and more central to agency success than true account leadership.

No longer is account management simply about “handling” clients.  Nor is account management the whipping post of the creative elite (as in this spoof).  Agency innovation is now a very hot topic in the C – as in client – Suite.  Clients are very interested in re-interpreting the agency model – and account management is at the epi-center.

Every client I know is thinking about innovation – not just across their product lines and marketing campaigns – but across their entire organization.  And, every agency I know – should be thinking this way too:  How to innovate within their organizational structure; how to create a balance between re-energizing their core and attacking any white space; what types of people they need to staff their innovation function; and what capability gaps do they have that need to be filled.

It’s more important than ever for agencies to re-invent the way that their clients engage with them. Client expectations are higher than ever.  They want solutions faster than ever.  And, they demand that their agency experience is easier than ever.  Believe me, clients aren’t taking good account management for granted – and neither should you.

Happy Anniversary Dear

Today marks the 26th anniversary of my wedding to Missy - the most stunningly gorgeous, sinfully delicious (cook - shame on you all), graciously charming, amazingly clever, make-me-laugh-in-my belly, world's best Words-with-Friends playing woman on the planet.  How I won her, I will never, never know.

The first week of my freshman year at college, I attended a mandatory dorm meeting and sat down next to my destiny.  After that meeting, I remember telling my roommate that, "I had just met the girl that was going to marry."  Those were my exact words.  I know.  I know.  Sounds like something someone would say like, "Follow that cab!" in a "B" rated movie.  But it is the truth - I swear.

But then, maybe that's because my life has really been like a movie - or TV show.  "Bewtiched" to be exact.  Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be Darren Stevens (not the Dick York version).  Like so many innocents who really don't know anything about the business beyond "Mean Joe Green" and "Where's the Beef", I was seduced by the lure of Madison avenue as a child.  (It wasn't until I got fired a few times before I realized it was actually a cold, hard business - not magic -nothing glamorous at all, in fact.)  Well, for nearly 30 years, I have followed the siren's call.  In the end, I have made a career of advertising (my first job was at BBDO - on Madison Avenue).  But, I never did marry a witch.

Instead, I married Doris Day.  After all these years, I have realized that my charmed life is more like "The Thrill of it All" than "Bewitched".  Sunny, vibrant, fun, chaotic, messy -- but always, always -- with a happy ending -- all because of Missy - my goddess, my muse, my Happy Soap pitch girl.  I love her.  I adore her.  I am intoxicated by her.

Happy anniversary Missy.

Accountability: The New Creative? Or, The New Creative Killer?

David Ogilvy once famously remarked that the best way to pick an agency was to watch TV - then call the agency that produced the ads you liked the most.  Today, though, I would challenge that notion.  Don't get me wrong - great creative is still a good measuring stick for finding a creative resource - duh.   Yet, today, a smart client needs to look further.  What's the ratio of finance staff to creative talent, for instance?  My Mama, (God bless her soul) always said - "Too many bean counters makes for bad soup." - and she never stepped foot on Madison Avenue.

Last year, I had the good fortune to be present for a keynote address that Alex Bogusky gave for Mirren (the New Business folks).  It was memorable for many reasons (he and his son drew stick figures for the presentation - you can view it here), but what I remember most was his warning about too much focus on FTEs.  "How many creatives, how many resources does it take to come up with a winning pitch?"  If it takes the entire agency to pitch in and develop the winning idea, then that is what it takes.  The temptation is to treat ideation and strategising like a fiduciary process that you can manage down.  In doing that, some agencies stunt creative development and miss the mark.

Better to focus on creative talent - than creative bean counting.

Bright and Shiny are Overrated

Ad agencies everywhere are notorious for their envy of all things bright and shiny. They attract us. We can't keep our eyes off them. Their glow is like a supernatural force, pulling us into their orbit - and we can't resist. We chase new user experiences, new technologies -- the newer, the shiner, the higher the demand.

Why?

Because we think that if we aren't keeping up with new media trends, we will be left vulnerable. Vulnerable to opportunities, stereotypes, the widening digital divide, political marginalization.

Yet, (and, yes, this "yet" is for you Wendy) as much as we like to think it may be so, the newest technology isn’t necessarily the best - or the right thing to do for our clients. In an increasingly over-mediated, over-saturated, over-shiny advertising world, sometimes - it still pays to "simplify, simplify, simplify."

One of my all-time favorite websites belongs to one of the richest men in the world - Warren Buffett.  Few would disagree with me that his company, Berkshire Hathaway, is a model for success for any business today.  Yet, his website, http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/, appears to break all the rules. 

User Experience design be-damned. There is no social media.  No links to Facebook or You Tube.  No Twitter feeds.  No flew-flewbers or tah-tinkers.  No Who-Whovers or gar-ginkers. The site can only be described as a throwback to the days of Compuserve and the Arpanet. 

Yet, even without all the bells and whistles, in liquid reality, the site is armed with meaning and value. Without the glitz and glitter -- the bling bling of Bershire Hathaway is unmistakable. 

However humble it is served-up, the content on the site reflects three major elements required for success in today's community-driven marketing world:  collaboration, sustainability and education.  These elements are not necessarily the bright shiny new things of the future. Instead, they remain the crux of successful marketing practice today. 

It's about the content - not the creative.

"Hello, World"

When I was a kid, my mother used to listen to radio station WNEW out of New York City.  I'm dating myself here, I know - but, the salute to William B Williams as the title of my first post seemed somehow irresistible. (Pardon the corn, you'll get used to it.)  Williams was the enigmatic voice of the "Make Believe Ballroom" for like 40 years.  He is also noted for coining the name "Chairman of the Board" for Frank Sinatra.


Willie B, as he was known, combined an intimate knowledge of music with personal anecdotes to create a smooth style that captivated listeners. He developed lasting relationships with the top singers of the Great American Songbook, including Lena Horne and Nat King Cole. Early in his career, he befriended Frank Sinatra when the crooner recorded broadcasts at WNEW. On one broadcast, Williams mused that since Benny Goodman was the "King of Swing" and Duke Ellington was a duke, then Sinatra must have a title as well, suggesting "Chairman of the Board." Sinatra learned of the comment and embraced the title. Later, when interest in standards flagged, Williams persisted in playing Sinatra's music and is credited with a key role in keeping Sinatra's career afloat. Sinatra, to whom loyalty was a key virtue, never forgot Williams and lauded him to any and all who would listen.

Through the years, my life has been enriched by people like Willie B who have an extraordinary ability to paint a vivid tableau with their words. I hope that the narrative that I share with you through this blog will color your world, your business, your life in the same way.   I hope to combine my intimate knowledge of the delicate underbelly of advertising with personal anecdotes collected from working at some of the world's leading agencies.

So, stay tuned.  It may not be the Make Believe Ballroom any more, but it will be just as colorful.