Imagine A World

*This post was originally written in March 20, 2020. Talk about a moment in time.

As I attempt to stay sane, healthy and calm in these uncertain times, I’ve been thinking a lot about what potential good could come out of this global pandemic - hopefully as we come together quickly and stop the spread. Systems that have not been working for far too long, division over finding common ground, massive imbalances between the haves and have nots and basic common grounds like science coming into question. How will we rise up and overcome these broken systems to beat the Coronavirus? 

Imagine a world where American fashion brands truly lean into their heritage and collaborate on pooling their manufacturing resources towards making masks. Where they work with German, Japanese and Chinese engineering firms, raising capital from global Billionaires. $4M for a key component of the mask, chump change for some but a purpose that is invaluable to others. 

Imagine a world where Elon Musk, Mary Barra and Jim Hackett get on a call with the manufacturers of ventilators and they ask, how can we help? Recognizing that in times like these, every person and company needs to be moving towards war-like efforts in tackling this virus. For the sake of our world’s health, the economy and their future customers, they have an opportunity to make these sacrifices instead of waiting for the inevitable, future government bailout. 

Imagine a world where the best creative problem-solvers, a TED-like assembly of folks across medicine, consulting, public health, economists and creative problem-solvers get on a Zoom call with key politicians to create systems that help stop the spread, capturing data and appropriately using and sharing resources. All agendas, especially political, are 100% put aside for the greater good with an army of “doers” to activate these systems. It’s not an arm’s race to compete, but an army as one all working together to find a vaccine and cure. 

Imagine a world where the most advanced scientists in genetic sequencing and data analysis partner with data group centers like Lenovo, IBM and the software engineers of Microsoft and Google to ensure that computational capabilities and engineering resources are not a restriction in the search for a cure. 

Imagine a world where banks sit across the table (or on a call) from leaders in small businesses and independent contractors, clamoring to provide the next small loan over bankrolling the next billion dollar IPO. They are just as eager to keep the workhorses of our economy healthy as they are, profiting from the next billion dollar unicorn. 

Imagine a world where the health of our economy no longer hinges on quarterly earnings. When the word “capital” doesn’t just stand for money and goods, but for the health of our human capital, our environment and holistic measures of growth beyond the numbers. 

Imagine a world where what is good for my neighbor is good for me. Where I rise when they do. Where we all truly come together as a nation, as a world, as citizens and corporations, as government organizations, leaders and participants to beat this disease. 

I’m seeing it happen. Citizen to citizen, we have raised each other up through virtual chats, Instagram dance parties, restaurant gift certificates, Go Fund Me’s and doing our part to socially distance. We have challenged our government and business leaders to put their efforts where it matters. A wave of coming together that is rising in strength with each community act, each division that is broken, each agreement. A wartime effort not seen in 80 years. A monumental shift where we’re being forced to turn inwards on what truly matters and outwards on our role as a community. Time spent with family. Grateful for the most basic needs; health, family, our loved ones, toilet paper, and laughter through the uncertainty. 

Imagine a world where we beat this, together.

A Not So Even Year - Reflections On My 2018

*This was originally written in January 2019 (such innocent times! Importing snaffus!)

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had some time to truly reflect on my 2018. I found two great tools for those still looking to do this, an Annual Life Review through Steve Schlafman on Medium, and through Hilary Rushford if writing vs. typing is more your style. There’s still time!

If there was one word to describe my year, it would be “unexpected.” It seems that at every intersection, what I thought I would see when I peeked around the corner was not what I had expected, both good and bad. As a result, I had countless adventures, learned many things I didn’t expect, met people outside of my usual circle, adapted to different environments and also had to stay strong during some very unexpected twists and turns.

My Top Eight Life & Strategy Lessons of 2018

1. Develop A Flexible Roadmap
   In 2018, I went on my first guided tour where each activity from 9am to 7pm was meticulously planned. While I delighted in the two-hour indulgent Barcelona lunches and saw the city in its entirety, there was little time for reflection and the wonderful experiences that come from serendipity. Later that year, I booked a trip to Italy where I chose to fly by the seat of my pants. The result was lots of luck and serendipity (because come on, Italy!) but also needing to stay calm and course-correct when I got on the wrong train, accidentally booked a hotel 45 minutes outside the Perugia city center, paid too much for another hotel, and spent time in cities that could have been skipped.
   
   But of course, I learned a valuable lesson - there’s an art to planning. Plan enough so you can enjoy the experience and aren’t doing things on the fly, but also leave room for the the magic that happens when you follow the wind or that street that is begging to be explored.

2. Learn to ask for, and accept feedback
   In the Spring of last year, I took a fiction writing class through Sackett Street Writers. It was incredibly challenging and I still question whether or not I have a novel to write or even want to write one. Each week, we critiqued a writer’s work, divorcing their name from the work, and advising them on what they did well and what we felt they could improve upon using criteria outlined earlier in the workshop.
   
   In the strategy world, we encourage our clients to create feedback loops between customer and product, employee and employer yet there are few constructs beyond annual reviews to do so in our work. We reference concepts like Carol Dweck’s growth mindset but fail to see how that concept can be applied to our own growth. Feedback is nothing to be afraid of and it’s critical to receive in order to grow. It is within our power as employees or managers to craft that feedback loop framework together. In fact, a hot-off-the-presses Harvard Business Review article echoes the same sentiment with advice on how to tackle performance reviews that lead to improvements.

3. A Strategy is a Strategy is a Strategy
   ”Have you done brand architecture? Design strategy? Naming strategy? Packaging design strategy?” Last year, rather than continually delivering the same output over and over, I dived into a wide range of strategic challenges, some that I didn’t even know I was getting into. I touched on design strategy, categorizing various elements of packaging and uncovering emerging trends. I helped build the beginnings of a brand with a purpose, but with many other unknowns. I shared POVs around brand architecture, seeing the parallels between that and user experience. And I ended the year delving back into culture with a few fast-paced pitches.

   The current world of strategy is increasingly fragmented just as the possibility of outputs continues to expand. But the frameworks in how to achieve a strategy remains constant. Most strategists this day-in-age are no stranger to being asked to deliver on something beyond what they’ve done. So perhaps the question is not “Can you do this?” but rather, “Is this something you’re excited about and feel you have the tools to discover how to do so?” With communities like Sweathead, Open Strategy and Fishbowl you’ll probably find that the answer is “I’ve never done it but I can figure it out, and fast.”

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Push Past Your Limits
   Last Spring, I achieved two personal, physical milestones, running further than I’ve ever ran without stopping and running a crazy, uneven path up and down through an orchard. I survived both and not only survived but kept going when my quads and lungs wanted me to stop.

   So maybe I’m driven by competition, with myself and others. But in the end, I learned a valuable lesson. I can push myself beyond what I think are my limits and the results of that achievement are far greater and more positive than the pain and suffering I’m feeling during those moments I want to quit. I also continue to learn that it’s never too late to get in shape. How will you push yourself further in 2019?

5. I Value Community
   Last summer, I visited the farm of my CSA (community sponsored agriculture) where I slept on the grounds of the farm and met the farmers and my fellow CSA members. I found myself surrounded by people who shared the same values; a desire to make a positive contribution to the world in any way they could, a group of people who wanted to get to know their neighbors and find a deeper connection to their food source and a group of people who value the simple happiness and support that being a part of a community provides.

   So in 2019 when “community” means Facebook and Instagram and we’re all increasingly comfortable avoiding our neighbors, how can we seek to rebuild those communities that we have lost? How can we make a bigger effort to foster those timeless and universal moments of connection, shared over bread and sometimes wine, of hearing the cadence of each other’s voices or sometimes the comfortable silence that comes from simply enjoying each other’s presence?

6. Listen to Your Gut
   2018 could also be characterized as a year of great meals. From the wholesome potluck dinner of my CSA farm visit, to experiencing the pleasures of New York City fine dining, to fresh dishes throughout Barcelona and Northern, Italy. It was the year I gained more than I’d like to admit but also a taste for good wine and an insight into what I truly seek in a meal.

   So whether your gut is telling you to stop eating cheese, start eating more vegetables or that the company itself is more important than the contents of the meal - listen to it! It will guide you in a way that no external source can.

7. Keep It Simple
   If I really look back, month by month and call out the moments that made me happy, they were simple and timeless - reconnecting with friends I haven’t seen in years, meeting new people, better connecting with friends and colleagues, Sunday afternoons experimenting in my kitchen, nature, running, being alone, yoga, listening to music, or curled up in the warmth of my apartment.
   
   We’re so quick to chase the latest cool experience or project a certain lifestyle to the world, but what are the moments in life that truly make us happy? What experiences do we look back with fondness? Do we remember the incredibly Instagrammeable, brag-worthy meal with company also doing it for the gram, or those moments where we’re so wrapped up in conversation that our phones are far from our hands and minds? I learned to cherish and invest in creating more of these moments.

8. The Power of Team Work
   Finally, in 2018, I found myself doing more solo work and short assignments than I would have liked. Rather than having those exchanges that come from hallway conversations and a common goal, I leveraged my online networks for insight and support- a helpful tool but not a replacement for an actual team.

   In 2018, I learned that it’s time for me to become part of the pack again. After over 2 1/2 years consulting, I’m seeking full a time strategy role.

   I realize that although freelance offers adventure and experience that comes from tackling exciting projects, I’m not a lone wolf. Even the thought of writing a novel is intimidating, not for the task, but for the solitude. Some of my fondest work experiences over my career have come from the camaraderie that comes from solving an exciting challenge, together. So in 2019, I will seek just that.

Conscious Strategy

The New Table Stakes

• This post was originally written in August 2019 (hashtag importing old blog during a Mercury in Retrograde)

To ease us back into the workweek, it seems appropriate to embark on an easy to digest guide on what brands should be doing in August 2019 and beyond.

The new table stakes. What are some basic ways in which brands must behave in order to be relevant in 2019? The kind that are do-not-pass-go imperatives that brands should tackle immediately. This isn’t about marketing tactics or social media hacks but real, tangible business transformation that companies must get on board with because their customers are demanding it. Truth-be-told, I’m completely biased by my raison d’être in using brand strategy to create some lasting good in the world. But these are very conscious biases.

1. Inclusivity. Whether you’re a makeup brand raising the bar on the number of possible foundation shades or a big box retailer offering clothing for children with disabilities, forward behaving brands are championing inclusion as a moral imperative to meet the needs of customers where they are. Who are people within your category that have been historically underserved and how can you ensure that they can experience your brand? It’s a simple question that needs to be answered and addressed in this new, and overdue, age of inclusion.

2. A purpose-offering connection. If you’ve paid attention to the branding world, by now, the idea of a purpose-driven brand is old hat. Purpose has lost its meaning. Purpose washing is the new green washing. But let’s get real. Consumers, and the world, still want and need companies to act with a purpose. 91% of Millennials would switch brands for one which champions a cause and 64% of global consumers say they choose brands because of their stand on social issues. With an endless feed of corporate responsibility promises, how do brands get people to remember the good deeds that they accomplish? By connecting their purpose with their brand. It seems obvious. Sell shoes, give away a pair of shoes. Marketing agency Shelton Group, focused on sustainability, recently found that 64% of Americans believe companies should provide ongoing support for issues that align with the types of products or services they offer. So how are your corporate responsibility efforts and purpose connected to your offering?

3. Push the limits on what it means to be sustainable. Whenever I think about how terrifying it is that most plastic isn’t recycled or that we’re in a period of mass extinction, or that our government is rolling back environmental protections just when we need it the most, I think about plastic straws and how quickly they disappeared from New York City cafés. I think about the private sector working together on an experiment in sustainability through Loop that can hopefully be a model for across-the-aisle collaboration in service of the greater good. I think about how more than half of Millennials said in 2016 that they considered the environmental impact of products when making purchase decisions and that Gen Z is willing to spend 10 to 15 percent more on sustainably produced clothing. Brands owe it to their customers, and the future of humanity itself to find the most sustainable ways of delivering their products, and customers are demanding it.

These are not easy solutions, but then again, we’re not living in easy times. So whether you’re a brand manager having to sell this up the chain or a brand strategist, eager to help guide your client towards more sustainable business practices, you have the power to help make a small difference. What would you add?

Stratifesto

Our passion are what drive our strengths. They are what makes us lose track of time. Gets us into a flow. It's what encourages us to keep going even when all we want to do is quit. It's that moment when our heart races and we're on a high, the thrill of discovery. The feeling of being blessed, knowing we are doing exactly what we want to do in life. And that grateful moment, like we are beating the system, knowing we are getting paid to pursue our passions.

Here are my passions. Maybe they're yours.

People

I strive to explore and understand human motivations. Why do we do what we do? Are we more similar than different? Is there any rationale to our decisions or is it all emotional? An excel chart full of useful data is like a light in the dark; qualitative, honest one-on-one interviews like water in the desert.

Culture

We are the product of a specific time and place - of our background, of our upbringing. Of "low-brow" cultural influences and "high brow." Of music, of film, of celebrity and of ethnicity and religion. Of politics, of climate change and the economy. What a beautiful, sometimes frightening, often hopeful world we live in that I have an insatiable appetite to explore.

Brand Building

An intangible set of values, of unquantifiable worth has the power to pique our desire. It's that allusive set of behaviors that makes us willing to pay more, a tone of voice, design and overall experience that tickles our senses. It's that element that introduces us to likeminded people, makes us feel like someone else gets us. A club we are proud to be a part of.

Transformation

The only thing constant is change. How thrilling to offer clients a new perspective that is a catalyst for change? A website design that turns a sales-led business to digital-first, consumer-first. A campaign strategy that inspires action through doing versus saying. A brand re-fresh that better reflects the cultural shifts while retaining the brand values. An innovation that is mutually beneficial to the customer as it is to the business.

Storytelling

Have you captured someone's attention? Made them actually feel something? Have you brought an idea to life through imagery or film? A compelling story has the power to convince people of your point of view. It can get clients on your side, consumers in the door. What a powerful tool strategists have at their disposal, one that I love having the opportunity to continually hone.

La Resistance

I was in Paris the day of the attacks. That evening, I had been out with friends in Montmartre. I was tired and starting to get sick and nearly didn't go out. If I hadn't gone out, I would have likely fallen asleep before the attacks which means my family and friends would have had to wait eight hours before knowing I was safe. My friend, who lives in Paris, nearly took us to a restaurant next door to the attacks. These "sliding-like-door" decisions have not escaped me. I was lucky to have left Paris unharmed both physically and emotionally.While the news outlets were focusing on the horrors of the attacks, I wandered the streets of Paris as a tourist and observer. I witnessed an entirely different side of humanity - the will to defy terrorism by going on with life. The museums and tourist attractions were closed but the cafes weren't. Tourists and locals alike filled the streets without fear. I saw the desire to deeply connect with one another despite our backgrounds. At the hotels I stayed in, seemingly aloof Parisians shared with me their feelings of shock, noting it could have been them. One wondered how she'd be treated at the airport the following week while flying to Iran. Another noted that he never called to check on his friends in Beirut but they had checked on him.

The second day after the attacks, I went to the Place de la Republique. It felt weird being voyeuristic but then again, how could I not witness this? I heard people singing and came to join the crowd. They were fumbling through the lyrics with no native English speakers leading and I nearly went up to the front to help but couldn't get through. You can see me for a split second behind the guy in the yellow sweater at the 13s mark in the Hey Jude video. I had the sense that people weren't singing for attention but truly singing their hearts out - a timeless method of catharsis. It was truly a beautiful moment - a reminder that we all have more in common than we have differences. That we are resilient and, especially if we come together, we will get through whatever challenges face us. And that we will not let violence or fear control us.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOkEcvI7Jqo]

The Myth of Childhood Innocence

While researching for my novel, I stumbled upon my diary from the late 80's to early 90's. Throughout the hard-covered, bejeweled, lockable book is the usual insight into my development and life - stories switch between my home life to my school. My spelling shows continued, dramatic improvement. My focus jumps from the trivial and self-centered, to the insightful and worldly- all within one entry. At 10 years old, in the early 90's, the only exposure I had to the outside world was through television, my parents, school and friends. I was, and still am, a member of Generation Catalano or as Buzzfeed describes, stuck between Millennial and Gen X - optimistic, yet cynical. Digitally savvy but I didn't have a cell phone until I was in college. The only "facebook" I had access to was a printed handout given to incoming freshmen.

Despite the lack of connectivity, at 10 years old this is what I wrote:

5/29/91

Dear Diary,

My main goal in life is to be useful for health, food, clothing needs and saving the earth from hate and pollution. The reason why I'm telling you this is because we just had a war. There is no more fighting, but we still need to figure out how to defeat Hadam Husane [Saddam Hussein]. Because of the war, many people spent more money for guns, bombs, and other weapons. Many people have lost their jobs. I thank god that my father, instead, got a promotion. We are lucky to have a house. Many people have been killed. Some because of the war. The rest from cold-hearted people. More people are selling crack to support their families.

The rain forest is getting killed more and more every day. In fact, I was watching HBO and they had a movie dedicated to saving the rain forest. More whales are getting killed. Their blubber provides candles and lipstick.

I was astute to the atrocities and hardships of the world.

Nearly a quarter of a century later, our level of connectivity has evolved but our world has not. Children today are exposed to the harsh realities of the world and no amount of parental sugar-coating will protect them. These findings have been validated through consumer research. The Sound  found that Generation Z is a more mature, self-aware generation than Generation Y - and possess a sense of wisdom beyond their years.

Even Generation Z's pop-cultural references fail to hide the realities of the world. Over a decade ago, Harry Potter broke the rules of typical children's literature when it killed off various characters - a far cry from the G-rated, Disney cartoons of the 80's and 90's. Millennials learned that while the world was fraught with problems, resilience and their own special magic could solve them. Following Harry Potter, The Hunger Games pushed the notion of child innocence even further - in this world, children weren't just fighting evil, but forced to fight each other to violent deaths.

But unlike Gen X or even my in-between generation, children today have the tools to make a measurable, positive impact on society. Beyond growing up with computers and smartphones, they live in a world where any question can be answered through Google or any skill gained for through YouTube. Teenagers like Tavi Gevinson are using their social presence to inspire. Students like Neha Gupta are using their access to web-design and ingenuity to make the type of impact in college that entrepreneurs like Bill Gates started making during his second career as a philanthropist. Generation Z are so resourceful that they even seek brands that help them acquire new skills, according to the latest Cassandra Report.

Every day, we are all exposed to new atrocities and situations that feel so beyond our control. But we are on the brink of a positive change. Empowered Millennials are overtaking the workforce, reaching more than 50% in 2015. Compassionate Gen-Zers, whose lives have been shaped by the recession, a government fraught with special interests, the realities of climate change and a world where there's no denying our inter-connectivity - are eligible to vote in the 2016 election.

I look forward to a future where every ten-year old can make their dreams of saving the world from hate and pollution, a reality because the future is now.

The Circle Game: Big Data & the Gutenberg Press

I've read about two pages of Nate Silver's "The Signal and the Noise" and already, my mind is blown.

Often in advertising, we look at everything we do as something that is new and hasn't been done before. Social has replaced mass marketing, T.V. commercials.. and that's a one-to-one relationship we've never seen before. Or maybe we saw that 75-100 years ago before radio ads and television ads - when the "advertising" you were primarily exposed to was the "content" you received from your store sales associate. Your one-to-one relationship was right in front of you and you could shake their hand.

Content strategy is the new, never-before, never-seen, form of digital and social marketing. Or maybe magazines and the brands that have influenced their content have just shifted to distributing their content on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Our grandparents might remember cookbooks and recipes sponsored by Betty Crocker, but these forms of "content" are completely foreign to the digital generations of 2015.

Advertising isn't the only history that repeats itself. Silver points out in his introduction that the power of data first took hold in the 1400's, when Gutenberg invented the printing press. Suddenly, books that would have cost upwards of $20,000 a copy could now be available to the masses. Information that had literally passed hundreds of hands like a game of telephone could be distributed without error. This one invention created historical upheaval. Powers that thrived on and subsequently abused being the gatekeepers of knowledge, suddenly had formidable foes calling their bluffs. Populations questioned everything they thought they knew- from over a thousand years of teachings.

When the dust settled, Western society entered a renaissance, followed by a period of enlightenment. A way of life built on divine, unquestionable and unverifiable power nearly disappeared around the globe. All but figureheads remain.

The Gutenberg Press is a relic discussed in history classes. But the power of information is apparent to us in everything we do. When we talk about big data, we talk about consumer trends, the ability to better sell products, better know our customers, our audience and maybe our world.

But it's more profound than that. It's no surprise that the genesis story of the Western world is centered around knowledge - the symbol of Eve yanking down that apple of knowledge for Adam. Understanding our generation's Gutenberg Press is understanding the power of knowledge. We are seeing corporations, institutions and even governments fall- as knowledge of their true intentions sweep through our browsers. We are seeing communities find salvation as news of their plight enter our hearts. The rate of change is accelerating at a pace we cannot imagine. While one might turn on the news to see disturbing images of injustice that desperately need to change, I see the truth being revealed- one story at a time. These stories have already created an unprecedented amount of change, one that can't be credited to our president alone, but to an entire country of people, armed with newfound knowledge.

I'm optimistic. What's next?

Breaking Through: How to Make Content Go Viral

We are in a world where we are constantly bombarded with content. From the very second that we wake up and check out Facebook feeds to snip bits of content on our commute to the news while we're eating dinner and finally, one last check before bed. As advertisers, we're tasked with breaking through that content. Developing something so compelling that it bubbles up into someone's feed. That our audience jumps at the opportunity to share.The world we play in is filled with negative news. An African American student was beaten by cops for having a fake I.D. California has one year of water left. The ice of Antartica is melting at an irreversible rate. A skim through one's feed means opens up the possibility of starting the morning on a high note or worried about the state of our world.

So how do we, as advertisers break through?

STEP ONE

Leverage star-power or a voice that has an existing audience.

STEP TWO

Create a piece of content that has genuine human emotion and evokes emotion from anyone with a soul. We are bombarded with so much negative news. Can your story be a source of hope?

STEP THREE

Put it on a channel that seems native to whomever the story is coming from.

STEP FOUR

Wait. If it doesn't go viral, it probably wasn't a piece of content that moved people. Even the tiniest decisions can be critical. There is no magic formula, only the obligation to tell a story that is meaningful and genuine.

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East to West - My Journey Across the Country

It's a quiet, gray, Saturday morning. After a week of sun and mixed clouds, the Seattle weather has finally settled in. I'm sitting in my new apartment, nestled in one of Seattle's more younger neighborhoods, Capital Hill. After five days with my stuff from the movers, I'm finally unpacked.I lived in New York City for nine years, minus a brief stint in San Francisco and New Jersey. I remember my arrival to the city distinctly - on Christmas Eve of 2005, my new roommate informed me that she picked me to co-occupy a tiny one bedroom converted to two on St. Mark's in the East Village. For four years, starting January 2006, I lived on one of the most trafficked, crazy streets in Manhattan in a quiet apartment run by slum lords who occasionally turned off the hot water without warning. Then the Upper East Side. In San Francisco, I couldn't listen to Jay Z and Alicia Key's latest hit "New York State of Mind" without getting a pang of momentary sadness. Then back to NYC- three years of a "Brooklyn tour" hitting Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Park Slope, Williamsburg and Carroll Gardens. Finally, back to the Upper East Side or Yorkville.

My decision to move across the country didn't come lightly. It involved countless pros and cons lists. Some soul searching. Talking to friends and family. I think I even tried to meditate. Ultimately, I decided that I was ready for a change and that whatever I decided, New York would still be there. Change I will get. As a result, my coast has changed, apartment, job - from freelance to full time. And my favorite - even my operating system will change at work given that I'm now in a Microsoft town.

During my research into what decision to make, I came across countless blog posts where people declared they were over New York City and consequently leaving. I had these moments- walking 15 minutes to the subway where everyday, I'd look up thinking I was further along only to realize I was only at First Avenue. Then getting crushed on the 6 Train. Sometimes I felt like I wasn't gaining traction in my career, felt like I couldn't afford all New York City had to offer. But then I had those small moments that were so uniquely New York. Stepping into a wine bar with my pros and cons list where a group of French people argued at the end of the bar. The muscular bartender, who I stereotyped as being from Long Island (I'm from Jersey, I can think these things), actually hailed from Hawaii. The trans performer dancing and singing his heart out at the Union Square subway station. A January dim sum gathering with long time friends. Or walking by the church I was baptized in, feeling a sense of pride as I thought - I'm a real New Yorker.

Recently, philosopher Ruth Chang's TED Talk on how to make decisions was floating around the internet. She speaks about how people try to quantify decisions. Will moving to Seattle be the better option, or is staying in New York the right decision? Ultimately, with both offering their own pros and cons, neither tips the scale as being a clear winner or loser. This is considered a hard decision. Instead, it's up to me to choose what kind of lifestyle I'm seeking. What am I willing to give up in order to get? What new experiences do I seek that are worth giving up all that is comfortable and familiar? Who do I want to be?

We make our choices and then adjust our life to build around those decisions. So the next time you see another "Why I'm Leaving New York" blog post, take it for what it is - an attempt to rationalize a decision that they may need outside support on. For those fortunate enough, where you live is a choice. It's a choice to experience certain aspects of a lifestyle while sacrificing others. It's a choice to experience the unfamiliar or choose to live among the familiar. It's a choice to make your life the way you want it to be.

Creators - Give and Take

As the holidays approach, I leave you with a bit of creative inspiration. This is a great example of how a brand used social in an authentic and entertaining way that leveraged influencers. The give - inspiring, original content. The get - product shots, an introduction to a younger audience and launch content. So the next time you take a photo over the next few days, think about how you can use simple, inexpensive tools to make something beautiful. This was created by Razorfish New York with credit to Mercedes for embracing the newer marketing channel of Instagram.[vimeo 83236867 w=500 h=281]

Mercedes Benz - Take The Wheel Campaign from Razorfish NYC on Vimeo.

The Year In Pop Culture

kind of epic.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKx2B8WCQuw]

Keep Running

First off, I'm really excited about the next generation - Generation Z. There's so much talk about Millennials that I think Generation Z has escaped the public eye.. for now. They're incredibly smart, self-aware and are really lucky to be growing up in the time that they are.Really? Now.. during a recession, political unrest, unstable times? Etc. Well.. it's hard for me to personally relate to various generational theories as someone born smack in between Gen X and Gen Y. But I will say that growing up in the 80's, high school in the 90's and entering the work force post dot.com crash meant that the world had great promise. I was fortunate to have missed out on having massive college debt.. but there was still this undertone that us Millennials - or my in-between peers had great promise. That we were going to save the world. Not just be ordinary - but be extraordinary. Beat the system. Excel. Except that other than having Facebook to share and complain - nothing in the world has really changed.

Gender inequality still exists and is a factor that can't be shaken off as those who rule the workforce come from older generations. White men still rule. Many people in power, whether economically or politically, still view those different than them as the "other" - failing to see how the problems of one group of people is a problem for us all. And various groups are still kept down through antiquated, false stereotypes and old unresolved, past battles.

But with this new generation - I believe it's all going to change. A life spent with literally the world at their fingertips has made them more worldly. Instead of pen pals, they literally have a window into someone else's world. In their eyes - will there be an "other?" They have little to stop them in whatever their endeavors. Do they want to code? They can look up a free video or website on how to do it? Become a photographer - download a $2 photo editing app? Learn a new language? The possibilities are endless. They're reaping what we've sowed - the free information that we've created. The insistence on gender neutral toys. The changing perceptions of what it means to eat healthy. What it even means to get an education.

I'm really excited about what's ahead.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs]

The Lewis Model - Cultural Differences Simplified

I came across this while working on a global project. I'm sure anyone who's traveled outside the U.S. or spent time with people from outside the country will notice that there are distinct differences in how people behave. Do they tend to seem warmer? More emotional? Rational? Impulsive? Or respectful and hold tradition over everything else.

Why Not Now

On Sunday, I attended the Climate March in New York City. 100,000 people were expected to show up. Instead, it was estimated that 400,000 people showed up. I'm excited that there seems to finally be a huge shift in how we perceive climate change. It's reached a tipping point as widely accepted to be a man-made phenomenon that will have dire consequences in the near future if we don't act. But is it too late? There are so many mass behaviors that people participate in as preventative measures despite not knowing 100% if something negative will happen to us. We purchase car insurance, home insurance and health insurance on the off chance things go wrong. We invest in our financial future early on through social security and 401K's on the off chance we don't fall into large sums of money before retirement. We even ward off the effects of aging and the possibility of cancer through sunscreen.On a corporate level, companies protect themselves from unforeseen issues through insurance, savings and even hiring practices. It is considered a wise business practice to smartly prepare for the future even if that means making sacrifices and expenditures during this preparation.

So why do companies, policy makers and governments so widely question the importance of preventing climate change? At this point in our scientific understanding, it's become clear that further damage can cause irreversible damage. We've already seen billions of dollars spent and millions of lives lost from the effects of climate change, from draughts to hurricanes to heat waves. Is it worth waiting and questioning this statement when so much is at stake? What are we waiting for?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQyg1l3p9g]

How Brands Are Built In The Digital Age

This winter, I applied to the Admap Prize 2014 through WARC on how brands are built in the digital age and was shortlisted. Here's my entry and thoughts on building brands in the digital age.Approximately two to three times a week, I purchase my morning coffee at a charming French café that’s slightly out of the way on my morning commute. I allow myself this small luxury, despite owning all the necessary requirements for home-brewing. The moment I step into this café, I am magically transported from the realities of fast-paced New York City to every American’s romantic notion of Paris. Furthering this illusion, I am surrounded by elegant French expats energetically catching up after dropping their children off at the Lycée Francais, ordering their cafés and croissants. As I approach the register, the refined Scottish barista, Andrew, greets me with a familiar hello and how are you, already knowing my usual order. I am not just a customer, but am the mayor (according to FourSquare). And this café is not just a caffeine and gluten–dispensing establishment, but a well-curated experience. Every employee, cake, cup and decoration has been specifically chosen to appeal to a particular customer. Impeccable service and friendly employees engage customers, while goodies like imported French treats delight them. It’s no surprise that I am not their only loyal customer.

Frank Rose points out in The Art of Immersion that “[The Internet] is the first medium that can act like all media—it can be text, or audio, or video, or all of the above. It is nonlinear … inherently participatory … constantly encouraging you to comment, to contribute, to join in. And it is immersive.” (1) The Internet is not just immersive, but mimics real life, in-person experiences. It can replace the music we hear as we walk into an establishment; the patterns, textures and colors specifically chosen to tell a story about that store; the stories and information the sales clerk tells us about their products. It can even substitute how employees interact with customers with a virtual “How can I help you?” through Twitter. As brands show up in our social network feeds, the line between “Would I like to buy this product?” and “Do I want to have a relationship with this brand?” has blurred.

As marketers, we are tasked with understanding how our brands should behave in the digital age—with wondering how to unlock the magic formula, the right amount of customer data with the appropriate social channels and mobile apps. But what if there is no magic formula? What if succeeding in the digital age, regardless of the customer or location requires a different attitude from brands, one that involves genuinely caring about their customers to create a unique, branded experience. Digital technology enables brands to infuse genuine human touch in all communication points - a two-way conversation and personalization that mirrors the types of in-person interactions that have dominated seller/customer relationships throughout history.

“May I help you” begins with actually being there. An establishment carefully picks their location to cater to a specific clientele—to fill an unmet need. Although businesses are developed with the intent of making a profit, successful brands are also closely tied with the intent of helping people – either through their location or actual products. For my favorite café, the owners may have been compelled by the intention of giving French expatsa place to connect. For Warby Parker, their purpose may have revolved around giving customers affordable glasses, shipped online. But most importantly, both establishments carefully picked their location based on their customer’s needs, whether it’s choosing a particular neighborhood to deciding on an online distribution platform. Brands who genuinely care about their customers’ needs and behaviors have an obligation to continually track where their customer may want to purchase products in the future and to serve those unmet needs.

Tesco famously catered to the buying needs of their customers when they created a “virtual store” in a Korean subway, allowing busy customers to conveniently scan products using smartphone-enabled QR codes. Kate Spade did something similar, creating a 24-hour virtual store in front of a few New York City empty storefronts, allowing customers to purchase products via the window screen and have it delivered within an hour. While the focus of these examples are often on the technology used, at the heart of these executions was a recognition by brands that they could use technology to better serve their customers’ needs.

A brand that genuinely cares about their customer delivers what they say they will deliver, and understands exactly what their customer values and needs. At a basic level, a person entering a coffee shop might value impeccable customer service and delicious pastries, but nowadays, a caffeine junkie might also seek reliable Wi-Fi. My favorite coffee shop offers free Wi-Fi, a service that has delighted Starbucks’ customers for years. By anticipating and catering to customers’ needs, brands are building their reputation one customer at a time. In the digital age, reputation is critical –the shareable nature of social can cause one bad Yelp review to go viral. A quick Google search can make it easy to tell which companies genuinely care about their customers and which companies one suspects are only focused on short term gain. In fact, the only types of companies that have survived despite bad reputations are those that customers have had no choice in supporting—from cable to health insurance. But even those are seeing a decline in sales as alternatives become available. Even brands that compete on price, most famously Amazon, work to ensure quality customer service and products, showing they care about their customers’ needs.

At its core, what a customer seeks in a product is unlikely to change with the introduction of new technology. Even purely digital brands, built in the digital age, like Facebook have revolved first and foremost around needs of their users. Apple understood that buying expensive electronics requires extensive research and the assurance that the product will continue to work. Consequently they have built their brand on excellent customer service that they have extended to online tools. With banks, people value security and customer service. In person, that might mean money held in a secure vault and helpful, well-dressed clerks at bank locations. In the digital space, that could translate to 24-7 online chat access, a user-focused mobile app and online, informative content. Citi has a history of using technology to serve their customers’ needs—first with the introduction of ATMs, and most recently with a mobile app that allows customers to scan checks into their accounts. Nike sells the promise of fitness whether through their athletic gear, mobile apps, FuelBand or even in-person athletic events.

Millennials, as a consumer group, are particularly important for brands to understand in the digital age, since they are the demographic most likely to be heavy consumers of digital technology. In December 2013, The New York Times published an opinion piece called Millennial Searchers, noting the ways in which Millennials seek meaning and purpose in their lives. For them, it is no longer enough to purchase something that will give them a fleeting sense of happiness—they seek more meaning in their purchases. Across categories, we see older brands tying themselves to a bigger purpose –showing they care about bigger issues and using social to spread that purpose. From IBM’s Smarter Planet to Dove’s Real Beauty, each seeks to convey that their products help fulfill a bigger mission. On the flipside, brands built within the digital age started with a genuine purpose: TOMS’s Buy A Pair, Give A Pair campaign was based on the premise of philanthropy, allowing the average person to be a philanthropist. Warby Parker followed suit. For younger brands, especially those appealing to Millennials, what you do as a company is more important than what you say because it helps establish you as being genuinely focused on customers. Each brand helps customers fill an emotional need with their purchase.

It has never been more important to ensure that at the heart of your brand, you care about customers. Digital technology has pulled away the curtain that marketing previously created around brands. Each communication and customer touch point becomes an opportunity for everyone to see how a brand treats their customer. Brands like United (Breaks Guitars), JPMorgan (Ask JP Morgan) and have learned that infusing a customer-focused culture is critical in maintaining the reputation of the company. On the flip side, companies with excellent customer experiences, such as Apple, Virgin America or Zappos, have grown in the digital age. In fact, their success is often attributed to a strong company culture. Employee and in-person experiences have the potential to represent the brand, and interactions can easily go digital through an online review or public Tweet.

Finally, a brand that truly cares will add that little bit of delight, fulfilling a human desire and want. It’s asking how your day is in a way that makes you feel special. Carefully wrapping your purchase. It’s the décor that provides a mini escape to Paris. Or the music that puts you in a better mood. It’s an employee that goes above and beyond for their customer—remembers their order, ensures a particular product is in stock. Or the particularly knowledgeable store clerk, who, like a good friend, gives you an honest opinion as to why you shouldn’t buy something in their store.

For the online experience, decor can be translated into a well designed website that takes you to another place as you browse during your lunch break. A busy shelf of curated objects can be turned into a Pinterest board meant as visual eye candy, as in Anthroplogie’s merchandising. It could be having a well-designed e-commerce site that allows customers to browse thoroughly and uninterrupted before purchasing. It’s the technology a company can harness to predict what a customer wants based on their interactions. Or six-second how-to Vine videos bringing out fantasies of DYI home improvement. Brands can even create physical spaces to cater to customers’ desires.

In December 2013, Samsung created a pop-up experience store in New York’s Soho. Customers were treated to free coffee, and the ultimate indulgence- cupcakes while enjoying a space to relax during the busy shopping season. In the digital age, what may once have been a local stunt can now be shared instantly and globally through people’ssocial feeds, allowing everyone to see how a brand caters to the hidden desires of their customers.

Two-way interactions can be built with a brand over time through social media—an exchange never achieved through traditional advertising. A barista can facilitate conversations between like-minded customers, playing host or even matchmaker. Social media communities can be built and nurtured by community managers with no direct intention to sell products, only a direct intent to care about their customers’ wants.

Traditional advertising plays a critical role in adding to people’s desires and wants. Now that a Google search (ZMOT) has taken over the role of conveying detailed product benefits and reviews, traditional advertising, more than ever, is a place to tell a compelling story. Budweiser’s “Puppy Love”—a heartwarming story of love between a dog and a horse—was voted one of the most popular ads of the Super Bowl in 2014. As viewers, we may not exactly understand how the commercial fit into the heart of the brand, but our hearts were filled with warmth as we viewed the commercial. Popular viral ads of 2013 were likely to illuminate bigger issues that we are often too afraid to discuss on our own but want to (Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches), act as a purely distracting entertainment (Evian’s Baby & Me), make us laugh (Kmart’s “Ship My Pants) or make us cry out of joy (GoPro’s Fireman Saves Kitten). Ads that “go viral” are emotive, story-driven, funny and genuinely entertaining—all qualities that compel us to share so that we can fulfill our desire to connect with others, using them as conversational fodder.

While print ads are still a place to inform people about product benefits, they’ve also always been a place to inspire. Just as people have always cut out print ads and posted them in their spaces to inspire and aspire to, we can now “pin” and share visuals created by brands. A traditional print ad might be more product-focused, whereas brands can now create inspirational, shareable online images with quotes or content that touches on that hidden desire of constant self-improvement.

Regardless of the medium or execution, every point of communication for a brand is connected and conveys whether or not a brand genuinely cares about their customers. For brands with exciting products and strong, customer-focused values, there is a world of opportunity in the digital age. But for brands with a weak product that is not customer-focused, succeeding in the digital age will be an uphill battle.

To the naked eye, it appears that digital technology has revolutionized our universe. It has changed how we communicate and how we interact with each other, with ourselves and even with brands. But ultimately it has brought humanity and a new sense of intimacy back into our lives that brands can now tap into. It’s that human touch, that feeling that a brand genuinely cares, brought to us through a personalized Facebook exchange, a convenient mobile purchase or inspiring branded content. After decades of impersonal, mass marketing, digital technology finally enables brands to reach across the counter—warmly shaking their customers’ hands.

Getting out of the Red - Red Lobster's Turn Around?

Ever since the NY Times wrote an article back in February on the eroding middle class effecting major restaurant chains, I've been interested in this phenomenon. How do companies survive and even shift their business towards the growing upper class without neglecting and even disappointing their base? Interestingly enough, many companies catering to the middle class were founded on the very principal of bringing that product to the masses - whether it was coffee (Folgers) or seafood (Red Lobster). What was once a luxury is now attainable. But over the last few decades, it wouldn't be a stretch to say many businesses have taken advantage of their middle class customer, sacrificing quality for cost, focusing heavily on promotions and hoping a gimmick would get people through the door. So beloved brands have become just another cheap deal - quantity over quality. With the conversation shifting from "I got this at X" to "I got this at X% off." Brands have fallen into a price war arms race, lowering the value of their products and brand. What once was a semi-annual special trip to a restaurant may now be a regular, monthly routine. Or once cherished clothing is now discarded with the seasons.Where has this gotten us? Americans are now more in debt, overweight, and it's safe to assume based on the rise of the self-storage industry, have more stuff than ever. Companies are struggling to keep up with customer quantity demands, hurting the environment and navigating murky labor practices as they continue to cut costs.

While they're struggling, a counter-trend is rising. Fast food is being out run by fast casual with sustainability-focused companies like Chipotle leading the charge. Even McDonald's has decided to rebrand. Online retailers focused on sustainability or ethically sourced materials like Zady, Accompany, Everlane and Warby Parker are popping up every day. And trendsetters like Millennials are shifting their spending - focusing on pure utility rather than the emotional benefits that come from owning a brand. For instance, car sharing companies have been proven to displace car sales. On a smaller scale, the growing number of subscription coffee services and even ingredient delivery services like Blue Apron show that people are choosing to forgo the prestige of eating and drinking out in order to save money - but they still want a high quality experience.

What do I predict will happen when brands like Red Lobster go back to their roots and offer the high quality experience they once did? First, they'll attract a whole new customer - the upper middle to upper class who may have even had positive associations with the brand from their childhood. Red Lobster may lose customers who were driven by discounts and deals but most importantly, their core customer - a true advocate of the brand - may learn to shift their budgets. What was once a cherished, special meal will become a special, occasional meal once again. Bringing Red Lobster out of the red. 

Life Through My Lens: Back in New York City

[flickr photo="https://www.flickr.com/photos/missmoll/13147169884/in/photostream/" w=505 h=]

Life Through My Lens - Hawaiian Wedding

A bit of fun employment and nice weather has allowed me to take some lovely photos over the last few months. I also have someone very special to thank for fixing my 50mm 1.4 lens. Seriously, there's nothing more annoying than being a photographer in a very photogenic environment without a lens that works. A Youtube video, a few tools and lots of patience on his part saved me a few hundred dollars and my creative sanity.So I'll be posting my life of the last few months through my lens.

First, a trip down a very green, gorgeous memory lane. I went to Hawaii's Oahu a few months ago for my friend's wedding. The talk of Hawaii's beauty is not just hype. The island is green and lush, reminding you of a pre-historic oasis - perhaps because Jurassic Park was filmed there? Despite technically being in the United States, you feel like you're in a different country, surrounded by Polynesians who come from the other side of the world - or at least the other side from New York City. We stayed in the Turtle Bay Resort on the North shore. There is something priceless about being able to stroll from the beach to the pool, to your hotel room, and then back to the beach for a wedding. It's hard to decide what I loved more - the pristine, uncrowded beaches of Tulum or hearing the loud waves lull us to sleep in our Hawaii hotel room. I split a room with a couple which worked out fine because the rooms were huge and we all got along perfectly. Plus it helped that my friends and I have the same traveling desires - mainly those that revolve around food, relaxation, water and minor exploration.

Oh. So I caught the bouquet. I've never caught the bouquet before. Usually I duck in horror like a typical single, career woman living in New York City. But this time I was surrounded by single, career women living in New York City who all ducked and consequently, the bouquet went flying into my face. I caught it perfectly, in self defense. My roommate took a picture to document the moment. Truth be told she had to take about five photos because I had trouble mustering a genuine smile when shock and anxiety were my first emotions. But months of the bouquet drying nicely in my apartment has helped me happily embrace this possibility.

The New Imperialism

Over the last few years, I've seen a huge trend in quitting ones job and traveling around the world. This was first fueled by the economic crisis. We all heard not so woful tales about bankers being laid off only to use their presumably hefty severance checks to travel the world and find themselves. Next came the photographer, writer or website designer, inspired by Chris Guillebeau to hack their credit card airline miles and consider a laptop with wifi connection their office. Those of us stuck in our windowless offices could momentarily live vicariously through travel blogs with the occasional pang of envy hitting us, as new photos appeared on our Facebook feed. We clicked through photos of our friends or even an engaging stranger as they bussed their way through Asia - brave enough to navigate a language barrier and foreign country for the promise of deliciously inexpensive food and the experience of local culture. In between our slight jealousy - we learned something. They opened our eyes to how other people lived. We silently thanked them for being ambassadors, making the world just a little bit smaller.But after the major landmarks were visited, and famous, Asian street food consumed, there was a new frontier to be had. Enter our current day. In favor of reflective blog posts, used as an alternative to a travel journal - we have the more immediate - Instagram. In place of self-reflection, we have the outward attention grabbing hashtag. And with it, a move to newer journeys - venturing into Africa. A stunning, envy-inducing vacation within a vacation at a Travel & Leisure-worthy resort smack in the middle of a war-torn, third world country. Gone are the photos of local culture and attempting to experience the world that 99% of a country's population experiences. Instead, we have Americans from a first world country, wealthy even for American standards - taking advantage of their power and status in a country where few have any. What is fueling this new behavior? Is it narcissism? The impulse to self-promote? The last decade has shown an increase in the desire for experiences over the accumulation of stuff. Is this the Berkin bag of experiences?

Whatever it is - with great power comes great responsibility.

Keepin It Real

It's Throw Back Thursday so let us women all fondly remember the first time we got our periods. I'm sure our mothers gently took us aside and told us how to put on a pad as we looked on horrified that we'd have to wear this diaper-like contraption the whole day while feeling an unfamiliar ache coming from our ovaries. And forget tampons. "We put that where? Which hole mommy?" -As Orange Is the New Black's recent Episode 4, 'I Whole Other Hole' covers this confusion in depth.In two minutes, this mini-sitcom / online commercial, First Moon Party, manages to touch on an awkward subject using humor and honesty. Gone are the days of Full House, sappy sincerity and making a mother-daughter bonding moment out of every coming of age milestone. In this commercial, the clever, cynical, Gen X mother finds that the only thing precious about this situation is the opportunity to teach her daughter a lesson about lying. The commercial is refreshing and has struck a cord - gaining over a million views on YouTube in less than two days.

So advertisers take note. While the storyline is far fetched, the sentiment is real. Getting your period for the first time creates a mix of pride an embarrassment. While mothers love their daughters, the real exchanges are not a perfect display of sappy mutual love and affection. Perhaps the Gen X mother has learned to maintain her sense of humor in the face of motherhood.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEcZmT0fiNM]