Helping Brands Deliver in A Mobile-First World: Interview With Scott Schmidt

I worked with Scott Schmidt while at M&C Saatchi Mobile, developing mobile media strategies for clients and working together to win new business. Scott recently joined the newly created PIVMO, a mobile marketing and analytics company after having worked as a media supervisor and previously a digital strategist planner. The mobile industry has grown at a staggering pace since you've been in the industry. How have you noticed the conversations around mobile shifting and maturing during this growth?

Definitely - things are beginning to take shape but still not where they need to be.  You’ve seen new mobile-first brands skyrocket faster than any other platform I’ve ever seen.  I’ve also seen consumers just really fall in love with the technology from streaming Netflix on their phone and casting to the TV, or reading articles on the train, or sharing their social status…. it just makes things in life so much more convenient to a person.  The largest issue is many clients still don’t grasp this, don’t have mobile ready websites or apps and they’re getting late to the party.  Facebook really blew the media eyeballs open in 2013 with over half its ad revenue now coming from mobile.  I like to compare it to social media a few years back, when every brand was still deciding if they should have a Facebook page, or Twitter page, but if you were one of the brands that committed to it, then you obviously saw them reap the rewards.  As for the actual media side of things, it’s still a small portion vs. digital budgets and the main reason for that is either 1) they don’t have a mobile ready product or 2) they don’t really understand the mobile media landscape to get strong results from it.  2014 is the first year mobile traffic is going to overtake Desktop PC traffic. Consumers have already made their transition - it’s time for brands to start understanding how to connect with their consumers in a mobile first world [pullquote]Consumers have already made their transition - it’s time for brands to start understanding how to connect with their consumers in a mobile first world. [/pullquote]

What are some of the more surprising ways that advertisers and media buyers are able to target mobile users? 

Mobile is a whole new world for targeting, and this is mainly due to apps being the experience consumers are choosing vs. browsers.  Apps are just a much richer experiences to consumers, and because of this, cookies are not available.  So when you talk about targeting in mobile, you don’t have that cookie trail available on browsers.  What do you have in apps?  You have something called ‘Device IDs’ or other ‘IDs’ being put into place to track devices anonymously.  It’s a really messy space which is why many advertisers don’t get the performance / targeting they’re looking for.  The best advertisers are using 1^st party, 2^nd party and 3^rd party data based on device ID, registration data or other data that is properly matched to devices.  It’s EXTREMELY important to understand how the data is captured and how it’s matched to the way you serve ads to those users.

What makes it even a larger issue in mobile today is you have to buy from Publishers directly, Ad Networks, and also Demand Side Platforms to get the scale and performance you need.  I expect this to consolidate over the next few years.  On the bright side - consumers are sharing their data at astounding rates through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other apps which help advertisers truly understand their audience.  Imagine that: users are telling you what they like, how they’re engaging – and brands just need to listen and provide that experience.  It’s a lot easier than it sounds!!! 

What is an average click rate and how does that compare to other forms of media? 

This is a loaded question, but Click rates are much higher on mobile vs. desktop, many say this is due to ‘fat finger’ syndrome but in reality if you have a great ad, and a great user experience the results outweigh desktop without question.  I’ve seen click rates range anywhere from 0.3% to 20%.  Either way, click rates should rarely be the measurement for your brand, you should be looking at other things like app installs, in-app events, engagement, brand lifts, social chatter, etc…

How much do organic installs (i.e. installs from customer interest vs. influenced by ads) play in an app's install success rate? 

Organic installs are huge, but you can’t get those installs without awareness.  Whether you’re using TV, social, mobile, or desktop you need to create awareness.  The tricky side is on iOS where the volume of downloads effects your ranking.  And with a higher ranking, you are maintaining more visibility and ultimately organic downloads.  It’s important to build a loyal base which can be done through ads with the right targeting, creative and measurement.

Through mobile, brands have the opportunity to specifically reference a variety of factors in their messaging based on their mobile data - from the time of day, current temperature, location, etc. How often are these tactics used and are they more successful? 

These tactics are used by the brands that are ahead of the curve and they’re definitely more successful.  It really all depends on the clients’ goals and KPI’s they’re trying to achieve.  Retailers are jumping on the horn for location data to drive brick and mortar sales, but in reality I see a lot of brands do this just to say they’re doing mobile.  This is why understanding the data is the biggest factor when buying media in mobile.  Other elements you’ll see is dynamic creative - saying you’re a block away from the nearest store, or a countdown to an upcoming sale.  I’ve seen entertainment networks leveraging countdowns for upcoming shows and adding it to your calendar, and some brands incorporating real-time social data such as tweets during big events like the Superbowl.  If the data you’re using for these ads aren’t accurate, imagine the issues you face.  You could be in Los Angeles getting an ad for a nearby store in NYC. 

What are some of the more innovative mobile media campaigns you've seen more recently?

One of the coolest campaigns I’ve seen recently was by Toys R Us in which they promoted gift buying to parents utilizing a voice recognition advertisement.  Once you opened the ad, you had to speak and tell them about the child you’re shopping for, what you think they liked and then it recommended an item that you could buy instantly.  Also received an ad last week, saying ‘Hey you at the agency’ in which they geo-fenced and audience targeted me explaining how they targeted the ad in a video.  That’s hardcore stuff, but it really catches your eye and leaves a lasting impression on your audience.  Then you have the larger brands running ads that are fully immersive such as Virgin Atlantic where you could walk into the plane, view its seats, and have a 360 view.  iPad ads are some of the most beautiful ads you’ll see on any channel.

What goes into planning a mobile media campaign? How much of it is understanding target behaviors vs. understanding what kind of spend will lead to conversions? Vs. having the knowledge of various ad networks?

A LOT goes into planning, and this all depends on what the client is trying to achieve.  Planning includes the media placements you’re buying, the type of ad units you’re buying (banners, native, video, rich media, audio, etc…), creative, the data you’re leveraging and the tracking available.  Since data is a huge thing in mobile, it’s important to understand where each network, publisher or demand side platform is getting that data and how they’re matching it to the targeting.  Let’s say for example you want to geo-fence an area for a retail store, you want to ensure all the location data you’re receiving is accurate, and in real-time.  On the flip side if you’re a new brand that wants to understand who your consumer is in mobile, you can still run broad and measure / optimize against different devices, operating systems, device models, geo, connection speed, gender, age, etc… the list is really endless.  As for spend leading to conversions, in the past it was always a better choice not to spend a premium for data since it was not really there yet in mobile, this is changing rapidly  - BUT still not for everyone.

Let's pretend you work for a digital ad agency. A big brand comes to you and says they want to develop an app. What are some questions you ask them related to media? 

First question is what took you so long?  Lol, no but seriously it’s important for the brand to understand the app’s usage:

• Is the app meant to be a complete user experience like their web properties?
• Is it for acquisition purposes or awareness?
• What are their media goals / KPIs?
• Are you planning on implementing any analytic / 3^rd party tracking solutions for media or in-house tracking?
• What has worked in other channels – desktop, TV, radio, print, etc…
• Who is their target audience?  Are they open to testing beyond this?
• What devices and operating systems will it be available on?

Based on this we can build a plan and measurement to execute against so it aligns with their brand, but also aligns to mobile consumer expectations.

What kind of data can you get about people and their mobile habits from media campaigns? Is this information even fully utilized by clients to better understand their customer? 

I think this is the MOST important aspect of mobile media campaigns.  The value of the data is priceless (maybe not truly priceless but you get the point) vs. any other channel.  Mobile is truly the consumer, it gives information on the type of content they consume, the locations they visit, their social habits, transactions they make and other devices they connect with.  It’s a device that encompasses everything about a person.  [pullquote]Mobile is truly the consumer, it gives information on the type of content they consume, the locations they visit, their social habits, transactions they make and other devices they connect with.  It’s a device that encompasses everything about a person.[/pullquote]Very few brands are utilizing this to understand their consumer because they’re a bit jaded by how mobile was a few years ago or they’re just not getting the right education from their agency / marketing solutions.

How can creative agencies and mobile media agencies better work together to create more effective ads to customers? Which creative agencies do you feel are leading the charge on mobile? 

Creative is really the key to mobile.  Digital somewhat hurt themselves over the years by just spamming impressions and measuring backend analytics to the point where we forgot about the consumer experience.  Most consumers are blind from seeing an ad 50 times on desktop before making a purchase, vs. seeing a TV commercial or even a video commercial online that created the awareness.  Mobile is a groundbreaking technology that should be thought of as a place to engage users in an intimate way.  You literally don’t need to send the consumer anywhere to make an impact, I’ve seen campaigns where users will open an ad and interact with it for over 5 minutes.  You’re talking about a consumer interacting with a brand on their most personal device and spending a penny to the dollar vs. say a TV campaign.  There’s so many creative agencies out there that do great work, but I’ll say actual providers are leading the charge since they pioneer the technology, them being Celtra, Phluant and some of the other rich media guys out there.

How is PIVMO different from other mobile media agencies? What need are they filling that other mobile media agencies haven't?

I think where PIVMO excels at is allowing seamless integration to a brands business and what they’re doing in other media channels and being able to simplify the process for them.  Since we’re still quite a new company, we have a fresh perspective on things as our founders are not only coming from mobile, but also digital, out-of-home and TV.  We’re also not tied to any large overhead structure, which allows for great service, innovative ideas and the ability to react to trends much, much, faster.  Mobile media is still extremely complicated, which requires dedicated experts, multiple media tactics, tracking and optimization techniques to achieve success.  We actually have built an internal solution to streamline all the reporting from our partners called PIVTrax, which I will say is probably the biggest differentiator vs. our competitors.  Lastly, we understand that media is only one side of the coin, we’ve partnered with some amazing companies to offer UX design / enhancements that will ensure your brand is ready for a mobile first world!

Moving Towards A Sustainable Future: Interview With Shoko Sekiguchi

I had the pleasure of meeting Shoko Sekiguchi after an inspiring group of presentations by SheSays about building online communities. While Shoko has worked as a global account manager for various major technology companies over a decade, recently, she has been focusing on supporting sustainability efforts in New York City. She is about to launch a company called "Ampleen" and is currently busy planning to have a launch party on Thursday, 10/11 at Greenwich House in West Village, NYC. With her global background, she has some unique insights to offer about the sustainability movement on an individual and corporate level.

In your current job, you help multi-national corporations develop their IT strategy. How did this job lead to supporting sustainability practices?

The multi-national corporations are looking into cost reduction by being efficient. Going green should really bring an efficiency to the corporations when it is planned well. So, many corporations asked me how to be green and efficient in their IT solutions and that is how I started looking at sustainability very seriously.

Sustainability on a corporate level can cover everything from LEED certified buildings, to energy efficient server management and increased recycling. What sustainability efforts can have the most positive impact on the environment?

That is a great question. I believe that starting with the sustainability projects that can be easily translated into cost reduction would most likely have the biggest impact on a CEO's decision to get further involved in the sustainability effort. As a result, it will lead to the most positive impact on the environment.

What companies have served as examples to the sustainability movement?

There are several such as Google and Whole Foods. I am particularly impressed by the effort of Patagonia, an out-door clothing brand. I wrote about them in a post on Ampleen, "What's the Responsible Company?"

Although caring for the environment has gone mainstream, I'm sure it can still be difficult to convince companies to be sustainable especially if there are extra costs involved. How do you do this?

As mentioned earlier, companies, especially public companies, are looking into being efficient and need justification for every spending. But, like the new Bank of America Tower, if the green initiatives can prove great savings over time,  the key stake holders are more likely to be receptive about the projects.

What keeps you motivated to become more involved in the sustainability movement?

When I see some positive changes, rather than negatives facts, I feel compelled to get more involved in the movement. For instance, I started seeing more people coming to the Union Sq. green market in last a few years and being interested in what it's all about. I am excited to see the change and like to see more of that.

As we approach the upcoming election, the general sentiment is that Republicans are less likely to support policies that protect the environment. Should we be worried about current sustainability efforts if Romney is elected or is that a misperception.

Yes, I am concern about a shift in the environmental policies. I, however, hope that Romney will see the sustainable issue beyond the political agenda and take it as a universal issue that we face today. For instance, he can't be so blind as to ignore the obvious climate changes happening all over the U.S. We just have to continue our effort to raise the awareness of general public on the real risk of ignoring the issue.

How sustainable are American companies compared to those abroad?

Not speaking strictly to companies, but general American attitude towards sustainability seems to be behind among other developed countries.  For example, you have to buy the government approved garbage bag that costs over $20 per bag in Korea - and that helps enforce people to reduce their daily waste.

Despite having a well connected public transportation system, many American cities surpass New York in their sustainability. What change in New York would make the biggest impact?

I wrote a couple posts on NYC's transportation and I believe the implementation of a good rental bike program will impact NYC such as we see in Paris.  I am concerned that New Yorkers' individualist mind-set is dangerous since I see many bikers in the city pay very little attention to traffic rules and pedestrians.  NYC needs to redesign the traffic path and enforce the rules while we develop the mindset of what it means to be a good community member.

You've created a site and community called Ampleen. What does it mean?

It is a made-up word with ample and green - I envision that my beloved city will be filled with green.

What is your ultimate goal for the site?

I set up this site since I realized that each individual organization is doing wonderful things but, they are dispersed and have a limited exposure to the general public.  So, I want Ampleen to be a depository for green information about various organizations and their effort for people who are interested in getting involved with them.

And finally, there are so many groups and resources for those interested in environmental causes in New York City. What is one way that people who are interested in sustainability can get involved and make an impact?

Well, (smile) come to my launch party on Thursday, 10/11, and get connected to the green communities in NYC by emailing info@ampleen.com for more information. Check out Ampleen and find out what's new and exciting.

Some final thoughts about the interview - I found this interview to be particularly interesting because it touched on America's culture of individualism being a hinderance in the environmental movement. While the Korean government can use harsh behavioral economics to convince people to produce less waste, the same tactics in America would be seen as encroaching on individual rights. In Asian countries, people grow up valuing order, propriety and fitting in. In Europe, there may be more emphasis on the individual, but Europeans are constantly reminded of how finite their space is. They value family meals and regular vacations over obtaining more stuff. So how do we change a culture where we are taught to nurture ourselves first. Where one can fly across the country over what seems to be 3,000 miles of uninhabited land. And where our economy is structured around buying more stuff? One can only hope that the slew of heat waves, draughts and extreme weather effecting all Americans will be enough to get each individual on board with realizing they are part of a greater whole.

Interview with Brand Anthropologist Richard Wise

Richard Wise is the resident Brand Anthropologist at the experiential marketing firm, Mirrorball. He received a masters at the University of Sorbonne in Paris and has spoken at various conferences, most recently the Future Trends Conference in Miami. You can follow him on Twitter @CultureRevealed or his Tumblr where he highights a plethora of interesting cultural trends and insights.  As a cultural anthropologist, you approach planning from an intellectual, academic angle. How valuable is the study of cultural trends to brands?

Look at the list of problems brands bring you to solve.  They almost always come back to cultural issues.

“Our franchise is aging and we’re starting to look dated.”

“People don’t talk about us as much as they used to.”

“People say we have an arrogant, out-of-touch image.”

“People don’t know what we stand for.”

So…you’re losing it with the group because what you stand for is no longer valuable to them – to their culture!

The thing about culture and brands that makes it so challenging is this; culture hides more than it reveals - and what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants.  You can’t understand that fully unless you go live in another culture and, starting as an outsider, become an insider.  Then you go back to the culture you came from and suddenly you can actually see all the hidden meaning.  And this is true for people who work on brands and try to solve the cultural problems of the brands without actually understanding their own culture.  They won’t get very far.

The opposite is wonderfully true.  The more you make serving the culture your brand mission, the faster you will grow – and it will feed and feed on itself.  While most companies have been stagnant or declining in the last ten years, Apple‘s revenues, profits and public valuation have grown vertiginously.  It all started with the return of Steve Jobs and their publicly thanking their fans with the “Think Different” campaign.

There's a minor war in the advertising world between traditional agencies that tout their big idea thinking and a rigorous approach to research and smaller, digital agencies that are well versed in current digital trends. Who do you think will win the "war" and why?

Remember that pre-Internet classic, Ogilvy on Advertising?  I always love to get free advice from Uncle David.  He said in his charming book, published in 1985 by the way, that his best advice to young men and women in advertising would be to learn everything they can about direct response – because it’s the future of advertising.  You can see what works and what doesn’t, you have to lean forward and sell, one person at a time, like Ogilvy did when he sold stoves door to door.  He indeed saw it all coming and he was right.

So big agency, digital shop…everybody looks for evidence of what works, what’s surprising and fresh, what people really want to experience.  And the only way to find that is to experiment.  If you’re conducting meaningful experiments then you have as much of a chance as anybody of owning the future.

That being said, I like what Karl Marx said: “Every time the train of history goes around a corner, the reactionaries fall off.”  The bigger you are, the more likely you are to be a reactionary. My heroes are guys like Ogilvy and Bernbach because they stayed humble and curious even as they got enormously successful.  And I think Robert Greenberg is just like that too.

The race today goes to whoever likes to learn the most and is fast at it.  But I like to think that, if you’re slow, but you love to learn, you may have an edge over the fast learner who’s arrogant.

What books, magazines and activities do you experience to remain on the cutting edge of cultural trends and developments? 

The most important thing I do is read books that have nothing to do with marketing or brands but books about human nature and civilization.  Most recently, I read two masterpieces of cultural anthropology: Becker’s [amazon_link id="0684832402" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Denial of Death[/amazon_link] and Girard’s [amazon_link id="0826468535" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World[/amazon_link].  I saw King Lear at the Public Library.  I walked through the Frick Collection.  I do this because it’s one of the best things I can do with myself.  It always pays dividends in my work – provided I don’t directly seek them.

OK, then there’s thinking about marketing, brands and culture.  Tumblr by itself is more than enough to be endlessly enriched, stimulated and provoked.  If you curate the right list of people to follow you will be in the kitchen of emerging culture where it’s all being made right before your eyes. I read the Wall Street Journal, the paper itself, every day – my God, it’s so beautifully designed and it has amazing trend info. If you don’t have time for it, though, follow me on Twitter, I always tweet out their best stuff.  I also love a couple of key websites: sciencedaily.com and psychologicalsciences.org.  And I live in Bushwick – there’s something about the experience of living there, not being a tourist, that’s very valuable.

At the recent Future Trends conference, you gave a presentation on two cultural phenomena, FameUs, and AnonymUs, showing how everyone wants to be famous while at the same time, wants to contribute to the greater good. Are these attributes just two different sides of the same consumer or completely different targets? 

I don’t believe that trend work should be some kind of glossy PC channeling of the Zeitgeist.  It should describe what is really going on.  I also believe that for every trend, there is a countertrend.  So here’s how I apply that with the shift taking place in our public and private selves.

On the one hand, FameUs describes the ever-widening sense of intimacy we have with our celebrities, the feeling of control we have over their self-expression and the growing conviction that we ourselves are going to be famous.

Its countertrend is AnonymUs - the growing conviction that so much of social media is communal narcissism, the impulse to unplug from a culture of celebrity worship, and the spiritual inspiration to lose oneself in pursuing a greater social good.

How we experience and live in these trends varies from one person to the next.  You can be your own Lady Gaga 24/7.  Or you can wear unbranded vintage clothing that you bought at The Cure while you volunteer at the Homeless Shelter.  And, just to keep things interesting, you can try to live in both trends simultaneously like the cast of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab.  Same thing for brands – they, too, can go to Rehab like Domino’s Pizza did, to great success, improving their store sales by 10% in one year.

The recent New York article The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright, shares some of your findings about Millennials thinking they'll be famous someday while focusing on their reality as unemployed and disillusioned with the system. How can brands target these consumers given our current economic climate?

OK, suppose we’re Westinghouse or Maytag.  Why don’t we open stores for refurbished vintage home appliances?  They did it with manufacturer’s certified “pre-owned” automobiles.  Why not fridges and stoves from the different decades?  Why not train people in all these stores on how to refurbish vintage appliances?  That would create local jobs.  The appliances would look great.  And you’d be reclaiming, not just sending things to the dump.  I think there’s a lot of opportunities like that if brands would ask: how do I create jobs, how do I distribute my brand idea and logistics locally, how do I own not just what I make but what I have made?

As advertisers, working in trend setting cities like New York, San Francisco, Portland, etc. how can we be sure that our observations on trends reflect the viewpoints of the rest of the country?  Should brands look to be ahead of the curve or eye to eye with consumers? 

Go live in your trendy neighborhood – you want to see what’s coming next.  But here are some suggestions, based on my personal experience, on how to avoid becoming nothing but a snob.  Truth in advertising: I am a snob but I am not JUST a snob.  Sign up for thankless volunteer jobs.  Go to a regular, old-fashioned church and listen and learn.  Call your Mom and find a way to be of service to her.  Try to avoid gossiping about anybody for one day.  Take a cross-country drive and hang out at truck stops.  These are all intrinsically good things to do but they will also help you in your work.

Finally, can you give young planners with varying backgrounds advice on how to incorporate cultural anthropology into their research and brief writing process? 

Show respect for the dignity of your fellow human beings but try not to be so PC.  PC is the sanctimony of our time.  Sanctimonious people don’t make very good art nor do they write very good briefs.  Be curious, humble and open-minded.  Always give into your curiosity and don’t be afraid to admit you don’t understand why people behave a certain way or prefer a certain brand.

Interview With Farrah Bostic: Advertising Women 2.0

Farrah Bostic is a Group Planning Director at Digitas whose insightful blog Pretty Little Head covers everything from brands to innovation and creativity. In addition to digital innovation, she's passionate about elevating women's status in the advertising and technology industries.The tech world is full of exciting new and innovative mobile and web products. How relevant is the tech world to planning?

The tech world is hugely influential to the best & brightest in planning in New York. For one thing, start-ups took over our bars (Sweet & Vicious and Tom & Jerry's)!  For another, the industry is transforming in favor of digital, social and mobile experiences, and the thought leaders in our field (planners) need nerds to play with who really deeply understand these technologies and concepts.  Those who actively experiment with them and build businesses out of them are our best partners for this kind of thinking.  The tech world is shaping how people behave and interact, and offers a myriad of ways for us to develop better knowledge about these behaviors and interactions, so we can then develop better understanding of how it affects our clients' brands and businesses.

So many of the major companies that dominate our world like Apple, Foursquare, Twitter, etc. were created by a team of men. What are some examples of great products or websites created by a team of women?

There are so many unsung female heroes in digital!  The one most often thought of is, of course, Catarina Fake, who co-founded both Flickr and Hunch.  Emily Hickey, co-founder of Hashable, helped drive the pivot from a finance site to a networking app that was one of the many favorites at SXSW this year. Dina Kaplan cofounded Blip.tv, which is an awesome, newly-relaunched online channel for original video content created for the web.  I'm watching about three new series there these days, now that all the network shows are in the off season.  Birchbox is a terrific business started by women with a female technical co-founder.  A lot of people talk about fashion sites like Fashism and advice sites like HonestlyNow, or food sites like Foodspotting; but I think there are some great female-founded businesses like Slideshare and Layar that are lauded as businesses that transcend the more 'obvious' female businesses.

And there's hope for people in the ad biz!  Cindy Gallop (ex-BBH) has created two businesses online: Ifwerantheworld.com, a site that helps transform intention into action through small steps, and creates a social profile based on what you do rather than what you say; and Makelovenotporn.com, a site that is helping change the conversation between men and women about sex, and is promoting female friendly pornography.  Ale Lariu's work with SheSays.com is a fantastic example of a now ex-ad-woman building a business online that leverages her expertise in advertising and her advocacy for women in the business.

Above all of this, there are the advocates and change agents: two of my favorite ladies, Rachel Sklar and Emily Gannett at ChangeTheRatio - promoting women in startups; and the amazing Shaherose Charania and Angie Chang at Women 2.0 & Founder Labs who are actively incubating women founders.

I'm already inspired! You've recently started listing women in the advertising and tech world who have broken through the glass ceiling and are an inspiration to us all. Aside from their success, what other characteristics do these women have in common?

They're all doing ground-breaking work, driving business results, inventing new technology... and not getting nearly enough credit or attention for it.  The main reason for starting the list was to recognize these women in a way that obviated the constant conversations about how hard it is to find women to speak at conferences or judge awards programs.  As I've compiled this list, I've been amazed at the generosity of the people who've contributed great women to it, and shocked at how reluctant those same, equally accomplished women are, to nominate themselves.  These women work hard and smart and creatively, and then they forget to or avoid taking some of the credit. I think it's that nice, smart, creative people who make things, tend to be generous with their effort and their praise.  For women, this generosity of spirit can seem to conflict with credit-taking.  So I've been happy to be the one giving that credit.

There are so many different women's networking organizations in New York. Which ones have you found to be particularly helpful?

Change The Ratio has been a life-changer for me - I went to one event and everything changed. I made amazing friends, I was inspired to start the list on my own blog, and it's continued to fuel my desire to express my own entrepreneurial spirit.  Women 2.0 was the next group I encountered, because of some things I wrote after getting involved in Change The Ratio - and they are amazing: vibrant, growing, making change for women, fostering real businesses. But I think the tech scene is much more democratic than the VC dollars and TCDisrupt speaker lists would indicate: a lot of the best, most productive networking I've done here has been through Digital DUMBO (female co-founder!) and through StartUp Weekend.  I encourage more women to attend - you meet those nice, smart, creative people who make things, and it's incredibly inspiring.

I often find myself full of ideas, wanting to create something but need a partner to keep me on track. Can you recommend an organization that can help me find a future business partner.

Women 2.0 and Founder Labs! 5 weeks from nothing to a business - it's an amazing process, with fantastic mentors and a great track record.  Despite the name, they seek balance in the founder teams they assemble - 50/50 female/male, 50/50 business/tech.  It's awesome how they pull that diversity together.  Tech Stars is also an excellent program with committed mentors and founders.  But I also wouldn't discount StartUp Weekend - you meet a variety of people on the Friday, some who are committed and driven, some who are curious and dabbling.  But by Sunday, everyone is serious about making something and transforming that something into a business.

Keeping up with email, blogging and contacts can be an all-consuming process. What tools do you use that have helped you juggle all these tasks?

I'm a bit of a mess when it comes to all of this, but I have a few tools I love.  At home I use Sparrow as my mail client, but I'm only just getting used to it; the labeling options allow me to keep track of things relatively easily - but on the go, gmail is my savior. It's very good at knowing what actually is urgent to me, and the ability to star items helped keep this email, for example, on my radar.  But the truth is I do most of my communicating on a one-to-one basis in Twitter - through @-replies and direct messaging I can carry on a lot of conversations... Of course,this isn't appropriate for everyone, or everything, but it does keep the ideas pithy. :)

Blogging is tough - I probably didn't blog for about six months, until my boyfriend wrote a piece of middleware for me that allows me to favorite items in Twitter, and it goes through those favorites, scrapes the links, and deposits those linked sites/articles into ReadItLater, which I then go back to on my iPad.  I also use Evernote at conferences and as a place to save quotations or scraps of the articles I've read.  I always have something to write about, now.

Contacts... my iPhone holds everything, and increasingly I'm using Hashable and Twitter to capture contact information. When it comes to the list, however, we're building a CMS for that - I hope we'll finish it by the middle of July.

Was there a particular moment in your career or piece of advice that inspired you to get to where you are today?

I've had a few, I think.  My dad was a network consultant in the early '90s and installed the network at Wieden + Kennedy; he told me that this was the kind of environment I should work in.  When I was in college at University of Oregon, I took a copywriting class; the instructor, Ann Maxwell, did a mid-term check-in and told me that while I said I wanted to go into account management, I was a talented writer and should pursue a creative career instead.  She had Clios and gold pencils in her office, so I decided to believe her.  The next was when I was struggling to find work in an agency after the startup I worked in began to falter and sacked me; the head of the Apple account at Chiat/Day, Sean Hardwick, said that I belonged in an agency like that, and that while he didn't have the *right* job for me, he had a job, and that he was going to offer it because he didn't want to get in the way of my dream.  Who says things like that??

It was at Chiat that I saw what planning was really all about, day to day, and made the transition to that role.  A planner I worked with there, Elena Hale, told me that planning was about making advertising effective, and I really warmed to the power of that idea.  And then Robin Hafitz, my mentor and friend, hired me to be a brand strategist; I could see myself in her, and I suppose she might have seen a bit of herself in me.  She's been an amazing advocate.

Rachel Sklar inspired me to make the list - with her energy and generosity and advocacy for women.  Cindy Gallop told me that an idea I had was too big to be 'just an app' and that it could really improve people's lives, which really energized me but also raised the bar for my own goals.  And the London-based agency, Made by Many, who I met through my great friend and champion, and entrepreneur, Noah Brier, has inspired me to think about innovation and strategy and digital/mobile/social experiences through the lens of the Lean Startup.

I think our lives are a series of these kinds of moments.  For every one of them, I've also been told something negative - that I'm commitment-phobic, that I 'can write, but not think', that I can give up if I want to, that I should just get a job in sales, that I should've taken the bar (I went to law school), that I'm cynical, that I push too hard or work too independently or give up too fast.  The trick, I think, is to keep people around you who you trust to be honest, who love you because of and despite your faults, to love them and trust them back, and to seek what you really want.  And if you don't know what you really want, knowing what you really DON'T want is useful, too.

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

From my other blog Curiosity Matters

August 10, 2010 Hello! Today I’d like to pretend I’m not sitting in my New York apartment while the temperature approaches 90 degrees. So I invite you all to take a trip with me around the world as I interview Paulyn, a flight attendant for an international airlines. Good timing? This girl is calm and collected and the only exit she is inclined to make is through an actual door.I met her a few weeks ago through a good friend over copious amounts of Indian food. So please, sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Tell me a little bit about your background. How long have you worked as a flight attendant? And have you always lived in Singapore?
I love traveling. Will never get enough of it. I have been flying for almost 10 years. I have lived in Singapore all my life. I almost joined Emirates in 2004, but the thought of having to live in Dubai all by myself changed my mind. I prefer to live with my family.

What made you want to be a flight attendant and what about it has made you want to stay in the industry for all these years?
I have always wanted to travel around the world.  I didn’t come from a rich family and I never got to travel much when I was younger. I met my ex-boyfriend 10 years ago who was a flight attendant. He always showed me pictures of his travels, so I decided that upon graduation, I would like to join the airline too – to travel for free and get paid at the same time!

What’s a misconception about being a flight attendant that most people have? Is it glamorous? Does traveling to interesting places ever get boring?
The common misconception would be that they sleep around among themselves or with the pilots, which is totally NOT true. More misconceptions are that we are very materialistic. The female flight attendants only want to go for the rich guys, buy branded goods, etc. And worst of all, that we are Bimbos or Himbos – that we do not know the current affairs, except for shopping and eating!!! Some of us, including myself, are University Graduates. Some are working towards Masters degrees. I must say there are some black sheeps, but NOT everyone is like that.
The only glamorous part about the job is that you get to travel around the world every other day. But it is in fact NOT that glamorous when you have to clean the toilet, wipe the vomit, get scolded by unreasonable passengers and have to deal with jetlag ALL the time.
Traveling to the same places over and over again, without exploring newer places of interest, can get really boring. I used to be in a German speaking crew, and I flew to Frankfurt, Zurich and sometimes New York, once or twice every month. But I didn’t even bother to go out. I only went out when I was hungry or I had something to buy. And the layover at the station can be very short, so I would not be able to explore other parts of Germany.

You fly with people from all over the world. Do Americans stand out? How are they different from other nationalities?
Hmmmm… How should I answer this question? I must say the Americans are just another passengers onboard. To me, I would say the Singaporeans are the hardest to please.  Though this is NOT always true, but at least 80% accurate. I would think that this is because the airline I work for is their national carrier. They expect a lot for the price they paid to fly with us. I love the Swiss. I think they are the most polite and they do not need to be told repeatedly about the safety regulations they have to follow, like fasten seatbelt during turbulence, etc.  And they only ask for water during the lull period (in between meal services)!!

What is your favorite route to fly?
To Europe. The Europeans are usually quite well behaved and they often listen to your instructions regarding to safety issues onboard.  Also, I love the rich history in Europe.  I love the castles, the old buildings etc.

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met on your travels and why?
Hmmm… another difficult question.  The ONLY famous person I ever met was Richard Quest from CNN. He is quite a famous person, yet he is so humble. He actually allowed the set of crew to take not just one, but a few pictures with him.  As for interesting person…. I can’t think of any at this point of time.

Is there a country you haven’t been to but would like to visit?
I would love to visit South America one day. Especially Chile and Argentina. I am learning about wines, and heard so much about the perfect weather conditions for wine-growing in Chile.  I would also like to know more about their culture and history, etc.

You have to pack light when you’re traveling. What are some beauty products you never leave home without? How do you keep your skin looking fresh and moisturized during the long flights?
I will never leave home without my moisturizer, serum, eye gel, and my sun block. I’ve gone for a facial once a month, since I was 22. I also do my own mini facial at home or overseas. I bring along my facial masks, etc. It is important, no matter how tired you are, to remove your makeup before you sleep. Otherwise, that is the end of your skin in the long run.  Since I already have slightly dry-skin due to flying, I apply a moisture-sleeping mask, before I sleep.  Your skin absorbs the moisture, while you are sleeping.
The cabin is very dry, so it is important that one have proper skincare, before any makeup. I also carry along my body cream so that I can apply them as often as time permits during the flight, to keep my skin moisturized.

What country makes the best beauty products? Hair products?
I found out that many products that I used are made in California, USA, but are patented in Europe. I.e. Sothys.  I think probably the best beauty products are from Europe. As for hair products, maybe from France and the USA.

And is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about your experiences and beauty advice?
I think most people forget about their necks. You can do a face-lift, but can’t do a neck-lift?? Don’t forget to take care of your neck as well. One can still tell your age, no matter how good your face looks, if you don’t look after your neck. Apply some moisturizer over it and mask it as well.
Never leave your house without Sunblock!! Even if your office is just across the street!!  Sunblock is one anti-aging skin care you should never forget to apply!!!
Looking beautiful is not just about looking after your skin. What about your hair? Being properly groomed like going for a manicure and pedicure, dressing well, like color co-ordination, etc, having simple makeup whenever you are leaving your house, especially if you are going to meet someone, are just as important. It is the whole package. You can have the greatest skin, but if you are dressed terribly, or your hair is in a mess or your nails are all chipped, you still looked TERRIBLE.  Agree??

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

I am excited to introduce Stephanie Retcho, Managing Director at TBWA/Chiat/Day. I won a lunch and industry chat with her through AWNY’s yearly silent auction hosted by their Young Executive committee and she was kind enough to share her insights and expertise.

What’s your background?

I've been working in advertising for more than 15 years now. I started out on Bell Canada at Leo Burnett in Toronto and then moved to New York. I've worked on everything from The Ford Motor Company and Jaguar to Nextel, Sprint and Verizon Wireless, and now touching many brands at TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. I also did a stint as a client at Sirius Satellite Radio.

I graduated with an Arts degree and began work in travel and later as a copy writer for a software development company as well as an editor for a small publisher in Toronto before getting into advertising.

How would you describe the difference in culture and experiences between working for a smaller agency or medium sized versus a larger firm?

Both have strengths and weaknesses. While larger shops generally have greater resources and infrastructure, smaller shops most often allow for more innovation. Culturally, either can be entrepreneurial if you have the right drive. It's a matter of having a vision for the agency and for your clients.

What are some important skills and ways of approaching situations to be a successful account manager? Or advice on collaborating with a group of people in a professional environment?

There are two fundamental skills at the core of everything an account person does. These were synthesized for me by a mentor and they still apply today - be a leader and know your client's business. You need to have a genuine interest in understanding what your client does and how to sell it to others and you need to have the chops to get in front of things and try to solve them. If you don't want to pick up the phone and address a situation that needs to be addressed, don't be an account person.

In addition to these two base level strengths, you also need foresight to know what needs to happen next, and the ability to view situations laterally and understand what is going on around you that will impact what you are doing.

Where do you see advertising going in the next five years? Will print and television ads still be relevant?

I have to go against the common trend today and say that TV will still be a very powerful medium. I think print already has, and will continue to, transition to being the written word in alternate media, but as much as people say the :30 second spot is dead, it continues to be one of the most impactful media options that exists. I think the key to the future will be about the connection between TV and other media. There are wonderful examples of TV inspiring incredible work in other media and great business results, like the recent work from Old Spice.

And finally, you’re sitting across from a potential candidate in an interview. You’ve decided that you’re gong to hire him/her. What are the top three things they did that got them the job?

The most important quality to me in a candidate is the ability to engage in a non-rehearsed way on the spot. If I ask a question, I don't want to hear a canned response. I want to hear what you think and see you have a new idea, in front of me. That can't be rehearsed. Beyond that, what I don't want to hear is that you think being an account person is a facilitation role. We don't facilitate - we lead.That's not 3, but that's what I look for.

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

Hello! Today I'd like to pretend I'm not sitting in my New York apartment while the temperature approaches 90 degrees. So I invite you all to take a trip with me around the world as I interview Paulyn, a flight attendant for an international airlines. Good timing? This girl is calm and collected and the only exit she is inclined to make is through an actual door.I met her a few weeks ago through a good friend over copious amounts of Indian food. So please, sit back, and enjoy the ride.Tell me a little bit about your background. How long have you worked as a flight attendant? And have you always lived in Singapore?

I love traveling. Will never get enough of it. I have been flying for almost 10 years. I have lived in Singapore all my life. I almost joined Emirates in 2004, but the thought of having to live in Dubai all by myself changed my mind. I prefer to live with my family.

What made you want to be a flight attendant and what about it has made you want to stay in the industry for all these years?

I have always wanted to travel around the world.  I didn't come from a rich family and I never got to travel much when I was younger. I met my ex-boyfriend 10 years ago who was a flight attendant. He always showed me pictures of his travels, so I decided that upon graduation, I would like to join the airline too - to travel for free and get paid at the same time!

What's a misconception about being a flight attendant that most people have? Is it glamorous? Does traveling to interesting places ever get boring?

The common misconception would be that they sleep around among themselves or with the pilots, which is totally NOT true. More misconceptions are that we are very materialistic. The female flight attendants only want to go for the rich guys, buy branded goods, etc. And worst of all, that we are Bimbos or Himbos - that we do not know the current affairs, except for shopping and eating!!! Some of us, including myself, are University Graduates. Some are working towards Masters degrees. I must say there are some black sheeps, but NOT everyone is like that.

The only glamorous part about the job is that you get to travel around the world every other day. But it is in fact NOT that glamorous when you have to clean the toilet, wipe the vomit, get scolded by unreasonable passengers and have to deal with jetlag ALL the time.

Traveling to the same places over and over again, without exploring newer places of interest, can get really boring. I used to be in a German speaking crew, and I flew to Frankfurt, Zurich and sometimes New York, once or twice every month. But I didn't even bother to go out. I only went out when I was hungry or I had something to buy. And the layover at the station can be very short, so I would not be able to explore other parts of Germany.

You fly with people from all over the world. Do Americans stand out? How are they different from other nationalities?

Hmmmm... How should I answer this question? I must say the Americans are just another passengers onboard. To me, I would say the Singaporeans are the hardest to please.  Though this is NOT always true, but at least 80% accurate. I would think that this is because the airline I work for is their national carrier. They expect a lot for the price they paid to fly with us. I love the Swiss. I think they are the most polite and they do not need to be told repeatedly about the safety regulations they have to follow, like fasten seatbelt during turbulence, etc.  And they only ask for water during the lull period (in between meal services)!!

What is your favorite route to fly?

To Europe. The Europeans are usually quite well behaved and they often listen to your instructions regarding to safety issues onboard.  Also, I love the rich history in Europe.  I love the castles, the old buildings etc.

Who is the most interesting person you've met on your travels and why?

Hmmm... another difficult question.  The ONLY famous person I ever met was Richard Quest from CNN. He is quite a famous person, yet he is so humble. He actually allowed the set of crew to take not just one, but a few pictures with him.  As for interesting person.... I can't think of any at this point of time.

Is there a country you haven't been to but would like to visit?

I would love to visit South America one day. Especially Chile and Argentina. I am learning about wines, and heard so much about the perfect weather conditions for wine-growing in Chile.  I would also like to know more about their culture and history, etc.

You have to pack light when you're traveling. What are some beauty products you never leave home without? How do you keep your skin looking fresh and moisturized during the long flights?

I will never leave home without my moisturizer, serum, eye gel, and my sun block. I’ve gone for a facial once a month, since I was 22. I also do my own mini facial at home or overseas. I bring along my facial masks, etc. It is important, no matter how tired you are, to remove your makeup before you sleep. Otherwise, that is the end of your skin in the long run.  Since I already have slightly dry-skin due to flying, I apply a moisture-sleeping mask, before I sleep.  Your skin absorbs the moisture, while you are sleeping.

The cabin is very dry, so it is important that one have proper skincare, before any makeup. I also carry along my body cream so that I can apply them as often as time permits during the flight, to keep my skin moisturized.

What country makes the best beauty products? Hair products?

I found out that many products that I used are made in California, USA, but are patented in Europe. I.e. Sothys.  I think probably the best beauty products are from Europe. As for hair products, maybe from France and the USA.

And is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers about your experiences and beauty advice?

I think most people forget about their necks. You can do a face-lift, but can’t do a neck-lift?? Don't forget to take care of your neck as well. One can still tell your age, no matter how good your face looks, if you don't look after your neck. Apply some moisturizer over it and mask it as well.

Never leave your house without Sunblock!! Even if your office is just across the street!!  Sunblock is one anti-aging skin care you should never forget to apply!!!

Looking beautiful is not just about looking after your skin. What about your hair? Being properly groomed like going for a manicure and pedicure, dressing well, like color co-ordination, etc, having simple makeup whenever you are leaving your house, especially if you are going to meet someone, are just as important. It is the whole package. You can have the greatest skin, but if you are dressed terribly, or your hair is in a mess or your nails are all chipped, you still looked TERRIBLE.  Agree?? :)

Tête-à-Tête Tuesdays with Molly

Since Father’s Day just passed, and you happen to be my father, I thought it would be appropriate to interview you. Jack Aaker started out at Wells Rich Green worked at JWT, Grey, BBDO and had his own business. He is currently a senior creative at the Kaplan Thaler Group.

Can you tell me a little bit about where you’re from and how you got into advertising?

I’m from a small town in Minnesota and went to college in Minnesota. During my Sophomore year, I saw a picture of a beautiful woman on the cover of my father’s Business Week: Mary Wells Laurence of Wells Rich Green. They were creating the best advertising at the time; Benson & Heges, American Motors, Alka Seltzer, etc. So I wrote her a love letter and got an airmail special delivery reply. She didn’t train juniors and advised me to stay in school. Then she me gave a piece of advice that I tell every creative person who wants to get into advertising -“When you see a bad ad, how would you make it better? Just think what you can do in every single way to improve it.” And I started noticing advertising around me and re-writing it. After college, I came to NYC with $300 and got a job as a mail clerk at Wells Rich Green. Three months later, I became a writer by submitting my work to writers at the agency who also taught at SVA and Parsons – but back then there were very few schools for advertising – and people actually had the time to mentor me.

You’ve worked in advertising for over 30 years. Can you give my readers some advice on how you’ve dealt with the ups and downs of the business?

It’s all about resilience. Realize you’re going to have setbacks and rejections as well as victories. Don’t ever give up. It sounds trite but it’s the truth. I have been fortunate to have a creative partner for over 20 years. We’ve formed a strong bond so we can balance and motivate each other to keep trying. We’re hard on each other, but always supportive. The great thing about advertising is that there’s always a new problem or situation. Because things change so quickly, usually bad situations pass. (And great situations can disappear overnight!) I’ve always worked with great people and always try to be honorable. We keep our promises and deadlines. We care very much. When you have that sense of professionalism, it reflects back on you and you get to work with people who are professional and honorable as well. People become more important than the situation.

Describe the most exciting, unique, crazy and interesting shoot you’ve been on aside from recording and directing Antonio Banderas on Nasonex.

Going to New Zealand for Flomax. We had to cast a line of 90 men with 15 principals and 9 of them had to speak on camera. The concept was a long line of men stepping forward in an airplane hanger to show that they’re not alone with their disease, not afraid to talk about that they were going to the bathroom all the time. We couldn’t find the right location in the USA so we had to choose between Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. It turned out there was a brand new hanger in the Auckland airport built for the richest man in the country. It was beautiful and a perfect half circle. We cast in Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Wellington and Auckland trying to find people who could speak on camera in an American accent. It was a casting epic. The talent was great. When you go out of the country, it’s incredibly important surround yourself with people you can trust because there are always unexpected problems. You have to prepare for every possibility of what can go wrong – and then something happens that you couldn’t have imagined. You have to be flexible, but more importantly, you have to remember clearly what you want and stick to it when everyone is trying to compromise on money, talent, legal, etc. My partner and I also shot a memorable commercial for Puerto Vallerta tourism – but I can’t give that story away. We’re going to turn it into a movie. Let’s just say that we nicknamed the commercial director, who was mandated by certain officials, Juan More Tequila. Crew call was at 7AM. Crew showed up at 9. Tequila break was at 10:30. You can’t make this stuff up.

Well, I for one will never forget being on the set of a Duncan Hines commercial at 4 years old with chocolate chips raining from the ceiling. Maybe that’s why I chose a career in advertising. What other careers have you considered?

I was going to be a clinical psychologist – but I fell in love with advertising. After I came to New York, I was a volunteer for a suicide hotline and was trained in active listening. It’s been vital to my career.

Aside from getting a creative brief that includes a basic guideline of what you should create, you’re basically starting from a blank page. How do you start the creative process? Is there a certain time of day you find you’re more creative?

I work as part of a team and I tend to focus on all the details and see if they lead to something big. My partner (art director) focuses on the big picture and ignores the details and we just start talking. We talk about things that intrigue us, questions we have about the product, questions consumers might have. We try to fit into their shoes whether it’s a product or service. And we always start with the idea. What’s the end line? Key visual? The feeling that we want to leave people with? How can we be unique? Clever? Get people’s attention and persuade? The idea has to work everywhere - not just in television and print, but all executions in all media have to flow from it. I like getting up really early and hitting the computer instantly. It’s when my ideas aren’t affected by my rationality and come straight out of my brain without second thoughts or editing.

A lot has been said about how advertising has changed over the past 30 years with the inclusion of digital, social media, and other forms of advertising. What has stayed the same?

What has stayed the same is that there’s always a connection to humanity. There’s a connection to peoples’ likes and dislikes. And even though those likes and dislikes change over time, you’re always trying to connect to them and get an emotional response from people, from peoples’ humanity.

And finally, how do you feel about your daughter(s) following in your footsteps?

Well I think it’s an interesting career. Unfortunately, the whole model of making money has changed. The media has fragmented and the internet has reduced costs and therefore, fees. So, the question to ask is how we’ll all support ourselves in 5 years. On the other hand, advertising is always changing. That’s why it’s interesting. Every day is something different. There’s a new competitor, a new app, a new way to influence people. It’s constantly being on your toes. And I’ve learned about things that I never expected to learn about - everything from computers and phones to pharmaceuticals and peanut butter. I’ve become a more interesting person because of it and I spend time with some of the most delightful, engaging and intelligent people one can imagine.