The Famous Planner Survey of 2010

I heard rumors that this existed. And then I found it. Via I'll Change Your Life. I bet Heather creates fantastically visual Creative Briefs and her creatives must love her!Results that I found to be particularly interesting: Women are still only making 73 cents on the dollar for every male Head of Account Planning. So women - definitely have this survey in mind when you're going up for your next review.

- Somehow the salary range for Assistant Account Planners is between $28K-$71K with the average at $43K.

- Heather was surprised to discover that graduate degrees did not appear to result in higher salaries but specifically praised the Miami Ad School Account Planning Boot Camp as a great way for "natural planner-types to make a career change and get into account planning."

- And finally, two out of our three industry heroes who teach our weekend workshops were listed as Awesome Planners in the survey.

Worth the read!

The Planner Survey 2010http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/doc_player.swf?doc=theplannersurvey2010-100818024607-phpapp01&stripped_title=the-planner-survey-2010&userName=hklefevre

View more documents from Heather LeFevre.

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

Introducing Karen Nuccio. I've taken a few of her classes at Crunch over the years and we've become friends. I'll never forgot her funniest line in spin classes 3 years ago when she played Nine Inch Nails, "Closer" and claimed they played this at her wedding. Everyone had a look of shock on their face until she admitted she was kidding, but that her mother said if she got married, she could play whatever she wanted. She yeah, she approaches fitness instruction with humor and delights her students with her vibrant personality. Check out her new classes at SPiN NYC on 23rd and Park Avenue South. They're in the mornings and don't involve ping pong but do involve exercising while in a fun environment. What initially attracted you to the fitness industry?

I have been teaching fitness-based classes for 14 years, but I can’t say I was attracted to fitness from the very start. What I mean by that is - I grew to love teaching before I grew to love fitness. The exercising was an afterthought for me. I loved connecting with people, loved getting to know them, loved watching them become more confident, become happier and healthier. I think I started to take the fitness part more seriously 7 years ago. I had found a lump on my thyroid gland and had to have it removed. To make a long story short, I now have a hypoactive thyroid gland. That’s the "slow one" and roughly what that translates to mean is that fitness is now a challenge for me. My metabolism is now slower, my energy levels not always perfect, my hair and skin are sometimes even glitchy - but keeping active and being healthy consistently helps keep my thyroid in check. So now fitness is not just a social medium to me, it’s a necessity!  It sounds cliché but you don't know what being healthy really means until your health is in jeopardy! Getting "sick" made me have a really profound respect for what it means to be well! Teaching is still my first love, but teaching people to respect their bodies and be healthy, that is a definite focal point. Fitness is an amazing tool that helped me to be well and healthy again!

With regard to the fitness industry within itself, I think in many ways it’s lacking. I think there should be a focus within the industry on teaching people to listen to their bodies and finding their right path rather than offering up countless "answers." I think the industry needs to teach people to ask more questions, teach people to be responsible for themselves so that they can take better care of themselves and lead healthier lives. The industry, at times, focuses too much and what is wrong with people and on what they are not doing rather than focusing on what they are doing right and on how they can build on that.

But that’s just my opinion.

You've worked with people who have been successful in getting in shape or losing weight and people who have yet to reach their goals. What qualities and habits have the successful people developed that has enabled them to achieve their goals? Is there a commonality or trend?

I think when it comes to success, a goal and drive is key. Some people want to be that much more fit for their wedding, some want to train for a marathon, some are actors getting ready for a part. The goal usually drives the behavior; the end point.

I think the end point will automatically fuel the success...or at least short-term success. But when it comes to long term success, long term health and fitness - I think the goal needs to be secondary to the realization that exercising and eating well are a way of life -not a path to a goal. If you maintain a regular exercise program and eat well, you reach a level of healthiness that your goals just fall into place and they become icing rather than the cake.

I think anyone can reach a goal with the right motivation, but continually being healthy and fit - that is the mark of true success to me.

Recently, you founded LITA Integrated Fitness, where you design custom fitness programs for individuals and companies - a holistic approach combining fitness expertise and physical therapy. In your experience working in the fitness industry, what did you feel was missing?

My big complaint with the fitness industry was that the industry itself many times failed to "walk the line.” A prime example of this would be having less than fit instructors teach classes, or having trainers sit behind the desk at a gym eating McDonalds!! NOT COOL!!  I mean, if your prime candidates of fitness are not setting the example, how motivated can the students be!?

My other gripe with the industry is that the industry had more performers than it has teachers. I think the fitness industry needs to focus more on teaching people to be healthy and fit and less on finding new ways to keep people entertained. The industry obsesses over the new entertaining trend but fails to effectively teach what actually works! I created LITA to bridge the gap between teaching and entertaining. Classes are meant to be fun and entertaining, but they are also meant to teach people correct form, correct alignment and teach people how to lead a more healthy balanced life - for that matter.

Can you give any sort of overall advice for achieving a more effective workout that you find most of your clients don't initially know.

I think the best advice I can give is to do activities that you like. Just because a class is the hot new trend and because Madonna loves it does not mean it’s right for you. Fitness programs are very personal and finding the right one, the most effective one, like any relationship, takes time to figure out. But once you find the right one, it flows and if you really hit it right. It’s love! I can honestly say that my fitness routine that I do for myself is hard work, but I am absolutely in love with it! And that love is what keeps me motivated.

You've worked as personal trainer and group instructor for years, often going from one class to another. How do you maintain your energy? Any secrets?

You know I gave up crack years ago...just kidding. My espresso in the morning is a must! But that’s an Italian thing rather than a fitness thing.

I guess I maintain energy by eating well throughout the day, hydrating and most importantly by respecting my body's limits. By that I mean, if I have three more classes to go and I just feel shot, I take time to regroup rather than pound a Redbull. I give my body recovery time if needed. On those tired days when I teach, those are the days I spin a little slower or use lighter weights. Your body has a "when" point and it needs to be respected otherwise when you need it to be there for you, it will cop out - I assure you!

Can you give me a short story of someone you've helped achieve a major goal; success story?

Years ago I had a client who I describe as my favorite "fitness addict." I remember meeting her at Macy's and she asked me how I got my "Madonna" arms. I told her it was part genetics, part free weights. She asked me to be her trainer, but I don’t take on strangers as clients. I only work on referral, so I declined but told her where I taught and asked her to come take a class one day. She became my stalker!  Came to every class!! Front row, did everything. And after I got to know her, she asked me again to train her personally and I did. When we met for the first time, she told me - I want to be this weight, have this percentage of body fat, be this flexible, this strong, etc. etc.

So I responded to that by saying, “so what you’re telling me is you want to be a machine?  I don't work with machines. I work with people - so you’re shit out of luck!” She laughed and said, seriously, I want this and that...and the other thing...etc. etc.

And I said, “Seriously, I think the best service I can give you is to train you to not be so driven, to train you to have a little balance. I told her “I’m not going to be your trainer, instead, I'll be your friend.” I took her to brunch. We had wine in the afternoon and we didn’t count calories, and laughed a lot. I told her that working out should not be your life. It adds to the quality of life and what would be the point of being super fit if all that exercise took up the whole day and left no time to enjoy the day and enjoy the body you worked so hard to get?? I have to say; it was more work getting this "client" to not feel guilty about wine or bread than it would have been to get her to look like Madonna. But ten years later, she is one of the healthiest, most balanced people I know. I consider her to be a great success story:)

And finally, is there anything else you'd like to share about fitness or your company LITA?

I created LITA because I wanted to create a fitness company that really took responsibility for its students and clients, a company that actually cared about teaching people how to be healthy. In fitness, from a business standpoint, you always want your client to need you. Then they keep buying sessions! But the goal of LITA is to teach people how to not need us, so to speak. To teach people to learn their bodies and teach people effective ways to be healthy.

For the past 14 years, I have fallen in love with what I do and fallen in love with my students. That love is what has made me want to see them succeed - made me want to see them thrive in my class and outside of it. LITA is an acronym for Love Is The Answer. And I believe that to be true. When placed in an environment where you are truly cared for, how can one not succeed at anything?

How Much Is Beauty Worth at Work

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/271557391

Via Newsweek by Jessica Bennett - July 19, 2010

We’ve all heard the stories about how pretty people have it easy: babies smile more around good-looking parents; handsome kids get better grades and jobs, and earn more money; the list goes on. Still, we’d probably all like to think that we’ve earned our jobs on merit alone—and that, in this economy, it’s our skill that will get us back in the game. But if you believe the results of two new NEWSWEEK Polls, you’d better think again—because in the current job market, paying attention to your looks isn’t just about vanity, it’s about economic survival. Job candidates have always been counseled to dress up for interviews. But our surveys suggest managers are looking beyond wardrobe and evaluating how "physically attractive" applicants are.

NEWSWEEK conducted an online survey of 202 corporate hiring managers, from human-resource employees to senior-level VPs, as well as a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of 964 members of the public, only to confirm what no qualified (or unqualified) employee wants to admit: that in all elements of the workplace, from hiring to politics to promotions, even, looks matter, and they matter hard. The eight most interesting revelations:

1. Just Admit It: Looks Do Matter at Work

When it comes to getting hired in the first place, 57 percent of managers believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate will have a harder time getting hired; 68 percent believe that, once hired, looks will continue to affect the way managers rate job performance. It’s a view that’s reinforced among survey respondents from the general public, a third of whom are either retired or looking for work themselves: 63 percent said being physically attractive is beneficial to men who are looking for work, and 72 percent said it was an advantage for women.

2. Looks Matter More Than Education, Apparently

Asked to rate nine character attributes from one to 10 (with 10 being the most important), looks came in third (with a mean score of 7.1), below experience (8.9) and confidence (8.5), but above where a candidate went to school (6.8) and a sense of humor (6.7). Does that mean candidates should throw away their college funds on a nose job? Probably not. But it does show that not all recruiters are looking for an Ivy League diploma.

3. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. (We Suppose That Could Be Taken Literally.)

Fifty-nine percent of hiring managers advised spending as much time and money “making sure they look attractive” as on perfecting a résumé. Botox, anyone?

4. Yes, We Knew This: It’s Worse for Women

Most news junkies have probably heard the story of Debrahlee Lorenzana, the Queens woman who sued Citibank last month, alleging she was fired for being “too hot.” Whether or not there’s any validity to the woman’s case, women in the workplace are often faced with a double bind: they are expected to be sexy but can be punished for being too attractive. Sixty-one percent of the hiring managers we surveyed—60 percent of whom were men—said they believe a woman would benefit from wearing clothing that shows off her figure at work. Meanwhile, 47 percent of those same managers said they believe some women are penalized for being too good-looking in the office. As a whole, women are perceived to benefit more from their looks: 39 percent of managers believe that being “very good-looking” is more of an advantage for women than men, while only 16 percent believe the opposite—that it’s more beneficial to men than to women. (Is anybody surprised?)

5. We Hate Fat People—Even Though Most of Us Are Fat

Almost 75 percent of Americans may be overweight, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, yet the fact remains that we discriminate against fat people at work and in life. Two thirds of business managers said they believe some managers would hesitate before hiring a qualified job candidate who was significantly overweight.

6. We Also Dislike Old People

Eighty-four percent of managers said they believe some bosses would hesitate before hiring a qualified job candidate who looked much older than his or her co-workers.

http://cdn.eyewonder.com/100125/762975/1309293/300x250_Sprint_EVO4G_RM.swf

7. And Apparently We Think ‘Lookism’ Is OK. (In Certain Situations.)

Sixty-four percent of hiring managers said they believe companies should be allowed to hire people based on looks—when a job requires an employee to be the “face” of a company at retail stores or in sales. But here’s the contradiction: 60 percent of them also said they believe most Americans would favor a law making it illegal to discriminate in hiring based on looks. The reality is more evenly split: 46 percent of the public said they would favor a law making hiring discrimination based on appearance illegal.

8. Don’t Throw Yourself Off the Balcony Yet—Confidence Is Important, Too!

Confidence—and experience, of course—can still go a long way when it comes to succeeding at work. Remember, both ranked first and second on a list of the most important employee attributes. Beauty bias notwithstanding, there are still opportunities for people who aren’t hotties—and lots of them.

Lunchtime TEDTalk

Just saw this while eating my lunch. It's an awesome talk that ties in consumer behavior, psychology, happiness, how we make decisions and the food industry.

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

10 Reasons Social Media Should Not (and will not) Kill Traditional Advertising

10 Reasons Social Media Should Not (and will not) Kill Traditional Advertising

June 30, 2010 by simonmainwaring

Image Credit: Easy Art

I spent the week at the Cannes International Advertising Festival and came away greatly encouraged. Not only did the Festival team (led by Terry Savage and Philip Thomas) do an amazing job but I was impressed by how well the event captured the latest expression of the marketing world. With all the excitement (and, yes, hype) around social media, one might expect this bastion of traditional advertising to take a defensive posture and shun social media, or at least to be a little out of touch. The opposite was true. Not only did the work and seminars fully embrace the potential of social media, but agencies and clients demonstrated real engagement with the marriage of the two. So I thought I’d use my experience of this year’s Festival as a way to explain why traditional advertising is more relevant than ever.
1. IT’S ABOUT THE IDEA: Whether it’s an uber traditional ad spot like Nike’s World Cup spot, ‘Write the Future’, or the Cyber Grand Prix-winning Nike Chalkbot, the fact remains that it’s the idea that determines success with consumers and at the show. Social media expands the reach of great content, but ideas determine reach into hearts and minds. As such, veteran idea generators like ad agencies are very important.
2. FIRST PRINCIPLES, NEW MEDIA: Irrespective of your marketing speciality – whether it be traditional, digital, or social media – the timeless fundamentals of effective advertising apply. Work needs to be simple, emotional and consistent. As such the hard won lessons of traditional advertising agencies are more relevant than ever. They just need to be applied to all media including social media.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA IS IS NOT AN END IN ITSELF: I did not see a single piece of work celebrated at Cannes simply because it was social media. The power of social media is only unleashed when an emotional connection is made that motivates someone to share something using social tools. Brands at the Festival demonstrated a clear understanding of this and a due respect for agencies as architects of community.
4. BRAND CUSTOMERS: Clients made up almost 15% of the 8000 attendees this year according to Ad Age, and this demonstrates a recognition of two facts. One is that consumers are now reaching out directly to brands through social media, and, secondly, that brands are looking to ad agencies for guidance in how to respond. As such the client/agency dynamic is as critical as ever. In fact Terry Savage, Festival Chairman, also said he is 90% sure there will be a prize for effectiveness next year in which clients will play some role.
5. ‘GOOD’ BUSINESS: So much work demonstrated that brands and agencies realize that consumers want a better world, not just better widgets. This a new thing. Campaigns like the Millions, UNICEF Tapwater and Earth hour receiving titanium awards in recent years. What’s more this year the Festival introduced the first Grand Prix for Good indicating a further appreciation of the positive role that advertising can and must play.
6. SILO BLURRING: This year clearly demonstrated the ability of traditional ad agencies to fill new roles. For instance, Interactive Agency of the Year was Crispin, Porter & Bogusky, and Direct Agency of the Year was Abbott Mead Vickers in London. As traditional ad agencies migrate their focus and talent into emerging areas, their creative prowess will come to bear on the marketing.
7. PURPOSE AS PROFIT: One of the things I stressed in my seminar was that the future of profit is purpose. This is based on the recognition that the universal values that inform purposeful work make brands innately sharable and therefore potentially profitable. Across the board work demonstrated a recognition that consumers want to see their brands changing the world for the better. A great demonstration of this was done by the Festival itself when Jeff Goodby, Ben Stiller and Yahoo, enlisted the entire audience to raise money for Stillerstong that is building schools in Haiti.
8. TECH = SAVVY: As someone who attended last year, I was struck by how tech savvy everyone suddenly became. Eyes were permanently glued to iPhones and Blackberries, laptops served as sun reflectors and there was amble wi-fi and power throughout the Palais (which is not always the case even at tech conferences). As such the Festival did a great job of reflecting the impact of technology discussed in so many of the seminars.
9. TRIUMPH OF YOUTH: Each year the Festival does an amazing job of filling its hall with the future of the industry. It would be easy for an expensive Festival such as this to become stocked with veteran ad types (like me!) but this year I felt more old and out numbersed  than ever. This is partly due to the Young Lions Zone and new efforts this year through Cannes Connect to put attendees in touch with each other and their communities.
10. THE FUTURE IS HERE: Each year the Festival does a great job of securing the thought leaders from areas that are re-shaping the industry. This year it was Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. The Debussy Room was packed to the rafters with two others rooms outside full of people as well. Beyond the understandable fascination around such successful entrepreneurs, the industry is clearly listening to those shaping their future on a daily basis.
With that said, there is still ground to be gained. I was surprised how few people were tweeting out from laptops during the seminars (if that’s any indication of the audience’s personal engagement with their own social communities). Plus I believe the private sector (represented by brands and ad agencies at forums like Cannes) can play an even more powerful role in shaping the future of marketing and society at large. No doubt next year will demonstrate an even fuller embrace of this potential in which brands, ad agencies and consumers co-create the stories that move people, sell products and change our world for the better.
How do you think traditional advertising agencies are doing? Are they sufficiently embracing social media?

Unemployment Via New York Magazine

"Most Americans Fail to Write Novel, Learn Italian in Spare Time

Photo: 20th Century Fox

As terrifying as the employment numbers have been over the past two years, we have to admit that a part of us has been — don't read this next line, bosses — a teensy bit jealous of people who have been laid off. The ones with decent severance packages and money in their checking accounts, who had the foresight to prepare for such an event, of course, so in this fantasy, we're not technically us. But the point is, wouldn't it just be great to have some extra time? You could get cracking on that book idea. Learn to play guitar. Volunteer with homeless special-needs kids. Make the duck en croute from that effing cookbook you bought when Julie & Julia came out that you have literally not even cracked open, and not even feel guilty about eating it because obviously, you'd be exercising loads more now that you had been unshackled from your cubicle. Your ass would really look fantastic if you were unemployed. But while many people have this kind of fantasy, few actually live it. According to the American Time Use Survey released by the Labor Department yesterday, rising unemployment has indeed left many Americans with more spare time on their hands. However, most of them have done approximately jack with it.
From the WSJ:

Time spent in front of the television rose by 12 minutes, to two hours, 49 minutes a day in the two years through 2009. Sleep was the next big gainer, increasing by six minutes to eight hours, 40 minutes a day. The data also show what Americans aren't doing with their extra time: There was virtually no change between 2007 and 2009 in the time devoted to volunteering, religious activities, exercise or education.

Well ... sleeping and watching TV sounds kind of fun, too. Except it turns out people are really judgey about it.

In sum, time people might have used productively is instead being squandered, says University of Texas economist Daniel Hamermesh. "It's not like we're using the recession to build our skills — the skills are depreciating," says Mr. Hamermesh. "It's a waste."

Ouch. That's harsh, Hamermesh. Good thing he's not talking about us, or we would feel really bad about ourselves. Now, if you'll excuse us, please, we really don't have anymore time to fritter away here, we have a job to do."

Sleep More: Check
Work on my novel: Err.. I did once. 
Watch move TV: Hellz No
Exercise more: Hmm.. that would be smart
Have been busier than I was while employed: Check! 

Internet Week New York - Yahoo Provoke Summit

It's been a week and I finally have time to give a recap of some of the highlights of Internet Week New York. On Monday, I attended the Yahoo Provoke Summit with an introduction by Ze Frank. I'm not entirely sure how to describe Ze other than genius, cultural anthropologist, thinker and web pioneer. Okay, that will do. In his 45 minute riveting talk he successfully connected a few lines of Corinthians 13:1-13 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me" to how the biggest challenge for advertisers is to create meaningful connections between people. How did he do it? I have no idea but I will relay some of the ideas he spoke about. Puer Aeternus = the eternal child. In the land of Facebook, games like Farmville and FourSquare, have we entered a state of puer aeternus? What exactly is "work?" Ze argues that work is that attempt at creating an authentic, emotional connection with our peers and future peers. The Modern Day Pirates summed up Ze's point that in his "view, advertisers should not restrict their visions, but rather should present them to the internet and engage their target audience.  If the product is worth marketing, it will find its supporters, and they will rally around it in a way that money cannot buy."

After Ze's presentation, Nick Parish from Contagious Magazine led a panel discussion with Bre Pettis from MakerBot, Matt Szymczyk from Zugara and Seth Goldstein from Stickybits. Check back with Modern Day Pirates for company descriptions. Bre had some thought provoking comments and told me later that he should have started a fist fight among the panel to entertain the audience - but really, he was interesting enough. He thinks that IP (Intellectual Property) is dead and that everything will be open source. Digest this one for a bit. Imagine you run a small non-profit in Africa and you need an online donation infastructure. 5 minutes later, you're up and running - no cost to the organization. Now think about pharmaceuticals, education, architecture.. He also believes, coming from working in the American school system as a teacher, that education is dead. In keeping with the sharing of knowledge, he believes that the education of the future will be through sharing over the web. So maybe he's trying to get on the TED speaker radar... but he definitely has a good point. 

And finally, Iain Tait, Global Interactive Executive Creative Director at Wieden + Kennedy discussed how to evolve an advertising organization to better facilitate this type of higher level, thought provoking creativity. As I'm sure we've all read before - the most successful organizations are the ones that encourage the "best stuff" to win. It's no longer about "the man" pushing his ideas onto us in the marketplace and the same should hold true for an ad agency. The successful ad agency should have hungry, ambitious, evolved and creative people that are dedicated to working and winning as a team. Creating integrated and innovative campaigns is not about ego or ownership but about sharing and the collective win.

Wow.. I see a theme here. Collective. Human, emotional connection. Sharing. In 2006, Time Magazine voted "You" as the "Person of the Year." It seems that in 2010, this concept of individuality has evolved to recognizing the importance of all of us and not just thinking about our own needs, but the needs of the collective.