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YouTube is the New On-Demand TV
Why YouTube?
On the eve of their 5th anniversary, YouTube announced they’d
passed the two billion views per day milestone. Amazing but true,
some days YouTube out performs its parent company, Google, as
the most used search engine. Consumers want the convenience of
viewing a business online before they make a purchase decision.
Your brand message on TV?
At Marketing for Mavericks we believe YouTube, and similar video-viewing platforms, are the
next wave of cable programming. Consider it a TV channel that allows you to see every
possible format any time you want; instructional material, musical performances, cooking
demonstrations and reality shows.
How do you get noticed on YouTube?
If you want your brand on YouTube, but not sure how, don’t worry. Our company is equipped
and skilled at creating videos – especially for businesses that make food and wine. Marketing
for Mavericks is staffed with top-notch videographers, creative directors and editors. We build
unique and compelling stories for prestigious products, and then launch them to the online
community. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Google Business are just some of the
platforms available to broadcast your message. View this video we created for The Kitchen, a
spectacular Sacramento restaurant.
Do you have a website?
Video is also an exceptional tool for your website. A video will enhance any web page – because it engages the viewer. When the video is both brief and entertaining, and xommunicates great branding – it gets your business noticed.
Contact us today. We’re experienced and savvy about sharing your product through video. And we’re affordable.
Marketing for Mavericks
marketingformavericks.com
cinde.dolphin@marketingformavericks.com
916-768-1690
The average person spends
15 minutes a day on YouTube.
On a daily basis, YouTube
views equal nearly double
the prime time audience of
all three major US broadcast
networks combined.
WebsiteMonitoring.com 5/10/10.
Extreme Heat
The temperature is 103 degrees. Yet, we’ve had a mild summer and this is just the fourth or fifth day of triple digits so far.
I use the heat as an excuse.
“I can’t think when it’s this hot.” “My flowers and yard need my attention, not work.” “Didn’t Julie say that her swimming pool was open for business?”
This winter, when it was cold, I had new dialogue – but same type of excuses.
Do you worry that you’re a procrastinator? Or even worse, lazy? I do. I’ve got tons of energy most the time, yet when the weather is extreme one way or another – my inner-hamster takes a nap. It just stops, right in the middle of spinning the treadmill, and lays down. A sure sign I doomed to be a slug.
However, the hamster is back!
In this extreme heat, I realized it wasn’t laziness that prevented me from achievement. It is the pressing voice of my mother saying “go outside and get some fresh air.” I’ve been conditioned, just like my dog snaps to attention when I use the can opener. I am programmed to be outside when my mother wanted the house to herself. Probably to let her own inner-hamster nap.
The solution is a good ol’ romp with the pup in the park. Just two blocks away, we walk on the shady side of the street and arrive at the children’s pool and watch screaming toddlers jump in the water. They splash us and make us feel like being silly. If there was a Slip-and-Slide, we’d get a running start from the end of the block and skid down it with both (or all four) feet in the air! Someone has graciously placed a bowl at the base of the drinking fountain so Bowser can gulp as much as she wants, while I just stick my face right in the middle of the water stream.
Slurp!
Silly and revived, we return home. I pick up my work where I left off and my inner-hamster gets back on the treadmill. Mom – you’d be proud of me!
Emancipation
78% of 18 year-olds in Foster care end up either incarcerated or homeless within two years of “aging out” of the system.
Gulp. Are you looking for a reason our jails are overcrowded?
The outlook for the 30,000 foster children in the United States who ”age out” of the system each year is bleak, according to a study led by University of Washington School of Social Work researcher Mark Courtney.
A young person in a foster home has the deck stacked against them to begin with, and this is the kind of future more than three-quarters of then have to look forward to. Our states, in a desperate move to save their budgets, are cutting even more programs to assist the transition. Halfway homes, college and technical school grants and counseling programs are all threatened over the next few critical years.
The solution? Hands down – the best possible answer is making sure these youth have a stable adult that will lead and advocate for them.
There just aren’t enough social workers and enough hours in the day to assist these kids. An adult - who has a sincere interest in preventing just one kid from repeating the cycle - has the chance of making a difference.
Finding a mentor who provides “that backbone you need” has made all the difference, said Cameron Anderson, 21, of Tampa, Fla., who entered foster care at 15 after he got into trouble with the law, then lived in group homes.
Last fall, Cameron was introduced to his mentor, an investor in Tampa, through a program called Connected by 25. The two now speak daily, Cameron said, discussing “school and life in general, even to the point where he’ll say, ‘Hey, are you using protection?’ ”
Had he had such a relationship earlier, Cameron said, “it would have saved me from a ton of bridges I’ve had to cross.”
A Montana social worker, Matt Anderson, is on a mission to educate the public about the pitfalls of American foster care, especially older children about to age out of the system. Matt is working to complete the documentary “From Place to Place” that follows teenagers who have turned 18 and left foster care.
He says, “the kids I worked with had an endless trail of disrupted relationships and very little contact with their biological families.” Then, he says, ”since aging out, many of these kids have gone on a journey to find their families.” “Unfortunately, the trail of disrupted relationships has continued. Human beings have an undeniable need to be connected and our most natural connection systems are our families. But when kids enter the system they often become very disconnected, which I believe is at the root of their behavioral outbursts, emotional instability, academic struggles, and other issues.”
Mentoring gives foster care teens a listening ear and a friend to guide them through their struggles. Mentoring relationships begun while foster care kids are in their mid-teens can be beneficial as the kids become more independent. Consider these mentoring possibilities:
- Mentor through the internet. VMentor.com allows mentors to form relationships with a foster care teens aged 16-23. This virtual mentoring system matches teens and mentors according to their interests and career aspirations. Each week, mentors communicate with their teens completely through email.
- Mentor through a local organization. Many local foster agencies provide mentorship programs for kids in foster care. These programs are often flexible, and allow mentors to set their own appointments according to their schedule. Simply call your nearest foster care agency to find out what opportunities are available.
- Mentor through a college program. College can be a challenge for foster care teens that don’t have home support. Ask the guidance office of your local college if the school provides a mentoring program for incoming foster care freshmen.
I currently mentor a 13 year-old girl who lives in a foster home with her twin sister. She is amazingly well-adjusted, but can’t understand why she can’t live with her biological mother. I don’t know either, and I don’t really want to know. Instead, I hope I give her a constant relationship in her life that provides stability. I track her progress in sports, school and socially. I never make judgements, but I let her know that each of these things are important to me. It’s not my role to punish or reward her. I am the one person she know will be there without exception. And, she says, that’s enough.
Think about mentoring… The rewards are – like the commercial says – priceless. Both for you, and the youth you mentor.
Just a pair of shoes…
Just a pair of shoes...
Do you know what podooconiosis is? I didn’t… but now that I do, I almost wish I hadn’t heard about it. Remember the creepy pictures of people with elephantitis that you’d see in medical journals?
“Podo,” as it’s referred to, is basically the same thing. It’s a disease that affects the feet of people without shoes. Podo is caused by barefoot exposure to red clay soil and is completely preventable by wearing shoes. In Ethiopia alone, it is estimated that 11 million people are at risk, with between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people already affected. In the densely populated southern Ethiopian region of Wolaita, Podoconiosis is more common than HIV infection.
The symptoms are grossly enlarged feet that are often affected by painful ulcers and infections. Many locals believe that Podo is communicable, so a social stigma associated with the disease.
TOMS Shoes is working to prevent Podo by giving durable footwear to all early-stage and at-risk children in the hazardous areas of Ethiopia. It’s such an easy solution to such a painful problem. Won’t you visit TOMS’ website and consider making a donation?
Please visit http://www.friendsoftoms.org/
Keep it real and don’t give up
The high school youth at the church I attend are often from families that have been displaced. The poor economy has resulted in foreclosures on homes and apartments they were renting. Most are making it – but just barely. Often they are doubling up with another family in a residence that is even too small for one family.
An interesting exercise we use with the youth is asking them what they believe their “gift” is – what are they particularly suited to do. Shy at first, and then more bold – several acknowledge that their gift is in the arts, including music, acting and drawing. The opportunity to speak out loud about their passion is important. The lack of permanent housing is considered a barrier to growing their gift. We work with them and encourage each to find a way to express the interest and grow it through classes, mentoring or just reading books about it. The kids are now seeing opportunities where they use to think there were none. We also work with the parent(s) to encourage their children’s dreams – in spite of the challenges in front of them and their current living situation. Watch this video produced by an urban program called Reciprocity Project.
If you have a similar program in your community, ask how you can get involved. The young person with a mentor is 80% more likely to avoid the social welfare system than the kids without one. Don’t have time for a volunteer mentoring project? Many schools have a program to encourage youth in different careers. Sign up to speak about your job and life choices. Even a brief interaction with a young adult in crisis can make a difference.
What are you doing in your community?
Accelerate brand loyalty and retail sales with Social Media Marketing
“If you advertise to your audience, it’s one-way communication. Engage your audience through social media and you build a relationship.” – Cinde J. Dolphin, Marketing for Mavericks
In the wine industry, social media is a no/low cost worldwide forum to discuss and recommend viticulture services and wine labels. It’s the equivalent of a casual tasting room discussion — online.
Customers “virtually” visit your business by using Facebook, Twitter and other key sites. After a great experience, the same customers become ambassadors – providing testimonials about product and services that are honest and immediate. In turn, it provides your sales team with positive responses to leverage with new clients — converting them to buying customers. Plus, social media is a research tool, keeping a finger on the pulse of what is being said about you, your brands and your competition.
We Combine Search Engine Optimization, Social Marketing and Public Relations
The best way to reach online audiences is to be so well optimized that they find your site first during initial search results on Google and other search engines. We’ll increase links from your website to and from other sites that will help generate group posts and generate online conversations. A public relations campaign will drive more online media mentions and thereby drive more traffic to your website.
We Provide Web Analytics, Tracking and Reporting
We can measure traffic to your social network, allowing us to gain detailed demographic information about your audience and their online activities. And, we’ll constantly refine the messages and activities for maximum effectiveness. You’ll gain perspective about your customer base, including vital members of the retail channel.
Overview of What You Can Expect
Current Online audit ~ Search Engine Optimization ~ Editorial Calendar ~ Monthly PR Strategy ~ Social Media Daily Updates ~ Sales Staff Education
Contact us @ cinde.dolphin@marketingformavicks.com for more information.
Farm workers in Yuba and Sutter County in Northern Calif. have a place to go for the many challenges that face them day-by-day. Of course, the winter months mean not only limited employment, but also increased gas & electric bills, poor living conditions and health care issues. Western Farm Workers Association is community-based operation that survives on donations and volunteers only. They provide in-take interviews for each individual, provide emergency food if necessary and address the concern of each person on a case-by-case basis. They also help the local community celebrate the holidays, with gifts for children and dinners that serve up to 400 people.
Let us know if you’d like to learn about ways to help some of the people who are responsible for putting healthy fruits and vegetables on your table.
I’m as guilty as anyone…
I write or create something, (after many revisions) feel good about it, and assume I’m successful. The resulting creation pushed my own personal “feel good” button, ergo it must be good.
Really, the test is whether it pushes the buttons of your customers and potential customers. A clever theme or essay is only as good as it is received. It frustrates me to no end! I imagine there are many who feel the same…
In marketing, the key is presenting a brand’s content and features in a way that captures your taget audience. A great advertising campaign may win marketing awards, but it it doesn’t draw new business – it’s not a true success. Unless of course, your goal is to scatter awards throughout your office.
In my previous career, I worked with promotional agencies to create point-of-sale materials for retail displays. The key to success was getting a retailer to love the piece enough to place it on precious real estate in his or her store. Each inch of a store floor is valuable! Getting a product display with your POS on top is considered true success.
However, the customer in the store may be nonchalent about the display. They may actually walk right past it without even pausing to consider placing it in their shopping cart. How successful is that POS now?
I don’t have an answer. However, I believe that in the current world, a brand needs more than shock and awe on the floor to get your investment. A brand needs a relationship.
Winning From the Ground Up
I’m working with a coalition in Sacramento, with a vision of building Complete Streets in the metro area. I believe in the organization’s mission for a number of reasons. Here’s one of them.
First – Complete Streets means safe streets for walkers, school children, bikers and even motorists. The actual design of a sidewalk and intersection can either encourage folks to be on the street, or to jump into their vehicle and drive to even the closest destination, maybe four or five blocks away. Those who advocate for Complete Streets, ask that the needs of all who use it be considered in equal portions.
If you’re a parent, you’re well-aware of this, but when I have to drive past a schoolyard during morning or afternoon hours – the bottleneck of vehicles is amazing. Not only does is create really poor air quality for the kids jumping in and out of cars, but it statistically improves the chances of an accident – or even worse, an injured child.
Imagine, if you will, a safe traffic area for students so walking and biking to school is actually preferable. And I mean preferable to the kids, in addition to the parents — by providing intersections that discourage vehicle traffic and encourage foot traffic. Lanes that allow bikes true right-of-way and cars are considered secondary. Kids that arrive from distant home locations where cycling or walking are not an option, can safely disembark from the car a few blocks away, because designers of surrounding walkways provided adequate safety measures for the walking commuter. So, I hope you get my drift…
But the add-on benefit is the additional exercise for your kid. There’s a myriad of electronic devices that can take over a kid’s life. Often the need for fresh air and exercise becomes an afterthought. One of the biggest issues facing school age children is obesity. Walking and cycling to school provides some exercise and encourages social interaction away from gadgets. When bike-riding kids get together, they find the fun in showing off, racing or (dare I sat it) flirting! It encourages more interaction with people and thereby building friendships and social networks.
I’ve just started working with Complete Streets, so I’ve got more to learn. So far, there seems to be some solid reasons to become an advocate. There’s an interesting article from the Brookings Institute: Sacramento’s Transit-Oriented Development Plan. Sacramento can lead the nation in being a walkable, transit-friendly community. But the infrastructure needs to be from the “ground up.” It’s not too late, but we must start now. Please share your thoughts and comments.
