News SPLASH

As someone fatigued by Tiger, gatecrashers, snark and snipes, I was heartened to see Jeffrey Zaslow’s recent article in The Wall Street Journal called, “Before You Gossip, Ask  Yourself This…”  The article suggests asking three simple questions before saying something to or about someone else: "Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?" 

I’ve been called naïve before (and will be again!) but what’s wrong with a little kindness?  Less face-to-face interaction seems to remove the barriers to civilized conversation (wow, I really sound Victorian, don’t I?).  Julia Hood, publishing director of PRWeek, says it better in a recent opinion piece for the magazine:  “People can be mean on the Web.”  Julia quotes a recent Euro RSCG Worldwide PR study that found 43% of consumers “feel less inhibited through social media,” while 20% use social media to “lash out about companies or brands.” 

Legitimate feedback is a gift.  When the game, however, becomes about who can deliver the snarkiest jab, the usefulness of the response is questionable.  And this philosophy extends to daily interactions with colleagues, business partners, friends and family.

So this year, I will be asking myself those three questions before I speak (remind me if I don’t!).  Who’s with me?

Via today’s SmartBrief on Leadership, I saw an inspiring blog post, “50 Ways to Foster a Culture of Innovation,” by Mitch Ditkoff of Idea Champions.  Here are some of my favorite tips:

#4. Always question authority, especially the authority of your own longstanding beliefs.

#8. Help people broaden their perspective by creating diverse teams and rotating employees into new projects -- especially ones they are fascinated by.

#12. Instead of seeing creativity training as a way to pour knowledge into people's heads, see it as a way to grind new glasses for people so they can see the world in a different way.

#30. Stimulate interaction between segments of the company that traditionally don't connect or collaborate with each other.

#41. Don't make innovation the responsibility of a few. Make innovation the responsibility of each and every employee with performance goals for each and every functional area.

But don’t stop here.  Read all 50 tips and be inspired to move innovation to the top of your to-do list in the New Year.

At a recent Jersey Mike's Subs meeting, I talked with franchisee and area director Dan Burrell about a creative project he was working on that, as both a parent and a writer, just blew me away.  I asked him if he’d share details with us about this project “Teens Talk…Will You Listen?,” an original play produced in Ojai Valley (California) designed to get teens and parents talking.  Here Dan discusses how the project, created with the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation, came to be…while juggling his day job. 

News Splash (NS):  Tell us about the Teen Forum Night project. 

Dan:  The Teen Forum Night started with a challenge:  how do we get parents more involved and educated about what the Youth Foundation does for teens in Ojai?  My thought was that we would have to get the real truth out so the parents can really understand what issues face teens, and what is important to them. That would mean putting teens on stage, with material anonymously submitted from other kids, so the truth can be told but no teen would be responsible.  I also thought the parents should have a chance to ask questions they would have a hard time asking their own teens about, again anonymously.  Beginning this process, and moving through it, we never strayed far from my first vision, and in the end, we had an amazing, real, truthful presentation of actual teen concerns, without any teen having to take responsibility. The night accomplished so much, and I know from reactions that some relationships started changing right away.  

NS:  What were some of the questions asked by parents? 

Dan:  Why do you hate me?  Should I read your texts?  How can I support you in appreciating the arts?  Why do you have to smoke pot?  Why don't you confide in me like you do your friends?

NS:  How did you transform so much data into a cohesive and moving story?

Dan: We asked English teachers in the eight local high schools to give their kids an assignment:   “Dear Mom and Dad” letters.  We asked the kids to be honest, and tell their parents about who they are and what problems they are having themselves, with friends, or with their parents.  We collected over 400 responses, some one or two words, some fully written double sided letters, some poems, some free writes. These were molded into responses.  Remember two or three teens can think differently and answer questions differently, so there could sometimes be 4 to 5 different answers to the same question.

NS: What did you learn from this project?

Dan: I learned how amazing teens really are, that they can go as deep as adults. I learned that we, as adults, have a lot to learn from teens. I learned that teens understand us better than we understand them. I learned that every adult has been a teen, yet every teen has yet to be an adult, so why do we expect so much from them? I learned that teens want to be treated as individuals, and yelling and screaming and always trying to be right does nothing for your relationship with your teens.  I also learned that teens will come and contribute, and that bringing Jersey Mike's Subs to every meeting is perfect for attracting teens to be on time.  

NS:  How did you fit this creative project into your daily routine? 

Dan:  This project became my daily routine. Actually, because this was a 6 week project from start to finish, it made it easier that it came about so quickly.  It was worth the long days, and nights, and I received 20x more than I gave out. 

NS:  What inspires you?

Dan:  What inspires me?  Any opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.  I love to see people laugh.  I love to see people treat each other with respect.  I love happy endings. That inspires me.

I’ve been meaning to write this post since this summer when Splash Communications celebrated its fifth year in business.  It is with great gratitude that I say, “Thank You.”  We couldn’t have done it without you and I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much we appreciate your support as we made a splash in the marketing world.

·         To our wonderful clients, thank you for trusting us with your brands and making us seamless extensions of your teams.

·         To our Splash specialists, especially Christine, Holly, Kirsten and Esther (our first Splash intern!), thank you for sharing my passion for creativity, flawless execution and results.

·         To all our partners over the year who have brought their expertise to us through video, photography, web design, nutrition knowledge and so much more -- we love how you help us deliver an extraordinary experience.

·         To all of you who have been cheerleaders since the very beginning and who have generously completed our random surveys, provided informal consumer feedback, referred talented business partners and, most of all, kept us laughing -- thank you!

·         And a special thank you to my husband, Glen, and our two sons, along with our extended family, for, well, everything!

Wishing you and your families a rejuvenating and fun-filled Thanksgiving holiday. 

-- Kyle

This is an addendum to an earlier blog post I wrote about Texas Roadhouse and the correlation between happy employees and the bottom line.  I wasn’t the only one noticing the restaurant chain’s employee satisfaction efforts.  Last week, I was in New York City and had a lovely visit with Elissa Elan, east coast editor, Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN).  We talked about NRN’s front page story by Lisa Jennings, which provides terrific background on how Texas Roadhouse is refusing “to cut back on their programs to keep employees engaged and motivated.”  Examples?  An annual employee competition awards $20,000 to the best meat cutter and $500 per month is given to managing partners as “fun money” to host monthly barbecues or take teams to ballgames.  And, at a time when many companies are cutting back on incentive meetings afraid they may be seen as excessive, Texas Roadhouse still goes all out.  The company even inflated a 25-foot armadillo on the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco at their annual meeting.  “We wanted to tell everyone that we’re rewarding our folks and we’re proud of it,” said Travis Doster, a company spokesman.  Check out the article for other examples and best practices. 

Each October, Splash goes pink to urge marketers and consumers to Fight Pink Fatigue.  As a symbolic gesture during National Breast Cancer Awareness month, we change the Splash logo from blue to pink.  Why do we do this?  As a breast cancer survivor and a marketer, I see the value of these cause-related efforts from both sides.  Three years ago, I was immersed in the cancer world, discovering more about it than I ever wanted.  One thing I learned quickly was that all the dollars funneled into attacking this disease are helping.  In the last decade, there has been much progress.  One reason is that the breast cancer awareness cause has gotten some great attention from Corporate America.  This support has made an important and positive impact on the prevention, detection and treatment of the disease…and I hope on the companies’ bottom lines too.  That’s my marketer side coming out.  After all, companies – no matter how altruistic -- are not going to continue cause-related programs if there is no return on investment.  So we say keep selling pink products, keep buying pink products and together we will keep breast cancer on the run.  For inspiration, here are a few examples of pink programs:

NFL – The NFL, its clubs and players launched a campaign, "A Crucial Catch," in partnership with the American Cancer Society.  It focuses on the importance of annual screenings, especially for women who are over the age of 40.  Throughout October, NFL games will feature players, coaches and referees wearing pink game apparel to raise awareness for the campaign, as well as on-field pink ribbon stencils and special K-balls and pink coins. All apparel worn at games by players and coaches and special K-balls and pink coins will auctioned off, with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society and team charities.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) -- P&G launched GIVE HOPE, a partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. to help increase women's chances of survival from breast cancer through early detection.  A special edition of the P&G brandSAVER coupon booklet was included in newspapers across the country this past Sunday to help kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month today. For every brandSAVER coupon redeemed from this booklet, a two-cent donation will be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc – with no cap.  “Dancing With the Stars" host Carrie Ann Inaba is helping spread the word.

RedEnvelope --  When you shop the Pink Ribbon Collection at RedEnvelope, 10% of the revenue goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. When you purchase a gift from the Collection, you will receive free shipping for a limited time.

Yoplait (General Mills) – Yoplait, in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, launched Know Your Girls, a sassy interactive campaign geared to young women. Yoplait encourages young women to take a pledge to protect their "girls" and also share the information with their friends.  For every pledge received by October 31, 2009, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, up to $100,000.  

There are many other wonderful companies helping with this cause.  Tell us how you are fighting pink fatigue.

The Splash for the Cure Team joins thousands of walkers in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Exeter, NH, on Sunday, Oct. 18.  Last year's event raised $236,970 and we hope this year is even better.

We recently ate at Texas Roadhouse with the kids.  As our hostess asked us if we’d like to select our steak from the butcher case of raw ribeyes, New York strips and filets, we learned she was a vegetarian.  How, we asked, could a vegetarian work at a steak restaurant?  She answered, “For the money – and it’s fun.”

We couldn’t argue with that.  This is the kind of place where you drop empty peanut shells on the floor, and where birthday celebrants perch on saddles as other diners shout, “Yee-ha!”  Also, you are bound to see the wait staff erupt into a “spontaneous” line dance – joined by customers.  All that and the food is pretty good.  One more thing:  The waiters wear black T-shirts which say on the back, “I (heart) my job.”  They really make you feel like they do. 

Employee happiness is important.  One study from earlier this year out of Kansas State University showed that happy employees could be an indicator of company success, an actual competitive advantage.  The study by Thomas Wright, Jon Wefald Leadership Chair in Business Administration and professor of management at K-State, found that “when employees have high levels of psychological well-being and job satisfaction, they perform better and are less likely to leave their job -- making happiness a valuable tool for maximizing organizational outcomes.”

Good pay, incentives for advancement, a motivating vision, recognition (see our recent story on the Art in Giving recognition program), training, a fun work environment – what are you doing to keep your team members happy and engaged?  Your customers…and business depend on it. 

Flowers For Hope, Eliane Markoff

This News Splash interview is with Eliane Markoff, businesswoman, painter and founder of Art in Giving, a powerful customer appreciation and employee recognition program that blends business, art and philanthropy.  Here Eliane talks with us about her Foundation, the concept behind Art in Giving, and her own creative process.  

News Splash (NS):  Tell us about Art in Giving. 

Eliane:  Art in Giving was launched in May 2009.  Eleven artists offer their art to encourage organizations to use art as a gift to thank clients and guest speakers and to reward executives and other employees. Fifty percent of the proceeds are donated to The Rachel Molly Markoff Foundation, a 501 C3 non-profit that funds brain tumor research and pediatric cancer programs.

The mission of Art in Giving is to make people feel good by doing good. Art in Giving offers organizations a new and creative way to express appreciation to their clients, partners, employees or any individuals they want to honor and thank.  Art in Giving allows people to feel good on several levels.  When someone receives an Art in Giving voucher, he or she feels honored.  When that person realizes that 50% of the proceeds will be donated to a good cause, that person feels even more recognized.  The experience of selecting the art and visiting the studios is also a gift. The piece of art will last a life time and so will the honor.  It is recognition combined with philanthropy and art. 

NS:  What gave you the idea? 

Eliane:  During the past decade, individuals and organizations participated in an earlier version of Art in Giving.  Boston Private Bank, for example, bought 50 prints of Flowers for Hope (pictured here) my signature piece, to present to their most valuable clients.  Equity Office commissioned me to create a painting in the lobby of its headquarters in Boston.  Jonathan Davis of The Davis Companies bought two of my early paintings which are hanging in his offices on Appleton Street in Boston.  The National Brain Tumor Society uses Blue Passion Prints to recognize volunteers, donors and employees during its annual meeting.  Friends and contacts would buy my art to give as presents to others.   

I recently attended a board meeting where someone was honored.  That person knows about Art in Giving and said to me, in private, that although he appreciates the engraved crystal piece he received, he would have enjoyed a piece of art as his gift!

The support and interest of these individuals and companies gave me the idea to use art as a recognition and award program.  Once I joined the SOWA Artists Guild in Boston last year, I was happy to share my story with other artists who showed interest in participating. I originally asked for 20% of the proceeds to go to The Rachel Molly Markoff Foundation. I was very moved when the founder of the Artists Guild, Stephen Silver, suggested the greater amount of 50% be applied to the Foundation and that everyone else was very supportive.

NS:  How was The Rachel Molly Markoff Foundation created? How is Art in Giving evolving? 

Eliane:  The Foundation was created when people wanted to buy my art. Since I began painting mainly due to the loss of my child, the proceeds went directly to the Foundation. It became very therapeutic for me.  The original Art in Giving was formed in 2000. It included my art only. I am delighted 10 other artists are now involved and we hope to add more next year, once we have a few more clients.  One of the new additions, I hope, will be my daughter Audrey, who shares the studio with me and has done some beautiful mosaic pieces and other pieces using yarn. 

NS:  You are a successful businesswoman and extraordinary artist – how do the two work together? 

Eliane:  Thank you for the compliment.  For the most part, they work well together for me.  It is my business background combined with my motivation and drive to make a difference that make me successful.  I love presenting the combination of art, business and philanthropy to organizations especially those concerned with delighting their customers, partners, donors as well as those concerned with motivating and retaining their employees.       

I wish I could say that every company or organization we approach participates in the program immediately.  Although we have received wonderful feedback on the idea and concept, it is challenging getting immediate commitments. I believe that we are planting the seeds for greater success in the future. That is what I need to focus on.  

NS:  How do you fit your creative side into a busy schedule? 

Eliane:  I make the time. I love spending the time in the studio with Gary’s [husband] old shirts and an old skirt covered with paint. If I am lucky, my daughter Audrey will be in her space next to me creating her art pieces made of yarn or mosaic.  A cousin of mine made many CDs for me so I listen to French, Middle Eastern or Greek music and let my creativity take over. I also find myself thinking of new business ideas while I am in the studio.   

NS:  What inspires you? 

Eliane: I am inspired by the simple blessings in my life.  I know Rachel painted three flowers while she was waiting at the Jimmy Fund Clinic one day.  I would like to believe it was a happy painting.  It had a sun in it.  The painting is now the logo for the Foundation. 

I am inspired by a hug, good conversation and sweet words from my daughter; a happy phone call from my husband; a backgammon game with my mother; a trip to Jerusalem with my brother; a note from my sister; a peaceful week-end in Maine looking at Lake Sebago and a vacation in one of the islands.  For example, the Bird Bath painting was created after a trip to Bermuda. My ocean scenes are painted mostly in Maine.  I am also inspired when I achieve a goal I had set for myself. I am inspired when paintings sell or when I am commissioned to do a new piece.  I am inspired when I have something to look forward to. I am inspired by the support I receive from other artists and from all my friends and family.

Last night, I caught the end of the animated flick, "Meet the Robinsons," with my son and noticed a quote from Walt Disney (the man) before the closing credits. Here it is:

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

The movie celebrates imagination so the quote is a good fit.  Even better, it's an important reminder that while we should learn from the past, we need to "keep moving forward."  Stay curious.