Michelle Tripp › Comments

"Dan, great article! I think more and more it will become obvious that smaller network numbers represent more powerful long-term connections and more connective influence. That’s what it’s all about!" - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks for the response, Kendra. I'm happy you enjoyed the post (and thanks for the glowing tweet!) Companies need more people like you that realize the importance of making sure employees understand that they contribute in a big way by doing their jobs with a positive attitude and living the brand. That's one of the toughest issues with companies that have a great brand at the core, but a lot of personnel issues. Those things have to be worked out before the brand can thrive. I also think it's great that you're coaching authenticity. It may seem like a simple concept but it's a lot harder for companies to practice in the real world. There's a lot that goes into being authentic! A lot of times circumstances have taught companies to compromise who they are or what they do and it's difficult to go back to being authentic. There are habits, practices, and mindsets that have to be changed. I love how Imagine More provides the tools to accomplish that. And yes, it's a shame when some..." - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks for the response, Kendra. I'm happy you enjoyed the post (and thanks for the glowing tweet!) Companies need more people like you that realize the importance of making sure employees understand that they contribute in a big way by doing their jobs with a positive attitude and living the brand. That's one of the toughest issues with companies that have a great brand at the core, but a lot of personnel issues. Those things have to be worked out before the brand can thrive. I also think it's great that you're coaching authenticity. It may seem like a simple concept but it's a lot harder for companies to practice in the real world. There's a lot that goes into being authentic! A lot of times circumstances have taught companies to compromise who they are or what they do and it's difficult to go back to being authentic. There are habits, practices, and mindsets that have to be changed. I love how Imagine More provides the tools to accomplish that. And yes, it's a shame when some..." - Michelle Tripp

"Edward, this is a great response. You make a great point that's occasionally difficult for clients (and sometimes agency team members) to accept: The core value is just that. A "core" value. You can't just concoct it or come up with something cool or "revenue-driving" and call it a day. Yes, that devil on the shoulder can lead people to go with what they "wish" they were, or what they think is hip to be, or whatever makes the coolest tagline. But a core value isn't something that can be conjured. It has to already exist within. There will be situations where either an agency team member or a client will push in a different direction. Maybe they have personal motivations that are in conflict with the brand, maybe they fall prey to "invented here" mentality, or maybe they're just rushing. Or as you say, they could be looking for quick revenue and aren't thinking about the soul of the brand being compromised. There are any number of situations. That's when a true Brand Whisperer is..." - Michelle Tripp

"Edward, this is a great response. You make a great point that's occasionally difficult for clients (and sometimes agency team members) to accept: The core value is just that. A "core" value. You can't just concoct it or come up with something cool or "revenue-driving" and call it a day. Yes, that devil on the shoulder can lead people to go with what they "wish" they were, or what they think is hip to be, or whatever makes the coolest tagline. But a core value isn't something that can be conjured. It has to already exist within. There will be situations where either an agency team member or a client will push in a different direction. Maybe they have personal motivations that are in conflict with the brand, maybe they fall prey to "invented here" mentality, or maybe they're just rushing. Or as you say, they could be looking for quick revenue and aren't thinking about the soul of the brand being compromised. There are any number of situations. That's when a true Brand Whisperer is..." - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks Scott! Yes, coincidentally this post oozed up from the swamps of Halloween. (Oh wait, there are no coincidences. ;)" - Michelle Tripp

"I can see your imagination is in high gear! I never quite thought of strategic branding as an exercise in "ecto-containment."" - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks Scott! Yes, coincidentally this post oozed up from the swamps of Halloween. (Oh wait, there are no coincidences. ;)" - Michelle Tripp

"I can see your imagination is in high gear! I never quite thought of strategic branding as an exercise in "ecto-containment."" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Mark, thanks for the thoughtful comment! It's rewarding to see posts make an impact. We were all meant to achieve our fullest potential, and now that we have access beyond the gatekeepers, we're no longer limited by arbitrary obstacles. Internet and social media have provided us with an amazing gift. Thanks again for your support of the blog!" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Mark, thanks for the thoughtful comment! It's rewarding to see posts make an impact. We were all meant to achieve our fullest potential, and now that we have access beyond the gatekeepers, we're no longer limited by arbitrary obstacles. Internet and social media have provided us with an amazing gift. Thanks again for your support of the blog!" - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Dan! The Paradox of Choice just made it onto my reading list. Every point you make here rings so true. Those principles make it easy to see that it’s better to do some soul searching, figure out what we really “need,” and then learn to be satisfied with “good enough.” And not like that’s a bad thing. Most of the time, “good enough” is pretty darn good to begin with! Just because something isn’t perfect or the “best” or you didn’t spend years searching or waiting for it doesn’t mean choosing something else is a compromise. It means you’re flexible enough to make a success of whatever comes your way, and wise enough to know that sifting through options takes away valuable time and energy you could be using to make something “good enough” into something great." - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks, Dan! I'm glad you brought up the concept of a curator. Great term! Perfect for putting a name on what's going to need to happen if we're going to make sense of all this new information and access. You're so right... all this information and these opportunities are overwhelming. The value is no longer just in the information, but in the ability to synthesize and organize it. In that vein of thinking, you might enjoy reading the "Big Bang Business Model" post (http://tr.im/bigbangbiz) in case you haven't come across it yet. There are some interesting parallels. Here's an excerpt you might like: "...What we humanoids need is a way to synthesize information. We need a serious time-saver. We need access to the best information customized to our personal preferences. New stuff. Old stuff that’s relevant to our new stuff. “Trusted” stuff. And untrusted stuff. Articles and blogs and social media conversations that represent our favorite products and brands, complement our daily..." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Edward, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! I have to admit it started out as a comment on your "Do We Still Need The Gatekeepers" article. At some point I realized it was taking a life of its own. Thanks for the inspiration! Your posts just have a way of getting the wheels turning. You make a great point about how it all boils down to the end of barriers to entry. It really is an amazing thing that all you need is a laptop and the internet to achieve almost anything you can imagine. Great times, indeed." - Michelle Tripp

"Thanks, Dan! I'm glad you brought up the concept of a curator. Great term! Perfect for putting a name on what's going to need to happen if we're going to make sense of all this new information and access. You're so right... all this information and these opportunities are overwhelming. The value is no longer just in the information, but in the ability to synthesize and organize it. In that vein of thinking, you might enjoy reading the "Big Bang Business Model" post (http://tr.im/bigbangbiz) in case you haven't come across it yet. There are some interesting parallels. Here's an excerpt you might like: "...What we humanoids need is a way to synthesize information. We need a serious time-saver. We need access to the best information customized to our personal preferences. New stuff. Old stuff that’s relevant to our new stuff. “Trusted” stuff. And untrusted stuff. Articles and blogs and social media conversations that represent our favorite products and brands,..." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Edward, I'm glad you enjoyed the post! I have to admit it started out as a comment on your "Do We Still Need The Gatekeepers" article. At some point I realized it was taking a life of its own. Thanks for the inspiration! Your posts just have a way of getting the wheels turning. You make a great point about how it all boils down to the end of barriers to entry. It really is an amazing thing that all you need is a laptop and the internet to achieve almost anything you can imagine. Great times, indeed." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi, any requests can be emailed to me at michelletripp.blog@gmail.com. I prefer that full posts or long passages not be copied (that\\\'s scraping!), but quoting a few sentences with a link to the BrandForward is fine. Thanks for your interest!" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi, any requests can be emailed to me at michelletripp.blog@gmail.com. I prefer that full posts or long passages not be copied (that\\\'s scraping!), but quoting a few sentences with a link to the BrandForward is fine. Thanks for your interest!" - Michelle Tripp

"The Yahoo! yodel with the laugh didn\\\'t resonate with me, but the new Intel sonic brand is hot. With the big group hum. I felt something powerful I want to be a part of. Yahoo! not so much." - Michelle Tripp

"The Yahoo! yodel with the laugh didn\\\'t resonate with me, but the new Intel sonic brand is hot. With the big group hum. I felt something powerful I want to be a part of. Yahoo! not so much." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Dan, I have a sincere hope that the Anthem spot is a conglomeration of a lot of really good shorter spots that have already been edited and ready to roll out. No doubt there's plenty of footage. Still doesn't excuse Anthem." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Dan, I have a sincere hope that the Anthem spot is a conglomeration of a lot of really good shorter spots that have already been edited and ready to roll out. No doubt there's plenty of footage. Still doesn't excuse Anthem." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Teresa, funny you mention Vegas... come to think of it, the spot actually would make a great travel commercial. Or a jeans commercial. Or a.... oh heck, take your pick. This spot has it all. Except a heart." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Teresa, funny you mention Vegas... come to think of it, the spot actually would make a great travel commercial. Or a jeans commercial. Or a.... oh heck, take your pick. This spot has it all. Except a heart." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi @ebartz, Erik Proulx (@eproulx) summed it up nicely on Twitter when he told me he wanted to smash his computer to pieces after watching the spot! He was right on by saying "Never has so much been spent on saying so little."" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi @ebartz, Erik Proulx (@eproulx) summed it up nicely on Twitter when he told me he wanted to smash his computer to pieces after watching the spot! He was right on by saying "Never has so much been spent on saying so little."" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Dan, great points! You’d think by now it would be obvious what’s acceptable and what’s not, but I still receive Twitter auto DMs and @replies that are blatantly trying to sell something. In today’s seller-buyer interaction, regardless of whether “the product” is tangible or intangible, it’s all about building a relationship and prioritizing your contacts’ needs above your own. Providing value before “the sale” and possibly unrelated to what you’re selling: Like selfless selling. Auto DMs promoting a website or product before the sender has made a connection feel creepy… and as you say… anti-social!" - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Tamsen, you're absolutely right about business strategy being inseparable from marketing. It's refreshing to hear marketing people want to talk business strategy. It demonstrates that they see the whole picture. I'm glad you brought this up. I agree with you on the fact that social media is becoming as indispensable as the phone, and that everyone in an organization uses it. But I see it as Marketing's role to indoctrinate the rest of the company on the right way to use it and ensure everyone is on-brand and on-strategy in their communication. Definitely there will be all types of marketing specialists within the company executing tactics at the "middleman" level as you say (as well as non-marketing employees engaging in social media). It's just that their efforts should all be coordinated within the boundaries of the organization's marketing objectives. Which naturally falls to Marketing to lead and direct. The debate could be moot, though. In the future, this may end up on the..." - Michelle Tripp

"Hi Dan, I have to admit when I was writing the post I just knew the word "selling" was going to get some responses! When I say "marketing" I don't necessarily mean ringing a cash register. Marketing is an aggregate of functions designed to sell a service, product, participation, opinion, or concept. Tangible or intangible. Anything we engage in with the expectation of persuasion and influence, targeted response, or desired result is selling (or marketing) in some form or another. If a non-profit is soliciting donations, the organization must first "solicit" the value of the program to influence donors. If a non-profit is engaging in an awareness campaign (and not actively seeking donations) it is attempting to "sell" the importance of the issue to influence participation. That's still marketing. But yes, I do like the word influence. As far as the relationship of social media within the organization, the key is to bring marketing and social media together, rather than have a social..." - Michelle Tripp

"Tajdar, thanks for sharing this great story! The green flag concept reminds me of a post by @edwardboches a few weeks ago where he proposed that "the big idea" is no longer more important than the "little idea." Your post is an awesome example of this concept in action... the power of big little ideas." - Michelle Tripp