Brains on Fire

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  It’s the culture, stupid.

  Posted on May 29th, 2009 by Spike and currently 1 commenting.

  Culture.

  It’s a concept that is tossed around a lot these days – especially when people are trying to figures out what makes an intriguing company tick. Tony Hsieh preaches it when he talks about the magic of Zappos. There are consultants who promise to teach you how to change one or create one. Books that try to dismantle tribes and cults to find the basic principals of what a strong culture is. And it’s all really interesting stuff.

  I know we’ve all probably been a part of a crappy company culture. But I don’t know if we’ve all been lucky enough to be a part of a strong, productive, enjoyable company culture. Cult-like almost. Tight-knit. But one that watches each others backs.

  So this is the part where I tell you that there is no magic bullet for a strong company culture. But I can tell you that it doesn’t come from an employee handbook that talks about your values. It doesn’t come from a mandate given out by the C-level suite. It isn’t a department or a position or a line on the checklist of accomplishments.

  Maybe it’s because cultures are organic. Maybe it’s because your culture is created by everyone who works there. It’s owned by all of them. And it will only thrive in an environment that allows for everyone to own it. Yes, the C-level guys can set the tone and direction, but they can’t create the culture. Culture it botton-up.

  Then, once it starts to flourish, the handbooks embrace and extend it. Your gear starts to make sense – because they are just the tactics – not the underlying drivers of the culture.

  I’ve been at Brains on Fire for nine years now. And I’ve seen the culture evolve since 2000, but it’s always been a strong one. Why? Because the principals have created an environment where we all feel valued. Where we all can contribute in our own unique way. We can come up with our own ideas about handbooks or underground websites or merit badges or rituals and implement them on our own. In short, we all have ownership of the culture. And we know it’s our job to keep it healthy and strong. Maybe it’s why after something like 2400 work days at Brains on Fire, I still can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and go to the office. These people are my family. And we endure the good and bad together, because we (not he or she or them) are in this together. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Tags: Company Culture, culture
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  Past – 6.11.09 – Geno/Spike speak – PRSA National Teleseminar

  Posted on May 28th, 2009 by Spike and currently 0 commenting.

  Come one, come all and dial in at 3PM EST (or tell your boss you’re going to listen in and then take a nap at your desk).

  The info is here. Register now. And if you register within the next ten minutes, we’ll really, really like you.

  I <3 (Your Brand Here)
  How to Build Your Brand Identity Around Your Fans

  In a time of economic downtown, when negative messaging and budget cutbacks seem to be the rule rather than the exception, it’s the brands that love their fans the most that will succeed. Whether you’re focused on media relations, customer relations or internal communications, you’ll learn how to take your fans’ love and incorporate it across your company culture. You’ll also learn how to identify ways to re-define your brand identity to more fully involve your valued customers.

  You will learn:

  • How to incorporate your fans into your brand identity.
  • How to span your fans’ love across your company culture.
  • How to more fully engage your fans on a personal level.
  Tags: geno church, PRSA, Speaking, Spike Jones
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  Punishing Your Fans: A Lesson From Kraft

  Posted on May 28th, 2009 by Spike and currently 18 commenting.

  I recently received this email from Brandy Amidon, the Princess of Particulars and CPA at Brains on Fire, yesterday:

  I’m a lover of Kraft Foods. I started receiving this FREE magazine years ago (got one at my desk). It contains these awesome recipes, which of course all include Kraft products. I’ve recommended this magazine to everyone I know that loves to cook. We’ve all made recipes out of this magazine. When you see that recipe on the church buffet table, everyone knows it was on the cover of the last Kraft issue. The website is awesome as well! You can even search recipes by items in your pantry.

  Why am I upset? They’ve started charging for their magazine. After all these years, after all the “yes, please keep sending me those awesome magazine” surveys I’ve filled out. They’ve started charging. Yeah, it’s only 12 bucks. But did we care that every ad was for Kraft and every recipe included Kraft products? No. Because if was supposed to be a gift to their customers. And now, they are just like everyone else. And I’m not special anymore…and neither is my mom.

  Wow. Huge, massive FAIL on Kraft’s part. All of a sudden charging for something that a large amount of people – a lot of which were fans of yours – used to get for free. For free. I just don’t understand the (non) thinking that goes into a move like this. Did you read what Brandy said? She’s recommended the magazine to everyone she knows who shares her passion. She doesn’t even mind all the Kraft ads in the pub. She’s an advocate (and a great cook). And Kraft doesn’t care. All they care about is a soft economy and passing the buck to make up for their losses.

  I followed up with Brandy and asked if she’s going to pay the $12 for the subscription. She isn’t.

  I asked her if this would put her off of buying Kraft products. And she answered that it’ll probably be indirectly, but yes, she’ll probably be buying less Kraft brands because all of the recipes in the magazine recommended Kraft products… “and you ALWAYS follow the recipe.”

  What’s the real trade off here? Will Kraft really be saving a lot of money in the long run? Or have they damaged their relationship with one of the most important groups they could ever have – their base?

  For shame, for shame.

  Tags: Brandy Amidon, fans, Kraft, marketing fail, punishing your fans
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  Abolishing Time Sheets follow-up: Interview with Ron Baker

  Posted on May 27th, 2009 by Kindling Spirits and currently 2 commenting.

  He’s Ron Baker. And he’s the inspiration behind Brains on Fire abolishing timesheets back on January 1, 2009.

  Ron stopped by the office last week and our CPAs, Kathie Conway and Brandy Amidon, asked him questions that we received from Twitter (thanks to @petelbury, @swirlingmedia, @etb_writes, @ddcronkh, @inkinmama) and threw in some of their own.

  Ron’s company is here.

  And Ron’s books are here.

  Contact him. He’s super-smart and a true kindred spirit.

  These are audio only, so crank it up and learn from the master…

  Tags: abolish timsheets, CPA, Ron Baker, timesheets
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  Past – 8.24.09 – Spike speaks at Social Fresh – Charlotte, NC

  Posted on May 26th, 2009 by Spike and currently 1 commenting.

  Come hear Spike yap on and on and on about the 7 Lessons Learned in Creating a Brand Ambassador Movement. Or maybe it’ll be 9 by then. Who knows?

  Registration is open, and super-reasonable for this jam packed day to hear from the brand side (like Best Buy and Rubbermaid) to the expert-agency side (which means anyone except Spike).

  What is Social Fresh?

  Social Fresh is your opportunity to learn how to make the social web work for real business. Social networking and online word-of-mouth tools are getting faster and providing more access to the customer every day. To remain competitive, every company needs to discover how to make social media work for their bottom line.

  

  Online today, cultivating a 2 way conversation with customers is no longer an exception, but the rule. Most companies realize now that they need to join the conversation, but it is about more than that. Yes, you should be listening, yes you should be empowering your customers, but what does it take to really allow your company to excel on the Social Web?

  We have brought together the experts needed to answer that very question – as well as the innovators of tomorrow’s internet to speak on what is next. Leading web app developers will comment on where they see social media and big business moving in the coming years.

  Come meet the people that are making the social web work. Share in candid discussions and see real examples of where your brand needs to be going online.

  Who Should Attend?

  Anyone who wants to make social media work for their brand. Whether you work for a major Fortune 500 company, advertising agency, or a small business, Social Fresh can open up the complexities of social media and reveal new marketing opportunities.

  Learning how to best apply existing marketing skills on the social web is a necessity in today’s online economy. Social Fresh will teach you how where the opportunities exist within Social Media for you to extend the value of your brand to its ever expanding online audience.

  Tags: brand ambassadors, Charlotte, Movements, North Carolina, Social Fresh, Social media, Speaking, Spike Jones