What’s Your Company’s Culture?

The Denison Culture Survey prides itself on over 20 years of research linking
organizational culture and leadership to performance.

“Denison Consulting research-based model and tools are designed to improve the performance of organizations by improving their corporateculture and leadership. At our core is a set of diagnostic surveys, rooted in our research linking organizational culture and leadership to business performance. This diagnostic technology is supported by a world-class electronic delivery system and a global consulting network designed to give client organizations the choices that they need to be successful.”

The survey was bench marked with 1,076 organizations around the world, including Shell, IKEA, Nintendo and Jet Blue. Our company scores were based on a comparison of what these other companies scored and placed us in the respective quartiles.

It focused on four traits:

1. MISSION – This includes the mission statement, vision statement and your company values. It aligns your strategic direction along with your intent, answering the question, “Do we know where we are and where we are going?”
2. CONSISTENCY – This includes a set of behavior standards that is practiced. In other words, it’s the company’s ability to “walk the talk.” It also answers the question, “Does our system create leverage?”
3. INVOLVEMENT – This trait focuses on the front-line employees and if they are as involved as they say they are. Are they aligned and engaged?
4. ADAPTABILITY – Change: It’s inevitable. How well does your company adapt to change. Do they embrace it? Sometimes, it’s simply asking yourself, “What do I need to learn in order to provide something to my customer? My employees?” Is your company listening to the marketplace? And, more importantly, are they responding?

I went in to the meeting with few expectations. I just started working for this company in June of this year, so about a month ago when I took the survey, I wasn’t sure how to respond. For many items, I found myself answering, “N/A.” I wanted to contribute, but I also didn’t want to answer ignorantly. There’s a huge line between what I had felt in a few months based on the overall company objective. But, once I was in the meeting and saw the results, I had a better idea of the company as a whole, where it stands and where it is headed.

The Denison Culture Survey states that companies who score well have more satisfied customers and high ROI. This didn’t surprise me, either, but it is always reassuring to see the positive correlation. I think surveys like this are so important for companies to consider. If you don’t understand yourself or how your employees view you as a whole, how are you supposed to move forward, successfully?

Luckily, our company excels externally. Our employees stated that they feel empowered and that they can have a positive impact on the company. Also, customers are our forefront. They are the focus. Our goal is to improve our communications with each other. Turns out that we are exceptional at the “hard” things… And leave room for improvement in the “easy” things.

Phew!

Your Next Career

The process of job searching can be time-consuming, overly involved and extremely frustrating. I know, I’ve had to do this twice in the past couple of years. Many of my friends are currently going through it, as well.

I’ve been lucky enough to have been surrounded my great mentors in the past… And I’ve learned from them. I’ve taken their advice and I’ve made it my own. Through experience and practice in the process, I feel that I have a few tips that may help others out there who have been searching. I’ve offered my advice to friends when they’ve asked for it, and found myself writing much of this in e-mails, over and over.

I decided to make it a blog post. My hope is that others may read this and maybe find it useful.

Here’s what I recommend:

1.) Join LinkedIn. This is a great, professional networking tool. You are able to connect with people in your industry and people you’ve worked with, had as professors or people who may be able to help you out. You build an online resume and can also ask people to “endorse” you. These tend to serve as short letters of recommendation. There’s a status update where you can post what you are working on or share your latest accomplishments. If you are keeping your job search a secret from you current employer, you may want to be cautious in your postings.

You can check mine out as an example if it would help you:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/meganwilloughby

2.) Searching online for jobs isn’t always promising. It’s so easy for people to overlook you and just not bother to respond. Not to mention, it s so easy to get spammed! This stupid place called “NES Staffing” constantly emails me crap and I cant seem to find a way to “un-subscribe.” I would recommend sending an e-mail to all of your contacts… letting them know that you are looking, what you are interested in and see if they know of any place or can give your resume to someone. Many times, it’s all about “Who you know.” Employers are likely to give you more consideration if you are referred by one of their own employees.

3.) Who You Know. Another way to search is to think of companies that you would like to work for. Try to get a name of a person in a particular department, or at least an HR contact. Mail your resume, references and your letter of interest to them. During my last search, I found that more companies responded to me when I mailed them my resume that when I would apply online.

4.) Embrace Rejection. You will get rejections… If you are lucky. Most of the time, people won’t respond at all. In every packet I sent, I gave my address, phone and LinkedIn contact. Many then connected with me on LinkedIn, allowing us to “stay in touch.” I send them a note every once in a while just to keep my name fresh in their minds. You never know when you will be out looking for a job, again.

5.) Stay organized. I keep a file system of three folders. One is for all of my rejections. These are opportunities for the future. Plus, they have contact names so I will know who to contact directly if I ever need to again. Second, is the “outstanding” applications. Businesses that I never heard back from. This is my biggest folder. The thrid folder is companies that I had interviews with, whether it be on the phone or in person. I wrote down notes from each interview so that if I ever need to familiarize myself or refer back, it’s there. I also saved all of the business cards with each prospective employer.

6.) Resumes. You may want to cater your resume to different audiences. I keep one full resume, about three pages long, with everything I’ve ever done on it. I have two, actually: one for business and one for art. For purposes of this, however, we will focus on business. I use that resume to pull info from when I’m creating other resumes. For example, a resume for a nonprofit organization may be different from a resume geared towards a for profit company.
7.) Presentation. It goes without saying that you always want to look your ebst for the interview. Dress for the position… blah, blah, blah. But what about your resume, examples and other paperwork? Here’s something that I have done and recommended to others. First, I make my resume, letter of interest and my references sheet uniform. If you are a Mac user, a great program to use is iWork. For PC users, I think Microsoft Office may have a few tempates. You may use these or make your own, of course. I also made business cards, stating my name, areas of interest and contact information. In the folders, I places the business card in the side slot, letter of interest in the left pocket and my resume and references in the right pocket. This was something that I could hand over to my potential employer, and something I could leave behind. I kept a seperate folder with examples of my work. You may want to carry more than one “resume packet,” in case they decide to escort you across the hall to meet with someone else, as well.
8.) Attitude. You can do anything. You do it all. Maintain this attitude always. If you are lucky enough to get an interview, don’t blow it. If they mention something that you are hesitant about or unsure, don’t let that stop you from showcasing your talents and how you may be an asset to their company. Keep moving ahead.

9.) BOGO. No, “buy one, get one” doesn’t apply here. But, this is a very helpful acronym to use as a resource when you are being interviewed or inquiring about a company.

• B = Background. Ask about the company’s background. How did they get started? How long have they been in business? What was their best year and why?
• O = Objectives. Where does the company see itself being in the few years? Where do they stand? What is there main focus?
• G = Goals. Ask what the goals are for the company, both short-term and long-term. Start thinking about how you would fit into this plan.
• O = obstacles. Every company has obstacles that stand in their way. This gives you insight and can open the door to you offering a solution that may help them, which makes you even more valuable to their company.

10.) Don’t Give up. The job will come. I was told this over and over, which always seemed frustrating because the job never seemed to want to surface. And, now I may agree: The Job Will Come. If you put the dedication, the effort and remain ruthless, you’ll get it. Keep trying.

I’ve also helped a few people revamp the look of their resume. If you need help, I’d be willing to work with you. Please contact me via e-mail for any inquiries: mlwilloughby@gmail.com

triskaidekaphobia

Today is the 13th of October. It would be even spookier if it were Friday, October 13. Scary number, scary date, scary month.

Of course, the 13th of any month is always scary, if you’re a triskaidekaphobic.

Designing a Postage Stamp

Have you ever thought about designing a postage stamp? It’s a very small canvas for designing… but alot of thought is placed into each one. Project #3 at Ringling College of Art + Design is to design three postage stamps, each with a different theme. 

First, some history. 

• 1840 – The first stamp was designed in Britain, displaying Queen Victoria
• 1847 – The U.S. postage stamp debut: George Washington and Ben Franklin
• 1860 – Most countries had some form of postage stamp by the 1860′s
• 1869 – First stamp design other than commemorating the diciest 
• 1893 – Columbus’ voyage to America becomes the first U.S. commemorative stamp
• 1962 – First U.S. Christmas stamp
• 1974 – The first self-adhesive stamp (No more licking! Too bad envelopes never caught on.)
• 1998 – First semi-postal stamp (benefitting some organization) promoting breast cancer awareness

Postage stamps may be beautifully drawn, etched or scaled. They depict many themes, can be three-dimensional and reflect various textures. They are used to celebrate events, reflect or remember one’s heritage or promote a good cause. Inspiration comes from everywhere. Think of who or what you would want to commemorate? 

There is a fine art involved in stamps. Whether they reflect a certain style or era, there are steps involved. In fact, the United States Postal Service Criteria Stamp Subject Selection has very particular guidelines. For example, did you know that in order to commemorate a person’s  ”stamp on history,” they must be diciest. 

If you design a stamp and would like to have it made for your own personal use, there are a few site you can visit that will do this for you. One that I know of is Zazzle. 

Project #3: La Stamp

Postage stamp design is a very specialized field which challenges the artist to depict an image and convey other information in a very small area. 

Must include: USA, 37, an image

The designers who create the art and lettering for postage stamps show their work in an international gallery, of sorts. Although their finished art appears much smaller than the originals, their works travel to countries all over the world in the form of a stamp. In addition, millions of people collect the little masterpieces in stamp albums. 

Here are the three stamps that I created:

Also, for refrence:

Artwork For Stamp Designs

Once a subject is approved, the Postal Service relies heavily on design coordinators for the selection of artists who will execute the designs. Stamp designing is an unusual art form requiring exacting skill in portraying a subject within very small dimensions. Due to the demands of stamp design and reproduction requirements, it is our policy not to review nor accept unsolicited artwork.

Professional artists who may wish to be considered for a design assignment should request a copy of the “Stamp Design Requirements” package from Stamp Design at the following address:

 

U.S. Postal Service
Stamp Acquisition
Attn.: Stamp Design
475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4474E
Washington, DC 20260-2436

Professional artists who may wish to be considered for a design assignment should request a copy of the Creating U.S. Postage Stamps brochure from the following address:

U.S. Postal Service
Stamp Develpoment
Attn.: Stamp Design
1735 North Lynn Street, Suite 5013
Arlington, VA 22209-6432

Magazine Ad

Ringling College of Art + Design: Project #2

Our second project is to design a magazine ad for a product. 

The product choices were:

• Beauty product ad
• Jeans ad
• Campbell’s Soup ad
• Jewelry ad
• Motorcycle ad
• Baby food ad
• Transportation ad

Ads should be 8.5″x11″ and include the name of the product as well as a call to action. Two images are allowed. 

For this assignment, I decided to try our the mind-mapping exercise. My thoughts went something like this:

My ideas were everywhere. Unlike project number one, I really wanted to use my own art work or photograph this time. So that I could actually call it my own. Then, it would be nice to design something that someone could actually use. 

My thoughts went to my friend, Joe Destro. He had joined the Marines a few years back and is now stationed in San Diego, Calif. He became injured on the job and returned his focus to his first love: motorcycles. He owns a purple bike, which is his pride a joy. I happened to have a photo of the bike, so I began playing around with a few designs. 

Here is the photo that I had to start:

The bike really speaks for itself. Its received much recognition in shows, ads and among Joe’s friends. He’s invested well over $30,000.oo into this bike. I wanted to extract the bike from the photo, but this ended up being a bit more involved than I initially thought. If anyone has input on how to remove complex backgrounds in Photoshop CS4, please let me know. Photoshop is the program that I am least familiar with. 

I decided to make an ad for Joe. I called him and asked him if he had a name for me to use. Since he had been customizing and fixing up bikes for awhile, I wasn’t sure if he had named the service. He thought about it, and we tossed around a few ideas, such as “Destro Customized Bikes.” (Which, isn’t that creative.) Joe decided that he would name his business, “Throttle Twisters” after his friend Andrew Hayes’ business. Andrew and Joe had shared the same love for motorcycles, riding and customization. Andrew perished in an accident a few years ago, so joe really took this opportunity to carry on his name. 

Here are a couple of photos:

Joe Destro when he used to race for Suzuki. 

Andrew Hayes (R.I.P.)Andrew’s Business, Throttle Twisters:

I struggled with the design for this project. I decided that simplicity may be best. Although the crop job on the bike is choppy, I do like the text I chose at the top of the page. It ties it together well. I’m not 100% satisfied with this piece, but I believe that this is a good start. I will receive feedback when I return to class. 

Here is what I came up with:

Layout in Design

Page layout (or page composition) is the process of placing and arranging text and graphics on a page. A good composition is one that is pleasing to look at and conveys the message of the text and the graphic to the audience.

There are many variations, of course. My Ringling instructor offered a few guidelines:

• Advertising: Get people to take some type of action. “Call to action” phrase.
• Build your layout around the “main message.” Match your layout to the message, audience or person.
• Choose an image that supports your message. Visual images should support a verbal message.
• Use appropriate fonts. There are many possibilities.
• Concept is the message: Words, fonts and images work together. Integrate colors and remember that typeface is an important element. 
• Consider the purpose of the piece, the audience and what the piece is meant to convey when choosing colors.
• A well designed ad has balance. If an ad is well designed, it should look good even upside-down.
• Alignment: Everything on the page should be aligned some way. Grid is also an effective tool to use. 
• Top-heavy Layout: Lead the reader’s eye by placing an image in the upper half or 2/3 of the space. Or, on the left side of the space with a strong headline before or after the visual and then add supporting text. 
• Initial Caps: Avoid placing initial caps in the lower 1/3 space of the page. Text at the bottom should be smaller. The lower portion of the page should be inviting, not distracting.
• Rule of Thirds: Many arts incorporate this. It’s close to the golden ratio. Mathematical, symmetrical or asymmetrical. Design is pleasing to the eye.
• Elements of balance: symmetrical or asymmetrical. Odd numbers tend to create a dynamic, asymmetrical layout. Example: Pool table balls. Even elements organize the content so that it is the same on both sides, extremely balanced. This often appears in groups of 2, 4, or 6, giving an architectural or a formal look. 
• Single visual layout: Very powerful, strong statement. Short headline. Image says it all. 
• Size: Large graphics make a higher impact in design. Smaller graphics are less in importance. 
• Margins: The design should allow for space around it. Let it breathe. The margin at the bottom of the page is often larger than the other margins. Have you noticed this?
• Z Layout: Fun! Align your elements in a “Z” formation. It’s a dynamic design that encourages the eye to follow easily. Illustrators use this often. The call to action should be at the bottom, the end of the “Z.”
• As a designer, remember that you are the tour guide of your art. you dictate where the eyes should go, what they will see and what they should absorb. 
• Repetition: Use two or more of the same design element. One good? Two is better? Sometimes, yes. Repetition creates a visual rhythm and adds liveliness. This is great for CD cover designs. It can come in the form of consistent alignments or lead a viewer down a line.
• Emphasis differences: Show stark differences in any of the elements, including proportions. 
• The greater the difference, the greater the contrast and the more effective the layout. Simple example: Making headlines a great deal bigger that the other text. 
• Graphics in a layout: Show product in use, the result of the product or the service or illustrate a complicated concept in a simple design. Example: Magazine Ad. You can grab attention through humor, size or dramatic content.

 

“Do not choose the simplest solution. Be creative. Mind-map your ideas and exhaust all possibilities. Then, you will be a designer.” -Marcia Johnson, BFA, M.Ed

One Word. One Image.

Project One. 

I must say, this project seemed very easy when I first read it:

Project #1: One Word. One Image.

Combine an image and a word to make a graphic statement. 

Considerations: 

• Does the image and word express the same message?
• Does the font/letter style express the meaning?
• How will you emphasize a focal point?
• Overlapping of text and image is encouraged.
• What consideration to color have you given your piece?
• Principles to consider: Balance, emphasis and unity.

Sounded easy enough. I started the assignment by picking up my cell phone and referred to my Dictionary.com Word of the Day.

Cavort: v. To bound or prance about. [kuh-vawrt]

                    To prance or caper about.

                    To behave in a high-spirited, festive manner; make merry.

                    Origin: 1785- 95: Americanism; Earlier “cavault.”

(And, My favorite): Used in a sentence:

                   “He whirligiggled and pirouetted, dancing and cavorting round like an inebriated ape.”

 

Needless to say, I had the best image in my head, but had trouble finding a photo that depicted the meaning of this word. I decided to attempt this challenge from the other angle. I would look for a photo, first. I wrote “cavort” into my notes and decided to tuck it away for another project. After all, it is a fabulous word!

For the photo search, I went to my Gmail inbox and pulled up a recent e-mail labeled, “Amazing Photography.” Perfect. The photos in this e-mail were so breath-taking. I scanned each one, thinking of words to accompany them. I ended up with this photo and word choice:

I cropped the original image so that it would aesthetically fit to an 8.5″x11″ scale. I then used the “sharpen” tool in Photoshop CS4 to enhance the eyes, the nose and the details on the log. I used the “dodge” tool to define the darkness within the eye, nose and mouth. With the text, I inserted, “Lethargic” because I felt that was the best word to describe how this big cat was feeling. If you have other suggestions, I’d love to hear them. 

I made three additional layers, playing around with font options:

• Handwriting-Dakota (Which is what I ended up using)
• Apple Chancery
• Herculanum

To improve the text, I used the “transform” tool and rotated the text, slightly, to follow the direction of the log. Then, I used the “eye dropper” tool to match the color of the text with the color of the fur, playing around with a few different shades. Under the layers tab, I chose “diffuse” to manipulate the text between the orange hue and darker tones of the log. The result is a slight glow with definitive markings that resemble the texture of the log.

Graphic Design: Reflections and Influence on History

Have you ever thought about graphic design and its influence on history? This was a subject brought up at Ringling, yesterday. Think about this for a moment. What is the first thing that comes to mind?

When this was mentioned, the first thought that came to my mind was the American flag. And then, other flags. Each one is symbolic. Each one has a reason. The American flag is a symbol of our nation, representing not only who we are, but what we stand for and what we believe. There are 13 stripes: Seven red stripes that alternate with six white stripes. With 13 colonies, we stood against the oppression of the British Empire. The stripes on our flag remind us of our resolve to be free. The filed of blue conveys our yearning for exploration, discovery and enlightenment. Our 50 starts developed over some time, representing hope and prosperity in our nation. 

As my mind went off on a history tangent, it dawned on me that design was very much a part of our history. Our instructor, Marcia Johnson, used a different example:

This advertisement, “I want YOU for U.S. Army,” is about as straight-forward as you can get. This poster, originally published as the cover for the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie’s Weekly with the title “What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” went on to become–according to its creator, James Montgomery Flagg–”the most famous poster in the world.” Over four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918, as the United States entered World War I and began sending troops and matériel into war zones. (Uncle Sam) 

With design, you have to consider the political, social and commercial meanings… And the responsibility that goes along with it. Posters and advertisements encourage how people think, act, buy, invest and ultimately respond to the message. 

Take a look at a few contemporary design artists and how they creatively solve problems. 

Also, Marcia Johnson recommends that you think about each project like this:

1. Concept: The Idea
2. Strategy: The Plan
3. Design: Making the Idea Real
4. Craft: Doing it Well

Other thoughts to think about:

• Appreciate and think about the creative process: combination of knowledge and instinct
• Knowing and incorporating elements and principles of design
• Become visually literate through research
• Go to galleries, see art and get inspired
• Be aware of social, economic, technical and other influences in modern day design

Mind Mapping

Today, I started classes for Marcia Johnson’s Digital Design course at Ringling College of Art + Design. The course objective is to explore visual communication and creating art that conveys a message. Marica johnson indicated that we will be crafting posters, event announcements, book and movie designs, postage stamps and display advertisements. Being in marketing, I think this class will be very helpful. It’s definitely something that I may take back to the office.

Designs should be thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing. We see design everywhere. The constant challenge, it seems, is trying to communicate a certain message to your audience. This is the first design class that I’ve taken where I find myself pulling marketing notes out of the back of my mind and using them as a resource. I’m learning to combine art and text… Something I’ve experimented with numerous times, but never had any guidance with it.

We discussed ways to become more creative in the brainstorming process with simple exercise: Mind Mapping. You may have heard of this before. I know that I’ve used this in the past, but never assigned a label to it or realized that it was something that people use regularly. Basically, you start with a simple concept, idea or subject. From that, your thoughts open up to a variety of ideas. Make your image turn different directions, with thoughts stemming and branching off either which way. Using this, you are able to find multiple solutions to each challenge, exploring every concept. This helps you avoid that first thought that comes to mind or, trying to take the easy way out with a challenge. It allows you go go above and beyond what you initially planned. It may include words, phrases, images and symbols. Mind Mapping inspires concentration on the subject and your creativity.

Here is an example that we used in class:

Mind Maps have many uses. You can use this method in planning, problem-solving and brainstorming sessions during a meeting. They are also useful in learning, presentations and education.

A great online tool for mind mapping is MindMeister. It creates a way for you to quickly and efficiently craft mind maps and store them for reference. Erica Douglass has a great “walk-through” video showing you how to use MindMeister, if you want to learn. Her blog, Erica.biz, is located here. She’s very inspirational.

#TechTrends “Uncovering Trends and Technologies Shaping Online Marketing”

Last night, I attended “Tech Trends: Uncovering Trends and Technologies Shaping Online Marketing” with the GCA Technology Service’s marketing department and Web technology team. Panelists included Diane Chang, agency development at Google; Christopher Barger, director of global communications technology at General Motors; Shiven Ramji, vice president of the online group at Nielson; Tom Wagner, public relations manager at the Florida Aquarium and moderator, Kevin Hourigan, CEO of Bayshore Solutions.

Kevin Hourigan gave a great introduction to social media by sharing current statistics. After spending the past week or so researching social media statistics and relaying the importance of being part of the online conversation to our company, I felt that I had a “head’s up” going into the event. Although I was reassured by many of the stats Kevin shared, I was also introduced to other stats that I had not yet encountered. Last week, for example, I shared that Facebook had 200 million users worldwide, but Kevin shared that it was an outdated statistic. Last Monday, Facebook announced that they had reached 300 million users. Considering that 300 million is about the size of the United States, that was an overwhelming number illustrating how big Facebook really is.

These facts about LinkedIn were also new to me:
•    78% of users are over the age of 35
•    14 million people visit the page each month
•    50% of LinkedIn’s members are business decision makers
•    53% are male

Google’s Diane Chang explained how marketing needs to be nimble, cost-effective, measurable and essential. Although this may seem like a common goal, it isn’t always as easily attainable as it may sound. A major part of reaching this goal is to increase search goals. Diane shared the statistic that Google has over two billion searches a day. Search optimization is a multi-purposed funnel with numerous benefits. Diane shared that paid search spending will continue to be the largest and most popular online category over the next four years.  As far as the latest and greatest in the Google world, Diane mentioned that they are continuing fast innovation and improving transparency in their search initiatives. You have to listen. See what others are searching to get to you.

Some other “tips and tricks” she shared:
•    Be “always on” because you now have consumers online 24/7
•    Integrate: No media is an island
•    Experiment! But make sure to measure.

General Motor’s Christopher Barger started his presentation off by declaring that, “social media is not about technology.” Although this startled me briefly, it made me think… And it started to make sense. Christopher continued by reminding us that everyone in social media has more control of GM’s brand than he.
Think about that.
We’ve gone from a one-way, passive communication model to one that is extremely active and engaging. Christopher reiterated that people want a face, someone to connect with, to answer their questions and understand their needs and concerns. Authority has shifted from corporate to peer, meaning that most people – 50% – prefer word-of-mouth and customer ratings.  They key here is to reach your key influencers – or sneezers – in the online world and connect with them. Hope – don’t force – that they talk about your business and speak highly of your brand. Christopher suggests that everyone in business should be engaged, that everyone has something to say. “There are many conversations, taking place online, about your business. You might as well be part of it, see what others are saying. Answer their questions. Be there. Don’t push,” he shares.

GM’s approach to social media:
•    Empower all employees to become active in social media
•    Brand vs. individual balanced approach
•    Immerse and disperse

Florida Aquarium’s Tom Wagner shared his experiences tackling social media in a NonProfit organization with the limited resources and a limited – often nonexistent – budget. He shares how he started: Create an identity, a voice, determine your message and avoid clutter. One thing that really helped to get them started in growing their Twitter base was hosting a Tampa “Tweetup.” As Tampa’s largest Tweetup, The Florida Aquarium opened their doors to over 200 people. They treated them to some of their best events and gave away prized, such as “dive with the sharks” and “pet a penguin.” The audience used their own voice to tweet their opinions about the experience. Tom was also able to address any Tweets that didn’t reflect an enjoyable time and change their perception by offering something more, catering to their interests. Tom shares that his only drawback from the event was the lack of measurement. Although admissions went up considerably during the next few weeks, he was unable to track exactly how many came from his social media initiatives. He reminds all of us that, “Although we may have limited resources, we have unlimited potential. “

Nielson’s Shiven Ramji shared a few interesting graphs, depicting the trends online. Video, social media and utilities drive growth. A statistic that many people were surprised with was the realization that, “Teens don’t tweet.” Teens spend less time online than almost all other age groups. The largest age group on these networks is age 25-64. Shiven shared that new trends to watch are the simultaneaou (57%) use of the TV and the internet. We see it all the time on TV networks, driving us to the computer to “follow” them on Twitter or “Become a fan” on their Facebook page. Mobile video is another ternd that is continually increasing. As for advice, Shiven reminds us all to be, “Authentic, connected and real.”

Following the panel discussions, Kevin took questions from the audience. What I thought was neat was that they avoided traditional Q & A. In fact, not one question was shared by a raise of hands and calling on a member in the audience. All participants were encouraged to text 2-4453 with the subject, “Trends,” or go to Twitter and mark your tweet with the hash tag: #TechTrends.