Balcom Agency

Are you single? If you're not single, allow me to share with you one of the secrets of Single Life. If you are, in fact, single, perhaps you can back me up.

I'm about two months into P90X, a comprehensive workout program. After reading some blogs, I discovered that I could substitute a supplement for the very expensive name-brand. So, I did. After I ran out, I headed over to GNC in Fort Worth to refill.

A very nice, very big guy was there to help. I asked him a couple of questions about the supplement. He was very nice and asked me, "Why do you think you need this supplement?"

I replied, "I feel really dehydrated after working out."

He said, "Well, you don't need to spend $30 on this. Go walk across the street to Target and get some SmartWater. It has electrolytes that will hydrate you."

I was shocked. This guy had the opportunity to sell me something I didn't need. He did the right thing and gave me the best solution to my problem.

It made me think. How many times do we use social media and don't give people the best answer? There might not be 10,000 people on Twitter that care enough to follow your brand. But you should be there where you are the right answer. 

Don't be afraid if your product or service is not the best fit. If you give the right answer, people (like me) will remember that and turn to you next time they need help.

I walked out of GNC empty handed, but I left a bigger fan. Next time I need (or think I need) a supplement, GNC will be my first stop.

Some songs just never get old no matter how many times you listen to them. Every time you play the song, you find a new reason to love it. I feel this way about my favorite song.

I tried to buy the song on iTunes, but for some reason it's not there. So I decided to make a ringtone instead! You're welcome. And dismissed.

I change the wallpaper on my computer desktop almost daily.
I change the wallpaper on my cell phone almost daily.
I like to keep things fresh.

Mac users: do not use this as an opportunity to tell me that a Mac will change my desktop wallpaper for me all by itself.

I can’t believe I’m writing this. Five years ago I boycotted that behemoth retailer because of its poor treatment of employees. At that time, nearly half of the children of its workers were either uninsured or on Medicaid. Numerous lawsuits around the country alleged that the company forced hourly employees to work overtime without pay.

So here’s why I have come around:

This company has smart leadership. It conducted a reputation survey and discovered – (surprise, surprise!) – it had become a corporate demon in the eyes of its customers.

The company realized it needed a complete transformation from the inside out. The company’s leading public relations executive clearly had a seat at the table. This true pr pro knew the company had to change its actual business practices, rather than simply polish its image.  Leslie Dach, Wal-Mart's head of corporate communications and a former Edelman PR executive, helped the company understand that what mom said is true: Actions speak louder than words.

Here's what Wal-Mart has done to win over its customers and stakeholders:

1.    Its leadership has championed a real commitment to the environment. For example, it launched a high-profile campaign to sell fluorescent light bulbs, conducted a solar power initiative in California, and spent gobs of money retrofitting its stores to use more renewable energy. Just today, the Wall Street Journal reported the company has unveiled a new environmental labeling program for all the products it carries. This will help shoppers see the full environment costs of making each product in a simple rating system.

2.    On the healthcare front, Wal-Mart formed a coalition with union leader Andy Stern, once one of the company’s leading critics, to explore solutions to the country’s health insurance crisis. (Hopefully the company is doing more for its employees on this front but I don’t have the facts on this.)

3.    Wal-Mart has distanced itself from other business groups and stuck its neck out to support an employer mandate for health insurance, favored by the White House. Critics say that because Wal-Mart knows such a mandate is inevitable, it is simply positioning itself ahead of other big corporations for political and competitive advantage.

Well, of course! Wal-Mart is playing to win. And it is smart to know the value of good public relations.

Good public relations does not “spin.” It helps companies look in the mirror and learn how the outside world truly perceives them.  It helps companies understand that business practices must sometime change in response to the changing values and expectations of its stakeholders.

At this stage, the company’s public relations team should be basking in a glow of accomplishment. There’s no need to “spin” because the truth is out: Wal-Mart is a company to admire.

In glassy-eyed day dreams, I live in New York City. I rent a one-room apartment on the ground floor of a historic, federal-style brick home built in the 1800's nestled in Greenwich Village. To me, this is the heart of the city.

There has been a lot of talk about the future of online. I believe it will come down to one word: social.

Take a moment to read the first page of Wired's "Great Wall of Facebook: The Social Network's Plan to Dominate the Internet — and Keep Google Out." I'll wait.

Nice to have you back.

If this report is true, which I believe it is, we are all participating in the future of the web. The future of the web will be driven by people, our experiences, locations, reviews and content. I explained this concept to some co-workers in a very practical sense:

1. Let's say you wanted to find the best air Conditioner repair company.
2. Currently, you'd go to Google, type in "air conditioning repair." You'll find a lot of paid search, some local results and some high-ranking websites. Great. But that doesn't explain the reputation or quality of the companies.
3. You call, maybe have a bad experience and are stuck with a high bill or A/C that doesn't get fixed.

Let's take a look at what happens if Facebook's dream comes true:

1. Instead of going to Google, you'll go to Facebook's search.
2. You'll type in "air conditioning repair."
3. Instead of search results, you'll get recent friends that have called air conditioning companies.
4. Facebook will know that your friends called these companies because Facebook will continue to develop their iPhone and mobile applications. Facebook's current mobile apps already allow you to call a friend. They'll now track who you and your friends call.
5. After the call, your friend may choose to rate the experience and if they used the air conditioning repair service.
6. If the air conditioning company was smart, they would have an automatic response after the service was complete. It would ask your friend to rate the service, value and quality of the repair. The rating would then show up in your friend's profile when friends search for air conditioning repair.
7. You could then look at all of your friends' experiences, and find the best company to call.

Why is this so revolutionary? Because it's the first time search will put the power in the people's hands. It will allow people like you and me to get instant reviews from friends (and strangers) without making multiple calls. It will also force companies to be more transparent and provide better products and services. Sounds like a win-win, doesn't it?

Not exactly. It's going to be tough for the "we've always done it this way" corporations to realize the power of this social medium. I'm afraid many will realize after it's too late. Facebook already has over 250 million active members (over half the population of the US) and continues to grow at an exponential rate.

If you're in marketing, what should you do? Learn, research and experiment.

The Balcom Agency will be unveiling some innovative offerings next week to companies looking to start or improve their social web presence. Be on the lookout. If you're impatient, like me, feel free to shoot me an email.

Happy Blogiversary to my friend, Chris of RudeCactus.com!

Today, Chris celebrates his 6th blogiversary. I've been fortunate enough to be around for four of those six years. He's witty, intelligent and utterly delightful – definitely a good read and an asset to your feed reader.

Go ahead and toodle over to his place to wish him Happy Blogiversary. Everybody enjoys a little internet love.

My husband, the Boy Scout, has a dream of completing the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, an approximately 2175-mile hiking trail in the eastern United States.  It can be completed, from Georgia to Maine, in about six months, if you don't stop.  As a section hiker, who completes 50 to 75 miles per trip, he thinks he may be done by 2035.

If I want to see him on summer vacations anytime during the next 26 years or so, I figured I better start to love hiking, too.  So I ventured out on a short (27-mile) trek with our family in Georgia.

I was not completely certain about this trip, but how hard can a few day-hikes be?  Besides, there was a Spa Day waiting for me at the end of the trail.  Guess what?  Three day-hikes can kick your ass and make you doubt all of your abilities.  But, in the end, this trip taught me a few things about myself, about life and about the value of extra effort.

1. "Can't see the forest for the trees."  To quote Robert Frost, "the woods are lovely, dark and deep" and you can easily trip and fall over tree roots and rocks if you aren't paying close attention to your footing.  This can prevent you from seeing the overall beauty of the area.  It is okay to stop, catch your breath and catch the breathtaking views.

2.  Strength comes from within.  And sometimes from your quadriceps.  This was as much a mental journey as a physical one.  I never thought of myself as an athlete, but I am one. Mental strength saves the day when muscles are trying to stop you in your tracks.

3.  There are no tears in hiking.  Except when there are.  Wear sunglasses and no one will know.

4.  It is okay to have help.  Hiking poles are your friends.  You will have tighter triceps from using them.

5.  It is impossible to train adequately on flat terrain.  No stair machine allows you to walk downhill on top of rocks.

6.  Refill your water whenever you find a clear stream.  But always use a purifying agent, no matter how clean it looks.

7.  It is not a race; it is a journey.  It is okay to be the last one into camp, as long as you get there. When you have the car keys, they will wait for you.  But when you are hiking with family members who scramble like mountain goats, it is hard to remember.  See #3 about wearing sunglasses.

8.  Things are not always as they seem.  Not every black, fur-bearing animal that charges you on the trail is a bear.  Sometimes it is a Labrador Retriever who wants his ears scratched.

9.  Climbing above your comfort zone will not kill you.  You may wish you were dead; maybe pray you were.  But perseverance pays off.

10.  The Summit is worth the effort.

Does anybody really care?

I've been 'watch-free' for two weeks now.  While we were backpacking, I didn't wear it. And when we got home, I realized the battery had died. I haven't quite gotten around to replacing it yet.

And may not. Between the clocks in my car, on my computer, the cable box, the TV, the stove, the microwave, the coffee maker, the iPod and my iPhone, I haven't really missed it.  Except as a lovely piece of jewelry.  

My mother, on the other hand, had to send her watch out for repairs that will take several months.  She is so ingrained to the culture of time that she immediately bought a replacement watch to wear in the meantime.

Will this be the a new generation gap? Those who carry time on their wrist instead of in their technology? 

Perhaps.  But Mother also has lovely taste in jewelry. Maybe I can borrow hers, when the original is repaired.