Pessimistic Plea, Optimistic Offer

I have two themes this week instead of one, given how much I want to get in before taking a break for the holidays in a few weeks.

First comes something a little darker; you can skip ahead to the feel-good part just a bit further down if you like.

Pessimistic Plea

A friend of mine jokingly asked on Facebook who’s going to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year, as it normally attracts more than 150,000 people in Vegas in January, including too many ad execs.

I responded, “Ad industry execs count as first responders and essential workers, right? We’ll all have the vaccine by then.”

It’s funny because it’s untrue.

Beyond many people in the ad industry who should be a priority for a vaccine based on other criteria such as age or a health condition, I started thinking about who’d qualify less than a marketer or ad industry professional.

I can’t say it was the most uplifting thought. Who is less essential?

This year, one can argue marketers are more essential than ever. Countries that marketed policies of social distancing and mask-wearing have been able to return to varying levels of normalcy even without a vaccine available.

Our country seems to include more people than ever who will only be persuaded by the idea that riles them up the most. It’s like we used to have all these folks who preferred Coke but would sometimes reach for a Pepsi, and now they’ll only believe the most outlandish claim that fits their worldview, like that Coke causes polio (Narrator: “It doesn’t”).

What I’d love for us to think about is how marketers can become more essential in the year ahead. How can we all, in our own way, be forces for good and make choices that add to greater respect for our profession? Behind every great idea — the world is round, the Golden Rule, Fruity Pebbles — there are great marketers.

I still would put any doctor or teacher or cop or sanitation worker above any healthy, low-risk member of my Slack group, but marketers are essential in our own way. Our lives may not be on the line, but the lives of the people our clients are trying to reach may be.

Optimistic Offer

How can I be helpful to you?

I saw someone diagram this information in a Google Slide that was shared on Twitter. I misplaced the post but loved the idea. Let me know if you saw something like this so I can give proper credit.

As a connector by both trade and hobby, I get more requests than others from people asking for assistance of some sort. I loved the idea of creating an FAQ, especially since I’ve already created resources that many people don’t know about.

This led to my new spreadsheet: http://bit.ly/howdavidcanhelp .

It’s even color-coded. You’re welcome to share it with others.

I’m sure I’ll add more to it, but it’s a start. If there are other ways I might be helpful that aren’t listed here, I’d love your ideas.

Of course, as a reader, you’re up to speed with much of this already. Thank you for reading this.

David

PS: Want to make even more meaningful connections before the end of the year? Come to First Wednesday tonight at 6pm EDT (virtual, of course) or our Upstream events December 3 (tomorrow) or December 17.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY… TALKWALKER
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2021 Social Media Trends: What the Experts Say

Power up your marketing strategy and discover the top ten trends that will matter most next year. Download the #SocialMediaTrends2021 eBook, filled with expert advice from 70+ industry leaders.
https://bit.ly/35etu4Q

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LEARN. TRY. SHARE.
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A FLY COMMUNITY PLAYBOOK
Flybridge created a useful playbook for creating and managing communities. The sources they interviewed are terrific, and I look foward to reading this in depth.
https://communityplaybook.flybridge.com

Thanks to Michael Browne, Michael Marzano, Claudia Strauss, E.B. Moss, Candice Grobler, Keren Unrad, Jaimee Kniffen, Chris Gorges, Don Steele, and Rachel Pasqua for spreading the word about the newsletter recently.

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EVENTS
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Please send over any events you’re hosting or attending, and I’ll add them to the list. All events below are virtual, and all times are EDT.

SERIAL MARKETERS SPEEDUPS
December 17, 12pm
Join the virtual 1:1 rapid-fire speed-meeting event to connect with fellow Serial Marketers, hosted on the Upstream app.

SERIAL MARKETERS SALONS
Tuesdays, 3pm
RSVP on our private Meetup (request access if you’re not there)
-12/8: The Real Meaning of Community with Bilyana Freye, Co-Founder and CEO, Orbiit
-12/15: Member Holiday Extravanganza featuring guests from throughout the year

THE FUTURE OF MARKETING ROI
December 2
1-2:30pm
Are you ready for the seismic changes to media consumption, advertising spending and identity changes accelerated by the pandemic? You will be. Presented by Research Wonks and DISQO.
https://www.disqo.com/events/advertising-measurement-next/

SOCIALFRESH CONFERENCE 2020
December 8-10
Social Fresh is for social media marketers and business owners. Attendees return year after year for inspiring and actionable training, presented by the smartest folks in the industry. The experience is world-class, the marketing lessons are always fresh, and you’ll leave with a path to move your social media to the next level! Attendees include B2B and B2C companies, Fortune 500 brands, Agencies, Small Business Owners, Government, Finance, Higher Ed, Retail, and Nonprofit.
https://conference.socialfresh.com/social-fresh-2020-live-conference-pass/myn4m

SXSW ONLINE
March 16-20
I’m not sure if Stubb’s delivers to me, but I’ll be seeing if they can capture any of the magic with the online festival. “Register today to take advantage of the unique opportunities this event has to offer, including keynotes, Conference sessions, Music Festival showcases, Film Festival screenings, world-class networking, and the unexpected discoveries that are always a part of SXSW, all in a digital setting.”
https://www.sxsw.com/attend/

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY… THOMPSON & PRINCE
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Thompson & Prince (www.thompsonandprince.com) solves creative problems and business brand foundations for early-stage startups and growing small businesses. They offer the following services:

-Naming / Nomenclature (Company & Product/Service)
-Logo Design / Visual Identity / Brand Guidelines
-Brand Strategy / Positioning / Messaging
-Marketing Collateral
-Website Design & Development
-Connections to a curated network of agencies & consultants

To support the startup and small business community, their project minimums remain at a much-reduced $1,000. Email chris@thompsonandprince.com if you’d like to learn more!

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JOBS
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Keep checking out the #jobs channel in Serial Marketers for more. Here are some great opportunities shared there or sent to me directly.

Thanks to Yuval Yarden for this batch of jobs:

Petal