All Posts from March, 2010


I’m Brie Engelken – and I’m a Facebook Addict

March 5th, 2010 | By Brie, Account Manager in Example, General Marketing, jhP Family, online marketing, Social Media, Topeka, Trends, Twitter | 4 Comments »

My Life Without Facebook:
Week 2

In case you missed it – I gave up Facebook for Lent.

This week was even more difficult than last. Last week my Facebook fast was top-of-mind to all my friends and family – this week the newness has worn off. People keep talking to me about things I would normally know about – expecting me to have a clue. But when I stop them and ask them to fill me in, I get the resounding “oh, that’s right, you’re not on Facebook.” And then there’s The Face.

“The Face” is the eye–squinting, wrinkled-forehead, pressed-lips look that you get when people feel sorry for you. I’m fairly certain I’ve used this look many times. Usually to communicate a feeling with others – typically when something has happened and I’m trying to show empathy to someone. Is that what my friends are doing to me? Feeling sorry for me? (NOTE: I’m exaggerating with that last line for effect – just go with it.)

But seriously, this past week proves one point I had hoped to make with this experiment – that you can’t communicate with your audience if you’re not using the communication tools your audience is using. If I could had been on Facebook this week, you’d know that I became of fan of my bank’s new Fan PageCoreFirst Bank & Trust. Instead I have to wait until April to do so! And I would have known that Jayhawk Café, a new café in downtown Topeka’s Jayhawk Tower, had their grand opening. But I missed it because I didn’t know about it – I heard about it later that evening on the 10:00 news. Regardless, I’m managing. Not as effectively, or efficiently, as normal, but I’m making it through with a little help from my friends, family, co-workers and local media. Thanks everyone!

Here are a few other things you would have known if I could have been on Facebook this week:

•  WHAT!?!? There’s a Twilight “Scene It!” board game. How do I NOT have this?
•  Headed to the Heartland Visioning meeting! Can’t wait to hear all about their wonderful plans to revitalize Downtown Topeka.
•  Why are some stoplights in Lincoln horizontal and some vertical … did they just decide to buck consistency or does this madness have a real purpose?
•  Stupid friends – why aren’t you ALL on Twitter?! Okay you’re not stupid but my life would be easier if you were!

Hispanic Marketing Statistics – Useful or Pointless?

March 3rd, 2010 | By the Partners in Trends | No Comments »

Post written by Michelle Cuevas-Stubblefield, originally posted on Latina-ish Blog.

Hispanic marketing statistics can be found just about anywhere. But when you find what looks like quality data, always look deeper. The numbers you’re considering may look like what you’re after, but you need to ask yourself – do they meet my specific needs?

As you realize, the Hispanic community is not monolithic. It is a huge composite of many different groups. Hispanic survey data is heavily influenced by factors such as rate of acculturation, age group, country of origin and citizenship. Knowing how these differences impact on population data will improve your odds of successfully guiding your clients’ Hispanic marketing efforts.

If, for example, the survey group has too diverse a country-of-origin mix, or the age range was too wide or too narrow, the statistics may offer you little practical value. Learn how the data was collected – and from whom – to ensure that the statistics will truly be useful to meet your and your clients’ marketing objectives.