Gluten is Good (for Lawns)

Just about the same time we're starting to figure out that gluten might not be good for our guts, many of us are learning that it is a wonderful food for our lawns.

Corn Gluten Meal is an all-natural alternative to the petrochemicals that homeowners have been dumping on their lawns for decades in the hopes that they'll have the greenest, most perfect-looking patch of grass on the block. But there are serious side effects to that lush, green, weedless look. One, is the contamination of our fresh water ways. Two, is the threat that those weed killers and fertilizers are slowly killing us by giving us cancer - especially if you're a dog, according to this article.

So to keep Tupper (our dog) and everyone else who plays on our yard safe, I've officially transitioned to an organic lawn using only corn gluten meal for weed control and fertilizer. And here are the results...



Perfect? No, there are a few dandelions, but overall the grass coverage is thick and soft. I don't have to worry about getting sick from rolling around in my own back yard and I can't be blamed for toxic algae buildup on area lakes. After three years of use, my lawn is officially hooked on corn gluten meal.

Occupation or Inspiration?

If you follow social media, then you're probably used to reading all those peppy, motivational quotes reassuring us that "failure is only a step toward success" and that if we truly "follow our dreams, success is the only option." (They remind me of a cross between a hard-core hippie and that "case-of-the-Mondays" woman from Office Space) Cheesy as they may be, some people not only live by those fortune cookiesque tidbits, but do quite well for themselves, too.

The following companies are run by people who may not be tweeting those ooey-gooey bits of overjoy, but they are living them. And I'd wager most of them would refer to their work as more of an inspiration than an occupation...

Regreet works by using labels and mailing supplies that make it "easy and chic for you to reuse greeting cards," according to Regreet's website. And how awesome is that? Let's see, they 1. protect the environment by using less paper and producing less waste from discarded greeting cards, 2. provide a tracking system that lets you follow your greeting card everywhere it goes (assuming other recipients also enter their info) and 3. give well wishers a more affordable option than plopping down $5 on a tiny piece of cardboard at Walgreen's everytime a birthday or anniversary pops up. Creative, fun and helpful.

Element Six Media is one of the most fascinating companies I've seen. By reshaping snow, sand, flora and water, Element Six creates advertising displays using only the stuff you'd find in your grandma's garden. (Talk about sustainable) It's beautiful stuff and something I could see taking off should they convince some larger cities (doesn't this just absolutely belong in San Francisco?) to sign long-term contracts for their service.

So those are a couple quick examples of companies where I'd guess the employees never utter the word "work." Can you think of any others? I'd love to know...

Foursquare Code of Ethics

So what's fair when it comes to Foursquare? Should there be an unwritten rule that says you have to actually be at a location to check in? Not check in shortly before or just after leaving even if you're close enough for Foursquare to think you're still at that location?

To be fair, I'm guilty of checking in at certain locations from my home, because they're only a handful of blocks away. For example, I'm currently locked in an epic battle with @xMikemx for the mayorship of Minnehaha Park. We've gone back and forth as mayor of the park over the past few weeks, often checking in multiple times daily. Now, I do walk or bike through that park on a near daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. The problem is, I don't always remember to check in while I'm there. Thankfully, my home's proximity to the park allows me to check in at the park while my feet are resting on the ottoman with my dog Tupper sitting comfortably on my lap. I'm not lying. I was in the park ...just not right at that very moment.

So the question is, does this fit under the Foursquare code of ethics? Is it about telling people where you just were or where you are? Should you be letting people know where to find you or just updating them on where you've been or where you're going? Am I thinking WAY too much about this and should I find better things to do with my time? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Being Good is Good Business (Thanks to Social Media)

There is an inherit danger with social media.

Platforms and tools like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all bring with it one thing that PR pros of old didn't have to leverage; automatic and immediate transparency. Yep, we can officially (and I think quite happily) throw that old phrase "spin doctor" out with yesterday's trash, because in today's world, spin often gets unspun pretty quickly in the self-policing world of social media where everybody, everywhere is a journalist.

So what does that mean for us PR pros? It means working with clients who bring integrity to the table on a daily basis. For example, at StoryTeller (the PR shop where I call home) we have MindWare Toys. MindWare is "the nation’s best resource for toys that engage and entertain." With a focus on creating and selling children's toys that don't just entertain but teach, MindWare's mission is more than just making money ...they're also focused on making the world a better place.

Another client, Helping Paws, is a non-profit that trains service dogs to help those with physical disabilities. Yet another, the Minnesota Section PGA has a goal of growing the game of golf and will soon be offering tips and tricks to anyone who's interested via their YouTube channel in the near future (stay tuned).

All are great organizations that simply don't have a need for old PR tricks of deceit and slight of hand.

So beware all you organizations out there that have a lot to hide, social media is ready to make life very difficult for you. Thankfully, I get to work with a lot of clients who don't have that concern.

Social Media Backlash? Or are we Just Getting Smarter?

Remember when you first started tweeting? And how much fun it was talking with other like-minded social media users about the “power of social media?” There was this sense that a new communication technique was here to change the world for the better and that we were all so smart to be a part of it. You know, those of us who “got it” with regards to using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, etc?

Now we’re starting to hear a different story. It’s a story of a social media backlash where users are beginning to drop off the radar. (For more on this perceived backlash, check out this post from AgencyBabylon) So that begs the question, is this the beginning of social media’s end?

That’s hard to imagine, considering that in many ways, social media has already changed the world. From the elections in Iran to Ashton Kutcher battling CNN for followers to the first thing you do in the office every morning, the world is probably a different place thanks to the new world of communication ideology (that being a world where you talk with the people who matter to you, not at them). But let’s face it, the social media love fest is over. Everyone knows about social media, nearly everyone has a profile on at least one of the platforms, plenty of people have made mistakes, others have had success …so the novelty is over. We don’t need to spend our time evangelizing about the benefits of social media anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I still love using Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, YouTube and others …I’m just a little tired of talking about how much I love it (which I think is the backlash Mr. AgencyBabylon is referring to in his post).

So now comes social media 2.0; using the new interactive communication ideology affectively to achieve whatever it is you’re trying to achieve. Which means integrating that ideology into all your communication plans. In the past, it was enough to simply be on Twitter or to post something to YouTube ...just make sure you’re out there, because “it’s better than not being out there” was the driving force behind a lot of social and interactive media plans.

We’re past that now. Now is the time to start putting specific plans in place with clear objectives and desired results. Then executing those plans to increase sales, raise awareness, build networks or what ever else it is you’ve been trying to achieve since you started trying to achieve things (long before social media came around). That, in my opinion, is far more exciting than sitting around and tweeting about how much we all love social media.

So is there a social media backlash? I don't think so. We're all just getting a little wiser about how to make the most out of something we love so much.

Tips on how much to feed your pooch in cold weather

Hey dog owners! Just a heads up that I did a guest post for Coborns Delivers about the proper amounts for feeding your dog during the winter months (although the tips can be applied any time of year).

Please take a look when you get a chance!

If you want to learn more about Coborns Delivers, click here (they're a client of ours at StoryTeller)

Wanted: A Conversation Manager

Quick, name your organization’s conversation manager.

So, who is it? How long did it take you to name that person? Do you have such a person employed with your group? Do you know what a “conversation manager” is?

If you’re a communications professional with a knack for interactive (social) media then …rejoice! My guess is there will soon be plenty of conversation manager job openings available to you in the near future, because every organization needs someone who spends a good deal of time managing the social media conversations taking place about their organization.

On Twitter, Facebook, via blogs, in videos on YouTube, message boards (and the list goes on) …there are a lot of places available for members of the public to praise and criticize your organization. The good news is, all of that information is out there, free of charge for you to peruse and respond to, which you should almost always do. The only problem is this takes time. Either you have a number of people with not enough to do or you need help. And that help is out there in the form of what some are starting to call conversationalists, individuals who:

A) Have a passion for multiple platforms of social media
Pretty simple. They use Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, have a blog, etc.

B) Have a high degree of real-world communication sophistication
We’re looking for emotionally intelligent people here. If their Facebook page is plastered with derogatory language and pictures of the user shotgunning beers, you might want to look to the next applicant.

C) Understand the personality of the organization
If you’re working with a conversation manager who’s not a full-time employee of your organization (a PR firm, for example), you want to make sure that person has taken the time to understand how your organization thinks, a.k.a. what your organization’s personality is. This goes beyond what you sell or provide your members or customers …it’s more about what someone from your organization would be expected to talk about should they run into someone at a coffee shop. In other words, what matters to you personally, beyond your business goals.

So, I’ll ask again, who is your conversation manager?