PRAYING FOR A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE

PRAYING FOR A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE

RESTORE COFFEE ROASTERS:  Look Behind the Curtain

During the holiday season, when goodwill and kindness are stressed, the only sentiment I experience when shopping is the 'stressed' part, brought on by too many people and too few parking spaces.  While picking up last-minute items earlier this week in the Boynton Beach mall, I came across Restore Coffee Roasters and decided to take a break.  

The branding of independent coffee houses varies as widely as the quality of their coffee, but Restore achieves the highest level of both measures.  With an entrance completely open to the mall, the storefront is immediately inviting.  The design, product selection and corporate identity of this two-year old single unit location equal the image of Starbucks, which has perfected their formula over 43 years and in over 21,000 shops.  The Restore employees I met were engaging, friendly, efficient and knowledgeable.   A customer experience this positive piques my interest.  Then I was handed my large lemon ginger tea and muffin for a little over $3 and was informed that the operation is 100% not-for-profit with earnings benefitting local charities.  I was convinced there was something more to this place.

As I sat in a comfortable chair trying to reconcile the costs and returns from this business, double doors at the end of the lounge opened and several people came into the store.  Curious, I walked through the doors and entered a modern, spacious open area leading through another set of doors into a huge auditorium that used to be a Dillard's store and is now -- the Christ Fellowship Church.  

After confirming with a store employee that Restore is part of the Church I marveled at the sophistication of their concept.  Rather than "Restore" referring to a 'green' theme, the business's motto is "Restoring hope, one cup at a time." Without mentioning one word to me as a customer about their faith, Restore allowed me to discover that this church represents, quality, service, hard work, value, vision and charity.   It is the single best example I've encountered of outreach by a religious enterprise and, rather than feeling the wool was pulled over my eyes, I am astonished and impressed by this passive yet impactful strategy to increase awareness through community involvement.

Commercial enterprise and religious institutions can inform each other about best practices and when combined as they are at Restore Coffee Roasters, great things are happening.   Read about Restore Coffee Roasters here.

Celebrity Legal Woes Prompt Employers to Replace Courts

CORPORATIONS IN DARK ABOUT DISCIPLINE FOR CELEBRITY EMPLOYEES

Recent legal woes of celebrities including Canadian journalist Jian Ghomeshi, comedian Bill Cosby and NFL players Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice illustrate how public opinion prompts employers to impose punishment in lieu of due legal process.

In each case, when employers for each man first learned of misconduct, their reaction was muted.  And in each case, when new information appeared on social media and was promoted in traditional media, public outcry and sponsor concerns prompted employers to impose much stricter punishments without regard for legal implications of their decisions.

When Ghomeshi first had conversations with his superiors after allegations surfaced about his practice of rough sex, he was put on indefinite leave -- not fired. http://bit.ly/1ya1wm4   Ray Rice was suspended two games by the NFL when he was charged with assault in February after punching and knocking his then fiancee unconscious in the elevator of an Atlantic City casino.  http://bit.ly/1vyp55W  Reports of Cosby assaulting women were circulating for years before his latest partnership with NBC to create a new family comedy to debut next year.  http://nyti.ms/1rIg4Yy  When Peterson in May was found to have disciplined his four-year old son by hitting him with a wooden stick called a switch, the Minnesota Vikings de-activated him for one game in September.  http://bit.ly/1HPPkdj

To date, legal proceedings are progressing against Ghomeshi, Rice and Peterson.  However the NFL, CBC and NBC cut ties with Peterson, Rice, Ghomeshi and Cosby in advance of any legal resolution or decision of current cases.  The NFL ruled Peterson ineligible to play football again until the 2015 season.  Rice was suspended indefinitely by the NFL.  Ghomeshi was fired by the CBC.  NBC canceled the show Cosby had in development and Netflix cancelled a stand-up Cosby comedy special.  Several concert venues have cancelled their dates and TVLand pulled lucrative re-runs of The Cosby Show from their schedule.  http://reut.rs/1B3rnxb It's clear these employers were motivated to punish their employees more to respond to the outcry of the public and sponsor concerns rather than protect the rights of the accused.

The law punishes some crimes much less harshly than the public expects.  For example, according to New Jersey prosecutor Jim McLain, even if Rice had been tried and convicted of second-degree assault, he would not have gone to jail.  http://bit.ly/1y0yQa6 .  Added to this societal-legal imbalance is the long time span for the legal process to run its course in these times where instant gratification is expected in all things from overnight delivery to legal decisions. 

These examples are the pioneering steps into a dangerous area of corporate 'frontier justice' where innuendo and media sensationalism prompt snap judgments that replace measured decision-making based on evidence and due process.  Corporations are appeasing the public today with punishments that open themselves up to future legal challenges from  the accused that could have serious implications on their businesses.

It's a "shoot first, ask questions later" strategy that sacrifices long-term stability at the alter of short-term expediency.  As a precursor of the messy situations created by these corporations, an arbitrator on Friday 11/28 overturned the NFL's indefinite suspension of Ray Rice, making him immediately eligible to play football again for any team he signs with.  http://nyti.ms/11GdmWV
The decision called the penalty 'arbitrary' and in conflict with the facts of the case.  

Companies have wide latitude to treat employees as they choose and to revise and adjust discipline according to corporate guidelines and employment agreements.  A better solution for high-profile cases that involve criminal charges may be to impose an indefinite suspension with pay while legal issues are resolved while allowing the accused to seek other employment and end their current contract if they are hired elsewhere.

A consistent and measured response by management that can be applied equally to all employee activity involving criminal investigation or charges is in the interest of both parties.

TRUE LIES: LEBRON MASTERS MEDIA AND BASKETBALL WITH 'THE ESSAY'

King James rules the NBA and the media...

...much like another leader who compelled people to disregard the obvious

TRUE LIES:  LEBRON MASTERS MEDIA AND BASKETBALL WITH 'THE ESSAY'

It is rare when the world of sports affects people that don't pay attention to it.  The Olympics provide the majority of these moments because the Games are linked to our national identity.  The success of the U.S. soccer team at the recent World Cup piqued our interest as well.  LeBron James' announcement made Friday that he was leaving the Miami Heat of the NBA to return to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, created similar seismic ripples across the country.  For an individual to wield this type of attention has no precedent.  James' ability to galvanize the public is as stunning an accomplishment as his skill with a basketball.

After a period of uncertainty over the past few weeks about whether LeBron would stay in Miami or move to another team,  the best basketball player in the world announced his decision in a written statement that appeared Friday on the Sports Illustrated website.  Titled "Im Coming Home" LeBron called the piece an 'essay.'  That terminology is significant, because the verb 'essayer' in French means 'to try,' and in twelve succinct paragraphs, he tries to let the reader in to his emotional rationale that prompted his decision to return home to Ohio.

The actual piece is bylined "By LeBron James as told to Lee Jenkins."  Jenkins, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, did a masterful job taking LeBron's words and crafting an article that paints James in the most positive light possible.  With the potential to sway public opinion against James, Jenkins instead centered the piece around LeBron's deep desire to return to his hometown, which apparently was the perfect recipe to appease Miami fans and also enable Cleveland fans -- many of whom branded James a traitor for bolting Cleveland in 2010 to play for Miami -- to forgive and embrace the prodigal son once again on his return.  Written in first-person as if by James himself,  Jenkins elicits sympathy by personalizing the story for every reader.

The real media mastermind here though, is King James.  Ad Age magazine reported on the scoop by Jenkins in a story titled "Here's How Sports Illustrated Got the LeBron James Exclusive," in which  SI Managing Editor Chris Stone asked Jenkins if there were any preconditions James was demanding in return for the exclusive.  Jenkins responded that there were none.  So, how is ghost-writing a story totally from the point of view of the subject and sanitizing the session into twelve paragraphs all tied up with a beautiful bow, not a pre-condition?  No follow-up questions.  No differing opinions.  Reinforcing this edict, Jenkins devotes a single paragraph of James' essay to the line from LeBron that, "I’m not having a press conference or a party. After this, it’s time to get to work."  

Of course, this isn't journalism.  It's advertising.  The exclusive story, which was posted around noon Friday, is "the biggest traffic event in the history of the magazine" according to SI top editors.

Despite what any defender thinks while playing against him in the paint, LeBron's power is just as dominant over the media.  He has been criticized heavily in the past, but at this moment, James calls the shots for the entire NBA and for the media that covers him.  

It's a unique position of authority usually reserved for political dictators.  And we're lapping it up.

THAT'S THE WAY THE TUNA ROLLS: SUCCESS TIPS FROM A SUSHI MASTER

THAT'S THE WAY THE TUNA ROLLS: SUCCESS TIPS FROM A SUSHI MASTER

Sushi master chef Jiro Ono:  life-long dedication to a single purpose

Sean Parker: Jack of all trades, master of none

Sukiyabashi Jiro, in a Tokyo subway station

Exploring Netflix the other day, I came across the 2011 documentary film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," about Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old proprietor of a sushi-only restaurant in Tokyo lauded as the greatest sushi chef in the world. What I first perceived as an entertaining diversion became, as the film progressed, a universal affirmation about the nature of business success and personal achievement.

The definition of success has narrowed over time from a combination of factors including family life, sufficient wealth and satisfying work into today's more focused meaning more or less strictly concerning financial status.  Jiro's life is fascinating because he pursues the more general meaning of success by focusing his being on a single goal -- creating sushi perfection.

Strictly measured by wealth, many successful people today gained their status by excelling at many disciplines.  Taking a random sampling from the Youngest Billionaires of 2013 in Forbes magazine, Sean Parker, with an estimated $2 billion fortune, founded Napster before becoming Facebook President and now has an interest in the film industry.  With a $6.7 billion net worth, Elon Musk has interests in low-earth-orbit transportation, electric cars and solar homes.

In contrast, Jiro concentrates each day on refining the preparation of sushi so that the results may be better compared with the day before.   Repetition of tasks mixed with talent work together over a lifetime to produce a person worthy of honor.  That's another antiquated notion held by Jiro that has been lost over time.  For Jiro, personal honor earns trust that marks success.  There is a scene in the film where the rice vendor confides to Jiro that the Hyatt hotel asked that he sell them the special rice supplied only to Jiro.  He refused what would be a much more lucrative order and derided the hotel on camera for even suggesting he consider the offer.

With his dedication to his craft, honorable business dealings and relentless pursuit of a single goal, the ten-seat sushi restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars, the guide's highest rating.  The film takes on a melancholy tone when Jiro describes the fish that were plentiful years ago that are no longer available due to over-fishing.  I feel at that moment, the octogenarian master was describing his own place in the world.

INCREASE SCREEN TIME = GOOD PARENTING

BIRD IS TO DINOSAUR AS SMARTPHONE IS TO TELEVISION

OR:  CAPTAIN KIRK AND THE 16-YEAR OLD

When I was younger my parents called the television in our house the 'idiot box.'  I had the impression that watching TV resulted in loss of brain cells.  Although this scientific fact didn't stop me from watching the original Star Trek series, it probably had something to do with why I enjoyed it so much.

In a recent study of UK media consumers, television takes the biggest hit in reverse proportion to age -- a swing of 56% between 13% of 16-24 year-olds who would miss television to 69% of those 75 and older.  The popularity of smartphones cannibalizes the decline in television with 0% of those 75 and older who would miss them compared with 47% of those aged 16-24.  This study did not include children younger than 16 years old.  If it did it is safe to assume the trend away from television and toward smartphones would be even more pronounced.  Read the story here.

So the future is in small screens.  However, I take the opposite view from my parents about my children's interaction with their phones.  I may be fighting the tide here, but there are two main distinctions between 'old' screens and 'new' screens that make me a generous parent when it comes to 'screen time.'

The first difference relates to the nature of content.  Traditional print and broadcast media were uni-directional, meaning the message was sent one way from the broadcaster to the consumer.  As a child, I sat in our den, unmoving, being spoon-fed everything those three networks (NBC, CBS, ABC) at the time were sending my way.  Today, communication is responsive, enabling consumers to provide feedback that stimulates thought and certain written communication skills.  In my empirical research, the ratio of phone calls to texts has an inverse relationship to age; younger people almost exclusively text preferring that two-way communication to phone calls.

The second difference concerns the relationship to content.  My parents disliked us watching television because to them it stifled imagination and did not improve critical thinking or vocabulary.  Reading was everything that television was not.  When a favorite program came on, everyone had to sit together and watch it from beginning to end with no interruptions, no talking and no distractions.  In those days, it was as easy to believe you could read a book on television as you could watch television from a book.

Today of course, most people from 16-34 do just that and more from their smartphones.  They watch a movie or program while they access a browser to conduct research on an actor or learn more about the program topic or subjects.  When reading print articles, they can automatically look up word definitions, origins and write a comment directly to the reporter.

My parents' misgivings years ago about me spending time in front of screens have largely been addressed by technology and have been converted into my own screen time philosophy as a parent that reflects our time.

To my mind, technology does not replace the stimulation of the printed page.  There is nothing like burying my head in a good book.  You just don't need ink any more to accomplish that.

Increasingly, younger generations will not see this as a societal change.   For them, it is simply the way that things are.   I imagine the developments they will conceive and I think that the Star Trek future probably isn't too far away after all.

LOST AMAZON TRIBE! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! CALL NOW!

LOST AMAZON TRIBE! WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

First contact with outside world...

March 29, 2014

The business of advertising has evolved with meteoric speed in the past 180 years but does not yet circle the globe.

In 1833 the New York Sun boasted 30,000 subscribers making it the largest newspaper in the world.  Volney Palmer, recognized as the first advertising agency, opened in Philadelphia in 1843.  The growth of advertising as a business is due to its astonishing durability, adapting to new technologies of mass communication to the point where today, it is easy to conclude that the seven billion people on our planet have had at least some exposure at some point to consumer branding.

Tell that to the frightened group of tribespeople in Brazil's far western Amazon who brandished spears at a low-flying plane that took aerial photographs of their settlement last week.  http://bit.ly/1hq9Y8T
According to the department in the Brazilian government responsible for indigenous peoples, there may be up to 84 uncontacted groups in the country.

The perception in the first world holds that advertising is so pervasive, everyone must be exposed to it in some form.  The business of advertising has developed its own brand of self-promotion over time, perpetuating itself by portraying advertising as a type of knowledge, providing information to be considered and acted upon.  This argument holds that anyone unwilling to expose themselves to branded messaging must be closed-minded.  Shifting attitudes toward advertising reinforce this reasoning.  Contrary to opinions a decade ago, more Americans today say that they like rather than dislike advertising and tend to find advertising generally informative and useful in guiding their own decision-making.  http://bit.ly/1e8TlO1



Technically, the frightened tribe under the thatched hut is not defined as 'undiscovered.'  Logging and encroaching industrialization of their traditional areas cannot be avoided by these people.  They choose isolation.  No metal tools.  No contact with people who use them.  No Elvis.  They know there is an outside world.  They reject it.  They are primitive people, yet they are very aware.  They are extremely remote, but they don't want the remote.

There are moments after my daily bombardment from targeted messages and mass advertising that I smile knowing that these uncontacted peoples are still out there.

HOW PR KEEPS BUSINESS COOL AS TEMPS RISE IN ARIZONA POLITICAL CRISIS

HOW PR KEEPS BUSINESS COOL AS TEMPS RISE IN ARIZONA POLITICAL CRISIS

Governor Jan Brewer at the center of the storm

Created in part by Sen. Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, co-sponsor of SB1062

While Tony Alba, Media Relations Manager for Arizona Tourism, is on the front line

Most of the nation for the past week was focused on Arizona SB 1062, the freedom of religion/gay discrimination bill passed by the state legislature last Thursday and vetoed yesterday by Governor Jan Brewer  http://fxn.ws/1bPwu99.  

I was following the story too, but much of my emotional connection to the situation was in sympathy for someone who was not in the news but who plays a key role in the process.  His name is Tony Alba, the Media Relations Manager for the US and Canada at the Arizona Office of Tourism.  http://bit.ly/1fMTSUo  Charged with enticing business into Arizona from out-of-state, Mr. Alba is normally extolling the virtues of Arizona's natural beauty and robust industrial infrastructure.  

Although there's curiously no mention of it in his twitter feed https://twitter.com/talba62 Alba must have received a Grand Canyon-size headache when this legislative bombshell made the news.  Perhaps he wondered why he wasn't doing the same job in the other five states where similar legislation died last year with less fanfare -- South Dakota, Kansas, Idaho, Tennessee, Colorado, and Maine  http://bzfd.it/1hnrd8P.  Instead, Mr. Alba probably went into crisis mode -- a rare occurrence for a tourist office -- to manage the growing firestorm around him and his state.  

Although many interests are connected with this issue, there are two main targets that demand Mr. Alba's attention.  The first group is out-of-state organizers of upcoming large conventions taking place in Arizona.  The second is concerned businesses with plans to start operations in Arizona.  What are the keys to a successful navigation of this contentious issue when speaking to concerned parties?  In their interactions, Alba and his team should be honest and optimistic while reinforcing to these groups and companies the reasons they selected Arizona in the first place remain unchanged. 

1.  Nothing has been decided -- nothing is determined until the governor decides how to proceed.  Once her decision is made -- whether for or against -- the wheels of the legislatures and courts will continue to grind into the future forcing changes and modifications as is the practice in every state.

2.  An independent streak is an Arizona tradition -- Arizonans pride themselves on thinking for themselves, sometimes bucking popular trends throughout the rest of the country.  But in most every case, the state has eventually come into line with national perceptions and sentiment.

3.  Arizonans are overwhelmingly tolerant -- many cultures, religions and races coexist in Arizona and although there are difficulties at times, the majority of Arizonans appreciate our differences and treat others with respect, regardless of what the letter of the law may be.

4.  Do not rush to judgement  and stay the course -- your decision to come to Arizona was made with much deliberation over a long period of time.  Take a deep breath and express to decision-makers in their organizations to do the same to see how the situation appears after another few weeks.

5.  Political controversy occurs in every State -- examples exist from every state in the Union where people elected to office were found lacking in the moral or ethical standard expected of high office. 

If Mr. Alba is able to create a calm atmosphere of mutual respect during his client conversations, SB 1062 is one ferocious lightning storm he and his department may be able to weather without serious consequences.  And then he may be able to enjoy a lazy weekend vacation -- rafting the Colorado River perhaps?

No cell phones here

htfxn.ws/1bPwu99 , but Kiva Couchon, 

JT AND QUEEN BEY USE PERSONAL TOUCH TO RESHAPE MASS MARKETING

JT likes Taco Bell but not for the Gorditas...

...while Beyonce was at Walmart but not to shop (Smile for those camera-phones in the background!)

JT AND QUEEN BEY USE PERSONAL TOUCH TO RESHAPE MASS MARKETING

Justin Timberlake broke new marketing ground last Wednesday when he walked into a local LA Taco Bell with three People's Choice Awards he won earlier in the evening and posted photos on Instagram.  http://usat.ly/1ciV3oB  And on December 23, Beyonce announced on the intercom at the Walmart in Tewksbury, MA that she was giving a $50 gift card to each shopper in the store as a Christmas present.  http://lat.ms/1hTtWsg

Entertainment heavyweights JT and Queen Bey are at the forefront of a new type of celebrity promotion that manufactures 'surprise' encounters directly with the public at popular locations resulting in monumental social media and mass media coverage for their projects.  Velvet ropes are used to create separation for the privileged few and to emphasize exclusivity.  By removing the velvet ropes in these situations, these celebrities create a personal bond with fans in a familiar setting that reaps huge returns in personal likeability for their down-to-earth values.

When Beyonce mingled with guests last month during her album launch party at a Dave & Busters restaurant in Times Square, she changed the traditional role of conventional media in covering celebrity appearances.  http://huff.to/1eGdV63  And that's the key in these situations.  Whether at Taco Bell or Dave & Busters or Walmart, it's fans on site who tweet and post and blog about their lucky link to stardom with coverage that is overwhelmingly positive.   And these rare direct connections between celebrities and fans often go viral, reaching millions of users in a very short time.  

These celebrity-controlled situations are in stark contrast to the usual coverage of celebrities in public places by paparazzi often in unflattering poses -- at Starbucks, after a workout, in arguments.  Here's a heated one with JT and a paparazzi that may have prompted his new tactic:  http://bit.ly/L7ZPzO

Celebrity handlers are busy creating 'random' encounters for their clients because they generally produce positive coverage by favoring initial distribution through social media channels over traditional mass media outlets.  It was Beyonce who pushed the envelope further via an Instagram video she posted December 12 announcing the debut of her new album on itunes.  http://lat.ms/1j5x84B   In a single brilliant stroke she eliminated the traditional marketing role that holds that successful launches must build excitement for an upcoming album over months prior to a scheduled release date.  Said the artist, "I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out," I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans."

Call them 'surprise,' 'stealth,' 'random' or 'spontaneous' events, celebrity marketing and by extension product branding is changing and traditional media will need to adapt to this exciting new landscape.