“Dear Rob”

Another observation from pop culture...

This time, Robert Pattinson, Millennial actor in ‘Eclipse,’ appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote the latest of the Twilight series phenomena – which just recently reached almost $176 million in box office sales domestically in the two weeks it has been in the theater. In his interview which was quite captivating of the audience’s attention, Rob pulled out his cell phone to read off a few text messages of advice from his father. “Dear Rob,” he continues to read with each one – poking fun at how formal his dad and the advice are in each message. Though it all was in good fun, there was a generational ring of truth as the camera zoomed to the red-faced father in the audience.

Millennials communicate and work differently than former generations – bringing a unique set of attitudes and expectations to the workplace. For most who manage or continue to study their work behaviors, this is not a new discovery. Commited to continuous learning in organizations, Versant reached out to our own group of young, driven professionals in the Millennial age demographic (ages 18 to 30) to hear from them how to best engage and motivate them in their careers.

Stay tuned to the Versant Knowledge Center as we continue to share our Millennial findings; but in the mean time, check out our ongoing conversation about the changing generations in the workplace from our recent webinar with Manpower or our Connecting to a Changing Workforce white paper in Versant's Shared Learning Center.

A Lesson From the MTV 2010 Movie Awards

The other night, I caught a glimpse of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards with my 17-year-old daughter and some of her friends. I had quite the learning and viewing experience as moments in the show reflected the impact of personal branding. The stars stretch and try to connect with a global young audience, Millennials – a generation that buys a lot of movie tickets and promotes what they like through many new media channels.

To recap, a soon-to-be-divorced Sandra Bullock stirred up the audience not only with her appearance – but also a brief kiss with Scarlett Johansson. In an attempt to clear up some rumors and create new buzz, Sandra said, “I may be old, but I’m not going anywhere.” Tom Cruise also took this time to redefine his earlier “show-me-the-money” brand (yelled out by audience member) as fellow awards announcer and costar in Knight and Day, Cameron Diaz, cheered him on upon taking the stage.

The various award presenters weaved in a unique generational statement and an insight into our changing society as defined by one powerful media source. Though a stretch to connect, it’s interesting to observe pop culture take note of the size and buying power of the emerging generation. Millennials are commanding attention everywhere – from the entertainment industry to the workforce.

Your Brand Is What Your Customers Say It Is

It’s exciting to be part of a multimedia campaign that impacts both internal and external stakeholders. A campaign that is relevant and moves product. A campaign that is all about the customer. The recently launched campaign for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and JS Online is one of those campaigns. It is a partnership between our firm and our client organization featuring a promotion that is attracting new and past subscribers. Presented first at an all employee kick-off event, the campaign has created positive buzz and engagement throughout the organization. Launched to the public on February 12, initial results from target external audiences has been quite positive.

So Now You Know, but don’t take my word for it – hear it from our client Elizabeth Brenner.

Check out the entire campaign and learn more about the 5 for $5 promotion, "Now You Know."

Doing Something Different This Holiday Season

Every December, Versant sends holiday cards to our friends, clients and business partners. This year we wanted to do something different. We are donating the money we would have spent on cards and postage to United Way as part of our annual fundraiser. However, we still wanted to send a holiday greeting. Never one to back down from a challenge, our associate Korre Johnson grabbed his Flip cam and a group of unsuspecting co-workers to create the following holiday video. Season’s greetings on behalf of everyone at Versant. Enjoy.

Nothing to Sneeze About

Versant recently launched a mini-campaign for Aurora Health Care alerting the local business community to the importance of having an H1N1 plan for their business. This is critical due to the impact it can have on your workforce, its productivity, and ultimately the bottom line. In fact, one of our clients reports that over 30 percent of their employee population is currently out with the flu.

Click here to view the video component of this campaign. Versant developed this communication strategy along with the Aurora team in partnership with the Business Journal. We know that employees at every company, including our firm, are at risk of getting the flu. I hope this communication helps you recognize that an H1N1 plan can keep your employees, and your business, healthy.

Good and Timely

When clients pass along good books to read, I take note. The most recent book came from a long-standing client who heads up HR at Lincoln Financial. The book is “Who’s Got Your Back – The Breakthrough Program to Build Deep, Trusting Relationships That Create Success – and Won’t Let You Fail.” Here’s a link to the author, Keith Ferrazzi’s Web site: http://www.keithferrazzi.com/WGYB/.

What did I take away from the book? Deep relationships create lasting results that will help fulfill your dreams and goals for both the business and the personal aspects of your life.
 
I have always believed we are in the relationship business – this book helped me make an even greater commitment to that wonderful business of relationships.

Great Relationships Create Award-winning Work

Winning industry awards are a compliment to the strategic and creative teams that concept and produce the work. At Versant, we take a broader and more inclusive view of award-winning work. We believe it has a lot to do with the leap of faith that a client takes with us when they move forward with our ideas and are willing to stretch creatively. We can only win awards when clients trust us enough to create work on their behalf. And because these awards span a number of categories and industries, we believe this recognition confirms our company-wide commitment and ability to succeed in creating breakthrough work that gets results.

Some of our recent awards include…

Health Care

A Gold Aster Award (for excellence in medical marketing) was awarded to Versant and our client, Pediatric Diagnostic Imaging, for the PDI Teleradiology Web site we produced for them (www.pdi-teleradiology.com).

Grocery

Another recent award for innovative interactive work came from the Sixth Annual S.I.A.A. (Service Industry Advertising Awards) competition for our work with grocery chain, Fairway Market, in the greater New York City area. The Web site, www.discoverfairway.com, has become a key promotional tool for Fairway Market and a model for new store openings, with fun and engaging webisodes featuring Fairway personalities, weekly specials and recipes, e-mail sign-up and event announcements.

Legal

In the legal category, Versant and Davis & Kuelthau, a Wisconsin law firm, have won a prestigious Legal Marketing Association award for excellence in brand identity. You can see the new DK brand at www.dkattorneys.com.

Transportation

Versant and Southeast Wisconsin Transit Partners have received the Transportation Marketing & Communications Association (TMCA) 2009 Compass Award. This awards program recognizes organizations in North American transportation that have created innovative, results-oriented marketing and communications programs. Versant and SEWT were recognized for the “My Ride” television campaign.

Great work is a result of relationships with great clients!

Push for Creative L&D Communications

I recently participated in Human Capital Institute’s Learning Innovation Network roundtable discussion and asked fellow members to consider the following:

Are you pushing for creative L&D communications?

• Is it unexpected?
• Is it interactive?
• Will it stick to the business?

Why? Because creativity is too often overlooked as organizations pursue higher L&D awareness, strive for more engaged L&D users, and demand increased value from L&D investments. Admittedly, pursuing creative communications is not the easy, standard approach (think long, boring e-mails). It requires a keen understanding of your audience. It requires collaboration and buy-in from leadership. But most of all, it requires thinking outside of the box.

During the roundtable discussion, I had the opportunity to present case studies of our recent work with two clients who are both doing very innovative things in L&D: Cengage Learning and Kohl’s Department Stores. For Cengage Learning, our case study focused on developing and launching an L&D brand identity for Cengage Learning’s global workforce. For Kohl’s Department Stores, our case study focused on building cross-generational Kohl’s associate engagement through creative L&D communications.

Throughout the roundtable discussions, the group saw the importance of creative communications clearly revealed as members shared their L&D case studies and discussed current themes impacting their L&D functions, including:

• Blended learning
• Mobile learning
• Social learning
• Open source learning

Without question, the world is shrinking and becoming increasingly flat. Case in point, the Did You Know? video that our Learning Innovation Network facilitator, Jeanne Meister, opened the roundtable discussion with. So I challenge any leader in L&D to consider the themes above in relation to their L&D function and ask themselves the same question I asked the group. Are you pushing for creative L&D communications?

Don’t Take My Word for It

Social media and technology are accelerating the pace of conversation, and everyone is talking about everyone else more than ever before. This matters to you as a business person because there are likely conversations going on right now that are influencing your company’s brand and the relationship someone might want to build with it. You can’t control it, but you can influence it. By remaining authentic and transparent in everything you do, you can be genuine in your approach and invite your brand ambassadors to help share your story as well.

At Versant, we rebuilt our Web site to be a communications hub of sorts, to share what we do and what we are about, and also provide ongoing learning that we hope will help our clients and others.

Our new site is designed to be a reflection of who we are and how we’ve built this company. It showcases our work, yes. But it also lets you know what it’s like to work with us and how we create communications that connect. And because we believe strongly in what we have to offer, and the importance of transparency, we’ve even included how we do what we do. That might be gutsy for some firms to do, but at Versant, that’s how we do business.

But don’t take my word for it. After all, I can talk nonstop about our work and our great team. Our new site also lets our customers tell our story. On the site are both written and video testimonials from many of our clients and I encourage you to look at these. Let me know what you think. After all, it’s your opinion that counts, not mine.

All a Twitter!

Recently, we took our 15-year-old daughter and four of her friends to see Britney Spears in concert. It was a memorable evening indeed. First, we saw two generations of concert goers. Half of the 19,000 appeared to be women in their late twenties and the other half were the teen set. Generationally speaking, it was fun to watch as the older Millennials appeared to relive their earlier years when Britney first hit the scene.

Second, they all seemed to be wearing what I call Britney Spirit Wear. They really all tried to look like Britney. So at times it was a bit hard to tell them apart. (Terrific move for our client Kohl’s to be sponsoring Britney as part of their Candie’s line — see photo.)

Aside from these observations, here is how our team at Versant has seen Britney impacting new media. For starters, she is the most popular celebrity on Twitter with 869,392 followers, trailing only behind CNN Breaking News as the most popular account in the world. Britney’s presence online includes her own Web site, blog, YouTube channel and other social networks such as Facebook and MySpace.

In the recent past, however, it may have seemed that her popularity was for all the wrong reasons. Years of credibility and fame became a situation in which it seemed no amount of personal brand management could undo. But based on the sold-out concert and the Britney look-a-likes entering the show, that is not the case.

As the world quickly changes, personal branding will be essential for individuals that wish to market themselves. Just ask the Millennials whose vast presence in social media has impacted their personal brands. And as we have learned from the past with some of our celebrity heroes, it will be crucial to maintain a positive and consistent personal brand to succeed.

A Moment of Fame with MTV

Here is something that was unexpected – I was on the last episode of MTV’s Real World. Although my mere seconds of fame were fun and a welcoming experience, I’ll admit that the camera was really intended for Dan Glickberg, fourth-generation owner of Fairway Market and star of Fairway Market’s webisodes.

As you learned from my October post, we created www.discoverfairway.com, a portal for visitors to learn more about and experience the Fairway Market brand online. And as luck had it, the Brooklyn cast of Real World, which resided not far from one of Fairway Market’s locations, came in during one of our webisode productions.

It was an interesting day to say the least, both for myself and Dan. To view the show, click the link below and go about five minutes in.

Fairway Market on MTV’s Real World

Stay young,

Will

Time Is Now to Communicate Your Competitive Advantage

A long-standing partner of ours, Bank Mutual is outperforming many of their competitors in these tough economic times. Their success and stability is due to knowledgeable decision making, integrity and a commitment to their values. To tell their story, we created a TV campaign highlighting these attributes and core strengths based on their theme, “Trust. The feeling is Mutual.”

“Through the medium of television, Versant has been able to help us communicate with our current and potential customers during these difficult economic times,” said Jack Steinbrecker, vice president of sales and marketing at Bank Mutual. “The message of Bank Mutual's solid reputation of providing great personal and business financial products in Wisconsin since 1892 is clearly evident in our message. We have received an extremely positive response to our television campaign.”

It’s true that in the current economy, communication will give organizations the most opportunities for success. Communication is not simply the passing along of information, it’s also a way to bring out the face of your organization and connect with people at the human level. This campaign communicates Bank Mutual’s ability to remain a solid and trusted partner in challenging times and an uncertain future.

Click the following link to see a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article highlighting how Bank Mutual is able to stay successful: http://www.jsonline.com/business/35689634.html.

Stay Out of the Doghouse!

In the spirit of this holiday season, JCPenney recently released a viral campaign that is making headlines everywhere. The fun theme stems from the commonly-held notion that a guy’s “wrong-doing” will result in him being sent to the doghouse. Of course this has always been one of the standard male jokes, especially during this time of year with gift-giving. Nevertheless, apparently the key to getting out of the doghouse, at least in JCPenney’s eyes, is to simply buy affordable diamond gifts that they provide.

Currently, the “Beware of the Doghouse” campaign is utilizing traditional media such as print, but also heavily reaching the online crowd through online banners, blogging and other digital efforts. Interestingly enough, they have also connected to consumers through a Facebook application that provides the ability to interact with friends and share stories.

To check out the site, visit www.bewareofthedoghouse.com where you can watch an entertaining video and place your own friends or significant other in the “doghouse”.

Launch of DiscoverFairway.com

Fairway Market is “Like No Other Market.” That’s their consumer-focused brand. So when the chain of family owned and operated full-service retail food stores with four locations in metropolitan New York wanted Versant’s help expanding their online presence in a more interactive way, we created www.discoverfairway.com.

Fairway conducts nearly 10 million transactions annually, making them one of the highest grossing food stores per square foot in the industry. This microsite allows Fairway to also engage customers online as well. The site has a host of unique and fun features including a weekly webisode (online video) that provides a glimpse of the people and stores in action.

This microsite helps Fairway engage their customers, it gives them an increased online presence, and most importantly, gives them the control over their brand. The Fairway Market is a fun place to shop, and this helps bring that personality and experience online.

I encourage you to visit the site and try some of the things we have implemented on this page. We think you’ll experience a food market microsite “like no other market” has. And please, feel free to leave a comment on this post to let me know what you think!

Communication Prevails in Recent Conventions

Regardless of your political stance, one cannot deny the fact that both the Democratic and the Republican parties are getting quite innovative in the way they communicate. As expected, the media is also advancing the technology they are using on, and off the air, to cover the campaigns.

Behind all the tech tools and ideas are some of the world’s greatest strategists, communicators, entrepreneurs and tech wizards. When watching the conventions for both the Democratic and Republican parties, the sets of the major networks were dominated by interactive maps, floating pie charts, live feeds and giant plasma screens. I realized that this wasn’t just politics, but also a live classroom and the subject was communication.

The Democratic convention offered streaming online video coverage in HD. Viewers at home were not only able to watch the convention on the Internet, they could choose different camera angles or listen to it in Spanish – this effort accommodated 35 million Spanish-speaking Americans. YouTube was involved as well. People attending the convention were able to share their views, photos and videos through 56 available kiosks. Blogs were also crucial to the communication tactics as 120 blogs were credentialed as members of the media for the convention.

The Republican convention offered new communication tactics as well, including the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace, and Twitter feeds which gave ongoing updates to those following the convention. The Republican convention partnered with USTREAM.TV to provide live online streams as another method for people to watch the coverage. The basic goal of all of these methods was finding a way to reach as many people as possible through different online channels.

Despite being the most Internet driven and blogged about convention ever, TV ratings didn’t take a hit. In fact, the ratings for the first night of the Democratic convention were up 88 percent compared to 2004. But even with the all-star numbers, Barack Obama trailed roughly 600,000 viewers behind John McCain, who had a record-breaking 38.9 million people tune into his acceptance speech, according to Nielsen Media Research.

As the election gets closer, we continue to see the candidates communicate via television, the Web, mobile phones and more. I’m curious what they still have up their sleeves as they make their last big push to be elected the 44th President of the United States.

See how they use communication on their campaign sites:

http://www.johnmccain.com
http://www.barackobama.com

Millennials Have (Technology) Expectations

Last month, I attended a conference hosted by Sun Microsystems in Santa Clara, CA, on Managing the Millennials as part of the Learning Innovation Network of which Versant is a member. Our discussions focused on how Millennials are acquiring knowledge in this new “Learning 2.0” atmosphere.

Previous research shows that many Millennials expect instant gratification, think globally, use mobile technology and prefer having mentors. Currently, they make up 25 percent of the workforce and that number is projected to be 47 percent by 2014. So how do Millennials fit into the organizations of today, and more importantly, tomorrow?

Prior to attending the conference, many colleagues and business partners provided me with questions ranging from how to engage these young workers across the organization and other generations, to specifics such as how do they utilize social networking and other technology? Provided below is some of our learning on recent research conducted by Microsoft and Insurity using 700 Millennial respondents.

Social Networking and New Technology Will Continue to Rise
Social network use is climbing at a fast rate. Currently, two-thirds of Millennials are visiting social networks on a daily basis and over half of them are spending 20 or more minutes with each visit. Recent research confirms that Millennials use technology to stay connected and communicate as seen below.

How New Media and Technology Will Affect the Workplace
What are Millennials’ expectations for technology in the workplace? As indicated below, the theme remains the same – quick and easy communication is in. Additionally, you’ll note that different tools used in communication are scattered throughout the responses such as smart phones, portable computers and Web-based services.

The Big Point
It’s not news that technology is shaping our lives, no matter what age we are. As I discovered at the conference, providing additional means of communication along with accessibility to online tools are necessary for educating and engaging Millennials in the workplace of the future. This is how the majority of learning will occur.

What Do Awards Really Mean?

Recently, Versant received a national transportation award from the Transportation Marketing and Communications Association on behalf of our work for the Southeast Wisconsin Transit Partners and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Versant was also honored by a long-standing architectural firm, Plunkett Raysich Architects for the development of their Web site, which was named an Ektron All-Star – among the best in the industry.

This recognition makes for happy clients. So what does this mean in today's business environment?

Awards in general support reputation. In our business and in the business of the clients we serve, reputation is critical to attracting and retaining clients and employees. With the new media world creating transparency for all of us, awards confirm our strategic thinking and often our ability to execute the work in very innovative and impactful ways. The bottom line is that most awards today also require a statement of results, and that is what clients are most interested in.

We are grateful for the awards we received, but are most grateful for the impact we've had on our clients’ business.

Launching the New Thomson Reuters Career Web Site

It’s hard to believe that eight years have passed since VersantWorks developed The Thomson Corporation’s first career Web site. Since 2000, the site has gone through several overhauls to keep up with advancements in technology and the evolution of our client’s business and recruiting needs. But yesterday marked a significant point in our client relationship as Thomson’s acquisition of Reuters became final and our client is now officially Thomson Reuters.

Yesterday also marked the launch of the new Thomson Reuters career Web site. Our team spent several months working closely with teams at both Thomson and Reuters to understand the impact of these two organizations becoming one. While never easy, the charge of integrating the new Thomson Reuters brand (and all its inherent nuances) into an already complex career Web site development project has been exciting. We invite you to take a look: http://careers.thomsonreuters.com.

While the Thomson Reuters brand is new, our approach with this client has been consistently grounded in the philosophy that successful  recruitment marketing must leverage the perspectives of employees to truly communicate the employment experience and attract talent.

As Kathleen McCarthy, VP, Recruiting and Workforce Planning at Thomson Reuters put it:

“It’s the passion and expertise of our employees that define our work culture and make our organization such a great place for career development and advancement. Our career Web site is a great example of how we value our employees and the perspectives they offer job seekers considering employment at Thomson Reuters.”

For Thomson Reuters, this means using employee videos, employee photography and employee testimonials to ensure the voice, images and words integrated throughout their career Web site resonate with job seekers.

As we enter a new chapter in our client relationship, we look fondly back at eight years of great career Web site development work. We’re proud of how our work has evolved and we’re excited about what we can continue to provide Thomson Reuters.

2008	2007
2003	2000

Excuse Me, But Your Generation Is Showing

“Work is______.” The way you finish this sentence reveals a lot about you, and whether you're a Baby Boomer, Gen Xer, Millennial or Mature. With four generations in today's workplace, the differences can affect working relationships.

Last week, I was invited by our client Kohl’s Department Stores to speak to the corporate HR team about the impact of the Millennial Generation entering the workforce. Kohl’s, like many of our clients, is adapting to a multigenerational workforce that includes four distinct generations: Millennials (born since 1978), Generation X  (1965-1977), Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and Matures (1925-1945).

The key message to Kohl's was “Know Your Audience.” The principle is simple but often overlooked as employers take a “one-size-fits-all” approach for employee communication and recruitment marketing strategies. Findings from our Millennial Quick Pulse research provided Kohl’s with insight into factors that make Millennials unique. By incorporating an audience polling mechanism into the presentation, we gauged the level of awareness of 150 plus Kohl’s HR professionals and “read the room.” The dialogue and interaction was lively, reinforcing that the content was well received and relevant to Kohl’s work environment.

Why are we talking about the Millennial Generation? Because they are a huge group – 80 million total – with about half the generation still too young to enter the workforce. The impact of the Millennials growing up and entering the workforce as the Baby Boomers head into retirement will dramatically change the workforce of many organizations.

Smart employers like Kohl’s see this change coming and are preparing. They realize that to manage a multigenerational workforce, they must first understand each generation and the common experiences that connect its members. Then they can engage all four generations in an inclusive culture that recognizes and leverages age differences in support of the organization's goals.

So the question is – will your talent strategy create a high-impact workforce that attracts and retains top talent from all generations?
Hint: Know Your Audience.

The Loss of a Leader

Dudley Godfrey, Jr. was many things to many people, though most probably knew him as a client-focused attorney. In his early years he was a founding partner of the Godfrey & Kahn law firm which has grown to about 180 lawyers over the years. It was there that his business brilliance and devotion to clients shined.

Nearly 20 years ago, I met with Dudley prior to my decision to buy into Versant, which was then a small advertising agency. At the time, there were many uncertainties and even more personal risk associated with becoming an equity owner. I had just married my wife and would need to take out a second mortgage on our home if I was to make this business investment.

During our meeting, I told Dudley my concerns regarding ownership and the responsibilities that went with it. He sensed my nervousness, but also my great passion for what the business could be. At one point in the conversation he asked, “Why are we even having this meeting? Go ahead and do it!” His face said it all. With seriousness and confidence, he began to help me focus on the future.

Looking back, I wonder if I would have made the same decision without his encouragement. For that day and the support he and his firm have provided throughout the years, I am grateful.

We Have Packer Fever!

Working at the office this time of year makes me realize two undisputable facts:

First, we seem to have an uprising of associates who qualify themselves as accredited meteorologists. I have been receiving what seem to be frequent updates on weather and road conditions, although I sometimes question the validity of these window observations. Nevertheless, I appreciate the winter survival tips and cold-weather golf strategy e-mails.

   

Second and most importantly, I realize we are definitely living in Packer country! Win or lose, the energy in the office is tremendous! (Mostly wins fortunately, and I’ll say we’re 13-3 for any Bears fan that needs a reminder.) To add to the excitement, I encourage all of our associates to wear their Packer gear in the office prior to a game. Morally, I’m not sure what I could do otherwise acknowledging the fact that there are some pretty diehard fans here.

    

Assumingly, work continues as usual throughout the day before the big game, but as the pictures show, there is still fun to be had as we patiently wait for the big showdown to begin!

GO PACK! 

Staying Ahead of the Game

Being close to your clients and also the people and resources that help you create your distinct advantage are sure ways to remain successful.

Believing in this, the presence of Versant now stretches coast-to-coast. Our roots are deep within Milwaukee, WI where our main office resides, while the New York, NY office has provided us with a powerful presence on the East coast with many of our clients located there. We are excited to announce that our presence has now expanded to the West coast in Burbank, CA.

Why Burbank? Successful communication uses messages and media that connect. Today, video has moved from TV to the iPod and everywhere in-between. Our never-ending quest brings us to Burbank because it’s a place where new thinking, talent and resources are located.

In addition to our other creative and production resources, we have teamed with Greg Cooke – video producer, writer and director who resides in Burbank. Together, we can continue to create the best possible work for our clients. Greg has worked with some of the biggest names in the business such as NBC and CBS with shows including 60 Minutes and The Amazing Race.

These are exciting times that bring exciting opportunities, and I look forward to our continued success in the video market and what our resources on the other side of the Mississippi will be able to bring us.

Good-bye, Hello Again!

Relationships are critical in business. But it’s not just the relationships you have with your clients that matter. In a healthy workplace, relationships with employees matter. Staying connected to good people even after they are no longer employees can be just as important, so recently Versant held an Alumni Reunion with former employees and old friends.

Over 50 past and current associates came to share stories, reminisce and tell what they are doing now. Maintaining relationships is an important decision to make, especially when realizing that you never know when or where you will work with an individual again. Not often do past associates come back as a new client, partner or even to work for you again, but it does happen and certainly has happened for us. For those of us who stay connected, some real win-win situations can occur!

Beyond reconnecting, our reunion doubled as a fundraising event for the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. I greatly appreciate the contributions from both our guests and our current associates.

Thanks to all that attended. It was a night to remember and one I’m certain we will talk about the next time we all get together.

Sensitive Times Call for Sensitive Measures

Former Green Bay Packer Max McGee was as much of a legend off the field as he was on the field. The recent news of his passing is tragic for those of us who worked with him along with his family, friends and loyal fans. Versant had the privilege to create radio spots including Max on behalf of Bank Mutual since 2005.

On Sunday, October 21, the day after Max had suddenly passed, a team from Versant got together early in the morning to execute a new plan as radio spots that included Max were set to air that day. By 10 a.m., all media was notified and the spots were pulled, and by noon new spots were created. The new spots were in remembrance of Max and a tribute to the many great things he had done, and the working relationship that would be sadly missed. For more details, see the Journal Sentinel article which highlights the events that took place.

The steps that Bank Mutual took to handle the situation are a textbook example of what a company should do when an incident like this happens. Including a celebrity such as Max in any public marketing efforts has many benefits, but it is important to know how to execute a recovery plan that prevents any marketing effort from seeming ignorant or disrespectful.

The new replacement Bank Mutual radio spots that are running for one week are a tribute to Max and I invite you to listen to what has been created.

Tribute to Max McGee: Bank Mutual radio spot

Versant and PRA Bring Home Ektron Award

Recently, Plunkett Raysich Architects was awarded the Ektron All Star: Best Architecture Site. The PRA site has been recognized as an exceptional example of development using Ektron, which is the development tool we use to build many of our client Web sites. The PRA Web site is one of twenty honored as All Stars across many business categories.

“Ektron’s All Stars have built highly successful sites that combine clear design and navigation with compelling content and forward-thinking strategies,” said Bill Rogers, founder and chief executive officer, Ektron. “Versant has demonstrated excellence in developing a site for Plunkett Raysich Architects that successfully represents the firm as a knowledge leader in architectural design, with emphasis on PRA's talented employees and the high caliber designs they produce. It’s no surprise that PRA’s Web site traffic has increased 76% since the new site was introduced, with more return visitors to rich site content including the knowledge center, blog and dynamic portfolio.”

I simply cannot express how happy I am with our outstanding group here at Versant. Our interactive, client services and creative teams were all major players in this project and this award proves their exceptional talent and capabilities.

Ektron Web site
Plunkett Raysich Architects Web site

Dinner at Will's House

A few weeks ago, a group of colleagues joined me at my house for a fun evening of grilling and socializing. I’d like to say that they just wanted to spend more time with me outside of the office, but actually they were doing it for a good cause.

You see, recently I made an offer to our Versant associates. I wanted to increase our donations to the United Way of Greater Milwaukee at our annual fundraiser. While we had many activities including raffles and silent auctions planned to help us reach our goals, I wanted to create a greater incentive. I offered to cook a gourmet dinner for six at my home for the group that made the largest donation.

We all had fun with the friendly competition as groups formed to try and outbid each other for the dinner. It’s amazing what a little food can do to motivate people. The competition helped to raise our donation levels to a new high.

My guests, the highest bidders, were treated to salmon and steak that I grilled in the backyard. It’s important to note that even though my wife was there as a helping hand, I actually did most of the work!

Looking back on the evening, my guests were complimentary to the evening, the good time we were having and, I’m proud to say, the “amazing” food. Many stories were shared and laughs were had, usually at my expense.

All in all it was a wonderful and memorable evening created by a challenge from which everybody benefited, not just the United Way.

Geek Alert

I will be the first to admit that I use many internal resources to help me learn about and then apply and invest emerging technologies to help customers and Versant be the best at strategic solutions in branding and marketing. But the scene this week in our Milwaukee office conference room really drove the point home.

A picture says a thousand words, and when you look at our people (they are not all geeks) in an Ektron training session, it really makes me aware of just how much our business is changing.

The change is for the better. Our investment in technologies is huge and the tools and deliverables Versant is creating today are second to none, and it’s helping us create award-winning work. Our investment in the development of our people is also huge. We strive to provide our clients with the necessary technology tools to compete today. We believe that smart Versant associates are critical to long and rewarding relationships with customers.

This week-long training session with our partner Ektron was about sharing their learning with our team.

Our partnership with Ektron to use their EMS400 Content Management System gives us a robust, well-supported product that we have been using for years. It supports our ability to provide a cost-efficient and feature-rich starting point when developing a new Web site. It also allows us to focus our expertise on enhancing the platform in creative and customized ways to deliver the most powerful solution for our clients. Now, with this additional level of training, our ability to enhance and extend the Ektron CMS is now second to none.

Our work for many of our clients has Web components. It is rewarding to see all these associates so fully engaged and it is thrilling to see so many wires and wired Versant associates learning to be the best…

Will

Challenge. Achievement. Advancement.

Challenge, achievement and advancement – these are three characteristics that great employees look for in a great workplace and that forward-thinking leaders provide. We’ve come to see these characteristics at XEROX where Versant is providing strategic support for the transformation of their HR team.

Karen Allen, director of HR communications, XEROX, came to our Milwaukee office last week to participate in our quarterly Voice of Customer meeting. We see this as an opportunity to learn about the client’s business as well as their outlook on Versant, and it allows associates to put a face to a name.

One of the key points from Karen was her impression of Versant as a “thinking partner” that provides unique expertise, insight and solutions, not just as a creative house. I found this encouraging because Versant prides itself on our ability to provide clients with not only creative work but also strategic direction. Karen also commented on our ability to help her bring XEROX stakeholders and other outside partners together in a collaborative manner across functions and locations, something that is critical to transformation. Another key differentiator, in Karen’s view, is the fit in style and service between Versant and XEROX.

As always, I appreciate these clients taking time to visit and connect. It really gives us valuable insight as well as a chance to have some fun with our clients. Lucky for Karen, it’s the 40th celebration of Milwaukee’s Summerfest. I hope she doesn’t think this happens every time she visits!

The Facility Brand as Advertising Medium

For years we have helped clients make a compelling visual impact within their facility – making an indelible first impression on customers and communicating the employer brand promise to employees and prospective employees. We’ve done this with strong visual design, strategic placement of photography, company awards, customer testimonials, and the company’s brand voice and mission. It is only recently that we’ve termed this facility branding.

Facility branding brings an organization’s mission, vision and values to life through the design and organization of physical space. It’s advertising the brand in a medium often overlooked. We’re learning through our own experience and our experience with clients that this helps employees provide positive customer experiences, assures customers that you are who you say you are, and makes the best possible impression when recruiting the top talent in your industry.

Using some “blue ocean” thinking, we’ve joined with one of our clients, an award-winning architectural firm, Plunkett Raysich Architects, to deliver the full complement of facility branding recommendations – the branding and communications component as well as the space design component. We’ve learned that it takes both areas of expertise to deliver an effective facility brand.

Organizational psychologist Dr. George Graham states that research supports the concept of improving the work environment as the first step that must occur before levels of employee motivation and passion can be raised. Facility branding can dramatically communicate the organization’s mission, vision and values, and convey that the organization cares.

Recently, we co-presented a workshop on facility branding with Plunkett Raysich, bringing our teams together to share our learning with some key members of the Milwaukee business community. It was exciting to bring facility branding to life for this highly respected group and a powerful experience for us working with one of our clients as an alliance partner.

Connecting With the Past - For the Future

What do you think of when someone says Alumni Reunion? For most people, this means reconnecting with high school or college classmates. At Versant, this means reconnecting with past associates and friends. Versant will be hosting its second Alumni Reunion on October 5, at our office. The first reunion was held in September 2003 when alumni joined current associates for an evening of fun and reminiscing. With a 40+ year history, there’s a lot to talk about and celebrate. But history is not all that people are interested in. The reunion gives everyone a chance to catch up both personally and professionally. When someone leaves a company, you never know what the future holds and when paths will cross again. An associate could very well be a client one day.

This year we will be connecting to our community as well. The reunion event will also be a fundraiser for the United Way of Greater Milwaukee. A number of activities are being planned to raise money for their annual campaign including a raffle and silent auction. We look forward to celebrating the wonderful connections made over the years while helping others. So, to the alumni of Versant (and Jim Hughes Advertising / Hughes Ruch / Hughes, Ruch & Murphy) mark your calendars for the evening of October 5. Watch for more information.

Adding up the Talent Numbers

Recently I spoke to members of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA) on “The Talent Advantage”. Fortunately for me, this presentation came after the tax deadline and it didn’t appear as if the long days and all-nighters got the best of them.

While I don’t speak accounting, I do know that the information I shared with the WICPA regarding the ROI of the right talent is of interest to them. These CPAs – and Versant’s own CFO and COO – understand the direct and indirect cost of losing key talent, and the ROI of attracting and retaining the right employees.

At Versant, we pride ourselves in leveraging our communication expertise to help clients find the best-fit candidates for their companies and positions. We know that employees are an organization’s competitive advantage in today’s economy, and they are mission critical to success. As part of this, we help our clients understand the value proposition of their organization to their employees and build an Employer Brand that reflects their culture and commitment to employees.

Frankly, we believe that investing in finding and retaining the right talent will generate a very positive and significant ROI.

I’m Not a Math Whiz

I would be the first to admit that I am not one of those business guys that gravitates to mathematics. After all, I am right brained. But here is some math that I understand: it costs five or six times as much to secure new client business as it does to keep an existing client. That means the quality of service we provide our clients is critical to our success.

To reinforce that, we have a large sign prominently placed at Versant that reads “Service and Reputation are Marketing. When Our Clients Succeed, We Win.” Each associate has signed it indicating their commitment to client service. The sign serves as a simple reminder that if we deliver great ideas and terrific service, the numbers will come. Most of our business is by referrals and that is the way we want to grow, because if we are truly focusing on our existing relationships, we do not have to focus to replacing those that have departed.

Although this is not a math equation, it is a mind-blowing number – 4.5 million. That’s the number of search results that appear when you Google the phrase user-generated content. The complexities of our marketing and communication disciplines are being challenged by emerging technologies and new media. Our business is dynamic and ever-changing because it is about connecting with people. Social segments are more complex than ever before and the number of channels available to reach people are many.

At the end of the day, in companies like ours, the bottom line is doing great work by and for great people. 

You don’t need to be a math whiz to understand that.

Will

Entering the Conceptual Age

Are you left brained or right brained? It’s a rather simple question, until you read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. Pink, a best-selling author, speaker, and the former chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore, explains that we are moving beyond the Information Age – a society powered by left-brain thinking that defined our skills to logical, linear, computer-like capabilities – and into a future that belongs to “a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind.”

He writes that we are entering the Conceptual Age with right-brain qualities where creators and empathizers, meaning makers, designers, and big-picture thinkers are taking over our economy and society. Does that mean that left-brained thinkers are doomed? Not at all. It means that left-brained thinkers need to recognize that the capabilities and utilization of both sides of the brain are essential for future thinking. It also means that they should not be afraid to turn to those who are right brained in situations they might not have previously.

Pink goes on to explain what he calls “the six senses.” Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning are, what I now understand, the aptitudes that professional success and personal satisfaction will increasingly depend on. As a person who grew up as an Informational Age thinker in an industry that relies on right-brain creative thinking, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to constantly cultivate my right-brain skills. And any guide that helps lead me to new ways of conceptual thinking is welcome.

Design was the most interesting sense for me because it involves the capacity to detect patterns and opportunities, artistic thinking, and, what I feel is most valuable, the ability to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into something new.

Pink refers to Google as an example of a company who gained its edge through design. Its look is simple and iconic and instead of complicated algorithms, it has a better business model. Pink sites Google as a company that is whole-minded.

Throughout my career, I have always believed that everyone in our firm is creative – that skill set is not reserved for just certain people. In fact, we’ve made a point to build a staff that uses both sides of their brains – even in what has been called our “creative” department. This book and its themes support all that we do at Versant. Yes, we need to be creative and conceptual across all disciplines.

Making Room for Generation Y

The way I see it, the sooner the Generation Y population is exposed to the world of business, the better the world of business will become. These young men and women, who were born after 1977, not only complete the five generations in the workplace model, which is the future for all workplaces, but they are future business moguls in the making. The more exposed Gen Y is to the business world before becoming college grads, the more competitive and advanced they will make the business world when they enter it.

Last fall I gave a presentation at a University of Wisconsin campus. It came as no surprise to me that afterwards students asked me if Versant was looking to hire an intern. Most employers expect to find internship experience on recent graduates’ resumes, so students wishing to gain an advantage in today’s competitive job market try to obtain an internship.

Most of our Versant associates, myself included, had internships. Working for no pay or low pay, we all agree that what we gained as interns was invaluable experience. Internships are important and, for me, fun. They provide knowledge and interaction with professionals that no textbook can, and I think I actually learned more about what I didn’t want to do for a career than what I did want to do.

Offering positions that educate and expose students to the real business world is part of our responsibility to help improve the future. At Versant, we don’t consider our student workers as free help. In fact, we call them student associates and we focus to how we can help them learn.

Giving the student associates exposure to each Versant department and filling their schedules with beneficial assignments allows them to apply what they have learned in the classroom, develop their skills, and discover their likes and dislikes in the field. Elizabeth, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee senior, is one of our current student associates. Elizabeth is hoping her experience prior to graduation will help her when it comes time to send out her resume while giving her an idea of what to expect when she gets that first job.

All Versant associates support our student associate program and enjoy being mentors. They offer guidance to help shape the students into the successful career people they will soon become, and, of course, they do like having the extra help. 

Delivering the Message: You’re Valued

Along with making sure every client is happy, I make a point to make sure that every associate is happy. Here at Versant we don’t assume that our associates know how important they are to our organization — we show them. 

I have found that engaged associates who feel valued find their jobs more meaningful and are more motivated and productive. At Versant, we strive to continuously recognize our associates and show them our appreciation. One of the many ways we do this is with an announcement on the anniversary of their date of hire. It’s a tradition to have an associate’s supervisor write a company wide e-mail expressing how much that person is valued.

Managers view this as a time when they can use their creativity to construct an entertaining message about the associate. Anniversary recognition is a wonderful opportunity to highlight what he or she has contributed to our organization as a whole.

People often shy away from bringing humor into their workplace. However, we find that our anniversary announcements are an easy way to incorporate fun and laughter into the workday, which we feel is important for the entire Versant team. Humor in the workplace reduces stress, reconnects co-workers by enhancing interpersonal relationships, and it increases productivity and fuels creativity.

Showing our associates we value them is an important part of the Versant equation, and our appreciation for them doesn’t go unnoticed. Recently we received the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award, from the Wisconsin Psychological Association, and the Beyond the Paycheck Award, from The Business Journal. This recognition shows what we already know: Versant truly cares for its associates.

What’s the Buzz?

Consumer buzz has always been a significant factor – hopefully positive – in the success of your brand in the market. We know that personal recommendations and referrals carry weight in purchasing decisions. Angie’s List, a membership-based services data base, has created a business offering based on this reality. The List is “essentially a well-organized word-of-mouth referral service."

Interestingly, despite the booming growth of online media channels from basic e-mail to YouTube and Web 2.0, 90 percent of word-of-mouth conversations occur face to face or by phone, according to a recent Advertising Age article. However, online media channels accelerate the speed and reach with which consumers share their positive and negative experiences. Word of mouth has always been a big determinate of how successful your brand is. It’s just that now, consumers have more ways to share their positive or negative experiences and they can share them immediately and globally. The credibility and impact that results from word of mouth (whatever the media) is critical to retaining consumers and gaining new share.   

From my vantage point, the best way to make certain that the consumer is happy with the brand is to make sure they have a positive experience. At Versant, most of our business comes from referrals. The truth is that brand is relationship.

Our research shows that when employees are aligned with the goals of the business, we have the best chance to provide an experience for consumers that they feel is worth repeating and that is worthy of talking about. Therefore, how you communicate to your employees is critical. The way you reach your employees should be with the same care, consideration and sophistication that you approach your consumers. It is vital that you make sure your employees know exactly what your brand promise is and how to deliver on it.

Easier said than done of course, but we see more resources going to the all important area of employee communications to define the brand promise. Our clients know that internal communication to the employee population today is a business imperative. Once employees understand, support and deliver on the business goals and brand promise, then the all important positive word of mouth can take place.

Partnering in Facility Branding

Recently, a client/partner and I assembled a team of our innovative thinkers to meet and discuss how together we could create an unprecedented facility branding offering for our clients and the marketplace. The idea of investing together to create something of high value that leverages our collective skill sets is powerful. We believe what we're about to offer will be the model for facility branding. Why? Because the combination of our talent focused to developing and communicating brands, and Dave's team of highly regarded architects, designers and managers focused to award-winning functional facility development are already leading the way in the facility brand arena. Until now, we have been providing consulting to clients separately. Now we're going to clients with a depth of understanding and offerings that will be second to none.

Facility branding is a relatively new term, but we see it gaining attention in all forms of meetings and media. Our definition of facility branding is simply this: It's about how one designs and then organizes the workplace to communicate a sense of place, values and mission that is unique to your firm, and that reflects your brand to customers and to employees. It's a way for customers and employees to get that first and lasting impression of your organization.

Creating a sense of place, values and mission is vital today as it is getting more difficult to recruit and retain top talent, and to keep employees engaged and committed to delivering on your brand promise to customers – especially with five distinct generations trying to work together.

Our client/partner is Plunkett Raysich Architects (PRA). We have worked with PRA as their communications and branding firm for the past three years. Managing Partner Dave Raysich and I have much in common, including a three-plus decade of history at our firms - both of us starting right out of college and working our way up into ownership roles. Believe it or not, my mother-in-law was their receptionist for more than 25 years and was working there when I started dating my now wife.

When you walk into our facilities and lobbies, you'll see an immediate statement about our people, our purpose and our work. Our firms strive to create work environments that showcase client work, communicate our mission and values, develop talent and engage their families in our companies through varied activities, support numerous events to give back to community and work tirelessly to keep our firm's reputations founded on what is best for people. We try to have fun along the way, too. Dave is great at golf, I am not. The leadership at both firms clearly understands the power of culture and its impact on the employment experience, and our teams often speak about the impact of culture.

I think it is fair to say, through our varied client experiences and our own facility branding work, we eat our own cooking and are proud of what we've created. That's why we think that putting our efforts together on facility branding is the natural next move – we both understand and believe in the power of facility branding.

We are in the early stages of developing a simple tool that will quickly assess your facility brand. I encourage you to contact me or Dave to find out more and to share ideas on what would help you assess your facility brand. We'd like to hear from you.

Thanks as always,

Will

A Population of 300 Million

The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported that our population has reached 300 million. There is some wonderful data from them that is worthy of study. I made some interesting comparisons – today versus when I was in high school (I graduated in 1971). For example:

The average price of a home when I was in high school was $24,600 – merely eight percent of today's average price of $290,600.

The price of gasoline was 33 cents. We know where it is today.

Our households have been shrinking. There are 2.6 people per household today as opposed to 3.3 per household in 1967. And the median age of the American population has risen substantially from 29.5 in 1967 to 36.2 in 2006.

In 1967, the average age men and women married at was 23.1 and 20.6, respectively. Nowadays, the average man is (first) married at 27.1 and the average woman at 25.8 years old. I guess I was a bit slow considering I did not marry until nearly 30. But 25 years later, while tired with four kids (youngest 13, oldest 22), I suppose I might be considered ahead of the times.

The U.S. Census Bureau data is important to our work. But as I study the information, in my view it still gets down to connecting people. That's what makes this job fun.

Yikes! YouTube is Worth What?

I read the news on the sale of YouTube and wondered, what's next? That very evening, a trusted Versant board advisor and longtime friend sent me an e-mail with the new David Zucker political ad that caught his attention on YouTube. I believe my friend is an Independent, so don't read more into it than this – the sale of YouTube and the subsequent publicity of the transformational impact that is ahead, as well as his e-mail, made me wonder, what will YouTube bring to the upcoming presidential election? He went on to link me to a discussion with the ad's creators.

While my friend admitted being a YouTube addict (this surprised me) and called this piece to my attention (in his view, it's another example of stealth marketing), the timing of all this and the proximity of the upcoming midterm elections got me thinking. That one video has received more than 688K hits, and you know every one of those visitors watched it, regardless of their political views.

Of note, Versant has not done political candidate advertising. We really don't want to. Quite possibly, I may never have seen the Zucker ad had my friend/advisor not called it to my attention on the Web. Now, I am writing about it in my blog. And it certainly makes we wonder what is to come. New media is alive and well, that's for sure.

Versant Retreats

This time of year we work with clients as they plan for the coming year. Frequently, we at Versant are asked to look at client plans for how their brands will be positioned, or how the marketing budgets will fare in the upcoming year as costs and channels of communication are examined. It's the same in our VersantWorks practice as we work to help clients recruit or evaluate internal communications efforts as they forecast their needs.

It is also the time of year when Versant plans ahead.

This weekend we begin a series of meetings to look at our own future. In these Q4 planning retreats, we examine ourselves and ask what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. In our business, it's pretty easy to identify what isn't working because it takes but a nanosecond for a client to point out the bad. Fortunately, we do more than post a banner in our office that says "Service is Marketing." We try to live that mantra, but as humans, we have to work out occasional snags.

Personally, I set my own lens to a wonderful saying from a futurist I studied a few years ago. She said something like this: The future isn't inevitable. It is inventable. How does that translate into what we're going to try to be and do in 2007?

First we must align all of our talented and unique Versant associates to the goals of the business. Inventable is in the hands of our people (easier said than done, we know, because many of our clients hire Versant to help them do the very same thing). We will examine how well we've communicated our purpose (mission) and direction (vision). In maintaining the clarity of our own brand, we face the same challenges as anyone else. However, without a clear understanding of our brand, we certainly can't be as effective in helping clients better define theirs. If the future is inventable, we have to know what kind of a future we want.

Next we'll ask for input on how the marketplace has changed and what we've learned this year in order to be flatter and faster next year. Where do we have redundant costs or inefficiencies? Where do improvements need to be made in order to be better? We do not spend our strategy sessions on only negative experiences, but focus much of our energy to being open and constructive as we look objectively at the business.

Most importantly, and maybe the hardest of all, we will listen. Everyone at this firm touches a client and has ideas. Rank does not drive ideas, customers do. We'll listen to what our associates are suggesting in order for us to be more successful in 2007.

I'll let you know how these sessions are going. Fast, flat but fun are the key to our upcoming year in my view. Let's face it... business is tough – on clients and on us. But I never forget how lucky I am that our business is the relationship business. If we grow deep and trusting relationships with really smart and determined people serving markets that need effective solutions in branding and marketing, as well as great employee communications/recruitment marketing, we'll have a bright future.

A Board Meeting Like No Other

Recently, I attended a board meeting for the non-profit group Neighborhood House serving residents and families of Milwaukee’s inner city by offering social, educational and recreational activities to improve the quality of life in the community.

I am a relatively new member of this organization and following each meeting, I come away with a greater understanding of the diverse cultural needs of Milwaukee. At this recent meeting, we were “educated” by Raejean Kanter, Executive Director of the Impact Fund for the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation. She and the Potawatomi leaders were very generous to our association and presented a check to our board in support of Neighborhood House.

Why was this meeting like no other?

Primarily because Raejean educated us about what she believes we need to know about Potawatomi’s growing engagement and commitment to the community. Raejean was genuine and a great teacher. I left with a much greater understanding and respect for the cultural impact of the Potawatomi and a greater appreciation for what their ancestors have done to develop our state.

Cultural diversity is a hot subject and a business imperative for each of us. But I, quite frankly, still have much to learn about the Native American community and this meeting was a terrific classroom. The upcoming Indian Summer Festival held at the Milwaukee lakefront is a great opportunity for continuing this education on American Indian traditions and culture, as well as a good time. I thank the Potawatomi and Raejean for their commitment to the community and interest in educating me and the board.

Vince Lombardi Would Be Proud

Last week we produced a second round of creative work featuring two Wisconsin legends, Packer great Max McGee and former "voice of the Green Bay Packers" Jim Irwin. Our long-standing financial client Bank Mutual features the voices and images of Jim and Max in its advertising and event promotions that focus to the Baby Boomers. The campaign has been very successful and it moves to another level this year.

I thought I would share two points of learning that come from these gentlemen, as I had the opportunity to spend some time with them during the sessions.

First, they always remember where they came from. While these men have achieved success on and off the field, they remain humble and appreciative to all those folks who helped them get there, even today. They are genuine in their respect for the past and remain good community members even though their retirement years have taken them away from their Wisconsin roots. They portray the values in life that we all want to believe in and strive for when it comes to the business of winning with all sorts of people.

Second, they care. While this may seem obvious, it has been my experience that many highly paid and successful folks in retirement mode forget how hard it is for those of us still working to make a go of things today. They lose touch, so to speak. Know what I mean?

They gave us their very best in some long recording sessions and an outdoor photography shoot in record-high temperatures. Their contribution is a reflection of a community-minded bank doing business in Wisconsin for more than 100 years and they are happy to be part of it. I might add, our client allows the creative freedom that helps us get the very best work. (It is also my experience that not all clients have such confidence.) Listen to this radio commercial for an upcoming promotion called The Ultimate Tailgate Party. Great work!

What a joy it is to be around great legends, especially two who don't act like they are! What do you think of the work?

Will

Daily Classroom

I had lunch today with a relatively new hire at Versant. This young woman is, in my view, a high performer with much to offer. She made an interesting remark when I asked her if we are showing signs of having a workplace environment that took the time to develop associates.

Fortunately, she agreed that we are doing more than talking the talk in this area, that we do share our learning and we are good at teamwork and helping others learn the ropes. She also made a most interesting remark after I asked her what she really thinks of working here. She responded, "I really want to contact my college professors and tell them what is really going on in business. I think they should know that what I am learning here is not quite what the text books taught me."

Telling isn't it? The best classroom today is in business.

We talked about the Versant classroom at some length that lunch. I thought I might share three things that I have learned in my years about the requirement of shared learning in a good professional service firm like Versant – a necessary discipline in order to attract and retain good talent like her.

My learning:

1. Any associate or leader who attends a learning event must share the content back to appropriate colleagues within one week. The best learning is when you teach others, according to "The One Minute Manager" author Ken Blanchard.

2. Don't let technology drive the teacher. Developing good consultative selling skills starts with knowing how to share learning, and good teachers must have a good amount of interaction in order to make an impact. What better way than to practice the art of consultative selling than with your trusted colleagues. Power Point presentations often freeze up a room, create a crutch for the teacher and does not allow for interaction.

3. Try not to lecture. Try to listen and read the students/room instead. I have a great amount of respect for those that know how to listen and often recommend a simple classroom to watch in order to see and learn from the best – TV interview shows. I often study and recommend to others that they watch Larry King on CNN or Barbara Walters on ABC, interview. There are many others, as well. These folks are really good at listening and reading a room. They are more than TV personalities, they are great listeners, therefore terrific teachers.

After lunch, I remembered how after my initial few weeks on the job one of my mentors took me to lunch and asked how it was going (some 30 years ago). I still remember my response, "Great, cause every day I'm learning something new."

That still holds true today. What a classroom.

Will

No Cell Phones at this Dinner! (Did I Say Please?)

No cell phones at dinner. That was the directive to my Generation Y crowd (the four Ruch children) as we queued up for our dinner reservation in a very cool place. I simply said, "Please, for the sake of family, let's not have any interruptions at the meal and just enjoy dinner together... so no text messaging and no cell phones. Deal?"

My kids grudgingly nodded in agreement.

But then an interesting thing happened. As we were waiting outside in line, Chris Rock drives up in a Porsche convertible and drops off a guest. Two of my children immediately pulled out their cell phones, snapped pictures and started what can only be called their version of new media. Within minutes, calls and text messages were sent to their friends about the celebrity sighting and how close we were to it all. It was media creation by the moment and it was fascinating to watch the on-site reporters create a buzz. Shortly, many messages came flying back through the kids' cell phones, messages that included jokes Chris Rock was known for and questions about who he was with and what was he doing.

They were reporting to their network from the epicenter.

I had obviously lost control at this point. The idea of quieting cell phones was not going to happen. After all, who would report on the activities of Mr. Rock? I guess I have to say this was really quite educational to observe. For Chris Rock, however, it appeared a bit concerning as the paparazzi was alive and well in a new form. There is no stopping or controlling the communication flow for him, any celebrity, or for us with the current state of technology.

The Y generation version of media today is redefining communicating, news and entertainment gathering. Along the way they are recreating channels to which all messages are being distributed as well. According to a Pew study, 60 percent of Generation Y uses text messaging, far more than any other generation. Additional research shows that more than 80 percent of teenagers have Internet access available to them and that current 10- to 17-year-olds will spend one-third of their lives on the Internet. Plus, online social networking is on the rise and myspace.com is currently the dominant site for teens.

Today's information-savvy and in-control younger generation wants everything now and in real terms; it must be immediate, unedited, fun and under their control.

We in the business of communication have much to learn and recognize about messaging our own important stories to the emerging Generation Y-ers. It will no doubt be a challenge at times, but a lot of fun too.

Oh... the dinner. I was able to make sure the phones didn't ring, but was unable to stop the text messaging. I too wanted to hear a "best of" Chris Rock jokes along with my salad. Needless to say, it made for one memorable dinner.

Later,

Will

Blog, Blog, Blog

A year ago I was convinced by our technology team to start blogging. I had to ask them what that meant. Today, I am not only comfortable blogging but I am actively promoting it to other business-owner colleagues of mine and clients. For me, blogging is like having our own Versant media channel – a channel that creates conversations with people inside and outside the company. It's inexpensive, effective and puts our brand front and center in a very complex business world.

I see results from blogging.

What I've learned about blogging this past year is that it allows prospective associates (future hires) or clients (past, present and hopefully future, too) to find out more about my leadership vision and values, and what this place is about. I have learned to write openly on all sorts of topics that are relevant to our business. I have become comfortable using this technology to let those prospects inside Versant to find out what kind of thinking is occurring from this office and what we are learning and doing along the way. I do not write on personal issues, however, because I do not believe that would do much for brand Versant – although I think I have an interesting albeit crazy life with four kids.

Back to business.

Newsweek said last month, "It's about the We in Web." That sure makes sense to me. So yes, I have more than embraced blogging as it solidifies what our brand is all about – people! Our people create dialog through blogging. They share ways we function as a team, think and communicate, and the way we partner with clients. We don't need a search engine to tell me about our core business – it's relationships. The blogoshpere adds more personalization to the relationship side of Versant. That translates into more opportunity for dialog and less monologue. It has increased the value of our brand because it showcases how we are managing our own communication channels with this technology and putting the power to the people, so to speak.

This week some of our key associates were interviewed in an article on blogging. The old days of passive communications don't seem very efficient, effective or attractive to our associates or clients as you can tell. I hope you can take a moment to read the article. Quite honestly, our technology team is ahead of the game as it relates to helping clients apply the new technologies to business and business development. It works for Versant and it is working for our clients.

The innovation of new technologies in the communication space is huge and growing. I am thrilled to be a part of it and would like to hear what you think.

Will

Do One Thing Every Day that Scares You

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Do one thing every day that scares you." We did just that 23 years ago on this very day. We hired Dave Murphy. He arrived at our palatial offices on 66th and North Ave. in a beat-up, green Chevette (really a dog of a car). The first round of questions pertained to what he had done the night before and I quickly found out he had no dates in sight.

I offered to help.

Seriously, as one looks back to May 1, 1983, it was a good day. No, it was a great day. Really, there was nothing scary about Dave and we had little, if any, vision at Jim Hughes Advertising. But we thought we needed more help. We were pretty much doing things by the seat of our pants in those days — it worked. Dave embodied all the values we profess today and has had a great deal to do with taking that rinky-dink ad agency to the level we are proud of and keep re-conceiving today. Twenty-three years ago today, Dave was this passionate, crazy, creative kid with a full head of hair who was passionate about the future and energized to try out lots of new things. He even tried to see the future from his office in the attic of a cheesy, converted building (a bungalow) with no air conditioning or even a desk. To say the least, all four of us at Jim Hughes Advertising had a connection to Dave and saw him as part of our future.

It was a pretty fast hire. Dave came across as a person of high integrity with a spontaneous approach to business and life. Something that is needed in our chaotic business. We knew he would fit in well and he did. Dave had an immediate understanding to the importance of client service and why we existed, and said he was willing to try anything as long as it would be creative and make a difference.

While those statements are all true in the above paragraph, I would like to share the real value of Dave Murphy today as a partner at Versant. And, in my view, it's the tough part of hanging around for more than two decades. Dave is not afraid to be real. Too often there is risk in authenticity with many leaders who are part of transforming a business — they don't support and are not willing to change things. But Dave takes it head on... or certainly tries to. That is a lesson that is good for all of us. Too many people in business find risk in seeing the reality, especially as they approach the traumatic changes that exist today. In short, too many successful 40-somethings stay in their comfort zones. Dave continues to take risks, embrace risk and is not shy about admitting where or when it works and when it doesn't.

We need that in this business. And it is not easy.

Thanks for your contributions and for helping to make Versant a successful business and a great place to work. Included here are a few fun pictures. One guy pictured is Arnold Palmer, see if you can figure out the others.

Will

Do I Know Your Name?

"Sometimes You Want to Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name" is the line in the theme song of the 80s hit TV show Cheers. That line hits the mark with me because it accurately reflects our welcoming workplace at Versant. It also reminds me of just why I think the best places to work are client-centric service firms where a collection of innovative professionals work together every day to deliver results.

My professional world has changed since getting started in 1975. What has remained the same, and is still at the heart of what I continue to do, is best described as being in the relationship business. (Back then, I probably didn't recognize it as that.)

As managing partner of Versant, I work to connect great clients to this firm, clients who recognize Versant as a unique and experienced team of professionals driven to deliver results-oriented communications that help them succeed. We may be better at doing that today than we were then, but it has always been about connecting with people.

I am proud to attach our growth to one fundamental tenet — at Versant we really do work together to try to meet and then exceed client expectations. To be able to do it well, it comes back to the people at Versant, our strongest asset.

I am proud to announce that Versant has just been recognized by the American Psychological Association as one of six National Healthy Workplaces. This award highlights the connection between employee engagement and organizational success by recognizing organizations that have created cultures focused to the well-being of their employees and their businesses. To understand the business impact of this award, just look at the track record of the winning companies. You'll find reduced employee turnover, the ability to attract and select the right top talent and a healthy, competitive business with satisfied customers.

The key to our success story at Versant lies in our ability to attract and retain great talent that is engaged in growing a strong, client-focused business. I hope you take a moment to learn a bit more about our National Healthy Workplace award and of course, feel free to contact me directly at will.ruch@versantsolutions.com to learn more about how we can be a great place for helping you communicate to employees, business-to-business customers or consumers. Together we have created a pretty successful business with a wonderful portfolio of clients and that makes me very proud.

More next month,

Will

What Does Our Shrink Really Know?

Where does one get solid advice when it comes to the "people" side of business? Whether it is about business partners, associates or clients, the impact of the human element requires an occasional tip or two from an expert. We are fortunate at Versant to have that expert on our advisory board as a resource, Dr. George Graham, an industrial psychologist with terrific credentials and more than 40 years of experience. George specializes in organizational development, or OD. In essence, he helps crazy (I say that with a bit of humor and truth) businesspeople grow and develop. He helps us with our client work, our own classroom of people learning that happens daily in our hallways, and supports us in the tool development for VersantWorks.

We find George to be of high value. So much so that I thought I'd share some of his teaching in this blog. Here is just a sample and I hope you find these of value. On the subject of growing leaders:

"We do what we say."
Simply put, George advises that if we live by this saying by doing what we say, people will follow. If you can't live it, then don't because the world is watching.

"Character is destiny."
This is an old Greek saying that I picked up from George and now often use at the end of my speeches. While it is as old as Athenian culture, it is all about the statement above, isn't it?

"You can’t teach anything to anybody until they are ready to learn."
This, according to George comes from an old Chinese proverb that says, "When the student is ready, he will learn." I have experienced this the hard way, both personally and professionally. In short, George says don't even try to teach until the student is receptive.

"The price of personal education is high."
George has conveyed this to me often. Behind this is the idea that when you make a mistake, even though you have the best intent, you have to live with that mistake. But, as a result, you modify your behavior. It a tough way to learn, but it's the best way to learn and live.

On the subject of the people side of business:

"If you genuinely care, and it is contagious, things change radically."
Of course, this belief is at the heart of being customer focused. But it is also so true in what we see in our business to employee practice, VersantWorks. People can sense if you are involved in your work and if you care. They can also sense if you are pretending. So if you are sincere in your actions and behavior toward your employees, they will recognize that and it will translate into high customer retention, lower turnover of employees and a healthier work environment for all. Good things indeed.

I will recount a couple of more thoughts from George in a future post. This writing is but a small kernel of wisdom from this very wise man who is very connected and influential within our firm. I hope you can carry some of this thinking with you, like I have, throughout the workday. I hand this down in the belief that his teaching can do for you what it has helped do for me. If you haven't connected with an industrial psychologist for your business, one who really has a handle on OD work, you might want to consider finding out more. Visit the American Psychological Association or the Wisconsin Psychological Association and see who in your neck of the woods has a great reputation in helping business leaders grow.

Suits, Sport Coats, Skirts... and Jeans

Over the years, all of us have experienced a mix of attire in the workplace. Business casual has taken on many meanings. I, for one, do not really like our jeans Friday - it does not say professionalism to me. But then, as many of my younger (and some older) colleagues point out, I don't get that part of the change to the business landscape.

So came and went another business casual Friday at Versant.

Of course, I understand that talented people are all about what's on the inside. That is what really matters, not about what people choose to wear. It's about what they choose to do with their brains. I remind our associates, however, that if any client or prospect is coming in on a Friday, then the jeans will need to be left at home. This ongoing banter between me and the Friday jeans crowd is actually a wonderful way to have some fun with the differences that exist here and everywhere. It is actually a side benefit.

So now I guess I look at it this way... even though I'd be stretching the truth if I were to say that the lines are clearly two-sided... at the end of the day, what's really important is that we make sure our talented people hear our clients' voices loud, clear and as unfiltered as possible. Wearing jeans on a Friday does not inhibit that critical need in our relationship business. Whatever we do, our mission is to ensure that it remains priority one. We try to communicate our values in lots of places within our two offices: Decency, Integrity, Flexibility / Agility, Curiosity, Professionalism and Fun. I think we're having some of the latter with this issue and, above all, delivering on all the others along the way.

It is about walking the walk and talking the talk around here. I guess then, that jeans are OK. But just OK. Sandals on the other hand... well, I won't get started on those.

Does the Learning Ever Stop?

 OK, so here's insight into Versant — we didn't do some things as well as we should have in 2005. That's something we aim to improve in 2006. In the "Not Done Well" category, we learned a great deal about what 100 percent accuracy means in this fast-paced, ever-changing, client-focused environment in which we live. Versant's business model is built on referrals. Period. That means we MUST do quality, results-based work every day for our clients 100 percent of the time. Those quality clients refer us for our business development to more quality clients.  Pretty basic. Pretty impressive and it really works for us! Pretty tough if clients don't love the work! 

That's the model here.

Internally we say "Service is marketing." We strive to meet all client expectations. Sometimes that means we cannot produce quality work without the right timetable for delivery of that work. And more than a few times last year, we over-promised on what we could deliver. In short, we said "Yes" when we should have said "No." Not great work. Not happy clients.  And inside Versant, we end up mad at each other. Fortunately, the errors were caught internally before anything went out. But we messed things up any way you cut it.

That's not the way to run the business. In essence, we learned that we just can't short circuit our protocols to get the work out the door in order to meet the demands of the client if it compromises quality. Our learning:  We have to get better at communicating the appropriate time necessary in order to produce the best work. While this may seem like old news, it was tough learning for us in 2005. We need to be fast and accurate, and that has been our history.

In 2006, we will not over-promise. We will over-communicate the reasonable timetable necessary to deliver great work. That's the way 99 percent of the work got through this place last year... We need to make it happen 100 percent of the time this year.  And we will.

As I look back on 2005, I am always amazed at one truism that remains constant each year — when you stick to the basics, have the structure in place and follow protocol, things work out for the best. Business is not that complicated, really.

We're looking forward to a great year.  I wonder what we'll learn this year.

On Display

One of the great joys of my job is to watch and experience leaders "lead" from many organizations and at many levels: C-level clients, vendors, prospective clients, etc. I consider that on-site observation and education some of my most rewarding. I have learned a few things from their lessons. First, the really great C-level leaders seem to understand they are literally "on display" and understand that they serve as role models for the people they lead. They seem to do more than embrace their vision, they embody it. This certainly cannot be easy as many of the large client populations we serve have to deal with enormous issues every hour of every day. If changes have to be made, I have seen these leaders make the changes themselves first. Then, and only then, do they expect the rest of the organization to follow and carry forward. 

Secondly, I see leaders "lead" through enthusiasm, or what is often called the "glass half-full approach." These strong leaders have such energy, a spirit to do what is right, and that is contagious. Along the way, that enthusiasm is often punctuated with a good sense of humor. In short, they each display a passion for their life's work. And that, in turn, has an impact within our organization.

I observe and share these two qualities because at Versant we are indeed fortunate to have many clients that lead in this fashion. We do not take their leadership characteristics for granted. We learn from them. Our culture is dynamic, like a classroom in many ways, and it is great to have such wonderful experiences with clients who care so deeply about what they do.

Even though we hurry through our workdays, it seems appropriate to stop every once in a while and reflect on what these leaders teach, and how much that impacts our every workday.

Alliance Modeling

I recently attended a luncheon where the CEO of Badger Meter spoke about business growth and best practices. Badger Meter, a manufacturer of flow measurement devices, is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary.

What differentiates this company is its ability to create alliances with other companies in order to provide innovation in all they do so not to leverage the company's resources unnecessarily. The CEO clearly identified this as part of their business model. Alliances have allowed them to be a market leader and, no doubt, has lead to their celebrating this historic anniversary.

Versant has had this same philosophy for years. We've created alliances in diversity marketing, research, technology and several other disciplines. So, what have we learned through these alliances? That alliances work when both companies are in a defensive position. In short, it works only when both companies need one another. A one-sided relationship will never succeed.

Whatever your specific need, if you can't go it alone and you have the ability to trust in other leadership outside your "safe haven," then it may be worth forming an alliance.

In my experience, it takes a lot of trust but can be well worth the effort.

Service is Marketing

I often get this question at the very end of a new business client interview, "So what makes Versant different from the competition?"

Do you ever get a similar question?

For many years, that question took me some time to answer. Today, my response is immediate – Reputation.  I follow that with the simple, "Just ask our clients." And that is exactly what most prospects do. In essence, if our clients' reputations are improved through our work, then we both win. And fortunately, that is usually what happens around here. Results drive our reputation.

What we're doing to answer that important question might have relevance to you. Maybe it will give you a better insight as to what we are doing at Versant.

Reputation is how we at Versant strive to build the business and align our team with the goals of the business. It is logical and basic. Execution is the hard part. We believe that in order to build upon our reputation we must adhere to this: Service is Marketing. To us, that means every Versant associate must understand how they contribute to our reputation. That is not easily accomplished because smart people have many of their own ideas on what and how to deliver.

So we spend a great deal of resources communicating our vision and defining client expectations. We put time to defining client needs in order to make certain we are the best company to help solve those needs. We are not everything to everyone, and we understand that. Our reputation and the combination of skill sets within this firm must match the needs of each and every client. Communicating that vision is a very large part of my job.

A few years back, I had the opportunity to follow John P. Kotter, a world-renowned expert on leadership at the Harvard Business School, in a presentation to retailers.  He spoke about communicating the vision. His research showed that most organizations under communicate the vision by a factor of ten. Bingo. I really studied that comment; it left quite an impression on me.

I hope you drill around our site and see what our work and what our clients say about Versant – about our reputation. Hopefully you will get a sense of our people and their commitment to a natural fit between Versant and the work. We are very proud of our relationships and our commitment to high service. We have a wonderful portfolio of great clients – many here for decades. When we can help enhance their reputations, we enhance ours. That is what this is all about.

Service is Marketing. It is a more than a phrase at Versant.

Self-Awareness in Leadership

I recently had dinner with a key client group, a Fortune 500 market leader in the professional service business that truly represents leadership. That evening, the clients shared their views on leadership. They discussed their own experiences and stated that, in their view, no one is a born leader. Leaders, they say, have to develop those skills and doing that takes many years of hard work. In their own ascension to leadership positions, they have been willing students who have learned from others, their own disappointments and the challenges in both their personal and professional lives.

They spoke about personal development and how important mentoring can be at all stages and ages of life. These folks suggested that being mentored, or coached, is key to growing one's leadership abilities. While they acknowledged that most leaders are very confident, driven-to-achieve risk takers, on behalf of their organization, they minimize those risks by asking others what they see as the view ahead. Would-be leaders who think they have the "talent" to go it alone, or who develop too quickly, will fail.

I have found that some leaders I've come in contact with often close themselves off, not by choice, but because they do not have relationships they can confide in. That behavior creates a destructive environment in the organization and sends out the wrong message – one of exclusion, not inclusion. Leaders who reach the top of the chain who have not created deep, trusting relationships with others have not benefited from a different perspective and become lonely and isolated from employees and often family. As a result, they are often cut off and do not have highly performing organizations or much outside engagement beyond their work.

That evening I learned a lot about listening to others and the importance of having mentors to help us navigate in the ever-changing and demanding role of leadership.

Seven Tips that Drive Success

At a recent Association for Corporate Growth luncheon, John Bergstrom spoke to our group about running a successful business. John is an entrepreneur, owner of Bergstrom Automotive, recipient of the coveted Time Dealer of the Year Award, and a highly recognized business and community leader in Wisconsin. His learning is something we can all benefit from, I know I have.

John outlined several key points:

1) Be Optimistic.
2) Success is in Long-Term Relationships.
3) It's All About the Service Business. He and his brother built their automotive empire with a simple commitment to treat all customers as guests.
4) Show People You Care. He talked at length about early experiences in the car business and how word of mouth grew the business one satisfied customer at a time.
5) Work Side by Side. He is engaged in orientation programs and personally involved in each and every store.
6) Be Different. They put fresh flowers in all the dealership restrooms to create a uniqueness and cleanliness. His CFO often asks about the high cost for the flowers; you can imagine his answer to that one!
7) All People are Important.

He also shared two other lessons: Don't ever give up and make sure you give back to the community.

No PowerPoint from this leader, nothing fancy in his delivery, just simple basic facts. He ended by asking us to buy cars and trucks from one of his 23 stores. He convinced me. My office is not far from one of his stores. I am going to do my next service work there and see what happens!

Good learning.

Board of Advisors

No one could have told me that my professional path would come down to this — growing a business. Then the daily learning to understand what it means to develop the business into something that is bigger. That was certainly not my plan in college in the early seventies.

I just wanted to be in the ad business.

I've had my share of both success and failure, which of course is development 101 in anything. I realized early on that I needed a lot of help from smart people to develop this company. And I needed part of that team to be on the outside looking in. That’s why a Board of Advisors was established, a group of key outsiders that have generously shared their experiences with me to build this great company and team. Every day I am eager to enter these doors, in large part because of their collective experience and engagement in all we do. Please go to our About Versant section and check out these advisors to our board. They are not only some of the best and smartest, but they are engaging and very experienced. Simply put, they are here to further strengthen our leadership position in all we do. They challenge us and make us stretch. And they share so many of the best practices from their varied experiences.

In short, they act like an anchor to me, a quiet port I find myself needing quite often in such a dynamic and often chaotic business environment. I trust them.

It is an extraordinary privilege to have such an association. I hope you get a chance to find out more about them and what they do for our valued stakeholders. Now you know what they do for me.