Marketing to "e"-verybody

It's a good thing I took a more generalized liberal-arts approach to studying communications than specializing in, say, marketing. Considering how social media continues to create new rules for reaching out and drawing in prospects, my book-learned marketing skills from college are now only quaint reminders of the way things used to be.

Yes, I've adapted to Web 2.0, social networks, and next-generation "e" everything. Still, the technology and its implications continue to leapfrog ahead.

Such was the premise of a recent humor article, Subject: Our Marketing Plan by Ellis Weiner, published in The New Yorker (Oct. 19, 2009). It spoofs the marketing plan of a book publisher, in the form of a letter to one of its authors.

My takeaway (besides the giggles): Not everything "e"-social is better. It's hard to imagine how technology can fully replace good old-fashioned social skills when it comes to touching hearts, engaging minds, building trust, and motivating people to take action.

At some point, it takes the personal touch of a real live person to make a difference.

The body beautiful

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has nothing on The Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine. I view SI as soft porn, whereas ESPN actually honors athletes. The Body Issue celebrates the athletic form by showcasing bodies of every size and shape, and from just about every sport. They also tackle every aspect of physicality -- from hard bodies to injuries to virtual reality.

There's more to see on the Web site, with photo galleries and videos. I could have done without watching Blake "Bilko" Williams undergo ACL surgery. But that's just me; I happen to be squeamish about surgery.

Favorite images? It's hard to say. ESPN must have had an equally hard time, because it printed six different covers.

The one that arrived in my mailbox was arresting and effective in getting me to sit down and read the whole issue. Normally, I just hand it over to my husband. What I first saw was a beautiful model. Then I realized it was an athlete. Then I saw the prosthesis. There she was, Sarah Reinertsen, the first female above-knee amputee to become an Ironman, having completed the hardest triathlon there is -- in Kona, Hawaii. Her artificial leg was all she had on. It was all she needed.

Colorful characters?

I've heard that three occurrences make a trend, so here's the latest trend I've observed. A number of colorful, creative types who have started or manage top-notch design firms are losing their vibrancy. Well, not them -- it's their photos. A quick glance at my "Network Updates" homepage on LinkedIn shows more than a few are now using black & white portraits.

I know B&W can be more dramatic, with rich tones across the gray scale, but consider the medium: The Internet, with a photo smaller than a postage stamp. Just how much detail is possible?

Actually, I'm a fan of B&W photos, having grown up souping negatives from film cameras and watching images emerge in darkroom developer trays. An Ansel Adams exhibition can still bring me to tears. The use of B&W to stand out from the clutter of color can be quite effective -- until everyone starts doing it.

Maybe a postage stamp isn't such a bad model for the kind of photo to use on a social networking site. Consider the Simpsons postage stamps unveiled in May. Simple. Colorful. Memorable. Almost makes you want to pay bills the old-fashioned way: by mail.

Buddy up to run

In my spare nanoseconds, I'm the race director for the Women's Distance Festival 5K Run/Walk. I've been doing this for five years, and each time I look to introduce something new or different that will encourage more participants to "run for fun and fitness," which is the motto of my running club.

Three years ago, I introduced the concept of holding training runs on the same cross country course as the race. This year, I stumbled onto an idea that has really taken off: buddy up. The intent is for seasoned runners to pair up with newbies on the training runs, and for people who run a similar pace to find new running buddies. For the race on Oct. 10, there is a reduced buddy-up entry fee for runners who register together by mail.

The results so far have been a significant increase in women coming out to the training runs -- and about half the registrations being of the buddy-up kind.

As one of the members of the race committee remarked, "Women like to race with someone; men like to race against someone. I guess they are basic differences between the sexes."

Whether it's a gender thing or just that misery loves company, it doesn't matter. What I'm thrilled to see are more women taking the time for personal fitness...and a little bit of fun for themselves. Winning and medals are beside the point.