Green Apple

Foodie's Paradise in Parma

Too bad I'm not a rapper.  There's a lot to rap about here in the foodie's paradise.  I am in Parma, Italia--  home of Proscuitto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano, worshipping at the altar of food and ham.  Did I forget to mention the truffles?  

I've been on a culinary tour of Parma (and surrounding areas) and have taken cooking classes at Academia Barilla.  (This trip was organized by Sur la Table, a retailer of fine cookingware online and in their U.S. retail stores.)

Just so you can see that this has been serious business...here I am in a chef's hat and apron.  I have just made fresh pasta and now I am squeezing the ricotta and swiss chard filling onto the pasta.  This is one of my toughest assignments ever!  I will be trying this at home.  I had always been intimidated by making homemade pasta, but now having been taught by the Italian masters, I'm feeling very confident!  (Better not jinx, myself.)

A very memorable day was a day we spent in the country side at the foothills of the Apennines hunting for truffles.  You do this with a trained dog who can smell them.  Our dog's name was Leah and our truffle master was Franchesco.

The lovely Leah found 12 truffles.  The truffles are sold at the local market for about $200 a pound.  Of course, we were there for the easy part -- all the worrisome work of making the conditions right for the truffles had already been done.

So, if you are wondering about the marketing connections here.  There have been many.  Branding has been a central theme every day.  The Academia Barilla was established for the sole purpose of building a cultural brand around Italian cooking and culture -- particularly the regional dishes and food and cheese of Parma.  Their goal is to educate the consumer so the consumer knows real Proscuitto di Parma versus a copy cat from Canada and of course real Parmigiana.  (As you can imagine, the shaky Kraft container from our childhoods is a mortal sin here.  Dio Mio!)

Sur La Table is a retailer in the U.S. that is building its brand by creating communities around food culture.  So, while they sell cooking ware, they now do culinary tours like the one here in Parma.  Very smart marketing.

And, here with my client, Cheetah Learning, we have even made a connection between cooking and project management.  I will post that article when it is distributed by Cheetah.  Chief Cheetah, Michelle LaBrosse, has done some great blogging about this trip.

Personally, this trip had some bittersweet memories for me.  When I was in Italy studying as a student over 20 years ago, I became close with a woman named Jennifer Weck.  We explored Italy together and especially Roma with our very good friend, Stefano Rossi.  He was our personal guide who taught us about Italy in the way only a true Roman can.  Jennifer died of colon cancer last year.  So, as I tasted the gelati and walked down the cobblestone streets, I could hear our laughter and remembering us as young college women -- the whole world ahead of us-- and Roma was magical for us.  So, Jennifer, rest in peace.  Ciao bella.  You will never be forgotten.  And Steffanismo, thank you for the gift of your friendship.  It stays with me still.  Mille Grazie.

Paying Taxes in a Small Town

Not sure if anyone ever has anything good to say about paying taxes, so I thought I'd talk about something I like about paying my property taxes in Vermont.  Like many of us, I often spend the majority of my day in front of my computer, inhaling email, instant messages, twitter messages, Linked In updates, Facebook updates, voicemail...and trying to get my work done while filtering through all the information coming at me.  By the end of day, I often suffer from info-tique.  So, there's something gratifying about unplugging, jumping in Ollie, my Subaru, and driving to the Town Office in Newfane, VT to pay my taxes.  I love the fact that there is a sign right on route 30 in orange reminding me that taxes are due, and then when I get inside there is a plain cardboard box holding the checks of my fellow citizens.  As I walk in, a kind woman comes from the back of the room and says:  "Hello, I didn't hear you come in."  She smiles.  I walk back out into the Vermont summer day and I can feel all those email fly away, the technology disappears for a minute and I am grateful that some things in my life are still this simple.

Summer in a Glass

Commanderie de Peyrassol Rosé Cotes de Provence. Ahhhhh.  When I taste this, my summer officially begins.  Made from a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Cinsault, this is an elegant rosé that allows you to let go of all the memories of any bad rosé experiences you may have had along the way.  One sip of this and they will be gone for good.  Thanks to my good friends at Windham Wines who introduced me to this wine and made it my official summer opener.  Enjoy.

Branding: Why It Mattes More Now

Why Does Branding Matter More Now?

Branding is not for bloated budgets.  That's a myth propagated by people who have spent $1 million dollars and then decided to revert back to their logo from 1970.  You may have been in one of those bitter branding meltdowns.

Instead, branding is even more important when budgets are slim.  Here's why: 

Information overload and info fatigue means getting messages through to people is tougher.  With a weak brand, you're the white bread on the plate with your customers waiting for the oat bran or something more distinct.

People are visually more sophisticated and have high expectations when it comes to professionalism and experience.  We live in an age when every one is a graphic designer in his or her mind and people make decisions and impressions quickly based on what they see.

People are looking for indicators re: reputation, distinction and image, craving authenticity and transparency.  If your customer is looking at many web sites for a product or service, what is the one thing that breaks through to them?  Usually, it is something about the way you "feel" to them.  Think about how you express yourself.  It matters to person behind the mouse -- no not Walt Disney, your customer.

Personal Brand Triggers:

There's the company brand, but then there is the personal brand.  In large organizations, the company brand is often made up of many personal brands.  But, personal brands are not just for gurus or rock stars.  They are for everyone.  How you develop yours, just depends on where you are in your career.

Are you in career transition and need to reinvent yourself?

Do you need a presence for networking and new business on the Internet and in social media?

Are you a successful small business owner or consultant who needs to reposition yourself or increase your profile within your industry?

Or maybe you are starting a business or launching a new venture or product?

Challenges present opportunities.  So, look at whatever change you're facing and evaluate your brand for the new normal.  It doesn't hurt.  You may even have some fun.

Want to learn more?

5 Signs You Need a Brand Tune Up

1. Apologies. You begin business conversations apologizing for your logo, materials or web site.
2. Where’s the love? You were sold a logo, but you’ve never loved it.  It doesn’t make you dance -- or at least smile!
3. Client confessions.  A client you respect confessed to you that your image just doesn’t cut it.
4. Competitive energy. Your competitor just rolled out a hot new identity and your employees and customers are talking about it.
5. Millennial Mindset.  Did a young, new hire tell you that your look was tired? 

  
  
  

Connecting Trends to Opportunity on Cheetah Radio

We laughed a lot during this radio interview.  So, if you need to hear some giggles mixed in with trends and also  project management know how from Michelle LaBrosse of Cheetah Learning, this is worth a listen.

An Edible Brand Revival

The Whoopie pie is making a comeback according to a New York Times article.  Now, this is the type of news I'm craving to read right now.  Enough dour talk of stimulus, pork, economic woes.  Yes, let's talk Whoopie pies, their origins and why right now, we need them!  Sinking your teeth into chocolate cake with a sweet filling, this is a worthy brand revival.  Whoopie pies make me think of bake sales to raise money for our high school trip to France.  There was always that Mom who was the killer baker and yes, her Whoopie pies, sold out quickly.  I guess you could say we flew to France and back on the strength of Whoopie pies and Bingo, too, but I digress.  I'm just here to cheer for Whoopie pies and toast the Times reporter, Micheline Maynard, who wrote about them.  And I think I'm not the only one cheering, because the Whoopie pie article was one of the top five emailed, so no, we're not just a nation with debt and despair, we are people longing to believe in hope...and in the meantime find a whoopie pie or two to take us back to a simpler time.

Note the displayed image of the Whoppie Pie is cropped from a photo by Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times.

10 Trends to Ponder

What I love about trends is that they are idea-starters.  They are fuel for thinking about things in different ways.  Here are ten trends that I'm thinking about and watching right now.  I was on Cheetah Radio today talking about these trends with Project Management guru, Michelle LaBrosse.  I'll post that link once it is up.

1.    Economic slim-fast.  It’s a focus on frugal living and gardening, as Americans rediscover budgeting and saving. 

THINK:  What can you do to save your team or your family money?  The new super hero is going to have a piggy bank on his or her chest.

2.    Whole life living and healing.  Armed with information and frustrated with the cost of healthcare, people are exploring new ways of thinking about health and wellness – from what they eat to how they live.

THINK: Taking care of your team and making wellness part of your work environment is good for business.  What are small changes you can make that make a difference to the health of those around you?

3.    Entertainment as escapism.  Just like during the Great Depression, movie ticket sales are on the rise and sales of gaming entertainment is still strong.  People are looking for ways to harmlessly escape.

THINK: Business doesn’t have to be boring in the world of YouTube and interactive experiences, what can you do to make your product or service more fun?

4.    Back to the basics.  A return to the kitchen and looking at food the way our ancestors did, organic is no longer for “granolas,” it’s mainstream. 

THINK: How about cooking as team building event?  What are your new recipes for success?  This is practical, fun and with no scrutiny over tickets to the Caribbean! LOL.

5.    Novel perks.  Frequent flyer miles are so last century. People want more creative and novel perks such as securing a prime parking spot when you drive a hybrid vehicle.  (That’s happening now at the Seattle Airport.)

THINK:  How can you reward your team or your customers in an unexpected and novel way?

6.    DIY.  The hobby and Do it Yourself kit crowds are growing, as people get a pioneering spirit – however small – think scrap booking. 

THINK:  Do you have a hobby that could be a business or cottage industry?

7.    The Full Monty.  Transparency and honest have a whole new meaning.   Technology brings us a whole new level of honesty whether we like it or not, but underneath the technology is a new human desire for trust and transparency like never before.

THINK:  Is your documentation in good shape?  Are you leaving a trail that you’re proud of?  How can you be more transparent in your business?

8.    Generation G.  The g is not for Greed.  It’s for generosity. Trendwatching.com coined this term, as they saw the growing importance of 'generosity' as a leading societal and business mindset. With growing disgust over greed and its current dire consequences for the economy, people want to see and be part of a more generous world.

THINK:  How can you be a part of sharing, giving, engaging, creating and collaborating in your own community or in virtual communities?  Give people what they’re craving with some good old-fashioned generosity, just like Grandma and Grandpa did.

9.    Redefining Community.
 Communities can now transcend geography in the social media world.  And back in the real world, people are buying local and using technology to choose where they live and work. This will redefine our traditional ways of thinking about work place and home.

 

THINK:  What is community to you?  What is community to your customer?  How can communities be part of any solution?

10. ECO-Buzz.  The image of the tree hugger is out.  Now, being green in whatever way you can is hip and cool.  Even governments are focusing on sustainability in a whole new way.  This trend is here to stay because our survival depends on it.

THINK:  How can you, your business or your team be green?  Engage your team and ask for ideas.  Have a green storm and watch people’s eyes light up.

Lifestyle marketing in a cup

Some gifts stay with you longer than others.  This was the case with the tea that I received as a birthday gift from Tay Tea.  Artisanal, hand-crafted teas that transport you right out of your office or kitchen into a dreamscape.  Just the names alone are enough to get you day dreaming:  Marry Me Again, Better than Sex, Raj, A Day in Provence, Persian Rose, Muse and Dream.  And, these names live up to their own fantasy with the taste.  For tea lovers, there are black tea, oolong, green tea, rooibos tea and herbal tea blends...and for any one who just needs a little vacation sitting simply in a tea cup, sip up!  

Does your Brand matter more during a recession?

I think that depends on how you treat your brand.  If your brand is an asset that you've cultivated like a Slow Food junkie, it probably is paying you back now.  On the other hand, if your brand is lukewarm and maybe even what I would call a flat brand -- existing only on paper, but not in any one's heart or mind -- then, your brand does not matter more now.  That doesn't mean that it can't.  Brands are forgiving once you admit that you've been neglecting them.  Think about the impact if your brand was completely unique and distinct in your market.  It could be speaking when others are silently blending in.

Take my poll on LinkedIn.