Sara Kerr

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Lover of Snow, Winter Vacations, Good Beer & Great Music, Minnesota Weather, French Wine & Sidewalks. Yogi for life.

  • Single Gender Education, MPR and St. Kates – Tune in Thursday, March 31st at 9 am

    I love St. Kate’s.

    When I teach — almost always women only — I know we talk about subjects that some students would find uncomfortable if there were men in the room. Is that enough of a reason for single-gender education? No, so tune in to MPR on Thursday, March 31st at 9am, to find out more.

    Here is some information about tomorrow’s show, from Julie Michner, the Media and Public Relations Manager at St. Catherine University.

    MPR’s Midmorning show with Kerri Miller will discuss single gender education this week as part of a week-long dialogue on educational issues.

    The pro and con discussion of single gender education will feature:

    Janet Hyde, Ph.D.,

    Hyde is a Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Here’s a link to a study she co-authored that said there was no gender-based differences in math performance. Here’s her page at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

    Leonard Sax, Ph.D.

    Sax is the founder and executive director of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education. His first book, Why Gender Matters: what parents and teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences was published in hardcover by Doubleday (2005) and in an expanded softcover edition by Random House (2006). His second book, Boys Adrift: The five factors driving the growing epidemic of unmotivated boys, was published by Basic Books in 2007; an expanded softcover edition was published in January 2009. His third book, Girls on the Edge: the four factors driving the new crisis for girls, will be published by Basic Books in April 2010. More information about Dr. Sax is available on his personal web page.

    Interesting to me, from any point of view (Marketing, Educational, or otherwise), is that no one from St. Kate’s will be on the show, given that we are the largest college for women in the United States.

  • “Bingo!” That’s a Blog Post!

    Blogging:  How to find a topic

    I can add blogging to the list of assignments my students don’t like.

    In chatting with one recently, she commented that she had no idea what to write about. This was just after we’d spent 5 minutes discussing how poor packaging made purchasing difficult. Always the teacher, I said “Bingo!” that’s a blog post!

    So for anyone not sure about what to write this week, here’s your challenge. Take whatever’s on your mind and find its marketing. Write about that.

    Everything has marketing, whether intended or not.

    Driving down a two-lane highway in Southeast Minnesota. You see in the distance an orange reflective triangle on something dark. Who is it? Either a farmer on a tractor or an Amish group driving a horse-drawn buggy. The symbol is for slow-moving vehicles, but in Minnesota (and many other places), it has a cultural dimension, as well. The symbol communicates to drivers who lives in that area and a little bit about what their life is about.

    How is that different really from well-designed food labels in my local co-op that tell me all the green produce signs signify organic produce and all the orange ones, conventionally raised foods?

    Why is this marketing?

    The science of sound, of course. The musical stairs at the Science Museum of Minnesota are fun. They are also an easy introduction to wave experiments in the Experiment Gallery — 10,000 square feet devoted to technology and physical sciences. They know that kids don’t get excited about science from a text-book, but from doing science. Their mission, after all, is “Turn on the science: realizing the potential of policy makers, educators, and individuals to achieve full civic and economic participation in the world.”

  • Crowdsourcing and Social Media: Marketing a Class (MKTG 2350) on Campus

    How Should St. Kate’s Advertise Integrated Marketing Communications MKTG 2350?

    St. Kate’s has just added a section of Integrated Marketing Communications for the summer. Every Tuesday from May 31st through August 2nd.

    The next step is marketing it to St. Kate’s students. The class is open to ACTC students and other adult learners, but the max is 18-20 students and it fills up quickly.

    Challenges?

    It starts on May 31st, so Spring Term WEC (Weekend College Students) would have a one month overlap.

    For registration purposes, the class will be listed as Topics: Integrated Marketing Communications instead of the current INDI 2090 Promotional Communications or the soon to be MKTG 2350 Integrated Marketing Communications. How confusing!

    Where Does Crowdsourcing come in?

    With this blog, I’m asking current and former students (any anyone else reading this blog) to tell me what I should say about this class for on-campus advertising.

    As the instructor, I have goals — theories and skills I want my students to master, but they don’t necessarily correlate to why students take the class. I’ve heard the class is fun, it’s relevant, it’s hard, it’s a lot of writing, and it’s applicable among other things. It’s required for Marketing/Management majors.

    I think the class would be even more interesting if students from other departments took it as part of their required writing intensive coursework. Diversity is always more interesting.

    At St. Kate’s we believe:

    Clear, eloquent writing opens doors to worlds students aspire to enter.

    But is that enough to persuade someone to sign up for my class? Probably not.

    Here’s what I think the on-campus advertising should emphasize:

    Headlines:

    • So you Want to Work in Social Media?!
    • Writing for the Internet
    • Use Social Media in Business

    Supporting Details:

    • Learn how to apply interactive marketing and social media tools in business
    • Curious about Twitter?
    • Write a blog. Get noticed.
    • Learn how to market yourself
    • Create a Integrated Marketing Communications plan for a local business using social media
    • Write about what inspires you…for credit

    Frankly, I’m not impressing myself.

    Students, give me your feedback! What would persuade someone like YOU to take this class?

  • Twins Commit Costly Error

    Twins Tix Disaster:  Word of Mouth Spreads Bad News Fast.

    FIVE Hours Trying to Buy Twins Tickets Online = No Tickets = Angry Fans

    At least my time was not wasted, I am completely caught up with correcting my students’ papers and exams.

    Like many Twins fans, I waited patiently to get to the front of the line in the virtual waiting room. At first I thought that was pretty cool, I could see myself moving up, but mysteriously, I would suddenly jump back a few places. I was in two lines — one on Safari and one on Foxfire, both on Macs. Pretty quickly I was first in line on Firefox, and with great hope I pressed continue. Uh oh, like thousands of other fans I went to the white screen of death — i.e. a blank screen that is still there.

    Joyfully, I kept moving up on Safari and then suddenly, I was in! I was ready to shop. Unfortunately that system was overloaded, too. I had to continually re-enter my ticket requests. After awhile, I had a shopping cart full of fun. Maybe not the games or days I wanted to go to, but still games!

    Check out time!

    I entered my info, my credit card number, declined ticket insurance, and pressed purchase.

    POOF!

    I was back in line. My ticket purchases erased. Gone for good.

    I’m not alone.

    Thousands of people just like me are telling the same story — from their front yards, on their phones, but more importantly online…

    How do I know this? Easy! #Twins on Twitter is full of very, very angry and not so polite former, current and never-again Twins fans. The angst was big enough that the Star Tribune eventually picked the story up:  Server Problems Plague the Twins by Abby Simmons. As of 4:30 today, the story had been Tweeted just 13 times. Nobody must have cared enough to share the news. Why? They are all complaining on Twitter and Facebook.

    I have to say, it’s nice they apologized, right there on Facebook.

    Somebody’s minding the store, after all. But it’s not enough.

    Public Relations Nightmare, but just saying that makes me feel guilty because I’m a whole lot luckier than anyone in Japan right now.

    Will the Twins recover? Of course. We Minnesotans are a fairly nice bunch of people, we forgive, we forget. Will I go to a game this summer? Not likely.

    Too bad the MLB didn’t invest in their technology. After all, our rapid devotion for all things Twins and the M & M Boys is pretty well known, as are server overloads–SXSW Tweets crashed Twitter just last night.



  • Making Art with Social Media

    I think I need to start making a list of items, services, pastimes, etc. that use social media to their benefit.

    So far in this blog I have talked about:

    • Restaurants (www.grovelandtap.com)
    • Dry Cleaners (www.andersoncleaners.net/)
    • Music (www.jayhawksofficial.com/)
    • Plants (www.friendsschoolplantsale.com)
    Art with Citrasolve by Kelli Perkins

    Now, let’s add Making Art to the list.

    One of my favorite art blogs is written by Kelli Nina Perkins, it’s called Common Life into Art. Kelli makes the most amazing art out of…anything. Today’s post referenced the most amazing photo manipulation using the cleaner, Citrasolve. I’m tempted now to run out and buy some. It’s going to be warm enough today that I could dissolve ink to my heart’s content on my back porch.

    How is this effective social media?

    Kelli’s written a fabulous book, Stitch Alchemy : Combining Fabric and Paper for Mixed Media Art, that I never would have known about it except that somehow I stumbled across her blog.

    When she writes another book, will I buy it? Of course, I’ll be first in line.

    How’s that for advertising a niche publication?

  • Social Media: When you’ve done the easy stuff

    Great tips from the Social Media Examiner once you’ve mastered easy social media tips,  such as just creating a Facebook page.

    Click:  8 Hot Social Media Tips From Eight Industry Experts to read the full post compiled by Amy Porterfield.

    My favorite tip?

    #5: Meet people in real life

    steve garfield“I’m from Boston and we used to have a huge user group here called the Boston Computer Society,” says Steve Garfield, author of Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business. “

  • How could Amazon Kindle use Social Media to reach my 83 year old Dad?

    Product:  Amazon Kindle

    Person:  My Father

    My father has always been an avid reader. His house is still full of books.

    At age 83, he is finally retiring. He has more time to read and more time to travel. While he would never admit it, he’s one of those old dogs you can’t teach a new trick to. He has an email account, he knows what the internet is, and he knows how much his kids use it, but he sees no value in looking anything up online. After all, if he can’t find out something on his own, 9 times out of 10, he’ll call me, his youngest child.

    Miraculously, my father has a Kindle. Well, it’s not exactly his – he borrows it from his girlfriend, but he uses it all the time, especially when they travel. Her adult children gave it to her. My father likes it because he can carry a lot of books with him at one time without having to physically haul them. He finds the screen very easy to use and if he wants a new book, he just asks his girlfriend to download it for him.

    Obviously, Amazon cannot use social media to market the Kindle directly to a man like my father. An elderly book-lover who sees no personal value in the internet and is a might stubborn is simply not going to create a Facebook account just because he sees the iconic white F in a blue square. Nor would he likely have an Amazon account. If he wants to buy someone a gift, he’ll go to a store, buy one and then wrap it up in the newspaper.

    A frugal guy like my dad is also not likely to spend $139 on a book reader when he can check out whatever he wants at his library or buy a book at his local bookstore. $139 is a lot of money to a man who wraps gifts in newspaper, after all, even if books are pretty heavy and the print is awfully small.

    So how could Amazon use social media to reach my dad? There are a few peculiarities about my father that a marketer could take advantage of to promote the Amazon Kindle. Here’s a list:

    • Someone who loves to read, but doesn’t want to carry a lot of books with him that he has a hard time reading since the print is so small
    • A frugal person who doesn’t need anything, but whose children three times a year (Father’s Day, his birthday, and Christmas) are always a little stumped at what to give him
    • A man who shuns the internet, yet lives with someone who uses it without difficulty
    • A father whose children would do just about anything for him including logging him into his email account every time he calls.

    Thus, Amazon should direct their social media strategy to me!

    It’s the perfect gift an adult child could give her parent. It’s easy to use, the font size is adjustable, the screen has absolutely no glare, and it’s priced so 1 child or a group of children depending on their means could buy it. I should see advertisements on my Facebook page. On my Amazon.com account, 6 weeks prior to Father’s Day and Christmas I should be reminded daily, why I should give my dad a Kindle. Of course, Amazon should place ads on the AARP Facebook page, as well, not that I’ve ever visited it.

    Where I use the internet, Amazon should be poking me with the idea of giving the Kindle as gift. When I search for “gift ideas for adult parents” the first sponsored link should be for the Amazon Kindle, not adult toys. The first ad on the Google sidebar should be for the Kindle, as well. When I go to the Kindle website, in addition to all the wonderful product attributes, I should hear about its less tangible values, such as a what a perfect gift it would be.

    ——————————

    This post is a sample assignment:   Social Media for a Trusted Adult: Marketing the Favorite Object of a Trusted Adult using Social Media for the St. Catherine University INDI 2090 Promotional Communications / MKTG 2350 Integrated Marketing Communication class. Frankly, my students don’t like this assignment. It’s hard. As a marketer you have to get uncomfortable. you need to leave behind your favorite products, your comfort with the internet, your level of social media use and try to reach someone whose most likely very different from yourself. However, my students surprise themselves with this assignment and do great work. They figure who and what influences their person and strategically approach from that angle.

  • Two Restaurants in St. Paul: The Groveland Tap and O’Gara’s

    I’m lucky to live in a city full of restaurants, parks, and family friendly pubs within walking distance. Plus I’m next door to an even bigger city with even more of the same.

    Friday night. So many choices.

    One of our favorite restaurants is a leisurely stroll when there’s no ice on the sidewalks or a quick drive and a long search for parking otherwise. Our kids like the food and the pool table, we like the great happy hour specials ($2.50 taps all day until 5:30 pm), AND they offer real fruit and vegetables with the kids meals (apple sauce and baby carrots).

    I’ve written about them a number of times already — they take advantage of any event be it snow, helping out fellow hospitality workers or simply casting a ballot.

    Curious about what’s literally on Tap? Just like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter and you’ll hear about every keg tapped.

    But it’s popular. It’s so popular that even on a regular old Tuesday night, you might have to wait 20 minutes for a table.

    So don’t even think about going on Friday night during Lent for their Fish Fry.

    On the other hand, O’Gara’s has open tables.

    March 10 – 16th they’re celebrating 75 years as a family run business with 1941 meal specials. $1.95 for a Friday night fish and chips. $1.50 for a Saturday and Sunday burger baskets. And we walked right in at 5:30 pm and we’re able to pick which table we wanted.

    Granted, the burger basket is nothing like the Juicy Lucys at the Tap, but still, who doesn’t like a deal?

    Now, I’m trying to figure out how I knew about the Anniversary Food Specials. It wasn’t on Facebook. It wasn’t on Twitter (they don’t have a Twitter feed). I think I must have seen it perusing the paper copies of Vita.MN or City Pages this week, but I can’t remember. Some ad must have caught my eye because it made me go to their website when I couldn’t figure out what to make for dinner (it was too warm for Cassoulet, after all).

    So why is the ‘Tap packed and O’Gara’s not?

    It’s actually a complicated answer. You can’t just say it’s because the Groveland Tap fully utilizes social media and O’Gara’s randomly updates their Facebook page.

    The Tap is tiny and young (less than 20 years old) where as O’Gara’s is an old school Irish pub with a long history serving their community.

    They serve different target markets. When I walk into the ‘Tap, I see a lot of young families and urban professionals. At O’Gara’s I’ll see everyone from music lovers and college students decked out in green to not-so-recent retirees. Plus all the sports fans who take the Shamrock Shuttle to local events.

    The food at both places is your standard bar food with lots of fried appetizers and burgers. The Groveland Tap has one of the best tap beer lists in Minneapolis-St. Paul and happy hour pricing. O’Gara’s serves your standard Irish brews and your find-everywhere American ones. Grainbelt Premium for a nickel from 7-8 pm on Sunday, March 12th. The brewpub and its gorgeous copper mash tun are history.

    However, O’Gara’s has the luck of the Irish. They’re on a really busy corner where 30,000 cars pass by everyday. They’ve got a huge parking lot by city standards. And nothing is more important in real estate than location, location, and location. The ‘Tap, while not too far from a fairly busy intersection is not something you just happen to drive by. It’s a destination spot.

    The Groveland Tap needs to tell the world “Here We Are! Come Visit Us!” O’Gara’s just needs to open the door.


  • The Importance of Marketing Yourself

    Here is an excellent post from one of my students, Aimee Thurston, about representing yourself in the marketplace.

    Click here:  The Importance of Marketing Yourself to read the full post.

  • The Jawhawks Official Marketing

    Now THIS was a show:

    And it makes me wish for summer.

    The Jayhawks Official Marketing Efforts are fantastic, visit their new YouTube channel to see what I mean.