The Byne Group

I always read about great conferences, I save the emails and brochures and then tell myself that next time I’ll have the time to attend. So when a good business friend generously offered a ticket to the sold out Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston, I jumped at the chance. Easy, end of story, right? I then spent the next week totally torturing myself. Should I go, shouldn’t I go, too busy at work, too much coordination, too much money and then the walapalusa for all women, my family might need me, aaargh! But alas here I am at my lovely and quiet hotel room typing away. There are adorable little soaps and shampoo and I get to have a very well appointed king size bed all to myself (sorry Eric, I really will miss you).

I was watching one of my favorite shows, “Sunday Morning” a few weeks back and learned some interesting new things about the advertising icon Leo Burnett (1891–1971). Many of you probably have no idea who Leo Burnett was, heck I barely knew the name. But I bet everyone knows the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger, The Jolly Green Giant, Morris the Cat, Charlie the Tuna and the unemployed Maytag repairman. As a baby boomer my childhood was filled with many of those characters and Leo Burnett and his agency created them all.

Social media offers marketers an opportunity to engage in conversation about their brand. So, how did this baby boomer get to know anything about the benefits of social media? Isn't that a young person's game?

Social media offers marketers an opportunity to engage in conversation about their brand. So, how did this baby boomer get to know anything about the benefits of social media? Isn't that a young person's game?

Well, once upon a time, a young woman (that was me), wielded my best marketing and design tools – Pantone markers, letraset – to provide clients with the kind of perfect layouts and marketing messages that assumed people were listening. For the most part, they were. It was a less cynical world. Marketers weren’t competing with the Internet, or YouTube or video on demand or online ratings. Consumers didn’t register for "do not call" lists, use DVRs to tape TV shows so they could “skip” the commercials, or Google clients to see how some of its previous customers felt about their service or product. When we talked to consumers the last thing we wanted was for them to talk back.

Fast forward 25 years, the design and advertising landscape has drastically changed. My markers and paper have long since been retired and replaced with a computer that allows my agency to create marketing materials in less than one twentieth the time. The newspapers of our day are fighting for their lives, the post office is gasping for breath and the youngest members of our population are determined to "opt-in" for marketing.

Our guest blogger, Anthony Fasano, P.E., ACC.

I am frequently invited to give 60 minute seminars on how to use LinkedIn effectively. In an effort to keep these seminars simple and useful, I developed the following 7 steps to guide individuals and organizations through building LinkedIn relationships that will be impactful to their business, which I will share with you through the following post.

1. Build a Complete Profile
a. Make sure your profile is 100 % complete – include education, awards, etc., the more robust, the higher your Google ranking
b. Use a professional picture, preferably one that you use on other sites
c. Use the specialties box to add keywords that will help with LinkedIn and Google searches
d. Update your status regularly with articles, desires, quotes, etc.
e. Change your profile when your professional title changes
f. Include your website and blog under “Websites”
g. Do not block incoming e-mails from LinkedIn

It’s that time of the year again. Enchanting sounds, colorful lights and warm wishes from friends and family are a friendly reminder that it’s the season for giving. Tara Parker-Pope says, “…giving gifts is a surprisingly complex and important part of human interaction, helping to define relationships and strengthen bonds with family and friends. Indeed, psychologists say it is often the giver, rather than the recipient, who reaps the biggest psychological gains from a gift.”

This year at The Byne Group we’ve decided to give the gift of a flock of chicks through Heifer International. In past years we’ve purchased a goat and honey bees. And the giving continues throughout 2011. For every new client we’ll be purchasing a flock of chicks in their name!

Network for Good is all about giving and making it easy for people to give. Imagine that every time you became inspired to help someone or something that you could do it with just a click of your mouse. How about the gift of a “good card?” You can purchase this card online at www1.networkforgood.org/good-card and then give it as a gift to whomever. The recipient can use this card to donate to any of their favorite causes; a charity fighting a disease that’s touched your family; the homeless shelter around the corner; or the school you love.

Giving made simple! What are you “giving” this holiday season?

–Melissa Behrens, Art Director, The Byne Group

(source: A Gift That Gives Right Back? The Giving Itself. New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/11/health/11well.html)

Our Guest blogger and friend, Eileen MacAvery Kane, shares her insights on a topic close to my heart.

Ethics is a hot topic in many fields of study these days. Business majors, law students, and those entering the health field are usually required to take courses in ethics. My son, an undergraduate business major, recently took a course on environmental law. The required text was “The Ethics of Climate Change” with a sub-title of “right and wrong in a warming world.” While the term “ethics” often conjures up a visual image of “purity” and seeing things in “black and white,”as my son discovered, ethics is a grey area where right and wrong aren’t always clearly defined.

I’ve worked as a graphic designer for over 25 years and recently completed my MFA in graphic design with a thesis focusing on ethics in graphic design. Since writing a paper, creating a blog, and publishing a field guide on the topic, I’ve had friends and colleagues call me “the ethics lady” and imply that I walk on higher ground because of it. On the contrary, I’m no more (or less) ethical than the rest of us, just a bit more informed as a result of my research.

When I started working with this topic I thought because of my extensive industry experience I would know most topics dealing ethics in graphic design. As I began to talk to industry professionals, educators, and students I soon discovered topics that I hadn’t even considered. Graphic designers deal with all kinds of ethical issues on a daily basis—crowd sourcing, cronyism, sustainability, photo manipulation, copyright, cultural influence, corporate sponsorships, font licensing, and responsibility to their clients are just a few.

Informed and responsible graphic design firms can help their clients navigate through these issues and create branding and marketing materials that are ethical on all fronts.