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The hazy, hot and humid days of summer will soon give way to fall and that means only one thing: time to gear up for the HR Technology Conference! Come September 29, the halls of Chicago’s McCormick Place will be filled with some of the greatest minds in the HR Community.

Of course, there will be lots of discussion around technology and the pressing business issues that keep HR professionals up at night. All the significant HR technology vendors will be on hand to network, educate and exchange ideas. Be sure to visit us at one of the busiest places at the show – the press room!

Since its inception, The Devon Group has worked behind the scenes of the HR Technology Conference to bring the HR community together. Several years ago we formed the increasingly popular HR Technology Conference group on Linked In, where HR practitioners, bloggers and industry luminaries keep the momentum going through great discussions and knowledge sharing.

Networking with others in the industry doesn’t stop at the show floor. Whether you’re already on Twitter or just getting started, the hashtag #hrtechconf will help identify tweets from attendees, bloggers, mainstream media, The Devon Group and event organizers.

This year’s program will have more interactivity, more technology and more insight from experts and senior level practitioners than ever before. Get ready to learn and continue the conversation. See you in September!

July 30th, 2010 | Tags: HR, HR technology, HR Technology Conference, social media, social networking, Twitter | Category: Scallops | Comments (1)

Polymath is a Greek word for Renaissance person like Leonardo da Vinci – good at many disciplines. Vinnie Mirchandani’s new book sheds light on modern day enterprise polymaths and how they are leveraging a wide range of technologies to solve day-to-day issues and the “Grand Challenges” the world faces.

Vinnie Mirchandani

Your book, “The New Polymath”, explores a wide range of technologies–from cloud computing to emerging medicine. What is the New Polymath and what can the reader expect to learn?

“The New Polymath” is about today’s enterprises that are good at many technologies. For example, German chemical company BASF has been bioengineering new forms of rice and corn and other types of crops. They have a green house in Belgium where they are monitoring thousands of rice seedlings and look at if you modify a particular gene in one seedling, how does it grow? They have bioinformatics technology, RFID chips and high speed cameras for monitoring the seedlings, robotics moving them around, etc. There are probably 10 or 12 different technologies working in tandem.

There are many examples in the book how multiple technologies are coming together in a single solution – that’s the concept behind “The New Polymath.”

How can business professionals leverage this information to solve challenges in their own business?

There are many lessons to take away. The first is to think big and try to solve some thorny problems. For example, scientists and engineers at the National Academy of Engineering came up with 14 grand challenges including reverse engineering the brain and making sure water is available around the world. In 2000, the United Nations came up with millennium development goals such as reducing infant mortality and improving female education around the world. These are almost ‘boil the ocean’ kind of calls, but if you look at the polymaths I have in the book, these big, external challenges are what drives them.

The second message is that people need to get out of their silos and look beyond their focus area. There is an abundance of technology from biotech to cleantech to healthtech to infotech. We have to stretch our own comfort zone and look at bundling a wide range of technologies

A third message centers on the new ethics that are coming out of all this technology evolution. For example, now that the human genome has been decoded, individuals can see their genetic makeup and what they are susceptible to. Based on that, there are women going in for elective surgery to have their breasts removed, even before there is any sign of breast cancer. There is no insurance that pays for that and there are no cancer survivor groups for them because they are not technically “survivors”. We need a mechanism to discuss such issues and others like biofuel-food tradeoffs, the use and misuse of patents, and of course, continue the on-going debate on privacy. The convergence of multiple technologies described in the book is creating new ethical issues at phenomenal rates and we are just not discussing them enough.

The book is chockfull of quotes and anecdotes from industry luminaries and established leaders, bloggers, and analysts. What common themes emerged from your research?

I tried to give the 150+ innovative people, products and places profiled in the book most of the airtime and tried to minimize my voice or come up with too many “glib” lists. The last chapter of the book summarizes the learning into 10 guideposts, but given the countries, processes, industries and technologies the book covers, I do not want to mislead readers and say that is the essence that summarizes – each reader will find inspiration from a different set of the 150+ innovators in the book.

What was the biggest lesson you’ve learned through the process of writing and publishing your book and what advice would you offer other aspiring authors?

I learned that researching and writing the book is only 20 percent of the effort. The editing process on a technology book is very demanding because you have to constantly update it. In the five months between submitting the manuscript and when it came out, I probably updated three to four statistics on a monthly basis. Countless interviewees changed jobs, companies merged, laws were passed, new products introduced – it is an understatement to say it is a dynamic industry.

The other take away is the publishing industry does not really market a book. The onus is more on the author and distributors like Amazon.com. So, I revved up my social networks dramatically around the world. The book has its own Facebook page, Linked In group, dedicated website and Twitter stream. I also offered many bloggers an advance copy.  Many blogged reviews, conducted video interviews, created animotos, podcasts, jaiku contests – new digital ways of presenting a hard copy book. I am grateful for all the support I have received.

To order your copy of “The New Polymath: Profiles In Compound-Technology Innovations,” click here.

Copyright ©  2010 – The Devon Group

July 12th, 2010 | Tags: industry analysts, Marketing, outsourcing, SaaS, social media, software development | Category: Industry Experts | Comments (3)

Interesting chart published by the experts at MarketingSherpa.  While a growing number of companies think SEO is the panacea for everything, there’s still a solid distinction between what SEO can achieve.  Don’t get me wrong – at this point, you wouldn’t want to back away from having a great SEO program – but be realistic about what SEO can do for B2B companies. You still need distinct marketing programs and old-fashioned shoe leather to close more deals.

Very Effective SEO Objectives by Primary Market

June 29th, 2010 | Tags: brand, brand building, branding, Lead Generation, Marketing, PR, research, Sales, SEO, social media, social networking, Web 2.0 | Category: Scallops | Leave a comment

Bing is the latest player in the search engine marketing game. Since Bing launched last year, a few notable differences between Google AdWords and Bing AdCenter have emerged. To start, Bing ads are less expensive than Google ads. The reason why? Being the new kid in town means fewer advertisers and a smaller search volume. However, Bing’s share of search engine traffic is consistently rising (up 4% in the last month) and this share will continue to increase, forecasted to be up at least an additional 15% as Bing merges with Yahoo!.

Bing users have the option to target ads by age and gender, an option Google lacks.  Additionally, a recent study shows that of the two powerhouse search engines, Bing may be the more user-friendly design, especially given its “organizing and refining” options. This design includes more sponsored ad content at the top of the page whereas Google tends to place more sponsored ads on the side. The significance of ad placement is supported by several studies that show users tend to focus on the ads up top rather than on the side. Not to mention that Bing allows you to import your current Google AdWords campaigns directly into an AdCenter account, making it super easy to transition to Bing.

Despite the numerous benefits of Bing, there are still quite a few perks to Google AdWords. Google can reach a global audience, while Bing is currently limited to the U.S., U.K., Canada and Singapore, and only offering ads in French and English. So, for companies with a global clientèle across multiple languages, Google remains the obvious choice.

Given Google’s extensive background in pay per click (PPC) advertising, most users believe that the AdWords interface is stronger and easier to use, whereas Bing’s AdCenter isn’t quite there yet. Additionally, Google offers a number of analytics that Bing doesn’t, in particular, sales value (Bing works off conversion rates). Plus, there’s the ongoing Google redesign, which is hoping to merge the Google model that has worked so well with the successful traits of Bing. It’s safe to say that Google is watching Bing carefully and strategizing their next move.

Bottom line: Bing is definitely an up-and-comer; however, the planned merger with Yahoo! is already rumored to take longer than expected and will most likely present a host of technological hold-ups along the way. Launching a Bing ad campaign is definitely a worthwhile investment. Current advertisers are seeing a higher ROI with Bing and ad costs are still low. At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that Bing has a lower search volume and fewer advertisers. And while Google may be tried and true, the search engine giant recognizes the power of Bing and is making strides to adapt to the competition.

Best case scenario? Keep successful Google campaigns running and switch smaller campaigns over to Bing to test those waters. Monitor, analyze and keep an eye out for more changes from both Google and Bing before the end of 2010.

May 25th, 2010 | Tags: advertising, Bing, Google, interactive marketing, online, PPC, ROI, search engine marketing, SEM, SEO, social media, usabilty, Web 2.0, Yahoo! | Category: Scallops | Comments (1)

There’s great debate about the power of Gen Y. Today, members of Gen Y are coming of age; the first batch has successfully made it through college while their younger counterparts are finishing up high school.

Sometimes referred to as millennials, Gen Yers represent a generation in transition; a group of people who haven’t quite figured everything out yet. But if one thing’s for sure, these next gen up-and-comers are poised to revolutionize the relationship between brand marketing, social media and technology.

A recent study conducted by the Stern School of Business at NYU examined how Gen Y uses social media to interact with prestige brands. Almost two-thirds of respondents labeled themselves “brand conscious”, able to single out luxury brands like Apple, Chanel and BMW.

The cause for this level of brand consciousness? A combination of elevated Internet usage (most of Gen Y can’t remember life without online access) and social media presence. Everyday brands like Starbucks, Zappos and Dell have made social media outreach part of their big business plan, amping up their exposure to the Gen Yers who are tuned into multiple channels.

By catching the eye of Gen Y, these brands are in the position to gain customers for life. Take for example the famed Burger King “Sacrifice” Facebook app, where users ditched 10 friends in exchange for a free Whopper. Building relationships with Gen Yers now means the brand has years to gain their trust as pockets deepen. So, 10 years from now when Laura gets her first promotion, she might go straight to the BMW dealership.

Carefully planned social media marketing is already making a measureable impact on impressionable Gen Yers. The Stern study shows that more than 20% of Gen Y considers blogs as one of their top sources for information on prestige brands while an equal number follow similar brands on Facebook.

The surefire way to market to millennials? Take a cue from Pepsi and Refresh Everything. To make a lasting impact on savvy Gen Yers, ride the social media wave and expand your presence on Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere. And keep looking out.  As Yoda said, “Always in motion is the future,” and the next big Internet opportunity is coming soon.

May 18th, 2010 | Tags: Apple, branding, Facebook, Gen Y, NYU, social media, Web 2.0 | Category: Scallops | Comments (2)

Crisis is relative. It takes many forms within an organization. In our experience, crisis has ranged from unexpected executive changes to charges of homicide, from products that didn’t deliver as promised to suddenly plummeting share prices. While these extreme situations represent challenges for any company, there are also lesser calamities that can rapidly spin out of control. And, due to the viral nature of social networking, like it or not, your organization might wind up “in the news.”

The upside of social networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are their ready- made infrastructures that enable companies, causes and individuals to quickly bring positive messages to market. Yet, similar to computer hackers, there are unsavory individuals who monitor these networks – as well as other streams of information – and use social networking to bring industry giants to their knees and send smaller companies running for cover.

Every crisis requires a response. That response needs to be truthful, timely and most of all, unemotional. When companies are under attack, their normal reaction is to strike back. Yet, given the long-term ramifications, nothing could be worse. That’s why companies need to rely on their outside PR counsel to craft “standby statements” that can be used to control the message in manner that casts a company in a positive light without continuing crisis-like conditions. Crisis is when cooler heads need to prevail.

Inevitably, every crisis communications situation is multifaceted. When sizing up a situation, we recommend that our clients consider two factors immediately: how will this situation affect existing customer relationships and how will it affect employees. Taking a step back from these key audiences, the next ripple in the ring to be considered are prospects and any job candidates in the pipeline. Getting your message to these audiences first will elevate their confidence in your company’s ability to execute quickly and decisively. Social networking is not the right means of delivering messages to these audiences; picking up the telephone and nurturing the relationship one-on-one is far more powerful than tweeting.

So, when should a company use social networking or resume its social networking activities post-crisis? That depends on the nature of the crisis and the composition of the organization’s economic buyers, influencers, recommenders and deal-breakers. If you’re selling a product that potentially touches every household, an aggressive communications plan leveraging all appropriate communications mediums – television, radio, Facebook, etc. – might be warranted. B2B companies, on the other hand, should consider ratcheting down their social networking presence for a few days until customers and key influencers are notified directly. 

Bear in mind that the very nature of a crisis makes it point-in-time. And, social networking activity “trends” so what seems especially painful on a Monday is practically forgotten by Friday. Properly managing crisis means keeping a logical head, selecting the right communications tools and possessing the steely resolve to step up and speak confidently on a timely basis.

April 30th, 2010 | Tags: crisis communications, Marketing, PR, social media, social networking, Twitter, viral marketing | Category: Scallops | Comments (2)

How many of you reading this post have already grappled with the issue of employees starting company LinkedIn groups or Twitter accounts within any rhyme or reason?  Has the team in Chennai started posting jobs on LinkedIn? Did the person who created that great Facebook group for your upcoming conference leave the company and delete the group on her last day? Did your latest email diatribe about increasing sales somehow make its way onto Twitter?

If you answered yes, rest assured you’re not alone. Social networking technology has proliferated far more quickly than companies’ abilities to forge policies and procedures to reign in enthusiastic employees. Social networking has broken down the old hierarchy of waiting for news to be published; it has created a peer-to-peer medium that makes everyone a star. It’s no wonder that some companies have reacted to the potential of social networking by blocking it from the company network. And there’s no surer way to make social networking the forbidden fruit for your employees than by limiting its access.

Let’s start with some basic assumptions. You’re paying your employees to work so any distractions – such as social networking – are best discouraged. But, wouldn’t it be beneficial to uncover what your competitors are saying about your brand real-time?  What about the ability to find out that a major telecommunications company is considering a buying decision in your category? These are two real-life examples that were uncovered through smart social networking; in one instance, the vendor was able get on the short list for the RFP; in the other instance, a pre-emptive strike through another social network enabled the vendor to thwart its competitor’s efforts.

Make it go away, you say? Don’t even go there. Social networking isn’t going anywhere; in fact, it’s getting stronger and more pervasive. Remember when pagers, cell phones and e-mail invaded the workplace? It’s no different. Your company has to establish reasonable limitations that leverage the intellectual capital of your workforce while ensuring primary productivity goals are met.

Consider augmenting your employment handbook with a social media section to educate employees. Speak to your IT department to determine where the boundaries should be, e.g., no uploading photos, no mass “friending” expeditions. Lastly, consider having a formal social media team in place. This team can act as the “editors” of your social media initiatives by approving employee content and monitoring any variances.

How powerful is social networking? Consider this example: one of our clients was experiencing a competitive attack on Twitter. Every day, postings illuminated the company’s supposed shortcomings; however, the information was dated and irrelevant.  It didn’t matter – when the social networks aren’t hearing from you, people rely on what they read as truth. We helped them launch a daily drumbeat powered by their employees that serves as a channel for good news, as well as a defensive stance. The before and after is striking, especially in their share price, which no longer reacts negatively to competitive hits. In fact, it appears their competitor has gotten bored and moved on to other initiatives. The lesson: shore up your social networking practices or suffer the consequences.

April 21st, 2010 | Tags: brand, branding, content development, PR, recruiting, social media, social network, social networking, Twitter, Web 2.0 | Category: Scallops | Comments (1)

No doubt there’s a boom in blogging. According to the latest count from Technorati, there are 112.8 million blogs, and they’re multiplying faster than a pool of guppies.

Blogging has become a powerful medium for corporations to disseminate their distinct brand messages either through individual or corporate blogs prompting the FTC to issue new guidelines governing endorsements.

The guidelines incorporate several changes regarding the use of endorsements and testimonials, including those made by consumers, experts, organizations and celebrities, as well as the disclosure of important connections between advertisers and endorsers. In other words, to be in compliance, you need to be transparent about your relationships in online communication.

For organizations that participate in social media, be it writing blogs, creating Facebook fan pages or updating company news via Twitter, transparent communication is a good idea. Companies that demonstrate transparent communication are seen as credible, trustworthy and are more likely to build meaningful relationships with potential customers, partners, employees and job candidates.

To ensure your company is engaging in transparent communication, ask yourself the following:

Do you have a social media policy?  The more employees use social media the more the lines between personal brand and corporate identity continue to blur. Do employees have permission to blog about the organization on their personal blogs? If yes, make sure your policy addresses transparency and encourages employees to disclose their connection to the organization. Recognize that your employees are synonymous with your corporate culture. Companies that do permit employees to blog on their behalf should also put controls in place that ensure employee bloggers share morals and values that reflect positively on the company.

Is the voice of your blog authentic? Faceless newsletters and press releases with an unknown contact are surely a thing of the past. Today, people search your LinkedIn profile, corporate Web site or Twitter account for supplementary information about what is going on in your organization and the individuals delivering your messages. As Dale Carnegie once said, when you are dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion. Connect on an emotional level by recognizing that corporate speak is out and a human voice is in. In other words, people do with business with companies they can relate to and trust. Get the tone right and have a conversation.

Are you using straight-talk to deliver messages? Tough times often require communicating bad news such as workforce reductions, employee performance issues or product recalls. Part of being transparent and authentic is being honest. Make sure you’re “straight up” in online conversations and don’t hide your mistakes. Instead, get out ahead of the story and be proactive, not reactive. Think through what you want to say and use facts and figures and audience-friendly language. If you respond to comments on your blog and someone asks a question you don’t know the answer to or can’t answer due to legal reasons, simply say you cannot answer the question. Honesty in communications creates better customer relationships, demonstrates integrity and establishes your organization as truthful and responsible.

Do you clearly identify endorsements? Don’t try to masquerade a corporate blog as anything but a corporate blog. Walmart’s fake blog, established as part of their “Wal-marting Across America” campaign put a blemish on the company’s reputation and resulted in significant backlash from the blogosphere. Honesty in identity is critical.

Are you moderating content and comments? As your blog becomes popular or if you write about controversial subjects, you’re likely to have readers comment on your posts. While some may contain praise, others may offer negative or critical comments. Mad Men’s Don Draper said if you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation. However, if you remove all negative or critical comments you may damage your reputation as an honest communicator. Instead, put your ego aside and listen to valuable critiques. You don’t have to respond, but if you do, do it in a diplomatic way, and don’t engage in a war of words.

As more organizations engage in blogging and other forms of social media it’s important to strike the right balance between personal and professional exchanges. Transparent and authentic communication is more than just a nice-to-do – it’s an essential factor for success in online business communication.

April 9th, 2010 | Tags: Marketing, PR, social media, Twitter, Web 2.0 | Category: Scallops | Comments (1)

Business savvy professionals might be wary of what comes out of Wall Street these days but in the early ’80s, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wasn’t familiar with E.F. Hutton’s catchy advertising slogan, “When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen.” The one thing that hasn’t changed between then and now is that getting people’s attention is contingent on not only what you say, but how you say it. If you want to command attention and get people to listen to you, you need to prepare twofold:  structure and package your messages so they’re influential and polish your presentation skills.

Whether you’re keynoting a conference, leading a team meeting or pitching business to a potential client, speaking in public is part of the agenda for nearly every business professional. Leaders who master the art of powerful presentations, whether to large groups or in small meetings, are able to captivate, engage, inspire and influence others – and they are far more likely to experience greater success than those that cannot.

To communicate with confidence and deliver a powerful presentation, keep the following in mind:

Be clear on your intent. A powerful presentation requires preparation. Understand and play to the goals to ensure you deliver value and meet audience expectations. A presentation that has a clear beginning, compelling middle and actionable conclusion delivered at an easy to follow but energetic pace will be more likely to drive the outcomes you’re seeking.

Know your audience and tailor messages appropriately. Whether you are conducting a state-of-the-business presentation to hourly workers, managers and executives, using video conferencing to present to a global group across time zones and cultures, or conducting a one-on-one meeting, it’s important to know your audience. Think about your recipients and present information in a way that is meaningful to them, but assume nothing. The better you understand your audience’s needs, the better your presentation will be.

Know your subject matter. When you command the topic you’re speaking about, the more effective you’ll be in communicating with confidence. Being an expert and knowing the subject matter inside-and-out will allow you to focus on delivery and making a connection with your audience. In some meetings, your audience may be eager to learn more. Make sure you’ve thought through a mechanism by which you can succinctly answer their inquiries and provide additional depth of detail. In some cases, you might be fielding hostile questions. Make sure you’ve developed tactics to diffuse emotions in advance and have cultivated the skills to remain calm and respond appropriately.

Be authentic. Authentic and transparent communication goes a long way in building trust and connecting with your audience. Your ability to deliver a presentation that sounds genuine and credible will increase your effectiveness as a communicator. Evaluate your presentation through the lens of your listener and pay attention to non-verbal communication such as eye contact and body gestures. Speakers that don’t demonstrate authenticity tend to lack an emotional connection, resulting in messages that fail to resonate.

Sharpen your listening skills. Part of being a powerful presenter is listening and being compassionate to your audience’s needs. This is particularly important when delivering bad news such as a workforce reduction or conducting a less than positive performance review. The good way to deliver bad news is by listening carefully and communicating clearly. When communicating difficult messages, choose your words carefully and acknowledge their impact.

Spark some passion. If you want to connect with your audience, deliver messages that make them feel something. While a PowerPoint presentation can be helpful to illustrate your main speaking points, make sure you’re not reading from it. Banish jargon and “corpspeak” from your vocabulary. Whether your goal is to inform, influence or inspire, paying attention to how you package your messages is critical.

Whether in front of a few people or a packed room, business professionals who have powerful presentation skills are able to hold people’s interest, influence their thinking and make extraordinary efforts on behalf of their organization. Honing your presentation skills and learning how to present yourself powerfully will ensure your ability to lead effective meetings, reap career development benefits and build a personal brand of ongoing success.

March 26th, 2010 | Tags: brand, brand building, conferencing, presentations, professional development, speaker bureau, speaking | Category: Scallops | Comments (2)