Each night I would return home from working a full day and get right to work making contacts and connections in New York. Very little of my time was actually spent on job boards. I was committed to only reaching out to organizations that share my passions and have developed the kind of culture I’m looking for, even if they weren’t hiring. It was like attending school after work, only worse. It was often frustrating, rarely gratifying, and always exhausting.

Throughout the process I received a lot of advice, much of it insightful and helpful, some not. One thing that’s regularly discussed is creating your own “brand.” Something that gives an organization a glimpse into your background, experience and outlook beyond the traditional materials. It’s something I’ve worked hard to craft. But throughout the process I was reminded that even as the job seeker, the power of brands works both ways.

In my search I looked at every nuance, read every article, and explored every department. In essence, I explored their brand the same way they would mine. Yet just as something can instantly disqualify me, it did for them too.

For example, while still in Phoenix I had an interview scheduled with a prominent NYC marketing company. It was an introductory interview with an HR representative simply to get to know each other rather than to discuss a specific opening. Becoming familiar with the organiztion was as important to me as them.

The call was to happen at an agreed upon time where I would call. So I called. No answer. I waited a few minutes, called again, left a message and waited for a response. Nothing. No big deal. Surely something came up that was far more important than my introductory interview. So I sent an email expressing those sentiments. Nothing. A week later I emailed and called a couple more times, reached out on Twitter (which is active by the way) and still no response. Nothing. Not even a “leave us alone we’re no longer interested.” So what does that say about your brand?

What it says to me, the hungry yet strategic (and valuable) job hunter, is that your company is no longer a place I’d like to work. That’s not how I do business and if that’s how you do business than we’re not the match I thought. Is this actually what the company is all about? Probably not. But it goes to show the power one person can have on your brand.

The worst part is that great organizations who treat people this way are probably missing out on great talent. There’s no sour grapes here - I’m fine and have since found a perfect situation. But this, like everything else in this journey, has been a powerful lesson that I’ll take with me the rest of my life.

Picking up the sarcasm? I hope so because the last thing this industry needs is another reason to celebrate itself. It’s what we do better than any group outside of politicians or NBA free agents.

Unfortunately, this day will be spent by the social media crowd pimping things as opposed to working together to better the industry. A quick search of the Twitter hashtag “#smday” proves this point.

My wish for “Social Media Day?” Instead of individually and organizationally celebrating our excellence, we collectively gather to admit how little we actually understand about the “social” part of our jobs.

All of us in this industry have proven how hard we’re willing to work to carve our niche. If we worked that hard to actually be social in our efforts we’d accomplish incredible things that better the marketing experience from client to organization to consumer.

Mashable defines “Social Media Day” as “a day to celebrate the revolution of media becoming social.” Next year, to make good on that definition, “Social Media Day” should be about celebrating specific campaigns or efforts that demonstrate their social success. Instead of today which is just another opportunity for us to claim our expertise. We have enough of that already. 365 days in fact.

Leave it to an artist to put together a great social campaign.

“Play me, I’m yours” is officially titled a “touring artwork” and was developed by British artist, Luke Jerram. It’s a simple idea. Starting today, 60 pianos will be situated throughout New York City available to be played by any and all that pass by. The campaign is presented by “Sing for Hope,” an organization looking to mobilize artists in volunteer efforts.

Not only is the concept cool and sure to generate tremendous interest on site but there’s also a website where you can easily track the location of the pianos and upload your stories, pictures, video, etc. Jerram and the campaign team know the real power comes with the story, not the technology so they’ve built a movement on the ground that inspires social media participation online.

All involved could have taken the easy route and created a Facebook page or social media space with all the bells and whistles. Instead, they’re giving people a reason to take to social media to share their offline experience. In my book, that’s a real social experience.

Today, a new study emerged citing that online communication continues to grow and influence offline Word of Mouth. At first glance the study does a lot to demonstrate this:

• “The Intnernet has become more influential than TV in driving conversations about brands”
• “The best vehicles for influencing WOM come from consumers in social networks”

But the most notable statistics are those sure to appear in social media presentations around the world in mere moments. Those include:

• “7% of all WOM brand conversations happen online”
• “38% of people who have brand WOM conversations both online and off are influenced by the Internet.”
• “The internet had a 17% impact on WOM conversations about finance compared with TV at 8%.”

The stats go on and on from there. To their credit, the study authors do note the significance of in person WOM but that stat is buried deep within the article written by Online Media Daily.

It’s amazing how good we’ve become as an industry at avoiding the obvious. Rather than tackle the challenge of understanding how to effectively reach the overwhelmingly larger group, we bury, ignore, and justify.

This article (and study) could have had a significantly different impact had it simply been reshaped. Imagine the statistics above had been written:

• “93% of all WOM brand conversations happen offline”
• 62% of people who have brand WOM conversations both online and off are NOT influenced by the Internet

Would that change anything? I hope so but I have my doubts. I think it’s high time we start looking at things for what they really are. Social media is incredibly powerful and effective when done strategically and kept in the proper perspective. What are you doing to reach the majority?

At what point do we stop acting like we’re actually doing social media? How about now? It’s not too soon to turn this ship around.

I’ve had the priveldge of being involved in this social media thing since the beginning and it’s been mighty interesting to watch the whole thing evolve. Mainly, it’s been interesting to watch marketing people scramble to jump on board, carve their niche, figure out how to make money, and run afoul of the entire practice.

Five or so years later, (all of you that say you’ve been doing social media for a decade are ridiculous and don’t count) what all of this has amounted to is a bunch of really smart people, a bunch of really dumb people, and all the rest of us building up a stockpile of ego and bullshit so high we’ve completely lost sight of what we were trying to do in the first place.

Let’s break it down. YouTube celebrated its fifth anniversary this year. Remember when you were amazed by watching old episodes of In Living Color? YouTube is still great because of the amount of content and the legitimately interesting stuff you can’t find anywhere else - concert clips, old shows, people falling down, Ricky Gervais and Elmo. The stuff that sucks on YouTube is the marketing crap we in the field do our best to make stand out or worse, “go viral.” Thankfully YouTube is so big we have at least another five years before we defile it completely.

Twitter? Holy shit where do I start? I’m in the social media field and Twitter finally became valuable when I stopped following my peers (most of them anyway). I know, I’m not following the right people right? Turns out I am and their names are @the-real_nash and @BPGlobalPR, not the 15,740 social media experts. After a couple of years Twitter still hasn’t proven itself to be a widely valueable marketing tool. That won’t stop us though. We’ll keep broadcasting noise and counting impressions because that’s what we do.

Facebook? We’re trying so hard to screw up the single best communication tool since the telephone that it’s CEO is on the verge of a heart attack at 14. This whole privacy thing. Whose fault do you really think that is? Facebook? Hardly. It’s the marketing people who smelled blood from the get go.

I could go on forever but I’ll finish with blogs. A few years ago the everyman finally had a voice. It changed everything from journalism to pop culture but at it’s best blogging finally made companies and marketers accountable. It went from, “Fuck the consumer they’ll still by our shit” to “Fuck you company, you suck, here’s why, and now I’m going to tell all my friends.” Companies listened, marketers listened and the world was better. Then some asshole marketer said, “But what if we pay her?” Well this is America afterall so now we have “mommy bloggers.”

Don’t get me wrong, there are a number of people, groups and companies doing incredible things with social media and I admire them greatly. They’re an inspiration for their commitment to the space. But I’ve found that commitment is always rooted in the passion that drew to the space in the first place - connecting people. Sounds simple, but we RARELY do it in social media. We talk about it a lot but RARELY do it. Be accountable. Ask yourself when the last time you actually made a connection between your brand and its audience was. If your answer goes to RT’s or impressions than you haven’t and you’re certainly not practicing social media.

Most of us are in this field because the other shit bored us. We’re turning this into a bore too. Let’s fix this now. It’s actually pretty easy. Stop calling what you’re doing social media and put it back in it’s right category - PR, advertising, etc and be proud of what you do. Or make the commitment to do more than RT, count impressions, and blog numbered lists and build a sound strategy that uses these great tools to make connections and build relationships.

We got ourselves into this mess. Now let’s get ourselves out.

I don’t care what anyone says, perception is reality. It’s unfair, it’s ridiculous and it’s unfounded but right now everyone thinks Arizona is full of racist idiots (and that’s being kind considering what I’ve heard). Is it harsh? Absolutely. Misguided? No question. But as far as the vast majority of people I’ve spoken with over the last week, it’s also reality.

An interesting thing is happening. As I’ve made my way through the city meeting new people from my apartment to my job the conversation always turns to AZ. A couple of weeks ago it was about the heat. Now, it’s about the people. “Are they really that crazy?” “Is it really a police state?” These questions are of course, ridiculous. I lived there almost fifteen years and had a great time, made amazing friends, and had incredibly diverse cultural experiences.  But to people here, and likely everywhere else, that doesn’t matter. Perception is reality.

I thought Meghan McCain’s article in The Daily Beast was interesting. We certainly agree that the law is misguided and while we disagree on a few other points, I’d say where she fails is in her title. She says, “Hate the Law, Not Arizonans.” A completely reasonable standpoint and one I agree with. Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen. Why? Perception is Reality. 

I feel bad for my friends in Arizona who both support and oppose the bill. Both sides are suffering more than they know and even though it might be through the ignorance of others they’re suffering nonetheless. It’s embarrassing to hear what other people think of my home state and I’m compelled to defend it on behalf of the great people I know and love that are still there.  

But then I think about the ramifications of the bill and what it means to all of my friends and family, especially those who suddenly have a whole new worry in their lives and I wonder if I should be defending Arizona. I’m not making excuses or trying to start an argument about how we got into this mess either. I’m simply talking about the present. The perception is Arizona has lost its mind and reverted back to a time where the color of your skin dictated your freedoms. Fair? Honestly, I’m not sure anymore. Perception seems to be turning into reality.

But we too often lose sight of how simple our job really is. Help someone share. That’s it. As the definition states, just give them a reason to talk. It’s why I’m particularly excited about an idea I was lucky enough to have contributed to with my friends at Park&Co in Phoenix.

Few things spark Word of Mouth like a good deed. Think about it. If someone goes out of their way to do something good for you you’re not only likely to remember it and share the experience but you’re likely to pass it along or “pay it forward” too. So before I left Park&Co for New York City we wanted to come up with an idea that did just that. Screw all the marketing bullshit what could we do that actually just helped people.

Enter the Park&Co Good Deed Tickets. The idea? Do something nice. Whether it’s buying someone a cup of coffee or helping our fellow man on the street these good deed tickets remind those holding them it’s their turn to do something nice.

Maybe you’re a cynic. You’re thinking, “So you’re going to buy me a cup of coffee and in response I’m going to get a slickly branded leave behind?” Our first response would be “Wow, thanks we’ll tell the designer you like his work.” Then we’d follow that up with, “Yes, you’re right. We’re going to buy you a cup of coffee and in response you’re recieving a ticket to remind you that every now and then it’s ok to do the same.” We think that’s ok and we’re willing to take the risk at a time when Phoenix residents could use some good mojo.

And personally I’d say, “Shut up and drink your damn coffee.” Then as a Word of Mouth Marketer I’d say, “And don’t forget to tell everyone about it.”

As the move to NYC nears I thought I’d take some time to personally thank and recognize a few people who have gotten me to this point.

Five years ago I walked into Moses Anshell with horribly pleated pants and a sweater vest to meet with Jos Anshell. I really had no business even having the meeting. At that point I was still in school and had no idea what I was doing but after a long conversation Jos looked at me and literally said “what the hell.” Jos took a leap and hired me on the spot to contribute to a PR team going through a major transition. Along with an equally inexperienced and clueless guy, I figured out what I was doing enough to gain people’s trust and actually figure out what I was doing (sort of). My time at Moses Anshell provided some of my greatest professional successes but more importantly led to lasting and meaningful friendships.

There are too many to name and I apologize for leaving some of you out but I’d personally like to thank a couple of you. First, that clueless and inexperienced guy was Jeff Goodman. Immediately Jeff and I identified with each other - neurotic, short, fear of public restrooms, horribly awkward with women. Jeff has always been there (including officiating my wedding as pictured below) and I owe him a lot. Whether or not we play Tiger Woods golf from a distance I know we’ll always be close friends (if only because I owe Jeff something and there’s no way he’ll let me forget).

Secondly, Chip Scutari and Dave Cieslak. How you two have managed to even be somewhat successful is beyond me. Say what you will about them (horribly dressed, bald, overweight, and obnoxious for a start) but these two are the most loyal guys I know. Always there (sometimes unfortunately) and always willing. Chip and Dave, you’re welcome for all of the guidance I’ve given you. I know it will be tough without me.

When I thought about leaving Moses Anshell I knew it would only happen if I found the perfect situation. I did. I know I’m young and there’s a lot ahead of me but I’m confident in saying Park&Co will be the greatest place I will ever work. Everyday I was surrounded by incredibly talented, nice and supportive people (don’t overlook nice). Though the pleats gave way to flat fronts, the sweater vest and cluelessness remained as I told Park Howell I wanted to do something called “Word of Mouth Marketing.” Park said “cool, that sounds fun” and he never waivered from that attitude as I launched my own WOM department. I succeeded a lot, screwed up even more, and no one at Park&Co ever questioned what I was doing. It speaks volumes about an organization turning the corner to become one of the best in the market.

Again, my apologies for not recognizing everyone but first and foremost I’d like to thank Park Howell. Park’s unwavering enthusiasm and trust are qualities I’ve made a point to integrate into my own life. If you don’t know him, meet him. I promise you’ll be better for it.

One thing I always lacked in my career was a mentor. That is until I met Luis Medina. Funny thing is Luis and I aren’t even in the same department. Luis is our Creative Director and he’s the smartest, most creative guy I’ve ever met. His guidance was always spot on and I learned more from him than anyone else before. He also once told me to wear a suit to an event where upon arriving I realized everyone else was wearing jeans. Well played Sir.

Lastly, Tarah Eland. Tarah has what I’m convinced is the hardest job in any agency - traffic manager. Her personality and disposition made her incredibly easy to work with (despite what she may think) and a true friend for life.

Shawn Hardy’s a good guy too. Super talented but he’s tall which immediately disqualifies him from further praise.

I know there are a ton more people responsible for my success and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to you personally but understand that without each and everyone one of you I would not be where I am today or where I will be come Monday. You’ve all had a tremendous impact on me personally and professionally. Thank you for everything you’ve done and will do. I truly appreciate it… unless your name is Chip or Dave in which case I’d rather you just leave me alone and quit begging for office supplies.

They say nice guys finish last and a lot of times I think that’s true. It’s hard to be a nice guy in today’s world, especially in business. Just look at Washington, Wall St. and Main St. I think we’d all agree most of the “nice guys” are on Main St and where are they finishing right now? That’s what makes it even more gratifying when a true “nice guy” finishes first. Such was the case last weekend when the crowd at the 25^th Annual ADDY Award’s rose in unison to salute Park Howell as he made his way to the stage to accept the award for the 2010 “Ad Person of the Year.”

It’s not easy being nice. In fact, it’s really hard. It’s far easier to be an asshole. But that’s not Park’s style. Park’s loyalty and modesty are the traits that dominate his disposition. Client service and integrity dominate his agency. Honestly, it’s why it’s taken awhile for Park&Co to get noticed. But it’s also why his clients rave about him, and why you’re hard pressed to find anyone to say a negative thing about Park or his agency.

Honesty, integrity, loyalty. Buzzwords in a industry that makes its living on bullshit. But not at Park&Co and not with Park Howell. Take it from me, the guy who’s spent the last two years sitting right next to Park everyday – he’ll tell you if he doesn’t like something. But he’ll also challenge you to make it better and before you know it, while you’re working on perfecting a project, he’s made you better.

It’s the same ethic that’s spread to Park’s family, staff, clients and causes. Park&Co isn’t a cause-marketing agency by definition but look at our clients and you might think differently. Park wants to care about the things he works on. Paychecks are nice but paychecks for doing good are even better. If it sounds contrived it’s because you’ve worked with people obsessed with the former. It’s ok to admit it. I’ve worked with them too and I didn’t think it was possible for someone to walk the walk the way Park does.

I’m convinced that talking Park into letting me enter him into the competition was far harder than the committee’s decision to name him the winner. His success over 25 years speaks for itself. The company and reputation he’s built speaks for itself. But Park doesn’t speak for himself. Thank goodness a shameless and obnoxious promoter like me was able to talk him into letting me throw his name in the hat. It’s about time the Park Howell’s of the world got some recognition and I know I speak for everyone who knows him when I say he deserves it.

It’s an interesting experience and one that makes you analyze yourself and your talents. Wasn’t what I created better than that? That’s a multiple winner? Why don’t we have that client? The questions go on and on but one thing everyone could agree on was that Riester’s American Lung Association campaign was great. The campaign was awarded the acclaimed “Special Judges Award” for good reason - it was effective, poignant and quieted even the loudest critics, including myself.  At least until I realized it was bullshit.

Why bullshit? Because the campaign that got the most buzz looked suspiciously like another campaign created by Crispin Porter. Take a look for yourself here in a side by side comparison…

Now before anyone goes too crazy let me state that I fully understand that we work in an industry that regularly borrows from each other. And when things aren’t borrowed, creative inspiration often emanates from the same places. It’s a natural phenomenon and one we’ve all encountered. You know that moment when you’re so proud of your idea only to realize it’s been produced a hundred times over? It happens.

My beef here isn’t just with Riester. It’s also with these “Special Judges,” specifically, Mark Carlson, Alessandra Lairu, and Jay Roth (I’m going assume the judges in charge of judging the ADDY’s are the same who awarded the “Special Judges” award). My problem from Riester at the concepting phase to the judges at the judging phase is that originality was never a priority. Again, I understand Riester may have thought they were having an original thought but one glance through a Communication Arts (and others) or a tiny bit of research among well seasoned ad folks would have shed light on the fact that it wasn’t original.

Accident? Maybe. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. Riester has done good work in the past and there’s nothing to suggest this wasn’t a “coincidence.” If the concept served their clients needs and was well regarded within the community that’s great. But deserving of a “Special Judges” award? Debatable.

Overall, this is about how as an industry we need to be more accountable and more committed than ever to being original. There are lots of talented people out there and if we’re not coming up with something great, they are.