When You Wish Upon a Star....

Dear Readers,

I am fortunate enough to be invited to speak to groups of social media industry people and entrepreneurs and am often asked how I balance my corporate identity and my personal identity as it relates to social media, specifically Twitter. My Twitter ID is SavvyAuntie, but my avatar is a photo of me (taken by the acclaimed fashion photographer, Chiun-Kai Shih!)

My response is that I am my brand. And since I am a 'family' brand, I don't curse, get negative or political. "You never know when Disney(C) may want to advertise," I say.

Well guess what? Disney approached me to advertise! Specifically, it's Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) that approached me for a very interesting opportunity. It's new, modern and part of the innovative digital marketing approach called: Conversational Marketing.

Specifically, WDSHE has asked me to help them promote the premier of the 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition of Walt Disney's(C) Pinocchio on Blu-ray and DVD on Twitter. Yes. Twitter.

The first thing I told them was that I would be writing this blog post and tweeting it several times to let my Followers know that I would be working on this pilot project with them. (I am the first and only one they have approached to do this). They agreed. I also told them that everything that I tweeted out would be authentic, transparent and honest. They agreed. Finally, I told them that it had to be conversational and seamless with regard to how I always connect on Twitter. They agreed.

What's interesting about this campaign, which also includes run-of-site display ads on SavvyAuntie.com, is that it's positive reinforcement that those who are engaging, give support, share great content, add value, and connect in the conversation, can be rewarded with becoming an emissary for a brand like Disney.

I did my due diligence. I consulted with some of the people I respect the most in social media to get their opinions. I studied the launch of the Pinocchio 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition Blu-ray and DVD and feel strongly that it suits the Savvy Auntie brand. Pinocchio is a classic tale of following your dreams, bravery, loyalty and honesty. These are wonderful virtues we all want to help instill in our nieces, nephews, sons and daughters.

Having Disney as a sponsor is honestly a wish come true. I am proud that they have selected me as the one to work on this pilot project with them. We all agree that if this works, it's good news for everyone involved. Those who are interested in adding the 70th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray and DVD to their collection of Disney Movie Classics will have been notified. Those who might be able to learn how to leverage social media for sponsorship will have a good case study to watch. And Disney will hopefully be happy too.

So here's the plan. Every time I tweet a 'sponsored' tweet from Disney, I will use #SADisney (SA standing for Savvy Auntie). [UPDATE: I have now changed this to #DisneySA as a reader pointed out before it read: SAD-isney! Not a good idea.] That way, you'll know it. I won't do that when I am back-and-forth in conversation with people about it every time, as that might become cumbersome for everyone. I do not profit from the sale of the Blu-ray or DVDs.

The program begins March 3rd and runs through March 23rd.

If you have any questions, please email me at editor@savvyauntie.com. I'll do my best to answer all of them.

If this works, it's good for social media and all those involved. We're all learning. I'm so happy you're on this journey with me.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

*When You Wish Upon a Star is the Academy Award winning song from Pinocchio. And part of my personal philosophy.....

Three Things a Startup Founder Must Do

Dear Readers,

I gave a second interview to Startup Lucky the other day. When asked for my top three things a startup founder needs to do to succeed, there were:

Have Passion
Work Really (REALLY) Hard
Think about your Legacy

Here's the entire interview. Enjoy!

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

Savvy Auntie Presents at SMBNY4

Dear Readers,

I was asked to present at the Social Media Breakfast NY #4 earlier this month about Branding: Building, Managing and Thriving Online. Me? Talking about my brand? But I just launched in July! What an honor!

Here is the presentation. I was having a bad hair day, I apologize.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

Going to Toy Fair!

Dear Readers,

I'm going to be at Toy Fair tomorrow at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. This is the annual event where toy manufacturers, big and small, gather to showcase their upcoming toys for the year. It's really exciting to be in on the action and I will be filming our favorites (and perhaps a few strange things we find) along the way.

What am I filming for? Well, I am excited to announce that we will soon be launching Savvy Auntie TV. Online video is becoming more and more important in digital media. If it's good, it can be incredibly viral - which means people will share it often. It's like having SavvyAuntie.com on wheels!

I'll post more on Savvy Auntie TV soon, but rest assured it will be along the sophisticated lines of the Savvy Auntie brand. It's professionally produced and I have to say, looking good. I'm thrilled! I cannot wait to share it with you!

In the meantime, I am getting ready for two incredible days at Toy Fair.... including wearing comfortable shoes and making a sandwich.

Want to follow me at Toy Fair? I'll be live Tweeting all day: Twitter.com/savvyauntie.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

25 Random Things About Me

Dear Readers,

There is this thing going around Facebook where people share 25 Random Things about themselves. In the spirit of the blog where I try to be as transparent as I can be, here are the 25 Random Things about me that I just posted on Facebook:

1. I'm turning 40 on March 15th and I'm not unhappy about it. If this is what 40 looks like, bring it on, baby!
2. I did kindergarten twice because of some mix up moving from one school to another.
3. My middle name is Rose.
4. My Jewish name is Shoshanna.
5. When I was 8, I imagined having a set of twin daughters and planned to name them Bonnie and Buffy. I have two sets of twin nieces, none of which are named Bonnie or Buffy, thankfully.
6. My mom died 20 years ago, almost to the day.
7. I've been imagining starting my own company for 15 years and have been reading books and magazines on entrepreneurship, marketing, business and leadership every since.
8. My older brother was always smarter than me.
9. I went to McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where I am from.
10. I don't really know 70% of my "Friends" on Facebook but appreciate their reaching out.
11. I don't eat pork, bacon, shellfish, cheeseburgers and never have.
12. I used to be in musical plays as a teen and loved it. Studied theatre at college (Marionopolis in Montreal).
13. This is my real hair color.
14. I've never had a 'long-term relationship' and am really, truly fine with it.
15. Three years ago, I woke up numb on one side of my body. Turns out I have MS but that was the worst of it. I feel great and the disease rarely affects me. Thank God.
16. I have become slightly addicted to coffee. And my iphone. And yes, Twitter.
17. I am happy 94% of the time. The other 6% of the time I am not remembering how fortunate I am.
18. I believe in karma. And God.
19. More than married, I wish I were in love. And he in love with me.
20. I am so happy I didn't marry the boys I 'loved' 10-25 years ago.
21. I would be an amazing, amazing mom.
22. When I think about how much I love my nephew and nieces, I cry.
23. I am ashamed of how little I have traveled.
24. I don't have an MBA and am happy I didn't spend the money to get one.
25. I speak French, Hebrew and a little Japanese.

Why I'm Saying Goodbye Shorty

Dear Readers,

I've been nominated by various Followers on Twitter for the Shorty Awards in the "Brand" category. The Shorty Awards award those voted on by people on Twitter as the best short form communicators in their category. For those who don't know, Twitter is a social media platform that enables people and companies to communicate in 140 characters or less. I cannot say enough about how Twitter has enabled me to develop groundswell support for my company and gauge how my brand is affecting those around the country and the world. (Twitter has also enabled me to connect with my business heroes, advisors, Savvy Auntie Experts and much, much more. But more about that in another post.)

I didn't really pay too much attention to the Shorty Awards but appreciated all the nominations I was getting by my Followers on Twitter in the brand category. But things changed last week when I was notified by the people at the Shorty Awards that I was a finalist in the category and that there would be an awards ceremony in New York City on February 11 and..... and my ego kicked in.

All of a sudden I wanted to "win." Even though I am not sure I should win. After all, I think Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos, should win if we're going to be legitimate about who is the best brand communicator on Twitter. But Twitter.com/zappos is not a finalist. Marvel is a finalist and so truly they should win. But they are not currently winning.

Over the last few days since the finalists were notified, Twitter.com/SavvyAuntie has been neck-and-neck with Twitter.com/MarthaVan. Heard of her? I hadn't. Her profile says she's the "Creator of Action Wipes. Gr8 after a ride, hike, climb, camping, Burning Man, Coachella and more. “Your face is not a baby’s butt. Don’t wipe it like one”." And I started to think that "Martha Van" isn't a brand. It's a person. "Action Wipes" are the brand. And so I started to ask people to vote for me because "Savvy Auntie" is a brand. I even sent Direct Messages (private Twitter messages) to Twitter friends asking them to vote for me.

And the whole time I felt like an idiot. After all, the winner, in my honest opinion, should be Zappos.

And then I really felt like an idiot when I received a note from the people at the Shorty Awards that the price for the awards ceremony would be $60 (free for me as a finalist). So if I did win this thing, I would have to then go back to the same people from whom I asked for a "vote" and ask them to shell out $60 to attend.

This has gotten way out of hand.

I am really honored (I am serious here) to have been nominated. When people nominate and the vote for you for the Shorty Awards, they have to say why they are voting. And frankly, I was so touched by so many of the things that people wrote about me and my brand.

And that's more than enough for me.

I am spending way too much energy exercising my ego in the Shorty Awards. Do I really need to win this to be proud of the fact that in six months Savvy Auntie has the recognition and buzz that it does? No. It's silly.

While it's not fair to pull of out the race because it wasn't my decision to be a finalist (it was the voters' democratic decision), I am no longer asking people to vote for me, checking my stats or frankly, caring. Those who have voted for me, I have thanked. If I haven't thanked you yet, it's coming. Because that's the "win" here. The win is having people who care enough to recognize me and my efforts...and a way for me to say thank you. The best shorty award vote came from someone I don't even know: "smarkowski: @shortyawards I vote for @SavvyAuntie in the Shorty Awards Finals for #brand because she asks politely and sends thoughtful thank you notes."

Awards programs like these benefit the companies that initiate the awards programs more than the people who receive the awards. It's a profit making and/or traffic driving endeavor that plays on the egos of small (and large) businesses like mine. It's not a fair awards ranking program. It's a popularity contest and the nominee with the most energy to aggregate votes, wins. Basically, they aren't fair in a number of ways.

The award I really want to win will coming up in a couple of months. It's the Webby Awards. I have no idea if Savvy Auntie is even a finalist yet. But I want that award because it will recognize the team from Syrup that worked so hard and so professionally with me to develop the brand design, website design and strategy, and much more. Plus, it's decided on by experts in the digital media field and not a popularity contest....other than the People's Voice part of the awards program...which is already giving me agita and I haven't even been nominated yet. The primary part of the Webby Awards is about the work that my team did and that is completely legitimate and I honor the opportunity for them to be recognized.

Here's more on the Webby Awards: The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Established in 1996 during the Web's infancy, The Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities.

To be clear, I value the people's votes for Savvy Auntie in these contests more than anything. But I am sick about how it feeds my ego, making me feel like I am part of a high school popularity contest, and so I won't do it anymore. And I won't ask for your votes anymore.

Because that's entirely your decision.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

PS - Follow my brand life on Twitter at www.twitter.com/savvyauntie. Please excuse all the "vote for me" tweets from the other day. :)

The Beauty of Toys

Dear Readers,

There's a pile of toys sitting in my living room. A couple of Fancy Nancys, an Elmo, a Tumbles, a cow and a moose (they're a couple) and some night vision goggles. They're not mine. Well, they're mine but I don't really play with them. Other than the Elmo and the Tumbles on rare occasion.

These toys came my way via various PR and brand managers who sent them upon request. Most of these toys appeared with me on a TV or web show. Some, like cow and moose, just found their way to me somehow.

The amazing thing about all this is that a year ago, I didn't know much about toys. Now, I have become an official toy expert. Not only am I a contributing editor for Toy Wishes Magazine, but I often appear on TV or online talking about the hottest toys for nieces and nephews of all ages. And I feel confident I know my stuff. Or at least I try.

Of course, there's that incredible Gifts section on SavvyAuntie.com that lists the best toys we've seen this year. Yes, it's nearing 2009 and we're already scouting for the best of the new year. And by we I mean me. Because I'm still a one-woman show. (Although after the new year, I am welcoming @savvychrista and @savvydebi as part-time interns and they are going to be a tremendous help!)

My point about my becoming a toy expert in less than a year is that if you set your mind out to do something, to be something, and if you work hard enough, you might just be able to achieve it.

I learned that when I began working at L'Oreal in 2002. The beauty industry is pretty incestuous. When I thought about getting into the industry just a few years before I landed the job at L'Oreal, a woman who had been in the industry forever told me that if you weren't 'born' into the beauty industry, it was almost impossible to get in. Beauty execs move from one company to another, or are lifers at their first. Rarely do people enter the industry after entry-level.

But I got in at a senior level.... and knew little about cosmetics other than my own passion for them. But I learned. I studied. I inquired. I went to makeup counters and watched. I read research data. I scanned the internet for cosmetics news. I dove right in. And became a beauty expert.

The toy industry reminds me a little of the beauty industry. There are a few independent brands with some winning products, but mostly there are just a few larger companies that own a significant number of toy brands - just like in the beauty industry. And just like the beauty industry, it's tough to get into the toy industry if you weren't born into it.

Both industries thrive on innovation - but true innovation is rare and fleeting. A truly innovative product has never been done before, and it often takes either a small, nimble company, or a rich mega-company, to produce and launch it. And as technology gets easier to replicate, an innovative product doesn't own a category for too long before a copy-cat comes along to steal part if its thunder.

Finally, technologies are often replicated between brands of a larger company. Just like you'll find similar technologies in mascaras across mass and prestige makeup brands, you'll notice similar technologies sweep across toy brands. For example, this year it was hard to find a toy that wasn't motorized in one way or another.

Elmo Live! by Fisher Price is the latest incarnation of our ticklish furry friend, and is really life-like. Or toddler monster-like. While a few steps above the original Tickle-Me Elmo, Elmo Live! is still a motorized plush.

Playskool, a division of Hasbro, and a wonderful Savvy Auntie sponsor, launched Kota the Triceratops, the motorized dino that little kids just love. And Playskool's Tumbles, Biscuit and Butterscotch were also favorites of kids for whom the basic plush is no longer the only option. And Tonka, another brand associated with Hasbro, has a real winner with the Tonka Bounce Back Racer which sold out quickly.

Non-tech toys also made it big this year. Bakugan, a trading card/marbles/action figure game based on the anime series of the same name, caused quite a stir among school-aged boys. And the hackysack-like Myachi, took ten years to become and over-night success.

Alex Toys, a leading crafts brand, launched it's Alex Jr baby plush baby products and I instantly fell in love with the gorgeous colors and designs. Somewhere between pastels and prime colors, the toys are really a delight to look at.

Of course, there are smaller, independant companies that I see a lot of promise for as well. Tedde - the 'un-mass' produced teddy bear company, really has an opportunity to reach an audience that is looking for a different toy to give a unique child.

Finally, companies are making great strides in developing toys specifically for Special Needs kids, or realizing that their traditional products are developmental for those kids as well.

I am eager to see what 2009 will bring for toy innovation and how the economy will shape the industry. What will be this year's Webkindz, Guitar Hero or Wii Fit? Will technology play an even greater role, or will consumers lean toward basic toys as the economy brings them back to basics at home?

I'll be attending the Toy Fair in New York in February and will have a better idea then. I'll share all the new innovations with you as I learn about them myself, here and at SavvyAuntie.com. Plus, this year I'm launching a still hush-hush way of telling you about all the latest, hottest gifts for kids. It's coming soon and I can't wait for the reveal!

In the meantime, I have Elmo and Tumbles to keep me company. And yes - having great toys does make me a very cool Savvy Auntie. Just ask my nephew and nieces. They're coming to play this week.



XOXO,
Auntie Melanie

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