Tomorrow is the big day, and for some of you, it’s all about the ads.
This year, there’s something new.
After kickoff on Sunday, commercials will be uploaded as they air and fans can vote on their favorites at You Tube Ad Blitz.
Then you can hop on over to the BrandBowl 2010 site, and be a part of real-time, Twitter powered rankings on the ads. The top 10 brands getting the most Twitter buzz will be highlighted, at any given time.
Brands aren’t just what the ad makers say.
Brands are what you think. They’re what’s held in your heart and mind.
What’s your takeaway after watching them? Which ones get your thumbs up?
It’s the time of year to reflect back, look at your accomplishments, review what worked and didn’t, and make a fresh set of plans to move forward.
Seth Godin has a new free, e-book to inspire and help you through this process. He’s asked 70 BIG thinkers to each share an idea for you to think about as you look at the New Year. They’re ideas from brilliant, creative names – and for you, they’re free!
He says now, more than ever, we need a different way of thinking. He gives you ideas to turn the game around.
Download it and read it, or watch it, and tell me which of these great BIG ideas resonate with you. Can you use any to sharpen your personal brand by doing work that matters? Do you have some you can add?
Google just announced real time search: what does this mean for your personal brand?
Mashable tells us the conversations and interactions you’re making right now, will show up in real time search. That means your tweets, Yahoo Answers, news articles, and Web pages will stream live. Even your public Facebook Pages and MySpace data that is public, will be live. The whole world will know what your personal brand is doing right now.
The biggest advantage is that you can look current and fresh as you communicate and engage with your audience in real time. You can listen, join in, and add value. Not after the fact. On the flip side, you will quickly look stale and out of date if you don’t keep up with it.
Do you have an integrated communications plan that clearly and consistently communicates your personal brand? Now you have an exciting new tool to add to it, to help you stay first and foremost in the minds of your audience.
What steps will you take to optimize Google’s real time search?
As we spend more and more time in front of our computers and iphones, take time to disconnect, step away for a period, and be thankful of what is really important to you this Thanksgiving.
Can you do it? I challenge you to turn it off, leave the rat race behind, and enjoy the moment you’re in, with gratitude and thankfulness.
I’ll get to see so many of you in person this Thanksgiving weekend, and I am looking forward to it. It’s the offline relationships and time with you that I treasure!
For those I won’t see, I want you to know I am so grateful for you – together we have overcome extreme challenges this year. You’ve encouraged me, supported me, and given me the inspiration to take HUGE strides forward that I could have never done without you. Thank you!
Use your social media tools and your personal brand to help your favorite charity or cause this holiday season.
Here are 5 simple things you can do right now:
Write a blog post. Your readers have built up trust in you, so you already hold an influential platform to easily spread awareness among your network.
Use video to share your passion. It’s a great way to express your message in a real and authentic way, and allows you to get really creative. If making a video isn’t your strength, find other videos that are already being used for your cause and share them with your friends.
Embed a widget on your site to show your support to your charity of choice. Or add a widget to Causecast where others can use this platform to find a cause that they connect with.
Share stories and links about causes you’re passionate about, using your social networking sites.
Organize a tweet-up using your online tools. Connect in the real world with like-minded people to support your charity. This is a great opportunity to take on a leadership role and demonstrate your skills. Your enthusiasm will be contagious! 5 W5Learn how to do it, using Mashable’s step-by-step guide.
There are so many other ways to use your strong personal brand to support your favorite charity. What are your ideas for the holiday season?
Is there a local cause in your city that really, really resonates with you? What passion do you share with a non-profit organization in your community? How can you give?
This is the season when you’re looking for holiday happenings – grab a friend and take them to an event hosted by your favorite non-profit. There are events of all kinds going on: dinners, holiday concerts, performances, or fitness events just to name a few. You’ll be helping your charity, and aligning your passions with your personal brand while creating fun, holiday memories of your own!
Here are some charity events coming up in the Seattle area:
EtsyRain Holiday Art & Craft Show – Nov 21-21, at the Intiman Theatre, to supportTreehouse, an organization that fills the gaps for kids in foster care, providing services that no other agency addresses.
If you’re a fitness guru, how about signing up for the 21st Annual Stair Climb on Dec 3. Scale 56 floors of the former WAMU Tower to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Give extra support by getting a team together.
Get the little ones involved, and support the Arthritis Foundation and it’s programs for children, at the Santa Breakfast, Dec 13, 19, and 20.
Annual Festival of Trees at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is one of my favorites, and supports Seattle Children’s Hospital. Beginning November 22, it’s a time honored tradition that kicks the season off in style!
For more events, or to find some in your community, check out Upcoming, Eventbrite, or Google Calendar. Find a charity that you believe in, and celebrate the season with them.
We’ve been sharing ideas on how to align your values and passions with a charity this holiday season, and creative ways to support them.
How about turning your holiday party into a fundraiser?
Highlight this on your invitations, and have a designated area set aside to collect gift donations when your guests arrive.
Be sure to have your computer out and visible, turned on to the charity’s homepage, and make it easy for guests to donate electronically. This makes gift giving easy; make a donation in a friend’s name instead of buying a gift.
Add meaning to your holiday party this year, and let everyone take part!
Have you teamed up with a charity that shares the values and passions of your personal brand?
Once you’ve aligned your personal brand with a charity that matches your values and passions, it’s exciting and fulfilling to jump in and make a difference.
As we approach the season of giving and helping, what are some creative ways we can use to support our cause?
Did you know you can shop, sell and donate for a good cause on Ebay?
Maren couples her enthusiastic, creative personality and drive for excellence, to help high-achieving professionals optimize and ignite their brands in this recessed economy.
