"Green Tips" for your office.

You spend most of your time at work, so help make sure your office is green by following these tips.

Tip #1: Be bright about light.
Artificial lighting accounts for nearly half of the electricity use in office buildings, so turn off the lights whenever you leave any room -- and invite in natural light wherever possible. Make it a policy, too, to buy Energy Star-rated lightbulbs and fixtures, which use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.

Tip #2: Maximize computer efficiency.
Computers in the business sector waste $1 billion worth of electricity per year, so make it a habit to turn off your computer -- and the power strip it's plugged into -- when you leave work for the day. Otherwise you'll still be burning energy even if you're not burning the midnight oil. During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep during short breaks can cut energy use 70%. Remember, screen savers don't save energy.

Tip #3: Print smarter (or not at all).
The average U.S. office worker can use 10,000 pieces of copy paper per year. To reduce your number, print double-sided whenever possible. Avoid color printing (hues are more likely to be toxic) and consider downloading Ecofont to save ink. Better yet, really think about whether you need that information down on sheets of dead trees, or whether having it on your computer is good enough.

Tip #4: Chew on this.
Much of your munching happens at the office, so keep your own mug, dishware, and flatware at your desk. This will fend off the temptation to use the paper and plastic disposables that are easy to grab in the lunchroom. If you're a workplace manager, provide reusable dishes, silverware, and glasses. Switch to eco-friendly coffees and teas, and buy organic and local food for parties and other events. And remember: Water fountains are always better than bottled water.

It’s in the Numbers.

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not much of a numbers person. I think they’re kind of scary. But when I stumbled across these, I thought, hmmm, kind of interesting. (And scary, too!)

That’s the amount of landfill waste (in tons) that could be avoided if half the kids in America traded Halloween costumes instead of buying new ones. There’s even a day dedicated to costume-swapping – National Costume Swap Day (this year it was October 8th). And as expected in this wonderful world of online technology, there’s a website to visit if you want to join the efforts: Greenhalloween.org

This is how many more calories American workers burned in one day on the job in 1960 than they do today. (And imagine, that was before Grande Iced Caramel Lattes!) Granted, back then more than half of all jobs required physical labor compared to today when less than 1/5th do. But hey, why not get up and take a lap around the office every hour? And head out for a stroll at lunch. You’ll burn a few calories, and (gasp!), have the chance to say hello to co-workers… in person!

(This is my favorite – finally, an excuse!) 9% is the average amount a person’s pelvis expands between the ages of 20 and 80, even without weight gain. So if you can’t fit into those jeans from high school, give yourself a break. You’re normal, and you’ve earned it! It’s ‘hip’ to age gracefully.

The Age of Persuasion.

Last summer I took a 6-week class at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It started at 7:30am, which meant that I was in the car at 6:30 to accommodate a stop for coffee. This may have been the only time in recent memory that I was regularly up-and-at-'em so early on a weekend. It turned out to be one of my favorite things about the class, and the whole summer, really. And what made it so great, besides no traffic on the Edens, was a show on WBEZ called "The Age of Persuasion."

I had taken the gardening class as I diversion from work, but I found the show so entertaining, informative and thought-provoking, that it ending up sticking with me for the whole day. "The Age of Persuasion" is from CBC Radio in Canada and is hosted by Terry O'Reilly and produced by Mike Tennant. The show "explores the countless ways marketers permeate your life, from media, art, and language, to politics, religion, and fashion." The show has a lot dry, even self-depreciating humor along with the history of the advertising industry. The commentary always promotes smart, creative marketing and seems to prove over and over how successful this kind of advertising can be.

At the end of the class I realized that I wouldn't be catching the radio broadcast of the show anymore and, knowing myself, knew I wouldn't wake up early on a Saturday morning to listen to it. Fortunately, there is a podcast to subscribe to on iTunes. And this has worked out even better for me. I can now listen to episodes on the El or on my drive to Michigan on Fridays.

The episodes are an easily digestible half-hour and with a good range of topics so that they don't get boring if listened to back-to-back. Some great episodes include: ""Mad Women: The Great Women of Advertising," "It's Not Easy Being Green: Green Marketing" and" Caution: Speed Bumps. The Magical Ingredient in Marketing." Also, the website has a lot of YouTube videos and pics of the ads discussed.

Here are some links if you're interested in checking out "The Age of Persuasion" for yourself.

http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/

(There is a link to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes)

http://www.wbez.org/programs

(The show airs Saturdays at 6:30am and Thursdays at 11:30am on WBEZ 91.5)

Inspirational Energy!

Recently, I attended two conferences that inspired me and got me thinking differently about the work I do every day here at Eire.

The first was ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Expo in early September. The purpose of the Expo was to educate businesses in the ComEd service territory about energy efficiency and incentive programs available for businesses that implement energy efficiency measures. This year the Expo was also sponsored by Nicor Gas, People’s Gas and North Shore Gas. It was inspiring to get a chance to talk to some of the businesses that are taking advantage of the incentive programs available – overwhelmingly, they seem excited about the programs and interested in learning how to better take advantage of the incentives available. The keynote speaker was fascinating. David Goldstein with the Natural Resources Defense Council spoke about how energy efficiency can be used to address the current economic troubles. He gave several examples of how the current recession could have been avoided or could be resolved by implementing energy efficiency measures. It was hopeful, and provided suggestions of things that could be done today to improve the economy. His ideas were a ray of sunlight in what seems to be daily gloomy economic news.

The second conference I attended was the Entrepreneurial Women’s Conference, sponsored by the Women’s Business Development Center. It’s the 25th anniversary of the center’s founding, and several of the speakers told stories about challenges they experienced when they first started their women-owned business, including being told they were working in a “man’s world” and they should go back to where they belong, taking notes and making coffee. The keynote speaker was new Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He talked about his three big initiatives for the City of Chicago: better schools, safer streets, and an environment where businesses can thrive. He applauded all the women in the audience who were working on growing their businesses in Chicago.

What do these two events have in common? At both events, I was surrounded by people who are enthusiastic about their work and motivated to succeed. They chose to spend their day at an event to help them improve their business, or just provide encouragement to continue on the path they are going. I left both events feeling rejuvenated and excited to continue working with clients, developing strategies, and building on successes in my daily work.  

I miss the Pink Sheets of paper.

Here are some reflections on the changes going on in the business world in 2011, for instance...

Last week while walking down the street, I saw an interesting QR code on the side of our building.  Reaching for my iPhone, I took a shot of the QR code and instantly saw Luminare's fancy website. In 1987 after walking down the street, I came into my office and my secretary gave me a handful of pink "WHILE YOU WERE OUT" slips so that I could return my missed phone calls.

Last week while in the car and lost, I typed in an address for Addison, Illinois and instantly had 11 step-by-step directions.  In 1987 before going to a meeting with a new prospect, I looked at the map on my wall and wrote down directions, expressways and side streets in my notebook to find my way.

Last week I decided to download a 2011 Rugby World Cup app. This gave me access to all of the current scores, videos and standings for the month-long tournament in progress.  In 1987 I called Sports Phone, a telephone recording of sports scores for up-to-the minute action on the Cubs and Sox. (I believe Les Grobstein was the voice of Sports Phone and I paid $.99 a call.)

Last week I participated in a webinar on "New Social Media Techniques" right in my own office.  In 1987 I saw Norman Vincent Peale speak at a seminar, "How to win Friends and Influence People" at the Chicago Amphitheater. There was still saw dust on the floor - they had just wrapped up a week of bull riding at the venue.

I miss those Pink Sheets of paper...

My Favorite Season

It's been a hot Summer and Fall is finally here! For most of my life, Spring was my favorite season...new beginnings, new life...but as I got older Fall seemed to push Spring to the side as my second favorite. Cool nights all snuggled under the covers, trees starting to uncover their glorious colors, gathering of firewood for burning in our wood burning stove and fireplace and our annual apple picking outing. This year it was raining when we got to the orchard (Oriole Springs Orchard in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin) so as I was contemplating of braving the weather conditions, it started raining harder and my decision was made. I'll be buying the already picked apples from inside the cute little shop that sells all sorts of good stuff like homemade cider, homemade donuts, brats, cheese curds and let's not forget Landjägers (a traditional German beef stick), my husband's favorite. The rain didn't seem to stop others from coming because the orchard and shop were packed. 

My Fall will end with our last trips to our cabin on the lake in Central Illinois (specifically Pana, Illinois).  These last trips will consist of enjoying roaring campfires, gathering neighbors for an Oktoberfest as a farewell until next Spring and of course, watching all the trees along the lake start to change. And finally, we'll close up the cabin for the winter until we return when everything is thawing out and coming back to life again. Life is good!

Decisions, decisions...

Every year about this time I start to review website after website about various conferences to attend.  The problem is that the conferences that are most relevant to our clients at Eire, and my particular areas of concentration all occur at just about the same time in September and October.  Deciding which conference to attend can be difficult.  After all, when you read their promotional websites and excerpts from the speakers, all the events sound worthwhile.  Of course, there is the occasional “panel” that doesn’t quite seem to fit when you put all the members together.  But overall, the exhibitors, speakers and topics are intriguing.  And, when I attend a conference and network with current clients, vendors and prospective clients – it’s energizing.

Then, there is the cost of the conference to consider and just how do you attach value or your return on investment to what you spend.  The cost for the event can be as low as $500 and upwards of $2,000, plus the lost time out of the office working for current clients and travel expenses.  When I started in marketing, there were only two or three conventions to attend in direct marketing, and each year you went where your clients were going.  We would go to the DMA for up to 4-5 days and enjoy client service, meeting new vendors and prospects, socializing and learning through workshops and the exhibit hall.  Now, there are specialized conferences for just about every aspect of marketing, and they are often times more enticing than the larger format “general” sessions.   If I don’t attend, I could be missing out…by the next time I write, I will report in on my decision and if I received value for my time and financial investment.  I’m going to take another look now.

Payments Market

Direct Marketing Association

Retail Ramp

NACS