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Public Education Can Save Our Country

Public education is broken. I wanted to grab your attention with something much more impactful. But the way I see it, what has more impact than the absolute and simple truth? Our public education system is broken and it has been for a long time.

Some of us believe it is the responsibility of our elected officials. Others think our communities can fix it. Parental involvement is the answer for many. “If only we had more funding” is another cry. They are all right.

Of course, the debate continues about No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Remember, this is the measure which was passed in January 2002 during the Bush Administration. It requires states test all students in certain subjects every year to be sure they are prepared for college. I don’t believe the problem is entirely about NCLB; it’s about public education in general. However, this initiative has had such an impact, mentioning one practically begs a mention of the other.

NCLB was supposed to fill in the gaps of public education. It was likely intended to do just as it says…leave no child behind. The goal is admirable, but the execution has a detrimental effect on how children are taught. We tried to solve the problem with one sweeping measure. There is no one answer and no one entity with the complete solution.

The reason I see the problem of public education in the United States as a national issue, and not an individual, family, group, regional, or even state issue, is very simple. Let me use myself as an example. I am not an educator or a student. I do not have a child in the public school system, or any school system. But I am a citizen of this country and have a vested interest in its present well-being and hope for its future. So, it is my problem. It is our problem.

We all know the future of this country and our place in the world depends on our children. How they fare and compete on the world’s stage depends on their access to quality education. That is why I am so afraid.

We are not preparing our children to compete. We are not teaching them to think. We are not teaching them to react. We are not teaching them to create. We are not teaching them at all. We are preparing them for tests. We are filling them with facts, having them regurgitate them at the appropriate time, in the appropriate format to attain the appropriate score.

Creativity, individuality, and inventiveness are practically discouraged. If a child shows too much individuality in the way she learns, acts, or interacts, she is considered inappropriate. She is relegated to a special class, isolated, or even worse, medicated.

We live in an age of entrepreneurs and innovators. The time has passed when we stay on a job at a factory for 25-30 years or even in a corporate cubicle for that long. We are not training our children to be innovative in the workplace, or to build businesses like the type built by the entrepreneurs and solopreneurs that are the backbone of my own industry, virtual business assistance.

The Public Education Network’s (PEN) National Survey of Public Opinion lists 10 key findings in its Survey of Public Opinion about our responsibility for our educational system. Top among those were:

1. Education continues to be a top national priority, even in the midst of war and concern about the economy, joblessness, and healthcare.

2. Americans want funding for public education protected from budget cuts, and they want to see more public investment in education.

3. The jury is still out on No Child Left Behind. [1]

What does this tell us about what we need to do to fix our broken system?

We have to stop making education a mere campaign promise and make it a policy priority for our elected officials. Any official who does not fulfill his promises to improve public education, especially our national officials, should not be re-elected.

Realize quality education comes at a cost. We must be willing to pay our teachers a competitive wage so that we can attract the best and brightest…or provide tax and other benefits to supplement their salaries. Be open to studying tenure and pay for performance as options for teachers. Even if these are not the best or only options for improvement, let’s at least consider them and be open to new, inventive options.

Consider a moratorium on NCLB, nationally, or on the state or local levels. This measure affects too many of our children to continue with so many unsure of the long-term consequences. If a moratorium is not practical, at least reconsider the amount of funding for the program so that schools are able to place more focus on traditional or creative teaching methods as well.

The results of the 2008 National Poll and the Civic Index for Quality Public Education conducted by the PEN shows that over 63 per cent of us do not think public officials are held accountable for the status of public education. Four in 10, nationally, and over one third of local respondents think our schools are declining. [2]

We have an election coming up on November 2, 2010. Let’s not forget education when we go to the polls. We can save the future of our country.

[1] 2004 NATIONAL SURVEY OF PUBLIC OPINION Learn. Vote. Act. The Public’s Responsibility for Public Education

[2] Public Education Network, Community Accountability for Quality Schools, Results of the 2008 National Poll and the Civic Indexor Quality Public Education

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A Brand to Die For

I am often asked, “What does it take to create a successful marketing campaign?” The reality, at the heart of it all, is the client’s brand essence; how that brand is represented and how to and perceived by the market. All successful marketing and advertising strategies spring forth from this basic tenet – brand essence.

What qualities does the brand stand for? What can the brand do for me, as a consumer, or member? How can the brand enrich my life or otherwise provide me value?

These are some of the questions that consumers silently ask themselves as they interact with the messages and touchpoints that are related to your brand.

But what does it take to create a brand that people identify with, support or spend their money on? How does one create a brand…well, to die for?

As a Social Intelligence Architect, I must continually hone my skills for the benefit of my clients. This means always advancing my understanding of social and communication dynamics. As a result, I can create effective messaging scenarios derived from a strong brand essence. The result is targeted traffic and ultimately sales, for my clients.

The agencies that represent entities like Nike, Target, Dell, Microsoft and countless others understand social and communication dynamics and deliver prime examples of successful brands. But other brands which you probably wouldn’t even consider (yet are perhaps even more influential), can illustrate the power that a brand can hold and deliver within a given marketplace.

The Most Powerful Brands You Would Never Think Of

You wouldn’t normally think of the Hell’s Angels, the Latin Kings or the Mexican Mafia as “brands,” but they most certainly are. In fact, these brands exhibit some of the strictest brand management strategies in existence and it’s paid-off for these entities in event the most turbulent of times.

The Hell’s Angels, for example, are a legitimate California business entity known as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation (HAMC); replete with corporate bylaws and yes, a very well-known brand. HAMC, in the past has brought suit against market giants like the Walt Disney World Company over infringement of their brand. HAMC is very strict – even with their own members – as to how the HAMC logo and related, accompanying patches are to be arranged and displayed. Simply to be allowed to don the coveted official leather vest with logo is even an arduous process that only a select few are offered. And even then, the HAMC logo and patches must be worn in adherence with the corporate guidelines.

The Latin Kings brand is a gold colored 5-point crown on a black background. The 5-points and the black and gold colors all signify specific attributes about the brand (its essence). The 5-points, indeed, represent love, respect, sacrifice, honor, and obedience. Gold represents the sun and a bright future, while the black represents the past.

The Mexican Mafia’s brand is an open hand with the letter inside the palm. The M, of course, signifies the Mexican Mafia and is its established moniker; known and respected the world over.

Each of these organizations has developed a fierce following from both “internal” members and “external” admirers. Each has a brand management system (and a related code of conduct) which ensures their members utilize and represent the brands in only the ways specified by the entities themselves. Deviation from these brand management and conduct guidelines can result in death.

Truly, these are brands that people die for. But why?

In no way am I condoning gangland-style tactics or illicit activities, nor am I suggesting the use of violence, fear, or intimidation in your customer loyalty programs and brand acceptance strategies.

All sociological arguments aside, there remains an interestingly powerful component to these brands. Never mind that inculcated members have replaced their allegiances to God, country and family with allegiance to the brand and all that it encompasses. The real take-away from this striking analogy is the weight that each of these brands carry to those who are not gang members, but yearn to be.

The answer to creating a brand that people identify with, support or spend their money on is born out of a necessity that it helps to fulfill. In the case of these gang examples, their brands evolved to represent solutions to their “consumers’” needs; the need to be accepted, the need to have shelter, the need for protection, etc…

5 Tips on Product Marketing in a Video

Businesses have taken their marketing techniques a notch higher, and now enters stiff competition. Without effective promotions, your business will lag behind. Here, on this page, you will learn how to create a kick ass videos for marketing your products.

The best way to ensure you get happy clients is by building a solid business that will satisfy their needs. But while you might have the very products they need, presenting to them is another thing worth considering. Marketing is all about creating awareness and convincing potential customers to purchase or subscribe to your products or services. As a business owner, there are many marketing solutions out there, but choosing one that will be effective and remain so for quite a long time will not only cut down the costs of marketing but also increase the profitability of your business. Video marketing is high, mighty and trending. Let’s get into the details of marketing products effectively using video.

Writing the Script

Before getting down to produce a video, a master plan or blueprint bust be laid down. A video script is a written description of every visual and audio element, the same way an architect plans and specifies every detail of a building. Like all movies, marketing videos are made on paper first before they are actualized visually. In order to write a good script for a product video, consider the following:

1. Brevity is next to genius: Keep the script of the video short even though length here depends on the kind of audience you are targeting. According to research, a captive audience endures just about 6 to 8 minutes before beginning to slowly drift. That would be in an auditorium, but when it comes to internet videos, the longest threshold audiences register averages between 2 and 4 minutes. Therefore, avoid unnecessary lengthiness in your product videos.

2. The first 30 seconds count: What’s your video about? Put that in one sentence and map it in the first 30 seconds of the script. Your audience will know what to pay attention to in the video.

3. Speak to the audience directly: Here, personal pronouns such as “your” and “you” come in handy. Ensure that you engage the audience as much as possible by showing them the aspects of your product they are interested in. Don’t waste their time by telling them what they already know.

4. The right tone: To find the right tone, you need to create a mental picture of your clients first. There is need to write a sentence on why you are making the video and then describe exactly what you want the viewers to do about it at the end.

5. Tell a story: Simple enough – present a problem in a way your audience will relate to, and then be quick to provide a solution when writing the script. Dry facts never make the cut in online marketing.

Video Content for Product Promotion

With that knowledge on writing a killer video scripts, the next question is what content to include in the video in order to make it effective in presenting your product to the market. Here’s are 5 tips on what to include in your product video.

1. Feature the Product

Just like in the movies, there should be a star, and this time the star is the product. Showcase the features of the product in a good portion of the video. Obviously people are watching the video to see what the product is like, so while shooting the video, show multiple angles of the item. Shooting close-ups will help show off the product’s features and details. The main aim here is to show the best side of the product, so it is recommended that, if possible, shoot the video in wide screen and high definition, paying close attention to things like lighting to avoid harsh shadows.

2. Include Customer Reviews

Most of the times, a video beats written product reviews because they can easily and quickly demonstrate to the customer all the ABCs of a product. But there is more to that – real customers can be featured pitching in a word or two about the product. Therefore, collect some customer reviews and include them in the product video.

3. Pros and Cons

One of the reasons why people will view your product video is authenticity. But how do you add this to your videos? Reviewing the pros and cons will help add some touch of authenticity to your video. You don’t want to look biased in the review, so it is important to ensure that you meet the customer’s expectations by including a section on the shortfalls of the product, though you can really foreground the positives so to avoid undoing the purpose of the video in the end.

4. Personal Opinion

Customers want to know the personal opinion of the reviewer. Since your opinion counts, it will make the product review become unique. Therefore, you have to be that person who has used the product before, just after creating it so you know exactly how it is using it. Let the audience know your comment about the product. For what purpose do you recommend it? How is the product different from those already in the market? Answering this will lead you into giving a personal opinion about the product.

5. Call-to-Action

A very important element often forgotten by people when creating their product videos – the call-to-action. This is what should tell all your viewers what to do next. This part of the video needs to be very direct, specific and with a smooth transition. For instance: Get the best deal on X product by ordering online NOW. That way, the purpose of your video will be complete.

Overall, the quality of your video should be great; no fuzzy images and inaudible or inconsistent sound. Product videos should never go wrong. Where there is need, hire professionals to produce such videos for your business to take it to the next level. Video production at Kickerinc is an example of the kind of service a business can use to create highly engaging customer videos.

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