In order to truly understand a brand it helps to experience it firsthand.

When we at Twelve Horses are not busy geeking out on the web, many of us here are charging hard somewhere in the outdoors. Whether it is around Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada range that rise above our Reno office, or the Wasatch Mountains that tower above our Salt Lake City location, a common means of experiencing these environs is on a pair of skis or a snowboard. Come visit us and you’ll find that the last powder day is a common conversation around the water cooler. Even as I type this blog post apres ski session, I am looking out across big, beautiful, snow-laced Lake Tahoe and looking forward to the next time.

This company culture is undoubtedly a major contributing factor as to why we service so many destination and sports marketing clients. Passion for these pursuits permeate our client work and online marketing endeavors such as brand building, web design and development, email and multi-channel marketing, social marketing, and search engine optimization. It works well because we are marketers and technologists that are a part of the target snow sport audience. 

When I came across this blog post titled, Seasonal SEO and Online Marketing for Ski Resorts, I couldn’t resist beating our own drum. Not only is it an informative and well-written post on online marketing for ski resorts, but it also touches upon one of our clients that we have serviced for more than 12 years - Heavenly Mountain Resort. It is a great compliment, but it also gives you a window into what we have been doing for them. Here is an excerpt.

Heavenly Resort in Lake Tahoe is perhaps the best example of a ski resort with an effective online marketing strategy. They are relatively well optimised for search and have good visibility in the search results. They have developed a MySpace profile and their website offers a range of initiatives including videos, daily podcasts and RSS feeds for their interactive blog, mountain condition updates and their own TV show.

Our work for Heavenly has also garnered several awards including a Web Award, ADDY, and California Travel & Tourism Award, and this success stems from a well-designed website that relies on the right online tools to reach and resonate with a global customer base. But I also believes that it comes from a deep and personal understanding of their brand.

See you on the hill!

tags: destination snow ski resort online marketing branding web design search engine optimization

Information is only as powerful as it is accessible.

We just recently launched two different websites focused around a life-threatening disease called, hydrocephalus. Why you may ask? One really important reason is because there is no cure…yet. Of equal importance is the fact that symptoms of the disease can manifest in many different ways. Many doctors, family members, and individuals battling the disease are uninformed and ill-prepared to handle the symptoms, let alone recognize them when they first manifest. Part of the remedy is to put information out that is accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

As stated on the website, “Hydrocephalus is a chronic neurological condition characterized by an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within spaces inside the brain.” In layman terms, it is water on the brain, which causes swelling, brain damage, and even death. It is more common than you may know. In fact, more than 1 million people in the U.S. alone have been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, and it is believed to occur in 1.5 of every 1,000 births.

The Hydrocephalus Association website is in its first phase of development. Aside from the access to information you readily see at first glance, the other features of the site facilitate Member Signup and Donations, both of which integrate with Salesforce to manage the data and the relationships with those involved with the organization. Because the organization relies heavily on its active community, there also handy little features like the Flickr Uploader application, which gives people the ability to upload their photos and add search-friendly descriptions. There is more to come.

I briefly mentioned the importance of community as it relates to hydrocephalus. Many of you who participate in social networks and blogs understand the power of online interaction and communities; but for many it is still relatively new ground. The purpose of GabrielsLife.org is to create and foster community participation in order to generate greater awareness around the disease, as well as empower people with helpful information. The site gives people tools to communicate not only with one another, but also the world at large.

Gabriel’sLife.org is a custom build using Wordpress. On top of that it allows users to create their own Wordpress blogs as part of the network. There is also a forum, and the ability for people to search for others and connect to share information privately if they so choose. Finally, visitors are encouraged to submit their own stories, which are featured on the homepage. These tools are designed to tap into the collective knowledge base of those who have faced the complexities of the disease so that others are better prepared to handle their own. While still in its infancy, the site appears to be serving that purpose.

My main hope for this blog post is that you will see it and read it and tell someone about it. You will meet someone that has or knows someone else with hydrocephalus, and they will go and start to use these sites and tell someone else. And so on, and so on, and so on….

“For Twelve Horses, social networking is not just an area of commercial expertise, it also helps employees foster the group mind that is essential for any team to perform at its best.”

A few months ago, Twelve Horses took part in a series of improvisation workshops designed to help employees stretch their minds, and become more adept at strategic thinking and concise communication. The world of web technology is highly competitive and things change rapidly, so it helps to stay in shape. These workshops were led by Michael Bonifer, a dynamic individual who has enjoyed a rich career in new media, entertainment, and technology, and who recently authored GameChangers, a book about improvisation for business.

Improvisation for business draws upon the fact that business is dynamic, ever-changing, and filled with unique moments requiring original responses. Whether you are going through an RFP process, pitching a new product to a prospect, or putting together a plan internally with a team, one must be able to think on their feet and draw upon the collective intelligence of the group.

Bonifer takes the practice of relationship building in the business environment, and carries it to a hypothetical stage. Participants are not equipped with scripts, but instead are given a framework or an idea from which to operate. Improvisation techniques are used to seek out solutions to complex problems. While you do act out certain scenarios, the exercises are not about scripting or acting in the sense of deception. Improvisation for business is about performing at your best.

Does it take courage? Will you feel challenged? Will you at moments feel outside of your comfort zone? The answer to all of these questions is, yes. But in the end you will be rewarded with a greater sense of self and the career in which you operate. You will find yourself in more control of the day-to-day scenes of business and life. You will be able to better understand and guide how the scene is developing before the story is already over.

Business is competitive, erratic, sometimes volatile, and always changing and evolving. To adapt, differentiate, and deliver exceptional results, employees must be able to reach beyond conventional methods of engagement and operate in the moment. Improvisation for business will help your organization identify its strongest representatives, uncover problem areas, and help employees recognize strengths they were not readily aware of or given the chance to explore.

If you would like to hear more about the process to decide if it is right for your company give us a shout. We’ll be happy to tell you more.

To receive the “Official Honoree” distinction for the Horse Power Podcast from the Webby Awards is admittedly flattering, and both Josk Kenzer and I are quite proud to be rewarded for the hard work.

But we definitely could not have done it without the trust of our CEO, David LaPlante, and the help of our fellow Horses - their feedback and assistance has been invaluable.

Winners were selected for recognition based on excellence in the following criteria: content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience. You can read the official press release here. I definitely get a kick out of seeing us listed alongside The Associated Press, MTV Networks, and ESPN.

But whether we won an award or not, we have had so much fun doing it. I can’t tell you how enjoyable it has been to use the podcast series simply as an excuse to go out and meet new and interesting people.

There are so many dynamic, intelligent, and entertaining individuals out there doing incredible things with their minds and motivation, and it is fantastic to hear their stories and learn from their experience.

Additionally, Josh and I get to play citizen journalist and produce content that we feel is valuable and applicable to many of Twelve Horses’ clients, friends, and those that are in our blog and podcast syndicate.

I hope the show will continue to evolve, and, who knows, maybe go vodcast one of these days. Either way, it is a constant learning process, and when recording we are continuously working on getting better at improvising, following interesting tangents, and uncovering the emotion to make the podcast a more enjoyable listen.

So tune in the next time and happy listening!

tags: webby, awards, podcasts, official, honoree

Every now and then certain benefits of having clients like Heavenly Mountain Ski Resort arise, and employees of Twelve Horses have the chance to get out of the office and head out to the ski slopes.

Last week was the “TransWorld SNOWboarding Team Challenge” at Heavenly, so a few of use headed up from Reno to South Lake Tahoe to see some young men and women GO BIG in the terrain park.

It was an absolutely beautiful day and the snow conditions were spring-like. Several of the competing riders took the liberty of dressing up in costume, so you would often see Elvis, a Blues Brother, or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle doing a fat rail grab many gravity defying feet above the ground.

Heavenly’s unique location affords some of the most incredible views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Tahoe that any other ski resort in the area can offer. After a day of riding and soaking up the scenery, it is off to town and into the many different restaurants, nightclubs, and casinos that make up South Lake.

I thought the ski season was pretty much over, but with more than a foot of new snow forecasted tonight it looks like there is still time to get in a few turns. 

Seth Godin recently posted a very timely and thoughtful post on, “Starting over with customer service” where he provides several reasons why customer service is broken.

One major reason is that companies do not do a good job of organizing their data. Often times information is separated by departments, locations, or position titles, and so you are often left explaining your issue over and over again to one employee after another as you move horizontally or vertically up the ranks. This is unacceptable in my opinion.

I personally just recently had a very long and drawn out issue with the company, iRobot regarding my Roomba. It had me red in the face until I finally talked to a supervisor who ended up agreeing to replace the product. One primary problem was they could not access all of my records starting from the first day I had a problem (one year ago) until the end. This took hours of my time holding, waiting, and explaining my situation to several different people. Even though they replaced the product, my perception of the company was tainted.

There is a better solution, but I cannot provide it without using this blog as a bit of selling proposition. But I hope you will find it worthwhile information.

Twelve Horses recently partnered with Salesforce, an on-demand customer relationship management company. The reason why is because we have long since used them for our own personal organization of customer data, and we have been very happy with it. We can easily customize fields to capture the data that is specific to our needs. For example, if someone fills out a form on our website, not only does that action send the online visitor the information they requested via email, as well as fire off an sms text message notification to certain people within Twelve Horses, but it enters that visitor’s information into Salesforce as a lead. This begins a relationship with Twelve Horses that is aided by solid management technology.

So now that customer data is in Salesforce; for instance, name, address, and what information they requested. If a phone or email dialogue transpires between Twelve Horses and that prospect, it is also recorded in Salesforce. If a contract is written up, and the prospect becomes a customer of Twelve Horses, then that contract is also recorded in Salesforce. We can go back at any time and look at how the relationship started, identify what products and/or services they are using, and potentially uncover other solutions we can provide to better their business. The point is there is never a disconnect in the relationship, and it provides us with the ability to offer good customer service no matter who the employee is on either side.

Twelve Horses has been providing customized solutions for better customer service and organization of data for a variety of different industries. For example, we recently designed an online event management solution for a client that completely integrates with Salesforce. After an event, the client can go back and look at what customers went to what events, who they brought with them, how they paid, at what point in the sales cycle did they finally decide to purchase and so on. It helps this client better service its customers and structure its business.

We have also customized Salesforce for real-estate investment companies who want to group their customers by land-buy locations, amount paid, length of relationship, and type of transaction. The client can run a variety different reports related to sales, marketing, and customer service scenarios to maintain a deeper understanding of how they are doing and where they are going. There are many other examples of how we have used Salesforce to empower businesses.

The point is everything that transpires can be documented and organized. Online and offline touch points with the customer can all be integrated, recorded, and easily accessible through a web-based platform. At any time, place, or level of interaction with the customer, the company can understand the needs of their customer and address them in a timely and effective manner.

Understand your customers through better data management and organization. It will reflect better on your brand, and you will retain more of your customers.

tags: customer service, event, data management, Salesforce, Twelve Horses

Last night marked the first meeting for the new Reno-Tahoe Young Professional Network (YPN). For those not familiar, YPN was recently created to serve as a driving force for attracting and retaining young professional talent in Northern Nevada.

There is a demographic deficit as it relates to young professionals and the size of Northern Nevada’s economy, so it is imperative that the area address the issue. The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) has been a huge catalyst for the creation of YPN, and you can read more about why in a post I wrote last week regarding Directions 2007. 

More than one-hundred of us gathered at 210 North, which is a new “lounge” located in downtown Reno. It was a  befitting setting considering the fact that the place absolutely exudes chic youth.

The primary focus of the meeting was to introduce the board members and all of the attendees, as well and explain the general purpose and direction of the group. There was much emphasis on the desire for it to be a collaborative organization  where anyone can be involved and make a difference.

YPN will be supported by an outside advisory board made up of senior professionals who will serve as mentors to the  group. Additionally, several large entities, including Charter Communications, Sierra Pacific Power, and EDAWN are providing significant monetary support, and everyone is encouraged to identify and solicit more benefactors to keep the group well-fueled.

My hope is that YPN can not only mentor other up-and-coming  professionals and provide valuable networking opportunities, but also pool its intellectual capital and  influence to effect positive change in public policy.

Working as a group to draft strategic recommendations to and for the City of Reno and Northern  Nevada is where I would like to see YPN heading. After last night’s meeting I am very optimistic that it is indeed where the group will eventually be.

tags: reno-tahoe, ypn, young professional network, northern nevada, edawn, city of reno

This video does a fantastic job showing what is so exciting and promising about the current iteration of the web. To me, what is more exciting, is that this is only the second iteration (web 2.0). I can’t wait to see - and participate in - what comes next.

Described as, “Northern Nevada’s largest economic forum,” the 15th Annual Directions was held yesterday at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

Hosted by the Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN),  the purpose of Directions is to look back at what the region has accomplished, develop a better understanding of where the region is going, and determine what can be improved upon.

Last year, attendees of Directions 2006 were made aware of the lack of talented young working professionals in the region. Many natives either leave after college, or we fail to attract those from other areas. This is a problem that can have far reaching economic implications for Northern Nevada. This year everyone gathered to see if we had made any progress.

Social Networking

The event is always attended by many of the region’s business and government leaders, so aside from determining how the region can be improved, it is also a great place for social networking.

Twelve Horses was a gold sponsor and had a booth on the exhibit floor. It was a chance to interact with more than 800 attendees, as well as show support for the Chamber and EDAWN.

Jobs in Northern Nevada

Northern Nevada provides a considerable amount of the employees and infrastructure Twelve Horses needs to be successful. The efforts of these two organizations have played a significant role in attracting new talent to the region, developing an environment conducive to business, and providing a compass in the form of:

• Survey data
• Competitive analysis of other markets
• Effective strategies for business and government
• Opportunities for collaboration

Young Professional Network (YPN)

A new group was announced at the event named, YPN or the Young Professional Network. It has been created to address the workforce shortage, as well as cultivate and retain young professionals in  Northern Nevada. This announcement was to serve as a major focal point of the entire conference - we must attract and retain young talent - and this message resonated throughout the agenda. It ties into:

• Education and the University of Nevada-Reno
• Redevelopment of Downtown Reno, Sparks, and Carson City
• Fostering a creative and exciting business environment that provides competitive benefits
• Outbound marketing for the region

What do Reno, Sparks, and Carson City have planned?

Attendees received a very good overview of the urban plans for the cities of Reno, Sparks and Carson City. In each case, they have applied careful consideration in determining the right ratios of anchor points, public spaces, and traffic flow. To echo Michael Freedman, Urban Designer, ”focus on one small area as an engine of redevelopment.” For Reno, it has clearly been and will continually to be the Truckee River.

 Reno, Nevada

Charles McNeely, Reno City Manager gave a very eloquent and informative presentation about the future of downtown Reno. He did not say anything that hasn’t already been covered on Downtown Makeover and Reno and its Discontents, but not everybody reads blogs. Additionally, it was good to hear more of the reasoning behind much of it.

The influx of new condos in downtown Reno clearly represents a concerted effort to stimulate other new businesses to move in as well. The City also has plans to extend the whitewater park, add new lighting and trees, build an elaborate ice rink cover, and turn the post office into a mixed-use building.

At the VIP luncheon following the conference, I could not help but ask Charles McNeely when we are one, getting free Wi-Fi in Wingfield Park and two, what plans does the city have in applying greater green building standards into new developments. Answers to both questions were positive, and to the latter he cited David Bobzien as a catalyst - a legislator that is not afraid to discuss the environment.

Sparks, Nevada

Think of Sparks as becoming an ”urban village” with the Regional Transportation Committee (RTC) providing synergy between various Reno and Sparks destination centers. The plans for the District of Victorian Square and the Sparks Marina are impressive, and there was even a hint of AAA sports complex.

Carson City, Nevada

Carson City will reclaim downtown and create a “vibrant commerce center” once the new highway 395 project is complete. The 4-lane artery that runs through downtown will be brought down to two, and there will be ample parking and opportunities to shop, eat at restaurants and enjoy open spaces.

Redevelopment as it relates to Workforce

Making Northern Nevada a better place to live will keep employees here, attract new ones, and further stimulate Northern Nevada’s economy. Directions 2007 demonstrated that we are headed in the right direction but still have much work to do. Smart growth and smart development are key ingredients as we go head-to-head with many other competing cities within the United States, but it also requires support for the University and local schools, as well as individual responsibility for the development of our children and our own personal growth.

It is certainly exciting to consider the possibilities, and I do not think there was one person at Directions who wasn’t optimistic about the future of Northern Nevada.

tags: Directions 2007, EDAWN, Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Nevada, Chamber, Commerce, development, economy

One of the most difficult aspects of blogging for business is continuously crafting posts that are relevant and valuable to readers. Providing good content that upholds the integrity of a brand is challenging; however, this could be the distinguishing factor between one business and another.

Twelve Horses takes its clients through the entire process of blogging from strategy to design and implementation to best practices. At the end, we let the client loose to post, and inevitably they need a certain amount of direction in regards to what constitutes a good post vs a bad post.

This is understandable. Before launching an external blog, Twelve Horses practiced the art of blogging with an internal blog long before interacting with the outside world. We are not perfect, but we’ve had some practice.

Here are a few tips:

• Consider your subject line carefully.
  • Will it entice someone to read your post?
  • Does it resonate with the reader?
  • Does it correspond with the actual post?
  • Does it describe a topic that someone might search upon?
• Write in short, distinct paragraphs.
  • A large body of text is quick to inspire boredom.
  • White space is good.
  • Say more with less.
• Do not blog for the sake of blogging.
  • If you cannot provide something of value then do not post.
  • Respect your readers by providing useful information and they will return again and again.
• Tone
  • In a conversation, a person can tell when you are disinterested with what you or they are saying. The same goes for a blog post.
  • Only write when you are in a positive mood.
• Style
• While blogging does offer the ability for a writer to practice a more informal style, posts should not appear incongruous.
• Use proper grammar to the best of your abilities.
• Approach your posts with the attitude that nothing your company produces should ever be considered sloppy.
• Do not blog in a vacuum.
• Blogging is about interacting with others, which means linking, citing, and continuing conversations.
• You will make it much more difficult to generate increasing traffic to your blog if you do not read other people’s blogs, as well as link to them.
• Have Fun
  • While blogging is a distinct strategy for businesses, it can also be quite fun.
  • Your enjoyment in sharing information and interacting with the outside world will shine through and people will respond positively.
  • Approach blogging with the attitude that it will take you and your company to the next level, because it can and will if you do it right.

Blog On!

tags: blogging for business