So, it makes me wonder, and seriously doubt, the credibility of the award. Just how much research went into deciding who gets the awards? Look at the staff turnover for the real truth about any company. A high turn over rate is an indicator of a toxic work place and undeserving of any awards of any kind.

A lot can be hidden or covered up with a fancy web site. How many sham web sites exist that look professional and legitamate?

Dig deeper to find the real truth before handing out awards.

I don’t know their rational. I don’t care to know their rational. All I know is, by choosing to invade their employees privacy shows disrespect and lack of trust. And working there must feel like a prison sentence. You can bet it shows in the level of commitment and attitude of their employees and the quality of their work.

I will admit there are companies where reading emails and IM’s is necessary — MicroSoft, IBM, the Pentagon, and the like. But the company I’m speaking of is located in Missoula, Montana and sells things for your home!

So why do they need to read their employees email and IM is beyond me. All it does is create an unpleasant atmosphere to work. And former employees spread the word. So before you know it, only outsiders apply for work there.

What I think it boils down to is an incompetent manager, who can’t lead or manage, needing the control this offers them. It’s a terrible and destructive way to manage. It does more harm than good. In every healthy company, there is some fun bantering and laughter — building of camaraderie. Instead, in companies like this one, you get stone-cold silence and really, really long work days. Yes the work gets done, but at what cost?

Employees come and go and each one that leaves this company is telling their story to anyone and everyone. Before you know it, the company has earned a reputation that no amount of money and advertising or slick web sites can cover up.

This manager needs to understand the value of TRUST and RESPECT. I suggest taking courses and reading books on management / leadership and learn how to  get employees “loyalty” instead of using intimidation as a coercion to make them produce.

We’ve come a long ways from feudalism. There are better ways to get the job done.

A few years ago: I visited a local, long-time, Missoula appliance/electronic store to purchase a MAC computer. I waited and waited for someone to help me. When I realized no one was interested in helping me, I left and bought my MAC elsewhere.

Present time:  I was remodeling my kitchen and needed new appliances. I prefer to shop local so I decided to give the same appliance/electronic store a second chance. Unfortunately, I had a repeat experience. No service. I left and drove down the street to Sears where I got the help I needed and purchased my appliances.

Since then, I’ve had other less-than-positive interactions with the same business and have decided to write them off my list for any kind of relationship. Which is sad, because I really do like supporting local businesses.

They probably won’t even notice I’m not walking in their doors. What’s one “possible” customer? Who cares, right?

Given WOM (Word of Mouth) it can be more than what it appears. You can bet I’m not going to recommend them to anyone I know or meet. I’ll tell my story to anyone willing to listen. And perhaps, they’ll repeat the story down the road to other people inquiring about where to buy appliances or electronics.

A little respect as a customer, and as a professional, would have gone a long ways toward creating a happy life-long relationship.

And it’s so easy to do and costs next to nothing. It will even lower your overall marketing budget. If your business has mavens singing your praises you won’t need to advertise as much. They’ll do it for you.

For better or for worse, WOM is much more effective than spiffy ads and web sites and social network marketing campaigns.

I can see their side. Besides viewing them as “competition” there may be a problem or two, with these programs.

They must be developed properly to assure security. Following directions is key. You can overcome this by hiring someone who knows the program and can build your site for you and then teach you how to update it. It’s not rocket science. And if you need help, the forums are easy to use and always helpfull.

As with most template CMS systems, you won’t get a truely custom web site. In the proper hands, however, a Joomla expert can change the appearance of a template to come as close to a custom web site as you can get. And with the numerous Joomla templates out there, the posibilites are endless.

The advantage of Joomla and Drupal is the massive collection of web sites offering fantastic template web site designs. The variety to choose from is almost mind-numbing. That alone makes using Joomla or Drupal worth considering.

Plus there are hundreds of free or low cost extensions that offer everything from shopping carts, forums, email newsletters, calendars etc. You name it, I’m sure you can find a Joomla extension that can do it.

But, before jumping into buying an expensive CMS or choosing Joomla or Drupal for your web site, you have to ask yourself is it really something you have time to use? Much like blogs and twitter, it’s a commitment of your time. Is your time better spent tweaking your web site or face-to-face with your customers?

A lot of times we buy more than we need or will ever use. A good example is a cell phone with tons of features and yet all we ever use it for is … making or taking calls. We buy an expensive cell phone with tons of features and never use them.

The same often applies to web sites. We think a web site with an expensive (or almost free) CMS will improve business. In actuality, a well-designed, well-written static web, will do just fine. And save you money too.

Web sites shelf-life is short. In about 2 years you will be looking at a new design. Given that short time span, how often will your web site need to be updated? Realistically, does your business change that much that you need a CMS?

Do you really need a CMS or not? That is the question.

The first thought that comes to my mind is: Wow! This marketing/advertiser must be the smartest person on the planet! Or, not.

I find that my clients have a wealth of knowledge on marketing and advertising. And I welcome any conversation, and their input, on the projects that I’m working on for them. I believe denying the possibility of new knowledge is a sign of arrogance and/or immaturity. Neither of those traits, are the qualities you’d want in an agency that’s going to be working on your brand and identity.

Everyone is creative! There are those who say different. I say don’t listen to them. What do they know? They stopped “learning” a long time ago.

“You get what you pay for” is misleading to potential clients. It implies doom and failure if the client decides to hire someone who doesn’t charge as much. Using fear to force clients into a decision is a clear sign that the person uttering those words is only looking out for themselves and their interests.

I say run and never look back if you hear those words uttered by a professional trying to sell you something. More than likely, they’re using this fear tactic to justify charging insanely high prices for their service.

Go down the street and talk with two or more similar professionals and then make your decision.

It made me smile, even laugh a little. I’ve had bottles with messages in their caps before so this is not new to me. But it had been awhile and I wasn’t expecting it. So when the cap flipped upside down and exposed the message, I was surprised.

I liked the fact that the message wasn’t trying to sell me something else, like another flavor or different product of theirs. By not trying to sell me another product, it’s as though they really care and respect me.

The tone of the message has personality and creates a feeling of friendliness. Crazy as it sounds, it’s as though I actually heard someone ask me “How I was doin’ today?”

That was a nice touch and a pleasant surprise. I don’t know what it cost them to print inside the caps, but they won my loyalty by doing so and I look forward t my next purchase.

It also helps that their product was superb too!

So, I present my idea, along with mock ups and suggestions to the next level in the hierarchy where I work. At first, the management was supportive and enthused. As time passed, and after fighting many dumpster fires that needed attention, the management’s interest level faded.

I asked for and received permission to take my idea elsewhere to develop. But after more time reflecting on my idea, I flushed out even more benefits that awaits the company who pursues my idea. So, once again, I try to push this boulder up the mountain.

Personally, I’d like to help a company that has helped me and many co-workers/friends with employment, than to take my idea to strangers. If I can help create or secure jobs for the company I work for, that would be my first wish. Combine that desire with some kind of personal reward for putting the idea into words, and we’d have a perfect solution.

No, I wouldn’t say I’m being greedy. New ideas, big, small or medium, are rare and should be valued. Without new ideas, we’d still be fighting over carrion and caves. Yes, ideas should be rewarded. And really good ideas deserve to be rewarded generously.

What I don’t understand is when a great idea is put forth…why, WHY CAN’T CORPORATE see it? I won’t repeat what I’ve been told would happen I left my job. Many large corporations have earned their bad reputations. And maybe I’m being naive when I believe people are inherently good and will do the right thing. Even corporate and management.

But back to my question … WHY CAN’T CORPORATE SEE A GREAT IDEA WHEN IT’S PRESENTED TO THEM? I’ve connected the dots. I’ve explained the benefits to the company. This idea would last well into the future - 20 years or more! It’s not just a one time bonus. It’s years and years of reaping benefits!

What am I to do? I have a fantastic idea and would love to see it help my company, my friends and myself. But if corporate says no, then … then what’s my next step? Another corporation?

While helping my animal sanctuary client with a project, I stumbled on to the Humane Society of the United States Web site. This interesting news bite about Safeway caught my attention. My first response was, uh oh. I shop there. Are they bad?

It turns out not to be the case. Safeway is actually taking steps to assure animal welfare! You can read the article here. It is really promising and I hope more big (and small) stores follow their lead.

If marketed and advertised correctly, this could set Safeway apart from all other grocery stores. Even most organic and natural food stores do not have such a policy. I worked as a graphic designer for a natural and organic food store and to my surprise, animal welfare was not on their list.

Now it seems this issue is becoming popular. Increasingly, TV is exposing animal cruelty cases all over the U.S. Just the other day, Katie Couric aired a spot on cruelty to dairy cattle in California.  So Safeway’s move is “timely” and could put them in the spotlight as a progressive and humane enterprise.

I look forward to seeing how they incorporate this in their marketing. I hope they do.