This morning I was reading a story by Eric Dash from the NYT about banks and debt collectors forgiving late fees, lowering interest rates, and reducing loan balances. Evidently, in 2008 more than 700,000 people had their balances lowered. This led to a conversation with my husband about contracts and accountability. His point was that contracts are losing their value. If you can sign a contract for a home loan or a credit card and then walk away from it when times get tough, what is the real meaning of the contract? And at the same time, since the banks have foolishly lent so many billions to so many bad risks, what is their accountability? It has become clear to me that it’s not much since they can get a handout from us taxpayers and then not even have to provide an accounting of how that money is being spent. This lack of accountability from top to bottom in the mortgage story has truly kicked us all in the ass. As my ancestors would say - Oy!

As a side note - what scared me most in the story was the POV that the sooner these people clean up their finances, the sooner the banks can start lending them money again. Helloooo! What’s that saying about the definition of stupidity being the repetition of the same mistake over and over?

So this morning, while plowing through my email inbox, I found an excerpt that had been sent to me from the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni and it struck a chord (thanks for sending this over Jeff):

Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of Accountability
When teams don’t commit to a clear plan of action, even the most focused and driven individuals hesitate to call their peers on actions and behaviors that may seem counterproductive to the overall good of the team.

Dysfunction #5: Inattention to Results
Team members naturally tend to put their own needs (ego, career development, recognition, etc.) ahead of the collective goals of the team when individuals aren’t held accountable. If a team has lost sight of the need for achievement, the business ultimately suffers.

Without accountability, success is difficult to achieve. The BG team is focused on success and results, yet I wonder how often we could have done even better in 2008 if only there had been more attention to accountability. I suppose, if only we had held each other accountable is more to the point.

Accountability can be scary. The looming nemesis of  failure is one potential outcome. But a grounded sense of accomplishment is its flip side. Of course, holding others accountable can be hard too. You need a pretty tight team to be able to keep each honest without defensiveness and finger pointing. That team needs trust and no small modicum of empathy.

So as we head into 2009, I challenge our team to hold each other accountable. To not be afraid to ask the tough questions of each other. To sacrifice individual glory when it’s the best thing for the team (which ultimately means for our clients). And I sure do hope the incoming administration does the same thing. We need accountability top to bottom in this country. From every worker still employed at an auto plant in Detroit to our representatives in Washington to the bankers in New York. And from you and me.

How will you hold yourself accountable in 2009?

Photo by David Paul Ohmer with use by Creative Commons license via Flickr.

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So here’s my list, self-indulgent though it might be.

• #10  Read more books.  Not just any books like “Twilight” or “Are You There, Vodka?  It’s Me Chelsea” ( incidentally one of the funniest books ever).  Important books like “The Outliers” and “Twitter Revolution” that will help me be better at what I do.
• #9  Spend more quality time with my kids just having fun.  We live in an amazing city full of cool things to do as a family, like the San Diego Zoo, Coronado Beach, Balboa Park, The Children’s Museum, the carousel at Seaport Village (although it turns so fast I get a little urpy).  The list goes on and on.
• #8  Be more connected to arts and culture.  It feeds my soul and drives my creative inspiration.  Regularly visit the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the La Jolla Playhouse, Sushi. Oh yeah, and those spots on the other coast like the Guggenheim and Broadway too.
• #7  Tell my team how much I truly appreciate them.  Regularly and often.  They are an amazing group of talented individuals upon whom I rely every day — and they work very hard to ensure our clients and our agency are successful.
• #6  Be more patient.  The universe has its own agenda, and my small part is just that — a small part.  Things will happen as they should.
• #5   Lead with clear vision and communication.  I am blessed to have such an amazing business partner in Indra Gardiner, and our shared vision for the future of our business is clear and in synch.  How lucky is that?  We just gotta tell people more.
• #4  Spend time in nature.  Alone.  When I was a kid, I spent hours every day wondering alone through open fields and climbing trees, dodging cows and catching pollywogs.   Smell more good air.  Clear my head.  Did I say alone?
• #3  Listen to my body.  Exercise regularly — it makes a difference in my mental state.  And whoever said sleep is overrated is an idiot.  I need sleep.  It’s like pushing the restart button.
• #2  Strive to work for new exciting clients that really get who Bailey Gardiner is, and want what we know how to do.  Clients like Aptera.  Electra Bicycle Company.  Envision Solar. Sambazon.  WD-40.  We want them, and we want them to want us.
• #1  Be even more digital.  It’s the future of our world.  Twitter more.  Blog at least twice — okay, maybe three — times a week.  Help more clients understand the new frontier, and be a leader in the digital marketing revolution.

There it is.  Told you it was self-indulgent, but isn’t that the point of these resolutions?  Becoming better at being you?

Okay, now it’s your turn.  I’m interested in hearing what everyone else’s resolutions are this year.  If you are too shy to post them all, then at least share one or two with us.

Dare ya….

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We can’t be the only shop in town that sends people to these things. We went to see Alex Bogusky speak at USD this summer and Jeff Goodby this fall and really the only people there were advertising students and voice talent.

Let me just put it this way… there was nobody there who made me fear losing my job except for maybe the free Moltsons and the possibility of me asking an absurd question like, “Why did you give us free drinks for an hour and lock us in this room without beverages for 2?”

Anyway, back to Mingle Bells and its lameity; I suppose I was under the impression that I was going to finally walk into an ad event and meet some other creatives. This is important – it’s like seeing basketball players chum it up before the game. It’s nice to know what the happenings are around town in the world of advertising. This is normal. It happens all over the place. Usually when any kind of ad event is thrown creative people show up. I just moved here from Minneapolis where that happens. A lot.

I guess I sound like I’m complaining about the events that the Ad Club throws for its advertising community… When really I’m complaining about the community the Ad Club is trying to throw parties for. So I would like to thank the Ad Club for all of their efforts and as a creative agency we’ll be sure to show up to support the cause.
San Diego; I’m calling you out. Next time an ad event is thrown, you can guarantee Bailey Gardiner will be there rocking out! Here’s a little taste of what goes on when BG shows up to the party.

When will you represent?

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Don’t panic, I am here to help. Working at an advertising and public relations agency we have a lot of retail clients that are perfect for getting the inside scoop. I compiled a few helpful tips to make your last minute shopping experience a little less painful:

Stop by Hazard Center  in Mission Valley: all you need, all in one stop. Have a book lover in the family? Check out Barnes and Noble where you can find a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Can’t decide what to get your boss? Pick up a Starbucks gift card for him and an Eggnog latte for yourself. (My personal Favorite).

 Tiffany & Co. San Diego in Fashion Valley is doing something they have never done before. I think it is pretty cool too! They are offering “boxed, bowed and ready to go” gift options to make your last minute holiday shopping a snap. Just think of the look on that special someone’s face when they see a gift under the Christmas tree wrapped in that timeless Tiffany blue box.

Tiffany & Co. not your style? Try heading on down to Seaport Village for a little shopping along the waterfront. Can’t find a sitter for the kids? No Problem, Seaport Village offers lots of stuff for the entire family. Free entertainment, street performers, waterfront dining, and don’t forget to take a spin on the 1895 Loof Carousel. With over 50 shops to choose from, you’re sure to find something for everyone in the family. Even your old Aunt Edna who is hard to please. Have a teenage girl in the family? Check out Urban Girl Accessories to find tons of things to choose from for that perfect gift.  Still not convinced? Seaport Village is OPEN Christmas Day from 10am-6pm and is offering free all day parking! What’s better than that?

So, you are done shopping and now you have a ton of gifts to wrap. What now? Try Holiday gift bags. All you need is a the gift bag, some tissue paper and you are done. No wrapping, no tape, no scissors and no gift tags. Fast, easy and efficient.

There you have it. A few helpful tips to get you through your mad dash of last minute holiday shopping. I hope you find everything you are looking for!

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Ours is no different.  We just like to think we have given it serious thought, and maybe, just maybe, have figured out what works for us.  (Clients, feel free to chime in here…)

I was inspired by a blog entry by my friend and colleague David Landis, who owns a successful agency in San Francisco.  He and I had an interesting exchange about this concept after he posted his comments on LinkedIn, and I am glad to learn we think alike.

Indra and I realized long ago that if we have formed expectations about how we wish our client relationships to transpire, we need to say it — loudly and up front.  These go both ways — how we expect our clients to behave, and what they can expect from us.   So now, we list those expectations right in our proposals.  And we talk about them with new clients several times as we get started.  Periodically, we check in on these issues to make we are all on track.

What You Can Expect From Us

• Regular Communication — You’ll always know what’s going on and what to expect next. We will begin regular scheduled meetings with your team to keep everyone on track and up-to-date with current projects. We recommend these meetings be held weekly either by phone conference or in person.

• Honesty/Integrity — We say what we mean and mean what we say. You can count on us to give you our honest opinions and our best work in everything we do.  You’ll get an estimate (which must be authorized before work is started) on any new job, so there will be no surprises when you receive the final invoice.

• Commitment — Your goals and priorities become ours. We are driven by your success and will become an integral part of your team, always reaching for your next big milestone.

• Responsibility/Accountability — We do what we say we’ll do. We’ll do whatever it takes to “deliver the goods” on time and within budget. If deadlines need to be shifted, we’ll let you know ahead of time. When a project is complete, we’ll ask for feedback on its effectiveness, then assess strengths and weaknesses and make adjustments to our strategies and tactics as needed.

What We Expect From Clients

• Partnership — We’re on your side. We want to be true members of your team; included in all your thinking processes and marketing decisions. Our effectiveness depends on us having “the whole story”, so that we truly understand your needs and can work in your best interests.

• Commitment to Deadlines — It takes the whole team to make it happen. In our business, we live and die by deadlines, but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. We’ll let you know up front what we need from you to achieve our timelines, and then we’ll hold you to it as the project progresses and deadlines approach.

• Clearly Defined Goals – Hazy goals equal hazy results. Before we begin any new creative project, we’ll ask you to approve a creative brief. This document is our “road map” to effective advertising—defining our purpose, target audience, challenges, goals, tone and support. We believe that by thinking things through in this way at the outset, we create the greatest possibility for results that achieve your goals.

• Honest Feedback — We need to hear how we’re doing. Of course, we love to hear when we’re hitting home runs, but we also need to know when we’ve missed the mark. Your constructive criticism will allow us to adapt to your style and to tailor our efforts to better suit you.

How healthy — good communications at a marketing communications agency.

Imagine that.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

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So for our holiday gift, we decided to give something different.

And we decided to make it ourselves.

After all, each project we work on here at BG has our own hand-crafted touch—there’s no reason our holiday gift should be any different.

Using water-based organic matsui inks and organic cotton bags from terratote the team screenprinted a series of five bags. One for each area of BG’s expertise—advertising, public relations, media, interactive and design. And each with it’s very own representative icon created by art director Nik Helgaas.

Right here at BG we burned the screen printing screens using photo emulsion and printed each bag with our own little hands. It was a little stinky at times (thanks to the screen cleaner) but overall lots of fun and a true team effort.

To finish, the bags were tied together with hemp rope and an accompanying note and hand or rush delivered to each recipient. Thanks to all involved!

Oh, and don’t forget to keep an eye on your inbox for our holiday e-card. It features Jon and Indra in tacky Christmas sweaters (not to be missed!).

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It’s that darn “preferred pitching method” section in Vocus that can get into an unsuspecting practitioner’s head and make him passive in his outreach. Because undoubtedly it will say e-mail. But email does not make the world go round.

As much as I like to deny that I am in sales, I am. Public relations is selling story ideas to journalists.

I talk about this often with my husband–who is in sales. If he only emailed prospects, he’d rarely turn outreach into new clients. Instead he picks up the phone and calls people. He’ll stop by their business to make a personal connection.

He tells me: “Imagine how many sales queries each business owner gets in a day? Even with a strong subject line (no joke, his favorite is “pick me, pick me”), it’s likely most of my emails go to trash or get deleted. Being strong enough to pick up the phone and call or stop in and say ‘hi’ is what sets me apart from hundreds of other salesmen trying to earn a buck.”

And that’s what many public relations executives forget.

Building relationships is key and nothing can beat in-person meetings and networking events. And face-to-face, over the phone or email pitches do nothing if you don’t know how to do effective public relations. But in regular day-to-day pitching, picking up the phone to call can accomplish more in one call than 100 emails.

The truth is, while on the phone we may only get 10 to 15 seconds of an editor’s time to win their ink. The ability to make that happen is what can set a good PR executive apart from a superior one.

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Last Friday I got tagged by Jason Baer, our digital guru, on a meme making the rounds in which you post seven things about yourself that people probably don’t know. I usually do what Jason tells me to (except if my husband says no) cause he’s pretty smart. So here it is:

1. I’m a high school drop out. It was soooo boring!

2. I used that time to travel as much as possible, including 3 months at an ashram in India. Now you know why I stay so calm and centered…

3. I sneeze in multiples of three, which is fine, except when I’m driving. Then it’s scary.

4. The primary pet in my home is a very large, very ugly African frog named Tady. Tady has eaten all the lovely fish I have ever put in her tank (yes, she is a she). Now she gets minnows for company.

5. I should have had Dorie Greenspan’s job. I am a frustrated baker who takes it out on her family and friends with high calorie treats.

6. When I was a teenager, I was a member of an African dance performing group. It was the 70s.

7. I couldn’t do what I do without the support of my two husbands. Jon Bailey, my day husband going on 14 years, makes me laugh everyday. Paul Bowers, my night (and legal) husband supports me in ways I didn’t even know I needed. I love them both. Madly.

Part of this meme is to tag 7 other people. So here’s my list of people whose lists I’d like to read. Sorry guys. It’s actually painless.

Caron Golden

Alice Q. Foodie

Brian Branca

Paul M Bowers

Steve Cody

Matt Kucharski

Erin Reilly

Here are the rules.

1. Link your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.

2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.

3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.

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So while we don our flip flops, tanks and T’s, so will Seaport Village’s Santa Clause, because you know, nobody likes rockin’ all that red fur in 70 degree weather. Even Santa needs a break. He’ll make his arrival to Seaport Village this Sunday, 12/14 by sailboat on the San Diego Harbor. Then he’ll pose in his board shorts on his giant surfboard and wave for free pictures with the kiddies from 12 - 4 p.m.

So if you’re from out of town, or you’re a local and want to rub it in to the out-of-towners, grab a free picture this Sunday then go online to http://blog.seaportvillage.com to send it to your cold family out in the Northeast. They’ll reek of jealousy!

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