Your Symposium

I had a chance to go to the FORUM Solutions Symposium last year and it was well worth it. If you’re a credit union professional interested in innovation and new marketing, you should definitely attend. This year’s event has been dubbed Your Symposium. Check out this video.

http://www.yoursymposium.org/video/2009-your-symposium

A Case for Social Media in Business

I believe in using social media as part of your company’s marketing. A Facebook page, a Twitter account, a blog, etc. are great ways to communicate what your company is about to consumers. 

It’s not the best place to market to them.

Social media/networking sites are about communication and connectivity. Marketing is not invited.  Even though you cannot plaster ads across these sites, you should still be involved. The reason to stake your claim in these arenas is for brand reputation.

You may not be able to sell your product through Facebook, but you may be able to put a positive spin on it.

The Journey Begins

As you may have seen in a Tweet last week  (follow me @mkhostetler), I have made the goal to read the 100 best business books of all time.  I have decided to start with the books I already own and go through the list without a set pattern. I will blog about what I read and the lessons I’m learning.

Continuing one’s education is a huge part in growing your ability to innovate. It’s important to be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things.

The first book I’m reading is Moneyball by Michael Lewis.

I’m Extra Chunky

Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce.

Have We Fulfilled The Dream?

The Brink

I’ve been at home today for the holiday and watching CNN and other news coverage of the inauguration. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, etc., you can’t deny the feeling of optimism that is gripping the country.

We stand on the brink of a new era in America. A new era with new priorities and an emphasis on improving this country – one citizen at a time. It will be an era of discovering new technology. It will be an era of social responsibility. It will be an era that defines my generation.

Get Well Steve

With the announcement today of Steve Jobs’ hiatus from Apple, I wanted to take the chance to say get well to one of the kings of innovation.

Ignite

One of the organizations that I’m currently involved with is Ignite – Innovation for Indiana’s Credit Unions. The projects and ideas that have come out of this group are remarkable, and there are more to come.

The most thrilling thing about being a part of Ignite is the chance to collaborate with other people that have a passion for what they do. If we had more passion in the business world today, we would have more innovation. We would have more creativity. We would be better at what we do.

Driving Growth

When I went to Indiana University, I knew that I wanted to major in business. However, I didn’t know what area I wanted to focus on.  When I was a sophomore, I had my first marketing class. Professor Rockney Walters taught me that marketing was a driver of growth.

Marketing was responsible for keeping businesses alive amidst a changing environment.

The environment and the marketer’s role has changed. This is the subject of Live To Innovate.