imc²′s Secret Mean Stinks has been recognized by several industry-leading organizations. Read more about the success of this campaign in the below articles:

• Forrester’s Groundswell Awards: Secret Mean Stinks
• AdvertisingAge:  “How Secret Found Inspiration to Perspiration”
• AdvertisingAge: “Secret’s Anti-bullying Campaign Appears to Get Facebook Fans Engaged”

Healthcare marketers: How does this sit with you?  While 2011 brought us an onslaught of new products and methodologies, 2012 brings us opportunity. Opportunity to utilize these numbers to provide better, more valuable measurements for personal health and wellness.

Hear thoughts from Brady Walcott, VP of marketing and strategic development for imc² health & wellness, about how the industry should address these crucial issues facing marketers on the health and wellness blog,  Pixels and Pills.

Sounds like good marketing, right? Create some buzz around a novel event and position your product in the minds of consumers in a new way (my lawn tractor is just as cool as a new car!) But one detail of the story really caught my attention. Craftsman was touting, among other features, the speed of this new mower. “It allows you to go 8 mph forward, 3 mph backwards,” Kris Malkoski, a VP at Craftsman said. In good consumer era fashion, Craftsman got inside the heads of consumers at the auto show (Speed! Speed! Cool looks! Speed!) and associated their product with a perceived differentiator.

But, in reality, John Deere has been making fast tractors for a while. Kim Ridel, tactical brand manager for riding equipment at John Deere, said that some of their tractors “go up to 8.5 mph.” Ridel added that John Deere has been introducing automotive features on riding lawn mowers since 1982. Some consumers will simply hear the Craftsman message about a functional benefit that ladders up to the emotion of buying a new, fast car, and will buy the new CTX riding lawn mower. But others may take to the social airwaves and call out the fact that this is nothing new, and that John Deer was there first. There is a risk these days in claiming to be first to a place when you may not actually be first. People check out those claims.

Is it good Relationship Era marketing to imply differentiation when it does not exist? Probably not. Someone (like NPR) will notice, and there may be a price to pay. But is it good Relationship Era marketing on the part of John Deere to holler only when Craftsman brings the message to market? Perhaps they could provide their customers a forum to speak about the features that matter to the lawn tractor aficionado, and that allows consumers the ability to discuss different brands and how these brands meet the customers’ needs? In the Relationship Era, it may not be the first brand to talk about a topic that is the winner, it will probably be the brand that allows the most authentic and inclusive conversation.

Blog post contributed by imc²′s Chief Strategy Officer, Mark McKinney.

MediaPost’s Social Media Insider Summit: Ian Wolfman will be speaking on Monday, Jan. 23 where he will present a case study on Marketing with Purpose: P&G’s Secret Deodorant. Follow him on Twitter for updates from the conference @Imwolfman.

Social Commerce Strategies: imc² heads to Las Vegas to listen to RadioShack’s Adrian Parker speak about, “Tactics to better execute social marketing.”

BlogWell Dallas:  Shell, ColdwellBanker, AT&T and United Airlines, to name a few, gather in Dallas to share social media case studies. imc²will be on hand to gather insights from these brands

imc²’s vice president, consumer marketing, Tim Rumpler, discusses six trends and resolutions marketers should take notice of in 2012. In this video blog above, Tim gives insight to each of these trends:

1. Digital and TV should share the love and optimize budgets to the benefit of the client.
2. This year get ready to hear all about DiSoMo (an acronym I dislike!). The marriage of Digital-Social-Mobile. It’s not just “digital.”
3. Paid-Owned-Shared-Earned will be the marketing organizational wrecking ball.
4. It’s not just about the shareholders. Digital-Social-Mobile connects with all your stakeholders and it’s time to take it to scale.
5. Emerging technologies and consumers: marketers need to repeat this phrase, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
6. In this industry two-step, it’s time for digital agencies to take the lead for bleeding and leading-edge brands.

You can follow Tim Rumpler on Twitter @imc2Tim or connect with him at the iMedia Brand Summit on Feb. 5.

imc2 Weekend of Love volunteers gathering for a brainstorm.

1. Porter and Kramer’s “Creating Shared Value” article spread like wildfire, offering a new framework for the relationship between business and society.
2. Two related movements came into their own, advancing a shared value approach to business: Conscious Capitalism and B Corporations.
3. Taproot Foundation’s corps of skilled professionals provided their one millionth hour of pro bono consulting to the nonprofit sector and helped re-launch A Billion+Change, which has recorded $1 billion in pro bono pledges.

I know what you’re probably thinking: Wait, why the third one? What does philanthropy have to do with monumental shifts underway in business?

Well, pro bono is not just another form of philanthropy. In fact, it may actually represent the most transformational exchange to take place on either side of the great profit/nonprofit divide. I’d even venture to say that this exchange may represent the vanguard of the shared value/conscious capitalism movement.

Here’s why:

• Businesses that embrace pro bono will build capacity more quickly and develop talent more effectively. Tough economic times aside, the next generation of business professionals want to use their skills for good. When structured intelligently, pro bono offers an incredible opportunity to grow and test the talent pipeline while simultaneously positioning mid-level staff to gain valuable management experience.
• This transfer of knowledge and skills will spur the next wave of sustainable social enterprises. Pro bono is the most effective form of service because, when done right, it builds long-term capacity of the nonprofit partner. As nonprofits become adept in attracting and leveraging pro bono relationships, the sector will adopt more innovative and effective methods of operation and service delivery.
• Businesses that establish their pro bono niche will develop stronger partnerships across the value chain. At the heart of pro bono is one question: How do I create the most value with limited time? It’s an exercise in focus and efficiency which inspires some businesses to seek out other purpose-oriented partners that transcend a limited pro bono engagement.
• Businesses with pro bono experience will be the first to capitalize in emerging markets. There’s a wave of growth to be had by businesses that truly understand and adapt to the context, needs, and desires of the poor – in both the developed and developing worlds. There is perhaps no better opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of these markets than by partnering and working alongside the nonprofits which are currently serving them.

Not sold yet? It’s okay. We’re learning, too, and invite you to read what we’re up to in the world of pro bono through our “Labor of Love” here.

It was interesting to hear from two visionaries who are applying their unique experiences outside the medical field to health and wellness in a way that will greatly improve the way people live.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from explorer and adventurer Dan Buettner, but I was impressed with his presentation. In his world travels, Buettner became interested in demographics and longevity and began researching regions of the Earth with the longest life expectancy. He coined these regions “blue zones,” and published a book of his findings in 2008, “The Blue Zone:  Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest.”

At TEDMED, Buettner spoke about the affects environmental changes have on overall health. During the presentation, he described a real-life case study in which his team applied best practices for better living that had been identified from cultures around the world to promote a healthier lifestyle to a community in Minnesota.  From creating bike lanes to planting community gardens and changing the school lunch programs in this community, Buettner and his team set out to prove that subtle changes in everyday life can make a significant impact in improving the health and wellness of an individual (or a community).

The point of validation for me was that the application of Buettner’s findings through modifications to the environment brought about measurable results. These results included an increase in the average life expectancy by three years, drops in employee absentee rates and reduced healthcare costs for city employees.

It was as inspiring to hear from Dean Kamen, one of the world’s most prominent and prolific inventors of today. Kamen has a passion for and unwavering desire to develop innovative solutions that help others. He has founded several science and technology companies, one of which is looking for ways to impact the medical industry with robotics. He used the stage at TEDMED to talk about what was on the horizon for medical robotics, report the status of his robotic arm development and to vent his frustrations over getting FDA approval for his latest enhancements.

The most recent updates to Kamen’s robotic arm, known as the DEKA arm, are intended to restore functionality for individuals with upper extremity amputations. The arm itself should greatly enhance the quality of life for amputees by providing the ability to manage everyday tasks with a higher level of dexterity.

It’s fascinating how these individuals have come to the place they are in the health and wellness industry, and inspirational to learn how they have overcome immense obstacles in their careers to apply their expertise to the unique challenges of healthcare.

Follow Brady on Twitter @bradywalcott. Interested in what else Brady has to say? Read his blog posts on previewing TEDMED or Health 2.0 Spring Fling.

The holidays are a time for brands to differentiate themselves from competitors while ensuring they are top-of-mind as consumers decide which ones to patronize for gift giving.  But following this pre-holiday spending surge comes a time many marketers, especially those in the retail sector, define as being “slow.”

This does not have to be the reality for your brand.

If you were expecting tips on how to make next year’s holiday campaign better, stand out a little more and set you apart from the crowd, think again. I’m here to share with you three tips that will help you move ahead of the pack during the post-holiday months of “brand nesting.”

1. Plan post-holiday strategies shortly after baking holiday concepts. Early planning and execution help to avoid the back up and stress caused by lack of resources available to you during the holidays. The switch from holiday to post-holiday should be queued up to launch at the push of a button.
2. Make calls-to-action drive your e-commerce presence. I don’t know if it’s the tryptophan that continues to affect folks long after the decorations are down, but generally people are happy to stay in and relax after the holidays, and driving to brick-and-mortar retailers is an uphill climb. Use every marketing channel and medium at your disposal to push consumers to your online store, then entice and engage.
3. Declare your own holiday. Think “outside the calendar” and forget being one of the thousands of voices vying for attention on Valentine’s Day, MLK day or Presidents Day. I’m not telling you to ignore these holidays, but don’t blow your entire budget on them either. Instead, create a special day and build buzz around it so that people are ONLY talking about that day and your brand. Increasing your share of voice and making your brand aspirational can have just as good an effect on sales, if not better, than talking about what’s on sale today.

If you are to embrace only one of these concepts, choose the first one.  In doing so, you’ll enjoy your holiday break knowing that you’re ahead of the game for 2012.

Here’s to the holiday season!

Reshma Pendleton is a vice president, client partner for imc².

imc²′s Ian Wolfman interviews Kevin Jonas Sr. about how the Jonas Brothers came to be and how utilizing social media channels has been instrumental to their success.

Doug Levy, CEO, imc2

The 2011Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit gathered leaders across multiple industries to engage and foster practical learning around the Conscious Capitalism movement.  Doug Levy, CEO of imc², attended the three-day event and shares with us his insights and biggest takeaways:

Why is Conscious Capitalism so important to you, personally?

It’s been a part of my life for as long as I can recall. As a kid, I remember being so fascinated with entrepreneurship and innovation. I’ve always lived my life with a hunger and a passion for making the world better, and what I’m seeing in Conscious Capitalism is an orientation around business doing better for investors AND the world simultaneously. This movement is bridging the gap that exists between capitalism and its stigma; that big businesses act as greedy entities. It’s extremely inspiring.

How do you bring the fundamentals of Conscious Capitalism to imc²?

For our business, the connection is so clear. Conscious Capitalism is based on the idea of businesses being forces for good. Companies that acknowledge that they stand for something other than making money tend to produce better results.  This concept—understanding the benefit of being oriented in purpose—is truly the bedrock of our company and it aligns wholly with the way we do business. With regards to our clients, we help them understand what their purpose is, so they can build long-lasting relationships between their brand and people. Being at this summit was truly rewarding because I was surrounded by people who care about the same types of things.

What was the most thought-provoking topic discussed?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, gave a really inspiring and powerful presentation on the positive impact of capitalism and addressed the biggest question concerning capitalism right now—how to make capitalism accessible to more people. As evidenced by the Occupy movement, capitalism and CEOs are pretty hated right now. So, the idea that capitalism is a positive force is itself controversial. The facts support the assertion that capitalism is helping humanity.  Life expectancy in 30,000 BC was 33 years; in the 1800s, it was 30 years; now, the worldwide average life expectancy has soared to 68, and in the countries with the most economic freedom it is 79.  Income levels have been virtually unchanged for thousands of years, with per capita GDP sitting at just $500 from the beginning of AD to 1800, but have now risen to $7,300.  In fact, capitalism is quickly ending poverty.  Around 200 years ago, 86 percent of the world population lived on less than a dollar a day. Now, following the Industrial Revolution, that number sits at 17 percent and at the current rate is expected to reach zero within 50 years. Capitalism is also decreasing illiteracy, increasing political freedoms, and even increasing happiness.

Also, Brian Schultz, CEO of Studio Movie Grill, presented a case study on how he introduced and implemented Conscious Capitalism to his organization to benefit multiple stakeholders. Studio Movie Grill offered local schools the opportunity to utilize their theater space during the week and provided free tickets for attendees. This helped the community (as schools were able to show a meaningful film and parents were able to learn), employees (who collected tips on food and drinks purchased during the event), and investors (who generated revenue from food and drink purchases on slow midweek nights and introduced new customers to the theater). He’s now broadening the program to include more non-profits and high-impact films. Not only did this opportunity serve as community outreach, but also it benefited all aspects of the business.

For the 2012 Conscious Capitalism CEO Summit, you will serve as a chairman. What are you most looking forward to with this new level of involvement?

First, the summit this year was phenomenal. In a post-summit survey, 99 percent of attendees said they would recommend it to other CEOs. The previous chairman set the bar extremely high, but his success also helped generate a lot of momentum for next year. One goal of mine is to bring in more leaders of large companies like Southwest Airlines and The Coca-Cola Company to share their experiences and join in the learning and to deepen the exploration of purpose.

Doug is staying active in his pursuit of spreading awareness about the Conscious Capitalism movement. Yesterday, he traveled to the Ethics, Trust and Transparency Conference on the SMU campus where he moderated the Responsible Business Leadership panel and led discussions about generating stakeholder value and how capitalism positively contributes to society. You can read updates from the conference here.