One of our newest projects is a website for Frawley’s Fine Herbary, located in Midland, Michigan. Frawley’s is a small, but growing business specializing in a wide variety of herbal mixes, herbal teas and more. You can find them every Wednesday and Saturday at the Midland Farmers’ Market (located near the foot of the Tridge).

When Donna, Sabrina and I first sat down to discuss what they wanted in a site, one of the things they stressed is that because this is their first foray into a web store, they had a tight budget to work within, but they still needed the site to offer all of the features they wanted. They wanted a full-feature store that handled PayPal, they wanted a searchable recipe section, and they wanted the ability to update and make changes themselves. I stressed to them that I think one of the most important things they can do is be sure that there is valuable content on the site for visitors.

We delivered the site they asked for and kept the project on budget, even with a couple of hiccups along the way. We are really pleased with the final results and, according to the client, so are they.

Take the time and click the link to their site and see what Frawley’s Fine Herbary is all about. There are links to articles that Donna has written, a calendar of Donna’s upcoming cooking classes, as well as many free recipes to browse. And if reading those recipes makes your mouth water, stop into the store and pick up an item or two. You can’t beat the price on their all-natural herbal teas and blends.

Think again. 

A lot of businesses have no social media presence on the internet. Ignoring social media is a huge mistake because it carries benefits to all sorts of businesses, both large and small. Whether it’s a blog, Facebook page, Twitter account or something else, the investment in getting it set up is minimal and the potential rewards are large. And if you think that these sites are just for fun, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Take the case of Del Monte, the giant food production company you probably associate with vegetables and canned goods. In addition to the main Del Monte brand and several other giant brands for human consumption, Del Monte foods owns many HUGE pet food brands including Kibbles ‘n Bits, 9 Lives, Pounce, Milk Bone and Snausages.

Del Monte has had a web presence for a long time and had some experience with social media when they created the private “I Love My Dog” site. The site was open by invitation to BIG LEAGUE dog lovers. The site offered an opportunity for people to interact with one another and, perhaps more importantly, to interact with the brand’s marketing research arm.

A question was posed to the community regarding what people’s dogs liked for breakfast. Many members of the community responded and many of the responses included eggs and bacon. 

Members were also asked if a treat or pet food included vitamins or other healthy ingredients, if that would make a difference in a purchase decision. The dog lovers agreed that being able to give their beloved canines something that is good and good for them would be great.

Del Monte wasn’t asking these questions just to ask them. They were using social media as an instant feedback device and rather than sitting on the results, they acted on them very quickly. 

In six weeks, Del Monte posted images of packaging and samples of the new treat, Snausages Breakfast Bites. The treats come in these really cute fried egg and bacon shapes and have added calcium, antioxidants, and Omega 3 and 6 oils. Members loved the idea and, I think, they really responded to the fact that a megaconglomerate company was really listening to what they had to say.

Shortly thereafter, Snausages Breakfast Bites were in stores and the treat is a huge hit. The simple act of creating a site where their core market could interact with one another and share stories and ideas shortened the product creation cycle from years to months. That cost savings alone was more than worth the investment. Add to that the fact that instead of jamming a new product down people’s throats, they took the time to solicit and utilize consumer feedback shows that Del Monte really gets what the true power of social media is.

Congratulations, Del Monte, you win the 989 Design Social Marketer of the Week Award!

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Laurie and I attended the Bay Area Chamber’s Speed Networking event. As usual, it was a good event. I think the important thing is to go into these things with realistic expectations. You aren’t going to walk out the door with new jobs, but you are going to meet a bunch of new people. And, as I explained the other day, you get coffee and mini muffins. 

This was my third speed networking event and Laurie and I were discussing what to talk about before we went. I didn’t give her anything specific to talk about because I wanted whatever we discussed to be natural, rather than sound like we’re giving a canned speech. Even if it means that we miss a talking point or two, I’d rather that it seems organic and not all planned and plotted out.

Because I have done this a few times now, I found that I actually knew a lot of people at the event. I ended up sitting with someone I already knew at five out of the six tables I was at. It was nice to see so many familiar faces because I’m starting to feel like a pretty active member of the chamber. I’m never going to be a real chamber insider, but that’s because I prefer working on the periphery. There are people much better suited to be on the inside. As it is, I’m just happy to attend the events and talk to a lot of people. 

I remember when I first joined the Bay Area Chamber—and even for the first two years, really—I would go to events and I might not talk to anyone. I am not a big networker and approaching people I don’t know is intimidating to me. So I’d be the guy on his own, checking his cell phone and trying desperately to look comfortable in a room full of strangers. It was okay, but I’m glad those days are gone. 

If anyone is feeling a little isolated at Chamber events, I really recommend attending the speed networking sort of events because it does put you in a position to get to know a lot of other chamber members. 

Before I wrap this up I just wanted to mention that even though I already knew quite a few people at the event, I met 15 or so people who I hadn’t met before. A lot of really interesting people doing some cool work in the Tri-Cities…er…Great Lakes Bay Region…man, that’s a mouthful of a name…Tri-Cities was so much easier to wrap my tongue around. 

Okay…this unpaid endorsement for the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce is now complete. 

As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the Detroit Lions have finally released their new logo and it is exactly what early sources said it would be. With this larger picture, you can see the logo better. I do like the changes to the Lion itself, but I am still not thrilled with the wordmark. In fact, I don’t really care for the wordmark at all.

In my original post, somebody commented that the wordmark looks very World League and he’s dead right. Ever since he wrote that, all I can think of is USFL or something like that. 

In truth, though, I won’t mind the wordmark too much if they just field a better team. You can have the greatest logo in the world, but if the product on the field is garbage, your brand is garbage. Plus, I’d like to see the Lions return to anthing-close-to-respectability just because I am tired of ESPN jackasses and their constant smirky comments.

This morning, Laurie and I will be heading to Bay Valley to attend the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Speed Networking event. I’ve participated in this event the past two years and have really enjoyed it. It’s not the kind of event where you walk out the door with new business in hand, but it’s a great opportunity to meet more Chamber members. 

If you have never attended a Chamber speed networking event, you should. These events are the sort of things that can make or break a small business. It’s not about making sales, it’s about getting out there and talking to people. It’s a chance to get your business in front of them and increasing awareness of your brand.

I am not big on public speaking, but I’ll do my best to tell the 989 Design story without getting too nervous and in the process I’ll get to meet a lot of new people. And I get to do it all in a comfortable setting with free coffee and danish. 

What more could I possibly ask for?