Precious Moments...

Sitting here, holding the sleeping wonder that we were gifted this year, as I soak in these precious moments, I can only assume they are like the ones the Bible notes that Mary stored up in her heart after the birth of Jesus.  

Though her moments related to a heavenly King and mine are for an earthly son I hope loves that King one day.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! 

LEGO gives Brand Context via Video Marketing

LEGO, manufacturers of the plastic block building systems that many of us enjoyed as kids and as adults, celebrated their 80th anniversary this month.  How did they celebrate?  By releasing an animated short (completed by their in-house team), which illustrates and narrates the joys and trials of the business to-date.  The delightful 15-minute video gives context to the brand story by sharing many behind-the-scenes examples and circumstances that many consumers of their products may not be familiar with, but add to the value the company incorporates into their products.

This short is a nearly perfect example of using video marketing to tell [as Paul Harvey would say], 'The Rest of the Story.'  See for yourself.

How have you put video marketing to work to tell your brand story?  Do you have a favorite(s) example of genius use of video for this purpose by brands you patron?

Finding Work-Life Balance

Innumerable professionals struggle with the daily juggling of act related to balance between their work hours and their home life.  Far too often work trickles into the precious hours that are allocated to family, friends and loved ones.  In an era of hyper connectivity this challenge to find balance is even harder.

Is the solution to throw in the towel and hope that your kids understand your partial attention to their animated review of their day at school whilst you parse through your work email on that tiny 5" screen should be enough to validate them?  No!

Is it acceptable to hide your mobile in the bottom of your attaché and never attend to it outside of business hours?  For some, this is the only way they can truly enjoy their vacations and time off. 

There's no one set solution for how to balance all elements of work and personal lives - but it is a factor that a healthy business person should at least consider and put forth effort to find the mix right for him/her.  This mix has to be comfortable for the professional or it's a wasted effort.

Some will argue that as entrepreneurs they never really can leave the office behind, especially if they work from home - but, where there's a will there is a way.  The home office could be an area of a home that is set apart from common areas shared with the family, regular "office hours" could be set, mobile devices can be set aside and concerted effort made to focus on family during non "office hours." 

Again, everyone's thresh holds and benchmarks for balance will be different.  

It is a continuous process of relearning and refocusing on what matters most and then acting on that.  It is pertinent to understand what imbalance looks like and take the steps to find the mix that is best for you and yours.  

Balance today may not look like what it did last year, or even last week.  Find yours and understand its natural ebbs and flows - for your betterment, that of your family and your career.

Dormant for Too Long!

Plane chaser, er..chase plane...

Shame on me for allowing this blog to sit dormant for nearly 2 months!  It's been a far too busy season of life for blogging it would seem.  I've been busy chasing planes, living life and enjoying my family and friends.

I hope this post finds you, my loyal blog subscribers, well and enjoying a lovely season in whatever part of the world you reside.

Future content on the docket for Levity & Irony?  A return of AvGeek Interviews (renamed the Aero Files), and of course my random, opinionated two-cents on the world around me.  For those of you looking for the next #AvGeekPhoto Challenge content calendar - it will be posted to my IG account on 7/15/12.

Thanks for continuing to read even when I forget to post.  Cheers!

#AvgeekPhoto Challenge Calendar

#AvgeekPhoto Challenge Content Calendar

#AvgeekPhoto Challenge - May 2012

Same rules apply as last time. Post your own photos (don't borrow or represent other's work as your own), stick with the daily subject matter and have fun! Tag all of your photos each day with the hashtag, #avgeekphoto.

#Avgeek Photo Challenge - Daily Content Calendar:

5/1 - window seat
5/2 - middle seat
5/3 - aisle seat
5/4 - first class
5/5 - winged chariot
5/6 - my luggage
5/7 - wide body
5/8 - narrow body
5/9 - puddle jumper
5/10 - boarding pass
5/11 - airline of choice
5/12 - flight attendant
5/13 - the jump seat
5/14 - prop plane
5/15 - Boeing
5/16 - Airbus
5/17 - Embraer
5/18 - Saab
5/19 - ground crew
5/20 - arriving
5/21 - the tray table
5/22 - departing
5/23 - clouds at 35,000 feet
5/24 - sunset/sunrise at 35,000 feet
5/25 - a cityscape from 35,000 feet
5/26 - the gate
5/27 - baggage claim
5/28 - the terminal
5/29 - inflight entertainment
5/30 - drink service
5/31 - you during a flight

If you have any questions, comment on this blog post or contact me via @airport_girl.

Happy plane spotting and flying!

Ogilvy Business Wisdom

David Ogilvy

Known as the 'Father of Advertising,' David Ogilvy (1911-1999) founded an advertising agency in 1948 that eventually became the Ogilvy & Mather we know today. 


Ogilvy was not shy about opining on what he believed to be the foundational principles and thoughts of strong business practices.


I've parsed out a few of my favorites which are posted in my office and continue to shape my traditional and emerging efforts in Mar/Comm across my decade in the business:


On staffing:

• "If you hire people who are bigger than you are, we shall become a company of giants." 

On mindset:

• "The best ideas come as jokes.  Make your thinking as funny as possible."

On excellence:

• "The pursuit of excellence is less profitable then the pursuit of bigness, but it can be more satisfying."

On brand persona: 

• "You know you have to decide what 'image' you want for your brand.  Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the marketplace."

On content:

• "What really decides consumers to buy or not buy is the content of your advertising, not its form."

On advertising:

• "It takes a big idea to attract the attention of consumers and get them to buy your product.  Unless your advertising contains a big idea, it will pass like a ship in the night."
• "Every advertisement is part of the long-term investment in the personality of the brand."
• "Never stop testing, and your advertising will never stop improving."

On the consumer:

• "On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.  When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar." 
• "The consumer isn't a moron.  She is your wife."

I don't believe Mr. Ogilvy's thoughts require much explanation from me, as they're tried, true and timeless.  They stand on their own merits.  They are worth your time and application.  

I challenge you to build a running list or active journal of thoughts/quotes that motivate and inspire you.  Maybe they're not the thoughts of David Ogilvy, but somewhere someone is saying and/or sharing quotables that are food for your thought.