International Trademark Association
The Power of a Handshake
June 09, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Social media is a necessity for networking in the digital age.
From microblogging on Twitter to posting on Facebook to making connections on Linked In, social media allows us to exponentially expand our network with a few keystrokes.
Sometimes the old-fashioned way works, too. Nothing replaces face-to-face conversation, handshakes, and body language.
When I attended the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting last month in Seattle, I was part of a group approximately 7500 strong. Like other trade association conferences, the pace is challenging.
From early morning to late night, I created new connections, reinforced existing relationships, and cultivated new business. I met people at workshops, seminars, and after-dinner parties in a continuous loop during the course of a few days.
And the conversations all began with a handshake.
I got an assignment to write an article about legal writing through a chance meeting with an editor from Marcasur, a Latin American intellectual property law magazine. She asked about Write This Way 2.0 and the conversation ended with the assignment.
I learned about an article in need of an author for The Trademark Reporter, INTA's scholarly journal. Topic -- Trademarks in Virtual Worlds. My discovery came through a conversation with a friend at a Mariners game. My friend is a premier intellectual property litigator and a member of the editorial staff at The Trademark Reporter. I immediately volunteered to write the article about this relatively new phenomenon.
A couple of hours before the Mariners game, I attended a cocktail hour for the media. Since I had an extra ticket in my block of tickets for the game, I invited a law firm marketer whom I met at the cocktail hour. He and I are having lunch today to discuss a potential web site copywriting project involving one of his international intellectual property law firm clients.
At the same cocktail hour, I met a British legal journalist who later agreed to be a member of the writing workshop I will moderate at the INTA 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston.
I also connected with an already existing contact who graciously arranged to send the materials for the Write This Way 2.0 CLE workshops to the decision makers at her downtown Manhattan law firm. Getting in front of the decision makers is the first step to creating new business. To be fair, our conversation in Seattle took place via E-Mail, however, we first met a couple of years ago at a legal seminar -- not by following each other on Twitter, friending each other on Facebook, or joining each other's network on Linked In.
To be sure, those actions have a definite place in networking. One ignores social media at his or her peril in the digital age.
But don't discount the power of a handshake.
david@davidkrell.com
Social media is a necessity for networking in the digital age.
From microblogging on Twitter to posting on Facebook to making connections on Linked In, social media allows us to exponentially expand our network with a few keystrokes.
Sometimes the old-fashioned way works, too. Nothing replaces face-to-face conversation, handshakes, and body language.
When I attended the International Trademark Association Annual Meeting last month in Seattle, I was part of a group approximately 7500 strong. Like other trade association conferences, the pace is challenging.
From early morning to late night, I created new connections, reinforced existing relationships, and cultivated new business. I met people at workshops, seminars, and after-dinner parties in a continuous loop during the course of a few days.
And the conversations all began with a handshake.
I got an assignment to write an article about legal writing through a chance meeting with an editor from Marcasur, a Latin American intellectual property law magazine. She asked about Write This Way 2.0 and the conversation ended with the assignment.
I learned about an article in need of an author for The Trademark Reporter, INTA's scholarly journal. Topic -- Trademarks in Virtual Worlds. My discovery came through a conversation with a friend at a Mariners game. My friend is a premier intellectual property litigator and a member of the editorial staff at The Trademark Reporter. I immediately volunteered to write the article about this relatively new phenomenon.
A couple of hours before the Mariners game, I attended a cocktail hour for the media. Since I had an extra ticket in my block of tickets for the game, I invited a law firm marketer whom I met at the cocktail hour. He and I are having lunch today to discuss a potential web site copywriting project involving one of his international intellectual property law firm clients.
At the same cocktail hour, I met a British legal journalist who later agreed to be a member of the writing workshop I will moderate at the INTA 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston.
I also connected with an already existing contact who graciously arranged to send the materials for the Write This Way 2.0 CLE workshops to the decision makers at her downtown Manhattan law firm. Getting in front of the decision makers is the first step to creating new business. To be fair, our conversation in Seattle took place via E-Mail, however, we first met a couple of years ago at a legal seminar -- not by following each other on Twitter, friending each other on Facebook, or joining each other's network on Linked In.
To be sure, those actions have a definite place in networking. One ignores social media at his or her peril in the digital age.
But don't discount the power of a handshake.
Elle Macpherson: Not Just Another Pretty Face
May 18, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Elle Macpherson told a room of several thousand trademark lawyers that she was a little nervous as she began her Keynote Speech for the International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting last night.
She was honest.
She was thoughtful.
And she was thought provoking.
I had the opportunity to meet her after the INTA speech at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. I can personally attest that Elle Macpherson has the gift of beauty, poise, and charm. But she's not just another pretty face.
In her speech, Ms. Macpherson gave some background on her extraordinary modeling history as pictures of her on magazine covers, billboards, and print ads complemented her presentation.
She said that she didn't like certain aspects of modeling.
She didn't like runway work.
She didn't like the insecurity she felt.
She didn't like being objectified.
So, she made her quotes higher to dissuade companies from hiring her.
More people wanted her.
Consequently, financial independence arrived. It was not the only stop for Ms. Macpherson. Twenty years ago, she financed a business with her monetary success because of her passion for lingerie. Elle Macpherson Intimates is now a leader in the lingerie industry.
That leadership took discipline, commitment, and passion. All qualities were clearly evident in Ms. Macpherson's presentation. She did not merely read the words, she meant them. And she pointed out an important lesson she learned in her business life -- Learn to listen. Listen to learn.
But the supermodel turned self-described 'accidental executive' did not only illustrate how a celebrity can turn herself into a brand and turn that brand into a worldwide powerhouse.
She took the opportunity to talk to the trademark and branding community about corporate responsibility beginning at home. She used BP as an example. British Petroleum promotes itself with the tag line Beyond Petroleum to indicate its commitment to renewable energy sources.
Ms. Macpherson also emphasized that the pursuit of the fast buck has a detrimental effect on the value of a brand. Consumers are questioning 'buy now pay later.'
She also embraced the power of instant communication in the digital age and its potential exposure of brand sensitivity. For example, Ms. Macpherson talked about Marks & Spencer placing a two-pound premium on bigger bras. 14,000 people complained on Facebook. Marks & Spencer reacted by reducing the cost to the same level as other bras.
Connect with brand values and the sales will follow, states Macpherson.
Macpherson's axiom is time-tested. Think about the brands enduring recessions, wars, and intense competition. Their collective endurance enjoys a foundation of strength based on core values.
Macpherson's described her seven main brand values for Elle Macpherson Intimates.
Faith, Intimacy, Spontaneity, Evolution, Rebel, Tribal, True.
So, what's the biggest challenge for maintaining her brand and staying true to her values?
My challenge is to remain who I am and not what I sell.
david@davidkrell.com
Elle Macpherson told a room of several thousand trademark lawyers that she was a little nervous as she began her Keynote Speech for the International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting last night.
She was honest.
She was thoughtful.
And she was thought provoking.
I had the opportunity to meet her after the INTA speech at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. I can personally attest that Elle Macpherson has the gift of beauty, poise, and charm. But she's not just another pretty face.
In her speech, Ms. Macpherson gave some background on her extraordinary modeling history as pictures of her on magazine covers, billboards, and print ads complemented her presentation.
She said that she didn't like certain aspects of modeling.
She didn't like runway work.
She didn't like the insecurity she felt.
She didn't like being objectified.
So, she made her quotes higher to dissuade companies from hiring her.
More people wanted her.
Consequently, financial independence arrived. It was not the only stop for Ms. Macpherson. Twenty years ago, she financed a business with her monetary success because of her passion for lingerie. Elle Macpherson Intimates is now a leader in the lingerie industry.
That leadership took discipline, commitment, and passion. All qualities were clearly evident in Ms. Macpherson's presentation. She did not merely read the words, she meant them. And she pointed out an important lesson she learned in her business life -- Learn to listen. Listen to learn.
But the supermodel turned self-described 'accidental executive' did not only illustrate how a celebrity can turn herself into a brand and turn that brand into a worldwide powerhouse.
She took the opportunity to talk to the trademark and branding community about corporate responsibility beginning at home. She used BP as an example. British Petroleum promotes itself with the tag line Beyond Petroleum to indicate its commitment to renewable energy sources.
Ms. Macpherson also emphasized that the pursuit of the fast buck has a detrimental effect on the value of a brand. Consumers are questioning 'buy now pay later.'
She also embraced the power of instant communication in the digital age and its potential exposure of brand sensitivity. For example, Ms. Macpherson talked about Marks & Spencer placing a two-pound premium on bigger bras. 14,000 people complained on Facebook. Marks & Spencer reacted by reducing the cost to the same level as other bras.
Connect with brand values and the sales will follow, states Macpherson.
Macpherson's axiom is time-tested. Think about the brands enduring recessions, wars, and intense competition. Their collective endurance enjoys a foundation of strength based on core values.
Macpherson's described her seven main brand values for Elle Macpherson Intimates.
Faith, Intimacy, Spontaneity, Evolution, Rebel, Tribal, True.
So, what's the biggest challenge for maintaining her brand and staying true to her values?
My challenge is to remain who I am and not what I sell.