Dear CEO: Letters to the C-Suite

This past month I was fortunate enough to have my name included with 31 people whom I have come to know and respect as experts in their chosen field thanks to Gini Dietrich and her team at Arment Dietrich.

After great anticipation Gini released her new eBook titled "Dear CEO: Letters to the C-Suite from Experts on Vision, Culture, Community and Integration" sharing as she points out in her preamble "...advice on where to spend your marketing dollars and how to build community to creating a customer-centric business and integrating all of your customer-facing departments into one hub."

For a taste of what to expect I am inserting my "letter" and would invite you to visit "Spin Sucks" to learn more and to purchase a copy of for your very own to benefit from the wealth of experience and advice included in the book ($40 USD).

So without further adieu, here is my "Dear CEO" letter:

Dear CEO,

Dull, boring and lifeless are words no one wants to hear when they think about their company's image. Unfortunately far too many companies are not listening to the marketplace and worse, they don't have the necessary tools to do so. The result - they continue to fall short of their goals and objectives and don't know what to do to change this cyclical outcome. If you don't know what people think of you - ask them.

The past few years have witnessed the explosion of social media and social networking. Many companies have either felt paralyzed to incorporate social media tools into their communication plans or have taken the plunge too quickly and without the proper plans - often with dire consequences.

As you're looking either to hire an agency or bring in someone internally, the first question you should ask is, what can this person or agency offer that others cannot.

You should look for someone who can provide a fresh, strategic look at your company's communications and marketing program to ensure internal audiences aren't simply hearing what they want to hear. Then you should look for years of experience using multimedia communications - both traditional and online.

I know there are no "silver bullet" solutions as it relates to both traditional and social media initiatives, but find an agency to develop a tailor-made course of action that meets your needs and ensures you achieve your goals and objectives.

Look for how the agency approaches the following:

• Engaging - Can they discover what traditional and online audiences think or perceive of you by analyzing the overall perception of your brand in the marketplace;


• Exciting - Can they enhance the excitement factor for both external AND internal audiences - brand ambassadors come in all shapes and sizes;


• Ensuring - Can they monitor what is being said and adjust the course to keep things on track as required to ensure that initiatives meet your expectations.

The ability to separate your voice from all the others clamoring for attention in the marketplace - traditional and online - is going to become an even greater challenge. Finding an agency or internal marketing pro that is fun, energetic and in-tune will help you stand out in the crowd and be heard.

Good luck with your search! Sincerely,

Andy Donovan