So, we are embarking on a series of video blog posts to share the multitude of ways our associates enliven their creative spirits outside of the office. The stories are many and the experiences varied. Collectively, these hobbies enrich our ability to connect with the audiences we aim to reach as marketers.

Check back tomorrow for the first post in our After Hours series.

Photo courtesy Jeff Christiansen, FlickrWho knew such valuable, well-tested business and branding advice could come from a cartoon artist and amusement park guy?

Okay, well, he never was just that. Walt Disney is the visionary behind one of the most successful entertainment corporations ever built.

His leadership, principles and vision were simple and forthright.

I was recently reminded of this when I came across this article, “Walt Disney’s 8 secrets to success,” and had to share the highlights:

1. Provide a promise, not a product.
2. Always exceed customers’ expectations.
3. Pursue your passion, and the money will follow.
4. Stay true to your company’s mission and values.
5. Differentiate your offer.
6. Lead by example and delegate.
7. Defy convention.
8. Leave behind something to grow.

Check out the above article link for additional editorial on Disney’s secrets to success.

These principles can guide all companies striving to create a brand, product or service that stands out from the rest and an experience that turns into repeat business and customer loyalty.

Walt Disney would agree.

While my creative writing instructor in college loved my distinct and detailed prose, my first editor at a major daily newspaper taught me a brutal lesson on the beauty of KISS — Keep it Simple Stupid.

My editor believed in the sink or swim interview method for the wannabe reporter. Send the newbie out into the wild to cover an event and see what the cub turned in by the 5 a.m. deadline. If it didn’t work out — buh-bye. My first assignment was a packed city hall meeting with 100 hot-tempered citizens speaking out on a critical neighborhood development proposal. Following the four-hour meeting, I tapped away at my computer keys until I could no longer see the screen. As my eyes grew heavy, I hit “send,” then hit the pillow.

I felt confident the editor would love my first article, with details on how the angry mob delivered its opposition with clenched fists, furrowed brows and bellowing voices. I wanted readers to smell the mob’s hot breath and feel the angry energy in the room. I woke up at 5 a.m. to check my inbox.

The editor shredded my masterpiece.

Recently, we had several members of one of our client teams visiting our Brookfield office. While we had plenty of time slated for the conference room, we thought it might be nice to spend one evening doing something a little different.

Needless to say, when I found out one of my BR team members organized a cooking class at the Milwaukee Public Market, I was slightly terrified — let’s just say I don’t spend much time in the kitchen. Turned out that I was worried for nothing!

The team: Getting our cook on at the Milwaukee Public Market.

For this particular cooking class, we formed teams of two and each team was responsible for one course of the menu: pork tenderloin, asiago cheese potatoes, carrots and kale, and for desert —and the course I was assigned to — apple crepes. In the end, the food was fabulous. But this turned out to be a lot more than just a cooking class.

With more than 1,500 agricultural exhibitors on 2.6 million sq. ft. of exhibition grounds and 100,000 attendees, it’s not surprising that several Bader Rutter associates attended the show on behalf of various clients, including Pfizer Animal Health, Dairy Management, Inc. ™, and Mycogen Seeds.
 
Click through the photo slide show below to see a few highlights from World Ag Expo 2010.

As I mentioned, this isn’t Gilmer’s first video. We reported on one he created four months ago creatively titled “Water ‘n Poo”. When he’s not working on the farm in Lamar County, Ala., Gilmer is a social media star, creating YouTube videos, managing his blog and tweeting.

What does he hope to accomplish with all of these social media tactics? It’s simple. He wants to tell his story and communicate to those not familiar with the dairy industry how he cares for his animals and the environment.

We applaud his efforts!

In a busy work-place such as ours, every little bit we can do to make life a little easier, better and healthier is well worth the effort. Like many companies, we’ve made wellness a priority at Bader Rutter, believing that employee wellness is a key component in inspiring creativity and innovation. Part of our overall initiative to encourage better mental and physical health includes bringing in guest speakers to offer advice and insight on topics such as exercising smarter and eating more healthfully.

Recently, Kim the Dietician, a registered dietician with the Wisconsin Athletic Club, shared information and tips on consuming carbohydrates, fats and proteins. A well-balanced diet typically includes all three of these nutritional building blocks — contrary to what many fad diets promote. According to Kim, it’s extremely important to choose a diet that incorporates the mix of carbs, fats and proteins that’s right for you and your lifestyle, and is something you can stick with to promote a happy and healthy life.

When Yellow Tail wine announced that it would contribute $100,000 to the Humane Society of the United States, it learned just how many farmers and ranchers enjoy a glass of wine — and how many spend time online.

Within 24 hours of the announcement on Jan. 14, hundreds of farmers and ranchers took to the Yellow Tail Facebook page to express their discontent. In fact, the “Yellow Fail” Facebook page now has more than 3,000 fans. In an attempt to control the damage, Yellow Tail later announced that its donation would be targeted to animal rescue efforts only.

Regardless of the industry, it’s an activist tactic to portray an organization as “speaking for the masses.” This pretense is no longer sustainable in a social-media era where individuals are in control. Consumers’ voices can be amplified through cheap and easy means like Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Take this example of a California dairy farmer that uses all these resources to comment on government, non-profit organizations and his own industry.

This guest blog post is by Jack Smith, managing editor of Plant Engineering magazine. His experience in the record biz taught him lessons he’s still using today.

Control room at Shade Tree Recording Studio with Jerry Milam, the studio designer, at the controls of the MCI console.The music business is what I call the “glory side” of the recording industry — big-name stars, glitz, paparazzi. But when you hear a song, you are experiencing the results of professionals in the recording industry providing high-quality sound reproduction via highly sensitive equipment. If the equipment doesn’t work properly, the recording quality suffers. That’s what I did; I maintained the equipment.

Industry experience
My first job in the recording industry was at Shade Tree Recording Studio in 1979, where I maintained everything from the console and 24-track tape machine to the guitar amplifiers. After that, my journey took me south to Nashville working for Valley Audio, maintaining equipment for many studios. After Valley, I then worked at MCI, and finally at Devonshire Recording Studio in North Hollywood.

While at Valley Audio, I spent quite a bit of time in Muscle Shoals, Ala., doing freelance maintenance in several studios, including Fame Studios, known for artists like Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Paul Anka and The Osmonds.

Working in the recording industry expanded my technical knowledge, and one example is my understanding of power quality. When you have poor power quality in the recording industry, most of the time, you can literally hear it. Ground loops and hum fields have a way of making themselves known – through the speakers. Another important lesson I learned then is the value of maintenance. If the equipment doesn’t work, production can’t move forward.