How much do I love this idea (to go meatless one day a week)? SO much. While my typical preference is actually 3-4 days meatless (I feel better when my diet is mostly beans, grains and seasonal veggies), I'm aware that not everyone can or is willing to be a full-on vegetarian, and one day a week without meat is a sacrifice most people can make; especially when the food looks this good!
Thanks to the Extravagence blog for (indirectly) pointing out the link.
Social Technographics were designed to help businesses engage in social media with a more human approach, catering to individuals where, when, and how they are participating and contributing to the social Web. According to Forrester research…
Many companies approach social computing as a list of technologies to be deployed as needed – a blog here, a podcast there – to achieve a marketing goal. But a more coherent approach is to start with your target audience and determine what kind of relationship you want to build with them, based on what they are ready for. Forrester categorizes social computing behaviors into a ladder with six levels of participation; we use the term “Social Technographics” to describe analyzing a population according to its participation in these levels. Brands, Web sites, and any other company pursuing social technologies should analyze their customers’ Social Technographics first, and then create a social strategy based on that profile.
The hierarchy was presented as follows:
Creators, those who publish web pages, blogs and other social objects – 13%
Critics, individuals who comment on blogs or post ratings and reviews – 19%
Collectors, those who use RSS and/or tag Web pages – 15%
Joiners, people who are active in social networks – 19%
Spectators, content consumers who read blogs, watch user-generated videos, and listen to podcasts – 33%
Inactives – 52%
Today I was pointed to a great post by Brian Solis about Behaviorgraphics - a way of visually representing the behaviors of people who use social media. The data is pretty interesting - whereas some "experts" would have you believe that everyone and their brother is creating online content, the actual numbers suggest quite differently. While most people are participating in social activity online, it's often at much more of a spectator level - they're reading content and listening to podcasts, or they're joining into conversations already in process.
How does this affect your social media strategy?
What's going on in small towns across America?
There is a movement in the United States to support local businesses as we head out of this recession. This can come in the form of eating at a local restaurant, visiting a small shop for part of your grocery list, or buying gifts at small brick and mortar shops. The habit of shopping online (or at a Big Box store) for the best deal is something that is woven into our culture. This is not something that I see going away since we have to stretch every paycheck further.
One thing I've noticed in the Boston area is people talking about restaurants that serve local food. Sel de la Terre owns and operates their own farm. Tremont 647 works very hard to run a sustainable restaurant. They compost onsite, they buy local and only serve local seafood. These are two examples of Boston-area restaurants where the chef/owner makes that extra effort to buy from the local economy.
Dreaming of Local Food
This past fall I spent a week in Northern California. California has farmer's markets year-round and there is a culture of buying fresh and local (since they have 3 growing seasons). Many of the restaurant owners and chefs have gardens to grown their own produce, herbs, and flowers. I went to several places where the chef had a garden right outside. After a week of being spoiled I came back to New England thinking how easy it is for a chef to garden or support their local farmer's market. I have a friend in Rhode Island that frequents a winter farmer's market. There are also winter CSAs that exist at some of the local farms.
Happy Anniversary to the 3/50 Project!
One project that has been featured in the news in recent months is the 3/50 Project. This project began 1 year ago! They just started a new campaign this week called 'Eat Down the Street'. This campaign is the effort to eat one time per week at a local restaurant that you would hate to see go away. Is there a local bistro, coffee shop, bakery, gift shop, or farm stand that really has become a part of your life? Maybe you've gotten to know the owners or it is a lunch spot you go to each month just to hang out. Is there a merchant that you want to give a shout out to and let them know that they are doing a great job? Let us know, we'd love to hear about the local businesses that you support!
For ideas for future zen kitchen blog posts please drop a line to Leah at leahg@tzk-design.com.
The problem is that for the last couple of years, experts have continuously preached that the success of a business is dependant on participating in online social networking. They will try to convince you that you need a Facebook page, that you need to regularly update your Linked In profile, that you should post articles to a myriad of resource sites, and of course let the world know you are doing all this by Twittering at least 5 times a week.
What every expert has forgotten to share with you (or just don’t know to) is that this is not social networking. There is in fact nothing social about it. You are not trying to make friends, get in touch with old school chums, or keep tabs on the ex. You are trying to grow your business.
So maybe it’s time to stop referring to all this as social networking and start seeing it for what it really is: social marketing.
This morning I came across a fascinating perspective on social media in business from Marc Gordon, a marketing consultant from Toronto. His assertion, which I consider to be a correct one, is that many businesses who engage in social networking online make the mistake of thinking that they're "networking" when what they're really doing is marketing their business through social media channels.
In my experience, though, social media is really about blending the two worlds: both networking and marketing. Perhaps it's because I'm in a relationship-based business where clients are buying our personality as much as our talent and expertise, but I find that I get the most success out of online networking by carefully balancing personal and professional.
For example, in an average day I might tweet about a project that the studio just launched or share a blog post (such as this one, for example), but I'll also make comments about the weather, or a new recipe I'm creating, or share a bit of snark about something that I find ridiculous. It's all part of the relationship I'm building with the people who connect with me, and it all feeds into the overall strategy.
Does this approach work for every business? Not necessarily. Major brands, like Starbucks and Whole Foods, may find it easier to keep their social media activity related to specials and information about the industry, as well as responding to consumer comments. It makes sense, and it's more than likely why people are following them in the first place. But for smaller firms, especially where part of what you're selling is the experience of being in a room with you, this approach is not only extremely common, but it's extremely effective in helping you do what you're online for - build relationships with people who are interested in who you are and how you can help them.
Winter and Early Spring Gardening: For City and Country Dwellers
It’s that time of year again. The seed catalogs have started to arrive in the mail with their beautiful images and bounty of possibilities. The problem is that many of them have a limited variety of organic and heirloom seeds. Some may have organic seeds that just are not going to work for your growing zone.
Where to begin?
Here at the zen kitchen we do a lot of container gardening – and in recent years we’ve expanded to a backyard garden as well! Dani uses containers on her back porch and a small, dimly lit plot in the backyard to grow tomatoes, beans and greens, while I turned an eyesore in our backyard (above ground pool) into a organic garden oasis. No matter how much space you have you can grow herbs, veggies, and even fruit from seed.
In the winter the best thing to do is to have a fresh herb window garden! This way you have fresh herbs for cooking during the cold months and you save a bundle on not having to buy herbs at the grocery store. You can find small square window sill sized planters at your local garden store. We love to support local nurseries—but they are often closed for the winter.
What seeds to buy?
If you can purchase seeds from a company near to your home that is fantastic. We have a wonderful seed company based right here in New England called Johnny’s Seeds. Johnny’s has a very nice collection of herb seeds found at http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-3-herbs.aspx
Basil is always easy to grow inside the house! As it turns out basil makes an excellent companion plant to tomatoes. If you do a container garden for outside (to put outside after the danger of frost has passed) it is a nice touch to put tomato and basil together. Just be sure to give the plants plenty of water and light, and pick basil by pinching off the entire head rather than picking off individual leaves; the basil will keep growing, but won’t get “leggy” like it can often get when you pick off the leaves one by one. Dani starts basil in a container on the porch, and brings it in during the winter months.
Our favorite seed catalog of all time is Baker Creek (www.rareseeds.com). Baker has something really amazing out in California—an actual old bank that is now a seed bank! How cool is that? Folks that work in the seed bank even dress in period clothing. If you’re not near CA you can order their seeds online. Baker’s seed catalog is a work of art and is found on our coffee table. The seed packets can even be framed as art—they are that beautiful. All beauty aside, Baker has the most comprehensive rare and heirloom collection of seeds in the world! We’ve had great luck with their cucumbers and melons. This year we’re going to try some of their funky beets and radishes as well.
Why do I order seeds for the summer in the winter?
Well first off it’s a great winter pastime here in New England to dream about growing things when there’s snow outside. You can start your seeds indoors in winter (March). I use one cool florescent bulb and one warm on a timer so that the seedlings get 12 hours of daylight and 12 of darkness. I start the seeds in our basement that is heated—but not too warm. You can get seed starter kits from Garden’s Alive (www.gardensalive.com). The great thing is that Garden’s Alive always sends coupons!
Come late May I put my seedlings in the ground. Cool weather crops can go directly into the ground earlier (check the seed package for instructions).
If you have any questions about organic or heirloom gardening or ideas about future blog topics, please e-mail Leah at leahg@tzk-design.com You can also leave a message here in the blog!
I've been a fan of Mike Dooley's Notes from the Universe newsletter for a couple of years now. A couple of times a week, Mike (who refers to himself as TUT, or The Universal Truth) sends a quick, helpful affirmation that reminds you that the Universe has your back, and you know what you're doing. It's one of the few newsletters I look forward to and read every time it comes no matter what - in part because it's mercifully short, but also because it brings an enormous smile to my week every time I read it.
Many talented young designers today have abandoned their roles as improvers of the general visual environment. Many only want to work on cultural work, or not-for-profit work, or on projects they perceive as “good-for-society” which may have a high profile within the design milieu, but don’t really reach ordinary people. These designers are afraid to get involved in mainstream packaging, promotion or corporate work. They forget that these are the products and messages that most people really encounter in their daily lives, that these products and services are at the heart of the American condition, and that there is responsibility for us as designers, always, to raise the expectation of what design can be. We are responsible for that daily experience. These “ivory tower designers” leave the job to others (ad agencies, schlock shops, etc.) who are simply doing it for the money, and are often cynical about the outcome.What do you think has perpetuated that pattern?
I think the design community has caused it. The “First Things First” manifesto inspired a lot of young people to move away from corporate branding, advertising, promotion, packaging (except for books and magazines, as if they are somehow more noble). If “responsible” designers who care about society and our environment refuse to work on branding, advertising, promotion and packaging, then just consider, who will? This line of design-thinking has been perpetuated in so many design schools and grad programs and it is perpetuated by the AIGA and other design organizations. It’s easy to inspire young designers this way as it creates a real calling for them: “down with corporate America”, etc.
But, ultimately, it creates a design societywhere it is OK for designers toabandon most of American communication.Good God!
While the passage certainly sparked a lively debate amongst the commenters (including a couple of my buddies over at Re-Nourish, what disturbed me most about it was the sense of absolutes; the sense that social consciousness and capitalism were somehow mutually exclusive and that these so-called "ivory tower designers" are not in tune with how the world works - or worse, they're shirking their responsibility to improve the designed word.
If anything, I'd say the opposite. There are certainly some folks who take the approach of only doing work for not-for-profits or cultural institutions that don't have or make money (and God bless them for that!). But many of us socially responsible design firms are doing the opposite. We're looking for the companies that bridge the gap - the companies that are committed to doing good in the world, but understand that first and foremost, they're running a business, and they have to act in ways that both support the business and support their values.
In other words, we want to work with people who are doing the same things we're doing. And if that happens to "improve the general visual environment," that's even better.
Yet with health foodies storming the White House, the school lunch revolution may have reached its tipping point. Even amid the federal budget crisis, President Barack Obama allocated an extra $1 billion for child nutrition programs including school food in 2010. Last March, First Lady Michelle Obama started the first "organic"garden on the White House grounds (which, as it turns out, can't actually be certified as organic because a sludge-based fertilizer was used during a previous administration) — a symbolic move Waters had been championing for years. At a harvest celebration in June, the first lady delivered a food policy speech that addressed the need to improve school lunches. Before becoming the White House chef, Sam Kass denounced the artificially flavored and colored, high-meat, and low-vegetable meals the National School Lunch Program produces. Finally, the new secretary of education, Arne Duncan, may also lend a sympathetic ear to the food warriors. Recently during his "listening tour" on education reform, he chose to take his lunch break at Barnes Elementary School in Burlington, Vt., where a successful Farm to School program delivers fresh produce directly from small, local farmers.
Just came across this great post on GreatSchools.org about the move towards healthier school lunch programs. While the post asks "Should the Department of Education be as focused on salad bars as teacher salaries? Are legumes as essential as literacy?" my thought is that the two can't be thought of as separate things.
The fact is that the types of foods typically served in the lunchroom - pizza, tater tots, etc. - are not only making our kids obese and sick, they also affect cognitive function. You could easily point to studies on this, but I'd suggest also thinking about the last time you had a slice of pizza or a fast-food chicken sandwich. How did you feel afterwards? And how did you feel after eating something that was delicious but also fresh and good for you?
Yes, teacher salaries are important, as is literacy. But the best teachers in the world can't make the difference they need to if their students are tired and lethargic from a school lunch that doesn't actually nourish them.
What do you think?
This morning, I noticed a request in my e-mail from HARO, a newsletter I subscribe to that lists press inquiries from reporters working on stories. One of the queries was for folks to discuss the "green" benefits of telecommuting, to which my initial thought, posted to twitter and Facebook, was: "well is that the only reason to do it?"
At the zen kitchen, we all telecommute in some form or another. Leah and Laura both work from home offices, while I work from my home office on Monday and Friday with the intern and Tuesday through Thursday commute into WorkBar in Boston. There are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches; for one, many folks I know feel like they get more done at home. They're less distracted, don't have to worry about meetings and other stuff, and can work through stuff in a familiar place. And of course, it helps to have less overhead cost associated with having a physical office space or a daily commute into work.
For myself, I find that I'm actually more distracted at home, and since I'm very social by nature, I also find that I need people around me, even if they're not my coworkers/colleagues, to function at my best. So commuting into WorkBar three days a week gives me access to office space, conference rooms, and coworkers that I can get and share resources with - without much less overhead than a physical office space, and without the loneliness and lack of work/life separation that I often felt working from home all day.
Ultimately, both approaches can work; I just don't think that "green" is the reason to choose one over the other. For me, it's more about knowing how you work best, and choosing which will accomodate that.
It's getting to be that time again on the East Coast; the time when specialty food makers (and the foodies who love them) start gearing up for the two big tradeshows: the Fancy Food Show (held each year in June at the Javits in NYC), and Expo East (held for the last couple of years and going forward at the Convention Center in my hometown of Boston). Every year, the place fills up with amazing products, hopeful product representatives, and buyers looking for great new products to carry in their stores.
My favorite part about attending these shows (aside from the loads of free samples that are given out - don't bother getting lunch when you go) is getting to see how different companies set up their booths and their materials. Some booths are consistently mobbed (three words: chocolate and cheese), while others are smaller, quieter, and often manned by 1-2 people, sitting with arms folded, frustrated at the lack of traffic to their booth.
What makes the difference?
Part of it definitely seems to be the overall look and feel of the booth. Attractive graphics, especially those that go beyond the traditional banner and white tablecloth, make a much more distinctive impression. Samples of the product itself also make a difference - especially if it's something very tasty (three words: chocolate and cheese). While full-size product samples aren't always needed, attractive and concisely written take-home materials make a big difference in jogging folks' memories after the show.
The big difference, though, in my opinion, is the attitude of the folks at the booth. Part of sales is and has always been developing trust, and a bit of appropriate body language and friendliness goes a long way. For example, one of my favorite booths at Fancy Food was BuyWell Coffee, which was staffed by two incredibly sweet sales reps who had no problem striking up a conversation about the coffee. Same with Theo Chocolate and Go!Appetit, among others. Meanwhile, some booths either had stressed out staff sitting looking bored at the booth for hours, or they had surly folks who looked at you with suspicion the moment you arrived at the booth to find out whether you were a *buyer* or not. Doesn't exactly inspire curiosity, does it?
The way I see it, sales isn't really about getting someone's money; it's about inviting someone to have an experience they can really benefit from. The key to making them accept the invitation is all in the delivery.
By the way, if you're getting ready for Expo East in September, now's the time to get your materials started. Need someone to help you with that? We're available.
