I haven't had a cigarette in my hand since about 1979 when I was probably listening to Saturday Night Fever and trying to look cool (of course that TOTALLY dates me). However, I saw this article on smoking in the workplace and found it pretty interesting. It's really all about where the line in the sand can be drawn by employers.

Faced with high annual increases in health care and worker's comp, empoyers are looking for ways to manage the health and health care costs of their workforce. Many companies have implemented programs to encourage non-smoking but some have taken it a step further. They have gone so far as to make hiring decisions based on the smoking status of the applicant! Now, given all the HIPAA, ERISA, ADA, TITLE VII and all the state/federal laws around...this could be a big legal problem. Some wellness programs offer "rewards" for reduced health insurance premiums for not smoking as long as certain requirements are fulfilled. However, an employer has to proceed with caution before taking any action in firing, or simply not hiring, a prospective "smoker" applicant. Numerous states have anti-discrimination laws that protect applicants and employees who are smokers but it is a very gray area.

Employers are just looking to halt the rise of health care premiums but at what cost? Are they passing up a wonderful hire? Are they entering an area that should remain a personal decision? Does trans-fat ring a bell? Whose decision is it? It seems that wellnes programs are probably the safest way to proceed. A well-designed non-smoking wellness program could result in significant long term benefits for employers and employees....while staying within legal guidelines.

Making every moment count, I had barely enough time to read the Wall Street Journal as I pulled out of Jamaica and headed home on the LIRR. Good thing I did too-- it was chock full of interesting tidbits of info that I've condensed for you to read with a cup of coffee.

• Google Hiring: In January '06, the average number of interviews-to-hire was 6.2! Factor in the fact that they hire an average of 16 people a day, increasing the populaton 3,000 in '04 to almost 6,000 in '05, and you figure these HR people are pretty busy. Recognizing that they can't keep up with demand, they have reduced the number of interviews to 5.1 and they're trying to streamline the process because they are losing top candidates in the process. At the same time, they are raising the standards by which they select and hire new people because of the rapid rate of career progression. An average hire might be promoted 5 or 6 times due to Google's expansion.

• Team Spirit: Remember back before the dot-com burst when we all had manager meetings where we had to do trust exercises like fall backwards into the accountant's arms or walk over fire with the production manager. Well, the good old days are back but this time, we're banging the drum to drum up team spirit. "Drumming has emerged as a popular option (to spice up dull meetings and think as a team) because it requires no talent. Tell THAT to Ringo.

• Big bucks deluxe for New Media Talent: It's a human capital constrained market in the world of digital advertising as more and more companies and ad agencies are trying to keep up with online spending demand. People are shifting 20% of their budgets to digital media which is up significantly from 5%. But there is truly a war for talent as salaries are escalating and bidding wars are common. The real issue is finding someone with the knowledge and expertise in both traditional and new media because there's a tremendous need for both. And, with stiff competition from Yahoo, MSN and Google (who has been running full page ads in Adweek, Ad Age and the NY Times-- I wish I had their recruitment account) the small guys can't afford to get in the game. Don't look now Nick but your Creative Director salary increased from $115K in '05 to $185K in '06. Good thing you love working with us!

Well, I think I'm pulling into Cold Spring Harbor. See you tomorrow.

According to a recent article, an increasing number of employers have had to revamp their dress codes to accomodate the number of workers with tattoos and piercings. Since about 50% of people in their 20s have at least one tattoo or non-ear piercing, the odds are pretty high that most businesses employ one or more workers with some form of body art.

Not too long ago, visible tattoos or piercings would have been a serious workplace no-no. Most dress codes didn't strictly forbid them, but required all tattoos to be covered and any non-traditional piercings to be removed during work hours. However, since many companies are eager to hire fresh, young talent, they have had to decide whether or not these "personal statements" have a place within their corporate culture.

Many businesses are allowing more leeway when it comes to body art in order to keep their young employees happy and to position themselves as hip and adaptable, rather than a stodgy, corporate "assembly line." Helping these firms along is the growing dependence on email correspondence, web meetings and conference calls, which has led to a decreasing need for face-to-face client contact. In these laid-back, business casual environments, nose rings and ankle tattoos finally get to bask in the flourescent light.

Obviously, there are some industries where body art will never be accepted. It's doubtful that a successful law firm would hire an attorney with a snake tattoo on his neck. Nor are we likely to see a stockbroker with more jewelry on his face than a Zulu warrior. Even with an amazing education and impressive qualifications, these fellas just wouldn't get the job. It's not a case of discrimination, it's just deciding what's good for business. If you know your clients as well as you should, you'll know what they will and won't accept from your employees.

This is one more issue that directly relates to employer branding. As I mentioned before, tattoos and body bling are personal statements. If you are a company that promotes individuality and innovation, your brand most likely allows for a more lax dress code. If you are a firm with a well-defined structure and very specific values that each employee must embody, perhaps you're not ready for the body art revolution.

Of course, you could really take branding to the extreme and allow employees to sport tattoos - as long as they are of your company logo. While it's certainly a controversial enough policy to land yourself on the evening news, we'd have to advise you against it! Don't worry, we have much better ideas...

About a year ago I went to see a former client about re-establishing our relationship. I was really happy to see everyone there and let them know about my vision for BRANDEMiX. I presented new creative, wowed them with our capabilities and encouraged them to look at new ways of attracting talent.

I suggested that we use 10% of their annual budget for out-of-the-box recruiting tactics and monitor the results to see what worked. I told them we really need to update their website and encouraged them to start a blog so candidates could get a sense of the corporate culture.

I never heard back from them.

Some months later, I got feedback and closure when I ran into someone who had attended the meeting. "You were over the top" she said. "You lost us at blog."

To that I say "whatever", and to you I say check out the Southwest Airlines blog "Nuts about Southwest". It's written by employees and customers and it's really done well.

Southwest is one of more than 40 Fortune 500 Companies that have an official corporate blog. Southwest has posted a user guide about what they deem appropriate and it is moderated to ensure that the info posted is topical and interesting. It's their way of inviting people to engage with them.


So, I'm not name-dropping or anything Barbara, but it's not too late to get in the 21st Century. Hey, we'll even help you. The BRANDE-door is always open.

Click here to see the other Fortunate 500 bloggers.

I know many of you are wondering how we come up with such great ideas... and to you I say this.

We are in the greatest building in the greatest city in the world. And if that isn't inspiring, I don't know what might be.

There are 6 pillars in front of the building. The 3 windows above them to the left is where we are.

Come by any time when you're bored with the same old same old. We'll give you a fresh cup of coffee and fresh new approaches to solve your problems.

If you're looking for talent, we're looking for you!

U2's Bono, who is practically a brand in himself, has teamed up with celebrity friends like Oprah Winfrey and Penelope Cruz to bring his new consumer brand, Product Red, to the United States. (Product Red officially launched in January in the UK.) The twist here is that Bono isn't creating any new product or service; he has convinced several major corporations to manufacture special items to be sold as part of the new brand's line. Unlike a traditional brand, Product Red will encompass a variety of different products. It's quite a novel concept, and a brilliant way of making the U.S.'s "brand culture" work for the less fortunate around the world, specifically Africa.

This "cause marketing" strategy ensures that a percentage of the proceeds from sales of Product Red goods goes to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The corporations currently affiliated with Product Red are Motorola, American Express, Armani, Converse, Gap and Apple Computers. Among the items in the Product Red line are Motorola's red Razr phone, red Gap T-shirts emblazoned with brand slogans, and the new Red iPod.

Motorola says that most of its charitable contribution comes from profit they would normally keep. Still, Motorola's involvement with Project Red will do wonders for its reputation - with hip, image-conscious consumers as well as politically active Americans who care about contributing to worthwhile causes. Execs are confident that a good rep will result in even better sales.

Charitable activities are not only good for the soul, they're good for business. As a company, when you give back - whether you're selling candy bars for the local community church or sponsoring a major celebrity function - you stand to gain a lot more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling. You gain awareness. You gain respect. And when you have those, you're sure to gain customers. It's a win-win situation.

If your company participates in any charitable functions, that should be a major component in your branding strategy. The types of causes that you believe in say a lot about your mission, vision and goals. You'll connect with customers who share these same values. You'll attract employees who take pride in working for you.

For a small business, charitable work can be the key to unlocking customer awareness. From a PR standpoint, pitching a story about your CEO's "rags to riches" life isn't that compelling, especially if your company isn't a household name yet. It's nothing that a journalist hasn't heard before. However, if you are sponsoring a charity event or have inspiring tales of successful activities within the community, writers will take notice. Sure, they've heard about philanthropic work before too, but no one ever gets tired of hearing those types of stories. It's a soft sell. If you're a do-gooder, don't be afraid to toot your own horn!


BRANDEMiX can help you design an effective branding strategy. We can also seek out and secure opportunities for editorial coverage, based on the activities that your company takes part in. Just give us a call to find out more about our services!

"I want to connect to meaningful experiences and work for companies that speak to me in an honest voice"

So says today's millennials - those born after 1982. (Sorry if this is TMI but can you believe I sat next to someone on the plane yesterday who never heard of the Millennial Generation ?)

And they are proving it agan and again. Take this recent survey result:

YOU WOULD RATHER A) DO MEANINGFUL WORK B) WORK FOR A MEANINGFUL INSTITUTION

Millennials chose B over A (55% / 45%) Boomers, on the other hand, would rather do meaningful work (78% / 22%)

If you haven't been on earth for a while and don't know about community sites like YouTube, MySpace or even AOL newsgroups back in the day, then you probably don't understand the importance of connections.

Its a powerful love story of brand differentiation that helped sell more than 60 million IPODS worldwide although there are more than 11,000 digital music players on the market

Honesty in communications and interactions are important and although we should do it for its own sake, it makes good business sense as well.

Jet Blue had their strongest sales day ever, the day after the televised emergency landing of their plane was shown on national TV and seen on the very plane having the crisis. It was a brave decision that paid off big-time.

So, with all this talk about putting the humanity back in our workday, the vision and values back in our employee interactions and the purpose back in our branding, why are so few people doing it?

Every time I see a conference on branding it is always those same few companies-- Starbucks, The Ritz Carlton, Southwest Airlines and Costco, that continue to shine time and again.

Is it just better press?

I would really like to hear the great things that other companies are doing to demonstrate an awareness of the changing demographics in our society and the changing priorities that go along with it.

The holiday season has not yet arrived, but the holiday hiring will soon begin. Just as the last orange pumpkin disappears, the lights and brightly lit presents will start to appear in store windows. And that means that there has to be some extra help around to serve the hopefully hungry holiday shoppers!

A very short window exists between the recruitment process of advertising/hiring new employees and actually putting them to work for the season. Retail and other service related industries must recognize that the new hires can have a detrimental effect on productivity and revenues if the employees are not properly screened....

* 30-40% of applicants lie on their resume
* 10-15% of applicants have a criminal record
* 52% of resumes have discrepancies

Those are fairly high numbers and without proper screening you too could be hiring the wrong person this holiday season. Integrated Screening Partners (ISP) offers tips to HR professionals and recruiters to avoid bad hires. There are many firms that can do background checks & criminal investigations. You can certainly invest in their services but you should also make sure your own checks are thorough and reliable. Checking references carefully on all hires, most especially seasonal hires, can save you alot of money and time in the long run!

Happy "Early" Holidays!