Creativity, the key to success?

        At terpAMA, we believe that marketing is the art of business. As marketers, we’re never going to be expected to simply plug in numbers or play by the book. Instead, we’re going to need to be innovative and creative in order to succeed. I recently came across Fast Company’s list of the 100 most creative people in business for 2012, and was inspired. The list spans a wide range of people, and highlights some of their most innovative ideas and accomplishments. It stresses the need to take risks and think differently, not only in business, but also in order to make a change in the world.
    There are people from companies that are constantly applauded for their creativity like Facebook, Starbucks, and Nike, but the list also includes musicians, artists, non-profit business owners, and even government institutes. The diversity of industries that Fast Company recognizes adds so much more value to this article. Even though Nike may be a lot more flashy and fun, there are many people thinking outside the box to solve problems, really important problems, in other industries as well. One of my favorites was number twelve, the founders of Voto Latino, Rosario Dawson and Maria Teresa Kumar. They recognized that very low numbers of Latinos we’re voting in elections, and so they engaged Latinos with a mobile marketing strategy that simply reminded young Latinos to vote via text. Through this use of tech in politics, they have been able to reach this demographic of young Latino voters. Not only is it a great marketing strategy, but it is also for a great cause. Other highlights from the list include Ceelo Green, Steven Zeitels (the surgeon who restored Adele’s voice!) and even Shaquielle O’Neal and his social media strategy.

Check out the article and explore it a bit. Learn how they have achieved such great success. Keep it in mind for when you need a bit of inspiration to fix a problem.There is so much we can learn from these leaders in business and so much we can contribute if we continue to search for new solutions and fresher ideas.

Who was your favorite? Are there any you would add to the list? Leave a comment below- we’d love to hear about it!

Succeeding in the Business World

Summer time is around the corner and apart from all the sleeping, movie-watching, and beach trips there is one thing that is on everyone’s mind….summer internships.  Getting into the business world is tough and requires stacking up quality work experience, usually done during the “break” called summer.  We all hear about different ways to find good opportunities, go to workshops to work on resumes, and interview advice coming from literally everyone you meet.  But after passing through all those steps (congratulations!) the guidance goes away and you are on your own trying to figure out how to act friendly in a professionally acceptable way.   It’s important to impress your supervisors and be remembered at work, but how?

Have no fear; ‘Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now’ gives basic advice on what to remember when thinking about how to act in the professional world.   These simple yet important rules can make the difference between you and your buddy co-worker on the next desk over, and can possibly land you a future upper level job just because of your socially acceptable performance.  Remembering every worker’s name and turning off cell phones (not just switching on vibrate) during meetings can have a huge impact on how people higher up perceive you and put frankly, how much they like you as an intern.  Check out the rest of the article for the other rules on how to impress this summer! So flash those pearly whites, whip out those firm hand-shakes and suit up for the summer time.