This deep thought from MIMA’s very own Tim Brunelle refers to the highly successful Ignite Minneapolis at Solera on April 22nd. With over 500 people in attendance to hear 23 five-minute presentations on topics from robots to mullets, it was surely a night to remember. Not to mention free beer and the who’s who of the Minneapolis advertising and creative community made a great mix for conversation and people watching.

As you know, MIMA loves to represent so not only were we a sponsor but two of our very own board members Michael Kraabel and Elizabeth Saloka threw caution to the wind and gave it their all for 120 seconds. We are all very proud here at MIMA so make sure to check them both out on Ignite’s YouTube channel.

Another Ignite sponsor, Catalyst Studios, has generously put together a video that highlights the night and leaves us wanting more (and yes there’s more). If you didn’t make it, not to worry because Ignite Minneapolis #2 is in June and it’s not too late to sign up to be a presenter – remember it’s only five minutes!

So, when is the next opportunity to go to a bar and learn something? Glad you asked because it’s just around the corner. Come join us along with MCAD for CATFOA’s “Living in a Post-Advertising World” featuring Michael Lebowitz at the Fineline on Monday, May 11th. Hope to see you there and hope you learn something!

Is breakthrough creativity driven by one person? Or is it the happy result of collaboration and cross fertilization?

I’m sure you have an opinion. I’m also sure your September calendar is filling up fast, but this is one event that’s bound to be interesting and informative. Blu Dot, the award-winning Minneapolis furniture company, will be presenting their design philosophy as part of the CVA Leaders of Design Series.

Not familiar with Blu Dot? If you’ve been to the Walker Art Center (and what good MIMA member hasn’t?), you’ve seen and possibly sat on sleek, simplified Blu Dot couches set off by watermelon red steel tables.

Okay, so what does designing couches and tables and chairs and beds have to do with designing digital experiences? If the lecture title is any indication — “There’s No ‘I’ in Des gn” — the process for Blu Dot is not about ego or individual grandeur. It’s all about collaboration, cooperation, and camaraderie.

Isn’t that the same with interactive marketing?

Yes, of course, we’ve all encountered the strutting, self-important designer, interactive strategist, project lead, SEO consultant, and so on, but really, when you come right down to it, isn’t some of the best creative work borne of collaboration? Almost everyone I work with believes that welcoming multiple contributors (on the client and agency side) improves outcomes and engenders success.

“Get designers, writers, strategists, information architects, developers, publicists, business analysts, and customers working together. Connect the MBAs with the MFAs. Ask the attorneys to collaborate with the creatives. Pair the scientist with the art director — and see what happens.

It’s certainly true too many people working on an idea can be messy and cumbersome, but it can also open the door to wildly exciting possibilities.”

— Excerpted from Your Marketing Campaign: What’s the Big Idea?

Another way to encourage creativity is to stop running directly at the problem and seek inspiration in a sideways manner: So perhaps furniture design can illuminate digital design?

You can register for the September 24th lecture here through AIGA Minnesota. The lecture features Blu Dot founders John Christakos and Maurice Blanks. The next day, Thursday, September 25, there’s an opening night exhibition party and a Blu Dot furniture auction (both free and open to the public) at the CVA Gallery.

Tickets for the Blu Dot lecture will go fast. Last year’s CVA Leaders of Design Series featured Steven Heller, and it sold out weeks in advance. See you there!

This past summer, three MIMA board members (Jason Kleckner, Julie Vollenweider and I) joined 25 other interactive marketing association board members from across the U.S. to discuss best practices, membership benefits, programming, organizational structure and operations. We’re not talking about starting a national interactive marketing association, but we wanted to compare notes and see how we can offer members more and strengthen the interactive community in each region. In addition to sharing some innovative ideas, the associations agreed to keep the conversation going via a message board and teleconferencing, and we’re also establishing a speakers bureau to share resources.

So…are you curious about what’s happening with interactive marketing in other parts of the country? Check out these IMA websites. Sign up for their email newsletters or just see what they’re up to. And if you’re traveling to these cities, why not attend one of their events? We’re reaching out to these organizations to make MIMA even better, but we encourage you to network with them, too. Other IMAs can be great resources for job searches, recruiting, making connections and building your business.

Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas-Fort Worth
Houston
NY
Philadelphia
Portland
North Carolina
San Francisco

These IMAs weren’t able to join us in Atlanta, but they are going strong in their regions:
Milwaukee
South Florida

If you’re aware of others, let us know. Email Jason Kleckner, our National Partnerships Chair.

As a side note, did you know that MIMA is the only interactive marketing association in the country to hold a full-day interactive marketing conference? If you haven’t registered for the MIMA Summit yet, don’t miss it. It’s your chance to hear amazing speakers, find out what’s hot in interactive marketing and network with over 400 MIMA friends! Sign up today.

The Direct Marketing Associaton national DMA-06 pre conference sessions started this weekend with the new Search Engine Marketing Certification program. Saturday morning started off with Jeannette Kocsis, VP of Digital Marketing at Harte-Hanks,  presenting on "Introduction to Search Engine Marketing" and MIMA boardmember Lee Odden from TopRank Online Marketing following up with "Search Engine Basics".

Here’s the description of Jeannett’s module:

Introduction to Search Engine Marketing: Explore search engine marketing and what it takes for a marketer to achieve search engine marketing results. Learn how to identify ethical search engine marketing practices and how search engines define spam. Learn how to shape the business case for search marketing for your business, and how to staff this valuable marketing function.

Lee Odden’s session:

Search Engine Basics: If you have ever wondered how a search engine builds its database, adds new sites to its index or chooses which results to show, this is the session for you. Learn to identify paid from algorithmic search listings and where search listings appear beyond the search results page. You will also learn how the search marketers’ efforts can impact what the user sees on the page.

Michael Bloom (born and raised in Minnesota!) from the DMA Washington DC office did a short introduction and then Dr. Amanda Watlington presented information about the details of the certification program.

All of the modules were recorded so participants in the certification program will have access as well as to the presentations.

Sunday morning Matt Bailey of Site Logic Marketing presented his module:

Site Indexing Challenges and How to Fix Them: Is your site beautiful to behold, but invisible to search engines? This program focuses on the specific page elements and design technologies that can prevent a site from being included in a search engine database. You will learn how to identify the barriers and what must be done to overcome them.

Which was followed up by Detlev Johnson of Position Tech with:

Search Engine and Directory Submission/Inclusion Tactics: Want to know how to get your Web site indexed in the search engines using the newest and best practices? This session will outline the newest tactics available for ensuring rapid and complete site submissions. Learn how to get your site included in Google using Sitemaps and explore the many features of Yahoo! Site Explorer as well as other highly effective methods.

Find out more information about the DMA’s new Search Engine Marketing Certification program.

The ad:tech conference in Chicago went off quite nicely and several MIMA members were in attendance. Here are a few brave souls willing to be photographed with a shoddy camera phone:

Andrew Eklund, CEO of Ciceron looking rather tan and well informed. Andrew did a bit of blogging about the ad:tech show.

Scott Severson of AdFusion exhibiting on the tradeshow floor.

Archives of the sessions covered at ad:tech will remain live on the ad:tech blog until the next show in New York.

Coming soon to Chicago is the next installment of the most popular event for interactive marketers, ad:tech. This year’s Chicago conference promises outstanding keynotes on multicultural marketing, creativity and new ways for marketers to reach customers. Sessions range from search marketing to word of mouth to the development of personas.

More information is available on the ad:tech site at www.ad-tech.com. Try the discount code ATCHAB and you can save 20 percent.

If you can’t make it to the conference, the event will be covered on the ad:tech blog by Steve Hall of Adrants, MIMA member Lee Odden of TopRank, David Berkowitz of 360i and several other interactive marketing professionals.

Welcome to the official blog for MIMA, the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association.

Here you will find updated news about MIMA, events, projects and activities as well as interactive marketing industry news. We welcome and encourage your readership and interaction.