The only thing that sets you apart is your story. – 4th Avenue Media

By Jana Jack

During the last three months I’ve interned at 4^th Avenue Media, I made great friends, learned from hands-on experience, and am now prepared to go back to school and apply what I’ve learned.  4^th Avenue Media invited me into the world of business, advertising, and marketing. While being here I have been able to fully grasp some of the terms and ideas I’ve been taught from the communication/journalism classes I’ve taken at UW.

When Lucas Mack (4^th Ave’s Principal) interviewed me for this internship, he told me what a wise news director told him when he was a young TV reporter that stuck with him. Lucas said, “when I’m telling a story, there is always the basic who, what, when, where, and why. That is covered in most marketing material. That makes a story- but not usually a memorable one.” Lucas told me, “don’t tell me ‘what,’ tell me the ‘so what!’”  4^th Avenue Media is able to draw out the “so what” from their clients to give them the edge. And just like their tagline reads, “The only thing that sets you apart is your story.”

The relationships I made with the people at 4AM might last a lifetime. 4AM is somewhere I’d like to potentially end up working in the future. My favorite part of my internship was when I had the opportunity to act in the video 4AM is producing for the Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. I didn’t have a big acting part, but loved being on set, working with the crew, and shooting with the camera. I held the camera when we shot a scene with Justin from Pike Place Fish. It was very exciting!

It’s quite amazing the company started only two years ago, and started in this economy! Not to mention, it’s growing. 4AM has more than doubled in revenue from last year. Working with this young, yet successful business, I have been exposed to a new world. This internship has renewed my excitement to pursue my education at UW.

By Lucas Mack

4th Avenue Media

August 13, 2010

Bellevue, Wash. – If you think back to when you saw your first movie then fast forward to every movie you’ve seen since.  How many can you remember?  What about the first book youread until now?  What makes the great movies, books and yes even businesses stand out is a great story.

I don’t mean a story, I mean a GREAT story!  One you’d share with another, or two or three.  In your business there’s the basic who, what, when, where and why that probably encompass every marketing material you have or website you own.  But the 5 W’s don’t make a great story, they just make a story.

When I was a young TV reporter a very wise News Director shared with me a tip that changed everything for me.  He said, “Don’t tell me ‘the what’, tell me the ‘so what!’”  That was it.  That’s what I was missing from my stories.  That’s what’s missing from most stories, the ones your never remember.  It’s the “So What!”

Once I understood that, I moved up markets in the TV industry until finally starting my dream company, 4th Avenue Media where we believe the only thing that sets you apart is your story.  And it all stems from the “So What”.

The sixth “W” in the story is what you need to highlight with your business, whether in your website design, marketing materials or in your promotional videos.  People share stories they like and remember.  You need to figure out the way to convey your “So what” so people take notice.  If your story is not getting told in a way that grabs the attention of those that see, hear and experience it, then you’re losing out on business and losing out on buzz.

By Jana Jack:

Harnessing the power of Social Media gives a company exposure that’s priceless and literally (love this!) doesn’t take mullah. Companies can control the message reaching the public and therefore, (hopefully) gain a favorable reputation.  However, the perception of that company is also shaped by employees that work there and participate in social media.

 A staff member’s posts, albums, tweets, notes ( insert interaction here), that can reflect upon their employer in a positive or negative light.  Up until now employees have had the freedom to craft their online “persona” however they choose. As companies are moving into the social media landscape however, some are asking if ‘rules of engagement’ or a ‘social media policy (that’s enforced!)’ are necessary.

 The hugely successful company ‘Zappos’ encourages all their employees to have Twitter accounts so they can interact with current and potential customers. They actually train their employees on the proper use of Twitter during new-hire orientation.

 This is some truly interesting food for thought as we continue to do business in this digital age.

Read the articles that helped shape this post below:

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2009/11/six_social_media_trends.html

http://mashable.com/2009/04/27/social-media-policy/

We wanted to pass along a quick post about Hyatt at Olive 8 online at Green Life Style Magazine. In addition to a short summary of the hotel and it’s eco-friendly features, the journalist reposted the new video of Hyatt at Olive 8. Great to see the videos are being used by media! You can view the mention below, as well as online at: http://www.green-life-magazine.com/green-earth/eco-friendly/hyatt-at-olive-8-eco-friendly-downtown-seattle-hotel/.

Check out the latest article on Kirkland’s Dog Friendly Hotel: http://www.kirklandviews.com/archives/18135 and watch the video too!

By: Lauren Mack

Had the pleasure today of meeting one “Smart-Cookie” today who emailed me an article to read. It’s the type of article that you read and think to yourself, ‘good point, why didn’t I think of that?’ In “Social Media: Listen less and sell more” by Clay McDaniel, he writes about businesses using social media to create buzz.

Most businesses’ social media goals are to get as many “fans” or “followers” as you can to “create brand advocates.” These “advocates” are thought to spread your message to their circle of contacts, informing people about your products/services therefore gaining influence and market share.

Problem? Bottom line in business is that cash is king and all that awareness is worth nada if it isn’t bringing in more sales.  He writes, “Recent research from Razorfish found that promotions and discounts were primary drivers of “friending” a brand for more than a third of social networking users and 44 percent of Twitter users. What’s more, 79 percent of women say using social networks to research products and services is important to them, while 64 percent said the same thing about finding discounts, according to research from ShesConnected.com.”

Makes sense. Fans and followers want to be rewarded for their loyalty. People become a fan and follower because there’s something in it for them! That’s why we’ll take you out to coffee ; )

We produced a video for the Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s video contest and were selected as a finalists!  The $10,000 grand prize winner to be announced on May 12 at the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Tradeshow at Qwest Field.

Check out our video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qoXQ0cvA44&feature=player_embedded

This may sound a little trite, but when I was young my mom told me this saying and it’s not only helped me through the years, but it’s helping our team right now with the large projects we’re working on and it goes like this, “Inch by inch is a cinch.  Yard by yard is hard.  Mile by mile will take a while, but inch by inch is a cinch!”  So if you’re feeling overwhelmed with anything you’re going through… remember the saying of Mama Mack and you’ll be on the path to victory!

Watch our Hike Video!!

At 8:30 this morning the 4AM team found themselves hiking up a mountain. No joke. We showed up with sleep in our eyes and our curiosity rising as we set out to our “surprise meeting place”. Nobody expected to hike 1700 feet in 7 miles, but we did it, and we did it in style. Style of course, meaning we made it to the top in one piece and celebrated with pbjs, rainier, and a brainstorming session with the view of a life time. So what did we learn? Team meetings can be a workout, the top of the mountain doesn’t come down to you, and next time I’m driving