Chad Mihalick

Project O.R. More, Please.

chadmihalick — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:43:53 +0000

Final decisions on the 48 hour design contest that takes place at the O.R. show

Outdoor Retailer is on to something! An existing idea plugged in to a new environment. Reality show Project Runway redone for the Outdoor industry, at the Outdoor industry’s national tradeshow. project O.R. is headed for it’s third edition at the upcoming summer market.

It’s a great idea. Here’s why – it puts the Outdoor industry in front of students across the nation, and demonstrates the appeal of a career in the industry. Plants the seed, so to speak, to attract talented people from the next generation. It also puts brands in front of “customers” or students. It adds a new element to tradeshows. And as Bob McKnight so eloquently said years ago, “grows the pond.”

Here’s how it works. Students are selected from universities across the country. O.R. provides all transportation, lodging, etc. They’re given a design brief, and have 48 hours to produce the design. Then the judging panel (or jury, if you prefer) gathers, reviews, and chooses a winner. Done! What a great way to meet prospective new talent.

Here’s a video clip. And yes, more of this please.

To All My Friends Who Sell Product

chadmihalick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:21:59 +0000

Email marketing has a little bit to do with my job and this is the best email marketing in my recent memory. To me, it’s so good I have to share it with you. To all my friends who sell product – can it be this easy?

Confession, I clicked. Here’s why – it contains the only thing that’s on my mind when I think of Orbitz right now – a good deal on a plane trip to Crested Butte Colorado. I was logged in while searching for this plane fair. Orbitz of course remembers where I’m going, the dates I want to go, and the number of people in my party.

We can all achieve this same sort of engagement. Most everyone who sells a product or service of some sort through the web has a login system for its customers. The right use of technology and bright ideas might just help the top line.

Employment Branding is Real

chadmihalick — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:15:05 +0000

I recently conducted an employment satisfaction survey of the Malakye.com audience to find out what people really want out of work / what’s most important to them in evaluating a job opportunity, what’s important once employed, why they leave an employer, and all that good stuff.

One part of the survey asked respondents to choose companies they most want to work for from a list. The top 10 companies were no real surprise – they are also the most recognizable brands in the market. It sure does become a lot easier to find great employees when everyone wants to work for you, right? Right.

Brand recognition does exist in the world of recruiting and employment. And here’s a great example of one way to build your employment brand.

Life of an Office Booy

admin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:58:18 +0000

Part of being a career guy in the action sports industry is having fun. Seumas is quite a sales man, and also quite a good sport. He’s the Golden Voice of our Office Booyz contest. When I asked Seumas how he became such an outstanding outside sales rep, he said, “I’m a panther. That’s what I do.” Seumas doesn’t sit behind a desk all that often. More often than not you’ll find him out on the road somewhere between the 605 and SLO town. Me on the other hand, well, I put a lot of time in on this keyboard.