Award-winning journalist Charles Kuralt described this time of year, saying, “This is a place where you can hear fall coming for miles.” And, you can see the mingling of summer and fall in this time of change … record-breaking heat, the first Sweetango apple, and the brilliance of sunflowers, and the first bright red leaves. Colleagues shared photos of the first days of school this week on Facebook, alongside chatter about football scores and even sightings of holiday decor in stores. We explored the value of memes for businesses, some ideas from the creative mind of filmmaker Chris Columbus, a bit of reflection on the anniversary of 9/11, and a bit more reflection on modern frontiers on the anniversary of Luna 2’s historic launch.
Harness the power of memes in the workplace! Do you know how to make a meme?
You’ve probably heard of Grumpy Cat and the Honey Badger — these Internet sensations are also known as memes. They often catch people’s attention and attract the attention of millions — and borrowing some ideas from these viral actually does have some elements that can help your business. Entrepreneur.com outlinedsome ways to harness memes for your business — one tip that really stuck was not trying to create around trends, but instead to approach your business or product and ask “Is there something that can carry on?” Then begin working on ideas.
Happy Birthday to filmmaker Chris Columbus, known for Gremlins, The Goonies, Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone, The Help, and several other movies. What’s your favorite movie?
Who doesn’t love The Goonies? Right?! And, who knew this one guy was behind so many great movies? This powerhouse filmmaker released House of Secrets — his first book — in April 2013. He said his inspiration came from frustration over what he couldn’t do as a filmmaker. So, the book is full of moments that would simply be too expensive to create in a film. He’s known for Gremlins and The Goonies and working on two of the Harry Potter movies. As with many creative ventures, his experience with movies (like structuring the story so people don’t want to head to the bathroom during any scene) translated to a different medium and influenced him.
Our thoughts turn to New York City again this week and how tragedy shapes social media. What do you think about before you post to Facebook or Twitter?
An interesting discussion, particularly since neither Twitter or Facebook existed in their current forms when 9/11 happened. Experts disagree about whether it is better to stay silent or to tweet, post, or respond in some other way. One thing they do agree on is taking time to cultivate a plan and an internal process, and to approach whatever is said with sensitivity and a deep knowledge of your brand’s core. “Finding your brand’s inner voice means knowing what words and phrases you use often and understanding what is deemed acceptable and not acceptable in your specific social media circles,” said Chris Dessi of social media management company Silverback Social.
Luna 2 was launched on this day in 1959 and was the first machine on the moon. What is the modern frontier?
It is hard to say these days — but, it may still be space. On September 12, it was announced that NASA’s Voyager 1 left the solar system and became the first human-made object to venture into interstellar space, boldly going where no man has gone before. An interesting aside on another frontier — technology — your iPhone is more advanced.
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