Celebrating Walt Disney

December 5, 2020December 30, 2023 / bobmonek

Walt Disney was born on this day in 1901. I am thinking of him today as the company that he built and where I am employed faces new challenges in the midst of the biggest disruption of our lifetimes. It’s been an extraordinarily challenging year for Disney and a very difficult week for many of my fellow cast members. I am thinking of them too. They have been part of something special, contributing to building and evolving one of the world’s most amazing companies.

Like many of my generation, Walt Disney has always been a part of my life. My earliest memories are watching The Wonderful World of Disney on a black and white TV. My fondest memories are my first visit to Disney World with my grandparents and my mom, and later being able to share that experience with my family.

Walt’s vision and inspiration and the seeds that he planted all those years ago still touch millions of lives every day. His passion for innovation, curiosity, and courage is more important now than ever before.

He once said, “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

We will get through this pandemic however difficult it may be. We may look different on the other side, but one thing is certain – Disney will still be bringing people together, celebrating community, entertaining audiences young and old, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That is Walt’s legacy, one that transcends generations, and the reason that we still celebrate his birthday today.

I am not a racist is not enough

June 5, 2020 / bobmonek

My thoughts after an exhausting, emotionally charged week. I am only writing to express what is on my mind – not for affirmation or debate. Just thoughts about a week in a year that I shall never forget.

George Floyd should be alive.

He is not alone.

It is not enough to say you understand because, if you are white, you cannot know.

That is the price we pay living in a largely segregated society for 400 years.

Building walls creates ignorance.

To stand against racism is not enough.

It is not enough to care.

It is not enough to support.

It is not enough to say I am not a racist.

We must fight it.

You can watch a racist and ignore their actions, or you can stand up and stop them.

You can say it doesn’t affect me, but injustice ignored is justice denied.

You can accept things as they are, or you can fight to make them as they should be.

You can close your eyes and hope for the best, or you can open wide those eyes and make an impact

You can leave this world as it was when you arrived, or you can make this world a better place for the next generation.

Is going viral my goal?

March 7, 2020 / bobmonek

One of the most famous viral videos of all-time is “Charlie bit my finger” with 870M views, and that video and other early videos helped create an atmosphere of “I want to go viral”

So what does that mean anyway – going viral? Is it 100,000 views, 5 million of 870 million? There’s no hard and fast definition.

A video can get a million views because a brand paid to have it places on various sites, so if the video is seeded with paid support and emails and other means is it truly viral?

There is a certain mindset that failing to go viral means your social media campaign is a failure, and I don’t buy into that nonsense.

“Going viral” misses the point of brand messaging which is reaching the right audience and building a relationship with them by producing content that is useful and actionable for them. I can buy and spend and clickbait my way to a million views, but how many watch beyond 10 seconds and how many took action in a positive way towards my brand?

Every video you create is not a one-time shot at going viral, but an investment in a long-term relationship with your customers.

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I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time finding what to watch. My nightly routine is usually starting with the cable guide to see what’s on, and then I’ll switch to Apple TV and nose around Netflix, Hulu or Prime or get distracted by something on YouTube. If I can’t find anything, then I’ll do a Google – you know, what’s on TV tonight? Or what can I binge watch? And usually, I can narrow it down to a couple of choices, and if it’s a series, I’ll start binge-watching so I don’t need to do this whole process again at least for a few days.

If you are like me, you have a lot of haystacks to search to find the needle.

And that’s just TV.

Think about the 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute or the 5 billion videos watched on YouTube every day.

And then there are another 100 million hours of video watched daily on Facebook.

Not to forget, Twitter, Twitch, TikTok and the Gram. Or how about LinkedIn.

So as a content creator or brand marketer, how is a consumer supposed to find your content in all these haystacks?

For this complex problem, I offer a relatively simple A-B-C solution.

With due respect to Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross, I’m not saying “Always Be Closing.”

I’m talking about “Attention, Brand Value, and Call to Action.”

A successful digital video is one that captures the audience’s attention, delivers brand value to that audience, and calls upon the viewer to act. Action not in the form of a like, comment of share, but to say to themselves, “I learned something new and I need to try this product.”

To prove my theory, I offer three examples, but you can find many following the same basic formula.

Is the content memorable or shareworthy like Blendtek’s “Will It Blend” series?

Phinally! The Will It Blend? you’ve all been waiting phor! Watch Tom blend two phablets including the brand new iPhone 6 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. It’s…

Is the content something that the consumer associates with your brand’s value like RedBull’s live extreme sports coverage or action You Tube series like “Who Is JOB?

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