I admit it. I am notoriously bad at forgetting birthdays.
But it is incredibly embarrassing to miss one's own birthday--or in this case the birthday of my blog.
As of today, 5 Blogs Before Lunch is firmly planted in its 5th year of existence.
Having amassed 1 million++ visitors, ~2,500 posts, and 2 Webby Awards, I guess we are here to stay--at least until lunch.
Today we're celebrating the 3rd anniversary of 5 Blogs Before Lunch.
At times I'm surprised that three years have gone by so quickly, and at other moments, I can't remember a time when I wasn't blogging.
1,095 days, and nearly 2,000 posts after I signed up for a Typepad account and designed a blog site to express my thoughts on marketing and branding, I'm still enjoying the journey and feeling inspired to write and share my thoughts.
I picked marketing as a career over 20 years ago, and started the blog as an extension of my marketing consulting practice, 5 Meetings Before Lunch. The blog helps and inspires me to keep up-to-date on marketplace and generational trends, brand successes and failures, and of things like branded entertainment, social networking, podcasting, and a whole host of marketing trends. As I learn of these things, and comment on them, I hope they inspire the 5 Blogs community to thing differently about marketing and branding.
I write of what interests me, and I hope that that translates to topics and commentary that inspire you to think creatively and innovate.
I've loved writing every day, and I have been buoyed by the comments and recognition the blog has received. The Webby Awards has honored us each of the three years of our existence, starting with awarding 5 Blogs Before Lunch the very first Webby for Best Blog: Business in 2006. We've been quoted, linked, forwarded and talked about in just the way that makes me keep writing.
A year or so ago, the focus at Typepad wrote of the site in a way that I think sums up my goal with the blog:
"If the brand marketing world is a beach swarming with sunbathers, bodysurfers, and kids building sand castles, Five Blogs Before Lunch would be the exclusive WiFi cabana complete with a plasma TV, cocktails and spritzer boy. First of all, the industry is huge. Secondly, it changes fast. That means even the smartest advertising gurus and brand wizards have a tough time keeping on top of what's hot and what's not. Dave Ibsen uses his 20 years of experience to make their jobs easier, delivering several posts a day to keep marketing wonks in the loop on media trends, brands and branding, and who's being hired and fired in the biz. Check in on your lunch break to weed through the mayhem of the marketing world to be informed before you talk to your clients at happy hour. Cheers"
Thank you for reading, and I'll promise to keep writing...5 blogs before lunch.
Many thanks to Typepad for featuring me on their homepage. I'm proud to be part of the Typepad/SixApart family. Here's what they had to say about 5 Blogs Before Lunch:
"If the brand marketing world is a beach swarming with sunbathers, bodysurfers, and kids building sand castles, Five Blogs Before Lunch would be the exclusive WiFi cabana complete with a plasma TV, cocktails and spritzer boy. First of all, the industry is huge. Secondly, it changes fast. That means even the smartest advertising gurus and brand wizards have a tough time keeping on top of what's hot and what's not. Dave Ibsen uses his 20 years of experience to make their jobs easier, delivering several posts a day to keep marketing wonks in the loop on media trends, brands and branding, and who's being hired and fired in the biz. Check in on your lunch break to weed through the mayhem of the marketing world to be informed before you talk to your clients at happy hour. Cheers"
Thank you for your loyal readership and interest in what I have to say here on 5 Blogs Before Lunch. Now I'd like to get to know you a little better.
Like any good marketer, I realize that there comes a time when a little quantitative customer research can do a brand some good. Please take a couple of minutes to answer a quick survey (nothing too personal and no credit cards are involved <grin>) to help me improve the blog's content and your reading experience. There are 20 some-odd multiple choice questions, some as easy as "are you male or female" all on one web page screen.
Many thanks for your time in helping me keep 5 Blogs Before Lunch the most relevant and interesting for you, my loyal readers.
Cheers,
David
SURVEY LINK: 5Blogs Demographic Survey
A little self-promotion here.
Today marks the official launch of the 5 Meetings Before Lunch website, my marketing consultancy's online web presence. I've also updated this blog's design and logo to link more closely with the website and to provide a more visually calming blog environment for you <contented smile>.
About 5 Meetings Before Lunch:
For nearly 20 years I've worked with leaders of companies and marketing departments who want to advance great ideas and catalyze change in their marketing efforts.
My consulting practice helps companies grow and sustain market leadership, increase productivity by helping organizations work better as teams and aids organizations in finding innovative, relevant approaches to turning ideas into actions that drive real value.
I hope you like the new logo, new website and new blog format.
Adam Morgan: Eating the Big Fish : How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders
Al Ries: The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing : Exposed and Explained by the World's Two
Alex Wipperfurth: Brand Hijack : Marketing Without Marketing
Diana Lasalle: Priceless: Turning Ordinary Products into Extraordinary Experiences
Douglas Atkins: The Culting of Brands : When Customers Become True Believers
Douglas B. Holt: How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding
Gerald Zaltman: How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market
Jim Collins: Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies
Jim Collins: Good to Great : Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't
Jon Steel: Truth, Lies and Advertising : The Art of Account Planning
Keith Yamashita: Unstuck: A tool for Yourself, Your Team , and Your World
