Old Is New Again

I have been working on a fascinating marketing project for the City of Covington, Georgia, that has caused me to appreciate my home and the wisdom of its builders more than ever.
It has to do with Walker’s Bend, a development devastated by the real estate collapse.
With only 80 dwellings built and 134 vacant lots, the project was rescued by the City of Covington, and it has been re-envisioned as a “green” building development featuring highly energy efficient EarthCraft homes.
To achieve EarthCraft House certification, homes must meet ENERGY STAR certification criteria, including achieving passing scores from diagnostic tests for air infiltration and duct leakage.
The City, under the leadership of Randy Vinson, City Planner, has selected a number of EarthCraft certified designs that fit the needs of the community.
Looking at these house designs, I was struck by the similarity to my 1832 home: simple lines, comfortable porch, open living areas.
Unlike conventional modern construction, the EarthCraft homes are built to a higher standard, and should last longer, and be far less costly for maintenance and utility bills.
Now there’s an idea whose idea has come (AGAIN!). I guess when these older Georgia Houses were being built in the first half of the 1800’s, they knew what they were doing. What goes around comes around, and that’s a good thing.

New Browser Idea

No, it's not my idea, it is the brainchild of Mark Andreessen, the founder of Netscape. The browser is called RockMelt and in the words of Andreesen, it "does more than just navigate Web pages. It makes it easy for you to do the things you do every single day on the Web: share and keep up with your friends, stay up-to-date on news and information, and search."
Why is this important? Because the domination of social networking is bringing about a tidal wave of change in the way we communicate. And that affects what we like, what we buy, what we recommend, what we read, etc. etc.
The Rockmelt browser is officially being announced today and we will see if it grabs market share from the other browser biggies. And rest assured that when it does, the other biggies will fall in line to make browsing a more intuitive social process.

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/bTRpSu

Magic Of Christmas

This year's theme for the Downtown Covington retail district is "Magic of Christmas." There will be the traditional late shopping hours on Thursdays, visits with Santa, and once again the popular horse drawn carriage rides around the square. Here is a preliminary idea for the signage to be used in Covington. It hasn't been decided on yet, but I thought I'd share it with you here for now. I meet with Ann Huff in the Main Street office in Madison tomorrow to get a sneak peak at what Madison will be doing for the Christmas holiday. I'll tell you what I can afterwards.

Just Wanna Have Fun

Fun in Porterdale & Covington

It seems self-evident, doesn’t it? Fun is what keeps us going through our chaotic lives. We all love to grab a moment of enjoyment when we can. Problem is, it seems to be getting harder to find those moments.

I experienced one last night with friends on Covington Square and later at Amici Italian Cafe. There were 7 of us, all with busy schedules, who managed to converge in the small oasis that is Covington Square Park, and relax with each other for a couple of hours.

Towns like Covington are working hard to provide fun for all of us. Sounds funny - “Working hard to provide fun” but that’s what it takes. Madison, Rutledge, Newborn, Porterdale, Social Circle, Oxford, Mansfield and others know that they can provide a backdrop for friends, fun, and forgetting the stresses of life. Dedicated professionals, business owners and volunteers give their time and ideas to make their communities come to life.

In our high-speed world it’s great to step out of the express lane into one of our charming historic towns that were built around people and community. We are so fortunate to have these treasured places where we can go back in time, if only briefly.

If you are new to social media or want to hear the latest tips and trends, don't miss Nicole's FREE Seminar at Square Perk in Covington on October 21 at 10am. You're sure to learn how to do more with facebook, twitter and youtube. Join in the conversation and pick up a few new ideas. See you there!

Join in the Fun!

Retail shops, clothing stores, restaurants, salons and more are offering great shopping deals, fun foods, creative arts and music. Come join us in Covington, GA October 14-21. There will be live music, beer gardens and lots of fun! Planning is still in the works! Stay tune here for updates. Also go to Downtown Covington's facebook page for updates.

Jasmine Bower Happy Hour

This weekend is the 2-day celebration of Fall, Eva's off-the-grid odyssey, music, food & beverage consumption, camping out and likely no rain (sorry Nicole).

There will be games, auctions, lying around, music, kids, adults, and more.

Headlining musicians are Curtis Jones (AKA Cortini) on Saturday and Johnny Roquemore on Sunday. Check out their videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUEQqomkVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff1hSDnCw9c

Want to jam with Cortini or Roquemore? Bring your instrument and come on out!

Hope you can make it!

Is it Advertising or Marketing?

I find it somewhat ironic that after spending nearly 40 years in advertising, design and marketing that I am just getting started in “marketing” - social media marketing, that is. But after all, it is a new century, a new millennium and life just isn’t as it once was. So my friend Nicole Rushin (nicolerushin.com) is consulting me in the new craft of digital and viral dispersion of ideas and concepts once confined to paper and airwaves. This is challenging, fun, and certainly more interactive than the old methods.