Lois Kelly
The basics
- Started as a journalist, writing obits and weddings, covering fires and local political races
- Executive in public relations agencies (some NYC boutiques you’ve never heard of and Weber Shandwick) and co-founder of early interactive marketing agency (Thunder House), acquired by McCann Erickson
- Clients: SAP, Sun, HP, Sapient, FedEx, Communispace, Harvard Publishing, Dunkin’ Donuts, TJX, DST Output, and Agfa and eRoom, where Francois was my client
- Schools: University of New Hampshire, Harvard University
- Books: wrote Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word of Mouth Marketing, the gold medal recipient of the 2008 Axiom Business Book Award for best marketing/advertising/public relations book.
- Non-profit work: officer/trustee of Trinity Rep Theater
My slogans
- Lois helps create clarity from complexity.
- Make meaning not buzz.
- Communications can change the world.
- That’s interesting. Tell me more.
Things I care about
- Helping companies cut through the blah blah corporate talk to find points of view they believe in – and that set their organizations apart in meaningful ways.
- Inspiring sales, marketing, public relations people to take the leap to do things in new ways with less pain
- Leading experiential workshops that help people see new marketing and sales possibilities, burn down obstacles, and map a plan to make it happen.
Sites/communities I like
- Facebook: because it’s an easy way to keep up with what my friends are doing; it’s my social operating system.
- My Yahoo page because it’s also my blog reader.
- Ning transformational workshop community because its among people I respect and learn from (private group of us who took a course together)
- My Netflix friends community
3 things most people don’t know about me
- Almost didn’t complete my graduate business program because I just couldn’t write code a part of technology requirement; prof made an exception and kindly let me do research presentation instead.
- Was in the Metropolitan Opera Company’s Madame Butterfly at age four. (Because I was small and not scared of loud music; nothing to do with talent!)
- My favorite is escape is to a little two-room cottage on Bear Camp Pond with no running water –but lots of loons, bears and wild blueberries.
My favorite marketing play list
- “You Get What You Give,” The New Radicals: sums up marketing – provide a great product or experience and you get passionate customers
- “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” Rolling Stones: how we (and our bosses) all feel about marketing
- “The Way,” Neil Young: the kids’ chorus instills joy and hopefulness
- “Wild Thing,” The Troggs: helps me shake loose and see possibilities
- Rock the Casbah, The Clash: anything’s possible
- Gonna Fly Now (Theme from Rocky), Bill Conti: older CEOs get juiced and open for change when they hear it; for some demographics it’s a great meeting opener
- Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin, Andre Previn & the London Symphony Orchestra: reminds me of how a start- up or new campaign plays out
- Disco Inferno, The Trammps: The “burn baby burn line” gets me thinking about how to burn down the obstacles that are part of getting new ideas and programs approved
- We Can’t Be Somebody Else,” Arling & Cameron; it’s all about authenticity.
- “Tell Me Something Good,” Chaka Khan & Rufus. What every CEO and sales exec really wants to hear.
- “Tell Me,” Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: Sharon’s been working hard for years and is finally getting traction and notice; like many programs, businesses and careers. you’ve got to put in the hard work and stay true to your goals.(Plus she just puts me in a mood to move,)
