In case you aren’t aware, I serve as president of the illustrious organization known as TOCA, the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association. This group holds a special place in my heart because it’s unlike any other professional organization I’ve been a member of. Its members are a unique mix of writers and editors, PR pros, corporate marketing specialists, agency people and more, all working in the green industry.

In case you weren’t able to make it to our annual meeting in Tucson last week, here’s what you missed:

1) I Scream Social: We heard from an esteemed panel of social media practitioners, including @alliemcbell, @SamBrace, @Tucson_Cowgirl, @TMentzerPR and Jimmy Fox. Bottom line: it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.

2) Back to the Future: Bo Sacks waxed poetic about the future of publishing and the media. As an armchair futurist myself, I respectfully disagree about the evolution to e-ink. I think collapsible mobile devices with backlight illumination will rule.

3) Water we going to do?: Two experts discussed the implications of water issues for our industry.

4) Down to Business: The TOCA meeting was great. We elected new officers to the board, presented our annual TOCA scholarship, I personally delivered the Environmental Communicator of the Year award to Chris Gray (great guy), and we talked high level about our new strategic plan.

What did you think about the TOCA meeting this year? Any key takeaways you’d like to share? Are you going to be joining us next year?

Bob Salas’ recent post on Building a Brand really made me think about how service (or lack thereof) affects brand integrity. Recently, the external fan in my laptop went out. So I went to Best Buy, the place of purchase, for help. After big dollar signs were thrown at me for shipping it to Sony for the replacement of the fan, I realized I’d rather contact Sony directly to order the part. After calling Sony’s customer service line, I was so disappointed with the lack customer service and knowledge that Sony’s brand is, in my eyes, tainted for life.

As the end user, I felt unappreciated. So, in response to Bob’s post, I will not buy Sony again because of this experience.

This in turn made me think about Apple and how it has been able to conquer B2B and B2C strategies alike while keeping its brand intact. Apple’s customer service is pristine, regardless of the channel taken to purchase its products. Apple never loses sight of its end users and their ongoing needs.

Perhaps if Sony had a process to ensure that end users had the support (and service) they needed after buying its product indirectly, I wouldn’t be scheming to get an Apple.

What are you doing to ensure your end users’ experiences are superior to your competitors?

Is it just me, or has marketing gone soft lately? I know, I know; the recession has had a huge impact on marketing budgets and companies are trying to be smarter about what types of communications they choose to pursue. But shouldn’t that be the reason to develop bolder, edgier campaigns?

In today’s economic climate, breaking through the clutter is as important as it has ever been. Marketers are dealing with limited resources, creating a pressing need to focus on campaigns that are as efficient as they are effective. In my opinion, the best way to get the biggest bang for your marketing buck is to be bold.  Stand out above your competitors. Differentiate your brand by being, well, different. Isn’t that the point of marketing in the first place; to communicate a value proposition that differentiates your brand and your products from your competitors? What better way to differentiate your brand than by implementing a daring campaign that makes your customers stop and take notice. As the old adage says, “Fortune Favors the Bold.”

Do you think companies should implement bolder marketing campaigns?

After reading Renata’s last post about Coca-Cola’s eco soda bottle, and the recent passing of Earth Day, I would like to take a moment to share with you another eco-friendly packaging concept. This one is also totally original as well as economical. Designer Patrick Sung has come up with a Universal Packaging System—packaging in the form of origami made with pre-folded sheets—which eliminates totality from the space lost in a carton.

Maybe companies will take notice and start using this type of packaging to ship things. Would you use a Universal Packaging System to ship your packages?