21% of new drugs approved from 1990-2007 involved PSRIs

It’s been about a year now since the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by AUTM President Ashley Stevens finding public-sector research had a more immediate effect on improving public health than was previously realized. (Stevens AJ, et al. N Engl J Med 2011;364:535-41)

Just about the same time, I was advising Bioscience Bridge on connections for university research from Boise State, Tulane, and Purdue.

This research article underscores the important role the universities play in improving healthcare.  And why Bioscience Bridge continues to create attention to commercialization of intellectual property.

In the introduction to the article, Stevens states that historically, “public-sector researchers have performed the upstream, basic research that elucidated the underlying mechanisms of disease and identified promising points of intervention.”

This is contrasted with corporate researchers who performed the downstream, applied research resulting in the discovery of drugs for the treatment of diseases – and who carried out development activities to bring them to market.

Today, however, the boundaries between the roles of the public and private sectors have shifted substantially since the dawn of the biotechnology era, and the public sector now has a much more direct role in the applied-research phase of drug discovery.

The authors (organized by Stevens, and including researchers from Boston University Schools of Medicine, Law and Management, the Radium Hospital, Oslo, along with collaborators from the National Institutes of Health led by Mark Rohrbaugh, Ph.D., J.D.) found that during the past 30 years, 153 new FDA-approved drugs, vaccines, or new indications for existing drugs were discovered through research carried out in public sector research institutions (PSRIs). These drugs included 93 small-molecule drugs, 36 biologics, 15 vaccines, 8 in-vivo diagnostic materials, and one over-the-counter drug.

Their conclusion:

“We believe that our study supports the concept that the emergence of biotechnology in the mid-1970s, combined with policy changes implemented in the early 1980s regarding the ownership and management of the intellectual property of PSRIs, allowed these institutions to play an important role in the downstream, applied phase of drug discovery.”

Specifically, the data show that PSRIs have contributed to the discovery of 9.3 to 21.2% of all drugs involved in new-drug applications approved during the period from 1990 through 2007. It also suggests that PSRIs tend to discover drugs that are expected to have a disproportionately important clinical effect.

Engaging “Opinion Leaders” that may be “Practice Influencers”

I've shared many examples of how N-of-8 can shift opinion to practice.

Another case was when I moderated a group of leading cardiologists to discuss eplerenone, the first agent designed to selectively block aldosterone for the treatment of high blood pressure.

The eight participants in this group included the chair of a major medical society, the client’s chief medical director, and six of world’s top hypertension specialists.  We were to discuss how aldosterone blockade reduces mortality and morbidity among patients with severe heart failure.  Simply put, eplerenone is used to treat high blood pressure by blocking aldosterone, which in turn lowers the amount of sodium and water the body retains. Lowering high blood pressure helps prevent strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems. Eplerenone is also used to treat congestive heart failure following a heart attack.

To say I felt intimidated would be an understatement.  As their facilitator, however, my job was not to go toe-to-toe on the science.  Instead, I was to help determine how emerging science could apply to practice.

The conversation turned to the difference between diastolic and systolic blood pressure.  And after several minutes, I asked the most innocent and naive question:  

“When you say systolic BP, 

what would that mean to 

the average family physician?”

Well, the question was apparently so elementary that my client almost had a cardiovascular event right there.  But then, one doctor responded, “You know, that’s a very provocative question and one that has created some controversy.”  This led to a lively, engaging, and fruitful debate – with more implications for practice than we expected.

Approximately 50 million, or one in four, adult Americans, have high blood pressure. Of those, 73 percent are not adequately controlled, and are at increased risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, damage to the eyes, heart failure and atherosclerosis. Control of hypertension has remained inadequate despite the availability of several key classes of compounds.

"Hypertension is a complex disease with many factors contributing to the problem," said the advisors during our N-of-8.  "For patients and their health care providers who face unique challenges in achieving and maintaining control of their high blood pressure, eplerenone could represent an important new treatment option that goes beyond standard therapies in targeting the aldosterone pathway."

Preclinical and clinical studies had suggested that eplerenone works with relative selectivity to block aldosterone receptors, a key component within the RAAS (renin angiotensin aldosterone system).  This fact, the advisors said, plays a significant role in the body's regulation of the cardiovascular system.

In the discussion, they concluded that data showed the addition of eplerenone to optimize medical therapy could reduce morbidity and mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure.

This all ultimately contributed to the company’s marketing strategy.  FDA initially approved eplerenone for the treatment of hypertension, but the brand team decided to wait another year for a second indication – the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to an acute myocardial infarction – a first for any drug in the class. 

Eplerenone was launched, and marketed by Pfizer, under the brand name Inspra.

16 observations from a road trip

I really enjoy a good roadtrip.  And when my mind wanders, I often wonder....

1. Remember the days before travel plazas and oases – we stopped on side of road (and we LIKED it)
2. I still get excited at the innovation of iPass and convenience of being accepted in multiple states
3. Those highway distance signs . . . what are they measuring to? City limits or city center?
4. I noticed there is specific placement of reflector lights on trucks.  Are there federal laws on light design?
5. What are the sales in May at year-round Christmas shops in the middle of Indiana?
6. Hats off (but hard hats on) to the highway maintenance workers picking up blown out tires.
7. How do blowout tire treads get to the SIDE of the road? Wouldn’t they still be in the MIDDLE?
8. I’ve been playing with that rear-view mirror slanted lever? How does that work anyway?
9. My favorite road trip snack is Pop Tarts.  Are the “how to open” package instructions necessary?
10. How many grooves in the standard 'slow down' grooves they carve into the concrete?
11. all highway signs are the same design, font, colors, etc. Who makes them? Where are graphic standards?
12. Those blue signs at exits for food, lodging, fuel. How much to sponsor? Would they take other ads besides services?
13. What's the hardest food to eat in the car? One hand vs two hands? Spaghetti, gyro, crab legs?
14. We’ve almost eradicated knuckleheads that refuse to change lanes to let cars merge.  But some remain.
15. Which is better for driving in central Ohio – night when you can see nothing? Or day when there’s nothing to see?
16. Why did I complain about $4.19/gal for gas then pay equiv of $6.25/gal for bottled water?

Storytelling: Is it the secret weapon of the 2012 presidential race?

Here's a topical view on storytelling from Arianna Huffington.

If we can all take a break from the breathless back-and-forth about Bain-gate for a moment -- and if you can't, maybe later you can retroactively take a break -- there was a more meaningful exchange that came out of President Obama's interview with Charlie Rose that aired on CBS last Sunday and Monday morning.

The president used many of his oft-repeated lines, saying that "this campaign is still about hope... it's still about change," and that he "underestimated the degree to which in this town politics trumps problem-solving." But it got really interesting when the conversation turned to what the president considers the biggest mistake of his first term. It was, he said, "thinking that this job was just about getting the policy right."

So what else is needed? 

"The nature of this office," he said, "is also to tell a story to the American people that gives them a sense of unity and purpose and optimism, especially during tough times."

That's a spot-on description of one of the key elements missing from the last three-and-a-half years: storytelling. 

But while Obama has accurately diagnosed the ailment, he hasn't delivered on his own prescription. Where is the narrative that will give us that sense of unity and purpose and optimism? His campaign has given us all a crash course on the ills of Bain Capital and the sorts of business practices that shouldn't be happening, but he hasn't given us an alternative narrative of the kind of capitalism that should define the nation as we emerge from the financial crisis -- if, in fact, we ever do.

But of course, neither has the Romney campaign. Indeed, its ineptitude on the subject was underlined when it responded to the Rose interview by saying, "Being president is not about telling stories. Being president is about leading."

So Obama hasn't delivered, but Romney remains clueless about the fact that the office he's running for isn't CEO of the country. It's much bigger than that. And telling stories, casting a narrative, is an essential element in communicating ideas and values, and an integral part of leading -- especially leading from the Oval Office.

"Stories are the creative conversion of life itself to a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience," says screenwriting guru Robert McKee. They are "the currency of human contact." Or, as film producer Peter Guber, author of Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story, puts it: "Telling purposeful stories is certainly the most efficient means of persuasion in everyday life, the most effective way of translating ideas into action."

And translating ideas into action is, of course, the essence of the president's job. So that's exactly what campaign season should be about -- each candidate telling us the story of where he thinks we are as a country and, more importantly, where he wants to take us. The best way -- the only way -- to do that is with narrative. "The stories our leaders tell us matter," wrote Drew Westen, "probably almost as much as the stories our parents tell us as children, because they orient us to what is, what could be, and what should be; to the worldviews they hold and to the values they hold sacred."

Stories and narrative, as the currency of human contact, are how we all communicate with each other. 

We don't sit down with our friends and loved ones and throw out statistics and PowerPoint slides. We swap stories. In fact, we can't help it. "Stories, it turns out, are not optional," writes Peter Guber. "They are essential. Our need for them reflects the very nature of perceptual experience, and storytelling is embedded in the brain itself." Recent neuroscience research bears him out and shows we are hardwired to use narrative to make sense of the world. Neuroscientist Michael S. Gazzaniga, who studies the functions of the two hemispheres of the brain, has uncovered how the left side, which he calls "the interpreter," takes the jumble of data and sensory information we encounter and spins it into a narrative. "Gazzaniga suspects that narrative coherence helps us to navigate the world -- to know where we're coming from and where we're headed," writes Big Think's Jason Gots. "It tells us where to place our trust and why."

So if the part of our brain that is telling us where to place our trust is all about narrative, doesn't it make sense that any candidate asking us for that trust should appeal to our need for what Romney dismissively calls "telling stories"? This is especially true in times of crisis and transition. Over the last decade our country has been through extraordinary crises, not least the failure of practically every institution in which Americans had placed their trust. How did that happen? How did we get to this point? It couldn't have just been a few bad apples. If we don't know why it happened, how can we fix it? And if a candidate doesn't have a compelling narrative for what happened, how can we trust him to get us out of it?

"Instead of indicting the people whose recklessness wrecked the economy, [President Obama] put them in charge of it," writes Westen. "He never explained that decision to the public -- a failure in storytelling as extraordinary as the failure in judgment behind it."

Unlike Romney, at least Obama sees the need for that narrative. The fundamental tension between Wall Street and Main Street is still unresolved and still not framed in a narrative that gives people the confidence that it will be resolved any time soon. And making the entire campaign about Bain Capital isn't going to do it.

"Every presidential election is a renewal," says biographer and historian David McCullough. "Like spring, it brings up all the juices. The people are so tired of contrivance and fabrication and hokum. They really want to be stirred in their spirit. That's when we are at our best."

Copyright © 2012 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.

N-of-8 proven across the country and around the world

For years, I’ve traveled across the country and around the world giving talks, facilitating groups, running sales conferences, and moderating focus groups.   

And I’ve observed something quite powerful:   

You could have two teams, sitting side by side, in the exact same room, working on the same problem.  One team would instinctively apply these principles and rocket to successful solutions.  While the other team would realize very little.

That’s why it became obvious to me that I needed to diligently document these tools and consistently share them with my colleagues and my clients.  

So, I designed N-of-8.

Even though I might suggest that you “don’t believe a word I say” and want you to test these concepts out in your own environment, I will ask you to trust the process. 

If you want to move to a higher level of innovation, you have to be willing to let go of some old ways of thinking and adopt some new ones.  The results will ultimately speak for themselves.

7 reasons patients choose Mayo Clinic: a case in ePatient branding

 

The power of word-of-mouth marketing is getting stronger than ever.

Watch this video explaining the top reasons patients choose Mayo Clinic.

And you'll appreciate it even more when you hear that the total cost of Mayo Clinic e-marketing was $0.  It's been about three years since Mayo created its "social media pyramid (ie, right number of servings per day).

Consider the impact for the brand then and how it's getting results now -- and for the future.

6 steps of ForwardFast model: listen to feature on Sky Radio

It was 4 years ago this week that I was interviewed by the Sky Radio Network for an in-flight audio  segment for broadcast on US Airways.

Dennis Michael of Sky Radio showcased ForwardFast, my first book (and one of the first books of its kind), which presents the principles of brand innovation for health, science, and technology products.

If you’re driven to accelerate the adoption of new medical treatments, then this book will show you how to move with urgency to learn fast. track fast, think fast, respond fast, and create fast, then ForwardFast will help you become more creatively prepared and focused to reach the scientists, medical researchers, physicians, nurses, clinics, and the millions of patients who use your brands.

Other topics covered include:
• putting brand innovation to work with the 6 steps of the ForwardFast model;
• defining both a quality offering and a quality experience; and
• understanding what positive brand associations you can create

You can listen to the full interview here:

2 key insights from the patent-approval overhaul

Starting last fall and stretching through mid-2013, the U.S. has been overhauling the patent-approval process for the first time since 1952.

The biggest change:

Our first-to-invent system, which favors creators, will become a first-to-file system, which favors whoever files first.

Uncle Sam says the reform will speed innovation. Experts checked the numbers in a recent article in FAST COMPANY.  There were two particular insights relevant to brand innovators:

1. GOOD FOR INNOVATION—Shorter average patent wait time. 34 months and going down. Startups that qualify for the new fast-track option get their patents reviewed in as little as 12 months, which makes it easier to bring their products to market.
2. BAD FOR INNOVATION—Fewer patents issued to noncorporate inventors. 31,923 in 2010 and going down. When Canada switched to a first-to-file system in 1989, the race to file intensified--and individual inventors were put at a disadvantage (compared to big firms with lots of resources). A similar scenario could play out in the U.S.

You can read the full analysis at www.fastcompany.com/magazine

 

6 things strategic thinkers do well – and how brand innovators can learn from them

I know how it is with inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs. 

In the beginning, there’s just you and maybe a partner. You do everything. You make the calls, and you answer the phone. You make the presentations, and you make the powerpoint. You write the website and you code it. You order the midnight pizza and you take out the trash.

 

So, when it’s time to “be strategic,” I know how tough it can be.

A recent article in Inc. Magazine helps provide some guidance.

“Every leader's temptation is to deal with what's directly in front, because it always seems more urgent and concrete,” writes Paul J. H. Schoemaker. “Unfortunately, if you do that, you put your company at risk. While you concentrate on steering around potholes, you'll miss windfall opportunities, not to mention any signals that the road you're on is leading off a cliff.”

One reason the job is so tough: no one really understands what it entails. It's hard to be a strategic leader if you don't know what strategic leaders are supposed to do.

Schoemaker says, “After two decades of advising organizations large and small, my colleagues and I have formed a clear idea of what's required of you in this role. Adaptive strategic leaders — the kind who thrive in today’s uncertain environment – do six things well.”

Here’s his list:

1. Anticipate – Look for game-changing information at the periphery of your industry. Build wide external networks to help you scan the horizon better.
2. Think Critically – Reframe problems to get to the bottom of things, in terms of root causes. Uncover hypocrisy, manipulation, and bias in organizational decisions
3. Interpret – synthesize information from many sources before developing a viewpoint. Question prevailing assumptions and test multiple hypotheses simultaneously
4. Decide – balance speed, rigor, quality and agility. Leave perfection to higher powers. Take a stand even with incomplete information and amid diverse views
5. Align – foster open dialogue, build trust and engage key stakeholders, especially when views diverge. Bring tough issues to the surface, even when it's uncomfortable.
6. Learn – encourage and exemplify honest, rigorous debriefs to extract lessons.

I know this may seem daunting. I’ve run companies and advise start-up companies, including my latest venture Bioscience Bridge. So I appreciate the chance to share strategic insights and experiences with other innovators.

Clinical Trial Insights: a different way to identify evaluate new pharma brand experience

I'd like to share a note I received from my friend, Ross Weaver, President and CEO at DDI.



Are you absolutely positive -- not just somewhat positive, but absolutely positive -- there is nothing else that can be done to identify benefits that new products offer? That is a question we asked our R&D folks.

They said 'oh sure', we are positive. We weren't so sure, and had them think about it more.

To the windowless room they went.

To the white boards, pizza and cramped space.

After two weeks, they came back with some newfangled analytical methodology to identify another benefit. Nope. That wouldn't help. What they recommended was simply a re-crunching of the same old data. We told them to re-consider the whole process. Every step of the way.

Back to the white boards, pizza and cramped space. Naturally, with some more assertive stimuli (think 'Slumdog Millionaire'), they had an insight. Instead of a new way to look at old data, they said 'what we need is new data'!

Here is what they came up with:

• They said, you know, the typical approach is to have the clinical team summarize the findings from the clinical trials.
• Then, we conduct market research by having physicians who treat patients with the condition review the findings and asking them a bunch of questions.
• We conduct market research with patients whohave the condition and ask them a bunch of questions

What is missing?

Follow me here. Did anyone actually just ask the people who actually took your new product a bunch of questions about their experience with it? Did anyone just ask the study coordinators (i.e., the nurses at each investigator site who have day-to-day management responsibilities of the study) about their experience with it?

It was one of those 'well, duh' moments! Of course, let's get insights from those who have real experience with the product. Not just those for whom it is all make believe.

We planned to name it the 'unifying theory'. But, someone told us that name was taken. After a few beers and more pizza, we came up with name 'CTI'. CTI stands for clinical trial insights. 'Clinical trial insights' is too many letters, plus it just doesn't sound as cool as 'CTI'.

We started doing CTI studies and, as we had hoped, it did identify some terrific benefits previously uncovered.

For all of you in new products, I'd love to tell you more about CTI.

You will like what you hear.

Contact Ross to schedule a teleconference, web-meeting, or in-person presentation.

Ross H. Weaver, PharmD at ddinsights.com

26.2 miles of wild and serene terrain: The Mohican Marathon

I'm on the way to Mohican State Park for a trail marathon.

The park and surrounding State Forest (4,795 acres) serve up technical terrain that'll challenge any runner -- especially me considering my training regimen, or lack thereof.

Located in Northern Ohio, roughly two hours from Columbus, the Mohican State Park should offer me and my fellow trail runners terrain that is both wild and serene.

Click on the link to watch a trailer from the 2009 premier of the documentary film about the Mohican Trail 50 

Waldo on Dwellable

N-of-8 groups using virtual facility: what I look for in project support

This is one last post about my feature in the May issue of QUIRK'S Market Research Review, a leading industry publication.

The article highlighted many examples of combining the high-touch of personal customer insights with the high-tech of virtual groups and online interviews.

The writer wanted to know why I’ve chosen Fieldwork Webwork to help facilitate these virtual groups.

The people and platform at Fieldwork Webwork allow me to do more research projects, get better results, and deliver deeper insights to my clients.

I can expand to national reach instead of just local.

I can do more interviews in Europe or Asia than if I had to travel.

Or I can bring together participants from literally all over the world for two hours – when it would inconceivable to schedule or budget that otherwise.

Thanks again to QUIRK'S for including me, and to people like Crystal at Fieldwork Webwork for supporting my projects.

N-of-8 groups online can have drawbacks to work around

I’ve been posting this week about my feature in the May issue of QUIRK'S Market Research Review, a leading industry publication.

The article highlighted many examples of combining the high-touch of personal customer insights with the high-tech of virtual groups and online interviews.

In addition to the positive aspects that were included in the article, I was also ask my perspective on any downsides.

There have been two drawbacks that have required me to devise creative solutions to work around.

1. Creating group rapport if the technology has glitches. It can be potentially distracting if people are too focused on their web connection or hearing the other participants.
2. Creating composite brand stories from multiple elements. The “slide sorter” can work, but it’s not the same as boards, Velcro, or cut-and-paste exercises.

Thanks again to QUIRK'S for including me, and to Crystal at Fieldwork Webwork for arranging it.

And I’m reminded to thank colleagues like Cindy, Melanie, Eva, and Anita who have helped improve the workability of this kind of innovation.

N-of-8 groups we could not accomplish without web-cams

As I mentioned yesterday, I was featured in the May issue of QUIRK'S Market Research Review, a leading industry publication.

The article highlighted many examples of combining the high-touch of personal customer insights with the high-tech of virtual groups and online interviews.

In addition to the example that was included in the article, I also shared two other groups we could not have accomplished without web-cams:

1. A half-day advisory board with thought-leaders from around the country. Several of the physicians told us they no longer travel for these kinds of groups. It takes too much time away from their practices or teaching responsibilities – especially for a relatively short working session. Instead, we used the webcam platform so the doctors in 6 different cities could participate right from their offices.
2. Focus groups among patients with a rare medical condition. Because the number of patients was limited, and their condition makes travel difficult, we used webcams to create a series of focus groups from patients’ homes. It was especially emotional when some participants told us it was the first time they had met someone else with their condition.

Thanks again to QUIRK'S for including me, and to my friends at Fieldwork Webwork for arranging it.

And especially thanks to the clients who take a chance with this kind of innovation.

N-of-8 with virtual platform featured in QUIRKS journal

I was featured in the May issue of QUIRKS Market Research Review, a leading industry publication.

The article was about combining the high-touch of personal customer insights with the high-tech of virtual groups and online interviews.

Specifically, I shared my experience with our N-of-8 focus group of hospital laboratory directors in 8 markets. We wanted to have focus groups to compare experiences, but could not have facilitated a group in any one city due to the competitive nature of the hospital labs. The webcams allowed us to have face-to-face interactions with a national sample.

Thanks to QUIRKS for including me, and to my friends at Fieldwork Webwork for arranging it.

50% fewer pronouns in Beatles songs from early to later years: Words that matter

As I conclude my week of blogs about words – words that matter – I want to share a book entitled, The Secret Life of Pronouns.

James W. Pennebaker’s book makes it hard to stop thinking about pronouns and the other little “function words” that he sees as “the keys to the soul.”

Pennebaker is admirably omnivorous when it comes to looking for material that will show how these stealthy words — which include articles, prepositions, conjunctions and auxiliary verbs — reflect our social psyche. One of his more unexpected sources is the lyrical canon of the Beatles.

He crunches the numbers on Beatles songs using text analysis programs and arrives at some fascinating conclusions. As the band aged their lyrics grew “more complex, more psychologically distant and far less positive.” The increasing complexity of the lyrics is manifested in “bigger words and more prepositions, articles and conjunctions.”

There was also a big drop in the use of first-person singular pronouns, from 14 percent in the group’s early years to 7 percent in the final years. Self-absorption, it seems, gave way to more socially involved perspectives.

Read more in the New York Times review at artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com

8 words of strengths and 8 words of areas for improvement: Words that matter

In my blogs this week, I have featured words – words that matter.

Today, I’m sharing 8 words that describe my positives traits, along with 8 words that describe my areas for improvement.

Strengths:

1. Variety
2. Involved
3. Relationships
4. Options
5. Innovation
6. Appreciative
7. Inspirational
8. Initiates

Areas for Improvement:

1. Glib
2. Overpowering
3. Patronizing
4. General
5. Avoid
6. Undone
7. Misses
8. Defends

The origins of personality theory can be traced back to the fifth century BC, when Hippocrates identified four distinct energies exhibited by different people.

The preeminent personality model was first identified by the Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. This model was published in his 1921 work “Psychological Types” and developed in subsequent writings. Jung’s work on personality and preferences has since been adopted as the seminal work in understanding personality and has been the subject of study for thousands of researchers to the present day.

Using Jung's typology, I have often used it as a framework for self-understanding and development. Research suggests that a good understanding of self, both strengths and weaknesses, enables individuals to develop effective strategies for interaction and can help them to better respond to the demands of their environment.

I regularly use this profile pro-actively. That is, I identify some key areas in which I want to develop – and then I take action. In fact, by sharing important aspects with friends and colleagues, I can get feedback on areas that seem particularly relevant for me in developing an action plan for growth personally and interpersonally.

I welcome your comments.

Words that establish the Ripa Hotel brand: Words that matter

Earlier this year when I stayed at the Ripa Hotel in Rome, I was greeted each day with inspiring words – words that matter – all around the hotel.

Especially these words in the elevator:  Happy and Dream.

They helped set the tone for the hotel’s brand:  all the staff were friendly, courteous and helpful.  The buffet breakfasts started our morning with an ample selection of hot and cold foods, along with my cafe latte.

The Ripa is located close to the center of Trastevere.  Read more about its design and concept at ripahotel.com

I was happy with my visit.  And I dream of returning.

All this week, I’ve been blogging about words and how they matter in persuasive writing.

Alternatives youth program: Words that matter

The Chicago building that stands on the west side of Sheridan Road, one block south of Lawrence Avenue has some inspiring words – words that matter:

• Stretch
• Renew
• Trust
• Grow
• Share

This is the home of Alternatives youth development agency.

They offer comprehensive, multicultural programs serving more than 3,000 young people and their families each year.

The mission of Alternatives is to facilitate personal development, strengthen family relationships and enhance the community’s well being. Established in 1971 when the community identified substance abuse as a key issue affecting local teens, Alternatives is dedicated serving Chicago's at-risk youth and their families.

Their programs include counseling, leadership development, substance abuse and violence prevention, and academic enrichment.

The programs and services of Alternatives use an asset-based model that focuses on enriching young people's lives by building upon individual strengths within the context of their family and community. They help increase opportunities to succeed and grow as individuals and community members.

Most of all, they value the diversity of the communities – and so Alternatives will partner with more than 100 local organizations and schools.

All this week, my blogs will focus on "words that matter."  Here are some close-up photos of  the words on the Alternatives Building.

8 Parts of Speech: Words that matter

Persuasive writing makes a single, focused argument, and even the most basic communications must prove or demonstrate a thesis through explanations, examples and concrete details. 

All this week, my blogs will focus on words -- words that matter.

Sometimes we have to go back to the basics to write and analyze the most compelling brand stories.

For example, remember the 8 basic parts of speech:

1. Nouns
2. Pronouns
3. Verbs
4. Adverbs
5. Adjectives
6. Interjections
7. Prepositions
8. Conjunctions

How we use them, and how we connect them, makes a difference.

I feature several lists of words that matter in my upcoming book, N-of-8.