Branding in the New World

Tips from Jennifer Shinn on Search

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

A weekly conference with Jennifer Shinn allows me to get a better understanding of the search world and how to effectively manage my divisions search campaign. Jennifer has enriched my knowledge of search engine marketing (SEM) and how to apply these best practices to various projects. That being said, I eagerly asked her to do a Q&A for my blog since she has an extensive background in this field. Jennifer is the VP of Client Services for The JAR Group, a strategic and creative agency with its foundation in SEO intelligence. “Big agency thinking with big search marketing services” is the JAR promise. She began her career in the Finance and Investment vertical working in marketing, reporting and sales which quickly evolved into management. Her strong desire to find quicker and better solutions for her clients brought her to the Internet. For the past 11 years, Jennifer has been using the Internet to solve problems for her clients.

Jennifer Shinn has a Bachelors of Business Administration from Western Michigan University focusing on Marketing and Finance. Since traditional educational institutions don't foster the in-depth knowledge needed to keep up with the ever changing Internet, Jennifer turns to industry conferences, online web casts and social media groups to keep pace. She has worked on both big brand international sites (Novartis, Fairmont) and small local ones. Her knowledge covers online Market Research, Analytics, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Content Strategy crossing many industries and verticals.

Below you’ll find some key insights on how Jennifer and her team tackle the digital world when it comes to SEO and SEM.
Although most of us know why a search campaign is so important for companies and brands, can you please remind us why conducting research and using search are crucial tools for brands today?
You bet. Research is the backbone of every online marketing project. Without research Brands won’t really know how people search for their product or service. In order to connect with people you need to know how they search, specifically you need to know what keywords they use to try and find what you offer. At The JAR Group we start every engagement with online market research. Research will tell a Brand how to connect with their customers.

Searching via Google or Yahoo is not a new activity for many people. However, it seems as though people think about SEO and SEM differently now then they might have in the past. What are some of the new ways that people think about search now?
Many people see Social Media as new way to connect with people online. It is still a big buzz word that seems to change meaning depending on the person discussing the topic. Since there is no clear definition of what Social Media is, so many of our clients struggle with how to capitalize it. They think they have to have a Face book page or Twitter account because their competitor has one. Honestly, without clear marketing goals for setting up these strategies they often fail. Since online marketing is measureable. It’s important to spend a little time setting up clear goals before jumping in.

Do you think this will change in the future? Likewise, do you think more companies and brands will be mandating that search be included in their marketing campaigns?
Oh yes! The only thing certain with online marketing is change. It changes everyday. The internet never sits still and brands have to be ready to adapt. We’re seeing more and more brands committing dollars to online campaigns. Given the current state of the economy, overall marketing budgets are shrinking, so the total dollars going into online marketing are decreasing. But, from what I’m seeing with our clients, search is getting a good percentage of the overall budget.

Let’s say that a new client comes to you for help with SEO and SEM. What are your first steps?
Our first step is to understand the client’s problem. Do they want to increase online sales? Do they sell advertising space and need more visitors? Once we understand the client’s challenges we can start looking for solutions to help them. We also do a free site review. Our SEO team reviews the site to understand the organic search opportunity. Then, we pull in the Market Research team, Affiliate and SEM specialists get involved. This is so we can outline a clear go forward strategy for the client. It’s really a collaborative team effort at The JAR Group. In the end, we offer our client’s the best solutions to meet their goals, yet stay within budget.

Can you tell us the secret sauce behind JAR’s Methodology when it comes to market, keyword and competitive research?
The secret sauce is really no secret. People are very open and incredibly honest when it comes to the information they seek. They use specific keywords to find what exactly what it is their looking for. Our research taps this data. We organize the keywords people use to search, look at how many of them use the same types of keywords and draw conclusions on how to best connect with them. It’s really that simple.

Can you give an example of how insights gleaned from market research and SEO can help to create a powerful strategy?
Sure. One of The JAR Group’s current clients is Dollar Days International. They’re an online wholesale distributor and closeout company helping small businesses and entrepreneurs compete against larger enterprises. We are doing in depth keyword research for Dollar Days and have optimized over 850 pages for them. Dollar Days is seeing a 95% increase in year over year organic search visitors and search traffic now drives over 33% of Dollar Days total online revenue. Marc Joseph, the President, is extremely happy with the results and has extended our engagement.

Can you give a few guidelines or best practices when trying to figure out the best SEO or SEM strategy to use in this fast-paced digital world?
Test, test, test. It is fast paced. What works today might not work tomorrow. You have to constantly be testing new ideas to keep pushing your web presence forward. There is no one right answer when it comes to your online marketing strategy. You have to set a budget and blend SEO with SEM and other online strategies to reach your goals.

To learn more about how The JAR Group can help you with your online marketing efforts check out their website at http://www.thejargroup.com/. You can also contact Jennifer Shinn directly at jennifer.shinn@thejargroup.com or call her at 602-820-5534.

Bloggers Beware of Big Brother

2009-04-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Many marketers have been increasing their budgets when it comes to social media and word-of-mouth marketing. In fact, marketers like Ford, Microsoft, and Pepsi spend billions on social media and word-of-mouth marketing. Additionally, PQ Media projects that marketers will spend $3.7 billion on word-of-mouth marketing in 2011. However, using well-known bloggers to boast about a brand or sending products to influencers to spread the good word could be scrutinized by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the near future.

According to an article in Ad Age, the FTC is proposing that word-of-mouth marketers and bloggers, as well as people on social-media sites such as Facebook, be held liable for any false statements they make about a product they're promoting, along with the product's marketer. Roberta Jacobs-Meadway, a partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, a Pittsburgh law firm, said: "The FTC is ... putting out guidelines to make it clear to people who are involved in social media and viral marketing that the same rules apply in this context as they do in the more formal context of paid advertising and infomercials." There are no legal implications for social-media sites such as Facebook or marketer sites such as Amazon, where consumers often post product reviews. However, Ms. Jacobs-Meadway said, paid endorsers who post on those sites can be held liable if they do not identify themselves as such.

It is evident that it has taken awhile for rules and regulations to speed up to the realities that exist in 2009. Rich Cleland, assistant director of the FTC's advertising-practices division, said the commission is updating the guidelines to stay in step with evolving marketing practices. "The commission is attempting to update guidelines that are 30 years old so that they address current marketing techniques," he said, "and in particular to address the issue of whether or not the safe harbor that's currently allowed for 'result not typical'-type disclaimers is still warranted."

But will these rules and regulations be enforced in the near future? It turns out the FTC will review all public comments and concerns before the final vote. Organizations such as the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, and Personal Care Products Council have plenty of reservations. In its comment, the 4A's said while it and the American Advertising Federation want to ensure nondeceptive endorsements and testimonials, it "strongly urges the commission to reconsider the proposed, overly stringent amendments that will likely result in advertisers abandoning longstanding legitimate advertising techniques, such as consumer testimonials, and rejecting new media forms, such as blogs and viral marketing."

If the FTC passes the proposed plan, advertisers and agencies will be held responsible to understand the rules and inform their bloggers and promoters that they must comply. But could this actually be a catalyst in bringing a new array of problems that transpires when the government steps in, which may change the face of the advertising industry?

While many people fear the proposed plan because of Big Brother’s overarching presence, others feel that it will bring more credibility to word-of-mouth and social-media marketing. Jim Nail, chief marketing officer of TNS Media Intelligence and a WOMMA board member said "The thing that makes word-of-mouth marketing powerful is people believing they are getting truthful and honest opinions from real users. If people start disbelieving word-of-mouth marketing as much as they disbelieve advertising, we are in deep trouble."

Be Careful When You Twitter…

2009-04-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog post labeled “Social Media and the Workplace,” I mentioned Heather Rast, an avid member of the social networking space, Twitter, who described her real-life story of how social media involvement affected her corporate career. While management at her current job supports her blogging and Twittering, her previous management team did not and she learned the hard way. Since various sites such as Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are becoming important means of communication between individuals and businesses, it is crucial to know the boundaries.

In Beware: Your ‘tweet’ on Twitter Could be Trouble, an article written by Tresa Baldas of The National Law Journal, we’re reminded that Twittering the wrong information could get you or your employer into a heap of trouble. Lawyers caution that Twitter carries a number of legal risks.

The article lists a few possible issues to take note of:

Users posting tweets from corporate networks could expose company secrets. These conversations are legally binding and subject to the legal rules of electronic discovery, which means tweets could be subpoenaed in a lawsuit.
Twitter also raises invasion of privacy and defamation issues. Trademark violations could also be alleged if Twitter users appear to have a relationship with a company or product when one does not exist or post tweets to dilute a trademarked name.
Twitter could also trigger more workplace retaliation and wrongful termination claims, whereby users will claim that they were retaliated against or fired over protected information they tweeted, such as being harassed at work or disclosing a safety violation.

It’s easy to say “Don’t Twitter about work related things.” However, it’s probably more realistic to be mindful in general when using Twitter. Douglas E. Winter, an attorney who heads the electronic discovery unit at Bryan Cave, advises companies about emerging technologies. “Twitter, like any electronic communication tool, is subject to a wide range of potential liability,” he said. “I basically tell people that, yes, it’s a new tool, and it’s very trendy. But no electronic tool should be treated any differently as they emerge.”

Posting a tweet is really no different than sending emails or texting messages. They are short, instantaneous and sometimes not well-thought out which can lead to misinterpretation. Additionally, they can be monitored and tracked by employees and can be used in a court of law since it’s a permanent record on the Internet. So it’s important to know what your company guidelines are, and if you are not sure of what they are, it’s a smart idea to ask your superior. People have to be aware of what their own company guidelines are and think twice before they publish information for the world to read in the social networking space. Furthermore, if you’re going to use Twitter, it’s wise to educate yourself on its terms of service.

An Interview with Cindy Manalo, Account Director at Time Inc.

2009-04-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

A close friend, a colleague and an Account Director within my division are just some of the ways that I would describe Cindy Manalo. As such, I thought it would be a great idea to get her perspective on what is happening in the digital world and what her client requests sound like these days. Cindy is responsible for helping to launch and develop new business projects for Time Inc. Content Solutions (TICS). In her role as Account Director, she is responsible in managing all aspects relating to the production of a communications project from content development through the final distribution phase. Prior to joining TICS, Cindy spent 7 years in the advertising industry in Account Management at various agencies that included McCann Amster Yard, BBDO, Bozell and Ammirati Puris Lintas.

Below you’ll find Cindy’s view on the advertising world, the changing landscape and how she handles client’s needs and concerns in this networked society.

Throughout your career in advertising I am sure that you have handled many client requests. What are the major differences that you are seeing now versus a few years ago?
There definitely seems to be more interest in return on investment (ROI) these days. Given the economy lately, I think companies want to make sure they’re putting their money in the right place – they can’t afford to be wasteful. And given all the media platforms out there, companies need to make sure their messages are being heard in the right venue – whether it’s print, digital, etc – and they want proof that their marketing dollars are working. So more and more, marketers are asking, “what’s my ROI?”. They need to be accountable for their budgets, and now agencies are taking part in that accountability too.

What do you think the biggest challenge is for companies and brands today?
I think the biggest challenge for brands today is creating communication pieces that are engaging to their target audience. Marketing in today’s world goes beyond just TV, print and radio advertising. There’s much more fragmentation given that the digital world has opened up many new ways to communicate, i.e. mobile devices, social networking, podcasts, blog, etc. The consumer still only has 24 hours in a day but now has many more ways of receiving information so time spent with any one media outlet is now much more limited. For a brand to stand out and attract customers in this fragmented world, they need to engage each member of their audience enough to have them slow down and pay attention. Not an easy task in a 24/7 society.

Are you seeing more requests that are focused around digital initiatives?
Definitely. I think almost every one of my Clients has some sort of digital initiative, whether it be an e-newsletter, microsite, blog or just basic content that we’ve created for their main website, there are definitely more requests around digital initiatives. And given that our expertise is creating engaging content for our clients, it’s easy enough to take that content and either print it for a communications piece or digitize it for an online presence. Clients are realizing the world of content is not just defined to a magazine or direct mail piece, engaging content is becoming more and more of a necessity online.

Are clients asking you about social networking, widgets and websites like Facebook and Twitter? What is your suggestion for clients that are interested?
There have been requests by some of my Clients for social networking but I wouldn’t recommend it for all Clients, only for those that can tie it into their product or brand where it makes sense. A few months ago, we created a fun styling tool that appeared on Facebook for a Client that makes razors for men. It was a widget that people can download which then let them “try on” different facial hair styles on their profile pictures. It really tied in nicely to what the brand stood for and what Facebook is about. If it’s an organic fit, then I would recommend it to a Client, otherwise it could feel too forced and the audience would see right through it.
Many consumers turn to the web for their news and information. Likewise, the adverting industry has seen a shift since many companies are shifting dollars around to incorporate digital initiatives.

What is your point of view on brands using print mediums versus digital initiatives? Do you think one is more important than the other?
I think both print and digital have their place and don’t necessarily think one is more important than the other. I also think you sometimes need print to drive people to their messages online. Just because there’s a website out there doesn’t mean, if you build it, they will come. The print medium can help drive people online for more info or for more interactivity that you can’t get in print, i.e. video, photo galleries, blog updates, etc. I do believe both mediums can live independently of each other, but there could also be a nice interdependent relationship as well.

Can you give a few guidelines or best practices when trying to figure out the best strategy to use in this fast-paced digital world?
I would say there are 3 things a marketer should do that are important to succeed in the digital world:
1) Have clear objectives. Know what you want to accomplish online whether it’s increasing awareness, driving behavior, or building brand loyalty, having clear objectives will keep you focused.
2) Create engaging content. No one will care what your site is about unless you have content that is engaging. It can’t just be more marketing speak. People are coming to your site willingly so be relevant to your audience.
3) Give them a reason to come back for more. Don’t be static; refresh 1-2 pages often so people will see there’s new content. People don’t want to come back and read the same thing over and over again. Surprise and delight and they will want to come back for more.

Need a Job? Join Twitter

2009-04-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you’ve read some of my blog posts, you might have guessed that I’ve been cynical towards Twitter, the popular social networking site that allows people to send “Tweets.” However, as I read about the site’s popularity and listen to my colleagues opinions, and the benefits, I am starting to embrace it.

I came across an article on Forbes.com that demonstrated another important use — finding a job. The article indicates that while there are many social networking sites out there, Twitter especially has helped one lucky sole. Kyle Flaherty left his marketing position in Boston last spring determined to find an in-house public relations job. He tweeted about his decision and included a link to his professional blog, where he described the kind of work he was looking for. Within days his tweet was retweeted. That is, an acquaintance forwarded it--to his current boss. "I don't think I would have gotten this if not for Twitter," says Flaherty, who moved from Boston to Austin, Texas, for the new job last year with his then-pregnant wife and 2-year-old son.

Obviously not everyone will find their dream job by tweeting about it. But if people use Twitter and other sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn as a way to network with peers or hiring managers it would be a smart move. While many people use Twitter to tell others about their trivial activities and ramblings, there are clever ways it can be used to one’s advantage. The most clever Twitterers use it to comment on happenings in their professions. They follow industry leaders' tweets and even build informal relationships by following one another.

To get a better idea of how to use Twitter to find employment opportunities, Tara Weiss give her top tips:
1. Open an account and include something about your profession in your user name. Since users can search tweets by topic, that's one way of making your feed more visible.
2. Don’t blast people with a message saying that you’re out of work.
3. uild momentum slowly.
4. In the profile section, put a few lines about what you do professionally--that also helps your searchability.
5. Before you start tweeting, search for leaders in your industry, companies you'd like to work for and other potential professional contacts. Follow them. Many companies--especially in marketing, public relations and technology--use Twitter to post job openings, and a lot of hiring managers tweet too.
6. Start tweeting. Offer your opinion on news, industry happenings and seminars. If someone you follow, particularly an industry leader, says something controversial or interesting, retweet (forward) it, or send the person a direct response. That can be an ideal way to get a casual but more personal conversation going.
7. If you're following a hiring manager at a company you'd like to work for, observe what he or she writes and then tailor your tweets to comment on similar things.

For the millions of people looking for work, besides looking at Career Builder and the NY Times Job listings section, Twitter is one site you might want to check out. For more tips on how to use Twitter to your advantage in order to find work, check out the article here.

Corporate Culture Embraces Digital

2009-04-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Many world class brands are doing everything in their power to adapt to the digital world and various technologies. Additionally, many corporate organizations are doing their best to implement digital initiatives such as blogs, wikis and social networks. This seems like a no brainer. However, getting used to and embracing a digital mind-set is a different story for more traditional companies and upper management. Recently, at Ad Age’s Digital Conference in New York, top executives participated in a panel moderated by Nielsen Online's Pete Blackshaw to discuss the ways in which technology has changed their companies from both an internal and external standpoint.

According to Ad Age, the “How Technology Changes Your Company, Inside and Out” panel consisted of Josh Weiss, Managing Director, Delta.com, Self Service; Bob Kraut, VP Marketing Communications, Pizza Hut, Inc.; Pete Blackshaw, EVP Digital Strategic Services, Nielsen; and Michele Azar, VP, Emerging Channels, Best Buy. Each executive went into detail about how they have embraced various technologies, the steps to get approval and the outcomes.

Each executive had compelling ideas to share, which are worth noting. If traditional companies and top executives are not willing to adjust their mindset, then they are setting themselves up for failure. Case in point, Mr. Weiss was trying to help Delta move forward by creating a strong online presence. "That meant having a totally unconstrained area on the site where consumers could come and talk about our product good and bad and hopefully make helpful suggestions about our product," he said. For his efforts Mr. Weiss met with senior counsel and the head of communications and marketing, who were concerned that consumers could say anything they wanted about the airline. His retort: They already are, so why not be part of the conversation? "At that point we were just not ready for it from a corporate culture standpoint to have unfettered social media on delta.com," Mr. Weiss said. "So we ended up with a blog where we talk about our services and offerings. And we do have customer-posted feedback. So we got [management] there eventually but definitely not without hitting some bumps along the way."

In addition to listening to customers, it is crucial to listen to employees. Employees are also concerned about the overall success of the organization. As such, if they’re educated on new policies and digital initiatives, they can be your best cheerleaders. There are benefits to employees and senior executives if they are involved in an internal digital platform. Company leaders can be in contact with employees on the most local level so they can share best practices and real-time information about internal and consumer interactions. However, in order for brands and companies to interact via digital technologies there must be active participation and meaningful involvement. Ultimately, this means not only listening to customers and employees but taking action.

Check out Ad Age for more details on the other executive’s strategies and outcomes.

Beware: Social Networking is on the Rise

2009-04-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Does it seem like everyone and their mother is talking about social networking? Well, to me it does. Even my 60-year-old father asked me about Twitter and its purpose. The truth is that people are talking about it, using the websites, and referring friends to sign up. As a result, social networking among US broadband users has grown an impressive 93% since 2006, and has increased the amount of time people spend communicating online 18%, to 32% of total online time, according to a new report from Netpop Research, LLC that delves into social networking trends and habits, reports MarketingCharts.

The "Netpop Connect: Social Networkers US" report also reveals that at the same time as online communications has increased, the time spent on traditional forms of online entertainment has declined 29%, and is now down to 19% of total online time:

This, Netpop said, is changing the face of how entertainment is defined, and giving rise to a new form of leisure built around talking, sharing, and providing opinions and perspectives.

Today, some of the most popular social networking activities include sending emails, sending instant messages, sharing photos, commenting on messages, engaging in blogs, and posting “Tweets.” As a result, it is not enough for companies to have a strong digital strategy, it is also important to be relevant in this social media world. Magazines have tried diligently to maintain their relevance and ultimately, have migrated content to the Web to capture more eyeballs. More companies are starting a blog and asking employees to be involved in order to make it active and engaging to consumers. Additionally, management is looking for feedback from blogs. Furthermore, we’ve also seen brands put up Facebook pages.

So what is next? Social networking is growing. The research estimates that 105 million American broadband users (76%) now contribute to social media. As websites give more space to user-generated content it will be interesting to see how companies track and monitor the conversation with consumers. Other popular websites and applications such as Digg, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yelp and YouTube will likely become more popular as well. Ultimately, this means that if you don’t like social networking, you better get used to it because more and more companies are likely to jump in on the fun. Likewise, if you don’t know about these sites or understand the purpose, it is probably in your best interest to get up to speed.

Hollywood Gets Its Hands on Twitter

2009-04-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Early Saturday morning, I headed to the gym and proceeded to the treadmill section to begin my workout. My favorite channel to watch while running on the treadmill is E!, particularly Joel McHale’s show called The Soup. It is my one-stop shop to get all the celebrity news and gossip of the week, wrapped with sarcastic humor. Most of the time, the news is entertaining and allows me to forget the monotonous beat of the treadmill. While running I heard earth-shattering news that Courtney Love, rocker and widow of Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, is being sued by her former fashion designer,Dawn Simorangkir, over comments Love has written about her on Twitter and MySpace. Needless to say, it was shocking when I heard it at the time, but I figured it was only a matter of time before Hollywood got itself in a mess over Twitter.

Catching a glimpse of the lawsuit on TV was not enough for me. I wanted to learn more about what happened, so I searched the Internet to find out the full scoop. According to ABC News, a libel claim was filed by Simorangkir in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 26. Love used Twitter to disseminate "an obsessive and delusional crusade" of malicious libel against her and also slandered her on MySpace. The court documents claim that Love "became infatuated" with Simorangkir and her "Boudoir Queen" clothing line after discovering the designer on Etsy, an online marketplace catering to independent designers. Love commissioned Simorangkir to create clothing for her and flew her out to Los Angeles, but then balked when she was invoiced for the designer's work in February and March. This was enough information for me, but in case you want to read the nitty gritty, click here to read the complaint against Courtney Love.

As I have mentioned before in previous blogs, Twitter is a popular online community for many celebrities. It allows them to communicate with their fan base, keeps fans up-to-date about things going on in their lives and enables them to announce concerts and available tickets etc. In fact, “Twitterati” is the new term that has been coined to demonstrate that the elite “Tweet.” These days, you’ll find John Mayer, Lance Armstrong, Paris Hilton and P. Ditty on Twitter. Whether you choose to follow them is a story for a different day.

After hearing and reading about the latest scandal related to Twitter, I am not sure what surprised me the most. The fact that a celebrity is actually taking the time to vent via Twitter or the fact that the opponent is suing for slandering on Twitter and MySpace is up for a debate. I guess even though both seem farfetched, for some reason I was naive to think everyone was going to play nice in the sandbox. It was only a matter of time before celebrities abuse the online community.

Interview with Brad Reisner, Co-founder of Igicom

2009-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

I am very excited that Brad Reisner agreed to do a Q&A for my blog. Brad is a co-founder of Igicom, a web development and applications firm specializing in database applications. At Igicom, he leads many engagements including projects for Time Inc., DDB Worldwide, EnergyBrands, Nike, Cablevision, Charitybuzz, the AFL-CIO, AIG, Jones Apparel Group, Tommy Hilfiger and others. Brad’s knowledge of current and emerging technologies, software development trends, high availability infrastructure, and expertise in database design and relational database management software (RDBMS), provides clients with intelligent, effective solutions. Previously, Brad was the Vice President of E-Commerce and Technology for Time-Life and Book-of-the-Month Club/Bookspan in the Time Inc. book division. At Bookspan, Brad was responsible for backend architecture and infrastructure, for imaging and content management systems, publishing more than 70,000 pages annually across 12 businesses. Twice nominated for the prestigious Time Inc. President’s Awards, Brad lead the technology design and implementation of Time Inc.’s first digital imaging project leading to an annual cost savings of more than $5,000,000 for his division alone.

Below you’ll find some key insights on how Igicom enables its clients to meet their business goals by designing web solutions that emphasize intuition and usability.

Many of us know that brands need to have a strong digital presence in order to be recognized. In fact, if brands are not connecting with their users on the Web, they are missing out on lucrative opportunities. What do you recommend for brands that are trying to stand out above the noise in this type of advertising environment?
I think it differs by brand and product/service type. Using a digital presence for straight branding purposes doesn’t really work as well as it used to – brands need to figure out how they can add value to their customers online – they really need to use their online presence to connect to their users and offer them something that they can’t easily get through other channels. Downloadable skins/themes for Ragú is irrelevant today; an online recipe database that centers around Ragú products that will SMS you recipe ingredients when you’re at Safeway, or inventory your cupboard and tell you what you’re missing to make a recipe you like – that’s something that will stand out, and make a customer come back.

Do you think print is a dying medium?
I think the relative importance of print as a medium is lessening, definitely. I don’t think it will ever disappear completely – people still like to hold and touch their reading material, and there are still plenty of issues to be worked out with the alternatives – web, e-readers (Kindle), cable news, etc. I think the days of the daily newspaper are just about done – very few people still get their news from a daily newspaper, I suspect. I haven’t bought one in a long time. For certain types of information – especially news – I see a dismal future for print.

If so, do you think certain print titles have an opportunity to grow their presence online?
Definitely – but the barrier to entry is so much lower online, which makes the competition more difficult. Also, technologies like RSS and other forms of syndication mean that for the most part, I can have the same news stories that anyone else has – so I need to differentiate myself in other ways – editorial, original content, features and functionality, cost, etc.

Which print tiles do you think are doing a good job of keeping its readers involved on the Web?
That’s a tough question. I read a lot of online media, and a lot of magazines… but they tend to be mutually exclusive - i.e. there are not a lot of magazines that I read cross-media. The Time Inc. Business Finance Network titles seem to be able to cross from print to digital and back, so even though I subscribe to 3 of their titles in print, I’ll generally read part of the magazine online and part offline. People handles it well, with breaking news and images online and larger stories with Monday’s issue. Magazines like Real Simple and some of the Condé Nast titles handle it well, especially when it comes to tip lists, recipes, added content and functionality.

Can you please tell us about Igicom’s methodology for creating a powerful digital strategy?
Generally, everything we do here, we try to do with a user focus. So, the first questions we ask are around who the users are and what they need to accomplish. Once that is determined, we work with our clients to determine the best ways of helping their users achieve their
goals – website, email campaign, microsite, CMS, etc. It could be that the users are potential customers, and the client wants them to sign up for some kind of service; it could be that the users are the client’s marketing department, and their goals are to maintain a site.

Igicom has a prestigious client roster. Can you give an example of a client that you’ve worked with that needed help revamping their digital strategy?
When we started working with Nehst Studios, they had already built out a number of web applications, with a group of vendors. None of them were performing up to Nehst’s expectations, and there were constant problems. Upon taking over operations, the first thing we did was stabilize the environment in its existing location. We then sat with Nehst management to determine what their 2 year, 5 year, and 10 year plans were as they related to their business and specifically their online presences. We determined that the best course of action was to rebuild the most prominent application (screentest.biz) first, and use that as a model for all future rollouts. We’ve been working with Nehst since Q1 2007, and have relaunched 2 of their online businesses, and are actively working on another 4 applications now. Our work with them is more of a collaborative partnership, and less of a client-vendor relationship; besides application design and development, digital strategy, and other online directives, we also serve as a technology advisor for issues that affect Nehst and their industry – DRM, distribution, formats, etc.

It seems like brands are vying for our attention on social networking. Do you think it’s necessary for brands to have a presence on various social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace?
I think it depends on the brand and its audience. The various Prius pages on Facebook seem to have roughly 1,100 fans each, on average – none of them appear to be official or maintained in any way by Toyota; the Skittles page has 618,993 fans. Depending on the brand and product, you want to make sure that you keep an eye on the fan pages that get setup for you – because it can be difficult to determine what is official and what is not. Outside of that, I’d say that if you’re going to do it (have a presence on one of the social networking sites) you need to do it well, and not just throw up a fan page and hope for the best. A weakly executed page with no traffic is worse than not having a presence – by far. What we’re seeing is a lot of “we want to be on Twitter/Facebook/MySpace” but not a lot of backup – people want to be there because everyone else wants to be there. That said… there are some very interesting things out there, a lot of which are very well executed and smart.

Which social networking sites do you recommend for your clients?
It largely depends on the audience they’re trying to reach and what they’re hoping to accomplish. We have a client that does online auctions for nonprofit organizations, and they need to be on all three of those communities – they’re doing an event for Yoko Ono that Ms. Ono has publicized on her own Twitter feed; they’re doing an event for Selena Gomez that she has put on her MySpace page and sent via SMS to her 80,000 SMS subscribers; and they are on Facebook to reach the Barack Obama fundraising audience.

What do you think is the next phase for these social networking sites?
Each of them has a developer application programming interface (API) for extending their functionality, and they’ve all been pushing that pretty hard. I think we’re going to start to see less things happening ON Facebook or ON Twitter, and more Facebook-ish things happening on other sites, more Twitter feeds showing up off of Twitter, etc – so more interconnectivity. Instead of going to Facebook to do Facebook things, you will go wherever it is you go, and Facebook things will be there.

Can you give a few guidelines or best practices when trying to figure out the best tactics to use in this fast-paced digital world?
I think the one thing to remember is that although things change every day – or more often – making your customers happy and serving some need better than anyone else in the market is really the key to success. Being the first to market with some technique has its benefits – but there’s little out there that can’t be copied – so it’s better to be the company that takes a little longer to setup the Facebook fan page, but adds something that keeps their customers engaged and coming back than it is to be the first company out there with the whizzy Facebook page that is the hit of the day, but then fades away.

Unless you have something that’s so compelling that’s going to keep customers coming back day after day, they’re not going to come to you anymore – so you need to go where they are. That means using existing APIs and services to reach them on social networking sites, syndication of content and functionality, and partnerships with other companies.

Online Ad Spending Slows Down

2009-04-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

Companies are doing everything they can to survive during this difficult time. As a result, many of them are cutting expenses, staff and advertising budgets. Lately, it seems as though all advertising forecasts are heading in a downward direction. Carat has slashed its ad spending forecasts for 2009 and 2010, SNL Kagan is forecasting a grim outlook in 2009 for both radio and spot TV, and WPP's GroupM new research predicts that outlays in 2010 will decline even more than they will this year.

Additionally, eMarketer has revised its Internet ad spending projections estimating that advertisers will spend $24.5 billion online this year in the U.S. While eMarketer put out a forecast in November 2008 which was slightly lower, it’s important to note that the lowered estimate still represents an increase of 4.5% over 2008 spending. According to Adweek, “Marketers spend more on Internet ads, while they spend less on advertising placed in other media, such as newspapers, radio and magazines. These spending shifts predate the recession, but the current economic forces both reinforce the new advertising models and make them more permanent.”

If businesses are cutting back across the board, marketing and advertising included, this could be a very costly mistake. Marketing strategies are part of the company’s long-term plan. Marketing helps brands put their best face forward and are vital to a businesses survival. Additionally, it allows companies to remain visible, relevant and connected with their customers. Otherwise, customers might go to competitors instead. While customers might not be spending as much during a recession, they are still spending. As such, it would be more effective to spend marketing dollars more wisely and not less. Ultimately, this means companies need to explore new mediums and channels, incorporate social media, utilize Internet advertising and think creatively.

Newspapers Dying a Slow Death

2009-04-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

As newspapers lose readers and as advertising dollars dry up as a source of revenue for newspapers, publications are looking for new sources of income. Forging partnerships with start-ups and websites is one route that is being considered. Likewise, various companies and websites are rolling out new ways to drum up cash for local papers.

Zillow, a real estate Web site that provides estimates of homes values and other information, is pursuing a new way to generate revenue for local papers. “Newspapers have been left for dead by a lot of people,” said Spencer Rascoff, chief operating officer of Zillow.com. “Readying their obituaries is very premature.”

According to an article in The New York Times, the company recently announced a partnership to lend its real estate search engine to the Web sites of more than 180 national newspapers. For example, the online real estate section of the Richmond-Times Dispatch will now contain a Zillow-powered box geared towards homeowners or prospective buyers in central Virginia. The first 100 of Zillow Web sites went live, and the remaining 80 will be unveiled throughout the rest of 2009.

Since Zillow has the partnership with the co-branded sites it will share the revenue with the newspapers, and it also extends its reach into the local markets. Mr. Rascoff said,” “Real estate is the most local product there is. It would take us decades to build those local relationships. Rather than starting from scratch, we’re partnering with someone who has distribution, but don’t have the product.”

Despite the dismal economy and the stagnant real estate market, Zillow has seen a boost in business. In March, the website had 8.8 million unique visitors, a 70% increase over the last year. Additionally, the partnerships could help Zillow ride out the slowdown in online advertising, since the company primarily relies on an ad-based business model for revenue, which has proven challenging in the tumultuous economy. Ultimately, it is going to require newspapers to figure out a new model that works and adapt to different business models that generate revenue. As interest rates go down and prospective buyers and sellers start looking to buy homes again, Zillow is one company that is poised for growth. It will be interesting to see what other websites and start-ups are created as newspapers popularity fades. Small business experts say economic downturns can be a good time to start a venture.

From TV to Web

2009-03-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

As more eyeballs gravitate to the Web, companies are strategically shifting advertising dollars from TV to the Internet. Analysts have predicted that broadcast TV’s upfront dollars will be down this year and the big question for the Internet economy is how much of the ad dollars that don’t go to TV will move to the Web. Last year Proctor & Gamble, the world’s largest advertiser disclosed that it was cutting its overall ad budget by 10%, and various brands like Crest and Tide started moving dollars "aggressively" to the Web. While Proctor & Gamble is the largest advertiser, it didn’t take long for other major brands to follow the leader. Reckitt-Benckiser has announced that it plans to shift $20 million to the Web from TV.

According to Ad Age, the company plans to shift an estimated $20 million in TV ad dollars to the web for more than 15 of its brands, including Lysol, Air Wick, Mucinex, Finish and Clearasil. The strategic shift is significant for the company, which has traditionally spent upward of 90% of its $475 million measured-media budget on TV, and less than $1 million in measured spending on the web in 2008, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Even though its 2008 internet advertising through the first half was already double its full-year internet spending in 2007, it was still only 1% of media spending.

Reckitt has tested the waters when it comes to social media and e-mail based consumer-relationship management promotions in the past, but has not tried online video until now. "We've seen a fundamental shift in consumer consumption and media habits migrating over to digital video. Obviously YouTube started it, but we want to [be] aligned with professional content," he said. "With broadband getting to the scale that it has, the shift has happened. The integration of traditional and digital media is here now," said Marc Fonzetti, Reckitt-Benckiser's media manager and internet specialist.

While Reckitt has shifted their budget to capture the audience, it has also been looking for a more efficient pricing strategy to reach a thousand viewers. Adam Kasper, senior VP-director of digital media for R-B's digital media agency, Havas' Media Contacts said "The CPM was the driving factor here. We needed to make it compelling from a buying standpoint in terms of how these CPMs related to TV CPMs, and we had to deliver the impressions more efficiently than TV did," he said, referring to a more targeted audience.

The need to satisfy the ever-demanding requirement to prove positive ROI still rings true when it comes to nontraditional mediums such as social media and online video. As such, it will be crucial for brands to monitor brand engagement and other various metrics to see if the tactics are working effectively. For Reckitt, Marc Fonzetti said this campaign will be measured using a method that combines TV's gross rating points with the web, with additional interactive layers such as online coupons and click-throughs driving traffic to each brand's microsite. Each brand's audience metrics will then be paired with data from Nielsen's Homescan panel, a shopper product that uses ad exposure on TV and the web to determine in-store purchasing behavior.

As more brands test the waters with these new forms of communication, it will be interesting to see what the results are. These new multimedia strategies that utilize online video and social media take time to develop. Likewise, since these are new tactics there are no hard metrics set in stone, it will also require some companies to take a leap of faith. Rest assured, many marketers and companies are trying to figure out the best possible scenario—to engage consumers via these new technologies and also prove positive ROI.

The Rising Popularity of Twitter

2009-03-30T18:45:00.001-07:00

Most of us are familiar with Twitter, which allows users to communicate via posts that go up to 140 characters at a time. This new trend of communicating has become extremely popular and it’s boldly going where no social networking site has gone before. Many people are finding this site useful to update friends and family about daily occurrences and celebrities are using it to communicate to their fan base about concert tours.

An article in the New York Post goes into extensive details about the various times and places that people are Twittering as well as the etiquette associated with posting. People have proposed marriage via Twitter, jurors have posted Tweets during trials and journalists have been sent to cover funerals in real time via Twitter. So where are people going to draw the line?

Anna Post, etiquette author and spokeswoman for the Emily Post Institute, is loath to pass judgment on what events are and are not OK to Twitter about, except in the case of trials ("We are citizens, there are duties, and it's not just about you") and probably death. (In September, the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News suffered massive public backlash after it sent a reporter to cover a 3-year-old's funeral in real time, via Twitter.) Otherwise, she says, it's situational. "There's nothing inherently wrong with Twittering [big events] as long as everyone's comfortable," she says. "I think the danger, though, is in how incredibly banal it is."

I can understand why celebrities would use Twitter as it a fast way to reach their fan base who are likely hungry for the behind-the-scenes scoop. Similarly, I can understand if someone is in the hospital waiting for the birth of their child or caring for a sick family member. It is an efficient use of someone’s time if they’re tied up at the hospital and can’t take numerous phone calls from family and friends asking about a status update. If family and friends are directed to Twitter or a blog, they can keep up with daily events and even respond so that their loved one knows they are reading. However, sending a reporter to cover a funeral via Twitter and jurors posting Tweets about trials and murder weapons is taking it too far.

Although Twitter is only 3-years-old, it is estimated to have between 4 and 5 million users, with 55 million unique visitors per month. As more people sign up for Twitter and see how easy it is to communicate with others, it is likely that the number will increase and the type of instances that people Tweet about will change. We’ve already seen how powerful Twitter has been with real world-breaking news such as the Bombay attacks, the earthquake in China and the Hudson River plane landing. All of these occurrences were first reported by citizens via Twitter. But what makes me wonder is whether people will realize that there are certain times when it’s just not appropriate to Tweet, or if any life event or a passing thought is game for the site. It will be interesting to see how corporations, judges, bloggers and everyday citizens feel about the site going forward.

Obama is ‘open for questions’

2009-03-26T07:37:00.000-07:00

Recently, Whitehouse.gov launched an openforquestions page which gives people the opportunity to submit questions to President Barack Obama about the economy. According to the page, people are invited to participate in the community-moderated online town hall. People are asked to submit a question about the economy, vote on submissions from others and include a link to a video. Finally, they are asked to come back on Thursday to watch the President answer some of the most popular submissions live at the site.

Giving people the ability to post questions to the President could bring a lot of interesting topics to the surface. Tracking these questions and then choosing which ones get posted is no easy task. The government has to deal with a slew of issues such as censorship if they delete comments, privacy if they keep track of you, and complicated procurement rules to use any kind of software. Despite these issues, creating this page is definitely a step in the right direction of getting the President involved and listening to people’s concerns.

According to a blog on Wired, the first big issue that arises is whether the site will be swarmed with useless questions. The internet is a great tool for harnessing the wisdom of crowds — and also the "idiocy of trolls." Nicholas Thompson, author of the blog post indicates that the trolls are doing OK in at least one area: flooding the page with questions about legalizing pot — a marginally important debate at most times, and a totally trivial one at a time of global economic catastrophe. As of right now, there are 290 questions that have been submitted that include the word "marijuana." By comparison, there are 90 that use the word "manufacturing" and three that contain the word "broadband."

While negative comments are to be expected, there are many people are that voting on various positive topics. As of right now, 92,517 people have submitted 103,755 questions and cast 3,599,068 votes. An interesting question that is number one in the Jobs Category is "What are your plans to encourage corporations to keep middle-class jobs, such as customer-service call centers and transactional-based support services like accounting and computer program jobs, in the U.S?" Needless to say, it will be interesting to see which questions get chosen and ultimately get answered by the President. The blog raises a few interesting questions about the site: Will Obama cherry-pick questions that lead into policies he has already developed and that he likes discussing? Or will he pick the hardest, most-complicated and most-important questions?

While this site is just the beginning for the Obama administration, it is definitely a step in the right direction based on the networked society that we live in and the desire people have to get involved online. Opening up a free-flowing site where people can submit questions and vote on issues is a risky step. However, this also demonstrates a new way for the president to communicate with the country.

Teach Twitter in Elementary Schools?

2009-03-25T19:28:00.001-07:00

Logging on to your computer is a daily ritual for many people. Some programs are easy to learn and some require structured classes and a detailed explanation. However, when it comes to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, it is easy to just sign up and take a test drive. As I was browsing TechCrunch to catch up on my daily digital news, I came across an article that explains that the British government is proposing that Twitter is to be taught in elementary schools as a part of a wider push to make online communication and social media a permanent part of the UK’s education system.

Details about the proposed curriculum are listed in the The Guardian, the well-known British newspaper and it has caused quite a stir across the globe. The plan is to strip away hundreds of specifications about the scientific, geographical and historical knowledge pupils must accumulate before they are 11 to allow schools greater flexibility in what they teach. It emphasizes traditional areas of learning - including phonics, the chronology of history and mental arithmetic - but includes more modern media and web-based skills as well as a greater focus on environmental education. The proposal would require children to leave primary school familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter as sources of information and forms of communication. They must gain "fluency" in handwriting and keyboard skills, and learn how to use a spellchecker alongside how to spell.

While I do agree that it is essential that children learn how to use computers and various technologies, I don’t think it’s necessary to enforce that Twitter be taught as part of the curriculum. The skills that kids acquire from learning Web technologies can also help them in real world situations and ultimately, be prepared for the working world. But what happens when kids are taught these programs in class and then are on them while class is in session? How many times to professors say “no instant messaging in class?” Soon they will have to say no “tweeting” or “updating your status in class.” British teachers that are instructing these Web-focused classes need to make sure that kids understand the basics but also the rules of etiquette.

Baseball Cards Meet the Web

2009-03-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone has childhood memories that consist of collecting dolls, coins, stamps, posters, stickers, stuffed animals or baseball cards. While some of these hobbies such as collecting baseball cards seem outdated, a new trend has surfaced that allows hobbyists to use the Web to watch players come to life on the cards.

Topps, an international marketer of entertainment products, principally collectible trading cards, confections, sticker collections, and collectible strategy games has teamed up with Total Immersion to launch a new series of 3D cards. Collectors and hobbyists can use their computer and webcam and watch as the players pop up in full 3D for interactive minigames including batting, fielding and pitching drills.

An article in the Daily News gives a brief explanation to get started:
After you've snagged one of the "Topps 3D Live" cards - they come in both Topps 2009 Baseball Series 1 and Topps Attax packs - you log on to ToppsTown.com and select the player on your card. Then, simply hold the card up to a standard WebCam and - voila! - Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Johan Santana or one of 30 other stars appear to emerge from the card, in 3D, on your computer screen - for a series of simple games playable using your keyboard.

For baseball collectors, Topps 3D Live cards gives new meaning to swapping cards with friends and chewing that stale piece of gum that came with the cards. While most of us have probably thrown out or sold our collections, this example goes to show that there are ways to bring back old hobbies with the help of the Web. It will be interesting to see if this site gets traffic and how old their users are. Today, kids and teenagers might not understand the value and appreciation of collecting cards.

The Power of the Internet

2009-03-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

It seems as though everyone is trying to get their 15 minutes of online fame by posting videos on YouTube or by participating on Facebook and Twitter. Kids, teenagers, business professionals, mothers, celebrities and athletes are all using these social platforms. The power of the internet allows anyone with a half-baked idea, a product and a webcam to start their journey to online fame. In the latest example of a social-media world, Lauren Luke, an unknown young single mother from England began selling makeup on eBay and posting pictures of herself wearing the makeup she was trying to sell. She also posted online tutorials on how to make the most of your makeup on YouTube. She has won the hearts of fans all over the world with her use of vibrant color and by recreating celebrities’ coveted makeup looks. Ultimately, her presence on the Web and popularity has made her a global sensation.

While Lauren has never had any formal training as a makeup artist, she has gained a global following as user Panacea81, which is a branded YouTube channel. The videos are short, casual, unedited and entertaining. As her popularity grew and her fan base became more addicted, Anomaly partner Duncan Bird also became interested in the friendly unknown sensation. According to an article in Ad Age, Duncan was impressed that she had 100,000 views on some videos and every time he went back to visit she seemed to have attracted 100,000 more. "There was something about Lauren that struck me as so authentic, so unusual and so interesting," Mr. Bird said.

Since then Mr. Bird has become Lauren’s manager and they’ve created a new cosmetics line, By Lauren Luke which will debut in stores on April 27. The line will launch in North America and Europe with five eye-color kits and will eventually expand. Because Lauren is such a YouTube sensation, Mr. Bird said, By Lauren Luke won’t need a traditional media campaign. "What we're trying to do is make sure that everything we do is true to what Lauren is about," he said. "I'm very passionate that Lauren stays true to her own self-image."

While there are umpteen beauty products in stores and a plethora of beauty consultants, it is still feasible for an unknown person to become a global sensation in the cut throat world of beauty treatments. Getting your message out on social networks and showcasing your talent on YouTube can make you famous and open doors that might not have been opened a few years ago. Who needs Hollywood, the so-called land of where dreams come true when you have a computer and Internet access?

Check out this video to see Lauren Luke in action:

Halftime during a Basketball Game calls for a “Tweet”

2009-03-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Twitter’s popularity is rising among people in all different fields such as celebrities, politicians and athletes. Cyclist Lance Armstrong provides updates on the frequency of his anti-doping tests and posts pictures from his training rides and NBA star Shaquille O’Neal gives away free tickets to fans. The latest craze that has received a lot of attention is the fact that Charlie Villaneuva, NBA basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks posted a “Tweet” from his mobile phone during halftime of a critical game. He posted “In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

According to an article on Foxsports.com, coach Scott Skiles was perturbed when he found out that his top player was on his mobile phone and not focusing on the game. "We made a point to Charlie and the team that it's nothing we ever want to happen again," Skiles said after practice Tuesday. "You know, (we) don't want to blow it out of proportion. But anything that gives the impression that we're not serious and focused at all times is not the correct way we want to go about our business."

But according to Charlie, he didn’t think he did anything wrong and was completely focused on the game. As he noted, he had to “step it up” and he did just that by scoring several points and ultimately, this allowed the team to hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. He denied any comments that alluded to the idea of him not being focused on the game.

Although Charlie is one of the best athletes to follow on Twitter because he is consistently active, engaging and amusing, it is unnecessary that the professional NBA basketball player post “tweet” during halftime. Isn’t playing ball and the stress associated with it enough? Die hard fans might disagree and enjoy the behind the scenes and live scoop.

Charlie’s response to all this chatter was “we’re talking about Twitter here. We should be worried about Orlando.” In fact, I have to agree that this all this drama was silly. But I am sure that Charlie has learned his lesson and won’t be posting “tweets” during any games.

CRM to the Rescue

2009-03-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

Due to declining readership and revenue, many media companies have been struggling to stay relevant and ultimately, stay in the game. With so many eyeballs gravitating to the Web, many print publications have lost their fan base and have been forced to build engaging websites with fresh content. As a result, Time Warner, Disney and other media companies are experimenting with customer relationship management programs in an effort to retain their relevance. However, traditional media lag behind their online counterparts in collecting customer data.

Media companies are trying to figure out the best strategy to keep their consumers happy. They are also trying to package the content in a way that will provide the most value to their loyal customers. “Newspapers, magazines and media companies in general have to start thinking about what content they reserve and what they don't,” said David Rosen, SVP at San Francisco-based Loyalty Lab, a provider of on-demand customer loyalty technology. “By asking people to sign up for digital content, for example, and to be part of the brand, it creates a deeper sense of engagement. That then becomes a marketing platform as opposed to an advertising platform, which is what media companies have now.”

Creating a relationship with its best cusomters is a strategy that rings true for Disney, the world renound company that children and even adults adore. According to a recent article in the DM news, Disney has launched a comprehensive membership program called D23 that includes a subscription to a new quarterly publication, offers to attend special events and purchase exclusive merchandise, access to exclusive online content and a membership certificate and card. Additionally, the Disney.com/D23 fan site will feature Disney news, exclusive feature stories, blogs, a collectibles boutique, special event information, and other content. A statement form the company explains that D23 refers to the year 1923, which is when Walt Disney opened his studio in Hollywood. The program is the first official community for Disney fans and a one-year membership costs $74.99 according to a statement from the company.

The driving reason why companies are willing to invest in these loyalty programs is because they want to continue the conversation with their loyal consumers. Ultimately, subscribers have to feel that a relationship with the brand is really worth paying for. Rosen agrees and says, “Here's a case where a media company is taking a lesson from the direct marketing industry. By providing structured value [to its customers], Disney will ultimately see higher levels of conversion and engagement across the entire franchise.” With this sophisticated communications program and community, Disney is able to understand what their customers are willing to pay for and reward with items that are of interest to them. As the infamous character Donald Duck would say, "Nothin' to it!"

'Smoking Smarties'

2009-03-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

Companies are aware that people who are using their brands in unconventional ways will make sure to spread the word via social networking sites and by posting videos on YouTube. The catch is that the end result can be either positive or negative. A positive example would be the buzz that Diet Coke and Mentos received with the infamous experiments. A negative example would be all the press that Smarties is getting due to the latest videos that have been posted on YouTube called “How to Smoke Smarties.”

I had not heard of this new fad, so when I read my Ad Age Daily email and saw the headline “Smoking Smarties Videos Create Blaze of Unwelcome PR”, I was curious to read what was going on. In case you have not seen them yet, here is the video clip:

Apparently, there are many more videos of teenagers giving lessons on how to smoke smarties in the correct way. Although most of the videos are old, this video has sparked interest in a number of people and is number one on Google’s results page when you type in “smarties.” The big hit and the one that comes up most frequently in organic search is filmed by YouTube youngster "baller4life," aka Titus, which was created in December 2007.

While the video is old, the article explains that it is a simple case of exposure. Last week the video was featured on BuzzFeed and then on Monday appeared on CollegeHumor; the popular video-gamer destination G4tv.com's "Attack of the Show"; and the "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" blog. And so began the rise of Titus' 1 minute, 38 second Smarties-smoking tutorial. I don’t know about you, but it seems outrageous that these people or sites would mention these videos in a positive manner. Are teens and people supposed to think these videos are cool? We’re talking about smoking here, and using a candy to demonstrate that. Seems pretty pathetic.

Luckily, the marketer of Smarties agrees and does not support these videos or viral communications. "It's certainly not endorsed by us. We don't endorse smoking, but we can't control what people do out there," said Eric Ostrow, VP-sales and marketing for Ce De Candy, the owner of the Smarties brand. He said he's been aware of the YouTube videos for more than a year, but Ad Age's query was the second call this week -- and the only one he's ever received regarding the videos.

Since participating in social networking sites and posting videos to YouTube are common activities for everyone including 15 year-olds with access to webcams, companies are going to have to brace themselves for the worst case scenario. That being said, they also need to be paying attention to what is being said on the Web, social networking sites, the trade journals and of course, word of mouth. In the case of Smarties, the brand is being connected to the act of smoking, and the company is distancing itself and denying any connection.

Pete Blackshaw, Executive VP of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services said “by Ce De speaking out and saying it doesn't condone the activity, is doing about as much as it can right now. For every time we have a Coke/Mentos, we need to keep in mind the equal opportunity of social media. It can go both positive and negative," he said, adding that one of his concerns for Smarties now is the video showing up at the top of a Google search. "That's where you could start to have a problem with general consumers getting the wrong idea. ... I know we all like a positive story ... but the real story in social media is how brands are challenged and eroded by it."

Although companies wish they could get positive PR from people performing stunts and finding unconventional uses for brands, they must figure out a way to deal with the opposite effect. Unfortunately, this means that every company and brand is fair game. Beth Snyder Bulik, the author of the article, gives advice about what to do if people are messing with your brand online:
1. Don't fight it. Trying to cajole, warn, threaten or even sue someone who is misusing your product or making a joke will only come off as heavy-handed. "Maybe some Neanderthal thinks that they can control this, but the reality is no one can," said Pete Blackshaw, exec VP of Nielsen Online Digital Strategic Services. And antagonistic attitudes will only invite more criticism and mocking.
2. Survey the extent of the problem. Is it a small group of jokers no one will take seriously or a more reputable group? How damaging is what they're saying or doing? That is, are they completing maligning the product and associating it with extremely unsavory behavior? Or is it just goofing around?
3. Turn to your social-media crisis plan. And if you don't have one yet, develop one.
4. Be open with employees. They use social media too and likely already know about it. But make sure to discuss what's happening and give them the information you want conveyed (for instance, what to say if a friend asks at a party, "Hey, what's up with all these kids smoking Smarties?").
5. Respond accordingly. At the very least, have a prepared statement for any media calls. Make sure it is available to all senior executives who may be queried. And make sure to respond as quickly and as transparently as possible to any direct questions from your customers.

Addicted to Twitter

2009-03-15T15:11:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, posting your every thought on the popular networking site can get you in trouble. But some people have admitted that they are addicted to the site and can’t stop Twittering.

According to an Adweek poll, Twittering is increasingly part of mainstream culture. In fact, some ad world CEOs have joined in on the fun such as JWT's Bob Jeffrey, AKQA's Tom Bedecarre, EVB's Daniel Stein, Deep Focus' Ian Schafer and Big Spaceship's Michael Lebowitz. These top CEOs have taken the opportunity to promote themselves and their agencies. Additionally, they’ve admitted that they find Twittering just plain fun. "I can lose myself in it," said Lebowitz, whose "bigspaceship" account has nearly 3,000 followers.

It seems as though people need to filter and re-read their Tweets before posting them. Tweets and status updates can spread beyond your inner circle of friends and family to competitors and frenemies. According to the article, Ketchum director James Andrews also threw caution to the wind when, in January, upon landing in client FedEx's home city of Memphis, Tenn., he Tweeted, "True confession, but I'm in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say, 'I would die if I had to live here.'" FedEx, needless to say, was not amused. (Relations between the two are now fine.)

Not only do people need to filter their Tweets, they need to be as transparent as possible and sensitive to the fact that current and potential clients are out there reading and listening. No client would feel comfortable if their agency of record or account team were Twittering about client-sensitive information.

I agree with Marian Salzman, CMO for Porter Novelli, when she says, "It's public communications, so you're still very aware.” She described herself as ‘obsessed’ with Twitter. "[CEOs] just have to realize that [Tweetering] is very different than talking to a close inner circle."

Although Twitter is a less formal medium of communication in the business world, readers are still disgesting CEOs comments and forming their own intepretations of the Tweets. CEOs and management need to be aware of this and understand how these messages are portraying their businesses.

The Digital Landscape in Italy

2009-03-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

If you have ever visited Italy, it is likely you will agree that people are more relaxed and not connected to the digital world and their mobile devices 24/7/365. Italians break for siesta, visit cafés for Internet access and stop for a shot of espresso on their way home from work. As such, it is quite different from the fast-paced, multitasking American way of life, which consists of eating lunch at your desk, emailing and talking on the phone at the same time and working until the wee hours of the night. But who is complaining?

Studying abroad my junior year of college in Florence, Italy gave me a taste of living in a city that was serene. I remember feeling out of place and strange when stores, banks and the post office would close for siesta. But after a few weeks, I was completely adjusted and got used to taking it slow. Coming back to the United States was a different story.

My journey to Italy began in 2001, which seems like ages ago. Since then, a lot has changed especially in the digital realm. While I was there, it was a daily chore to go to the local Internet Café to send email to friends and family back in America. Needless to say, all we did was email and leave to tour the beautiful city. Visiting websites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter were not daily routes and unheard of at the time.

Although I miss Italy very much and promised myself and my fiancé that we would go back, I have often wondered what has changed in terms of their technology and acceptance of social networking. That being said, when I came across Kara Swisher’s blog entry on All Things Digital I was engaged with the story, especially since she discussed the digital trends and the popular conference “Tutto Cambio, Cambiano Tutto?” That roughly translates into “Everything changes, but should everything change?”

Kara indicated that Internet penetration is much lower in Italy then elsewhere in Europe and television still dominates most media. She attended the conference in Italy and said the following: “’We’re 2,000 years old’ is something you hear a lot from people as an explanation for approaching everything, from social networking to iPhones to anything interactive, with some wariness. While most people here note that they like Facebook, pronounced ‘FAY-sa BOO-ka,’ hardly anyone sees the point of Web 2.0’s trend du jour, Twitter (‘TWEE-tur’).” While few people have heard it, those that have don’t use it.

What surprises me the most is how fast Americans have embraced these websites and social applications and have made them part of their daily lives, while Italians are moving at a leisurely pace. Even though I mentioned earlier that the Italian lifestyle is much slower, it seems like they would want to at least keep up with popular social networking sites, especially when other countries in Europe have adopted them. I am always amused when I hear that Italian designers define the fashion trends and style guides for the fall and spring seaons, but when it comes to other aspects they lag far behind.

For more information, check out Kara’s interview with several Italians at the conference:

Think twice when you use your cellphone. Advertisers are vying for your information.

2009-03-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

We all know that advertisers will do just about anything to stick their ad in your face. Tracking consumers on the Web has been an effective medium that allows advertisers to target ads based on collected information. However, if you think the pop up ads on your computer screen are annoying, brace yourself for what is coming down the pike. Cellphones are going to be the device that gives advertisers your interests, habits and location. Since cellphones are used for a variety of activities such as playing games, downloading applications, sending instant messages, browsing the Web and emailing, it has become the latest and potentially extensive way for advertisers to aim ads at consumers.

According to The New York Times, there was a story about the power advertisers are finding in using GPS as well as other details about user profiles, pulled from “smartphones” like the iPhone and Blackberry, to send highly targeted messages to customers— as granular as sending a coupon for an NYC restaurant when the phone sends up a GPS signal about a user’s location on Broadway and 42nd. The story notes that advertisers are willing to pay a steep price when they know they’re hitting just the right consumers.

The capability for collecting information has alarmed privacy advocates. “It’s potentially a portable, personal spy,” said Jeff Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, who will appear before Federal Trade Commission staff members this month to brief them on privacy and mobile marketing. He is particularly concerned about data breaches, advertisers’ access to sensitive health or financial information, and a lack of transparency about how advertisers are collecting data. “Users are going to be inclined to say, sure, what’s harmful about a click, not realizing that they’ve consented to give up their information.”

While a mobile device holds a great potential for advertising, I have to admit that this is taking it a little too far. The thought of advertisers knowing every move that I make and then reaching me on my mobile phone is extremely intrusive and unnecessary. I truly hope that consumers fight back on this one. Since it’s common today for consumers to cause a ruckus when they are not satisfied, I can only hope that the troops rally on this one. However, this seems like wishful thinking on my part.

Social Media and the Workplace

2009-03-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

It has become the norm today for people of all ages to participate in social networking. I’ve become accustomed to reading status updates on Facebook and each time I wonder why certain people feel the need to tell everyone that they are tired, hungry, thirsty or ready to party. As a member of Facebook, I can honestly say that I’ve only added one status update and that was to tell my family and friends that I had the best weekend ever—I got engaged to my boyfriend of five years. I thought that special moment deserved a mention. It was the one stop shop for everyone to find out, including my coworkers.

Posting friendly messages to these social networks is harmless and sometimes comical. But what happens when someone posts status updates to Facebook or “tweets” about client meetings and goals? Heather Rast, an avid member of the social networking space describes her real-life story of how social media involvement affected her corporate career. As a follower of Joe Pulizzi’s blog Junta42Match, I came across his interview with her and was shocked. Since social networking is a hot topic these days, I felt this interview was worth blogging about and passing along to friends. Additionally, I learned a few things and have made a mental note for any future use of social networks. You might want to do the same.

According to the interview, Heather explains that the company she was working for didn’t have a social media policy. She says,”Because of my level of responsibility, I thought it within my purview to choose methods for generating interest among outside parties about what my team did, and what we had to offer. I used Twitter to share ideas like ‘Just had a great client meeting. I think they’re understanding what a SEM campaign can do for their short-term search goals.” However she also stated that she never mentioned a client by name and never detailed any client project.

Apparently, people at the company didn’t agree with her approach and decided to selectively cull certain Tweets and Facebook status updates and presented them to executive management. They claimed that she was sharing confidential client information and using poor judgment.

While Heather is no longer with the company that questioned her social networking activities, she is proud to say it was worth the fight and she would do it all over again. She now works for a company that has full disclosure of her blogging and Twittering and they support her writing and sharing with others openly.

At the end of the interview Heather give some lessons that will stay with her forever:

Heather’s Lessons Learned:

“Be very intentional about what I write anywhere. Have awareness about if the first and the fourth (example) sentences were stripped away, could my idea be misinterpreted, or used against me?”
“Have a healthy respect for dissenters. Threatened people will resort to surprising behaviors. Take actions to preempt their plans by being as transparent as possible.”
“You are replaceable, and your achievements are only as noteworthy as your weaknesses are few. Bad things can happen to good people.”
“Isolate what is really important to your career/professional happiness. Then make sure you’re working at a place that truly allows you do those things. Life’s too short to just work somewhere; find that career that offers fulfillment.”

Check out Joe’s blog for the full detailed interview.

Many companies do have workers that participate in the social networking space for the good of the company, but the important point is that they’ve also made an effort to have guidelines in place. IBM and Edelman are some of the companies that have such policies. People have to be aware of what their own company guidelines are and think twice before they publish information for the world to read in the social networking space.

Standing out above the din in this dismal time

2009-03-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that many consumers are holding off on purchasing houses and cars, companies are finding ways to communicate with consumers and ultimately building trust. Michael Fischer, VP Marketing for Coldwell Banker Real Estate is one executive that sees an opportunity in these challenging times. His philosophy on marketing troubled products and services: “build trust.” No one wants to trust their hard-earned dollars to someone or a brand they have questions about," says Mr. Fischer.

Recently, Fischer was interviewed by Advertising Age and explained that he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to reach out to the “dreamers” and boost web efforts. Fischer referred to the fact that Coldwell Bank is celebrating its 103-year-old legacy, and he has touted this information in its marketing efforts. When he was asked if real estate is just an impossible sell right now, he optimistically explained that there are tens of millions of people who are in the “dreaming” process and that they’re online looking at listings. So what is the important piece to the puzzle to get consumers to make a purchase? According to Fischer, consumers are looking for brands they can trust when there is a downturn in the economy. Since he thinks trust is important to consumers, he has made an effort to tell the firm’s story and boast the heritage of Coldwell in his communications strategy. Colbert Coldwell and Benjamin Banker, the founders of Coldwell Banker, play an important role in their marketing efforts. The interesting aspect of their marketing plan is that they have created Facebook and Twitter sites for their founders.

Even though the marketing budget at Coldwell Banker is tight, Fischer said spending is shifting from TV to online and alternative media. Last year 30% of the budget was dedicated to online, while the 2009 allocation is 40%. It seems rather contemporary for a 103-year-old firm to be on Facebook and Twitter. But the reality is that Fischer and his teams have done their homework. In other words, they’ve conducted market research and know where their audience is. Furthermore, since their audience is online they’ve discovered that digital platforms are the best way to start or continue the dialog. Fischer knows that purchasing a home is an important milestone and people need a little hand-holding to get to the finish line. Additionally, he knows that his prospective customers love the empowerment of the Internet and that when it comes down to making a purchase they need to engage with a real-estate professional. Ultimately, Facebook and Twitter not only presents an opportunity to have a conversation with consumers, but it also gives them a great opportunity to talk to more than 100,000 global agents that represent Coldwell Banker.

In the midst of a recession, people might not be purchasing, but they are online and thinking about moving forward into more prosperous times. If companies know where their audience is and how they feel towards a category, they can use this knowledge to their advantage and make a connection. Having conversations with consumers can present an opportunity to start a relationship and ultimately build trust, which according to one CEO is essential.

An Advertising Lullaby

2009-03-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

Advertising critics are everywhere. So when you come across a funny interpretation of how the advertising world works, it’s only the right thing to pass it on to other colleagues and friends. With the help of social networks like Facebook and Twitter, it’s easy to post such videos and share with friends. Although I still get emails from friends that like to share information, social networking sites are certainly the way to go.

Joe Pulizzi, a Facebook friend and colleague posted a video of George Carlin in action. He gives a clear warning that if you are easily offended then it might be a good idea not to proceed. However, the late and grate George Carlin is a memorable character, and to hear his take on the purpose of advertising was quite entertaining and definitely worth passing it along.

Check out the video for an entertaining depiction of advertising by the George Carlin from "You Are All Diseased" (1999):

It’s obvious that when consumers are not spending, and companies are laying people off and cutting budgets in half, many industries suffer. Often times advertising gets hits the hardest as Management feels that it is one area that can be scaled back. Executives who succumb to that temptation, however, put the long-term future of their companies at risk, according to Wharton faculty and advertising experts. "The first reaction is to cut, cut, cut, and advertising is one of the first things to go," says Wharton marketing Professor Peter Fader, adding that as companies slash advertising in a downturn, they leave empty space in consumers' minds for aggressive marketers to make strong inroads. Today's economy "provides an unusual opportunity to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd," says Fader, "but it takes a lot of courage and convincing to get senior management on board with that."

These difficult times represent an opportunity for companies to use integrated campaigns that mesh traditional outlets with digital media. Just because consumers might not be spending as much now that does not mean that they are looking to dwell in the recession. Eileen Campbell, chief executive of the Millward Brown Group advertising firm in New York City, says "If you can put a positive spin on how you can genuinely help without invoking doom and gloom, I think that's going to be more compelling." Ultimately, companies, marketers and consumers are in this dismal phase together and it’s going to take everyone to put one foot in front of the other to slowly get out of it.

Staying in the Game

2009-03-06T06:52:00.000-08:00

Growing up in the suburbs during the winter months, it was a weekly routine to stop at Blockbuster to pick up a few flicks for the weekend. Family and friends would hang out in the den and relax with a newly released movie on a Friday night. Things have certainty changed. Now it’s obsolete to think about getting off your couch and driving or even walking to a Blockbuster. As we all know, new services and technology such as Netflix, DVR and You Tube are the popular outlets for watching videos. As a result, Blockbuster is in trouble and reportedly mulling a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing. Needless to say, the Blockbuster that I went to growing up is closed for business and my Blockbuster membership card, which was once a must-have item in my wallet, has disappeared to a drawer somewhere in my apartment.

The excitement of going to Blockbuster to get a new release will continue to be a memory for me. But the truth is, why would anyone go to the store when they could order it from their home or watch it on their computer? This makes me wonder what rock Blockbuster decision makers were living under. For years, customers have been migrating to video downloads and mailed rentals and Blockbuster was no where in the conversation. Since I have not rented videos from Blockbuster in years and never visited their website, I decided do some investigating. Apparently, the company did spend heavily and pile up debt to build an online DVD rental service to compete with Netflix Inc. I didn’t even know the chain had a section to download movies on its website or allow people to get movies delivered to their home. Obviously, none of their attempts worked and they’ve lost me as a customer. Perhaps the chain was late to the game or forgot to inform its customers all together about these new additions.

As Vicky Else, President of The Market Artist mentioned in a previous interview on my blog, research is essential. Tracking consumers and understanding their needs is important in order to move forward and stay relevant. While research can be expensive, there are online research techniques that are useful and cost effective. Ultimately, research leads to insights, which can help a company alter their strategy or remain focused. So where did Blockbuster go wrong? Did they think that people adored their chain so much that they would forgo the idea of sitting in their own living room and pressing a few buttons to get the new release? As the world's largest video rental chain, it did have the ability to keep its’ customers loyal. However, this is a perfect example that illustrates how not keeping up with the trends, listening to your consumers and communicating with them, your competition could knock you off your feet. Although these thoughts are only based on my speculation and past relationship with the chain, it seems pretty accurate to say that Blockbuster missed the boat. I have jumped on the Netflix boat and have never turned back to checkout Blockbuster.

The Power of CEOs

2009-03-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

While times are tough, consumers are not making as many purchases and are concerned about how they spend every dollar. In these tough times, it’s interesting to see how consumers feel about their favorite brands and what comes to play when they actually make a purchase. Is price the major factor? Are they loyal to the brand and purchase its’ products despite the dismal economy? Do they pay attention to advertising? And if they do pay attention to advertising, do they like it when CEOs participate?

Over the years, there have been countless companies that have used CEOs in their advertising campaign. CEOs such as, Charles Schwab, Dave Thomas of Wendy’s, Frank Perdue of Perdue Farms, Dan Hesse of Sprint and Warren Buffet of Geico have either appeared on television or in print campaigns. While prominent and confident CEOs have taken the spotlight in recent years, an Adweek article has raised the red flag that companies should rethink this strategy.

“These CEOs have chosen an interesting time to be in the spotlight. With the news filled with images of overpaid executives flying corporate jets to Washington, D.C., as they plead for government assistance to keep their companies afloat, no CEO at a major corporation-even those not related to the banking or car industries-can count on any goodwill coming his or her way,” said Eleftheria Parpis, the writer of the article. Additionally the article refers to a recent Opinion Dynamics poll from Fox News. The poll found that 73% of respondents felt corporate CEOs were not honest or ethical.

Despite the poll and the state of the economy, several companies are still using high-level executives in their advertising campaigns. As I was reading this article, I found myself wavering back and forth as to whether I thought it was a good idea to have CEOs front and center. As a worker bee in the corporate world, I admire high level executives and firmly believe their statements and opinions when it comes to the company’s mission and dealing with the ever-changing world around us. On the other hand, I can understand how so many consumers are weary of CEOs based on the recent events pertaining to the financial world. The CEO is the ultimate decision-maker and is supposed to have a tight grip on all aspects of the business. This type of thinking and assumption is why so many Americans, including myself, are confused and frustrated as to how things got so bad.

Advertising and media agencies will continue to be creative when it comes to building campaigns for their clients. Although using CEOs might have been successful in the past, there is evidence that people are weary and suspicious of these high-level executives. One can only hope that the agency is well informed about the rumblings on the street and are aware of how the consumers feel about the company and industry as a whole. A true test would be asking consumers how they feel about certain companies and CEOs to gauge interest. Putting aside pictures in an ad campaign, I can promise you that if people saw certain CEOs of financial institutions out on the street they might not be too happy.

Not all CEOs have sneaky and selfish goals up their sleeves. Case in point, Dave Thomas built his multi-billion dollar fast-food restaurant chain from the ground up, earning him a reputation as one of the most successful and loved entrepreneurs in American history. He is also known for appearing in more than 800 commercial advertisements for the chain from 1989 to 2002–more than any other person in television history. Now something has got to be said for a CEO that has appeared that many times in commercials.

In memory of Dave Thomas, here is an oldie but goody:

Dating in the Digital Age

2009-03-04T06:08:00.000-08:00

Forget trekking to bars and participating in speed dating to find your true love. Online dating has become the new popular way to meet your soul mate. There are many websites that cater to people looking to get set up in the virtual world. These include Match.com, JDate.com and eHarmony.com. Just when you think you’ve mustered up enough courage to date in the online world, a new way to find a date has surfaced.

Welcome to Skout, the first-ever social dating application that allows people to use their mobile phone. People can flirt, chat and belong to a community of singles who want to chat online and then meet in the real world. The application allows you to tell potential love interests what you’re all about by posting mobile pictures or notes.

Recently, Skout proudly introduced Skout OUT which is real time online dating in bars and clubs across America. According to a press release on the website, Skout is "leveraging location-based services and 42" touch-screen plasma displays stationed in bars and clubs across the US. Single men and women looking for love need only let their fingers do the walking to flirt, send virtual gifts, or dedicate a passionate song to someone that inspires their senses. Skout OUT currently interacts with hundreds of thousands of Skout users using their iPhones, cell phones and laptops to find love on Skout's mobile dating service."

If you think buying someone a drink at a bar is enough to get a date, you might want to think again. Not only do you have to put your best face forward in the online world, you will need to be accessible with your phone. "Skout OUT solves the age-old problem of finding and approaching singles," said Skout's CEO and founder Christian Wiklund. "As an industry first, we are connecting the virtual online dating world with the real world. Skout OUT enables singles at clubs to 'see' not only available singles at their location, but also singles in other nearby venues as well as Skout mobile phone users. Skout OUT is an important new tool in our company's mission to make finding love easier."

Will people be willing to swipe their credit card or insert cash into the build-in payment system to purchase virtual gifts or music and send to prospects at the bar? Although the process seems convoluted, it’s feasible many bar-hoppers will participate—especially after they’ve had a few cocktails. Even though some people might not feel comfortable announcing their dating interests for everyone to see, it seems like the norm to try different avenues and routes to find true love. The old saying “Never frown; you never know when someone's falling in love with your smile” rings true in the digital world now too. So get your game face on!

While SKOUT presented at the DEMO 09 conference yesterday, TechCrunch had a preview of the program and posted this video clip:

Skout OUT from Robin Wauters on Vimeo.

This is your Brain on Drugs

2009-02-26T18:04:00.000-08:00

Anyone growing up in the 1980s should remember this anti-narcotics campaign by the Partnership for a Drug-free America (PDFA). The campaign used the analogy that if a person’s brain is an egg, then using drugs would be like frying it. Now doctors and health advisors are telling us that cell phone use is frying our brains.

Although being addicted to drugs is quite different than being addicted to your cell phone, the comparison seems to fit these days since you hear about how many car crashes and other accidents happen because people couldn’t put their phone down and simply drive.

Luckily, laws in certain states prohibit people from talking on their phones while driving, but texting is another dangerous distraction that should be noted as well. I can’t tell you how many times people walk directly into me simply because they are glued to their phone and texting away. Despite the negativity of texting on cell phones, Christopher Nickson, recently wrote an article called Believe It or Not, Texting Could Improve Language Skills that touts a recent study which says texting actually has benefits. Besides being an instant way to communicate with friends and family, the study from Coventry University in England proclaims that “textisms” or texting improves language skills and positively affects reading development in kids. "Children's use of textisms is not only positively associated with word reading ability, but it may be contributing to reading development," the study reads.

Cell phones are a constant companion for many people today. It has become the must-have device for communicating, finding locations, searching, booking reservations, shopping and of course, instant messaging. Besides adults having cell phones, it is now the norm for children to have them too. It seems far-fetched to say that texting furthers child development, but in this networked society it will be the norm for people of all ages to be tech savvy with their televisions, computers and mobile phones. It will be interesting to see if companies and marketers will alter their marketing messages to the younger generations knowing that they have a mobile device and are early adopters when it comes to new gadgets and technology. It also raises the question to many parents as to what is the appropriate age to give their kid a cell phone and when to say enough is enough! The old saying “my kid has a cell phone for safety reasons” is truly antiquated.

Raise your hand if you participate in social networking

2009-02-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

In this fast-paced networked society that we now live in, it seems as though you are a lost soul if you are not participating in one way or another.

Just in case you thought that only teenagers and people with ample time on their hands participate, you are wrong. In fact, Forrester recently published a report that explains that buyers in the business-to-business sector are one of the most active groups of people when it comes to social participation.

Josh Bernoff, an active blogger on The Groundswell, published a few important nuggets from the report that everyone should take note of. In The Social Technographics of Business Buyers, a recent Forrester Research study that surveyed more than 1,200 business technology buyers, found that they exceed all previous benchmarks for social participation. Based on methods and tools that Forrester created and uses such as the POST method and the Social Technographics Profile, it is able to ask how people participate in various social technologies and whether they use them to make buying decisions.

Specifically for this chart, which examines the social technology profile for business technology buyers, the results indicate that the audience is involved and engaged in the social networking space. The key points are that 91% were Spectators, 55% were joiners in social networks, 43% are creating media and 58% are critics.

What does this information mean and why is it useful to companies and marketers? Ultimately, it means that these businesspeople are participating by reading blogs, watching user generated videos, joining social network groups, commenting on articles, uploading content and videos, and so on. So companies and marketers must be aware of the levels of audience participation and knowledgeable about what activities work best in order to reach a specific segment or audience. Participating in social networks is not just for teenagers and college students. Mature businesspeople and decision makers are using social technologies and they will continue to do so in the future.

For more information about what these terms mean or to see what your customers, family or friends social profiles are check out Forrester’s Social Technology Profile Tool. This is a free tool that allows you to see how participation varies among different groups of consumers around the world. Ultimately, this information can be used as a guide to figure out what kind of relationship is best to build with customers or the end users.

Vicky Else gives her insights on how the face of research has changed

2009-02-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

I am very excited that Vicky Else, President of The Market Artist agreed to do a Q&A for my blog. Vicky Else has worked in marketing and relationship marketing for more than twenty years, in both client and agency roles, across a wide range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer industries. Now a consultant, she develops consumer insights and research approaches to support both existing and new business projects. Below you’ll find some key insights on how the face of research has evolved in the digital world.

Although most of us know why research is so important for companies and brands, can you please remind us why conducting research is crucial for brands today?
The consumption of your brand messages, on and offline, can be measured and tracked; in other words, you can use data to describe what is going on. Because there’s so much data nowadays, some people think that’s enough. However, tracking can’t ever tell you why. Why do people like or dislike what you provide? You need to answer that question to figure out what you want to do about the data.

Can you give an example of how insights can help create powerful strategies?
If you don’t know what people want, how they use it, and what might turn them off, how can you create a strategy? An example: one of my clients wanted to revitalize an aging car brand without turning off their older drivers. It’s difficult! How could they appeal to 40-somethings and people over 65? They needed to find the lifestyle and demographic intersection points for their brand audiences. They did make it work, by associating their brand with golf. Golf imagery appealed to the younger set without turning the older set off.

People think about research differently now then they might have in the past. What are some of the new ways that people think about research now?
It still comes down to corporate culture, in my experience. Companies that love to be scientific and careful still do tons of research (e.g., pharma, packaged goods), and those which rely on instinct and aggression are impatient with it (e.g., financial services). A good thing about the digital world is that fast online panel surveys make even the instinct crowd more open to doing some basic research before they leap.

Specifically, what has changed over the years in terms of research and the approach?
It used to be phone surveys, mailed surveys, focus groups, and mall intercepts. You still need those, but now we can do more, much faster using online research. Also, sophisticated analytics have been very helpful to brand research—segmentation techniques can link brand perception to lifestage, attitudes, behavior and demographics, very useful for “one-to-one” types of branding efforts. The ability to efficiently ask questions of people as they shop or browse online is very helpful. You also can recruit a proprietary panel of your customers and run raw new ideas past them; they are biased but the early feedback can keep you from wasting valuable resources. The online world has also spawned new types of research, like eye-tracking and usability studies. I’m sure that mobile platforms are going to add to this list.

What are the negative aspects of these changes?
Speed can make people sloppy and uncreative. Both creativity and analysis take time! When I started out, it was very expensive to do any kind of brand communication, so we did our brainstorming and research homework before we printed mail pieces or shot TV ads. Online, though, you can quickly put out an idea and get hard results to see how it works, so you may not think hard enough about the potential impact on your brand. It’s important not to forego good research; just because you can afford the production cost of a mistake, that doesn’t mean you can afford the brand cost.

Can you give a few guidelines or best practices when trying to figure out the best research strategy to use in this fast-paced digital world?
1. Don’t rush! Fast research only works when the research question is simple. If you just want thumbs up or down, an online panel will probably work for you in four weeks. If you want to learn how to refresh a brand it’s going to take full suite of studies, backed by analysis, which will take at least a year. For everything in between, you need to work with your vendors to decide how much research is enough.

2. The steadier you are about research, the more efficient you can be. Develop a methodology to evaluate your brand messages, and then train your marketers to use it consistently. Your past studies serve as benchmarks, making your process faster and cheaper. Companies that adopt this discipline save big bucks and learn much more.

3. Build efficient ways to do qualitative research into your customer touches. You can squeeze attitudinal questions into online profiles if it doesn’t make them too long, or ask website visitors to fill out quick surveys. Start a proprietary customer panel. Put a survey URL on your packaging. Just keep those why insights flowing.

Victoria Else is not only is a twenty-odd year veteran of the marketing and advertising industries, she also has a very entertaining and witty blog. To learn more about Vicky, check out her blog, Behind the Two-Way Mirror, or her website, The Market Artist.

“Come down from your ivory tower!”

2009-02-24T06:06:00.000-08:00

Cried the loyal customer’s and employees of Whole Foods to its CEO. In response, John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods did just that. The economy has deteriorated, the Whole Foods customers seek lower priced but high quality foods and its employee morale is down. In order to combat these problems, Mackey is taking one step at a time and not only putting his ear to the ground, he is taking action and getting his feet wet. A clear and steadfast step—he is back to blogging. When Janet Paskin interviewed the CEO in the February issue of SmartMoney, she asked him why he was back to blogging. “It’s fun. I really do believe that the 21st century CEO is going to be more accessible and transparent. I can’t just live in an ivory tower and expect to understand what’s going on,” said Mackey.

John Mackey is one of the many CEOs that have learned the benefits of participating in the blogosphere. These forward-thinking CEOs get to understand their customers and appreciate the fact that they’re involved and want to share their ideas. Time and time again, people have demonstrated that they want to share their ideas for products and services. These loyal customers can help the company by eliminating the guesswork. Not sure about a new product or feature? When in doubt, just ask your customers. Additionally, the company can also learn what the competition is doing.

If CEOs choose not to participate in the blogosphere, or don’t do a good job of participating, they are missing out on lucrative opportunities. Why would CEOs not want to get in on the fun? At the Forrester's Marketing Forum in 2008, Forrester Research Chairman and CEO George F. Colony shared the five things he's learned after blogging for just two months. His insights explain why CEOs might be frustrated with the process. Furthermore, his observations may help marketers frame the "should the CEO be blogging" discussion within their own organizations.

George’s top observations include:
1. No one is reading my blog.
2. Posting a blog entry is time consuming and I have to run a company.
3. The blog technology and software sucks.
4. It feels like I am talking into a dark vacated house—no one is there.
5. Where the hell is the money in this thing? Why are we giving all these insights and information away for free?

Check out this video for the full scoop.

It’s not fitness. It’s Life.

2009-02-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

Now say it with a straight face. In case you have not heard or seen this tagline before, it belongs to Equinox. If you have ever entered an Equinox, most likely you will agree that it does not feel like a gym. A soothing and calming spa experience is more like it, which is why my serious, muscular boyfriend won’t join. Additionally, the gym is clean, including the showers, which my classmate Kim has also noted on her blog. Nevertheless, it has all the top-notch equipment, personal trainers, classes and after work social events.

Though the gym has a provocative advertising campaign, it has a keen eye to its members’ lifecycle within the renewal process. The gym has done a great job in communicating with me over the years and ultimately, this has caused me to renew year after year. As a 6-year veteran, I have given free passes to my friends and encouraged them to join. Even though the gym is a pretty penny, it’s worth it because I am doing a good deed for my body. It’s the one hour of the day that I set aside just for me.

Keeping the gym fresh in my mind with new tools and widgets is a smart way that Equinox engages with me throughout the year. Often times, brands do not reach out to customers throughout their lifecycle. This is a big mistake. Once you have a customer’s contact information, email address or birthday, it is so important to use that data in a meaningful way. Equinox does just that. Keeping me posted about new gym openings, sending me coupons, saying happy birthday and informing me about new classes are all positive ways to communicate with me via email. One notable feature that I enjoy using on the website is MYEQ. This section allows me to customize my page with my goals, keep track of my workouts and get access to classes at my specific location. Also, the gym syncs my check in time to this site, which is an added bonus.

Recently, the gym added a mobile feature to its campaign. Equinox gives you just about the same options as the MYEQ website. You can find a club, check your MYEQ calendar, search for a class or book a bike all with your mobile device. I have yet to use this feature but it makes me happy that the gym is being innovative and fresh with their tactics.

It is crucial that brands stay focused on their customer’s needs and the ever-changing marketplace. Interacting with customers on the website, inviting customers to participate through their phone, sending e-newsletters and enticing people with a sexy advertising campaign are just some of the reasons why I think Equinox is on top of its game.

Success amidst the recession

2009-02-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

New start-ups may be moves born of necessity, but in tough economic times, thousands of Americans are taking the bold step of starting their own businesses. In fact, some of the biggest companies in America were born during recessions. Many of the companies that make up the Dow Industrial average were started during a recession or depression, these include: General Electric, Hyatt Corporation, Burger King, FedEx, Microsoft and Target. The list goes on.

Since many companies are struggling to stay afloat in this economy, it makes me wonder what steps they are taking to drive consumers to take action and satisfy the ever-demanding requirement to prove positive ROI. Consumers are focusing on the essentials and less on luxuries, so it seems as though traveling would be out of the question. Right? Well, a few hotel chains have a different story to tell. Marriott, Omni Hotels and Hilton are trying to make it easier for consumers to book reservations. So what is the secret sauce? The hotels are encouraging consumers to book through their mobile device. The hotels have reported that mobile hotel bookings show a positive ROI in this recession.

Although Marriot reported an earnings loss for the fourth quarter, Marriott Mobile generated $2 million in gross revenue between its August 2008 launch and the end of the year. And revenue from mobile bookings in January was headed upward fairly quickly, the hotel chain told Ad Age. The other hotels have similar results that they have shared. Omni Hotels’ mobile site has grown 85% in the past six months and Hilton’s mobile channel has generated a 22% return on investment for the brand.

These hotels might be struggling and cutting budgets across the board but they are willing to invest and experiment with new media which is worth noting in this dismal economy. The chains are using their database and loyalty programs to reach out to customers and let them know they are making booking decisions more convenient. Ultimately, this will allow customers to utilize their time more effectively.

If your travel plans change because of flight delays or bad weather, it will be convenient to make any adjustments with just your mobile phone. Furthermore, the hotel chains are one step ahead of consumers when it comes to a hotel experience. Chris LaRose, who directs Hilton’s website strategy, said the hotel is expected to double its mobile spending this year and invest in ways to get consumers onboard beyond just rooms booking by bringing apps and widgets into the fold. Other initiatives include mobilizing some of the services the hotel offers such as check-ins, arranging room service and booking sightseeing trips -- all in advance of arrival. "We're trying to ... incorporate a more holistic view that Hilton Hotels aren't just guest rooms. It's a stay; it's an experience," Mr. LaRose said.

Shame on You!

2009-02-20T06:15:00.000-08:00

Where is Fox 5's Arnold Diaz when you need him?! Apparently he missed an opportunity to interrogate Fortunoff employees to find out why the bankrupt chain won’t accept gift cards. While the store has many locations throughout the Northeast and is the popular “go-to” store for many newlyweds and families, the store filed for bankruptcy protection two weeks ago and just laid off 300 workers. There is still hope for the chain to keep its doors open since its awaiting bids from potential buyers.

Recently, The Daily News reported that Vicki Georgiou, a newlywed, tried to use $1,500 worth of Fortunoff gift cards that she received as wedding gifts. She attempted to use the gift cards at the Westbury, L.I. flagship store but was given the runaround by employees that she could not use them at that time. "They said something about a court order but they wouldn't really explain it to me," she said. The article also stated that a Fortunoff employee told the media the company had "no comment" on the plight of Georgiou and other customers, and the company no longer has a public relations representative.

Customers are outraged at the company. Not only are they upset because they can’t use their gifts cards, but at the fact that the company is not communicating with them. "What bothers me the most is that there is no 'going out of business' sign on the store," Georgiou said, "So unless you know someone who works for Fortunoff, you never would have been aware of what's going on." A longtime customer who even has a Fortunoff credit card, Georgiou said she never received any notice that gift cards were no longer being honored. "I'm a valued customer," she said. "I just don't understand."

Another customer said the Fortunoff at Woodbridge Center in New Jersey also was turning away gift cards. Her parents couldn't use a $60 voucher she got them for Christmas. "Two or three managers came over and said, 'As of today, we're not honoring gift cards,'" said the woman, who gave her name as Colette, "They should have posted something.”

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, customers want to hear from companies and brands in the good times and the bad. Customers get angry and frustrated when they don’t. This is crucial especially when the customers have a credit card for that particular store and are a longtime valued customer. Customers usually have to give up valuable information when they sign up for the credit card, including an email address. Would it have been so hard for the chain to blast an email out to their customers explaining that they wouldn’t be able to use gifts cards until further notice? This seems like a simple task to keep customers at ease and informed as to what they can expect the next time they enter the store.

There is still hope for the chain to survive financially if potential buyers step up to the plate. But at the rate Fortunoff is going, customers are perturbed, likely to remember the bad experience and ultimately, shop at other stores in the future. Often times, your customers are your lifeline to survival.

Facebook upsets its users. But are the users forgiving them again?

2009-02-19T06:26:00.000-08:00

If you logged into Facebook today, it was hard to miss the “Terms of use update” on the homepage. What is even harder to avoid is the multiple requests I got from friends to join the “People Against the new Terms of Service (TOS).” I figured it was in my best interest and duty to learn what the ruckus was about. An article on TechCrunch had an interesting spin on the whole issue and has been following this “news.”

Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, and team revised Facebook’s term of use hoping to clarify various parts for its users. They had received countless questions and comments about the changes and what they meant for people and their information. Mark told his follwers that it’s a language thing and they did a poor job in explaining the changes. He indicated that those changes will still be coming in the next few weeks, which will inlcude the Facebook user community to make sure it jives with everyone. On Facebook, he says “ Our next version will be a substantial revision from where we are now. It will reflect the principles I described yesterday around how people share and control their information, and it will be written clearly in language everyone can understand. Since this will be the governing document that we’ll all live by, Facebook users will have a lot of input in crafting these terms.” Additionally, the company polled some of its users in news feeds asking them if they should go back to their previous TOS.

Today, Mark invites users to share their thoughts on what should be in the new term in the group called Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilties. By the end of Wednesday, this group had 56,517 members who were complaining about all sorts of issues, such as privacy rights, the nature of social apps, legal issues and so on.

This is not the first time Facebook has upset its users. Users definitely recall the Beacon incident which didn’t happen too long ago. Followers of the network seem to forgive the company and use it again and again. Perhaps it is because the company has noted their misakes and are communicating with their audience. Mark and team say they are dedicated to finding a solution to this problem and they intend on leveraging their users to help them get there. Not only does the company have a dialogue with the users, they plan to use that information to proceed. According to Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff in their book Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, Facebook is on target with their thinking and actions. Their strategy is the wave of the future for other companies that are looking to succeed with social networks. Facebook is reaching out to their customers, asking for their input, listening to the concerns and then, promising to deliver. These are the successful steps in building a relationship with consumer that are connected on the web with social networks.

If Twenty-somethings ‘Twitter,’ why are thirty-somethings bitter?

2009-02-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

Entering your 20s is a very exciting time. Specifically, turning 21 years old is liberating because you’re finally allowed to enter a bar and smirk at the bouncer on the way in. Likely, you’re away at college and off the parental dole. But entering the twenty-something era allows you to encounter a whole set of new experiences, such as attending weddings, paying a mortgage, having children, climbing the corporate ladder and so on. Since this is my last year as a twenty-something year old, I wanted to share a few situations that have in fact made me feel excited to leave the 20s.

While in my 20s, I kept realizing that there were a few one liners that I kept hearing over and over again. It is quite possible that you’ve heard these too, so bear with me. Doting bride-to-be’s love to say this to their bridesmaids: “I love that bridesmaid dress on you and the best part about it is that you can wear it again!” I am definitely not alone in cringing when I heard this sentence since 27 dresses came out in theatres not too long ago and Katherine Heigl, the main actress felt my pain. However, she got lucky and made all her bridesmaids wear their own special creations to her wedding.

Next up, is when people find out that I am still in my 20s. They either think that I am extremely tech savvy or a die-hard member of all the social network sites. They expect me to know all the features, how brands interact within the network and what opportunities exist for them to get involved. While I do consider myself knowledgeable about technology in this networked society that we live in and belong to a few social network sites, I am by all means not an expert nor an enthusiastic.

This brings me to all the chatter and articles regarding Twitter. I have been avoiding the whole notion of Twitter, simply because I just don’t have the time to belong to yet another social networking site. Isn’t Friendster and Facbook enough?! Apparently not. So I decided to read the articles and even check out the intro video on Twitter. Recently, I read an eye-opening article in The New York Times, and as a result, I am re-thinking my negative thoughts towards the site. Although I completely agree with the author David Pogue when he says Twitter is “yet another one of those trendy Internet time drains,” I was surprised when I read his examples of Twitter in action. David explains that he was serving on a grant proposal committee, and watched as a fellow judge asked his Twitter followers if a certain project had been tried before. In 15 seconds, his followers replied with Web links to the information he needed. Again, I agree with David when he notes that the reality is that no email message, phone call or website could have achieved the same effect. I didn’t even realize the power that this site could have. This example changed my mind in thinking that the site was a teenage time-killer.

While many twenty-something year olds are active users of social networking sites, the reality is that many older generations are also hooked. There is no age limit to signing up for a site and participating. While turning 30 evokes a different set of feelings and stereotypes all together, the truth is that even though I might not be in the “know-it-all-age-range for social networks” once I turn 30; I will be required to stay up-to-date and sharp with digital trends and the ever-changing media landscape. Maybe it won’t be necessary for me to change my status six times a day though.

P.S. Although, I have not signed up for a Twitter account, I am definitely going to consider doing so. I might just feel over-the-hill if I don’t.

What does it take to create brand champions?

2009-02-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

We all know that there are so many media outlets today and brand messages are more cluttered than ever. Ultimately, all this noise makes it harder for consumers to actually pay attention and engage with a brand. So what does it take for consumers to love and champion a brand? In a previous blog post, I listed a few tips that brands and companies should pay attention to in order to keep their best customers. The third tip I recommended was to reward customers. Rewards not only create a sense of belonging, but it also makes the consumer content and feel appreciated. Ultimately, this leads to a zealous consumer who will sing your praises and will tell the world (and fellow bloggers) about the wonderful experience. Luckily, I am not alone in praising the concept of rewarding.

In The New Champion Customers: Measuring Word-of-Mouth Activity Among Reward Program Members, a recent COLLOQUY study explains that members that participate in a loyalty-building effort, like rewards programs, are 70%more likely to actively recommend a product, service, or brand than the general population. Some of the more notable rewards programs are MyMarriot Rewards, MyCokeRewards and the Best Buy Reward Zone. The study was designed to “explore the intersection between consumers who participate in loyalty and reward programs and their Word-of-Mouth (WOM) activity regarding brands, Reward Programs and specific product categories.” The study polled more than 7,000 consumers in the U.S. and Canada. Of those who participated in rewards programs, 55% described themselves as brand champions. The majority of this group (68%) said they would recommend a program sponsor’s brand during the course of the next year. When asked why they are motivated to participate in W-O-M activity, respondents said: to tell manufacturers what I think (73%), to get smart about products and services (68%), to be the first to discover new items (68%), to get free product samples (63%) and to share my opinion with others (61%). (Check out the COLLOQUY study here.)

Based on findings from this study, and my own feelings on this topic, its seems obvious that people want to belong, desire a deeper relationship with brands and want to share their opinions with those brands and others around them. The companies and brands that want to hold on to their customers should listen to their needs, wants and comments in various places such as call centers, social networks, blogs and You Tube. People that feel compelled to share their opinions will in a major way. It’s happened in the past, and it will continue to happen. Rather than have disgruntled or disengaged customers, brands have an opportunity to make strong connections with their cusotmers and ultimately, build a relationship that could last a lifetime.

“You’re on Facebook?!”

2009-02-11T06:15:00.000-08:00

This is the question that my 21-year-old brother asked me when he found out that I was on Facebook. I asked him to be my “friend” and a few hours later I got the frantic phone call. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was not pleased. I explained to him that I was introduced to the social network by a coworker and felt compelled to see what it was all about. Since I am in the advertising industry, I wanted to learn how brands were interacting with consumers, what the ads looked like and what possibilities were out there for other brands. I promised that I would not check out his pictures and not ask to be “friends” with any of his college buddies at Emory University. I lied. Checking out his pictures and learning about how he spends his weekends at the frat house and bars was truly entertaining. As his older and wiser sister, I felt it was important to tell him that the employed-folks, such as hiring managers and bosses also belong to these social networking sites and they’re out to find out information about prospective candidates. A person on an interview can tell one side of the story, but a profile on Facebook or MySpace can truly tell the other side of the story. That one piece of advice hit home with my brother. The next day all the pictures were off and a lovely, smiling, clean shaved face was the new profile picture. Needless to say, I was relieved.

Besides the “friending” aspect of Facebook, there is a long list of activities to participate in. Spending more time on the social network and reading about the new trends for the future enticed my appetite to get more involved. In a previous blog, I mentioned the various applications that Gillette has for their fan base. However, the reality is that there are many brands on Facebook and more people are getting hooked. Additionally, in Social Networks: Five Consumer Trends for 2009, a recent eMarketer report explains that the social networking audience is growing rapidly. According to the study, “In 2008, 79.5 million people, or 41% of the US Internet user population, visited social network sites at least once a month, an 11% increase from 2007. By 2013, an estimated 52% of Internet users will be regular social network visitors.”

While there is steady growth in the number of people getting hooked to these social networking sites, there has to be something in it for the brands. Are they actually making money? Are they satisfied with consumers just interacting with their brand? Do they think that consumers will try their product simply because they put a fun interactive game on Facebook?

I recently read an article in Ad Age Digital that answered some of my questions at best. I thought it was worth sharing since I am sure many people have similar questions. The article explains that Facebook’s strategy has been focused on growth at the expense of advertising. However, Facebook is testing new models to gauge consumer interaction.

I don’t know about other people, but I like going on the site to check out what my friends are up to. I stay within my own community of friends and love to read their updates and see new pictures of their family and children. To date, I have a Friendster account and a Facebook account. I am on the verge of cancelling my Friendster account and have no interest in signing up for a MySpace account. Ask me in a few months if my account status has changed.

Conversing with customers makes all the difference

2009-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

During the financial downturn in 2008, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) conducted a study of about 6,000 people in six countries to explore recent and planned financial behavior, perceptions of financial services providers, and recent experiences. The study revealed that 30% of the consumers were contacted by their financial institutions about the crisis. According to the study, “In the United States, for example, only 53 percent of consumers who received no contact from their primary bank about the crisis said they were satisfied with the bank's overall service level, whereas 83 percent of those who were contacted reported satisfaction. Check out a summary of the study here.

Although not many bank names were mentioned in the study, it was noted that three financial institutions had updated their print advertising messages to reflect the times. On the other hand, most of the ads lacked relevance to the financial crisis or basic concerns of many consumers. From a recent article in Adweek, Kilian Berz, a partner in BCG’s Toronto office and head of its retail banking practice in the Americas offers this piece of advice for the major financial players out there: "In 2009, financial institutions should adapt their marketing and sales strategies to reflect the current situation much more directly than many have to date. If you're not appropriately responsive, then you're at risk here of losing market share. The banks that are more nimble and more able to use those more interactive channels of advertising . . . and can fill that and update it with current content are going to be advantaged."

Berz explains that JP Morgan Chase is one firm that stands out above the din. JPMorgan Chase has created a Web-based series of opinion papers about topics such as lending and mortgage management called "The Way Forward." JP Morgan Chase launched “The Way Forward” to highlight the things that the firm is doing to harness its resources to help their customers and communities.

In times like these, it is crucial that companies and brands reach out to their customers and nurture the relationships. A print ad that speaks to the financial concerns does not do enough. Personal contact like a phone call or a personalized email from a financial advisor goes a long way. After reading this study, it is obvious that consumers want honest and open communications during the good times and the bad times. As a member of Citibank, I can tell you that the bank has done nothing to communicate with me about any financial concerns. I have lost trust in many financial institutions and I know that I am not alone. How hard is it to reach out to your customers and reassure them that their money is safe or offer sage advice about next steps? Unfortunately, it seems like silence and irrelevant marketing messages are the route that many financial firms are taking.

Curious to see what various banks were doing with their print campaign, I did some investigating. Here are a few examples of print ads that I found from 2008 that addressed the financial downturn. The Bank of America ad appeared in Time magazine in December 2008. The Wells Fargo ad appeared in Fortune magazine and The Economist in December 2008.

Do these ads make you feel like these banks understand your financial needs and concerns?

What have you done for me lately?

2009-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

A day in the life of a “Manhattanite” can make your head spin when it comes comprehending every brand message. While in grad school, a professor asked the class to track the number of brand messages we encountered in the course of one day. Tracking this one day was an eye opening experience for me. There were an infinite amount of touch points such as billboards, magazine stands, bus advertisements, television, radio, subway advertisements and many more. On a cold Monday morning, I encountered all these touch points before I stepped foot into my office building. As I turned on my computer to begin a normal work day, the frenzy continued. Other touch points I came across were emails, e-newsletters, websites, magazines and word-of-mouth.

The end result of the exercise was obvious. There are a ton of companies and brands sending out messages to consumers in a variety of ways. Although I was aware of my surroundings and the brand messages, there were times when I simply did not care to pay attention because they were irrelevant to me or the timing was inconvenient. So how do the worthy messages stay put in your brain and then encourage you to take action? My findings lead me to believe that brands need to do a better job of reaching consumers and more importantly, inspiring them. Ultimately, the key ingredients that increase the impact and satisfaction of the media messages are timing, placement, personalization and targeting.

There are some companies and brands that do an excellent job of targeting their consumers, as well as communicating the right message at the right time. My favorite company that does a great job of all of the above is Banana Republic. In 2008, the brand celebrated its 30th anniversary and made sure to let consumers know that they are listening to their needs and wants in the fashion industry. From an urban, chic safari feel, to adventurous and classy in the big city, Banana offers fun, flirty, affordable and sophisticated clothes. I find all my work clothes and evening attire in this one store as well as on their website. That being said, when I was asked to sign up for their credit card and receive wonderful benefits and perks, I gladly signed up. Banana welcomed me to their store with a letter and various coupons. Additionally, I got coupons to their sister stores such as Old Navy and the Gap. In fact, they were so excited to get me as a customer that they make sure to send me emails on a weekly basis about all the new trends and styles. Getting a coupon is only part of the excuse for a shopping spree.

For a glimpse of how Banana celebrated the 30th anniversary, check out this video:

Since I’ve become a brand loyalist to a distinct selection of stores and brands, I thought I would take the time to give my opinion on what the basic necessities are for retaining a customer and ultimately, making them a best customer.

My three tips for retaining best customers:
1. Welcome me to the “family.” Since there are plenty of similar stores, companies and brands out there, tell me the benefits of being part of this family.
2. Say ‘thanks’ for spending my hard-earned money at your store. Also keep me informed about new items, sales and store openings.
3. Reward me. Send me coupons via email and mail. The store knows what I bought so other suggestions based on my previous selections would be helpful.

Likewise, there are also brands that do not do a good job of communicating with their customers. First up on the chopping block is Citibank. But that explanation and rant is for a different day. Stay tuned.

How lucky can you get? Lucky magazine sure did with this shopping trend.

2009-02-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

Young adults who read Lucky magazine head to the Internet to search for the latest clothing, shoes, handbags, sunglasses and makeup that were featured in the latest issue. NearbyNow, an online business of locating the closest retail outlet that stocks merchandise shoppers are searching for is benefitting from this spike in shopping searches. The article explains that the mission is to, "enable anyone, anywhere to find the nearest place to buy anything."

Browsing and shopping on the Web is a weekly and sometimes daily ritual for me. Often, I am too busy to visit a store and try to find most items online. It’s easy and convenient, which is what many consumers, including myself, are looking for today. In fact, I do the same thing that this article refers to. I read a magazine and either fold down the top corner or rip out the page. Then, I head to my computer, search for the item to check it out and finally decide if I am ready to purchase. Recently, I read the Style section of People magazine and saw a chic, cheap dress from Target (or Targee΄ as my friends call it with a French accent, of course). I read the reviews from other people that purchased the dress to find out what they thought as well as their suggestions on sizing. After a few positive and convincing reviews, I was on my way to the checkout section.

NearbyNow and Lucky are set to launch an iPhone application that brings the geo-locating concierge service to the mobile handset. The article explains that every product featured in the magazine will have a corollary in the iPhone app, which means iPhone-toting fashionistas can dial into the Lucky app and see if their nearby retail outlet has their object of their desire in stock, in their size and in the color that matches their favorite nail color. This technology will eventually be accessible on all cellular phone networks, which I know I will certainly use.

Can retailers make it any easier for me? Companies and brands are making it easier for us to connect with them and spend money. Reading a magazine not only drives people to the Web, it will ultimately drive people to their mobile device. I think this is a very smart and innovative way to get users to try a different shopping route. While I do think that sending coupons to consumers through a mobile device is a great way to get them into the store, this new trend of getting users to shop with their phone is simple and convenient.

Fun Interactive Digital Platforms

2009-02-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

Brands are connecting with people on Facebook, the popular social-networking site in various ways. There are simple advertisements, and then there are “engagement ads,” which focus on directing users to pages or applications with activities that trigger an action that is a broadcast through the users’ news feed. Additionally, there are tons of applications, games, widgets, polls, discussion boards and contests that foster participation. OK you get the idea. Brands are vying for our attention on Facebook. It is actually overwhelming when you search and see how many companies and brands have a Facebook page. Almost every popular brand has a profile or page and encourages the user to join the fun. Although people might not be focusing on the advertisements, they are certainly are participating in other ways. For example, my 21-year-old brother tipped me off that Gillette has some pretty cool applications, games and videos. By doing a quick search for Gillette, there are a few interesting pages that come up.

Not only does Gillette have a profile, discussion board and an active Wall, they also have a whole section dedicated to videos. Gillette Champions, such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry are the main attractions in these videos. The athletes give tips to the art of shaving and show men how they too can put their best face forward.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/video/video.php?v=16533304855

Additionally, there are umpteen videos on You Tube and Gillette’s website to learn more about the athletes as well as the campaign.

My favorite application so far is trying on a new look with the Gillette Facial Styler. This widget invites the user to upload a photo and “try on a new look.” After you upload the photo and adjust the settings, you are supposed to share with friends. Then, they are asked to vote: Should they save it or shave it? Although, I don’t usually sport facial hair, I thought I would try on the handlebar look for kicks. Any thoughts on my game face?

Interacting, posting, commenting and sharing are all actions that Gillette wants you to do while visiting their Facebook page. After spending some time on Gillette’s page and playing around with their applications and widgets, I think the brand does a great job in attracting young men’s attention, capitalizes on viral marketing and social sharing and most of all, its fun and entertaining.

Is Print dead?

2009-02-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

But is it really? The answer may depend on who you ask. If you ask any account manager at People magazine, you might get a reassuring and positive answer that print is alive. However, media strategists and analysts beg to differ and insist that print is a dying medium. I am on the fence about this issue. Although I go on the Internet on a daily basis for information, I truly look forward to checking my mailbox on Friday to get my weekly issue of People magazine. A smile always comes to my face when I get it because it means that the work week is done. I can sit on my couch, forget my worries and catch up on my entertainment news. The same goes for me when it comes to high fashion magazines, such as Vogue. While both magazines have a robust website with various new articles on them, I still think there is something special and unique, even luxurious, about reading a big, high-end glossy magazine. A guilty pleasure you might ask? Whatever you want to call it works for me. I just don’t get the same feeling of excitement and relaxation when I read similar people-oriented or fashion-based articles on the Web. You just can’t curl up and relax with a computer screen and an internet-based article.

However, one benefit of the Web is speed. Since I am time-starved and busy with work and school, I turn to the Web for most of my daily news and other information such as advertising and media trends. Searching for news on the Internet is quick and easy and I get all the information with a few clicks of the mouse.

After reading an article by Jeff Jarvis, former print editor, now a consultant and blogger at BuzzMachine.com and John Griffin, President of the National Geographic Society's magazine group regarding the demise of print, I feel confident that the strong magazines will survive. I take the side of Griffin especially when he says “there is tremendous value in passionate, knowledgeable, talented editors who can assign stories and photographs with budgets to do them better and more authoritatively than any individual can. The reader of a magazine like National Geographic can depend on the information being accurate, coherent, concise, beautiful and created by the by most talented writers and photographers in the world. And readers may learn about something that they didn't know they were interested in.”

Spending quality time with engaging content and entertaining visuals truly makes for a luxurious experience that readers can’t recreate on the Internet.