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Public Relations

January 14, 2010 | Lisa Wieting

Social Media Census

The 2010 census is campaigning through Twitter…along with Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube, in the hopes of generating a higher percentage of participation this time around.

This is an open letter to people who do not see the benefit of social media in marketing – namely, my husband, who thinks “social media marketing” is just an excuse to cruise around on Facebook while at work and who to this day is the only person I know without an account. First, let’s take a quick look at the history of censuses. They began during the early Pharaonic Period in Egypt and were used to issue land grants and for taxation purposes. The first U.S. census was conducted in 1790; a census is done every 10 years to record the population, which also helps determine the number of United States Representatives each state receives (thank you Wikipedia).

So, the goal is to count EVERY American. In 2000, the census counted more than 281 million people…talk about a daunting task. This year, though, they have social media to help the campaign. Below are reasons why I think this is cool:

1. If this ancient practice can evolve into the social media landscape, any business can.

2. The U.S. Census Bureau’s sole goal is to reach as many people as possible, and it is turning to social media to help accomplish that. Those wary of social media in business, think about it…the census needs to reach everyone. If social media can help with that, it can certainly help reach different target markets and customers.

3A. I can’t remember hearing a word about the census 10 years ago. I was also in college and had recently turned 21, so that may have had something to do with it. Different priorities.

3B. My 22-year-old brother HAS heard of the 2010 census because it’s being talked about on Facebook and in different blogs he reads. That doesn’t guarantee he will participate, but it certainly presents a better opportunity.

4. It’s mind-blowing to think about how social media/online applications will be utilized in the future and even more exciting that we have the opportunity to help shape it. Will the entire census take place through Facebook or iPhone apps? That means my husband probably won’t be counted as a human because he still won’t be on Facebook.

5. It’s interesting to watch how social media continues to infiltrate different aspects of our lives. We no longer have to look for information, it finds us. The census found me, and for the first time, I will be accounted for.

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December 18, 2009 | Lisa Wieting

The Pepsi Effect

“Pepsi to Skip Super Bowl After 23-Year Run” – New York Times
“Pepsi Not Advertising in next Super Bowl” – Toronto Star
“Pepsi Takes A Pass on Super Bowl Ads” – CNN Money

CNBC, CBS Sports, NPR, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal the list goes on and on.

If you haven’t heard (you must be living under a rock), Pepsi will not be advertising in this year’s Super Bowl for the first time in 23 years. Instead the soft drink conglomerate will focus on a new marketing effort that will appear mostly online. I can’t help but think…NOT advertising may be one of the most genius PR stunts in recent history.

Lets guesstimate that Pepsi spent $20 to $30 million in Super Bowl ads last year. I’m sure they were clever, well produced and probably featured super stars like Justin Timberlake. So, let’s tack on another couple million dollars just for celebrity endorsement, creative concepts and production. This year, Pepsi pulls their ads sending shockwaves through the advertising world. Not only are they focusing on an “online” marketing strategy vs. traditional advertising but also saving millions of dollars. On top of that, by simply announcing this decision, they have generated millions of dollars in free publicity for this yet-to-be-created online campaign. Everyone’s interest is peaked…what could be so big that Pepsi isn’t advertising in the Super Bowl. You can bet that I will be on alert for this new marketing campaign.

Looking at the bigger picture, what does this mean for traditional advertising? If Pepsi pulls out of the Super Bowl, will Budweiser soon follow suit? Is Pepsi realizing the power of online is more powerful than the Super Bowl? Is this truly a publicity stunt? Time will tell if this move will pay off for Pepsi but this football fan is much more intrigued by Pepsi’s “Non-Advertising” campaign than any 30-second commercial with Justin Timberlake.

Follow the continual stream of news about Pepsi’s big Super Bowl decision on Bing News: http://ow.ly/No97

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October 19, 2009 | Lisa Wieting

Life on the T-List – Social Media Breeds New Generation of “Celebrities”

As newsrooms shrink, online media is growing as a premiere resource. Twitter, blogs, MySpace and Facebook have emerged as legitimate venues to obtain information and build a brand. Personalities such as Tila Tequila and Perez Hilton have become household names first because of online and social media leading to traditional media exposure later. So what are a few lessons we can take from those on the “T-List?”

Transparency is critical –For the first time, the average person has direct contact with a celebrity, personality, influencer, etc. Twitter users have come to demand authenticity and celebrities that are the most successful “Tweeters” (Ashton Kutcher, Pete Wentz) manage their own accounts. While it may not all be positive attention, people appreciate the opportunity to personally connect. People want honesty, not canned statements. Social media is evolving that expectation.
Time is of the essence – When Michael Jackson passed away, his death was reported on Twitter, Facebook and blogs far before any traditional media source reported his death. By the time information was posted on a news site or broadcast on air, word had spread like wildfire through the online and social media channels making traditional sources appear irrelevant. Instead of going to CNN’s website for “breaking news” people were following threads on Twitter and visiting entertainment blogs for true up-to-the-minute information. Reaction times are nearly extinct with the birth of social media.
Move over A-List – Big names such as Julia Roberts, Cameran Diaz and Brad Pitt all command millions of dollars for a movie role but names such as Heidi Montag, Perez Hilton and Audrina Patridge are just as well known due to social media. “A-Listers” are losing their pull at the box office while online and social media personalities continue to rise. You don’t have to be the biggest or most recognized to be relevant.

For a fun look at how Social Media is changing our lives, check out “Web Site Story”:
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1913584

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October 9, 2009 | Robin Lybarger

Honesty Can Be The Best Virtue

With the onslaught of communication channels people expect “transparency”. While I am not a big fan of this buzzword, I think the idea it conveys is here to stay. Put simply, today’s consumers demand companies and individuals to be open and honest. If a company or celebrity tries to hide from an issue, it will certainly spiral out of control. Please note, that if a situation is legal in nature other rules apply.

Now, take the recent situation with David Letterman. Okay, I definitely do not condone his actions of infidelity, but the way he handled the situation publicly was a good example of how to deal with a crisis situation. It was obviously painful to address his infidelity on air honestly and openly, but it squashed rumors and allowed him to own up to what he had done and whom he hurt. A very humbling experience indeed. In my opinion, the fact his fans heard the confession firsthand will certainly bode well for him.

With nearly two decades in the public relations business, I have always counseled my clients to get in front of a crisis. It is important to communicate YOUR message as the conversation will go on with or without you. This is an approach even more important in a world that includes instant communication tools – such as Twitter and Facebook.

At the end of the day, it is only human to respect and appreciate when people are open and honest. I remain amazed at how many companies are still afraid they will lose control if they say too much. Let’s be honest, in most situations if don’t speak up you will lose even more control!

As the Harvard Business blog says, Letterman’s ability to manage the crisis on his own terms helped him contain the damage.

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October 9, 2009 | Lisa Wieting

Can Twitter Kill the Sidekick?

I am not a T-Mobile client and really have never paid attention to the differences between carriers…until today. I ran across a post from a prominent entertainment blogger who reports that:

“T-Mobile’s service for their Sidekicks went down worldwide a week ago and many many many users STILL have not been able to access their contacts. Since then, T-Mobile’s customer service and communication with their customers has SUCKED. It’s pathetic, disgusting and insulting! To add insult to injury, the ONLY thing T-Mobile is offering their customers, whom they obviously don’t value or respect, is one month of free data service.”

From there, the blogger introduced the Twitter topic: #TmobileStillSucks

For the past 20 minutes I have been following the above hash-tag (which could be on its way to becoming a trending topic). Here is a sample of what is currently being said on Twitter:

“SOO glad I canceled t-mobile before this drama!! worst service ever #TmobileStillSucks”

“(Expletive) T-Mobile. I’m so sick of their awful customer service. #TmobileStillSucks”

“I hope #TmobileStillSucks will be a trending topic. LOL”

The last post from @TMobile_USA was on October 6:

“Due to Sidekick data outage, Sidekick cust. will receive a 1 mo credit for data service. See www.t-mobile.com/sidekick”

The e-tailing group inc. conducted a recent survey about social commerce and found that 74% of online shoppers buying decisions are influenced by others’ opinions and product recommendations from friends are twice as influential as product recommendations from merchants. This does not bode well for T-Mobile.

The company clearly did not have an online crisis communications plan prepared prior to the outage situation. While a huge inconvenience for its customers, the situation could have been addressed more strategically by doing the following things:

Immediately own up to the situation so that the information is coming from you first versus the “Twitterverse” and online world. It shows personal accountability and is the only way to take some sort of control.

Provide continual updates about what is being done to alleviate the situation. T-Mobile has not posted anything on Twitter since October 6 (three days ago) and the post merely offered users a one month data service credit.

Is anyone at T-Mobile monitoring what is happening online? Twitter is a great customer service tool if you actually use it. Someone at T-Mobile should be devoting his or her time towards monitoring what is being said online and responding.

People online are talking about the compensation offered – one month credit for data service – and they feel it does not address the inconvenience and frustration of the problem. This is a great opportunity for T-Mobile to listen to their customers and use that information to re-evaluate their strategy, reach out to bloggers and “Tweeters” and turn the conversations into something more positive.

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