Have you logged on to the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 website yet? If not, you probably should. It’s an information overload and the hub for all online initiatives, which has already played a huge part in creating buzz for the games. Read the rest →
Social Media
January 27, 2010 | Melissa Eggert
Make the 2010 Winter Olympics Your Own
January 25, 2010 | Steve Chitwood
E-Commerce Goes Social
Marketers have increasingly looked to social media tools over the past several years. Social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn; social sharing sites, such as Flickr and YouTube; and online social practices, such as blogging, microblogging (Twitter), commenting, tagging, reviewing, sharing, and the like are proving to be effective channels to build stronger brands, engage an ever-widening customer base, and differentiate a brand from the competition. Consumers are active participants, share opinions, and have become valued voices in brand conversations. Properties like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are household names, and the services they offer have been woven into our daily lives. Usage trends continue to set new records, and marketers increasingly explore new ways to exploit social media to engage consumers.
We have all witnessed the rise of embedded Facebook applications by major brands. Recently, Gap and Southwest Airlines deployed sophisticated campaigns centered in the social network. Pepsi, in a newsworthy announcement, shared its plan to abandon the expected Super Bowl TV spots in lieu of a social marketing campaign. But new opportunities for innovation abound, and not just for those with eight-figure online marketing budgets.
A small San Rafael specialty coffee roaster has recently taken a subtle step that just might foretell a gathering storm. Armed with a relatively simple software product from San Francisco start-up Milyoni, Equator Coffees & Teas launched their ifanstore – an e-commerce application embedded within the company’s Facebook page. Rather than using Facebook, like millions of others, to promote a product and drive traffic to an external website shopping cart, Equator has brought the store to the masses. It has rolled its espresso wagon right into the middle of the conversation.
While Equator will probably never compete on the scale of a major brand like Pepsi or Gap, I would expect the trend they are at the forefront of to rapidly grow. Amidst all of the video and interactivity of Gap’s Facebook jeans promotions, it seems like a logical next step to simply order a pair of jeans without having to leave the party. Southwest does a great job drawing me into the conversation and whetting my appetite for a cheap weekend adventure. Why should I have to leave Facebook and head off to another website? Just let me buy the ticket and invite my online friends to join me.
Perhaps it was intrigue over a new approach to a classic online marketing problem. Perhaps it was just the prospect of a great cup of coffee. Regardless, I purchased a pound of Equator’s coffee after reading what other followers had to say, and posted my success on my own Facebook wall. I could probably use a new pair of jeans, and I could definitely use a weekend on a sunny beach, but I’ll settle today for the prospect of a great cup of coffee and continuing the dialogue.
Rest assured, this trend will grow. The advent of the Facebook applications platform and the growing sophistication of related tools and add-ons has begun blurring the lines between a company’s website and its Facebook page. Embedded e-commerce, though in its infancy, accelerates that trend and leaves us all wondering what’s next. Where is the line between a company Facebook presence and a website? Do we need both? Please leave your comments below to continue the discussion.
January 20, 2010 | Robin Lybarger
“Tweet Me” = A Sign of Affection?
In my normal day of perusing the oodles of e-newsletters I subscribe to, I ran across an article in USA Today about how Sweethearts is debuting a “Tweet Me” Sweetheart candy for this Valentine’s Day. The article quotes the VP of Marketing for New England Confectionery, maker of Sweethearts, explaining that the inclusion of the Tweet Me Sweetheart is “in recognition that society is changing the way to say ‘I love you.’ ” Really, could it be?
As a PR professional, I am an advocate of social media, but as a human being I surely don’t agree that this is the evolution of how we show affection. I would love to know who came up with this statement. I think the idea to include the Tweet Me Sweetheart is clever, and the brand received a huge story in USA Today (also linked on the Huffington Post), as well as coverage in the Boston Herald. Also, I am blogging about it (as are others), Twitter is a partner, and there are tweets rolling in about it. But I would have recommended focusing on the fact that the brand responds to what is happening in the culture. The article also talks about its iPhone app, which sounds interesting and further demonstrates NECCO’s ability to evolve with the current happenings. For what is a smart partnership and a great campaign for building conversation about the brands, I would have expected a smarter statement as to the “why.”
In the end, the brands fit really well together … short and sweet. But I have to admit that personally, when it comes to showing affection, I prefer a call, a note, flowers or a hug.
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.
January 13, 2010 | Melissa Eggert
The Power of Social Media Over Your Brand
2010 is going to be a big year. It’s the start of a new decade, and the larger-than-life wave of social media is taking the forefront. Companies are slowly but surely learning that social media strategies are imperative for survival in the coming year. As I mentioned in my previous observations, social media and emerging media manager roles are being created and integrated into organizational structures worldwide. Take, for example, The Associated Press, which is restructuring the way its reporters gather and report the news. This week, AP introduced a social networks and news engagement manager to its first Social Network Center at its New York hub.
With social media giving a strong voice to the customer, companies are experiencing the pressure of whether their products or services can hold up to their brand pillars. One misstep and a company can face serious damage, now that everyone has a way to upload and distribute it around the world. You may remember one such mishap – the “United Breaks Guitars” video that went viral after Canadian country singer Dave Carroll’s guitar was destroyed on a United Airlines flight more than a year ago. Last summer, he used YouTube to broadcast a music video about the disaster.
