Archives for September 2011

September 30, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

5 Things You Might Have Missed!

Well, well, well. If it isn’t our old pal Friday! To celebrate its triumphant return, we’ve cooked up yet another serving of our tasty dish we like to call “5 Things You Might Have Missed.”

1.) Sure Beats Stale Doritos: In a geolocation twist on the modern vending machine, Nokia came up with the Gifting Machine. When lucky folks stumbled upon the contraption, they were encouraged to check in on Foursquare in order to win a prize. Some people got free candy (yay, free candy!) while one lucky vending visitor won a free Nokia phone. Rad, guerilla branding and location-based marketing from a phone company that may not have the bells and whistles of other kids but is proving the one to beat when it comes to clever marketing.

2.) Come on Kindle Light My Fire: So the Kindle Fire might not be as big as the iPad or able to take pictures, but the recently-announced gadget is only $199 bucks and is loaded with all the goodies Amazon devotees have come to love. Expect this to be the digital must-have of the season, assuming you don’t already have an iPad.

3.) Because Snorting Oreo Lines Would Be Weird: Here’s a clever concept from Miami Ad School that puts the black dust left behind by America’s favorite cookie to good use. Introducing the Oreo Crumb Case! This concept-only product makes the list for giving us the go-ahead to hoard our cookie crumbs and dump them in our milk. Brilliant and delicious!

4.) Your Channel Could be Next: So this list published by the Wall Street Journal of the top YouTube channels shows up on our list for being so darn inspiring. Sure, it’s filled with big guns like Vevo at No. 1, but how about do-it-yourself channels like No. 3 Machinima or Internet goofball Jenna Marbles at No. 24? Proof that viral campaign success is there for the taking for all sizes of companies.

5.) Twitter Fight in Real Life: Twittiocy, or the act of being an idiot on Twitter, was taken to the streets this week. Two sports reporters, both of whom cover the Philadelphia Eagles, started a word battle online which led to throwing punches on Wednesday. More journalism classiness from the City of Brotherly Love? You betcha. But this stupid tiff makes our list for reminding us what not to do on Twitter. Thanks, guys!

September 29, 2011 By Brandsplat 1 Comment

Friends and Family Still No. 1 on Social Media

In the digital engagement and social media marketing bubble, we blissfully live thinking that the reason Facebook and Twitter exist is to keep in touch with our clients to, you know, sell them stuff. Well, consider that bubble popped. A new study says that folks use social media to — hold on to your hats for this one — actually keep in touch with friends! I know, it’s a shock. Just breathe deeply and we’ll get through this together.

All sarcasm aside, Nielsen’s new report entitled, “State of Social Media” wasn’t all bad news for branding gurus. Sure, 91 percent of users who are parents say they put up with social media to find and stay in touch with old friends. And 87 percent of childless folk say they use the sites to keep connected with their families.

But the little study also came up with some interesting news about mommies and daddies and their relationships to brands while they’re online: 71 percent of parent users say they like to hop on social media to read consumer feedback and 64 percent use social media to score coupons and deals. Their non-parent counterparts are far less interested in yammering about products. The numbers spiked when it came to uses of social media for gaming (63 percent)and entertainment (43 percent) among people without children. Yet overall, the mommy and daddy set seem to be using social media more.

While none of this research is really surprising, the interesting thing is how the major demographic of social media has changed. Once upon a time, it was primarily college kids and 20-somethings. Parents are now 26 percent more likely to use social media daily than non-parents, according to the study. Now people with families are using Facebook to swap baby photos and get information on family brands. And the brands have noticed. Look at Hallmark for an example of a company who is paying attention to who is on social media sites.

But here’s my question for you kids: Has the mommization of social media made it an unhip channel to market on? Sound off below!

September 28, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

P is for Parody

Laugh and the world laughs with you; parody someone else and you’ll be a viral hit. Our collective thirst for parody has never been quenched so throughly as it is online with viral marketing and video content. Today’s online parody ritual works something like this: Every day, a new video that pokes fun at a popular brand or celebrity pops up in our newsfeeds. We laugh and we pass it on. But for the most astute example of how parody can help a brand, we need to look to the place where sunny days are sweeping the clouds away.

Our interest in parody was peaked last week when we received about a million links to Sesame Street’s Glee parody pop up on Facebook. Pitch-perfect, bitingly funny and naturally educational (it’s Sesame Street, after all), the parody of the hit musical show on Fox struck a chord with Glee fans. After merely one day online, the clip garnered over 20k in views. Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide and others ran the parody and even stars of the show were tweeting about it.

What makes this sweet parody a smash hit is its lack of mean spirit. Instead of getting snarky, the production is filled with genuinely smart observational humor. Sesame Street has darn near reinvented itself after 40 years thanks to viral smashes like this one. As a creative TV brand, things were bleak on Sesame Street about five years ago. But thanks to a controversial appearance in the ‘hood by Katy Perry, all Sesame Street online videos have now become must-see viral viewing.

What we non-puppet-owning marketers can learn from our homies on Sesame Street is that a good-natured parody can not only bring in tons of viewers but can actually make people laugh. Recently, non-profits have gotten mega-notices for their PSAs that feature Star Wars and James Bond parodies. Clearly there’s no shortage of material in the pop culture universe to make fun of. So, readers, what makes you laugh? And how can you translate that into viral marketing success?

September 27, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Why Digital PR is Recession-proof

While we were enjoying this blog from Social Media Examiner about the perks of social media and public relations, we remembered our good old days at a ’90s PR firm. Spending hours stuffing press kits, faxing stacks of press releases to news outlets, running to the post office and FedEx every time we needed to get materials to a client quickly. Good times. Those PR practices of yesteryear seem downright archaic today. Modern PR would be sunk if it wasn’t for social media, online branding and digital press releases. But more than the ease of this new phase of PR, it occurred to us how much more affordable digital PR is than the old school ways of doing things.

It’s no secret the post office is in deep doo-doo and it’s easy to see why. PR firms and other communication businesses use to keep the Post Office in the black by constantly sending out packages and press kits. Now the dollars once spent on postage can be spent on hiring someone to upkeep social media accounts for clients. Think about it: How times have we ditched a card or a letter in favor of connecting with either someone on Facebook or Twitter? Our clients, as well as their clients, are all on social media, so getting in touch with them is not only easy, it’s free.

And let’s not forget how much we used to spend on printing. Printed materials in the PR world used to be churned out for every major (and nearly every minor) event. Those coins are now being sunk into digital newsletters and email marketing campaigns. Gone also are the big-time phone systems and group conference calls. Obviously, smartphones and Skype rendered those expensive dinosaurs obsolete. Gone too are the face-to-face lunches and day-long meetings. Those time- and dollar-sucking techniques have been dumped thanks to digital communication.

But the great thing about digital PR is that anybody with any budget can cook up an effective public relations strategy without the big money those fancy firms used to toss around. It doesn’t matter how good/bad the economy, nearly everybody has access to a computer and a way to reach out to clients for little or no money.

So readers, you tell us. What’s your genius recession-proof PR plan?

September 26, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Taking a Ride on the Google+ Bus

Over the summer, we wondered just how powerful Google+ would actually become. We had our doubts, particularly considering how the search engine giant’s other social media efforts had come up short. But as the platform became available to everyone last week and we played on it some more, we started to realize the vision, enjoy the benefits and wonder if we should talk to our social media marketing clients about adding Google+ to their social media repertoire.

Now, don’t get it twisted — we’re not hopping on the bandwagon in favor of ditching Facebook or Twitter. Those channels still work and are valuable marketing tools for communicating with clients. But Google+ does win in the ease category. If you already have a Google or Gmail account, signing up takes less than two minutes. Google+ then uses all of your information to gather up things you might like and tries to find people you might know. It’s basically a risk-free social media endeavour for those who might have resisted signing their lives away to Facebook. Google is a trusted brand that social media doubters might feel a little more comfortable hanging out with.

Given the news-feed overload of Facebook and the recent Twitter ad explosion, Google+ is refreshing in its stark, easy to read and easier to use layout. Decked out in Google’s primary colors with a white background, the site reminds me of YouTube’s kinder, gentler, less-branded days. While the ad-free space surely won’t last, we hope Google+ hangs on to its layout for a while since it helps the site stand out from the pack.

But the big question remains: Can Google+ be used as a marketing tool? Many brands are already saying yes. In fact, given the numbers — the site is the fastest growing social media site in history with the No. 1 app on iTunes — taking your business to Google+ couldn’t hurt. Unlike Facebook, Google+ is moving businesses to network on the site like individuals. It remains to be seen what else Google will load the site with to entice marketers and companies alike to use the tool to reach customers. But consider us hooked and intrigued.

Readers, what’s your take? Are you interested in Google+ or have you burnt out on social media altogether?

September 23, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

5 Things You Might Have Missed!

It’s been one helluva a week for social media marketing, online branding and advertising news. From that Netflix fiasco to an indestructible television brand, we’ve got 5 of our favorite stories that you might have missed.

1.) Netflix Gets Blog Bombed: Surely you’ve heard a little about this Netflix nightmare. But what you may have missed is how readers of the company’s blog used the space to fire back their angry thoughts about Qwikster, the lame decision to split the company and basically every whack maneuver co-founder Reed Hastings has pulled since the start of 2011. Netflix’s blog became an angry battleground for some 17,000 comments from folks who had lost faith in their once beloved brand. It’s a sobering lesson in what not to do with our brands as well as a cautionary tale of how our readers and followers can turn on us.

2.) New Facebook Layout Becomes the Root of All of Our Problems: Why complain about the state of the economy, questionable executions or the nut jobs running for president when you can endlessly kvetch about how much you hate the new look of Facebook? The social media czar garnered more than just a few complaints when it unveiled its new layout that features a “confusing” and “seizure inducing” sidebar newsfeed. Whatever. Facebook as a brand isn’t in trouble and despite the threats of folks exiting to Google+, we sure people will get over it and move on to other things to complain about. Like Netflix.

3.) And Besides, Everybody Loves Twix, Right?: The “two for me, none for you” chocolate bar Twix has an awesome little Facebook page complete with a Feedbreaker. Feedbreaker is the brand’s pong meets brick breaker game that engages your friends profiles and status updates. It’s all very 90s (and we mean that in a good way) while staying true to Twix’s Pick Your Pause campaign. It’s so much fun it might even make you forget how mad you are at Facebook.

4.) Wasting Water is Weird: This series of viral PSAs caught our eye because of the icky star of the ads, who not only gives us the heebeejeebees but truly inspires us to turn off unnecessary water. He’s creepy, funny and effective. Score one for water conservation!

5.) Another Cockroach at CBS: Turns out “Two and a Half Men” didn’t need Charlie Sheen after all. The newly rebooted show with Ashton Kutcher joins an esteemed group of CBS shows that simply will not die. The season premiere scored a record number of viewers, proving that some brands can survive regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama. People watch “Men” for the toilet humor; it doesn’t matter who tells the fart jokes, just as long as they get told.

September 22, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Email Marketing and Social Media Marketing: You Can Have Both!

Like Bert and Ernie, chocolate and peanut butter and Michele Bachmann and crazy, email marketing and social media marketing are two things that go great together. We’ve heard from folks for quite some time that they feel restricted to use one or the other. Either they had to channel their marketing efforts into an engaging social media effort or an interactive email marketing initiative. But time and resources never allowed for both. Well, we say “poo” to that kind of thinking — and here’s why.

Let me be Captain Obvious here for just a minute. The point of both email marketing and social media marketing is to drive business to your site. So using both channels is bound to improve click-through rates since your odds are increased, no? In fact, businesses that use both email marketing and social media marketing recently reported higher click-through rates than businesses that focused solely on email marketing, according to a new study from Constant Contact. The social media and email marketing combo platter is also a great way to increase your contact list. Getting more followers and potential customers is the name of the game, so encouraging your social media friends to hop on your email list is a great way to do just that.

But let’s talk about the time thing. How much time does it require, really? We firmly believe you can do all of your digital marketing in just 60 to 90 minutes a day, 3 to 5 days a week. Thanks to nifty technology and people like us, there’s no longer a need to feel exhausted at the mere thought of tweeting and sending out emails. The best part is that email marketing and social media marketing can be created in advance to match your style and language. Aside from new developments, the majority of messages sent out on both platforms can be planned out well in advance, making execution even faster.

In the end, both channels are about reaching out to your clients — so why not try both to increase your chances of success?

September 21, 2011 By Brandsplat Leave a Comment

Brady Butches Up Boot Brand

Somewhere north of Crocs and south of the jelly shoe lies the ever polarizing yet eternally popular Ugg. Depending on how you see the brand, the furry boots are either a nightmare experiment in Wookie and sheep taxidermy or the shoe god’s gift to toasty toes. Regardless of how you feel about Uggs, one thing is certain: It’s a girl’s shoe. Period. Dudes don’t want anything to do with the Ugg debate so they don’t get anywhere near the darn things. Yet the tides may be turning in Uggland… and it’s all because of Tom Brady.

That superstar football player with the equally polarizing hair has been touted as the man who could put Uggs on the feet of guys everywhere. Online videos from the company that don’t feature Mr. Gisele only gather about 100 views the day after a big game, according to Click Z News. But videos with Brady are a different story. His Ugg clip has racked up nearly 160,000 views on YouTube while Ugg has seen a significant bump in Likes on Facebook.

Mos Def provides the soundtrack for the ad while Brady is in charge of giving Uggs that manly swagger. From the park with Fido to the gym with a leather man bag, viewers witness the star’s feet in various states of being fashionably well- (and warm-) heeled. The shoes themselves look more like the kind of thing Kenneth Cole has been doing for a few decades, which is a good thing. As powerful as Brady is, even he would have a hard time selling fuzzy boots to men.

Ugg has a viral marketing hit on its hands while Brady, despite some scoffing from football folk, emerges as a viable sports brand that could achieve Jordan-like status (that is, assuming he stays out of Tiger territory). Regardless of what the future holds for Brady, the campaign is a perfect example of video genius mixed with brand engagement.

But let’s hear what you think, my shoe-loving, brand-watching readers: Can Brady help reinvent Ugg for dudes, or is the brand doomed to a life of being on the feet of girls in leggings at the mall? Tell us all about it in the comments section!

Archives for September 2011

5 Things You Might Have Missed!

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P is for Parody

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