online brand engagement Archives

Far be it from me to exhaust an already exhausting brand but let’s talk Lady Gaga. In case you haven’t heard, Mother Monster is releasing her second full-length album, recently reached a Twitter milestone, and just yesterday knocked Oprah out of the top spot on Forbes’ annual “The Celebrity 100” which measures the most powerful stars on the planet. Love her or loathe her, Lady Gaga has certainly mastered marketing and online brand engagement.

With 10 million Twitter followers and nearly 35 million likes on Facebook, Gaga really rocks social media marketing. Her secret? Much like her endless pursuit of headlines, the Lady never sleeps when it comes to social media. Her YouTube channel, her Twitter page and her Facebook account are loaded daily with fresh content. Our blogs can take a page from the Book of Gaga when it comes to updating.

Of course, today’s blogs don’t have to be epic masterpieces every day of the week but they do need to have thoughtful and original content. And when we’ve run out of things to blog about, we can also do as the Lady does — engage. Unlike any celebrity online, Lady Gaga engages in conversations with her fans. Talking to our readers not only drives traffic to our blog… it also establishes our blog as one that talks to its readers, instead of at them.

Our blogs can also learn a thing or two from Gaga’s mistakes. As a potential critical backlash looms and complaints of overkill swirl around the web, Lady Gaga has clearly missed the Madonna marketing lesson of being too cool to respond. Gaga hops online any and every time her name or brand is mentioned. She has angrily fired back at claims that her new album is less than original. She’s mouthed off about topics that are out of her range of expertise. The back-and-forth with online media has been nonstop and has conversely pushed her out of the headlines — something you definitely don’t want on the eve of a new album release. While engaging is great, sometimes a blogger needs to shut up. By overposting or indulging in poorly-written tirades, we endanger our brand by possibly alienating our readers. Instead, we need to blog when necessary and let our products speak for themselves.

Whether the Gaga era is here to stay remains to be seen, but her marketing power is truly something to be reckoned with. If, by chance, you need more help with your blog than a pop star can provide, we can help make your blog truly rock.

Many promotional ideas and online brand engagement fail to catch on for a myriad of reasons. But every now and then, promotions are so unique they beg to be written about, discussed and dissected. The latest contest from Kotex is one of those ideas.

The maker of sanitary pads and napkins made the news this week for teaming up with redheaded dynamo stylist Patricia Field. Field, long a New York fashion scene staple, first gained national recognition for her wardrobe styling of the cast of Sex and the City. Since then, Field’s name has become synonymous with gutsy, think-outside-the-box fashion.

So it’s hard not to go “hmmm” when you think about the pairing of the 69-year-old Field and Kotex, a brand that is looking to appeal to younger consumers. Certainly the partnership is one of a kind. Kotex has set up a site entitled BandtheBland.com where designer hopefuls look to reinvent the standard white maxi pad. On the site in a promotional video, Field encourages contestants to go wild with colors patterns and even glitter. Kotex is also looking for a winning design of a special tin which will carry the stylish pads. Winners will have their designs produced and will attend Fashion Week in New York City this September. Kotex is hoping that Field, along with new “punk/glam” designed tampons, will help the brand separate itself from the old school hygiene product image.

“Young women have design choices to express themselves in all aspects of their lives from fashion to the color of their cell phone. So why do they still have to settle for the boring and institutional look of feminine care?” public relations rep Marissa Festante said in an interview with the New York Daily News.

While the concept technically is no different than the teddy bears added to your paper towels or the flowers on your toilet paper, Kotex is taking a risk by giving a well-known but rarely discussed product such a hip makeover. Time will tell if the brand’s bit of edgy and creative engagement will pay off.

Kotex Takes a Risk on a Hip Brand Makeover

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