Social Media @ Work & Play » Creativity

Your Social Media Marketing Linch Pin: Branding

Gary Moneysmith — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:02:13 +0000

Ever watch your grandmother sort through her (postal) mail? If your granny is anything like mine, she carefully inspects and opens piece after piece. You just want to scream, “Just scan and throw it out – it’s all junk!” Having grown up in the era of bulk postage rates, we’ve developed a ninja-fast ability to discern what’s real and what’s not when it comes to the daily mail haul. Why? To preserve our mental health. We’re overloaded with marketing messages every day on the radio, television, billboards and of course, our mailbox. If we gave every offer a neighborly, 1900’s-like consideration, we’d never make it through our day. It’s too much and most of it’s crap.
As a defense mechanism, we’ve developed a 6th sense to gauge what’s legitimate and what’s not. We can scan an email inbox with hundreds of messages and quickly identify the few “real” ones. We rifle through pages of Google results to find sources we can trust and which should be ignored. We read product reviews on Amazon and quickly decide which are helpful and which aren’t. Our brains are gold-panning supercomputers instantaneously filtering our way through daily information overloaded.

Now consider social media, the most eclectic, ever-changing fire hose of information in human history. As online marketers, what can we do to make sure our legitimate voice and information is taken seriously?

Answer: Branding. Yep, that old school marketing stuff…

Your brand is the genuine, distinct personality of your company. It’s what your organization stands for and makes you unique in a sea of otherwise sameness. It’s an emotional connection or way people react to a logo or product. And while it’s often associated with a visual/logo (an icon that symbolizes your brand), it includes what you say and how you say it as well. Over time, your brand builds equity — it means something to people and has value. It builds trust, justifies your attention and rationalizes a premium price.

When it comes to social media, the need for branding is greater than ever. People may find your organization’s Web site in search engine results along with you your Twitter account, Facebook group, YouTube channel and blog. Do all these places “feel” the same? Do they speak with the same voice? Do they offer consistent materials?

Now considering the chipmunk-on-meth attention span of most Web visitors, does your social media channel past the 5-second brand consistency test? Pull up one of your social media channels (say, your blog) then quickly review it for visuals, personality and content:

Visual Presentation
Are you using your logo correctly – colors/size/spacing? Does your color scheme match your Web site? Do your photos match your other marketing materials?
Personality
Does it convey the right tone and spirit? Does it “feel” like your organization?
Content
Is the material you offer appropriate? Or is it just copy-and-pasted from your annual report? Does the depth and breadth of content reflect your expertise? Is it what people would expect?

There’s a lot in social media that you can’t control, but what you say and how you say it is still your choice. Your online brand identity should be treated as an invaluable asset that MUST be nurtured and protected. Because without it, you’re just a commodity fighting to breath in an increasingly crowded online marketplace.

Social Media Success Story: Romeo the Cat

Gary Moneysmith — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:18:58 +0000

I was recently invited by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce to present a short Social Media success story. I featured my friend Caroline Golon’s hobby project titled Romeo: The Cat’s Meow of Social Media. Caroline combines her savvy media relations skills and creativity with her love for shelter animals. The resulting pet project (pun intended) has raised over $17,000 using Twitter, Facebook and a blog. Here’s a slideshow from the event:

Juicy Juice & VW: Advertweeting?

Gary Moneysmith — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:54:42 +0000

In a recent ad campaign by consumer package goods giant Nestle, Juicy Juice banner ads are integrated with viewer Twitter messages (”tweets”). You simply send a tweet to a designated hashtag to have it displayed within the Juicy Juice banner ad itself. This format has been dubbed “Twitter Pulse” — ostensibly reflecting there heartbeat of consumers’ thinking.

While it’s easy to dismiss this concept — I mean seriously, who wants to write something to display in a banner ad? — don’t be so quick. There’s a human element that is drawn towards interacting with a brands we enjoy. We plaster our bodies with conspicuously branded products: Nike shoes, Polo shirts, Gap jeans, ad nauseam. Seeing your name and Twitter message (even for a short time period) associated with a brand you respect is attractive to many people.

In the offline world, Mini Cooper started using RFID technology in 2007 to recognize their car owners when they drive by billboards which digitally display a custom message based based on their owner’s name and car information. Even in 2005, Brits could send short text messages to a designated number and have them displayed on a digital construction sign (you know, the ones that warn us about traffic accidents) which was used to promote a Creative Technology Festival, go figure. So the idea of customized advertisement isn’t new, it’s just new to the Twitterverse.

Another example is from Volkswagen. You simply enter your Twitter name and it “analyzes” your Tweets to make a recommendation on which VW car is best for you. Below are screen captures of the basic animation sequence:

Corny? Yes. But it is entertaining and attempts to do “something” that helps create a link in potential buyers’ minds. I applaud them for pushing Twitter and animation technology this far as you must admit, it is innovative and fun. It’s not a homerun, but it’s a decent bunt single. And in today’s day-and-age, getting on base is half the battle.

So how will you use Twitter to better engage consumers with your advertising? Would love to hear….

PS: I’ve already registered “advertweeting.com” — sorry suckers!

Trip to the 2009 Webby Awards – Part 2

Gary Moneysmith — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:30:32 +0000

The Webby Awards gala was held at the swanky Wall Street Cipriani — a massive ballroom decorated in Greek revival style. Host Seth Myers quipped that “there was no better place to celebrate innovation and vision than Wall Street. What?! Were there no rooms available in Detroit?”

Unlike most awards shows, the Webbys limit acceptance speeches to 5-words. From a marriage proposal to comedienne Sarah Silverman’s “Holocaust. Did it happen? Yes…” the quips were as crazy as you’d expect from a ballroom of uber-creative people. They’re all available for viewing on YouTube so check them out.

Normally, I don’t really care about celebrities. Really. But when they’re in the same room celebrating internet oriented achievements, it’s pretty damn cool. Martha Stewart, Seth Myers, Cameron Diaz, Charlie Rose, Trent Reznor, Molly Sims, Jimmy Fallon and Isabella Rossellini all mingled with the crowd (sort’ve) throughout the night. Quite validating for me considering all those incredibly late nights I spent working in obscurity in the in mid-90’s when the Web was still the domain of socially inept geeks. Not that I was ever one of those. I’m just saying…

The biggest attraction for me was meeting the inventor of the World Wide Web – Tim Berners Lee. I brought along the book he wrote “Weaving the Web” and got it autographed. He was impressed I read it; the dogeared pages with scribbled notes from a decade ago proved my case proved that indeed I was nerdy enough to read a novel about his invention.

Here’s a photo of us walking on the red carpet. Note the book — oh yah!

Here’s a shot of Nicole (right) and our friends from Black Magic Marker (Holland). Both are gorgeous, the picture really doesn’t do them justice. And before you tease me, YES I KNOW I’m a lucky dude.

After the awards gala, we briefly met Seth Meyers and thanked him for emceeing the event. He’s amazingly quick witted, endearing and sincere. And he was cool enough to let us snap a quick photo:

In the end, it was a fantastic weeked. And my 5-word speech? “Geeks Will Inherit the Earth.”

Trip to the 2009 Webby Awards – Part 1

Gary Moneysmith — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:33:31 +0000

This definitely falls into the Social Media @ PLAY category. Back in March, a friend from RHI/The Creative Group encouraged me to enter their online essay contest asking about trends on the Internet. I wrote about the convergence of social media integrating with popular websites that were also streaming live television. Think back to the CurrentTV online broadcast of the Presidential debates that had live tweets streaming across the stream or TNT’s website that allowed users to select their camera angle during the NBA All-Star game and chat with their friends via Facebook Connect. I’m very intrigued on how these 3 areas are being homogenized into an entirely new, communal experience. Face it, American Idol is a lot more fun when simultaneously watching the show and chatting online about it with friends or family spread around the world.

Long story short, my entry was selected by the contest sponsor and the Webby executive director out of a couple hundred entries. So I got a free trip to NYC to watch the Webby’s in-person with my lovely wife Nicole. Mind you, we have 1-year old so this was our first Mommy-Daddy outing in 16-months. You could’ve given me a trip to see Muppets-on-Ice in Paducah, Kentucky and I would’ve been stoked. But to attend the Webby Awards in NYC was beyond awesome.

The Webby Awards are the Oscars for Internet projects. And while most self-respecting Web geeks scoff at awards, this event is to die for. Seriously. You have to win an award to attend — you can’t just buy a ticket. So for most people (including yours truly), it’s a once in a lifetime event.

The cocktail party the night before was the official ice-breaker. And like all good open bars, the ice was broken, crushed and served into free drinks. We met our super-fun hosts from RHI/The Creative Group – Jen and Megan – who couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. We had fantastic conversations with designers from Weiden + Kennedy, Qik, the LA Times, the BBC Online and big Black Marker, a web development firm from Amsterdam. Amazing talent/people. We ended up befriending the Amsterdam group and sharing a wonderful dinner after the party. They won their Webby for their Tom Tom Secrets website which is super creative – you should check it out.

Here are a couple shots from the evening:

I’ll write about the big Webby Award gala in my next post — coming very soon!

Social Media Success Story: 31 Days of the Dragon

Gary Moneysmith — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:25:53 +0000

This is an oldie, but goodie from 2008. Computer manufacturer HP teamed up with word-of-mouth marketing specialists Buzz Corps to launch the 31 Days of the Dragon campaign. Per HP, they wanted to “deepen their commitment to the blogosphere and support new media initiatives that build strong relationships in a unique community of writers, reviewers, fans and enthusiasts.”

HP provided 31 “HDX Dragon” computer systems to 31 carefully selected bloggers/influencers to give away to lucky readers on their own sites over 31 days (one per blogger). A key success factor, HP/Buzz Corps really took the time to to know the bloggers. Each blogger was allowed to set their own contest/giveaway rules that were customized to the respective audience and goals.

The bloggers created their own custom marketing materials (microsites, graphics, logos, videos, RSS feeds) and shared/cross promoted with each other. The net relationship was more of a partnership with each other and HP vs. a traditional product giveaway program.

Impressive Takeaways
During the promotion, the 31 bloggers heavily promoted the contest, HP, the HDX Dragon and each other, demonstrating the collective power of the community banding together. Each participating blog site not only saw a 150% – 5,000% increase in traffic, but also sustained traffic levels for several months after campaign was finished.

Impossible to achieve with with traditional media, here are the results based HPShopping.com, month over month data:

84% increase in sales on the HDX Dragon System
14% increase in overall traffic
10% increase in overall consumer PC sales
50 million impressions (Alexa data)
Treasure trove of consumer feedback and traffic stats to be used in future planning and development
10,000 reader/entrant videos on YouTube.com and Blip.tv
380,000 links discussing the giveaways (per Google)
25,000 entries received by the 31 participating blogs

Costs
$250,000 for the 31 computer systems given away including shipping, software, etc. Zero dollars spent on media. While the costs for Buzz Corps aren’t available, they’re likely to be in the $75,000-100,000 range (my guess). Even if they were higher, they were worth every penny for the amount of exposure and good will created for HP. Mucho props to them for pulling off such a successful social media campaign.

Social Media Success Story: ClevelandIdeas.com

Gary Moneysmith — Thu, 28 May 2009 03:25:16 +0000

Starting today, I’m creating a new section on this blog to feature Social Media Success Stories. I know they’re out there — so I’m going to start collecting them for easy reference and to give them props for jobs well done. Please send me more ideas using my email address listed to the right.

First up is ClevelandIdeas.com — a social media project conceived, developed, self-financed, promoted and maintained by the good folks at DigiKnow, Inc.

Per the ClevelandIdeas.com website, DigiKnow is sick and tired of negativity. And they’re looking to use the “Wisdom of Crowds” to generate good ideas that might be used to make Cleveland and the region stronger in the future. I interviewed King Hill (President/Principal) and Scott Chapin (Director of Consulting Services) with the following questions:

1) How did you conceive of ClevelandIdeas.com and what inspired you to invest so much into the program?

We decided that in 2009 we needed to increase our awareness locally, so in March, we created an open contest to the staff to generate a campaign/marcom idea for DigiKnow in 2009. The results of this were several strong ideas that were integrated into our “We Know” tagline. Since our theme was centered around knowledge, we came up with the idea of using the wisdom of crowds to help Cleveland brainstorm ideas.

2) What’s the primary platform that powers ClevelandIdeas.com? What unique features does it allow?

The website is built on the open-source Pligg platform that functions much like Digg or the SalesForce application that Dell’s IdeaStorm and myStarbucksIdea.com are built on. The system allows users to register and submit ideas/comments and allows any visitors to vote, pushing them up/down the list accordingly.

3) What other social media channels are you using to support or supplement the program?

Twitter was our primary social media channel to drive awareness of our efforts. We built a script that identified all of the local twitterers in the Cleveland market and followed the top 1000 users. We tweeted any interesting activities on the site as well as general activities relevant to our Cleveland audience. Facebook and LinkedIn pages/groups were also setup but were not heavily promoted. Several lively discussions developed in LinkedIn surrounding our overall concept and the need to generate ideas for Cleveland.

4) What cross channel marketing support have you used to drive awareness and participation?

The website was promoted through traditional media including radio and outdoor, through PR in local newspapers, radio and TV in addition to the social media promotion via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

5) What’s been the most surprising result or lesson learned thus far?

There have been several interesting results from this campaign. The most profound is the balance of traffic that was generated by social media, advertising and PR. Attributing website traffic as best as possible, there was a relatively even mix between these three marketing channels. The engagement of visitors was another surprise. The average time on site was 5 minutes, but more surprisingly, the average for visitors that submitted an idea was 25 minutes.

Results after 5-weeks:

293 ideas
1,885 votes
501 comments

6) What actionable results or intelligence have been discovered?

By controlling all of the pieces of this marketing puzzle and having full data on the site activities, we were able to see which activities we did triggered what level of response. Within this Petri dish, we were able to tweak relatively small activities and see the results. A good example of this was inviting people to follow us on Twitter. In each round of following, we got about a 50-60% follow back rate and an obvious spike in visitors to the website.

7) How will you measure the success of ClevelandIdeas.com – for the City of Cleveland and/or DigiKnow?

Our goal is not only to get the best ideas into the hands of local leaders, but to help push them to happen. Success in that sense will be to have an idea from the site become a reality and benefit the city. From DigiKnow’s standpoint, in addition to helping the city, the awareness created and the positive feedback we have already received makes this campaign a success for us.

Brand Icons — Let Them Speak!

Gary Moneysmith — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 15:43:00 +0000

During the Fall of 2007, my wife and I happily announced that we were expecting a new bundle of joy in the coming months. With family and friends spread around the country, we (and by “we” I mean “I”) set up a Baby Blog where I proceeded to write entries from the eyes of our fetus. I figured the usual “we went to the doctor” was boring. I wondered what the doctor visit was like for our little bean swimming around the ultrasound screen.

The ensuing entries were a blast to write. 95% of it was pure fiction of course with the other 5% being the usual “I have toes and I grew a spinal cord this week” type of stuff. The baby had a snarky attitude and often wondered about his parent’s readiness and sanity. Totally fun stuff that our family/friends lapped up and enjoyed.

As a marketing geek, I can’t help but think about all the brand icons out there just begging to come to life in social media. Just imagine the Twitter conversations you could have with them:

Tony the Tiger
Do you ever want to just say “They’re just pretty good — not great?” What fun stories could you share about being a cub that my kids might relate to?

Jolly Green Giant
When did you realize you were taller than the other green kids? Do you eat vegetables yourself? Do you like sweets, too? Do you always get along with your sidekick Sprout?

Mr. Peanut
Have you ever been tested for peanut allergies? What tips can you give me if my kid has peanut allergy — we know you’re not for everybody. BTW, how OLD are you now? What are your favorite foods made with peanuts — got any recipes?

Juan Valdez
What are your thoughts on shade grown coffee? Is coffee harvesting helping the local economies in Central/South America? I hear it’s better to pick beans off trees vs. cutting down the rain forest — tell me more, oh wise, mysterious Juan.

Pillsbury Doughboy
Dude, why are you so happy all the time? You’re round, but are you healthy? What advice can you share with kids to enjoy good food. What school did you attend? Clearly cooking was your fav class, right?

Michelin Man
What do you think of the high gas prices? What can I do to my tires to keep them in best shape for the highest gas mileage possible? Got any new technologies you can tell me about? And how’s that fat little dog of yours doing?

Ben & Jerry
What are you guys doing now? Tell me some stories about the people you’ve helped. Tell me about some crazy flavors that never got picked — we KNOW you’ve tried some wacky ones that didn’t work out.

Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker
Tell me some old stories about when you first started out. What were some struggles you overcame back then — how do they compare to nowadays? What music do you like? What are some favorite events you’ve been invited to?

Mr. Clean
Oh, we just KNOW you’ve got some juicy stories to share. What — with the shaved head and earring for all these years. You’re a soap opera waiting to come to life, ya big stud.

Clearly the possibilities are endless. What a boom time for creative writers — or it SHOULD be. Every one of these brands was cultivated to convey a certain brand identity that has lived on for years. Now we have the opportunity to actually interact with these formerly 2-dimensional personas. Yea, some of you had furry suits, BUT YOU NEVER TALKED TO US. Now’s the time!

This is fun stuff. While every brand will have different creative freedom, they could ALL benefit from opening up and allowing us to interact with them. You need to have a voice before earning word-of-mouth, right?

Just imagine the stories the Playboy Bunny could tell…

Creativity: Freshly Juiced by Social Media

Gary Moneysmith — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:50:52 +0000

Social media is oftentimes perceived as a replacement or threat to traditional Creatives charged with developing new campaigns and advertisements. It’s true: technology has lowered the threshold to producing video by anyone with a creative bee in their bonnet. But let’s not throw the baby out with the baby water. Let’s look at what social media offers to learn how Creatives can leverage it for their own good.

Video game maker Electronic Arts discovered the Tiger Woods “Jesus Shot” video on YouTube where a gamer somewhat makes fun of EA allowing Tiger to walk on water and hit a golf ball from the middle of a pond. Could be perceived as a glitch in the game. I mean, come on, Tiger’s good, but everyone knows cats don’t like water.

EA capitalizes on the YouTube video and “responds” by releasing a new video showing Tiger walking onto the pond and hitting a golf ball. The video ends with “It’s not a glitch. He’s just that good.” Brilliant. They convert a annoying situation into a creative epiphany that ends up being a fantastic commercial. Oh, and they post the commercial to YouTube, of course, generating 80,000 views in 2-days. Now THAT’S being creative.

Similar Coverage/Stories:

Mashable – Tiger Woods’ Jesus Walk Not a Glitch
The Social Path – EA and Tiger Woods show how to pay attention