With the proliferation of social media, more and more organizations are realizing its value as a marketing and public relations tool. As such, we now have a multitude of examples that provide lessons on what to do and not to do when it comes to social media campaign planning and execution. We’ve recently seen two great examples of both.
Old Spice launched a campaign in Februrary around the Old Spice Guy with a television ad themed, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” This initial ad campaign recently climaxed this month with a flurry of 180 YouTube videos personalized for fans and celebrities alike. The original ad attracted 19 million views, with this latest “Old Spice Responses” campaign resulting in 5.9 million views and 22,500 comments, all since the middle of July.
What’s great about the campaign is how Old Spice and marketing agency Wieden + Kennedy used viewers to go viral, noting that brands don’t make viral videos, users do. To achieve viral success, they not only sent customized video responses to random individuals, but also to celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Ellen DeGeneres. The campaign also took a positive approach, offering valuable, but funny advice, as opposed to a shocking or over-the-top attitude to help the content go viral. This approach made people want to be a part of the experience.
On the other hand, in an effort to be seen as edgy and youthful, Dr. Pepper launched a Facebook campaign in the U.K. with ad agency Lean Mean Fighting Machine (LMFM) that used Chat Roulette as part of April Fool’s jokes by “punking” users, showing them a cheerleader to get their attention then switching her out for someone less desirable. Later, LMFM led a campaign that gave consumers a chance to win £1,000 if they allowed the brand to take control of their status updates on Facebook. This campaign eventually offended a 14-year-old girl (and her parents) with an inappropriate message.
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Each new technological convenience, such as smart phones, portable tablet computers and free wireless internet at every corner, makes the Internet more and more accessible to “e-patients,” or health care patients searching for online diagnoses, treatment options and other health care information.
These e-patients turn to online health resources to find information in preparation for, or even in place of, doctor visits. While these popular sites can instruct worried parents on how to treat a simple cold or tummy ache, they can also create unnecessary confusion and anxiety about unlikely diagnoses.
In fact, of the 61 percent of American adults looking online for health information, six in 10 of those e-patients say their most recent Internet search actually affected their decision on how to treat an illness or condition.
To help solve the potential problems posed by this wealth of online information, health organizations, hospitals and physicians should consider this old adage: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”
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It can sometimes be hard to find a timely topic for this blog. Thanks to LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert, a backseat-driving PR goldmine dropped in my lap.
Here’s a recap: James is regarded by many as the NBA’s brightest star. From his first day in the NBA, James’s star power has been so strong that folks from CNBC often talked about the economic benefits he brought to Cleveland, a city hard hit by recession. Free agency came calling this year, and the James sweepstakes was narrowed down to several teams, including the Cavs, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.
Typically, when free agents sign a contract, they release a media statement. James, however, scheduled a primetime ESPN special to announce he’s joining the Heat. Within seconds, Cleveland fans disowned him, Facebook lit up and President Obama released a statement (OK – the last part didn’t happen). The most common knock against James was that he publically embarrassed his home state by announcing on live television that he was leaving.
But it didn’t end there. Apparently confusing owning a franchise with owning a human being, Gilbert wrote a scathing letter about James and posted it on the Cavs’ website. While James and Gilbert both made mistakes, James comes out on top, and I’m sure the Boys and Girls Club of America appreciated the $2.5 million raised from the ESPN special.
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As nonprofits approach the end of a fiscal year and gear up to begin a new one, fundraising campaigns are top of mind. This is the time of year when capital campaigns are launched and invitations to gala events are sent to loyal supporters.
A recent study, titled The Next Generation of American Giving, cites that the majority of fundraising targets older, more mature donors, but this segment of the population is quickly shrinking. Nonprofits are going to be forced to attract a new generation of donors. Generation Y, or the Millenniums, is a growing segment of the population with more than 71 million people compared to the 41 million Generation Xers before them.
The study also reports that matures give, on average, $1,066 per year to 6.3 charities, while baby boomers give $901 per year to 5.2 charities. Generation X gives $796 on average to 4.2 charities, and Generation Y gives $341 to 3.6 charities.
So the question is, how do we persuade Generation Y to give more? Consider the following recommendations to help attract young donors:
1) Host events that appeal to younger audiences. Each year, Allied Arts hosts their “ARTini” fundraiser, an event inspired by dedicated young professionals in the Oklahoma City metro area. This year, the event raised more than $20,000 to support arts programs in central Oklahoma.
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As oil continues to flow from an accident that occurred in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the reputation of one of the world’s largest corporations, along with the reputation of an entire industry, are at stake.
Most companies and industries will never have to face a crisis of this magnitude; however, the BP incident of 2010 will no doubt serve as a case study for business and organization leaders and public relations practitioners for years to come.
This is just one reminder that it is critical for companies and organizations to prepare for crisis, not only from an operational and safety standpoint, but also from a communications perspective. I am sure there will be ongoing assessment of BP’s operational and communications responses.
A few early thoughts on their crisis communications-
- Safety: British Petroleum said they placed top priority on the safety of their workers, but comments from those aboard the rig are positive and negative. Lesson: The safety of your workers, neighbors and the general public must be top priority in everything you do. It’s not enough to just say it – it must be true. Also, remember your most important audience is your employees and their family members – don’t forget internal communications.
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For most people, there is a standard checklist when preparing for an interview. It goes something like this:
- Update resume, and research job hunting tips for your industry.
- Update profiles in LinkedIn, and make sure there is no inappropriate content on Twitter or Facebook.
- Search for jobs in your industry (in our industry, places like PRSA in Oklahoma City or Tulsa).
- Write terrific cover letter that is customized for the position.
- Wait for an interview.
- Practice answering the tough questions.
- Interview for the position.
- Follow up with a handwritten thank you note.
From the perspective of someone who interviews candidates frequently, there is a major item on the checklist that is often overlooked: preparing questions that you, the candidate, should ask the employer during an interview.
If you accept a position with a company, and you know you will be spending the majority of your time every day at that company, don’t you want to make sure it is a good fit for you? Most people are so concerned with getting the job, they don’t stop to ask questions that will ultimately determine their future happiness.
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I’m what most would categorize in the “early majority” when it comes to adopting new technology – not an innovator, but not a laggard either. So when I first saw that Steve Jobs’ letter about Adobe Flash was the number one trending topic on Mashable a few days ago, I didn’t think much of it. But then I considered that, since I’m one of more than 20 million users of the iPhone, I took another look.
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform popular for adding animation and interactivity to Web pages. According to Adobe, the Flash Player is the world’s most pervasive software platform, used by more than two million professionals and reaching 99 percent of Internet-enabled desktops and devices.
So, why doesn’t Mr. Jobs like Flash, and why doesn’t Apple use Flash on any of their products including the iPhone, iPod and iPad? Here’s the letter in a nutshell:
- Adobe Flash is a proprietary system and not ‘open’ like other Web standards, including HTML 5, CSS and JavaScript.
- Even though 75 percent of video on the Web is developed in Flash, most of this video is also available in a more modern format, H.264, and viewable on iPhones, iPods and iPads.
- Adobe Flash was recently rated by Symantec for having one of the worst security records in 2009. Flash is the No. 1 reason Macs crash.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Saxum Public Relations, an integrated public relations, strategic marketing and creative firm, today announced the results of the “Saxum Snapshot of Media,” a poll conducted to measure traditional and social media usage among likely voters in the state.
The survey showed that the social networking site Facebook is accessed by 59.2 percent of likely voters surveyed between the ages of 18-44; 37.1 percent ages 45-54 and 22.4 percent ages 55-64. The survey also showed that 41.4 percent of participants ages 18-44 watched a YouTube video in the last 30 days, with 32.1 percent ages 45-54 and 20 percent ages 55-64 engaging on the popular video hosting site. Twitter was used by 15.3 percent of the 18-44 age group surveyed; 5.1 percent of ages 45-54 and 2 percent of those ages 55-64.
“Social media sites are increasing in popularity both for personal networking and as an inexpensive and effective means for businesses to communicate with targeted audiences,” said Lisa Janssen, media relations account executive at Saxum. “While social media usage in Oklahoma is lower than the national average, we do believe there is tremendous potential for growth.”
The Saxum Snapshot also showed that 62.2 percent of those surveyed trust the accuracy of reporting by local media.
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While thumbing through the March 22nd issue of Time Magazine, I was startled to see an article by Charles Kenny, telling us to forget Twitter, Facebook, Google and the Kindle.
What?
I thought the world had taken a noticeable shift and television’s future was no longer by any means rosy. Then, to my surprise, I was told that television is still the most influential medium around. In fact, notes Kenny, for many of the poorest regions of the world, it remains the next big thing.
He then adds that, for those of us who are not captivated by all of the reality programming garnering ratings today, the television revolution is changing lives for the better. Though many of us know that, across the developing world, around 45 percent of households had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60 percent. We also know that this is way behind the U.S., where there are more TVs than people.
The startling part is that television dwarfs worldwide Internet access. Five million more households in sub-Saharan Africa will get a TV over the next five years. After the fall of the Taliban, which had outlawed TV, one in five Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013—pushing the numbers to well beyond two-thirds of households.
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Thinking back to my days as a student at Gaylord College, I remember an encounter with an executive of a Fortune 500 company.
He asked me what I like most about public relations. I quickly answered, “Working with nonprofits.” He looked at me, puzzled, and said, “Why? There’s no money in nonprofits!” My interest in helping nonprofits with public relations has nothing to do with monetary reward, but with the reward of helping a cause larger than myself.
Many nonprofits do operate on a limited marketing budget, so working in the industry often requires inexpensive, creative solutions to meet objectives. Here are some recommendations on inexpensive ways to market your nonprofit without blowing your budget.
- Establish a social media presence. Social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and You Tube are free to join and can increase your nonprofit’s visibility in the community. These sites can also improve your search engine optimization.
- Develop corporate and community partnerships that make sense. The Made in Oklahoma Coalition (client), a group of Oklahoma food manufacturers who work to promote local Oklahoma products, has established a successful partnership with local food banks. A portion of proceeds from the sale of MIO paper towels and cookbooks benefit the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma and the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Food 4 Kids program.
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