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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A recent article in the Wall Street Journal said that people who watch busy multimedia presentations remember less than those who take in information in a more sedate and focused manner. Adding to my growing anxiety, it said that people who juggle many tasks are less creative and less productive than those who do one thing at a time.
It’s always fun to talk about change intellectually, but when it comes right down to it, we are all creatures of habit, and significant change makes us all more anxious until it becomes part of who we are
So, it helped to understand that while the Internet is revolutionizing the way the world works, the anxiety about change is not new. I learned that every increase in freedom to create or consume media, from paperback books to YouTube, alarms people who are accustomed to the restrictions of the old system, convincing them that the new media will make young people stupid. This fear, the article said, dates back to at least the invention of movable type.
“As Gutenberg’s press spread through Europe, the Bible was translated into local languages, enabling direct encounters with the text; this was accompanied by a flood of contemporary literature, most of it mediocre. Vulgar versions of the Bible and distracting secular writings fueled religious unrest and civic confusion, leading to claims that the printing press, if not controlled, would lead to chaos and the dismemberment of European intellectual life.”
Sound familiar?
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I’ve been to a ton of receptions. Political receptions, anniversary receptions and meet and greet receptions, to name a few. I’ve been to more receptions than I can remember.
I’ve been to hundreds of events. Ground-breaking events, ribbon-cutting events and inauguration events. I’ve been to weddings, and I’ve been to banquets. I’ve been to rallies, and I’ve been to meetings. I bet you have, too.
I’d be hard pressed to remember details about any of them. The majority of them have been remarkably unmemorable. So why would Saxum spend our money and our time on an open house reception for our new office in Tulsa?
Our objective for last night’s open house was simple – make it memorable.
When you put creative minds together and throw out the traditional PR playbook to solve problems, good things happen and memories are made. Sustainable solutions mean campaigns that ultimately change public perception.
Good public relations is so much broader than making introductions, securing articles in the local paper and working political connections for board positions. If you say “contribution” and I say “oversized check” or if you say “grand opening” and I say “ribbon cutting” then you’ve hired the wrong firm. The days of hiring agencies only for traditional services is coming to a close. Today’s firms must be creative, serious, transparent, measureable, responsive, resourceful, thoughtful and effective. Or we get fired.
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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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OKLAHOMA CITY – Saxum, a multi-dimensional creative, public relations and marketing firm, announced today it has selected Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma (BBBSOK) as the recipient of the firm’s $50,000 pro bono service grant for 2010-2011.
“Saxum is pleased to add Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma to our client roster,” said Saxum CEO Renzi Stone. “We look forward to a year-long partnership with this dynamic statewide organization, based in Tulsa. They have an important story to tell that we are excited to help share in the communities they serve.”
BBBSOK has offices in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Bartlesville, Claremore, Stillwater, Ada/Shawnee and Norman.
Step Up is a grant program that will provide BBBSOK with access to a suite of integrated public relations, marketing and creative services at Saxum that will include a combination of strategic counsel, media relations assistance and select creative services.
“We are so thrilled to have been chosen for the Saxum Step Up grant,” said Sharla Hall Owens, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma CEO. “We know that with Saxum’s expertise and guidance, the next year will be full of new opportunities to raise awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma and, ultimately, positively impact the lives of thousands of children in Oklahoma.”
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I was 25 years old when I started Saxum. Looking back, it was pretty presumptuous for someone who had been out of college only a minute (my term now, not then) to think that I could add value to would-be clients. Never one to think much about the competition, I was always somewhat offended by being called the “young” firm back then.
Recently, Saxum hired a professional services firm for some consulting. Sure enough, our small account was handed to a 25-year-old to serve as our account manager. Not too far removed from the days of being told I was too young, I found myself skeptically thinking that we had a “young” account representative.
Shame on me.
Five meetings later, I sat astonished at the resourcefulness, flair and confidence from this talented individual. It served as a good reminder that account managers can be just as effective (or ineffective) at 25 as they could be at 55.
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After reporting to a public relations office five days a week for the past six years (three of those years at Saxum PR), last year I ventured to a new office space – in my home. Making the switch from an agency account lead to a do-it-yourself freelancer is not uncommon in the PR industry, but it is an adjustment.
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way
Establish a routine- As humans, we thrive on routine. Think of the fussy toddler who missed his usual daytime nap. Adults are no different – except that we may not roll around, kicking and screaming, on the floor as much.
In an April 1 interview with National Public Radio, Tina Brown said, “When my magazine Talk folded, it was very hard for me to get readjusted to not flying out the door in the morning and having my little routine: stopping at that coffee shop on the corner, picking up the paper. You think of them as chores, but actually when you’re not doing them you feel somewhat at a loss.”
For me, the biggest loss that you have to regain as soon as you start working from home is a routine.
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Saxum Public Relations, an integrated public relations, strategic marketing and creative firm, today announced the opening of its new Tulsa office in the heart of the Brady Arts District, 200 E. Brady Street. Located on the ground floor of the Wallace Engineering Building, the approximately 3,000-square-foot space will be home to Saxum’s Tulsa office.
“We were strategic in our choice of the Brady District as home to Saxum’s new office,” said Christopher Payne, vice president and general manager in Tulsa. “While we are effectively a start-up in Tulsa, we wanted to be part of the Brady District, with its artistic roots and ongoing transformation. It is our plan for Saxum Tulsa to grow in tandem with the city’s revitalization efforts.”
Six weeks ago, Saxum announced the opening of the Tulsa office and the hiring of Christopher Payne, APR, formerly of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. Additionally, the firm has hired Christina Oden as account supervisor. She previously served as executive director of the Tulsa Metro Chamber’s Tulsa Young Professionals (TYPros) program.
“We are energized by being in this historic part of the city, just blocks away from the Brady Theater and Cain’s Ballroom and steps away from Tulsa’s ONEOK Field,” said Renzi Stone, Saxum president and CEO. “Given the proximity to downtown, the Blue Dome and Greenwood districts and a number of our Tulsa clients and the buzz of excitement in the Brady area, we found this location especially appealing.”
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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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OKLAHOMA CITY – Saxum Public Relations, an integrated public relations, strategic marketing and creative firm, today announced it has hired Christina Oden as an account supervisor for its Tulsa office. She will begin work at Saxum in April.
In February, Saxum’s CEO and President C. Renzi Stone announced the agency will open a Tulsa office during the second quarter. Saxum is currently in the process of selecting the office location.
“We are excited to welcome Chris to our team,” said Chris Payne, Saxum vice president and general manager of the Tulsa office. “With deep roots in the business community from her years as executive director of the chamber’s TYPros program, Chris brings extensive public relations and event experience to Saxum. She will play a valuable role in servicing our Tulsa clients and helping grow our business.”
As an account supervisor, Oden will be responsible for managing communications and public relations services for multiple client accounts.
“I am really looking forward to joining Saxum and playing a role in building upon its already impressive client base in Tulsa,” Oden said.
Oden comes to Saxum with more than 10 years experience in public relations, marketing, advertising and community relations. Before joining Saxum, she served as executive director of the Tulsa Metro Chamber’s Tulsa’s Young Professionals group. Oden also served in marketing positions for the St. John Health System, Wyandotte Advertising and Kuhn & Witternborn Advertising in Kansas City, Missouri. She also has served as board member for Oklahoma State University’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting and the Association for Women in Communications and is a graduate of Leadership Tulsa. She has a bachelor of arts in advertising from OSU.
With a local, regional and national client base covering a variety of industries, the Saxum team focuses on creating lifelong client relationships through proactive communications that are customized, multi-dimensional, strategic, team-focused and results-driven.
Saxum offers a variety of public relations services to its clients, including strategic counsel, corporate communications, crisis communications, media relations, social media and training workshops. Saxum’s wholly owned creative company, Maxus Creative, offers a host of creative services, including print and brand identity, Web and interactive design and video and motion graphics production.
The company is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest international public relations networks. Saxum has been recognized three years in a row as one of the fastest-growing companies in the greater Oklahoma City area, and Stone has been named one of Oklahoma’s and the industry’s top leaders under the age of 40 by multiple organizations.
For more information on Saxum Public Relations and Maxus Creative, visit www.saxumpr.com and www.maxuscreative.com.
