PR Kung Fu 04/18/2010
 
This blog post is intended for those of you who are teaching marketing or public relations and are looking for a good, end of semester discussion topic. But, everyone else, please read on to the last paragraph.

As you may know a new version of the movie, Karate Kid, is coming out in June.  It stars Jackie Chan, and Jaden Smith (Will Smith’s son.)  When you view the trailer for the movie, you will notice that they are not using Karate in this movie, but rather, Kung Fu.

As has been mentioned many times in this blog , one of the best ways for a local business to get media mentions and spread word-of-mouth is to tie its story into a larger event.  To this end I have asked my students to discuss how the Bethlehem Kung Fu Center (you can use a local Kung Fu school if there is one convenient to you) can use the launch of this movie to promote its business.  I remind them to bring in all of the elements of PR and marketing we’ve discussed throughout the semester and to be thorough, be innovative, and be creative in their preparation.

I am also interested in have your thoughts (or your students’ thoughts) on this topic, so please comment on how you think a regional Kung Fu school might capitalize on this movie launch.
Add Comment
 
Money is good 04/10/2010
 
I am not one to blog political, so please don't take this post as a political statement.  I do think that this soliloquy from Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged is more relevant today than it was in 1957 when it was written.  I also believe that this passage and the entire book is an instructive read for modern marketers and PR folk.  If you'd rather read this, here's a link.  Please share this.
Add Comment
 
Tea Time 04/06/2010
 
Picture
“We just don’t have anything newsworthy.”  That is the cry I hear from so many companies that have products that are in crowded markets or products that seem somewhat mundane.  This is what Salada Tea, makers of one of the world’s oldest products could have said, but they didn’t.  Realizing that their ancient beverage stands at the intersection of several modern trends, they set out on their “Unbottle Your Tea” campaign with the assistance of marketing communications agency, Pinckney Hugo Group.

In the last several years environmental stewardship, frugality, and healthy living have been some of the hottest topics in the media and blogosphere, and Salada realized that “unbottled” tea reduces the amount of material in the waste stream, by eliminating bottles and saves money as brewing tea from tea bags is much less expensive than buying bottled, ready-to-drink tea.  In addition, there has been lots of recent scientific evidence that tea (especially green tea) is good for you.  A PR goldmine-if executed properly, and Salada and Pinckney Hugo did just that.

The goals for their campaign include:  increasing the sales and awareness of
Salada teas; stimulating trial and usage of their products; promoting new green tea flavors; and building an online database of consumers for future promotional efforts.  The primary target market for this campaign was women over the age of thirty-five.  To achieve these goals they reached out to traditional media as well as bloggers; used YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook extensively, conducted a media tour where a brand spokesperson went on the road visiting media outlets; extended the integrated marketing campaign  to include media sponsorship with Prevention Magazine for fitness-oriented events (and to distribute samples), and held in-store promotions.

The results were outstanding and exceeded their optimistic expectations.  A few of the measurable highlights of this campaign were:

·        Initial coverage by New York Times’ Media & Advertising, PR Week and AdWeek

·         Media coverage reaching nearly 600 stories and nearly 80 millionunweighted media impressions

·         More than 2,200 consumers visited the Unbottle Web site

·         The Media tour landed 17 TV interviews with Salada spokesperson  along with supporting print and online coverage

·         Increased sales in target markets followed tour appearances

·         More than 98,000 samples of Salada were distributed at sponsored health events

·         More than 4,000 people requested a free sample in response to an e-newsletter sponsorship

·         New flavors were highlighted in all TV appearances and blog reviews

·         Awareness was generated prior to in-store availability driving demand for new flavors

·         UBYT Web site has attracted more than 355,000 unique visitors, 547,000 page views and 2.8 million hits since its launch

·         Salada and UBYT campaign were featured in more than 100 audience-appropriate blogs

·         Salada collected more than 120,000 e-mail addresses from promotions and giveaways

Wow, and this is just a sample of what this campaign achieved.  Here is a sample from their YouTube site.  Be sure to check out their sample of media mentions and list of blog coverage in the “News” section of the Unbottle Your Tea microsite. Their Facebook fan page, and Twitter site are also worth a look.  Doing PR right is crucial in any business.  Use this as an example and please share it with your friends and colleagues.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
I really wish I had been the first one to break the news about the Grateful Dead being social networking pioneers.  Alas, they start this when I was quite young and it took the great news organizations of our land decades to figure this out.  What did the Dead do that gave them the cult following we all look for when marketing our products and businesses?  They created content and community, and they were willing to share.  In addition, they developed some outstanding symbols for the community that let people announce their membership. 

“Our strong suit is what we do, and our audience,” Jerry Garcia

Let there be songs to fill the air.
Add Comment
 
 
It is exciting to see the traction that the Marketing Public Relations book and blog are getting.  I have had a ton of great case studies submitted from companies across the globe, and I will share them with all of you during the coming weeks and months-yep, that many.  I’ve also had some folks offer to be guest bloggers.  Here is the first guest blog post from Andrew Billman.  I hope you enjoy it.

These days, it seems a lot of corporate marketers are drooling over the prospects of social networks. “If we can simply infiltrate Facebook and Twitter,” the logic goes, “we’re in! We’ve got such great products and prices! Everyone online will love us! We’ll have thousands of fans, RSS feeds flying all over the place, and sales numbers through the roof!”

So corporate Facebook accounts are set up, fake friends are added, company-approved photos and logos are uploaded, and the cash just comes rolling in. Easy!

Ha!

One word forms the core of successful social media marketing: Respect. Without it, at best, you're dead. At worst, you're dead AND you're viewed as an incredible d*ckhead.

Instead of only seeing big numbers and immediate opportunities associated with social media, taking history (and therefore, respect) into consideration is paramount for today’s marketers. Remember: All the social media outlets began in their purest forms as social (i.e., fun) places to hang out. Even though they’re rapidly evolving, that remains their essence. And that’s why they must be thought of as neighborhoods, not tradeshows.

Almost by their very nature, social media sites are distrusting of corporate motives – no shock there. But what many marketers don't realize is that their companies are akin to an insurance salesman ringing the doorbell at a loud, fun party on a Friday night: No one cares, no one's in the mood for a sales pitch, and most are questioning why he's even there. “Who the hell is that guy?” Being ignored is bad, but being hated is worse.

So the corporate social media relationship marketing strategy has turned into one big dorky party-crasher. Not cool.

But understanding the respect concept, however, changes everything. And it means social media marketers can have a positive impact. When respect comes into the equation, the situation becomes, "Hey, it's the insurance guy, but don't worry, he brought beer!" And instead of discussing ways to save on auto insurance, the insurance guy simply meets a few people, partakes in the activities, and enjoys the opportunity to simply be there. He’s not a self-promotional one-way blabbermouth; he’s a member of the community with a subtle message to share, but only at the right time with the right people.

That's a big difference. As massive as social media has become, it is not mass media. It’s one-to-one media. Strategically, you have to think in those terms. You’re not there to push yourself, but allow yourself to be pulled. Yes, that’s a passive strategy. But it’s the only one that works. You don’t honestly think you can show up at a crowded house, uninvited, and be the life of the party, do you? Well, do you?

If marketers approach social media from an I’m-an-uninvited-guest standpoint, be on their best behavior, and bring things of value and interest, then the chances for success increase. That’s why, to be even partially welcomed at the social media party, we need to figure out what our metaphorical beer is, make sure it’s appropriate, and make sure we bring enough for everybody.

 

Andrew Billmann is 19.75 years into a copywriting, advertising and marketing career in agency and corporate environments. While adept at writing for new media, he’s done more classical projects for companies ranging from Fortune 50 to high-tech startups. He generally prefers the social aspects of 25-cent happy-hour shrimp to those of any online network. Want to contact him?  You can find him at abillmann@gmail.com
1 Comment
 
 
Some of you who were at my talk at Kutztown University on St. Patrick’s Day, and some who couldn’t make it, have asked for a copy of my presentation.  Here it is.  I am happy to answer any questions.
1 Comment
 
 
I have no objection to adverting sales people selling into content.  For example, if a medium is planning to run a piece on golf, then approach golf courses, equipment manufacturer, retailers, etc., about adverting in that issue or during that episode.  Also, I think it is smart marketing to copy your advertising sales rep with any press release you are sending to a particular medium.  (I don’t mind another voice bringing a good story to an editor’s attention one more time.) What I do fervently object to is the creation of seemingly editorial content strictly for its sales value as well as tolerance of the unfettered quid pro quo where advertisers get positive and pronounced editorial coverage despite the quality of the product or service in question.  Running editorial and advertising as one unit where advertisers are “partners” is ethically dubious and it destroys the credibility of real PR in that medium, and perhaps across all media.  The wall between editorial and advertising has always had a degree of fluidity, but I fear it is now no more than a gauzy veil.  Editors, producers, journalists-rebuild this wall!

Check out this segment from NPR’s On the Media for an example of such a conflict.

Click here and join the MPR Fan page on Facebook.  You’ll be glad you did.
Add Comment
 
 
There is no question-social media has changed the way that we interact with our fellow human beings.   The potential for communicating with others, and finding groups of people with similar interests, no matter how obscure, has increased exponentially.  It has also affected the way we write.  (To my great consternation, students of mine will occasionally submit a paper that includes “text message English.”  In such cases I am not LOL.) It has also altered the way that we identify ourselves by giving use the ability to create a fresh persona in the communities in which we interact, as well as a new name. For example, I get my wine buying advice from a guy that goes by @garyvee, and I just read a blog post on marketing psychology by @psychodude.   

While I am steadfast in my belief that social media, in all its forms, is just an addition to the myriad of ways that we interact and sell to each other, I also believe that its terms and traditions have imbued themselves into our culture.  To support this hypothesis, I’d like to introduce you all to Survival of the Hippest.  They make custom jewelry with your Twitter handle or hashtag on it. This is to make it easier for people to put a tweet with a face when meeting in the real, non-virtual world.   As co-founder Phoebe Jonas told me:

“Survival of The Hippest began when my co-founder, Ashley, realized that many of her 7000+ followers on Twitter knew her as @pluckypea, and not as her proper name. What better way to signal her virtual self in the real-world at Tweetups and conferences than a piece of Twittername Jewelry! (as the front-woman and mastermind behind the critically acclaimed rock band for kids, the Jimmies, Ashley is out and about a LOT!)  As a social-media enthusiast with a fine-jewelry background and a hankering to Twitter, I was the perfect partner for our venture. Survival of The Hippest launched in Sept '09 --we're the original Twitter Jewelry company--and we've been adorning hundreds of Twitterfriends ever since.”

I speak about the importance of creating content as well as community when planning a social media presence.  When real and virtual communities begin to blend and symbolism is brought into that mix I am confident that we can declare social media an enduring cultural phenomenon.

Oh, by the way, I am not getting compensated by Survival of the Hippest in any way.  I found them while searching for best practices in social media/ word-of-mouth to write about, and I think they are cool.

You’re invited to join the Marketing Public Relations community and read this blog on the MPR Facebook fan page.  See you there.
Add Comment
 
 
This blog post by Lee Odden in his “Online Marketing Blog” is a great introduction to some great social media analytics.  It is worth a little exploration.

Also, I have posted a video of Lee talking about the use of social media and search by journalists to the MPR Facebook fan page.  Check that out.

Thanks Sally Falkow for introducing me to Lee’s work.
Add Comment
 
 
Give a listen to what Chris Brogan has to say about knowing what business you are in, and “augmented opportunity.”  In case you didn’t know, Chris is the author of Trust Agents.
Add Comment