Depending on who you ask, the internet may have born over 40 years ago when two computers were simply connected together. Since that time, people have been using every available tool to build stronger connections with each other. It should be no surprise that the internet eventually became the social web.
Many look at 2010 as the year of social media adoption. This is a fair statement, however, the reality is there is still a large sector of businesses and organizations with little knowledge of this space. More so is the need to align internal cultural changes in order to accommodate best practices that the social web requires.
If 2010 was really the year of adoption, then 2011 needs to be the year of education and best practices.
Firms and marketing professionals need to cement their own internal communication plans, and be able to deliverable measurable results for their clients where appropriate. They also need to ensure that their clients not only know how to use the available tools, but more importantly, why they would need to use them. Best practices can only be achieved through education and guidance that a firm must also practice. Leading by example will be the winning formula.
Social media has proved itself to be a legitimate communicate channel, and a disruptive force when it comes to marketing. I say disruptive because our industry went through dramatic changes in 2010. Agencies had to rethink not only what they can offer their clients, but also how they themselves communicate through the digital landscape.
So, what is in store for 2011?
That could be anyone’s guess. Again, I think we are going to see the need for best practices in both companies, and the agencies that serve their communication needs. Measurable results should be a high priority. The endless debate measurable ROI could be put to rest. In fact, Jay Baer and Amber Naslund have a book coming out that addresses this very topic.
We will continue to see the need for new and unique case studies, especially in the B2B sector. Klout, which entered the ring last year, may need to prove itself as a reliable measure of true influence. The terms influence and personal brand may also have to step up and defend their existence. And now we have Quora, the newest social media sensation to enter the ring.
Communication has always hinged on sociological and cultural tempos. With immediate access comes immediate expectations for communication to be heard, received, and responded to. It should be no surprise that the companies and agencies that communicate the best, will win.
Fast company has an interesting article that talks about this and the future of advertising. It is well worth a read if you are in any type of communication profession.
Until then, we should all charge forward and continue to provide excellent products, solutions, and service.
Have a happy, safe, and prosperous 2011!
Posted in
communication,
social media Tags:
2010,
2011,
advertising,
Amber Naslund,
analytics,
B2B,
best practices,
business,
communication,
facebook,
Jay Baer,
Klout,
PR,
Quora,
roi,
SEO,
social media,
twitter
It is that time of year.
Time when all our calendars fill up with holiday parties and gatherings. Tonight we are having our holiday party, and we thought it would be fun to jump online and find some holiday commercials that have infiltrated our TV sets.. or iPads.
You’ll probably remember this classic McDonalds Christmas commercial.
Or this classic jungle from Coca-Cola, revamped for the holidays.
Nothing says Happy Holidays like cigarettes.
This Europe Direct TV commercial featuring Darth Vader is pretty funny.
And who can forget this timeless classic?
Any holiday commercials you would add?
Posted in
advertising Tags:
advertising,
christmas,
classic,
Coca-Cola,
commercials,
geeks,
holiday,
McDonalds,
star wars,
television,
video,
youtube
Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t truly understand Social Media.
Social Media is communication, and though I’m not a history major, I’m pretty sure people have been communicating since the dawn of time. Cave paintings were the first blog. Hieroglyphics the first tweets. We’ve always strived to communicate and have our message heard.
Communication is social media.
By communication I am referring to the internal desire to share stories, our history, news, what excites us, and what frightens us. These are human connections that drive our offline relationships, and it is the same connections that make up the social web.
The internet is simply the tool we use to communicate, and now technology has allowed us to break the 3rd and 4th walls into a new realm of connecting. You can talk to you neighbor down the street, or someone on the opposite side of the globe. Social Media defies geographic limitations.
Technology has enabled this to happen. But again, technology is not social media. Twitter, Facebook and other tools are inventions of technology. But they are just the instruments we choose to share our voice. The goal is still connecting. When Twitter disappears, rest assured we will find another way to connect.
So again, the tools are new, but they are not Social Media. Social Media is communication, and this is not new.
I keep harking on this because I’m very passionate about communication and what the Social Web is capable of. I don’t like to see companies or organizations fall into the deep side of the pool because they didn’t take the time to discover the rules that govern the social web.
Just remember the rules of engagement and honest communication that govern our offline relationships, transfer online. If you can get away from thinking of the digital landscape as bulletin board, you will be in a better position to humanize your brand. Then you will be able to connect with a far bigger audience than you imagined thanks to the social web.
Now that is something new!
Posted in
social media Tags:
advertising,
advice,
blogging,
blogs,
branding,
brands,
communication,
digital landscape,
facebook,
relationships,
social media,
social web,
strategy,
technology,
twitter
There are a lot of girls out there (like myself) who know a thing or two about sports. I could tell you that the Tigers are 16 and 10 in the Central League, with Verlander dominating the mound. The Wings goalie, Jimmy Howard is a finalist for the Calder Trophy. And the Pistons, well, let’s just say they didn’t make it to the “40 days/40 nights win or go home playoffs” this year – they just went home.
I enjoy watching the game with my girlfriends, and proudly wear my team jersey and drink my favorite cold (light) beer. It’s the perfect situation until I see one of those annoying beer commercials, ahem, Labatt Blue, with a half naked, ditzy chic trying desperately to sell beer to us sports fans. Let me be the first, but certainly not the last, to tell you that I am one girl who will never buy a beer product from a company that continues to believe sports fans are men only.
You would think after thirty years of women whacking at that glass ceiling as professional athletes - thank you Billie Jean King - beer advocates would give up already and acknowledge the other half of us sports fans. Sadly, we are still fighting those misconceptions that girls aren’t really sports fans, but more like “accessories” to the game, i.e., cheerleaders.
I don’t understand the lack of appreciation for girls paired with beer and sports. When will beer commercials realize that girls, too, like a good cold beer while watching the game? Serving up a half naked, buff man could quite possibly entice us to buy your beer. Who knows?! But until then, stop pandering to those sports fans who can grow a beard and think “Slap Shot” is the greatest movie ever.
Sports – it’s a girl thing, too!
Posted in
general Tags:
advertising,
beer,
marketing,
sports,
stereotypes,
women
As easy as riding a bike!
Welcome annarbor.com! As the media agent for the new local on-line news media, annarbor.com, re:group reached out to the local audience where they work and play. We wrapped buses, spread the news on the sidewalk with chalk messages, took over the local mall, hired a plane to fly a banner over the largest U.S. art fair and engaged pedestrians as our bike ads were cycled through Ann Arbor. For annarbor.com, we’re takin’ it to the streets!
Posted in
advertising,
general,
press Tags:
advertising,
ann arbor,
media
A very astute client made an observation the other day. We were talking about marketing to moms and she said “I think we have to remember that a mom is so much more that just that, you have to talk to her as a woman.” Very smart observation indeed.
Sometimes marketers get so wrapped up in their product and their “core target” that they forget to look at the bigger picture. And, while being a mom might be the most important thing in your target’s life right now (let’s call her Sally), it is not all that Sally is about. She’s also a businesswoman, a gardener, someone who’s interested in the arts and dining out, a kayaker, snowboarder or even a collector of antique lunchboxes.
That’s why it’s so important to understand the benefits of the products and services you’re trying to market, not just the attributes. Sure, Sally is happy that you offer something she needs, but if you can tell her why it is a benefit to her in context of the bigger picture that is her life, you’re more likely to win her over.
Electrolux is doing a nice job with that. Busy working mom Kellie Ripa can be even more amazing than she is while having fun entertaining friends, making cookies, doing laundry and spending some quality time with her children all because she uses Electrolux appliances. Their website even has Kelly’s playlists that link to iTunes to “help you get your groove on” while at the gym, entertaining or hanging with the kids.
They don’t talk about load capacity or how many cycles a machine has. We can read that in the product specs online or at the store. What they do very nicely is imply that the benefit of buying their appliances is that you will have time to do the things you want to do in your busy life without being a slave to your oven, washer or dryer.
Now those are benefits a lot of moms could groove on.
Posted in
advertising,
branding,
general Tags:
advertising,
marketing to moms,
product benefits
Depending on who you ask, the internet may have born over 40 years ago when two computers were simply connected together. Since that time, people have been using every available tool to build stronger connections with each other. It should be no surprise that the internet eventually became the social web.
