The 3D movie fad is nothing new. Yet, after the 2011 re-release of The Lion King in 3D the fad seems to be getting bigger and bigger. With an increased number of 3D movie releases in theaters, I can’t help but notice that so many are just old movies that are being re-released. What a genius way to create profit! These movies wrapped production years ago, factored in budgets years ago, and already generated revenue for movie tickets and home sales. Now, to add a twist to them with minor post-production changes, 3D movies are creating a whole new field of easy revenue.

This being said, I’m not completely sold on the 3D idea. I don’t like when the movie is so 3D that objects are jumping in front of my face or when I start to feel motion sick. Yet, with the older movies that are now being converted to 3D, I’ve learned they aren’t as “3D” as we know it, but rather a layered look and 3D true to its definition.

Recently I went to a 3D showing of my old favorite, Beauty and the Beast from 1991. After the initial embarrassment of putting on the huge 3D glasses, I got to really enjoy the viewing. I remembered some dialogue by heart and was pleased that the beast wasn’t flying out into the theater to greet me. All in all, it was a positive experience where I took time aside to view a classic in its entirety.

Will I go see Titanic 3D this spring? Probably.  Yes, I have spent the infamous three hours and 14 minutes watching this film previously (ok, many times previously). However, I just can’t resist seeing it on the big screen again. For me, the draw isn’t so much for the 3D thrill, but rather for the nostalgia of the movie itself. Why not revisit an old favorite but on the big screen?

What do you think about companies like Disney and Disney Pixar cashing in on old hits re-released? Do you plan to see any of the 3D re-releases in 2012 and 2013? This list may tempt you: Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and The Little Mermaid. Non-Disney 3D releases expected for this year are: Godzilla, Madagascar 3, Men in Black 3, Untitled Spider-man Reboot, and Untitled Batman Project.

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Bio: After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce

An overwhelming amount of news has been about Facebook’s new Timeline, a feature which all users will be required to implement in the near future. (If you are unfamiliar with the Timeline layout, please check out my colleague Andrea Corbo’s blog post for a detailed explanation of this new debatable feature.) Other headlines have focused on Facebook’s Rise From Start-Up to Establishment and its latest IPO.  

Personally, I’m much more interested in Facebook’s recent study on how the social giant has changed the way we gather and transfer information.

In a 2011 study conducted by Facebook’s Eytan Bakshy — which I found when I subscribed to Mark Zuckerberg’s statuses via Facebook this past month — the  author debates whether or not social media acts as a reinforcement of our own ideas we share with “strong ties” (such as friends, family, coworkers, classmates) or  a tool that broadens your view of the world by taking in new opinions from “weak ties” (strangers or acquaintances) and asks us to Rethink Information Diversity in Networks. Bakshy’s study was inspired by a 1973 American Journal of Sociology study conducted by economic sociologist Mark Granovetter called, The Strength of Weak Ties. In Granovetter’s study, documented well before the Internet, stronger ties flock together sharing similar information while weaker ties aren’t as prominent and withhold eye-opening news.

Fast-forward to the age of social media … Interaction is often compared to that of a party-like setting in which you must interact and share information with people in a similar manner. Bakshy conducted his current study to measure to and/or from whom at this “party” we are more likely to share information. With the help of Facebook’s newsfeeds feature, the study measured how often a Facebook member would re-share their weak ties links versus their strong ties links. While it was found that strong ties’ links would be reposted more often, it was the weaker ties that were the ones who provided the most information. How? While the strong ties may have more interests in common and a stronger influence,  Facebook friends are more likely to have a majority of acquaintances invited to their metaphorical social media bash than close friends.

The majority of a person’s newsfeed will contain new information from more dissimilar members via new updates posted throughout the day. Now more than ever, “weak ties” are able to share information spread throughout a social group. Whereas before this segment would not have the capability to reach a broader audience without the assistance of a larger media outlet, but now thanks to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+ and any other social network site that has a newsfeed element these “weak ties” are spreading their influence. I can say that Bakshy’s theory explains why I read his article in the first place from Mark Zuckerberg, a “weak tie.”

 Do you believe we are more likely to spread information due to the quality of the connection or the quality of content? Have you found that you are more aware of opinions that differ from your own, now that use of social media outlets has increased as opposed to face to face interactions? Most importantly, did you read or share my article because of this theory?

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Bio: Before joining the BurrellesLuce team in 2011, Kelly interned at CondeNast’s Glamour magazine as an editorial intern to the senior style writer and was an editor of her college newspaper. She received a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Business, Society and Culture from Drew University with honors. After graduation, she worked as a sales associate at Nordstrom and took a month off to travel abroad throughout Europe. In Kelly’s free time, she enjoys traveling, fashion, reading, bringing awareness to Breast Cancer, running 5Ks, baking and social media. Twitter:@miss_mulholland Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: Kelly Mulholland

At this time of year, perhaps more than any other, we PR and marketing professionals can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that there are no shortages of bloggers and writers flexing their “intuitive” muscles to predict the trends and topics in store for the coming year.

Not too long ago I posted on Fresh Ideas about the 10 Brands That May Not Be Around in 2012 as revealed by 24/7 Wall Street, a firm offering insight analysis and commentary for U.S. and global equity investors.

Now CoreBrand, a branding and marketing research firm, is making some predictions of its own. According to an article on Business Insider, These Famous Brands Will Disappear in 2012, “two days before the Wall Street Journal  reported Kodak will fill for bankruptcy, James R. Gregory, CEO of branding and marketing research firm CoreBrand, predicted that Kodak would ‘disappear’ as a brand in 2012.”

The article is quick to address that “bankruptcy doesn’t mean the end of Kodak as a business. The company and its brands could be bought or restructured.”  Still we can’t ignore that many businesses within the tech industry are struggling to find relevancy in a rapidly changing digital landscape – even the ones who have consistently relied on their strong branding efforts to pull them into the new millennium.

The same can be said for companies in the automotive industry, which have struggled to balance their bottom lines even after extensive government and taxpayer bailouts. In fact, Saab, number four on the list, also recently filed bankruptcy.  Yet the company still garners media attention, because, as this Wall Street Journal article explains, “this quirky little car brand with its few, but fiercely loyal enthusiasts, has been a source of great affection, nostalgia, and Swedish nationalism.”

But having a recognizable and timeless brand can’t do much when an organization suffers financially and structurally… or can it?

Lesser known companies may not seem to do well on their own, but might still rely on the success of their products. For example, Yum Brands! (number 7 on the list) is parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, all of which seem to do well in their own right. That is, if Yum Brands! avoids taking a page from the playbook of Hostess (whose classic brands include Twinkie, Sno Balls and Wonder Bread brands). Last week, Hostess filed for bankruptcy just two years after emerging from bankruptcy, confirms the Huffington Post.

What are your thoughts? Are these “disappearing acts” just a sign of the times or can something be done from a communications and PR standpoint to help other brands from avoiding a similar fate? What is digital media’s role in all of this, if any? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Bio: After graduating from Rider University, where she received a B.A. in English-writing and minor degrees in Gender Studies and French, Deborah joined the BurrellesLuce Marketing team in 2007.  As a marketing specialist she continues to help develop the company’s thought leadership and social media efforts, including the copywriting and editing of day-to-day marketing initiatives and management of the BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas blog. Facebook: BurrellesLuce Twitter: @BurrellesLuce LinkedIn: dgrogers

New Year’s Resolutions can get tiring. A lot of people don’t even bother making a resolution (I’m included in that list of people).  And usually by the second week of January, resolutions have become false promises, half-hearted attempts at self improvement, and empty words. If you run a basic Google search for Resolutions 2012, you’ll find a ton of material, mostly talking about resolutions already lost and weight-oriented ideas. There’s even an app dedicated to success through habits – New Year’s Resolutions.

What about something different for a change? So, I ran a Google search for New Years’ Resolution 2012 for a good cause and came up with some other options.

• A New Year’s Resolution to Raise Awareness: How about the group of women climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day as part of a campaign called, The Freedom Climb?
• Resolution Revolution: How about completing small tasks locally like helping an elderly neighbor with their garden or offering to prepare a weekly meal to a family in need nearby?  
• Volunteer or fundraise: Next Generation Nepal reconnects trafficked children with their parents in Nepal. Or do the same for an organization that promotes women’s empowerment to women in India like International Princess Project or Vidya.

The internet may be your best resource to help you find a resolution that means something to you. And if it means something to you, you’re more likely to stick to it! An easy way to start is to run a Google search for good causes, an issue you’re already interested in or volunteer opportunities. From there, you may develop ideas that lead to a worthy New Year’s Resolution.

How are you choosing to revamp your resolutions and create more meaningful intentions this year? Please share your thoughts with the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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Bio: After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce 

In business you commonly hear the phrase, “It’s nothing personal, it’s just business.” While this saying may signify that there is nothing wrong with playing competitive games professionally, it’s impossible to argue that business isn’t personal. Businesses have always had to be personal with their clients – though the tactics by which they reach their audiences and the modes by which they build and maintain relationships have certainly changed over the years.

Even so, fundamental techniques still need to be put in place to ensure high levels of client satisfaction. Here are the 5 most useful ways I have found that help to build client rapport overtime:

1. Use the client’s name when speaking to them: It not only ensures the client feels that you are listening but it also helps you remember with whom you are speaking.

2. Don’t delay communication: Haste doesn’t always make waste. Bad news never has good timing, but it definitely doesn’t get better with time. If you see issues, contact the client immediately acknowledging you are working with your team to resolve the issue. You want to keep your client informed regularly, so that all parties involved know when the job is complete.

3. Educate your client while educating yourself: A client may not know when to ask for help. Taking the time to coordinate your schedule for training sessions can help provide them with the information they need to do their job more effectively and keep you and your organization informed of service features and product improvements that your clients want to see based on their feedback.

4. Don’t rely on just email to communicate: In AdAge’s “How In-person Meetings and Phone Conversations Will Save Your Client-Agency Relationship,” Judy Neer discusses how we shouldn’t rely on one form of communication with clients. While email has many benefits, such as sending documents, a lot can get lost in translation. Make a habit of picking up the phone if you are playing email tag with the client. Take your client to lunch, coffee or even write a handwritten letter. (You can also see my colleague Denise Giacin’s blog post for further details on email etiquette.)

5. Over-deliver, under-promise: Never promise a client something you have hesitations about delivering, otherwise you risk ruining your credibility and trust. In other words, manage the client’s expectations.

What customer relationship management tools do you find most useful? How are you putting the personal back in your client relationships? Please share your tips here on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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Bio: Before joining the BurrellesLuce team in 2011, Kelly interned at CondeNast’s Glamour magazine as an editorial intern to the senior style writer and was an editor of her college newspaper. She received a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Business, Society and Culture from Drew University with honors. After graduation, she worked as a sales associate at Nordstrom and took a month off to travel abroad throughout Europe. In Kelly’s free time, she enjoys traveling, fashion, reading, bringing awareness to Breast Cancer, running 5Ks, baking and social media. Twitter:@miss_mulholland Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: Kelly Mulholland

Whether or not you’ve been trying to ignore the over-abundance of holiday sale commercials — if you’ve watched any TV in the last few weeks, you’ve surely noticed that the famous Crazy Target Lady is back again. Who am I talking about? The over-enthusiastic, fictional shopper who performs extreme measures to take full advantage of Target sales. With funny quotes like, “The Target 2-Day sale is almost here. The last thing that’s gonna stop me is weak thighs,” you’ve surely taken notice.

With so many holiday sale commercials in existence, it’s quite an accomplishment to create a campaign that can stick out in the mind of viewers, be remembered, and get people talking about your brand and purchasing your products.

Nearly every commercial we’ll see in the next month will be winter and holiday related, but does that really help guide us to shop for that brand? Or is that something we consumers have come to expect from the brands we already loyally shop? Perhaps just the idea of snow, family, and presents is supposed to drive the typical consumer toward the nearest mall? Whatever the recipe for holiday marketing, Target is making a lasting impression of its name with this series of commercials from Wieden + Kennedy, a full service integrated advertising agency.

Branding a memorable spokesperson, however fictitious she may be, is something that viewers can recall each year and, in fact, many do love that crazy Target lady. If a viewer is a fan of the comedic commercial series, this may again contribute to brand loyalty. Despite the fact that the commercials don’t exactly highlight any specific products, you’re still reminded of the Target brand itself along with the fact that you may need to do some shopping.

Personally, I don’t usually watch commercials because I fast forward through them. However, there has been such hype about the Crazy Target Lady by word-of-mouth that I’ve now stopped to take notice. People are talking online and offline which means the branding is working.

What other brands have created a seasonal campaign that you can clearly and successfully identify? Are there commercials you talk about with friends and family? Are there ads that have made you take action?

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Bio: After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce 

I love the holiday season! During the month of December, I revert to a nine year old, anticipating the slew of holiday traditions upon us. First, my family assembles the fake pine-like tree in our living room. (Well, my father assembles the tree while I read the directions.) Then, my siblings and I decorate it until it looks like a personalized Santa’s beacon with every light blinking.

One of my favorite parts of the holiday is gift-giving. However this year it seems like more of a financial burden than fun. Brands seem to understand this and are incorporating humor into social media holiday campaigns. Old Spice and its MANta Claus One Man, Seven Billion Gifts campaign is one example.

While a far cry from seven billion gifts, here is how I am using social and online media to spread a little holiday cheer while spending only $43 on presents for four family members, three awesome friends, two roommates, and one cat.

1.       Craigslist. I love Craigslist for vintage and technology. I found a quality, fully-functional vintage record player for free. It just needed a little TLC, and my father (whose record player broke) would love this. ($200 value). I also received 30 vinyl records, which I am giving half to my dad and the other half to my roommate who equally loves vinyl – potentially saving $20 on gift for said roommate.

Remember to check if it works before paying and to ensure the seller is legit. Also, make sure you know what your receiver wants. There is no use getting something for free if no one wants or needs it.

Spent: $0

2.       Groupon. I love Groupon for trips, beauty/spa deals, events, and classes. But we all know how addicting Groupon was when we first signed up and started buying all those Groupons that we thought we would use, but probably won’t. Now we can put them to good use. I have six random Groupons from a day spa to belly dancing. I am giving a Groupon to my sister, mom, and two of my friends. ($800 value).

Again, before giving random Groupons to people (unless you don’t care and will never see them again) make sure you know they will actually like the gift.

Spent: $0

3.       Marshalls. Marshalls is great to buy name brand for less. I bought an adorable jewelry box set for my other roommate and a mouse toy for the cat. 

Spent: $10

4.       eBay. I bought a miniature doll tea set for my best friend who loves all things miniature. eBay is a smorgasbord, if you know what you want this site is loaded with deals.  

Spent: $10

5.       Barnes and Noble. I love my brother and he loves Legos. So, with my sister’s help we split the difference for the LEGO 2011 Architecture White House and received a 10 percent  discount because I am a member.  

Spent: $23

The best part is that my friends and family are getting something that they always wanted.

What other ways have you used social and online media to saved money or to promote your products and services during the holidays?

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Bio: Before joining the BurrellesLuce team in 2011, as social media specialist, Ruth worked as a marketing assistant in a kitchen design firm and, later interned with Turner Public Relations. She holds a BA in Economics with a minor degree in International Relations from Rowan University. In addition to economics, education, and finance – Ruth is passionate about understanding the business implications of social media, including how it can be used to increase ROI, find and maintain a career, and create a business. Connect with her on Twitter: @RuthMesfun LinkedIn: Ruth Mesfun Facebook: BurrellesLuce 

My last few BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas posts have focused on integrating online video into your public relations campaign and creating, marketing, and measuring online video in PR. Both were inspired by a recent PRSA-NY panel. For this post, the third and final in the series, I thought we could discuss how to enhance online video with live streaming and SEO, as taken from the panel.

The event featured presentations from Joe D’Amico, PopTent; Jake Finkelstein, Method Savvy; Jonah Minton, Ustream; Mark Rotblat, TubeMogul; Eric Wright, DS Simon; Jim Sulley, newscast US; and Larry Thomas, Latergy.

It was followed by a roundtable Q&A moderated by Jason Winocour, social and digital media practice leader at Hunter Public Relations.

Recipe for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Marketing and communications professionals often talk about the need for engagement and the desire for their videos to go viral. Who wouldn’t want millions of people viewing their videos and spreading them across the web seemingly overnight?

While it’s not impossible to fulfill that goal, the success of a video is quite relative. It won’t matter how great or potentially “viral” your video is, if no one can find it online…

Jack Finkelstein, president of Method Savvy, had these tips to share on effective SEO and improving the searchable quality of your video:

• 180 Million Americans watch online video each month.
• Content must be clear not blurry.
• From a technical perspective, include keywords in file name as this adds value to SEO.
• For video titles, put the keywords you want to own early in the title.
• Include a description of the video. Put the URL first or include the link early-on in the summary.
• Use relevant tags to increase discoverability.

Live Streaming
Live streaming (not to be confused with life streaming) is necessary for high-level social engagements across multi-platforms, including mobile, tablets, apps and internet protocol television (IPTV), confirms Jonah Minton, VP of sales, Ustream, Inc.

Minton suggested the following tips for increasing the effectiveness of your video efforts via live streaming: 

• Distribute events through mobile web.
• Keep it RAW.
• Utilize multi-bit encoding devices.
• Plan ahead for “production problems.”
• Be realistic about your budget. Get quotes and budget in advance.
• Engage users (before, during and after) the event. Be social; engage all social outlets.
• Provide video on-demand.
• Reach out to content users via your PR team.
• Stream live video from a press conference or corporate event to convey your story visually.

One in every thirteen people on earth is an active Facebook users (500m+) and 35+ year olds making up over 30 percent of users, with 55+ year olds becoming the fastest growing demographic – why aren’t more organizations using live streaming of events to reach their audiences?

How are you using live streaming and SEO to optimize your video PR?

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Bio: Alfred Cox is a rare commodity of a performer who combines a relentless drive to succeed with the ability to provide “first-person” touch to his clients, creating loyalty and repeat business. He has a hard-nosed work ethic in a results- driven environment and he is often called the “Network King.” Alfred has been in the PR industry for the past 18+ years and joined the BurrellesLuce team in 2011. Connect with him on Twitter: @shantikcox Facebook:  BurrellesLuce LinkedIn: Alfred Cox

Flickr Image: Jeffrey Beall

There are three ways consumers use the web: they search, browse and buy. Most organizations increase their site’s traffic by adding searching tools and enhancing SEO. While this helps people answer their initial question of “what,” it doesn’t necessarily go the extra step and encourage them to browse or buy.

However, if positioned correctly, encouragement to go beyond just the initial search can be helpful to the consumer… at least when it comes to expanding their knowledge and possibly influencing their buying decisions. Today’s consumers, want a site to tell them something they didn’t think to search for or think they might want/need. In the process, they may be persuaded to take some action and possibly lead to a conversion or sale based on the resources you provide beyond the original search.   

Search Mode- Provide the consumer with what they know they want
When a prospective customer is searching a site they almost always have an overall notion of what they want, but perhaps not all the details or at least a vague idea of the need they want to fulfill. This is where websites that utilize the search toolbox plug-in (usually located at the top of a webpage) come into action. The client wants to be able to search their product and be given substantial results.

For instance, when I simply type in the search box “scarves” at ShopBop—a luxury clothing retail website and BurrellesLuce client—I get an overwhelming list of over 200 results. The search function on the site even makes my quest easier by providing suggestions of related searches much the way Google or Bing might.

Browse Mode- Provide detailed information
With a list generated, a prospective buyer shifts into browse mode. What’s important here is how much information is provided—the customer wants to know more about their prospective purchase in the most organized fashion possible, no pun intended. Generated reviews from other customers should be at complete view coupled with suggestions. This will help the consumer differentiate one product’s value from another. It is also most helpful to provide organizational tools for the client to be able to sift through all the search results.

Shopbop does a great job at this. First, I can see “More from Scarves /Wraps” and also descriptions about the designer and the item itself. I have the capability to see how other customers rated each scarf. I also have the option of organizing my products in “Wish Lists” and “My Likes/Hearts” giving me time to consider my purchases without fully committing myself to placing the product in “My Cart.” I can sort the scarves with drop-down options by designer, size, color, and price. These categorizations are an aid to a consumer who might be inundated with an overwhelming amount of data.

Buyer Mode- Be your customer’s personal researcher
Now that the customer has browsed all the data, they have finally chosen the best product for them. While they may be done researching, that doesn’t mean the work of the service provider should end there. In fact, it is now your job to take on a new role: personal researcher. As Tara Gessinger, states in this Online PR Media blog post on Online Public Relations: Building Personal Relationships with Customers in the Digital Age, you need to keep the online conversation with your clients going through email as you would in real life. For instance, provide future recommendations based on previous purchases to the client. After I browse ShopBop or make a purchase, I receive an e-mail weeks later suggesting clothing that I might like based on my past shopping experiences.

Sites using this type of search and browse capability are designed to work for people who research and take a period of time before making a committed decision. In today’s market, researched buyers are becoming the norm and the buying cycle is changing. The impulsive spendthrift is a dying species. Marketers need to be a step ahead of the curve. Web marketing should not be about gimmicks to get attention from a prospective buyer – today’s savvy consumers will see through this. Instead it is about understanding the keywords that buyers are using and then positioning campaigns to engage buyers to webpages full with the content they want (or never knew they wanted). 

How are you using search capabilities on your website to influence visitor action? What are some of your favorite search features provided by your favorite sites?

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Bio: Before joining the Burrellesluce team in 2011, Kelly interned at CondeNast’s Glamour magazine as an editorial intern to the senior style writer and was an editor of her college newspaper. She received a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Business, Society and Culture from Drew University with honors. After graduation, she worked as a sales associate at Nordstrom and took a month off to travel abroad throughout Europe. In Kelly’s free time, she enjoys traveling, fashion, reading, bringing awareness to Breast Cancer, running 5Ks, baking and social media. Twitter:@miss_mulholland Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: Kelly Mulholland

Recently I wrote a post, here on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas, outlining key tips for integrating online video into your PR campaign from a recent PRSA-NY panel. For this post, I thought I would re-cap some of what I thought were the most compelling best practices for creating, marketing, and measuring online video content – as discussed at the event.

The event featured presentations from Joe D’Amico, PopTent; Jake Finkelstein, Method Savvy; Jonah Minton, Ustream; Mark Rotblat, TubeMogul; Eric Wright, DS Simon; Jim Sulley, newscast US; and Larry Thomas, Latergy.

It was followed by a roundtable Q&A moderated by Jason Winocour, social and digital media practice leader at Hunter Public Relations.

How to Create Online Video Content
Nearly 89 percent of journalist report that they regularly include online video content in their stories. But how can marketing and communications professionals create compelling video content?

Jim Sulley, president of Newscast U.S., had these best practices to offer:

• Understand who you are trying to reach. Who are your target demographics?
• Get the attention of the people watching. You only have 10 seconds to hook their interest.
• Shoot to script, don’t script to shoot. In other words, take the time to plan your videos and write a script.
• Create biscuits, little surprises along the way, and don’t give away the ending upfront.
• Be truthful. And remember, production values count.
• Entertain or DIE.
• Too much text is annoying for online video.

When creating video content, you will also want to get your online community, stakeholders, and agencies involved, as this with provide you with feedback and help you market your initiatives.

Joe D’Amico, vice president of sales, Poptent had this advice to share:

• Initially, your objective should be to create 30-60 seconds of video.
• Work closely with the PR agency and provide the agency with a variety of creative approaches.
• Consumer insight is vital. Direct consumer engagement and take advantage of strong social media outlets.
• Showcase performance – such as votes and comments received from consumer engagement.

How to Market Online Video and Measure Results
It isn’t enough just to create compelling digital video and push it out to your constituents. PR and marketing professionals need to understand how video fits in to their larger communications and branding strategy and report on those results.

Mark Rotblat, vice president of Sales, TubeMogul, provided these tips for marketing online video and measuring results:

• Brands must determine what are they looking to accomplish through their budget.
• Paid Media drives Earned Media.
• Paid video drives consumers to your site.
• Owned Media (e.g., a company website) – Video improves conversions for web retailers by 64 percent.
• Broadcast your video on popular public websites such as, YouTube, Google video, Yahoo video, and dozens of other user-generated sites.
• When social sharing always include clickable overlaps to Facebook Fan page and social media games.
• Use click-through rates to measures the value of the video.
• When reporting ROI, know who’s watching, where they’re watching, and what sites they are watching.

In my next post, I will examine how live streaming of video can enhance engagement and community participations, as well as ways to effectively optimize video content for online search, as discussed at PRSA-NY.

How do you use digital video to connect with your stakeholders and constituents? What tips can you provide for marketing and measuring the success of online video campaigns? Please share your thoughts with me here on Fresh Ideas.

***

Bio: Alfred Cox is a rare commodity of a performer who combines a relentless drive to succeed with the ability to provide “first-person” touch to his clients, creating loyalty and repeat business. He has a hard-nosed work ethic in a results- driven environment and he is often called the “Network King.” Alfred has been in the PR industry for the past 18+ years and joined the BurrellesLuce team in 2011. Connect with him on Twitter: @shantikcox Facebook:  BurrellesLuce LinkedIn: Alfred Cox

Over Halloween weekend, the Northeast faced an unprecedented snow and ice storm, atypical for this time of year, leaving over 2.5 million people from Maryland to Maine without electricity. Many people in New Jersey (BurrellesLuce is headquartered in Livingston) have only just now had the power turned back on, while hundreds of thousands are still in the dark. In fact, some towns in NJ have postponed trick – or – treating until Friday (today).

With millions of people scrambling to the nearest café for WiFi, what’s a social media junkie to do? Of course, the day after the storm my sister texted “Shouldve gotten 4G,” which at that moment I was tempted to double my monthly cell phone budget just for some Yahoo!News.

I also resisted the urge to hibernate under my blankets until the power went on. Instead, I came up with these five ways to get my social media fix:

1. Play Twitter Scrabble. My sister, the writer, would loathe this but I believe Twitter scrabble is the best invention for twitterholics. Instead of using actual correct words, players write it in “tweet speak.” Also, the blank tokens can be used for symbols, such as the “@” or “#” sign.

2. Write a blog post, or seven. I use every social media device to write anything other than the blog post I am supposed to work on. Well, without any electricity, I have no other choice but to actually write. Plus, think about how impressive it would be when you have all your work done AHEAD of time. Afraid to use up all the power in your laptop? That’s why we have paper and pencil. 

3. Clean up your room, computer, hard drive, car, anything! Yes, you know what I am talking about. Most people use social media as an excuse NOT to clean. Well, no excuse now! Plus, if you are feeling really compelled, you can probably take a few pictures to post on your Facebook, Tumblr, or Flickr account once the power is back on … this way your friends can see exactly what you’ve been up to while away.

4. Play “Keep it Short.” Now if you have listened to the Breakfast Club from Power 105.1, you know what I am talking about. To play “Keep it Short” you need at least 3 people. One person will say an acronym and the first player who says the correct phrase scores a point. Whoever has the most points is the winner. #winning

5. Build your network. I know that this might seem like a head turner, since you cannot connect to any networking sites. But, go to your town and get to know the local business owners (in real life) and give them your card or tell them what you blog about. Who knows, you might get a free cupcake, if you are sweet enough, never mind the chance to build relationships. You can then turn these into hyperlocal connections online.

Now, these are my top five to stay connected to social media and the community when the power is out, what are yours? Please share your comments here on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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Bio: Before joining the BurrellesLuce team in 2011, as social media specialist, Ruth worked as a marketing assistant in a kitchen design firm and, later interned with Turner Public Relations. She holds a BA in Economics with a minor degree in International Relations from Rowan University. In addition to economics, education, and finance – Ruth is passionate about understanding the business implications of social media, including how it can be used to increase ROI, find and maintain a career, and create a business. Connect with her on Twitter: @RuthMesfun LinkedIn: Ruth Mesfun Facebook: BurrellesLuce

Last week, on October 27, 2011, I had the opportunity to connect with industry professionals at the PRSA-NY panel, Successfully Integrating Online Video Into Your PR Campaigns.

The event featured presentations from Joe D’Amico, PopTent; Jake Finkelstein, Method Savvy; Jonah Minton, Ustream; Mark Rotblat, TubeMogul; Eric Wright, DS Simon; Jim Sulley, newscast US; and Larry Thomas, Latergy.

It was followed by a roundtable Q&A moderated by Jason Winocour, social and digital media practice leader at Hunter Public Relations.

Why Digital Video
Fifty-nine percent of Americans get their news every day from online and a mix of broadcast, radio and print sources. In fact, it is predicted that “by 2015, the demand for online video is expected to grow by 81 percent.”

Eric Wright, senior VP of marketing and business development, DS Simon Productions, Inc., offered additional insight on why digital video matters to the media.

• AOL Newsroom is now bigger than the New York Times.
• Journalist are using online video on their website.
• 79 percent will use more online video in their messages.

Interestingly enough, over 50 percent of journalists say that video is vital to their jobs and that HD is the most important format.

For these reasons, among others, it is imperative that public relations professionals use video to engage and build relationships with stakeholders, the media, and the community. However, PR folks have lots of homework before integrating online video in their campaigns.

Best Practices in Mobile Video
So what are some of the general best practices in mobile video?

Larry Thomas, president of Latergy, LLC, says that communications professionals need to understand that “mobile video is here to STAY.” From there, we need to

• Focus on the story and know our audience(s).
• Tell the story “simple.” In other words, be sincere, be brief, and be seated.
• Distribute to all platforms and screens – and have the stories play on multiple types of mobile devices.
• Make sure your story is visual.
• Leverage your web video assets to reach the rapidly expanding mobile media market.

In a follow-up post, I will be exploring best practices for creating, marketing, and measuring online video as suggested at the PRSA-NY panel.

In the meantime, what other general online and mobile video tips can you add? Please share your thoughts with me, here, on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas in the comments below.

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Bio: Alfred Cox is a rare commodity of a performer who combines a relentless drive to succeed with the ability to provide “first-person” touch to his clients, creating loyalty and repeat business. He has a hard-nosed work ethic in a results- driven environment and he is often called the “Network King.” Alfred has been in the PR industry for the past 18+ years and joined the BurrellesLuce team in 2011. Connect with him on Twitter: @shantikcox Facebook:  BurrellesLuce LinkedIn: Alfred Cox

Flickr Image: United Nations Photo

We all know there are many reasons to use social media, but why not use it for a good cause? Well, that’s what many non-profits, NGOs, and supporters do! 

Let’s take a look at a recent social media campaign launched by USA for UNHCR. The initiative, called The Blue Key campaign, aims at raising awareness of UNHCR refugee work and raising money through the purchases of blue keys that symbolize a key to a home, which refugees no longer have. Their goal is to “dispatch 6,000 Blue Keys by December 31, 2011.” To date, they have dispatched over 3,400 keys. The campaign has had huge success this year and still has a presence if you run a Twitter search today. #BlueKey

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Shonali Burke, a public relations and social media strategist based in metro D.C., who consulted on The Blue Key campaign (USA for UNHCR is her client), and blogs at Waxing UnLyrical. From our discussion, I was able to see that the tactics fell into several categories.

Measurement
If you are a PR professional running a campaign, you may choose to set a goal that you can measure such as a set-amount of followers, hashtag mentions, or number of group members. (One of their goals was the number of blue keys.) You can then relate these quantitative metrics to monetary measurements and numbers of people positively affected as a result of such aid. You can also take a look at qualitative metrics, think tone or sentiment, to see how people may be reacting to your campaign and how your campaign may have shifted their awareness – positively, negatively, or neutrally.  What types of response can you get?

To understand how analytics helped UNHCR tell their story, check out this interview between Shonali and Beth Kanter, author of Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media.  

Timeliness/Relevancy
Use holidays and events to your advantage. A great idea in the Blue Key campaign was to incorporate an online frenzy via a tweetathon (on June 13th) that approached World Refugee Day, held each year on June 20th.  These tweets then led to more awareness which, for UNHCR, resulted in a direct increase in support through purchases of blue keys. In fact, the tweetathons were so successful that they were held again in September and again on Monday, October 24th in honor of United Nations Day.

According to a recent email message sent by Marc Breslaw, executive director, USA for UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency, the tweetathon held last week generated 1, 800 tweets with the hashtag #bluekey and have helped to spread even more awareness and keys.

And as 2011 draws to a close, another tweetathon is planned for November 17th from 9am – 9pm.

Word-of-mouth
Clearly, USA for UNHCR and other organizations can create their own campaigns to raise awareness. But how can people get involved with these organizations if they don’t launch the campaign themselves? That’s where the Blue Key Champions come into play. Social media users, in general, can aid in these campaigns by participating by spreading knowledge, posting info for events or fundraisers, and sending targeted info to their friends.

Community Engagement (In Real-Life)
Since part of the goal is to actually bring real world action to causes, it is important for organizations and the communities to meet in real life, not just online. Today (November 2nd), in the NYC-area there is a  tweetup (NYC #bluekey tweetup) organized by local Blue Key Champions and the D.C. #bluekey tweetup will be on November 10th. These tweetups are a great way for people who are passionate about a cause to come together and meet others who are equally as passionate and foster a sense of active community.

Want some other causes to follow on Twitter? Help promote a cause that you are passionate about. Use your social media power to your advantage. Here are a few Twitter handles I suggest you follow to get started: @UNRefugeeAgency, @planuk, @unicefusa, @Polaris_Project, @PlanGlobal, @tkhf, @VolunteerMatch, and @ecoteer.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to get involved and help promote through your social media accounts. It’s easy and it means something important. What organizations do you follow on Twitter? Tell us by leaving a comment on Fresh Ideas.

***

Bio: After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the PRSA-NJ panel discussion on Tools of the Trade:  Effective Online News sponsored by BurrellesLuce.  The event was held at the beautiful Monmouth University campus and had a great turnout of emerging journalists and up-and-coming publicists. 

The panel had one consistent message across the board for students and professionals in attendance: 

• Know who you are pitching.
• Know your news hook.
• Be relevant, specific and succinct.

Judith Feeney —  digital editor for NJ Press Media,  Asbury Park Press (app.com), Daily Record (dailyrecord.com), the Home News Tribune, and the Courier News — started the discussion by reminding us there are a vast number of new tools and a lot less time to get the job done.  She suggested that PR and media relations professionals need to become familiar with all of the tools out there.  Know who you are pitching and don’t blanket your pitch to multiple people.  Look at the type of material the publication and journalist produces and tailor your pitch accordingly.

Christopher Sheldon, the Long Branch editor of Patch.com, a hyperlocal publication, said to make sure to include the who, what, where, when and why in the first paragraph.  If it’s not local to his area, he cannot write about it.  His audience is looking for community news.

Christy Potter Kass, assistant editor of The Alternative Press, agreed with Chris and said her publication is also hyperlocal and stories must tie into the values and interests of local readers.  She emphasized not to confuse hyperlocal publications with national publications.  When asked the definition of “hyperlocal,” Christy said the more local the story the better.  News must be about something going on in town or have a connection to the community.

Joan Bosisio, group vice president of Stern & Associates said that (with all the recent layoffs) PR people have an opportunity to help journalists, who are working on stories, do their jobs.  Journalists are now doing more than one job and by presenting them with not only the story, but the materials to help them write the story (e.g., video, spokespeople and social media) you make their job easier.

Kristine Brown oversees PR for St. Barnabas Health, the state’s largest hospital system.  She gave us some real life examples of crisis communications and advised that essential PR skills have not changed with all the new online tools available.  Kristine said you still need to know your audience, know your story, cultivate relationships with the media (this has helped her in time of crisis) and move at the same pace the news is moving.

As for journalists and PR professionals alike, essential skills include: spelling, grammar, and attention to detail. The ability to take your own photos, as a journalist, will also help prospective media professionals stand out.

How are you using online tools to help you connect with journalists and the media? As a member of the media, what other ways can PR and communications professionals work with you to get their stories out? Please leave your comments below on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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“So… what does your company do?”

How many times have you been asked this question? What is your response? Whatever it is that is your elevator pitch… the 15 second – schpeel (or the amount of time it would take you to ride an elevator) you give to someone who has no idea what you or your company does. It is a simplified, condensed version given in layman’s terms to explain the complexity of your inner working knowledge of the industry and your organization. The goal of the elevator pitch is to leave the listener with not only an understanding of your company/service but with some excitement and curiosity.

According to an article on MoneyWatch.com by Robert Pagliarini, “An elevator pitch isn’t about cramming as much information into a minute as possible. A well crafted elevator pitch is much more about finesse. It should evoke emotion more than thought.” 

 Elevator pitches are used more often than you may think! They are used at the initial stages of selling (whether you realize it or not), during networking events or just in passing. But what are the key components of an elevator pitch? According to Pagliarini, an elevator pitch must contain the following elements:

1. A “hook.” Grab the listener’s attention with either a question or statement that gets them interested and wanting to know more about your clients, products, or services.
2. About 150-225 words. Keep your pitch short. Remember, this is an elevator ride not a plane ride.
3. Passion. If you talk with gusto and excitement… they will also be excited!
4. A request. When finished with your pitch, be sure to exchange business cards and request a time to discuss in more detail.

The key to an elevator pitch is to be confident. This is your job, your company and your industry… you know what you are talking about! 

Do you have any tips to share about elevator pitches?

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*Bio: Soon after graduating from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, in 2006 with a B.A. in communication and a B.S. in business/marketing, I joined the BurrellesLuce client services team. In 2008, I completed my master’s degree in corporate and organizational communications and now serve as Director of Client Services. I am passionate about researching and understanding the role of email in shaping relationships from a client relation/service standpoint as well as how miscommunication occurs within email, which was the topic of my thesis. Through my posts on Fresh Ideas, I hope to educate and stimulate thoughtful discussions about corporate communications and client relations, further my own knowledge on this subject area, as well as continue to hone my skills as a communicator. Twitter: @_LaurenShapiro_ LinkedIn: laurenrshapiro Facebook: BurrellesLuce

The 2011 International PRSA Conference kicks off in Florida tomorrow through Tuesday, October 18^th.  Will you be there? Join Johna Burke, senior vice president, BurrellesLuce, for a workshop on ROI and Storytelling in the Digital Age. And to help get you thinking about storytelling, read the October 2011 BurrellesLuce newsletter in our free resource library.

For those of us not attending this year, myself included, there are ways to experience the conference without being there in person. 

Here are just a few of the ways I plan to capitalize on what surely will be an educational week of professional development:

• Twitter:  Follow the hashtag #PRSAICON to check out tweets from sessions Twitter users are attending.  There’s sure to be live tweeting.  I know the BurrellesLuce team of @gojohnab, @tressalynne, @cldegoede and @_laurenshapiro_ attending the conference will be tweeting under this hashtag.  You may also want to follow the Twitter handles of some of the conference’s speakers. I also set up a column in my BurrellesLuce social media monitoring tool (Engage121) to keep tabs on all these tweets.
• ComPRehension Blog: This is the official blog of PRSA and will be updated with conferences blog posts, podcasts, interviews and other news related to the conference.
• Flickr:  Another source I will check out is the 2011 PRSA International photo stream on Flickr to view event photos.
• Facebook:  While their doesn’t appear to  be an official page setup for the conference, I still plan to monitor PRSA’s Facebook fan page for interesting tidbits, along with some of the local Florida chapters.

I look forward to “listening” to the conference from New Jersey…How are you going to make the most of your virtual, conference experience this year?

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If you mistook the clattering of keyboards for cicadas in heat and saw your Twitter feed explode with the hashtag #prndigital, yesterday, then you were probably with me at the PR News Digital PR Next Practices Summit at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. The all-day event was a smorgasbord of useful topics and speakers flinging words such as SEO (search engine optimization), influencers, engagement, and fangate pages.

However, if you have ever spoken to your boss about using social media it probably went like this:

justincaseyouwerewondering.com

If your digital campaign does not translate to the C-Suite language (increased sales, decreased costs, or high ROI) then it wouldn’t matter if you grow their Twitter page to 100,000 followers. They will pull the plug. 

Here are eight steps I took from the panel on Prove the Value of Your Digital Efforts to the C-Suite featuring Margot Sinclair Savell, vice president of Measurement and Analytics at Weber Shandwick, Angela Jeffery, APR and member of IPR Commission and Nick Panayi, director of Global Brand and Digital Marketing at CSC.

1.      Define organizational goals. Make sure your goals are strictly C-suite speak. (e.g., Our goal is to increase sales by 30 percent.) That way they see that you are on the same level.

2.      Research stakeholders and prioritize. This should be done regardless if you are presenting a digital campaign or not; you should always know your audience.  

3.      Ask yourself: What do they care about? I want to add in a perfect line from Margot Sinclair Savell, “Don’t just measure communications; measure the impact on your bottom line.” 

4.      Set social media objectives that correlate with their goals. Now this is where you link your social media efforts to their C-suite objectives. (e.g., With the Twitter campaign, we are launching, our goal is to increase our followers by 50 percent and positive sentiment by 40 percent which in turn will increase our sales by 30 percent.)  

5.      Choose (the right) tools and establish benchmarks. Once your campaign has launched, use tools and benchmarks to monitor how your campaign is playing out in The Media. Remember to monitor both the social media goal and the main goal (C-suite objective).

6.      Analyze, Analyze, Analyze! Be sure to use both qualitative and quantitative metrics and have these also tie back to your communications and C-suite objectives.

7.      Present to management. Remember to add charts of correlation between the campaign and the C-suite objectives. Translate metrics into the language.  

8.      Continue to build on that foundation: monitor, analyze, and improve. Review and revamp your strategy and tactics, making sure to revise as departmental and C-suite objectives evolve. 

So, how are you proving your value of your digital efforts to the C-suite? Please share your thoughts with me, here, on BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

 ***

Before joining the BurrellesLuce team in 2011, as social media specialist, Ruth worked as a marketing assistant in a kitchen design firm and, later interned with Turner Public Relations. She holds a BA in Economics with a minor degree in International Relations from Rowan University. In addition to economics, education, and finance – Ruth is passionate about understanding the business implications of social media, including how it can be used to increase ROI, find and maintain a career, and create a business. Connect with her on Twitter: @RuthMesfun LinkedIn: Ruth Mesfun Facebook: BurrellesLuce

It’s that time of year again. Yesterday, Apple launched another sleek new product: iPhone4S. Noticeably different during the launch was not the appearance of the phone—which retains the same look as its older model—but the appearance of their new chief executive Tim Cook. In the promotional video below, it advertises that, “Your I-Phone can do more than any other phone.”  How so? For starters, Siri is your personal assistant built into your phone. This voice activated system can dictate measurements, recipes, reminders, timers and much more in natural language – proving to be the next wave of semantic innovation.

Besides voice recognition, the new smart phone is made smarter by these other features. 

• An 8 megapixel camera with backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that carries more light and is 33 percent faster.
• Video camera is now 1080p, and includes video image stabilization.
• Downloading data through wireless system is twice as fast
• The new phone has a longer battery life than its older counterparts. 
• Sprint is now another service provider that will carry the new phone that is priced between $199 to $399.

While others may show loyalty to the Apple brand and pre-order the new model, on October 7^th, others have voiced opinions of being duped by an “imposter,” according to “Apple’s Absent iPhone 5 Whose Fault is it Really?” Matt Peckham, Time/Techland, while the Tech communities were busy informing each other through social media outlets about the upcoming I-Phone5 launch, Apple stayed mum. Instead Apple pulled the wool over the public’s eyes, and we learned about the 4S—we never knew we wanted. Consequently, Apple Stocks dropped 5 percent after the launch, confirms, Mashable’s “Apple Stock Drops 5% Following iPhone Event.” Whether or not this was due to the market or directly linked to the disappointment about the new smartphone launch is moot.

What do you think? Are you impressed that the new smartphone can be your personal assistant or is Siri the most amazing thing that no one will use? Most importantly, do you think Apple needs to do some PR damage control for inadvertently misinforming the public and not simply being there to acknowledge they were never going to release an I-Phone5 yesterday?

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Before joining the Burrellesluce team in 2011, Kelly interned at CondeNast’s Glamour magazine as an editorial intern to the senior style writer and was an editor of her college newspaper. She received a B.A. in Behavioral Science and Business, Society and Culture from Drew University with honors. After graduation, she worked as a sales associate at Nordstrom and took a month off to travel abroad throughout Europe. In Kelly’s free time, she enjoys traveling, fashion, reading, bringing awareness to Breast Cancer, running 5Ks, baking and social media. Twitter:@miss_mulholland Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: Kelly Mulholland

Facebook has described it’s new timeline as a way to “tell your life story.” If you have any presence on social media sites, you’ve surely been hearing the hype from friends and online articles alike.

Users will now be able to display their likes, photos, apps, and more from the beginning to the end in timeline format rather than a traditional profile. This leaves many users wondering if the site will display things from the start of their account or if they’ll be asked to fill in the blanks from earlier moments in life. Of course there are other questions:

• Will there still be a newsfeed?
• Will there still be status updates?
• How does this new type of profile influence the way we connect with friends and fans?

The company itself seems pretty confident in the new layout and timeline. They’ve even released a promotional video in anticipation of its launch.

With the countless changes to Facebook in the past, the most recent being the addition of a ticker of real-time updates from connections, I can’t recall a video for any of those new features.

With all this hype over timelines, I’m left wondering, what is the damage verses the gain when changing a social media site? Each time Facebook makes even a small layout change, users post angry statuses complaining about what they don’t like. When Facebook first added the newsfeed back in 2006 it seemed that everyone was outraged. Now, users are comfortable with the newsfeed (despite the latest updates that change the way posts are displayed in a feed) and expect to see it. So, do users just want to keep things the same for the sake of comfort? Or are these new projected changes really a negative thing?

With the new timeline, some current users fear threats to privacy, dislike the open display of too much information, and dread adjusting to the differences. Yet, others seem excited to relive moments with friends and embrace a new approach to display their info. I can guess that once the timeline is launched to all users, people will reject the change at first and then eventually learn to love it.

But for now, we will have to wait and see as Facebook Timeline Has One Week Time-Out and has delayed beta testing in order to sort out issues over possible trademark infringement.

***

After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce; LinkedIn: BurrellesLuce

Among many of the lessons I learned at this year’s Annual Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Conference, the value of storytelling and balancing brand with business was emphasized by Danya Proud, director of U.S. media relations, McDonald’s.

Danya asked the conference attendees to consider two questions that would make their own storytelling valuable: Why should the people you are telling care? What about the story will make them want to share it?

I agree with Danya’s statement that “people believe people, not corporations.” In fact, the stories you trust from your friends may truly shape your perception of the brand, as these stories are often viewed as authentic. Danya continued that, “Stories provide experience; they are the emotional glue that hold things together.”

For professionals who help shape a brand’s image…

• Know your business and your audience.
• Talk to your customers. Danya suggests that we do less talking at (commercials, press releases, marketing) and do more talking with.
• Stay involved! People are creating their own dialogue and these stories are told no matter what and can even weigh more heavily on the brand than your own PR efforts. So, listen to what people are saying and participate in two-way dialogue through social media and active media engagements.
• Tell your story often and well. People need to hear a message three to five times before they believe it.
• Become a resource. People follow 75 percent of what they hear through stories and only 5 – 10 percent through facts. While you cannot change the perception of everyone, it’s your responsibility to help share information.

Brand trust doesn’t just result from a brand showing support. “Doing good” is not enough anymore. For example, McDonald’s is now expected to be involved in community and now makes huge efforts to be involved in communities on a local level while promoting healthy eating habits. This involvement will add to their story. These efforts can be viewed by their target audience of 18-34 year olds (a generation that is often stereotyped as not trusting corporate American, but who also reads and listens to everything in The Media) as genuine, positive, and ultimately result in storytelling based on experience, rather than ads.

Need help tailoring your storytelling for the digital age?  Attend Johna Burke’s, senior vice president marketing and sales, BurrellesLuce, workshop at this year’s PRSA 2011 International Conference in Orlando on October 15 – 18. Saver Rate Deadline is August 26, 2011.

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After receiving a B.A. in communications, and briefly working at a TV production studio, Andrea began volunteering abroad. This lead her to work in the non-profit world, where she was fortunate enough to learn about international education, women’s empowerment and social issues for the elderly, while traveling to over a dozen countries.  Since joining BurrellesLuce in 2011, Andrea is excited to share her thoughts and views on branding, social media, and communications with the growing Fresh Ideas audience, as well as her passion for cultural awareness, volunteerism, and sustainable efforts. Twitter: @AndreaCorbo; Facebook: BurrellesLuce