Archive for ‘Advertising/Marketing’:


Facebook: Expanding Your Reach Beyond Six Degrees

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

by Lauren Shapiro*

The game of “Telephone,” along with “Duck Duck Goose” and “Red Rover”, bring back fond memories of elementary school antics. As we got older, during middle school and perhaps even into high school, “Telephone” was used as an example of the power of word-of-mouth and how a message can become skewed as it is passed along the chain. Now, “Telephone” has been revolutionized by Facebook – igniting the flames of word-of-mouth from a burning bush to a wildfire.

Facebook, once exclusively available to college students on participating campuses (I can still remember petitioning for my own University to become a member), gave individuals the ability to connect and reconnect over the Internet. Throughout the years, Facebook has increased its scope by allowing anyone with a valid email address to join (before it was just limited to .edu addresses) and giving users the ability to share and tag each other in pictures, videos, links and status updates. Facebook has even given marketing and public relations professionals the opportunity to reach constituents based on specific audience segments and demographics.  

Facebook has also enhanced the notion of six degrees of separation (think Will Smith’s movie circa 1993). Thus, creating a huge reach beyond traditional mediums (i.e., seeing the person, speaking with them on the phone, or communicating via email). Whereas before your audience iStock_000008002627XSmallmay have told a few others about your company or brand via these channels, now individuals can essentially, with a few clicks of the mouse or strokes on the keyboard, influence each other on a much broader spectrum. As Facebook gains in popularity with currently 400 million active users (about 70 percent outside of the United States) companies are paying even closer attention to see what is being said about them and responding accordingly.

Companies are starting to implement an integrated marketing communication strategy on social media fronts, combining the power of the organization as a whole (marketing working with sales working with customer service) to best utilize Facebook as an outlet to track, react and respond to consumer issues. 

According to an article written by Janine Milne, “The information flow is two-way. Customers get to understand more about the vendor and how other customers view the vendor. Organizations get to hear exactly what their customers think.”

I am a Facebook (and real life) ‘fan’ of Sally Hershberger Professional Hair Care. While browsing their fan page, I realized the importance of social media in relating to clients and potential clients. One Facebooker wrote on the Sally Hershberger page that she wished there was a coupon to entice her to try one of their new products. The Sally team responded quickly and advised that not only do they have a $2 coupon on their website but they also have a contest running where you can win a Sally makeover. The potential client immediately went onto the sallyhershberger.com and attempted to enter the contest only to find that the website was not working properly for her. She wrote about her issue on the Facebook fan page and received a response minutes later letting her know that they were working on correcting the issue and would get the coupon to her right away.

Not only did the Facebook page create a space where the company could interact with potential consumers but it helped the company to find a glitch in their system that may have never caught on their own.

How is your organization using social media to engage stakeholders and remedy potential client concerns?

*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 work as the supervisor of BurrellesLuce Express 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

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Client Services, Public Relations, Social Media | 1 Comment »

Leveraging Experiential Marketing to Drive PR

Monday, March 8th, 2010

by Denise Giacin*

So, you’ve hired BurrellesLuce to monitor the media for coverage of your brand and now your boss wants you to increase your monthly impressions and media value. Now is the time to be bold and think outside the box.

Last week I attended a PRSA-NY seminar entitled, “Leveraging Experiential Marketing to Drive PR: Planning and Executing Buzz-Worthy Events in New York City” held at the Museum of Modern Art. I was excited to learn how integrating marketing and PR could benefit your brand, mainly because I knew this could attract the media like bees to honey.

Keith Green, vice president of marketing and communications at Synergy Events, was first to speak at yankeesthe seminar and explained how experiential marketing “attempts to connect consumers with brands in personally relevant ways.”

One way to achieve this connection is through product launch events where people can sample and experience your brand. Being a huge Yankees fan, one of my favorite product launches in New York City was when Herald Square transformed into a baseball diamond and Derek Jeter himself showed up to promote G2, the new drink from Gatorade. After listening to Keith Green’s presentation, I realize the event was successful for the following reasons:

  • The event was creative.
  • The look and feel of the event was relevant to the product, which is a direct result of the event planning team understanding the brand.
  • The location chosen is one of the busiest intersections in the city so the exposure was great.
  • Derek Jeter, the face of the event, is a local icon so the media had a field day.

Keith Green also gave a bunch of tips for holding an event, which I will share with you. Some of his ideas:

  1. Give yourself plenty of time. Especially in New York City, you will need time to plan, obtain permits, etc.
  2. Realistically decide if your event is possible. Brainstorm with people who know how to pull off the kind of event you are looking to successful hold.
  3. Determine what you want people to remember.
  4. Figure out where you will host the event and who will be the face of your company or brand at the event.
  5. Have a team driving people to attend your event.

With all of this planning comes the actual promoting and media coverage of the event as well. Kim Mitchell, the chief communications officer of the Museum of Modern Art, explained that media clips “are not information but validation” of the events. Kim continued on by showing press clips on events held at MoMA from New York Magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, Harper’s Bazaar, and the New York Times. Kim also explained how the media have special access and times to meet with sponsors, artists, and other participants at the events they hold. Perhaps Kim is on to something here. Providing the media with the tools they need to create their pieces can lead to more and better coverage of your event.

What’s your next event going to be? How are you going to leverage experimental marketing to drive PR? If you’ve already done so, how were your initiatives successful? What would you improve upon for next time? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

Bio: Prior to joining the BurrellesLuce Client Service team in 2008, Denise worked in the marketing industry for three years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Connecticut, where she gained experience interning in PR and working for student organizations. By engaging readers on the Fresh Ideas blog Denise hopes to further her understanding of client needs. In her spare time, she is passionate about Team in Training (The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s charity sports training program) and baking cupcakes. Her claim to fame: red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. LinkedIn: dgiacin Twitter: BurrellesLuce Facebook: BurrellesLuce

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Industry Events, Media Monitoring, Public Relations | No Comments »

What’s In A Name?

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Comcast’s rebranding of its cable, telephone, and Internet services (now Xfinity in 11 markets), prompted an interesting article in Time regarding the value of a name change. “Here’s one thing we do know,” xfinitylogosays Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. “Comcast is going to spend a huge comcast_c2amount of money to get that brand to mean what it wants it to mean.” Here’s another thing we know: Shareholders should be asking, “Why?”

Was this name change a smart move? 25 years ago, my father and his colleagues at Manning, Selvage and Lee  surveyed the financial community about what kind of corporate names attracted investors and whether a name affected people’s decisions to buy or sell stocks. Nearly two-thirds of the securities analysts, portfolio managers and investment advisors surveyed said that a corporation’s name had a direct effect on whether a customer buys a stock. In fact, brokers and analysts shared that they had even turned down the recommendations of their own research departments when they did not like a name! Takeaways from the survey include:

  • Be wary of a name change and be prepared for a name change to take time (years and even decades) before it achieves the previous level of familiarity. At the time of the survey (1985), respondents derided the decision made by Tampa Electric to change to TECO Energy. While the new name did eventually take hold, it took years to build up the level of recognition Tampa Electric once had. While companies often change their names as a result of acquisitions and divestitures, because the focus of the business has changed, or to create an association with a trend, the survey indicated that many companies would be well served to think twice.
  • A name should be easy to pronounce and remember.  “Keep it simple and short,” my dad advised and pointed to the frustration of one investment advisor whose suggestion of “Harnischfeger” rarely resulted in more than a puzzled look.
  • Good names are recognizable, easily understood, highly identifiable, and give a clear impression of the business.  Although names like Exxon and Google can certainly work, give serious consideration to a name that describes your companies business. Personal and brand names are popular for these reasons. Survey participants responded well to names like National Semiconductor or Staples.  Likewise, start ups should avoid using initials. While initials are fine for a well established company as IBM, potential investors are more likely to be attracted to a product they can easily recognize.

While there are a variety of other factors to consider when determining a name today (e.g. optimizaiton of the name in search engines, the availability of the website domain and/or username availability for social networking and bookmarking sites, among others), many of the insights from 25 years ago remain compelling.

How important do you think a name is to the success of a brand? What do you think of Xfinity? Please share your thoughts with me and the readers of BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas.

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Location, Location, Location!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Can Foursquare Put Your Client On The Map?
Location based social networks, like Yelp, Foursquare and Gowalla are the talk of the industry. A recent #PR20chat included a discussion on how can PR people use these new social networks to help their clients? I’m focusing on Foursquare because it appeals to the kid in all us, by rewarding us with points and badges for checking-in at locations and sharing information. If you check-in at a location more than anyone else, you become the mayor.

Finding Advocates
Social media lesson one – listen to the conversation and embrace your advocates. By encouraging people to check-in often, you can identify

Flickr Image: thinkpanama

Flickr Image: thinkpanama

your top customers or visitors. Many businesses are offering rewards for becoming the “mayor” of their location. I’m guessing your client would like to find an advocate like Jared Fogle, the Subway spokesperson?

Jon Newman of The Hodges Partnership (a BurrellesLuce client) shared ideas on his blog, Jon’s PR 1.5 for encouraging customers to utilize Foursquare when they visit a business. Encouraging positive buzz about a business helps to bring in customers.

Smart Moves
I recently checked-in at a movie theater, and allowed my status to be posted on Twitter. The theater, who was monitoring for mentions of their name, saw my tweet and re-tweeted it. My tweet validated messages they were trying to exhibit, and expanded the audience beyond my Foursquare friends. I’m wondering if there will be an extra reward when I become the mayor?

Christine Ngo recently interviewed Tristan Walker of Foursquare, on Ogilvy’s Fresh Influence blog. Walker shared how some businesses, like Intel, BART, and the Brooklyn Museum are enhancing users’ experiences with tips about locations and promotional tie-ins.

Partnering with Mainstream Media
Foursquare has recently partnered with several media outlets, like Lucky and Bravo. The magazine or cable TV network rewards users with badges or medals when checking-in at locations related to their content, like fashion week, a film or a TV show. Zagat’s new Meet the Mayor series will highlight Foursquare mayors of featured locations. Wouldn’t you want to read the article about you or your friend?

Granted, Foursquare isn’t for every business, but if you rely on people visiting your business, it might be a great way to encourage more foot traffic. Retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, CVBs and other tourist spots, should not ignore this tool.

Have you checked-out Foursquare or another location based social media? How have you incorporated it into your overall communication plan? We’d love to know if any of our BurrellesLuce Fresh Ideas readers is a Foursquare dignitary (Mayor) so please let us know!

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Social Media, Technology | No Comments »

Did Pepsi Make The Right Choice In Skipping “The Big Game” For A Social Media Campaign?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The largest television audience ever watched Sunday’s Super Bowl as the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 according to Nielsen Co. The Saints weren’t the only ones who defied the odds by winning their first ever Super Bowl; CBS had no problem selling out their Super Bowl Ad inventory at a time when network ad spending has been in decline (down 13.9 percent the first nine months of 2009).

The Super Bowl telecast is considered the top advertising opportunity of the year, fetching as much as $3 million for a 30 second spot. So why would Pepsi’s executive team elect to forego advertising during the big game for the first time in 23 years, launching a social media ad campaign instead? Pepsi recently launched their “Pepsi Refresh” campaign where consumers are encouraged to submit and vote on ideas throughout the year that will have a positive impact on their communities, and have pledged to fund these ideas through grants from $5000 – $250,000. They’ve opted to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to encourage consumers to participate and cast their votes.Superbowl

“This is such a fundamental change from anything we’ve done in the past,” says Lauren Hobart, chief marketing officer for Pepsi Cola North American Beverages. “We explored different launch plans, and the Super Bowl just wasn’t the right venue, because we’re really trying to spark a full year movement from the ground up. The plan is to have much more two-way dialogue with our customers.” Pepsi however will run television ads for the “Refresh” campaign and also made it clear they are not abandoning future Super Bowl advertising.

“This is exactly where Pepsi needs to be,” says Sophie Ann Terrisse, founder and CEO of STC Associates, a brand-consulting firm. “These days, brands need to become a movement instead of just relying on good reviews for their Super Bowl commercials.”

There is no doubt media and marketing has changed dramatically over the last two or three years. We at BurrellesLuce recognize this shift in marketing mediums and recently launched a dedicated service to monitor and measure social media activity.

But despite an increasingly fragmented media world, the rise of viral marketing through social media, and the growing popularity of watching video online and on handheld devices, 106.5 million people sat in front of their TV’s for three hours on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl.

I’m sure Pepsi will generate quite a following for their “Refresh” campaign in the social media world and as they have already created quite a buzz by actually not having a 2010 Super Bowl ad. But it still must be difficult for the executives at Pepsi to hear the words “Super Bowl 2010, the most watched TV program ever.”

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Posted in Advertising/Marketing, Media Industry, Social Media | 2 Comments »

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