Making The Social Network Your Brand’s Network.

September 28, 2010

Hollywood’s take on Facebook promises to be personal, but smart businesses should consider the myriad of opportunities emerging.

With more than 500 million users, Facebook offers brands countless ways to reach existing and new customers. Are you taking advantage?

I still chuckle when I think about it. It was summer of 2005, and while on vacation, I made some new friends a few years younger than me. When it came time to say goodbye, they asked if I used a then still relatively new social networking site called Facebook. My response: “Isn’t that for college kids?” Launched in February 2004, The Facebook (yes, that was the original name) began its impressive rise from dorm-room fodder to the world’s largest social network (Facebook has an estimated 500 million users worldwide) when its Harvard founders opened the site’s virtual doors to collegians throughout the Boston-area, the Ivy League and at Stanford University. Global domination soon followed. Today, not only do I use Facebook to stay in touch with everyone from those friends to my mom’s friends and more, I’ve also completely abandoned other early social networking sites (R.I.P. Friendster and MySpace) in favor of The Social Network. That’s the title of the Aaron Sorkin-written, David Fincher-directed blockbuster that comes out Friday, a movie that has people — grown-ups — talking not just about the seemingly controversial birth of Facebook but also the importance and cultural relevance of the medium. Trying to have a conversation without using the word “Facebook” is like trying to avoid the Kardashian sisters in the tabloids. While we’ve talked about the opportunities for and potential pitfalls of professionals using social media, we’ve yet to discuss how smart brands and businesses are making the ultimate consumer network work for them. Several — from Dairy Queen to Delta Airlines, Oreo to Target, Sears to Wasa — are blazing trails online in creativity and convenience.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud here, but it seems like brands and businesses simply using Facebook is not enough. Smart companies need to take their Facebook involvement one-step further and actively engage consumers in relevant and useful ways. And don’t forget to keep it fun.

According to new research from Atlanta-based social media marketing agency Vitrue, Facebook posts incorporating images, be they coupons or photos, engage more users than those using only text and/or video. The study claims “image posts earn 22 percent more engagement than video posts and 54 percent more than text-only posts, while video was 27 percent more engaging than text.” Moreover, posts made early in the day and on Wednesdays garner the most attention. Interactive games, giveaways and promotions also score big. A Vertical Marketing coworker recently shared the Wasa Facebook fan page, which features the endlessly entertaining “Create-a-Snack” interactive tool and other elements designed around the theme of “Snackspiration.” Equally engaging is Dairy Queen’s fan page, which has earned nearly 1.7 million fans with promotions for free Blizzards and more. And speaking of sweets, Oreo has outdone itself in Facebook promos, with over 10 million fans and more interactive “stuff” than the brand’s Double Stuf cookies. Taking a step toward more convenient airline travel, Delta Airlines began selling tickets via its Facebook page in August. But don’t let that stop you from entering KAYAK’s current giveaway, which gives users the chance to fly for free. The travel search engine and booking site’s pitch: “And you thought Facebook was only good for embarrassing photos.” Clearly, it’s not. It’s good for business, too. Target recently started selling Facebook gift cards, similar to iTunes gift cards, which can be spent on applications, social games and virtual goods associated with those games. Vertical Marketing Network had success in using Facebook as a cross promoting platform; as a tie-in with their James Hardie campaign, the agency drove traffic from the brand’s Facebook page to its YouTube channel and helped promote a related video contest. Retail giant Sears is currently running a similarly great video contest — clearly piggy-backing on the aforementioned release of The Social Network. Visitors to the company’s Facebook page are prompted: “What would you do with one billion points?” Unlike the “points” of pre-paid Facebook gift cards, the Sears points up for grabs are very real. The winner will receive 500 million points (sound familiar?), or $500,000, and another 500 million points will go to charity. Not a bad way to drum up fans…or business.

But perhaps the best business use of Facebook — and a great way for businesses to get involved on the network — comes from the company itself. In mid-August, Facebook launched its Places feature, a move to not only compete with other location-based social networking sites such as Foursquare and Gowalla, but to partner with them. Facebook’s Places platform has what’s called an application programming interface, or API for short, which allows users of sites such as Booyah, Foursquare, Gowalla, Twitter and Yelp to “check-in” and/or interact via Facebook. It’s a brilliant move on Facebook’s part, essentially making itself the “one-stop-shopping” site of social networking and online interaction. The fact that Facebook is engaging businesses to help is no surprise: “Places creates a presence for your business’s physical store locations…When your customer checks into your Place, these check-in stories can generate powerful, organic impressions in friends’ News Feeds, extending your brand’s reach to new customers.”

With more than 1 million Web sites integrated with the Facebook platform, including two-thirds of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 Web sites and half of comScore’s Global Top 100 Web sites, smart businesses should consider their place in this fast-growing social marketplace. Now that’s a conversation worth having.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: luc legay

9 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JJ Nelson

Bienvenidos a la Plaza.

September 21, 2010

Targeting the Hispanic demographic on their terms breeds results.

Whether digital or traditional, the "plaza" is a springboard for the nearly 23 million Hispanic and Latinos online. Smart marketers are taking notice.

Although I hate to admit when strangers steal my thunder, occasionally I can shove my ego aside long enough to offer up a high-five. If I ever meet Carlos Martinez and Robert Spallone, I promise here to do just that. For now, I hope they’ll accept this electronic one. Martinez and Spallone penned their July 2010 piece in Advertising Age titled “How to Connect With the Digital Latino” months before I penned a Blogging Out Loud piece on industry terms (real or otherwise) my Vertical Marketing coworkers and I would love to see go mainstream. But somehow, I missed theirs: the digital plaza. Say it again: the digital plaza. Now, close your eyes and imagine a bustling city center where children play, ladies exchange gossip, and men sip coffee while debating the day’s news. The plaza is an integral part of many vibrant cities, especially those in Europe and Latin America. But sadly, it’s lacking here in the United States. Unless you re-imagine it online. There the digital plaza is thriving, and leading the charge is the Hispanic/Latino community. “The unspoken need for social interaction has become a part of every Latino, even when they live in a relatively plaza-less culture, such as the United States,” Martinez and Spallone write. Numbers agree. An estimated 71 percent of Latinos use their mobile devices for activities such as SMS, MMS, email, surfing the Internet and gaming functions, compared to the market average of 48 percent. Moreover, as of 2009 nearly 23 million Hispanics were online, and smart marketers from leading companies such as AT&T, Budweiser, Ford, P&G and Toyota were responding. Offline, other brands continue to prove that the plaza — whether digital or traditional — is the springboard for the Hispanic community.

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud here, but it seems like smart marketers should not only embrace the concept of the digital plaza, but they should target the community that helped define it. As new opportunities emerge online though, let us not forget the power — or the powerful message — of face-to-face interaction.

This past weekend, Mexican beer giant Tecate ingeniously tied its sponsorship of a boxing match between American “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Mexican-American Sergio “The Latin Snake” Mora to Mexico’s Bicentennial Independence Day weekend. While the fight’s promoters were clearly targeting Mexicans and Mexican-Americans with their theme of “200: Celebrate and Dominate,” the beer maker offered up tangible in-store promotions and included a $25 rebate on the HBO pay-per-view fight with purchase of a 12-pack of beer. While the fight itself was a draw, Tecate was clearly the winner here. Intentionally stepping into and reaching out to a community makes a big statement, especially in the Hispanic market, where a University of Chicago study recently showed that maintaining cultural identity is of greater importance to many Latinos than assimilation to American culture. As we head into National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15), businesses such as the American Heart Association, Macy’s, Verizon and the San Francisco 49ers are doing just that. Macy’s stores nationwide will host a series of discussions on family, tradition, heritage, and healthy living, as well as offer participants the chance to sample fall trends with demonstrations by Lancôme. The AHA will be on hand talking to customers about the importance of practicing a heart healthy lifestyle, and they will share samples of modified traditional recipes. In New York, communications leader Verizon is sponsoring a mural contest, the winners of which will be featured in a national arts magazine. And in San Francisco, the 49ers and partner Coors Brewing Company will host a Football Fiesta, replete with Latin music, traditional dancing and food. Some $20,000 will be donated to the National Latino Peace Officers Association of the Bay Area for scholarships and training programs. Vertical Marketing recently did something similar for Ventura Foods and Gold-n-Soft, when — in addition to identifying the untapped Hispanic market and setting up bilingual in-store promotions and sweepstakes — the agency created a campaign that celebrated Latino culture and lifestyle. Sponsorships of the L.A. Galaxy and area youth soccer leagues honored the community’s passion for fútbol and celebrated family and community. By introducing Gold-n-Soft in a way Hispanic consumers could relate to, the agency helped build both the brand and brand loyalty, and ultimately drove sales.

While Martinez and Spallone offer up some tips for engaging in the digital plaza, we’ve seen that they’re relevant offline, too: walk among the people, listen to the rhythms of the conversation, be authentic and “dare to be personal.” It seems as if these would be hallmarks of any good marketing campaign, but in the Hispanic community they’ve proven to be especially effective. Reaching out to a demographic on their terms, taking notice and taking interest in their lives works.

Authentic, personal, relevant marketing. Go steal some thunder.

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: DanielR147

10 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JJ Nelson

Under the Dogfluence.

September 14, 2010

Numbers reveal that consumers spend more money on their pets than on m-commerce. Marketers should Sit. Stay. And take notice.

Meet Brady. With a face like this, it's no wonder man's best friend often gets to have his organic specialty bone and eat it, too. Accessories and toys aside, there are other ways to market to pet owners.

Entitled. Spoiled. These words used to be synonymous with certain children and, more importantly, reflective of their parents. But chatting with a friend recently, I observed there’s a new “kid” on the block and it looks curiously like man’s best friend. From the cute (doggie ice cream in flavors such as chicken and ham, doggie photographers) to the nutty (doggie dating services, doggie vacation “homes”) to the downright bizarre (decorative dog carpets), Fido is getting the royal treatment from businesses and marketers. And who can blame them? With pets outnumbering people in the United States, it would be foolish for marketers to miss the “bone.” And while part of me can’t help but throw my hands in the air when I hear talk of eco-friendly dogwash and acupuncture for pups and declare “What’s next!,” the Vertical Marketing gal in me can’t help but wonder: What other untapped opportunities are “in the dog house?” And not just for the pets, but, perhaps more importantly, for the people who love them (and who have the money to spend).

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud, but it seems that in addition to understanding the human consumer, smart marketers should also consider unexpected forces of influence. We all know kids have pull, and now studies suggest that half of all U.S. pet owners consider their pets to be a member of the family. Could “dogfluence” be the new “kidfluence?”

A May 2005 survey from Hartz confirmed what many already know: we’re a nation of dog lovers and loyalists. Approximately 31 percent of women spend more time with their pet than their partner or significant other. For men it’s roughly half that number. And while statistics can tell us things we already know — that Fido makes us happy, loves long walks on the beach and showering us with affection — some other numbers caught my eye. In a BizRate survey of 901 pet owners from the same year, one-third of pet owners claimed they would pamper their animals at a groomer, psychic or therapist (I guess that explains the ice cream!). Less zany to me is the idea of pet psychology, and who isn’t enthralled by the magic of the Dog Whisperer? When they’re not being pampered, pets are traveling; the Travel Industry Association reports 29 million Americans (approximately 14 percent of total animal owners) travel with their pets — and like other numbers, that one is on the rise. My Vertical Marketing coworker Betsy tells me of a canine cruise in her hometown of Chicago that markets itself to dog lovers. In addition to 90 minutes on the open water, passengers get a guided tour of the city’s dog-friendly hotels and restaurants, dog parks and fire hydrants. Perhaps the most revealing, though, was this: In 2004, Americans spent $34.4 billion on their pets, and that number grew the following year. That’s substantially more than the $1.2 billion US consumers spent on m-commerce in 2009. Paris Hilton and other celebs aren’t the only ones outfitting their dogs in blinged-out collars and designer duds.

We’d be wrong, though, to think this trend is only about bones and chew toys and cable-knit sweaters, because the consumer ultimately is wearing the pants and carrying the wallet. Another way to appeal to these consumers is to appeal to their love of dogs (or cats or birds or fish). Respecting and understanding your customer — be they two-legged, or four — is good for any business, and there’s an opportunity here to create products that appeal to the certain pet-loving consumers by acknowledging Fido’s place in the marketplace.

It truly is a doggy dog world, and we’re just living in it. Now, who wants a biscuit?

Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: D. Donohue

8 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JJ Nelson

Listomania and Other Could-be Words.

September 7, 2010

Have you ever wanted to coin your own phrase? We have, too.

Etymology is fascinating, no matter the context. In the fast-changing world of marketing, new words and phrases -- be they real or inspired -- reflect the nature of the business and our pursuit of the NBT (Next Big Thing).

Every year, as summer wanes and back-to-school sales tempt my wallet, I can’t help but feel nostalgic for reading, writing and arithmetic (in that order, be assured). More than any other season, I associate the school days of fall with new ideas. It’s no wonder, then, that when Oxford University Press announced a few weeks ago some 2,000 words being added to the latest edition of its New Oxford American Dictionary, I perked up with interest. And then, I laughed out loud. Of course, I know what a “bromance” is, and yes, I’ve used the term to poke fun at male friends (as well as a certain collection of Hollywood actors who apparently were placed on earth for each other only). But I’ve always thought of “bromance” as a non-word, the kind your computer attempts to correct the second you type it (just now, mine changed “bromance” to the not even close “bromine”). Now, bromance has been vindicated, as have former non-words such as chillax, frienemy, interweb, turducken, vuvuzela and many others, which got me thinking: if everyday slang can weasel its way into the common vernacular, can certain brands and businesses develop their own lexicon? If given the chance, what non-words would you have made real? “Funner,” anyone?

Maybe I’m just blogging out loud here, but it seems as if there are non-words used within the marketing industry that deserve real-word status. A quick poll of my colleagues at Vertical Marketing Network turned up a slew of examples, and it also sparked some exciting conversation.

Two existing terms from within the marketing industry are “advertorial” and “mobile marketing.” Advertorial is a great industry term, a portmanteau of “advertising” and “editorial.” Mobile marketing is a little less obvious in concept, since no, wheels are not involved. Rather, it pertains to marketing to consumers via mobile devices such as Smartphones. “Ideation” is a noun by definition that relates to psychology, but it’s also an emerging marketing concept; Vertical Marketing employs ideation experts who specialize in a style of brainstorming and creative campaign building that stems from activity, experience, information and pointed cues. The results make the round-table discussions of yesteryear pale in comparison. Consider, too, these suggestions for real-word status:

Apportunity (n.) — an opportunity for your business to create your own Smartphone application, or reach out to consumers via an existing app. Betsy Berman and I coined this one when discussing Smartphone applications a few weeks ago, and I find myself using it often since.

Clipsters (n.) — hip, young coupon clippers, an offset of Generation Q. With a reported 54 percent of coupon users finding their deals online, clipsters are a demographic worth targeting.

Cyberlibel (n.) — an actual thing, sort of. This phrase refers to defamation that takes place in cyberspace, which unlike actual defamation, raises legal issues of anonymity and free speech. Either way, it’s a hot topic in our “webcentric” world.

NBT (n.) — in a world that communicates more and more via abbreviation (BFF, LOL, TMI, TTFN) this is a clipped version of Next Big Thing. New trends, be they etymological or otherwise, are just around the corner, and the NBT is what marketing professionals are looking out for.

Onspiration (n.) — a portmanteau of “online” and “inspiration,” this not only refers to inspiration e-mail forwards, but to ways in which brands and businesses can inspire consumer loyalty.

Premiumization (n.) — the inevitable ascent of products within a brand.

Text-giving (v.) — similar to mobile giving, this is another extension that has proven to work. Consumers can use Smartphones to shop, surf the Web and vote for the next American Idol. Now, they’re donating to charity with the push of a button.

Vertical activation (n.) — (unrelated to Vertical Marketing Network, although we think we’re good at it) this is the act of reaching a target via consistent and motivating communications which garner a response (or activation) by said target. Imagine marketing as a ladder, at the top of which is your customer. Each rung is a step in a successful campaign that gets your brand closer to the top.

As newly coined terms and phrases become a part of our collective consciousness, they have the potential to be recognized as such. Still, says Fiona McPherson, senior editor of the OED’s new words group, “words have to pass a few basic tests before they can be deemed to have entered the language. They have to have been around a reasonable amount of time and be in common use.” Three to five years ago, terms such as “carbon footprint,” “defriend,” and “tweets” and “tweeps” who write them would have rendered me lost. These days, they’re as ubiquitous as the “blast offs,” “far outs” and “groovies” of generations past. Could our words one day make the short list?

In the freshman English-class favorite, Shakespeare’s Juliet says to her Romeo: “What’s in a name?” Sweet Juliet, clearly everything.

Have you coined or heard a new marketing word or phrase that reflects a sign of our times? Share it with us in the comments section.
Brought to you by Vertical Marketing Network, a Leading Integrated Marketing Agency.
Photo credit: toprankonlinemarketing

7 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by JJ Nelson

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 64 other followers