Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Taste of a New Generation

Saw an article on the Yahoo web site about a new tactic that the beverage giant Pepsi is taking this year in regards to Super Bowl advertising. They are not going to do it. That’s right; they have decided it is in their best interest to allocate this money toward launching a $20 million grant campaign, which will be distributed through social media channels.

The grant money will go to projects that cover six categories: including health, arts, culture, the planet, education, food and shelter. People will go to http://www.refresheverything.com/ to vote on worthy appeals and suggest other projects that may deserve the money.

Folks from Pepsi are buying in hook, line and sinker that the use of social media will spark a long-term movement instead of a few days of buzz like they get over a commercial seen during the big game. Time will only tell whether they are getting a better bang for their buck, but Pepsi is really trying to tap into the “tastes” of today’s generation.

Labels: social media

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Yes, I'll have a glass of the 2009 Twitter Chardonnay

Twitter announced on Friday that it has teamed up with San Francisco based vineyard, Crushpad, in a fundraising initiative to benefit local nonprofit organization, Room to Read.

The project, called The Fledgling Initiative, is producing two wines - Fledgling Chardonnay and Fledgling Pinot Noir. The bottles sell for $20 each, with $5 of the proceeds going towards Room to Read.

What a great concept. Who better to promote the project than a social media giant like Twitter...

Source: Mashable!

Labels: social media, Twitter

Friday, October 9, 2009

Modern Masters of Social Media

We attended an outstanding program presented by the HVDMA on Wednesday at the Fairview Country Club in Greenwich: Meet the Modern Masters of Social Media. (Kudos to our Hillary Taylor for helping orchestrate the event!)

We were treated to 3 very entertaining social media success stories from industry experts.

Ken from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters gave an overview of the various social media channels they are using as “listening” channels. His advice was to pay attention to what is being said about your company and be sure to react to both good and bad.

Valorie from a creative consulting company shared the success stories of Bigelow Tea across Facebook, Twitter, their own blogs, etc. She pointed out the importance of being “real” in your use of these social media channels.

Darryl, our advertising and social media genius, explained how they have learned to use social networking to stay ahead of the competition. They started blogging before it was even a word, and now their blog gets over 3,000 hits a day.

With the roadblocks the USPS keeps putting in front of mailers, there is no reason not to wholeheartedly embrace social networking. There is an investment in time and expertise, but the return can be impressive.

Labels: employees, HVDMA, social media

Friday, July 10, 2009

Are you on Myspace? You must hate exercising...

Researchers from Anderson Analytics recently conducted a survey on Social Networkers and non-users, in an attempt to gather demographic and psychographic data about each group. They talked to users of all of the major networking sites, and got some pretty interesting stats about the audiences. Some is predictable stuff like Linked In users have mostly joined for business purposes, but it gets a little more surprising too. Apparently, Linked In users are also more likely to watch soap operas. Who knew? Take a look at an article about the survey in Advertising Age for details on what your favorite social network says about you.

Labels: social media

Friday, April 24, 2009

Top 10 digital marketing tactics of 2009

Lee Oden at Online Marketing Blog posted the results of a recent poll he ran to see which baskets their subscribers are putting their digital marketing eggs in for 2009. 1559 votes were cast with Blogging, Twitter, and Search Engine Optimization coming in as the top 3 tactics.

Here are the top 10 (out of 45):

• Blogging (34%)
• Microblogging (Twitter) (29%)
• Search engine optimization (28%)
• Social network participation (Facebook, LinkedIn) (26%)
• Email marketing (17%)
• Social media monitoring & outreach (17%)
• Pay per click (14%)
• Blogger relations (12%)
• Video marketing (10%)
• Social media advertising (7%)

Lee offers that if you don't have a Social Media strategy or road map in place now, you'll most likely fall behind in Q3 or Q4. He also suggests that digital marketing tactics should match the needs of the situation, company resources, the target market and end consumer preferences.

Labels: digital marketing, SEO, social media

Monday, March 2, 2009

What can we learn from the Obama Camp? Find out April 1

On April 1st, Digital Marketing World is putting on a free virtual conference covering everything from social media to marketing ROI. But the best part - a 45 min Keynote Presentation by David Plouffe, Campaign Manager from Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign. What he'll be talking about:

+ How to harness the power of social networking to connect a dispersed group of people and engage them to perform outstanding feats
+ Innovative ways the campaign built brand loyalty and how these same tactics can be used by your organization
+ Why consistent leadership sets a tone that can inspire creativity and passion to achieve surprising results

Just register here and you're good to go. Maybe I'll even "see" you there!

Labels: conference, marketing, social media

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

"Tweeters" on the Hill

Who would have thought it? Our Congressional representatives are on line and using Twitter!

And who Tweets more? Republicans by an almost 2-1 margin. Who's the biggest Tweeter? Rep Culberson (R) Texas and he tweets as himself not a staffer. Staying in touch with constituents...

If you follow the link to the article there's another link for a quick tutorial on Twitter for those who want to get Tweet'n.

Labels: social media, Twitter

Friday, January 16, 2009

I have more friends than you: social status in a capitalist society

For Facebook it's friends. For LinkedIn it's contacts. For Twitter it's followers. No matter what social media platform you're utilizing there are ways to track your "popularity" - or at least that's how some seem to view it. In a marketers mind it works... the more traffic I have on my website, the more successful it is - right? So why shouldn't my personal "traffic" equate my personal success?

I was at the Library with my family the other day and it was packed. So many people taking advantage of all the freebies the Library has to offer. Not just books anymore, but Internet, DVD's, music.... I started to wonder why it takes a major financial crisis for people to start using its resources more regularly. Why haven't we always flocked there? It's not like people don't like FREE... And then it dawned on me. For one, everything's - dare I say - "used", and more importantly, you have to return it. In capitalist society our house, our belongings, our careers, our possessions are what make us. Why get something for free if when you're done you can't display it for all to see?

It makes me wonder - how much of social media's success is attributed to our own subconscious capitalist urges? Getting more friends/followers/contacts, posting pictures about all the cool things you are doing, talking about your latest purchases... If Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn didn't publicly display our personal "statistics" would we devote as much time to them? I wonder to what degree they would be used in a communist environment? Less - or more, in an effort to define personal individuality?

What do you think? Drop a comment, or Tweet me via @beckyterhaar.

Labels: social media

Monday, January 5, 2009

All the world's a-Twitter

Twitter. It made DM News' "6 Words That Hit the Biz - Big Time" list. While the business application of it is still up for debate, Social Networking is here and it's not going away. I must admit, I'm addicted to Facebook and Twitter. And I have them linked so that I can post my "tweets" on Twitter via computer or phone and it automatically updates my status on Facebook. (Thanks to Darryl at Plaid for introducing us to Twitter.)

I have no idea how my posts are received but it's fun to do. From a social aspect, it lets your friends know what you're doing. From a business perspective, whether you're the client or the vendor, or the seller or the buyer, it humanizes you. My favorite Twitterer (is this a word?... now it is!) is Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos. The guy is brilliant, and a real person to boot. His tweets range from what he's doing at the airport to Zappos' corporate philosophy, some of which we've embraced here at RMI.

Facebook seems more about finding old friends and staying connected. Twitter is more real time. What are you doing NOW? I would suggest though that if you're in the business of selling something, that at least some of the content be about sales or coupons or the hot product or gift or idea. Something of benefit to the current or potential customer. Just being out there or on there is not enough. You have to provide value.

On Facebook, friends find you and you find friends. With Twitter, it's Follow You, Follow Me. My client, the Arbor Day Foundation, started following me on Twitter. I wondered how they found me since I hadn't mentioned to them that I was on there. I remembered that I posted something about a recent meeting I had with ADF. So I'm guessing they search "arbor day" and find you that way. Of course, I now follow Arbor Day. By the way, check out their Give A Tree greeting cards offer. Very cool and a worthy cause. I found another RMI client, Consumer Reports, on Twitter as well. I'm sure more will follow.

I still don't know what it's all about. But I'm all in. (Tony, did you see what I did there? Inside joke!) You can find me as "Al Yu" on Facebook and "catchit16" or "Al Yu" on Twitter. I really need to build my Twitter network, so please... follow me!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Labels: social media

Monday, November 10, 2008

The "Who's Mailing What" of social media

If you have the exciting task of branching your organization out into social media mainstream, here are two great tools to help get your creative juices flowing.

Peter Kim, of Being Peter Kim, has put together an on-going list of over 300 brands using social media and their examples including American Red Cross, Disney Music, Hearst and oodles more. And below is also a list of the many different SM channels to delve your brand in to:

1. Blogs (Johnson & Johnson, Delta Air Lines)
2. Bookmarking/Tagging (Adobe, Kodak)
3. Brand monitoring (Dell, MINI)
4. Content aggregation (Alltop, EMC)
5. Crowdsourcing/Voting (Oracle, Starbucks)
6. Discussion boards and forums (IBM, Mountain Dew)
7. Events and meetups (Molson, Pampers)
8. Mashups (Fidelity Investments, Nike)
9. Microblogging (method, Whole Foods)
10. Online video (Eukanuba, Home Depot)
11. Organization and staffing (Ford, Pepsi)
12. Outreach programs (Nokia, Yum Brands)
13. Photosharing (Rubbermaid, UK Government)
14. Podcasting (Ericsson, McDonalds)
15. Presentation sharing (CapGemini, Daimler AG)
16. Public Relations - social media releases (Avon, Intel)
17. Ratings and reviews (Loblaws, TurboTax)
18. Social networks: applications, fan pages, groups, and personalities (British Airways, Saturn)19. Sponsorships (Coca-Cola, Whirlpool)
20. Virtual worlds (National Geographic, Toyota)
21. Widgets (Southwest Airlines, Target)
22. Wikis (Second Life, T-Mobile Sidekick)

...Otherwise, you could always just tap the brains of one of our lovely brokers to get their insight on which social media outlet would be right for you. Until then, happy marketing!

Labels: social media

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Youth marketing: SM vs DM

Here's a helpful marketing tid-bit while looking at your fiscal year... In a study done by Ball State University and ExactTarget (an email marketing company), 18 to 34-year-olds are more influenced by email and direct mail than marketing messages via social networks.

According to a white paper offered by ExactTarget called Messaging Behaviors, Preferences and Personas some 1500 Internet users were questioned about their general attitudes and usage of one-to-one communication tools, such as email, phone, text messaging (SMS), and social networking.

To recap, here are some of the most interesting findings about the "six different personas" identified in the research, as noted in their press release:

20 percent of Wired consumers have subscribed for marketing communications via SMS, more so than any other group, but they want to receive texts only for urgent customer service issues such as financial alerts or travel updates.

More than 50 percent of Young Homemakers use social networks and SMS during the day, but direct mail and e-mail are their two preferred marketing channels.

81 percent of Retired consumers have purchased online and 94 percent have been influenced by some form of direct marketing to make a purchase.

College Students are very spam-savvy and believe private communication channels such as SMS and social networks are off limits for marketers.

Teens use social networking more than any other group but are more likely to make a purchase from direct mail, followed by e-mail, SMS and social network sites.

Women are more likely than the men in the Established Professionals group to use new digital media channels such as IM, SMS and social networking to communicate with friends and family, but men and women alike shop online with 92 percent of the consumers in this group having made an online purchase.

Labels: social media

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Fundraising and Social Media

Our good friend Darryl from Brandflakes posted this on his blog. It seemed so relevant to what we do, we felt it important to link the whole article to you, our readers. There's a lot of real meat here for those fundraisers who either are already involved with social media, or struggling to integrate it into their marketing channels.

It's a long article but a really quick read and I think worth a look.

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit, social media

Friday, September 12, 2008

Darryl: there is life offline

On Tuesday our good friend Darryl Ohrt, from our ad agency, came to our offices to present a staff development session about 10 of the most useful Internet tools.

As always, Darryl wowed us with his extensive knowledge of the Internet and the many tools available. Many of us are trying out new sites like Twitter (tweet me @Tally1) and Delicious. Thought provoking discussions have been occurring around our offices.

Some wonder if the Internet is killing print publications. I think not. As with the 80’s hit, "Video Killed the Radio Star", I believe that both can co-exist.

Many of us use the Internet to receive the fastest most up to date information, but a full in-depth story? I tend not to want to read all that copy on a computer screen. I read the headlines online then the full article in print.

And what about the advertisements? Ads have come so far from a basic black and white to singing and moving double page spreads.

So Darryl, spend a few hours offline and pick up a magazine; I just ordered a gift subscription of Woman's Day Magazine for you. Enjoy.

Labels: Internet, publishing, social media

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The social networking bug

In the ever changing/evolving landscape of nonprofit direct marketing, the latest “hot” topic is how organizations can leverage social media sites to connect with potential donors/ activists, in the hopes that their mission will resonate with them and thus get them involved.

According to a recent Michael Pucian article in The Philanthropy Journal, “unlike e-commerce, which has been the huge Internet focus over the past 10 years, social networking is about connecting and getting involved, and not about buying and selling. Thanks to social media this is the perfect time for nonprofits to step up and ensure their mission is one that people are talking about.”

It may be the perfect time for nonprofits to step up, but the concept is a difficult pill to swallow for most traditional nonprofit organizations. It has always previously been about connecting with a person, telling them a story, that in turn, compels the person to make a donation. When did it not become about “selling”?

Ugghhh, and you thought direct mail acquisition mailings were a difficult sell to your board. Now you want to sell them the idea that you need one full time person on your staff who will be responsible for writing blogs, etc. that may or may not bring in supporters to your cause.

I happen to agree with Mr. Pucian’s take on the subject, but make sure you have all your ducks in a row before getting in front of the board. Have a concrete plan in place.

Mr. Pucian goes on to speak about the time investment that organizations must make in order to make this a viable operation. In his eyes the strategic commitment that it takes will cost you one full time person. As Mr. Pucian states find a person with the following qualities to spearhead this endeavor:

- Knows and enjoys social media
- Is tech savvy (but doesn't have to be a geek)
- Knows your organization and is committed to its mission
- Has a personable, outgoing writing style

One of my concerns with all of the hype surrounding social media is the audience you are reaching out to, and their long term involvement and commitment to the organizations. These folks are likely younger and/ or without families and perhaps not ready to become donors just yet.

I look at my personal use of Facebook and MySpace. Although I have an account on each site, I do not currently, nor, do I think will ever have the time available to spend utilizing all of their capabilities. Think about how you are going to keep people engaged and involved long enough so they can become donors and supporters! Have a plan!!

Labels: fundraising, nonprofit, social media

Friday, August 8, 2008

Facebook pages: good for DM?

I clicked on this article yesterday and was intrigued by it. A little over a year ago Facebook launched Facebook Pages to attract advertisers to their website. The idea was for this to be a major branding effort for marketers. Not only can you advertise within the social media site but you have your own page. "Fans" can visit and tell their friends, who in turn tell theirs. Companies promote their Facebook page on their own website to drive traffic. JCPenney has geared a page and application to attract a younger audience as they get ready for back-to-school shopping.

It's a great way to brand your image, but will it sell? Will it work for traditional DM? It really depends on how your page connects with the "under 30" demographics. Social media is the new paradigm.

Labels: social media

Monday, February 4, 2008

Web friends can be real friends

Darryl from Brandflakes wrote a really compelling post a few weeks ago about blogs, other social networks, and the new class of friendship they have unearthed. Admittedly, some of us here used to be sceptical of platforms like Twitter and Facebook that seemed to de-personalize relationships. Darryl pointed out that although you may never come face to face with these people, they've become part of your daily life and are, in a way, friends.

He told a story about a woman battling breast cancer, Susan, whose blog about her struggle was read by hundreds of people she never met. On the day of her surgery her web friends blogged about her and bore pictures of frozen peas in their avatars for support. (You can read the about the symbolism here.) The message became viral and more and more people started carrying peas.

This story got me thinking about how nonprofits could thrive from social networks, so I did some investigating. Apparently people are using applications that allow you to post badges or widgets on your blog, or Facebook pages, that can direct your friends/viewers to an area where they can donate to the cause you’re representing. Why not also use graphics in your avatar and link directly to the cause?

So maybe a key here to online/viral fundraising is simply to make yourself visible. Encourage the people of your success stories, or those that draw on your heartstrings, to share experiences online, start a blog, or simply start sporting a symbolic avatar. We'll be looking into ideas like these further and how they can grow online fundraising.

If you have a success story of using one of these applications, or how social networks have impacted your life and/or career -- leave a comment! We'd love to hear.

Labels: fundraising, social media

Monday, January 14, 2008

Facebook falls into the privacy trap

In an interview with 60 Minutes, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the 23 year old whiz-kid of the social media scene, was chastised for his faux pas in the possible invasion of his members' privacy. What's interesting here is the fact that for all the press and notoriety, Facebook is not making money. The only way they have made anything is through the famous $240 million sale of 1.6% share of the company to Microsoft.

In order to try to generate revenue, the company decided to sell advertising - but not through your conventional means. Apparently Facebook began using Beacon, a tracking program that monitors what its members buy on over 40 websites. Then, without explicit permission, it automatically reports their purchases to family and friends through a member "endorsed" ad. (Picture your face next to the scarf you just bought online at Bloomingdales.) It's a really innovative idea, just poorly executed. In any event they'll need to make some major changes in their methodology.

Will Facebook become the new Google? Some people think so.

Labels: privacy, social media

Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Taste of a New Generation

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Yes, I'll have a glass of the 2009 Twitter Chardonnay

Friday, October 9, 2009

Modern Masters of Social Media

Friday, July 10, 2009

Are you on Myspace? You must hate exercising...

Friday, April 24, 2009

Top 10 digital marketing tactics of 2009

Monday, March 2, 2009

What can we learn from the Obama Camp? Find out April 1

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

"Tweeters" on the Hill

Friday, January 16, 2009

I have more friends than you: social status in a capitalist society

Monday, January 5, 2009

All the world's a-Twitter

Monday, November 10, 2008

The "Who's Mailing What" of social media

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Youth marketing: SM vs DM

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Fundraising and Social Media

Friday, September 12, 2008

Darryl: there is life offline

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The social networking bug

Friday, August 8, 2008

Facebook pages: good for DM?

Monday, February 4, 2008

Web friends can be real friends

Monday, January 14, 2008

Facebook falls into the privacy trap

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