• Social Media Transforms Spokesmodels Into Friends

  By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Oct 30, 2009 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  When finding inspiration for your Halloween costume this year, did you turn to TV commercial breaks (remember that stuff you fast forward through on your DVR)? If so, you might be one of many dressing as "Flo" for Halloween.

  Flo, the face of Progressive Insurance, has garnered more than 209,000 Facebook fans, is the topic of multiple fan sites and forum chatter, and the cornerstone photo of the insurance company’s Twitter feed. The Facebook group, "I'm dressing up as Flo for Halloween," had more than 350 members at the time of this post.

  Enter the spokesfriends

  The advent of social media has enabled brand spokepersons to turn into what I call spokesfriends. By integrating inbound marketing techniques into traditional advertising campaigns, companies are creating personas that people connect with and trust.

  While spokesfriends can’t define your product or service, or make it stand out in the market, they can give the personality and connection needed to create buzz.

  Historically companies have found successful formulas to relate non-celebrity spokesmodels with audiences, such as the Dunkin’ Donuts Fred the Baker , the Marlboro Man, and the “Where’s the Beef” lady. Whether they are friendly, funny or downright odd, they somehow engage the masses, and likewise become celebrities in their own right.

  In today’s social media world, it’s not enough to have a celebrity hype your brand, or leverage the power of a regular Joe, without adding that opportunity for customers to connect with them online.

  Giving life to these characters through social networks adds the permission-based marketing element that can bring the brand closer to customers than ever before.

  Some current spokesfriends and social media

  Flo, the Progressive girl

  

  The PR 20/20 office overlooks Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, the home base of Progressive Insurance. Earlier this year Flo traveled to Cleveland to throw out a first pitch for a Cleveland Indians game and also made the local media circuit. On a radio interview, she shared that people frequently cite her as their reason for switching insurances, and are disappointed when their insurance policies don’t come in the boxes as shown in the fantasy retail shop of the commercials.

  Flo is played LA-based actress Stephanie Courtney, who also has roles in TV and is in a comedy troupe, and shared this quote in an October Boston Herald article "Insurance pitchgirl a surprise TV hit," by writer Lauren Beckham Falcone: “I’m glad people aren’t mad at me for interrupting their programs,” she said. “It’s all a very pleasant surprise.”

  TGI Friday's Woody

  Woody was created as a social media experiment as detailed in the Adweek article "TGIF's Very Friendly Online Promotion" and MarketingTom.com post.

  Through media support, Woody achieved a Facebook promotional goal of gaining 500,000 Facebook fans in exchange for a coupon for a free Jack Daniel's burger or chicken sandwich. What was expected over 30 days happened in six days, and TGIF had to quickly respond. The company rewrote the rules of the contest to accommodate for influx of online participants, extending to 1 million fans through page by end of September. There were issues with coupons and getting the free food, but the likable character combined with the offer helped to demonstrate the power of social media.

  The Glade Lady 

  Spokesfriends can sometimes become popular for their more deviant attributes, such as seen in the Glade Lady, a truly desperate housewife. There are several blog posts and social media groups dedicated to Glade Lady’s deceiving ways, tricking her family and friends that she is baking instead of burning scented candles. Take for instance, the 64-member Facebook group, "I think the lady on the Glade commercials is a pathological liar...” 

  Spokesfriends of the pasts that would've been great in social media

  • A Facebook fan page on the Country Crock family: I need to see the faces behind the hands that share the bread spread, and dig deeper into their carb obsession.
  • How about a Taster’s Choice soap opera romance played out through Twitter?
  • “Where’s the beef” blog tracks the quest of the lady to find a bigger burger, until she’s exposed to the cruelty of a mass production facility, fueling the goal to start her own free range farm. There's a "Where's the Beef" tribute page on Facebook with 175 fans. 

  A matter of choice

  While it’s not reasonable to assume that all companies or brands can employ a spokesfriend to tout their product or service, they serve as a testament that social media gives brands the opportunity to connect in a more meaningful and personal way. Check out Rohit Bargava’s post, “Do You Know Someone Who Loves Your Brand?” He discusses Honda’s "everyone knows someone who loves a Honda” campaign driving more than 133,000 people to access an application through Honda’s Facebook fan page.

  We can learn from the extended reach of the spokesfriends to explore how social media, as part of an inbound marketing strategy, can change the way customers connect with your brand.

  Do you think it’s better for brands to create spokesfriends and harness power of social media, or leverage the power of celebrities already engaged in social media for extended connection, or forget spokesmodels altogether and simply offer a unique product or servicea and participate in the social communities of your customers?

   

  Capadona-Schmitz is an assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS. It's also worth noting that Halloween is her favorite holiday!
• Recession-Themed Marketing: Three Lessons from Schooner Tuna

  By Christina Capadona-Schmitz | Posted Jun 25, 2009 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Brand Marketing

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  Get out of bed each day and chances are you’ll hear a marketing message tied to the economy.  From car companies offering to cover monthly payments for those that lose their jobs, to budget-friendly brand offshoots, trying times have created new opportunities for companies to communicate with their audiences.
  
  With all the economy-based marketing messages out there in these conditions, “bailout” promotions and similar messages have become white noise.  It’s almost expected that companies should be doing something to help out their loyal customers during troubling financial times.
  
  So what makes a message stand out from the competition in this economic environment? What drives consumers to spend the limited money they have now and build brand loyalty for the future? How do businesses project sincerity in the delivery of these campaigns?  Let's look at one of Hollywood's most famous economy-based ad campaigns.

  The Schooner Tuna Campaign
  

  In the 1983 movie “Mr. Mom,” Terri Garr’s character Caroline Butler is thrown back into the workforce when trying economic times remove Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) from his architecture job.  While comedy ensues on the home front, Caroline breaks through barriers at her new advertising job.
  
  At a campaign pitch meeting for premium brand Schnooner Tuna, Caroline offers the idea of “Tuna with a heart,” based on her experiences as a stay-at-home Mom.  The pitch: reduce the price of each can of the premium Schooner Tuna by $.50 to help families through the tough times.
  
  There are articles published each week about recession marketing, including plenty of references to Mr. Mom and the tuna ads in relation to current advertising and marketing campaigns.  I’ve gathered three simple takeaway lessons from the Schooner Tuna campaign:

  1) Relate to your audience now to gain loyalty in the future.
  

  Calling on her recent experience as a mom and housewife, Caroline was the only person in the Schooner Tuna pitch meeting that knew how to talk to the decision makers – and what they’d respond to:
  
  A September 2008 Misery Index blog post “Schooner Tuna Where Are You When We Need You,”  explains it well: “From “Yum Yum Tuna Bits” to “The Tuna With a Heart”, it was she who brought the priorities of consumers - of moms like her - to that boardroom. She reminded Humphries that housewives didn’t need corporate gimmicks, but in fact needed a break on the high price of tuna. And by doing this, Schooner Tuna would win over the housewives’ loyalty.”
  
  A similar reference is found in the Haggin Marketing January 2009 post “America, we’re doing this for you,”: “Caroline knew that if Mr. Humphrey lowered the price of a can of tuna so American housewives could stretch their grocery dollar, then they would be loyal to Schooner Tuna for life.”
  
  While bigger companies may be able to reach a wider audience through larger campaigns, small businesses could have the advantage of knowing their customers on a more personal level, thus being able to respond to the struggles the customers are facing, which the businesses may actually share. A June 9 post in The Wall Street Journal Small Business section gives a few examples of this:  In Recession Specials, Small Firms Revise Pricing - Discounts and Lower-End Offerings Help Lure Cash-Strapped Customers.

  2) Offer savings without discounting the value of your product or service.
  

  The fictitious Schooner Tuna was a premium brand.  President Mr. Humphrey solidifies this position in his commercial for the “Tuna with a Heart” campaign with the line “When these difficult times are over, we will return to our regular pricing…”
   
  The last thing you want to do by offering savings or discounts, is to devalue your product or service in the eyes of current and potential customers. If you offer a premium brand or service, there’s the option to find ways that your customers’ dollars can go further, such as investing into community programs to support schools or other initiatives, without taking the leap into price lowering. However, if affordability is one of your strong suits, don’t be afraid to let it shine.
  
  Keep in mind, that although the recession may be thought of as a temporary situation, it can have lasting effects and represent a shift in peoples’ buying habits, no matter the duration.
  
  An example of this can been seen in the recently published story on the luxury handbag company Coach, and its decision to develop and launch a less expensive brand. The line, called “Poppy,” runs an average of 20 percent less than their normal product, while retaining the quality and luxury image associated with the current brand. 
  
  On the contrary, Tiffany’s luxury brand was not willing to risk sacrificing its high-end status, and stated last quarter that it would not cut prices despite falling sales and earnings.
  
  The right approach can vary from company to company, but if you are able to retain the value of your product or service in the minds of customers, they’ll be more willing to pay that extra $.50 for your tuna when the economy improves. 

  3) Be sincere.
  

  In the movie, Mr. Humphrey’s excitement in the boardroom when “Tuna with a heart” is introduced doesn’t appear to be derived from the opportunity to help his fellow man.  He has found a clever way to sell tuna.  The cheesy commercial confirms this, especially in the delivery of his closing remarks, “Remember, we’re all in this together.”
  
  While the long-term effects of the Schooner Tuna campaign are unknown (no “Mr. Mom 2” that I’ve seen), it’s safe to say people can see through lack of sincerity, and today can search online product reviews and comments through their social networks to confirm.   This especially rings true if you offer a discount or promotion and don’t deliver on the promises.
  
  It’s simply hard for people to take corporate spokespersons, such as CEOs of large companies, seriously when they say “we are in this together,” and actions speak louder than words. Earlier this year, Under Armour premium sports wear company CEO and founder Kevin Plank voluntarily cut his 2008 salary to $26,000 – the amount he made in 1996 when he started the company – until financial performance improved.  It could be perceived as a small sacrifice on his part, but a potentially large impact on customer loyalty.
  
  Sincerely having interest in the welfare of customers will make it easier to generate quality messages that last through any state of the economy.  
  
  What economy-based campaigns have resonated with you?  What could marketers do better to gain loyalty, retain value and project sincerity in their campaigns?

  Additional resources:

  • In February, AdWeek posted 10 Things to Remember in Marketing in a Recession
  • BusinessWeek has an entire feed on Recession Marketing in the Business Exchange section
  • NY Times April 2009 article: Sellers Woo Shoppers With Guarantees to Address Layoff Worries

   

  Capadona-Schmitz is an assistant vice president and consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. She can be found on Twitter @ChristinaCS and loves movies. She couldn't find a sample video of the Schooner ad and would love to add it in if anyone has seen it online. 

   

• Newspaper Execs Say Print Media Is Not Dead

  By Lyndsey | Posted Feb 12, 2009 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

  On Feb. 3, a small group of newspaper execs came together and launched The Newspaper Project to promote the value and vitality of newspapers in a dynamic economic climate, and to combat the notion that the industry is dying.
  
  The Website, www.NewspaperProject.org, writes, “While we acknowledge the challenges facing the newspaper industry in today’s rapidly changing media world, we reject the notion that newspapers — and the valuable content that newspaper journalists provide — have no future.”
  
  The organization is promoting its message through print ads, in a plethora of community dailies, as well as industry giants like The New York Times, and banner ads, and is publishing “insightful articles, commentary and research” on its Website.
  
  But what’s ironic about this campaign?

  • The organization is attempting to reach younger generations by publishing its message in print ads, a place where 20- and 30-somethings are nowhere to be found.
  • It advertises 100 million daily readers, but the majority of that number is online readership.  
  • It promotes journalists as valuable assets to the industry, yet the industry as a whole has laid off hundreds and thousands across the country, and continues to do so. 
  • The print ads are being run pro bono — costing struggling newspapers not only ad space that could be sold to paying advertisers, but also the ink and paper to print them.

  With this aside, the heart of the campaign is in the right place; the message is not. For a campaign trying to reach younger generations, the execs are going about it all wrong. The audience, and readership, is there to be reached — but online, not in newspaper ink.
  
  The organization should set up Twitter profiles to reach relevant and interested professionals. It could start a YouTube Channel featuring newspaper exec interviews. And how about dabbling in Facebook groups?
  
  Launching a social media campaign is all it takes for the younger generations to hear your message. Now, whether we listen is a whole other blog…

   

  Related Posts:
  
  Blog Series — The Battle for Influence: Print vs. Online Media
  
  Part 1 — Newspapers without the Paper?
  
  Part 2 — Views from the Mainstream
  
  Part 3 — Print Media Is Losing
  
  Part 4 — Public Relations: The New Fundamentals
  
  Lyndsey Walker is a Consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. After five years in the journalism field, she is happy to have made the switch to public relations. Follow my updates on Twitter: @lyndseywalker

   

   

• What's your drug (case study) of choice?

  By Laurel | Posted Dec 29, 2008 | 1 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Crisis Communications, Internet Marketing, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

  For anyone that didn’t hear about the “Motrin moms” story, here’s some background:  Last month Motrin made an online video about babywearing for International Babywearing Week.  They thought it would be a great fit for their brand by telling moms that Motrin knows how fashionable babywearing is, and how all the cool, “official” moms do it.  But it hurts.  So, you know… take some Motrin.
  
  The video went viral, but not at all in the way Motrin had hoped.
  
  The backlash was intense.  Baby wearing isn’t hip, said moms, we do it because it keeps our children close, it is comforting to them and we love our children.  And Motrin, have you ever tried carrying a baby in your arms all day long?  That hurts.  Baby wearing is actually comfortable by comparison.
  
  Baby wearing videos were made, photos posted online, and mom bloggers and Twitter moms told Motrin what they thought of their campaign.  (It sucked.)  Oh, and did I mention that this all happened in about 2 days?

  What went wrong?
  

  So where did Motrin go wrong?  They didn’t think about their buyer persona.  They thought they knew the moms they were reaching, but they were sorely mistaken.  Had they done a bit more research on babywearing and talked to some mommy bloggers about it, maybe they could have done something to tie into baby wearing week that was actually effective, instead of alienating a huge potential market.
  
  As a fairly recent graduate, when I hear about Motrin I can’t help but think about the Tylenol case study we learned about in several PR classes.  (In case you aren’t aware of this one:  in 1982 several people in Chicago died from taking poisoned Tylenol from bottles that had been tampered with.  Tylenol lost tons of money by pulling its product off shelves and reaching out to consumers to apologize and make it right as best they could.  Tamper-proof bottles were a result of the case.  It’s a huge case study taught in PR classes when learning about crisis communication.)
  
  I can’t help but wonder – will Motrin be the new Tylenol?  Will the case studies learned by the next generation of PR graduates be about Dell, Comcast and Motrin instead of Waco and Tylenol?  (Any current students reading?  What case studies are you learning about in PR, marketing and communications classes?)

  Public relations is evolving
  

  In my opinion… they should be.  There’s been a lot of talk recently about PR being a dying industry.  PR isn’t dying.  But it is evolving.  Businesses will always want to find and reach their buyers.  The media (in some form or another) will always exist and need things to write about.  
  
  But think about it:  PR used to be about spin and control.  And I’ve got news for you: spin and control are impossible in a Web 2.0 world.  You can get your message out there, but if it doesn’t hit the mark, you better be ready to communicate.  Openly and honestly.  You need to get to know your buyers.
  
  Just ask Motrin.
  
  (For the record, Motrin’s VP of marketing did apologize on the company Website, and removed the offensive video.  But of course, the story, the video, and all of the responses from angry mothers, are still quite easy to find.)

   

  

   

  Laurel Miltner is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm.  Follow her on Twitter - @laurelmackenzie.
• 5 Tips for a Successful Holiday Google AdWords Campaign

  By Keith | Posted Dec 15, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Internet Marketing

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

   

  I’ve passed the Google AdWords Professional exam, run several client AdWords campaigns and read everything I could get my hands on about pay-per-click (PPC) campaign management. However, when we recently suggested to a client that they should run a PPC campaign to promote their product for the holiday season, we learned holiday Google Adwords campaign management is a completely different animal.
  
  While for the most part, typical AdWords campaigns target people searching for a specific product, service or industry; holiday campaigns need to appeal to a broad audience. This changes the typical approach to keyword selection, ad copywriting, bidding and campaign setup.
  
  Fortunately, I had the help of my colleagues and combined with our client’s thorough understanding of their audiences and holiday-buyer personas, we were able to adapt, customize and put together a strong and successful campaign.
  
  Here are five lessons we've learned that can help you run a successful holiday Google AdWords campaign:
  
  1) Target the Undecided – To maximize the number of clicks you will receive, target audiences who are using search engines to research gift ideas for their loved ones. In addition, a holiday campaign should contain general keywords, such as “gift” or “present.” Undecided shoppers obviously do not know what they are shopping for so the more general the keyword or phrase, the better.
  
  2) Nicknames for your Audiences – Before selecting your keywords, it is important to define the audience your product would appeal to the most, and then determine all the names that can apply. For instance, if you sell a product that appeals to a male audience, you may consider using the terms men, guys, dads, fathers, grandpas, sons, husbands, uncles, etc.
  
  WARNING – Just a heads up, if your targeting terms for husbands, boyfriends, wives or girlfriends, be sure to create a Negative Keyword “naughty” or “adult” if you do not sell those types of gifts.
  
  3) Remove the Mystery – To ensure you only get quality leads clicking on your ads, make sure the ad copy makes it obvious what you sell. Your ad should contain a keyword or phrase that clearly defines what the searcher will find on your site. This way, if your “cool gift for dad” is golf clubs, searchers will pass it over if their dad prefers spelunking.
  
  4) Open Up the Content Network – I have never been the biggest proponent of the content network considering it is a time consuming process to identify the sites your ads are showing on and then request that your ads stop showing on those none-relevant sites. However, for holiday campaigns, I’d recommend it, mainly because your ads will appear on huge ecommerce sites, like Amazon.com. We’ve seen the content network do very well for our campaign this holiday season.
  
  5) Be Ready to Bid – Be ready to pay a premium for your keywords. With general holiday terms, you will not be the only company bidding. Your ad needs to be in the top 3 to get the most clicks, and consequently you need to be ready to bid high enough. To give you an idea of how much you can spend, over the past three weeks, we’ve seen CPCs range from $3.00 to $12.00 for terms like, “Gift Ideas for Dad” and “Gifts for Grandpa.”
  
  Also, do not rely heavily on Google’s Traffic Estimator to give you an accurate gage on the traffic and costs per click because for three-quarters of the year, no one is searching holiday terms, thus skewing the results.
  
  Keith Moehring is a Consultant for PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. He is a certified Google Adwords Professional and has been working in PR & Marketing for more than three years. You can follow him on Twitter @keithmoehring

• 4 Tips to Writing Effective PPC Landing Pages

  By Keith | Posted Oct 30, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Internet Marketing

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

  So your pay-per-click advertisement offer of “free shoes with the purchase of every shoelace” caught the attention of a search engine searcher. They’ve clicked on your ad, Google charged your account the $5.50 you bid for the term “shoe fastening devices,” and the potential customer is on your site. Now what?
  
  What can you do to your site to encourage customers to take the desired call to action? Below are a few tips that may help to improve the effectiveness of PPC landing pages.

  1. Align the Keywords

  Align the keywords you purchased with the content on your page. Make sure your keywords are scattered throughout the copy, specifically headlines, so the visitor knows right away that they are on a site that covers “shoe fastening devices.”

  2. Searchers Don’t Like to Search

  Put the most important information front and center, so visitors don’t have to look around for it. The easier you make it for them to find the information they are looking for, the longer they will stick around. Bold face or enlarge the main points and keywords on the page to allow for quick scanning. Also, images of the product or service are a good idea because they draw attention easier.

  3. Clearly TELL Them What to Do

  A quick, clear and concise call to action is easier to understand than a wordy one. “Click Here to Purchase” puts the action as the first word, leaving little confusion on how to purchase the product. “If you would like to purchase shoelaces, click here,” isn’t as powerful and doesn’t give the same type of urgency.

  4. Above the Fold (Unlike this)

  A main point to remember is that the call to action (CTA) should be above the fold. The fold refers to the bottom of the page that isn’t visible without scrolling down. The most common spot for a CTA is at the top of the right-hand column, but check out the sites that you frequent and see where they put theirs. You can also test the best place for a CTA with A/B testing. Put the CTA in two different locations on the Web page, and then study the analytics to see which version customers responded to better. Google offers a great, free A/B testing tool.

• Views from the Mainstream (Part 2 of 4)

  By Lyndsey | Posted Oct 16, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

  (Part 2 of a 4-part blog series on The Battle for Influence: Online vs. Print Media)

  With the explosion of social media — Facebook.com, Youtube.com, MySpace.com — the Internet has in a way given people control over their consumption of news and information. So how is the printed newspaper — a vehicle so used to managing information flow — to survive in this world where consumer decisions drive the proverbial information bus?
  
  I decided to go out into the community to find my answer. George Nemeth, a Cleveland-based blogger, known for brewedfreshdaily.com, and author, and Dan Hanson, a Cleveland-based writer for both printed and electronic publications, offer their insights.
  
  Do you see the day when newspapers completely abandon their print counterpart?
  
  DAN: There are still a whole lot of people who rely on the newspaper for their news.  Maybe they don’t have access or desire for cable TV, Internet or other alternative information sources. Maybe they just like the experience of holding the paper and turning the pages. … Whatever the reasons may be, newspapers would be foolish to abandon this market. They may need to raise the price for consumers but I think the print versions will be around for a while.
  
  GEORGE: As newspaper demographics change, younger readers aren’t reading the paper, so eventually the paper’s advertising revenues won’t support its cost of publication.
  
  So how can the printed newspaper survive?
  
  DAN:  I see a combination of online and print working, but not merely duplicating the printed paper on the Web. Smart companies will use each medium in the way they best serve consumers. Internet news seems more disposable (and less valuable) than a daily newspaper, which, in turn, is more disposable than a glossy magazine. I’d still rather be on the cover of Rolling Stone than on the homepage of rollingstone.com.
  
  GEORGE: Revenue for online advertising is increasing significantly, while revenue from the print side is falling rapidly. I saw figures recently that time spent online is about 80 percent of all media consumption, while most ad buyers spend 20 percent of their budgets online. I don’t think it’ll be very long before buyers correct that disparity. Depending on the market, it may be within the next year or two.
  
  What do you predict for the printed newspaper?
  
  DAN: Publishers will offer bundles. Buy x column in the paper and get your banner ads rotated y times on our Website. Or, spend enough on our Website and we will include your message in our nice 4-color print weekly so you can distribute to customers and hang on the wall.
  
  GEORGE: As soon as someone creates an inexpensive computing device that folds like a newspaper and allows you to play multimedia files, the print vs. online debate will be moot. Who knows what will be possible in the future with nanotechnology.
  
  There seems to be a disparity between the baby boomers and Generation X. Those who grew up holding the newspaper in their hand don’t see, or at least don’t want to admit, the day is coming when that will no longer be an option.
  
  Content is king and will prevail — in whatever form consumers decide. And the numbers don’t lie.
  
  You can check out George Nemeth’s blogs at www.brewedfreshdaily.com, www.optimisticrebel.com and www.radicaltransitions.net, and Dan Hanson’s monthly column in Inside Business magazine at www.ibmag.com.

   

  Blog Series — The Battle for Influence: Print vs. Online Media

  Part 1 — Newspapers without the Paper?

  Part 2 — Views from the Mainstream

  Part 3 —  Print Media is Losing

  Part 4 — Public Relations: The New Fundamentals

   

• Print Media Is Losing (Part 3 of 4)

  By Lyndsey | Posted Oct 16, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Internet Marketing, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  

  (Part 3 of a 4-part blog series on The Battle for Influence: Online vs. Print Media)

  “We face the most difficult advertising environment in our history … ,” wrote Terry Egger, publisher of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, in a letter to readers after restructuring the paper in June 2008. Major sections of the newspaper now appear online only.
  
  According to Ad Age, the top 100 U.S. advertisers — who account for 41 percent of the total advertising spending — increased measured Internet spending by $1 billion, slashed newspaper spending by $674 million and cut TV budgets by $406 million last year.
  
  It’s true that print media is losing out to the Web. The list goes on:

  • Online media companies like Google are enjoying huge advertising revenue increases, while mainstream media outlets are suffering.
  • Real estate revenues are shifting online.
  • Auto ad dollars are shifting online.
  • Department stores are shifting ad dollars online.

  With social media, online forums, blogs and the interactivity of the Web growing and expanding so quickly, newspapers and magazines struggle to compete with the printed version weakening their bottom lines.
  
  The advent of pay-per-click, mobile ads, dayparting, and ads sold by user profiles offer newspapers the ability to master the online monster. Eventually, the print industry will adapt and shift its printed counterpart online entirely — as soon as it integrates these emerging online technologies.
  
  So, where does PR go from here? Less focus in print, more attention to Internet marketing campaigns, pay-per-click services, mobile ads, social networking, social media, blogging and search-engine optimization — the list goes on. The needle is shifting toward inbound marketing.

   

  Blog Series — The Battle for Influence: Print vs. Online Media

  Part 1 — Newspapers without the Paper?

  Part 2 — Views from the Mainstream

  Part 3 —  Print Media is Losing

  Part 4 — Public Relations: The New Fundamentals

   

• The Power of Viral Videos

  By Paul | Posted Jan 8, 2008 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Social Media

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  
  Public relations as we know it is rapidly evolving, and organizations caught watching from the sidelines are being left behind.
  
  Innovators and early adopters are taking the risks, and reaping the rewards, of launching social media campaigns. These organizations, seeking more affordable and effective, non-traditional marketing solutions, are turning to online tools such as blogs, podcasts, wikis and videos – and some are having remarkable success.
  
  Take, for example, Blendtec. For the YouTube.com faithful, CEO Tom Dickson (that's him in the lab coat) is a social-media celebrity. But for those of you who aren’t familiar with the “Will It Blend?” video series, it is a case study in the power of viral videos.
  
  In a recent StartupJournal.com article entitled, “Marketing Videos Are A Hit in Their Own Right,” it was reported that as a result of a series of online-only videos featuring Dickson blending items such as, golf balls, EZ Cheese, Transformers, magnets and iPhones (yes, he actually obliterated an iPhone), sales of Blentec’s home blenders sky-rocketed 43% in 2006.
  
  Update:  The original article linked in this entry is no longer active. For more information, check out the similar blog post, "Marketing Videos Became a Hit in Their Own Right."
  
  It’s even more impressive when you consider that Blentec didn’t have a marketing department until 2006, and launched the video effort on a $50 budget!
  
  Have you considered how social media is changing your business, and your industry? Maybe it's time that you do.

• What Can Google Do For Your Business?

  By Paul | Posted Dec 30, 2007 | 0 Comment(s) | Filed in: Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations, Technology

  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

  
  
  On the heels of surpassing the $200 billion mark in market value (which by the way is more than the combined value of News Corp, Disney, Viacom and CBS), Google amassed nearly 4 billion search queries in September, according to the latest report from Nielsen Online.
  
  That's 54 percent of all online queries conducted at the top U.S. search providers. Yahoo! Search is second with 1.4 million (19.5 percent).
  
  So, as Google's influence continues to expand, here are a few practical tips to help your business tap into the wealth of services offered by the search giant:

  • Sign up to receive Google News Alerts for your company, competitors and industry.

  • Create custom Google Maps of your headquarters to post online, and send in emails.

  • Research and monitor discussions and trends in the social media world through Google Blog Search and Google Groups.

  • Launch a pay-per-click campaign with Google AdWords.

  • Submit your Website to be indexed by Googlebot.

  To find even more uses for Google in your business, check out the Google Business Solutions site.

• 1
• 2
• Next >

Connect with PR 20/20

• Our Team
• Facebook
• Twitter