• Social Media Transforms Spokesmodels Into Friends

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

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  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

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  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. 

   

• Advertising Industry Faces Monumental Change

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

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  "The next 5 years will hold more change for the advertising industry than the previous 50 did."That, according to a new report from IBM (NYSE: IBM) Global Business Services.
  
  In "The End of Advertising as We Know It," (all apologizes to Sergio Zyman who published a book in 2003 under that exact title), IBM surveyed more than 2,400 consumers and 80 advertising executives globally. The report shows, "increasingly empowered consumers, more self-reliant advertisers and ever-evolving technologies are redefining how advertising is sold, created, consumed and tracked."
  
  Report Highlights

  • Broadcasters must change their mass audience mind-set to cater to niche consumer segments.

  • Distributors need to deliver targeted, interactive advertising for a range of multimedia devices.

  • Advertising agencies must experiment creatively, become brokers of consumer insights, and guide allocation of advertising dollars amid exploding choices.

  • All players must adapt to a world where advertising inventory is increasingly bought and sold in open exchanges vs. traditional channels.

  • U.S. users report more usage of social networking sites and user generated content than almost any other content services category:
    • 45 percent use social networking sites
    • 29 percent visit user generated content sites
    • 24 percent use a music service such as iTunes 
    • 24 percent subscribe to premium television content

  • In biggest DVR market, users report extensive replay of television programming. This is resulting in ad skipping and revenue shakeup unless producers and broadcasters reinvent marketing formats and messaging: 
    • 24 percent have a DVR in their home, and 48 percent have used video-on-demand from a cable company or other provider
    • While 33 percent report watching more television content than before the DVR, 53 percent report watching at least fifty percent on replay

  • Users feel extreme regarding new forms of advertising. Marketers have to work harder than ever to understand individuals and micro-segments:
    • Nearly 50 percent reported that video spots online – during, pre-rolled or as sponsorships – were the least annoying form of advertisement. Other formats tested were banner ads, pop-ups, and contextual search ads

  • However, nearly the same level of consumers responded the same forms of advertising were most annoying online

  • Additionally, 11 percent said they’d be willing to pay a little for ad-free viewing of video online

  Check out the full report from IBM.

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