Social Media Hall Monitor

The old guard is skeptical. Social media is bad.

"If I don't use it or understand it, then it can't be good."

But all the evidence seems to be pointing to the fact that social media can work as a marketing vehicle. Brandweek cites a study that shows people are influenced by brands that use social media, have visited brand e-commerce sites linked from social media sites, and have actually had conversations about brands on social media sites.

"...46 percent of social media users have recommended or talked about a product or brand on Facebook, and 44 percent have done the same on Twitter."

Despite the positive things that could happen to a brand using social media, companies continue to ban it. It's clear that more than half of CIOs don't have an interest in the success of their employers marketing efforts. They are missing the point. Most ban it for fear that it will distract employees from their duties, but many things can distract people from their duties. Businesses that feel the need for "network hall monitors" might need better employees, not social media bans.

New Aspirational and Me Too

An article on Brandchannel points out a new advertising phenomenon in China...aspirational advertising. "Baidu Ad Shows Chinese Brands Shifting Ad Strategy From Product To Image" gives an account of how Baidu, the Google of China, is ditching the features and benefits strategy for a more ephemeral strategy. Ads by Nike and Levi's that coincided with the 2008 Olympics introduced the Chinese to the aspirational style. The Chinese advertising industry is still catching up to the aspirational advertising methods as celebrity endorsement and logo/product tactics dominate the landscape.

China rose quickly to become the world's second largest advertising market as the Olympics ramped up. A New York Times article from 2008 suggested that the advertising during the games only served to confuse people. Official and unofficial sponsors looked to edge each other out but only contributed to the clutter. The Western tactics showcased during the Olympic games left some people confused.

“The sameness of the ads is the frightening thing,” said Terry Rhoads, managing director at Zou Marketing, a sports consultancy in Shanghai. “You have to wonder about the ad agencies.”

You do have to wonder. Advertising is the art of making products more appealing and to stand out. Baidu should take the high road and not give in to the Western style that will soon become "me too" in Chinese advertising.

Seven Questions

I had the opportunity to get perspective on the current digital advertising landscape from Darren D., a Senior Internet Designer, from what he refers to as a "multinational manufacturing company". For the safety of our interviewee, I've decided to keep his identity anonymous.

BT: Tell me about your career trajectory.
DD: Pretty standard non-management development and design path. Starting working as a freelancer in my field about 12 years ago, and have been steadily moving forward into increasingly stronger positions.

BT: What is your current role?
DD: Lead web designer at a multinational manufacturing company.

BT: How will social media change advertising in the next 5-10 years?
DD: Social media is, at its core from a business perspective, advertising. The difference is that the new media marketers have thrown out the bullhorn and take a more perceptible and personal approach. Given the current direction traditional advertising is heading for the same tar pit that many magazines and newspaper are currently thrashing about in. Advertising will be more like crowdsourcing, and less like one guy on a soapbox at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park. Online banner ads are already starting to evolve into more interactive pieces of stand-alone media (like Burger King’s Augmented Reality Dollar menu banner), that will be able to engage visitors in a useful or meaningful way rather than just hoping for an impression.

BT: What developing technologies will become the next big thing in advertising?
DD: Augmented Reality is really taking off right now, and has the potential to be extremely influential in ways that marketers and companies could have only dreamed about even a year ago. The biggest technological advance will be ubiquitous computing and having people always on and always connected. Being able to interact with your customer base in real-time when they may not necessarily be in your store or on your website is opening exciting avenues of advertising and engagement every day.

BT: What is one of your favorite advertising programs of all time? Why? (not your own)
DD: Simple. Outpost.com TV ads from the early 90’s. Pure Gold.

These few ads were so far outside of the realm of what anyone had been doing before that it made it near impossible for anyone to not know who outpost.com was. They were unique, edgy, and really done well. They thought about the details, even to the point of having a tag at the end to where you should send your complaints after seeing the ads.

BT: What are five websites/blogs you couldn’t live without?
DD: Reddit.com, SmashingMagazine.com, Flickr.com, Dailywtf.com, CodingHorror.com

BT: Who would you rather take to lunch: Steve Jobs or Bill Gates?
DD: Bill Gates.

I share Darren's interest in augmented reality. While I understand the concept, the technology, and the current utilization, I feel its potential is not even understood yet. Virtual guided tours of the city or museum, multiplayer games, and augmented advertising may crop out of this new technology.

I'd never heard of outpost.com, understandably so, as the site is dead and now redirects to frys.com. Who knows when or why outpost.com went under. It's hard to imagine why the site went away with sweet commercials like this, this, and this. Pretty cool stuff for it's day. Notice the AOL keyword reference at the end of the ads...too funny.

Social Media - Time Wasted?

There are two sides to most arguments, and the social media vs. worker productivity issues is no different. Every now and then a group of analysts, who probably collectively have 4 Facebook friends between them, scheme up an obscene monetary figure that represents the amount that businesses are losing due to social media. A BBC piece recently suggested UK businesses are losing up to 1.4 billion pounds ($2.3B). Firing back on the other side are workers, barely able to pull themselves away from the latest Twitter trend, who contend that social media has "real marketing value". Other research isn't so conclusive. OK, somewhere in the middle there is the truth. How can a company combat and encourage social media at the same time?

Here are some suggestions that I would recommend based on my experience in establishing social media program for my company.

• Set clear rules and regulations as it relates to social media in the workplace.
  Who can say what?
  When can you do it?

• Encourage the "bean counters" to get involved in social media.

• Make company spokespeople show their activity online.
  Who are you talking to?
  What are you saying?
  Why are you saying it?

• Track results, both hard statistical sales results and more ephemeral outcomes.
  Google analytics and goal conversion
  Scout Labs to measure trends and attitudes

A top down adoption of social media as a tool is essential. A bottom up acknowledgement of the proper use of social media is essential.

I think to properly utilize social media effectively organizations need to understand how to funnel information accordingly. Upper management should be funneling pertinent information down the chain so that those who are actually broadcasting social media messages are on task. The funnel should filter out everything that isn't relevant. Sometimes the most important things aren't the most relevant things. Social media practitioners should be aware of this and should have the authority to decide what is relevant and what isn't.

From the opposite end, workplace social media users should be aggregating interactions and funneling the most important things up the ladder. Issues of product safety, customer service, and the like should be of utmost importance. Trends, and not singular instances, in product design feedback should also be passed along.

Arguments will always exist for and against the use of social media in the workplace, but an adoption of a standardized procedure should help enhance any business.

Rodney Mason Interview

I recently had the chance to interview Rodney Mason, a veteran of the marketing world and guru of new media. Rodney is currently the CMO of Moosylvania. Rodney can be found all over the interwebs. I first noticed Rodney as a "prolific commenter" in Ad Age Daily articles. He always delivered some valuable insight and often found a angle to promote his products and services...very savvy.

BT: Tell me about your career trajectory.
RM: I've been in the business since the mid- 80's. Advertising, Branding, Promotion and Digital for national and global brands like - Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, Kellogg's/Keebler, McDonald's, In Bev and Capital One among others. I began working in the digital space in '97 - launched the first web site in the world for Inbev - Labatt Blue Canadian Beer Embassy.

BT: Tell me about your company.
RM: Moosylvania is The Great State Of Design - where extraordinary design meets deep insights. As an independent Digital, Branding and Promotion agency with a globally ranked research facility on site that is part of a national research network, Moose has what no other agency in the world can claim, an insane level of real-time insights. Clients include Bacardi Martini, Dean Foods, Enterprise, Nestle/Purina, Ocean Spray and Solutia among others.

BT: Was it "love at first sight" when you encountered social media?
RM: No. It's just a fact of life in marketing. Transparency rules, the customer is in charge and any marketed brand not accepting of that has deep issues they aren't even aware of.

BT: Do you see social media increasing or decreasing in importance as a marketing vehicle in the next 5 years? Why?
RM: Social Media will become the backbone of all marketing initiatives over the next 5 years. Social media delivers 30% of all digital messages, but is only used by marketers 3% of the time. That means it is significantly under utilized. As old media migrates to digital and social platforms, it will only grow in share of voice and importance. Social Media is the truth and trust and the most important medium a marketer has.

BT: How has being a "prolific commenter" positively affected your agency business?
RM: Being a prolific commenter is a tricky balance. Simply commenting without facts or value might increase awareness of your brand, but it can also diminish the perception and value of your brand. Therefore, it is important to be informed, factual and add value with ever comment. It's also important to understand when you are a prolific commenter, not everyone will agree with your opinion - there is social currency cost. It's best to evaluate each post to size up what that cost is and if it's worth the return. That said, our globally ranked research facility, intellectual white papers and published POVs give us an advantage and ability to be a prolific commenter.

BT: What brands are getting it right in the social media space? Why?
RM: Few. That's because marketers right now are testing tactics. They aren't taking a holistic overarching approach with a social media plan that includes objectives, strategies, social-monitoring and sound tactics.

Some brands doing a good job or making good progress.

Burts Bees - authenticity, relevancy and an overarching strategy consistently deliver their message across platforms.

Coca-Cola - leads the beverage industry. Success with new brand launches like Coke Zero and acquired brands like Glaceua have been heavily influenced by social media. There was a time not too long ago, when Pepsi in general had all the hot new brands and programs. That day has come and gone and social networking is the key differentiator.

Chicago Pizza Café - Frisco, TX - Small local chain that opened it's doors with 3,300 Twitter followers and uses each social platform for a specific strategic reason.

Dean's Foods - Launched a program last year - "Start Right End Right," that took over the blogosphere - especially with mom's to become the 5th most trafficked promotion site at the time on the web and netted over 100M free impressions. Over The Moon Milk brand is getting aggressive with sharing passionate fan posts. All of this comes from a company, not a trade or producer association, selling milk.

Google - ancillary products like Wave, Android all are text book examples, as they should be, of how to disseminate information and build a following.

Grey Goose - specifically targets the very most influential influencers in the world, better than any other spirit in the world.

Hollywood in general gets it in every way possible. Recent examples, pick a property. "Where The Wild Things Are," "Paranormal Activity," any unknown film nominated for an Oscar.

Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Trucks - LA - An avid following that shows up and lines up in advance of where the trucks announce they will be all through social media.

Kraft - overarching branding tools to help moms plan meals.

Nestle - Purina Brands. Pick a pet and a pet passion in the social world, Purina is there.

Poets, Priests and Politicians - Some of the very best social networking examples come from the arts, religious and political fronts.

Southwest Airlines - Simple, straight forward and always on their game.

Spirit Airlines - radical news making, over the top, unbelievable stunt social networking.

Starbuck's gets a lot of things right in the space - big followings on Facebook and Twitter.

Unilever - Axe - over the top in tune with their audience.

Dove - Pushing controversy and women's rights and respect. One slip - Axe, owned by the same company is counter to Dove as its communication objectifies women. Some backlash for Dove based on the association, but not too bad.

Ben & Jerry's has been doing social networking since inception even before social networking existed - they called it grass roots. Social Networking is the embodiment of the brand.

Whole Foods - See Ben & Jerry's

Zappos - See Whole Foods.


BT: Is the ubiquity of social media leading to fundamental changes in the way companies compete?
RM: The Truth and Trust now rule. See our white papers on how consumers choose brands and ascend the trust ladder.


BT: Any words of wisdom for those entering the advertising/marketing job market?
RM: Opportunity for careers in "Advertising" are limited. However, being prepared and understanding what's next, especially as it pertains to digital, CRM and social networking, holds significant opportunity.

BT: Any words of wisdom for those on the back half of an advertising/marketing career who want to become re-relavant?
RM: Get engaged and use the platforms to understand them. Every situation is different, but it's important to be open-minded and understand what once was, is no longer. If you don't believe that, just watch an episode of Mad Men.

Rodney's firm boasts a wealth of high profile clients. He also speaks very highly of the future of social media, and his firm seems poised to advise brands in a manner that will add value for those brands. One has to wonder how many firms aren't what they claim to be?

Rodney refers to the wildly popular AMC series Mad Men. But is it that different? It stands to reason that while advertising folks aren't weilding the power they once were, somebody is. I would speculate that those holding the scepter now are bloggers and social media strategists that are advising brands. They are the ones establishing protocol and developing best practices. Countless companies have sprung up seemingly overnight to proclaim they are the kings of social media. In fact, a Google search for "social media agency" turns up more than 1 million results. So the heydays of advertising have come and gone, but are we seeing a new chapter in marketing services?

Good News in Display Advertising

Google's announcement that it will be offering up metrics to measure banner advertising other than click throughs and impressions should be welcome news for advertisers. Brandweek explains the new Campaign Insights tool as a measurement of site traffic to advertisers sites by users post-impression vs. visits to advertisers sites for users without a display ad impression.
According to the Google AdWords blog, Google is guided by three principles when it comes to making display ads more appealing. Campaign Insights specifically tackles the issue of campaign measurability.

This has been a long time coming. With click through rates in the .1% range, display ads are the clutter gutter of the internet. They take up space in an otherwise useful medium. Any improvements to the display ad are welcomed.

But while this may sound like welcome news for advertisers, it could provide false positives for truly integrated marketing campaigns. The idea that Google will track post-impression activity of those who were served up the display ad is creepy enough in itself (privacy). The fact that Google will correlate post-impression activity to to the display ad itself is self-serving. Integrated campaigns can deliver a message in a variety of mediums from TV to radio to blogs and cocktail napkins. The new program from Google cannot measure where the initiative to visit the advertisers site came from, and therein lies its fatal flaw.

So integrated marketers take note of the new strides in display ad measurability, but also take those results with a grain of salt.

Keeping WGI On Track With Social Media

I recently had the chance to speak with Paul Hemingway of Watkins Glen International Speedway in Watkins Glen, New York. Paul is the Senior Director of Sales and Marketing at the track and leader of the track's social media efforts.

WGI was recently recognized by sportsin140.com in the first "Most Valuable Tweet" awards. I was interested in how WGI was using social media and Paul was kind enough to oblige.

BT: When did Watkins Glen start using social media?

PH: Roughly 2006 with MySpace

BT: What social media tools are you using?

PH: FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn

BT: How did you know it was the right thing to do?

PH: We didn't! Great thing about social media is there is very little risk/investment. Worth its while for trial and error. We took a look at the sports/entertainment landscape and saw less dependence on traditional communication methods.

BT: What are you trying to achieve through social media?

PH: Bridge a gap inside the consumers mindset of where they are now and where they want to be. Create track affinity.

BT: Describe a social media success story.

PH: Staged first IndyCar "tweet-up" at WGI in July. Created means for our followers to come together and mix/mingle along with IndyCar drivers/teams who embrace Twitter (Tony Kanaan, Ed Carpenter). Created a lifetime connection with fans.

BT: In your opinion, what businesses are using social media well?

PH: Zappos, ESPN, Phoenix Suns

BT: In five years, will social media be more or less important to businesses. Why?

PH: Interestingly enough, I think equal to or less. I think traditional media advertising will rebound with economy and sophisticated consumers will see through many rogue attempts to connect disingenuously through social media platforms. MANY businesses do not embrace social media, but do it because everyone else is doing it. If you don't own it as a culture, it becomes transparent.

A success that Paul attributes to Twitter was the Indy Car tweetup. He essentially took online offline and made followers "friends" in the true flesh-and-blood sense. This is a fantastic lesson in how to make Twitter work and give the online efforts a tangible result.

Paul presents and interesting viewpoint on the future of social media. Seemingly attributing a portion of the success to a down economy, the future growth of this new marketing medium may dwindle as the Dow climbs. In fact, recent activity on social media sites Twitter and Facebook show traffic stagnating. At the same time the Dow has cracked the 10k mark. Conspicuous timing that supports his theory.

The WGI contingent has truly embraced the social media technology and continues set the pace for other tracks around the country. To keep up with Paul and the gang follow @WGI on Twitter.