Archive for February, 2009
Mall-Kiosk-Guy
I’ve often wondered to myself how profitable those mall kiosk shops are. Selling $10 sunglasses, cell-phone-blinging cases and purses with dead celebrities on them don’t seem like very lucrative ventures. And it’s pretty apparent from most kiosks that the employees agree – they’re very rarely trying to move any merchandise, choosing instead to text on their cell phone or stare blankly into space.
However, one particular kiosk in our mall bucks this passive-behavior trend.
There is some kind of Dead-Sea-Salt-Lotion product that the employees are VERY eager for those who walk by their stand to sample. I was unaware of their eagerness, and this ignorance caused a small disagreement between Hayley and me.
Hayley and I were enjoying a low-key day at the mall. I don’t remember the exact details, but I’m sure I was carrying several bags while munching on a delicious Auntie Anne’s pretzel. As we got near Dillard’s, a man jumped in front of us and said something along the lines of “Hello! Would you like to try this lotion?” Hayley politely refused and he then replied, “Well can I ask you a question?” Again, Hayley refused, but this time, not as politely.
I was shocked – Hayley is not typically rude to complete strangers like that. And so I told her that I thought she should have at least answered the guy’s question so as to avoid being terribly rude. She disagreed. And we had a small argument about it.
Boy was I wrong.
Those guys are like Venus Fly Traps – they lure you in with the innocent “Can I ask you a question?” question and then they don’t let you go. They snap down and put on the hard sell like you would not believe. I am now ruder to them than the Abercrombie salesfolks are to ugly people.
So once again, Hayley was right. I should have known better than to argue with her mall acumen.
Social Media Saturation – Part Two
Last week, we started this little blog series about the struggles companies face when trying to enter the social media world. In today’s post, we’re going to share some “do nots” to consider when planning any social media initiatives. Next week, we’ll wrap up the series with some practical things you should do.
What NOT To Do
If you’re going to overcome social media saturation, here are some definite no-no’s.
Don’t just automatically do the latest new thing.
People are significantly invested in their current online communities. Asking them to create a new profile on your company’s brand-new social networking site may not be your best option.
Don’t jump in just because your competition is.
There’s no denying that social media is a hot topic right now. It’s new, sexy and a little mysterious. As the various sites’ popularities have increased, so too has the pressure to start implementing some of these tools into the marketing or communication mix. Don’t invest in a social media strategy without a clear understanding of your audience and what you’re trying to accomplish.
Don’t think it’s easy.
It’s no small amount of work to consistently deliver value and meaningful content to people. This isn’t a “If you build it, they will come” type of environment. Most of the time you can’t just throw up a Facebook page or blog and expect people to automatically flock to you. You have to work at cultivating your social media presence.
Don’t approach social media with a short-term mindset.
Building off of the last point, it’s critical to remember that social media is not a campaign — it needs to have a much longer timeframe than a traditional marketing or PR push. To truly take advantage of social media, you need to invest the time necessary to develop community.
Don’t view social media like traditional media.
YouTube is not like television. Facebook is not like a billboard-lined highway. Blogs are not like newspapers. To approach these new, emerging channels as if they were identical to their offline ancestors is a recipe for disaster. While advertising is offered on many social media sites, the greatest value comes from the personal interactions you have with your customers or clients.
Do check back next week for this series’ conclusion.
That’s a start to what we’d recommend avoiding. How about you? What would you add to our list?
Frakking Bears
Supposedly, I am an advertiser’s nightmare.
I pay attention to commercials and find plot inconsistencies, grammatical errors, poor line readings, ridiculous scenarios and tons of flawed logic on the part of the writers and producers. If they expect me to ignore the fantastic capabilities of my DVR and actually sit through their ads, they need to put a little more effort into not making their ads asinine.
And as may have been previously discussed in this space, I bristle at someone telling me what to do, so when someone on TV tells me to buy a certain product my natural inclination is to avoid buying that product just so that they know I can’t be told what to do.
There have been many products that I have avoided based solely on their lame/bossy commercials, but never has a product’s advertisements incited the anger I feel when the Charmin bears come on my screen. They’re stupid, nonsensical, and gross. I will sit through used car and fast food commercials, but I will mute and turn away from those Charmin ads.
I refuse to buy their product, but they are tricky and bought the prime shelf space at the grocery store, so I have had to teach myself to be much more cognizant of my toilet paper choices. No more strolling down the aisle and absentmindedly grabbing a package off the shelf while continuing to push the cart for me.
No, I hate those bears and will not buy Charmin toilet paper until they find a new ad campaign and issue an apology to America for foisting those bears upon us.
The end.
Weekend World Change
So last weekend I started a new blog series in which I highlight an easy way to make a difference in somebody’s life, and then encourage you to do the same. I didn’t get a ton of comments (ok, ANY comments), but I’m going to try again. I also didn’t link to the way to help, so hopefully everything will go better this week.
This weekend’s world-changing idea is incredibly easy and absolutely free. The Hunger Site has a simple button on its homepage. For everyone who clicks the button, the site’s sponsors contribute to helping feed those in need.
So, all you have to do is bookmark the site and go back everyday. Make it part of your morning ritual. Or your lunch ritual. Or your TMZ ritual.
It’s quick. Easy. And free.
If you’ve got an idea for world-changing, write a post on your blog and leave a comment below with the link.
Social Media Saturation – Part One
You Just Can’t Add Anymore
You’re on Facebook. MySpace. Virb. Goodreads. Several Ning groups. Plaxo. Twitter. LinkedIn. Your blog. BrightKite. Friend Feed. Second Life.
You keep up on RSS feeds from friends. Industry experts. Humorists. Artists.
You try to keep your Flickr account updated. Like everyone else, you can’t get enough of viral videos of cats being precious. There are a healthy number of podcasts to which you’re subscribed.
But you’re on overload. And you’re not alone.
You Can’t Be Serious
This week, several of us at Greteman Group received an invitation to join yet another social network. And the general consensus was, “Are you serious? ANOTHER site for me to keep updated? No way.”
The increasing popularity of social media is a wonderful thing. New tools are creating new opportunities for interaction. Brands and their fans are able to engage in dialog as never before. But it has become increasingly difficult for new online communities to dislodge well-established sites. Consider CW’s Gossip Girl social network. CW started the social network two years ago and today the site boasts 5,180 members. That doesn’t sound too bad, right? Well, the Facebook page for Gossip Girl has 1,039,722 fans. And while numbers aren’t everything, the 1+ million members on Facebook are far more active than the members on CW’s custom site, adding videos, debating about the latest episodes and offering predictions about upcoming plot twists.
The moral of the story (Is it ironic to say “moral” when discussing Gossip Girl?) is that people are significantly invested in their current online communities. By uploading pictures, chatting with long-lost friends and keeping everyone updated on the latest happenings in life, certain tools (like Facebook) have become an integral part of our everyday life. Brands that meaningfully contribute to these existing communities are experiencing significant payoffs. Just check out Mashable’s list of corporations engaged in social media if you want some examples.
Check Back Next Week
We’ve got some recommendations for brands interested in exploring the social media world. Come back next week for our thoughts.
Are You Saturated?
So how about you? Are you experiencing the same saturation or are you joining any and every social network that you get invited to?
I wanna be Made
While I was tearing into my Chipotle last night, I turned to “Made,” one of the few shows I enjoy watching on MTV. Most of you are probably familiar with the premise, but for those that aren’t, the show takes people who are the complete opposite of the person they want to become, and works with them to change them into a “different” person.
The show is fun because most of the people start out terribly pathetic at what they set out to do, and by the end of the hour-long show they’re at least tolerable at it. Sometimes they even surpass “tolerable” and move right on to “pretty impressive.”
I’ve often wondered to myself what I would do if I got to be made. It’d be hard to find something since I’m pretty amazing at almost everything.
Honestly, I’d like to be made into an author, but I’m not sure how well that would translate on the show. It would be great to have an established author teach me how to become disciplined and develop healthy writing habits. I’d probably have to do something lame like surfing or lion-taming.
So what about you? What would you like to be made into?