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I’m heading to the West Coast next month to the Society of New Communications Research’s annual NewComm Forum.  Besides being excited about tagging on a weekend in wine country, I can’t wait to sit in on the conference sessions. 

I’m joining Susan Getgood on her panel covering Blogger Relations, along with other SNCR award honorees from the blogger relations category.  NewComm Forum 2009 will feature sessions on the culture of Facebook, a social media measurement “master class” with Katie Paine, a “Twitterville” session with Laura Fitton (a.k.a. Twitter/Pistachio), a social media crisis communications session, and roundtables on social media management best practices and other hot topics.

Check out the full agenda.  SNCR is on the cutting-edge of all things social media - I learned a ton going to their fall conference in Boston.  If you’re budgeting time out of the office and travel this year, NewComm Forum is one of the best tickets to keep on your short list.

You can also participate in SNCR’s annual Tribalization of Business Study on the use of communities and social media in business.  All who participate get an early, free copy of the results.

Filed under: Blogger Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Internet, Measurement, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 3 Comments →

"Give me back that Filet o’ Fish.  Give me that fish!"

The new McDonald’

s commercial is the latest in recent popularity on commercials using a little musical comedy to grab the attention of viewers.

If any of you are like me, you get a kick out of a well put-together musical commercial.  But I’m not talking about the Wrigley’s commercials of old, featuring twins singing “Double your pleasure, double your fun.”

I’m talking about the new wave of hilarious, yet so simple, ads that create quite the buzz on the Internet.  These quick lyrical parodies, such as my new Filet o’

Fish favorite, spread like wildfire online and further prove the importance of web video these days.  And since most of these ads are created for paid TV placements, viral success is frosting on the cake, adding value to these videos that once was not possible.

Here are my Top 5 musical commercial picks from recent memory:

1) McNuggets Rappers

2) FreeCreditReport.com Renaissance Fair

3) iPod Touch

4) Nextel Gets Down

5) E*Trade Singing Baby

What are yours?

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Social Media by JohnLeRoy - 4 Comments →

Another week, another round of social media stories. Below are some great articles and blog posts from the past week that I recommend for some weekend reading. Enjoy!

MicroPersuasion “Twitter is Peaking” - Digital guru Steve Rubel proposes three explanations of why Twitter is currently at its peak including  A) geeks (and social media influencers) could be getting turned off since there are now so many celebs using it  B) the site is too chaotic and disorganized and C) it doesn’t allow people to develop as deep of relationships with the personalities and brands that they would like to.

Social media has been called a fad, but it is still kicking and constantly evolving. Only time will tell. I have to agree with Rubel’s point on celebrity saturation - I actually saw Twitter highlighted by The Soup on E! last night - talk about mainstream!

Forbes.com “Yes, CEOs Should Facebook and Twitter”- For those still wandering around the pond of social media, as opposed to jumping in, this is a great read. It details how companies and CEOs are using social media to connect with key stakeholders, enhance credibility, boost their own profiles as intellectual leaders, learn from customers and the public, and enhance open collaboration.

ReadWriteWeb “Despite Recession, More Than 50% of Marketers Increase Spending on Social Media”- A new Forrester Research survey shows that over 50% of marketers will increase their spending on social media in the coming months, primarily because the overall cost of utilizing social media is less than other forms of marketing such as big traditional ad buys. ReadWriteWeb pulls out some useful charts from the study in their post.

AdAge “How Two Coke Fans Brought the Brand to Facebook Fame”- Coca Cola has the second most popular fan page on Facebook. To my and many others’ surprise, it wasn’t actually created by Coke, but by two fans. So, when Facebook changed its policy last fall to only allow official company spokespeople for a particular brand to create brand fan pages, Coke had to either cancel the fan-created page or take it over. Instead, they’ve worked with the fans to keep the page going and even brought them to Coke’s Atlanta headquarters to collaborate on social media strategies. What better way to help grow a “fan brand” like Coke, than to embrace the biggest and most vocal fans and include them in parts of the planning and strategizing process!

Filed under: Digital PR, Internet, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

I spent a day in New York this week judging entries for the 2009 SABRE Awards (for Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation), which are the brainchild of Paul Holmes , longtime industry observer and editor of The Holmes Report .

Entries were up this year, a bit surprising since everything, it seems, is down. I take that as a sign that a) we’re all looking for a little recognition, maybe even more so in turbulent times, and b) the PR industry isn’t ready to lay down for anyone or anything. Sure, we’re talking about PR people, the eternal optimists (at least on the bright, shiny consumer side of the business). But it’s hard to think of another industry that’s so vital today. Back to the awards…

I was blown away by the quality of entries. Any CEO or CMO who still questions the value of and ability to measure PR should have the opportunity to read a few of the SABRE entries. Business results - from driving downloads, sign-ups and traffic to jumpstarting or reinvigorating sales - were well documented, with many achieved solely by PR. The best programs were the ones that went beyond "creating awareness" to define tangible objectives and, consequently, were able to clearly measure results, mapping PR activity to business success factors.

A few other things that stood out: campaigns that took risks - going beyond established "best practices" to employ new methods of engaging the target, particularly online; at the same time, comprehensive brass tacks campaigns that were flawlessly executed - there’s something to be said for going beyond the big splash to mind (and mine) the details of story development and delivery; and, the more focused campaigns - the ones that honed in on a very specific audience segment, rather than casting a wide net to see what gets caught - often plenty, but not necessarily what you need.

Net-net: brands should expect more than coverage from PR and, likewise, they need to give their PR teams access to business-driving information - not for the sake of award entries, but to be able to shape meaningful, impactful campaigns and to be accountable, both for today and for setting up the next campaign. The awards are the icing on the cake, an encore, and, to borrow an oft-used phrase, it’s a thrill just to be nominated!

Filed under: PR Industry by LauraTomasetti - 1 Comment →

Last weekend 47,000 people showed up in Anaheim, CA for Expo West , the world’s largest natural products show. Amid current economic instability and questions regarding the value of organics, the industry seemed to answer any skepticism with a resoundingly impressive show that included 10% attendance growth over last year’s event.

Going into Expo West, this turnout certainly wasn’t a guarantee. With consumers watching their grocery dollars more than ever and food safety scares resulting from the salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds and may be involved in nine deaths, organic and natural food products seemed especially vulnerable.

On March 3 The New York Times published It’s Organic, but Does That Mean It’s Safer? , reporting that the organics space is not immune to food insecurities since several organic products were part of the massive food recalls.

In response to concerns and to reaffirm the value of organics, The Organic Agriculture and Products Education Institute (Organic Institute) launched “Organic. It’s worth it.” - the non-profit’s first national consumer education and marketing campaign.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Food Industry, Industry Organizations by VictoriaBreglio - No Comments →

It has been a Twitter and Facebook kind of week - with some exciting changes rolling out on both sites affecting brands and PR folks using social media. Here are some of my top digital news picks from the week, with a couple articles detailing these specific changes:

Twitip "Welcome to the Hive Mind; Learn How to Search Twitter" - Last week, Twitter began rolling out integrated search (finally!) and a trends feature to Twitter.com. Twitip provides analysis of the advanced Twitter search features. Key takeaway - check out the search.twitter.com "Operators" page to improve how you’re searching the site.

Twitip "10 Twitter Tools that Help You Work Smarter" -  The post title is pretty self explanatory. It lists some cool tools like TweetDeck (will change your life), Qwitter, and TweetLater. They also posted "10 More Must-Have Twitter Tools" later in the week - also helpful. (I’ve been loving the content on this blog lately)!

Mashable "Finding the Right Brand Voice on Twitter" - A very well written post from Kai Turner provides tips for brands looking to dive into the Twittersphere. Stay tuned for a more in-depth post from me relating to Kai’s article next week…

AllFacebook "How to Develop a Facebook Page That Attracts Millions of Fans" - In-depth post with tips and info about how brands can leverage Facebook to interact with consumers. Get comfortable, this one is long.

Mashable "New Facebook Pages: A Guide for Social Media Marketers" - Last week Facebook rolled out changes to "Fan Pages." Mashable provides a basic description of the changes and implications for companies. For example, now brands can sync their Twitter and Facebook accounts so select Tweets will post to Facebook as a Status Update. While many of the new changes are beneficial, there are some challenges - primarily, brands will need to post content updates even more frequently to keep their page fresh.

Filed under: Digital PR, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - No Comments →

When times get tough, it’s not easy for CEOs to be in the spotlight.  But it’s more important than ever, and the ones who lead now are the ones we’ll remember.  Like Trish Karter, CEO of Dancing Deer Baking Co. 

Next month, Karter will take a 1,500-mile bike ride to raise awareness of the needs of homeless families, sleeping at homeless shelters from Atlanta to Boston.  “Cookies are my excuse for social change,” said Karter at a Commonwealth Institute leadership forum Tuesday night.  That’s an authentic statement, not a marketing platform, as anyone who knows Karter can attest to.

But Dancing Deer’s commitment to social change is a message that resonates even more loudly today and, so in the course of advocating social change, Dancing Deer will hopefully sell some more cookies, too.  (Try their Sweet Home line of cookies – 35% of retail sales goes to job training, child care and housing for homeless families.)

Back to Karter’s bike ride.  Karter commented that some might not approve of a CEO’s “going out for a long bike ride” amid one of the worst economic crises in recent decades.  But as Karter went on to explain, “it’s absolutely the right time.”  She’s right.  This is a time for CEOs to break out of the board room, to be visible, and to inspire and lead us.

So take that bike ride, and take your employees, your investors, and your customers with you – their reaction just may surprise you.

Filed under: Cause-Related by LauraTomasetti - 1 Comment →

Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in a day - especially when you’re trying to stay on top of all the latest news related to digital and social media. With so many voices on the web writing about consumer digital trends, social media, digital PR tactics, and blog posts about all the tools we love to play with - Facebook, FriendFeed, Twitter, etc. - it can be a little overwhelming to sort through the clutter.

If you can relate to this, I’ve got some good news! The 360 team is kicking off a weekly blog post that features select digital news stories/posts that we think are worthy of your time. We’d also love to hear of any additional links the comments, if we’ve missed something.

Enjoy!

PRWeek “Survey Shows Optimism for Social Media, Digital in 2009″ - Things look good for digital in ‘09 according to a survey from the Council of PR Firms.

TwiTip “Measuring your Twitter Network’s Health” - TwitterFriends and Twinfluence can help you measure the “reach” of your Twitter network.

Wall Street Journal “Skittles Cozies Up to Social Media” - Emily Steel at the Wall Street Journal writes about Skittles approach to social media, including a drastic site revamp that brings social media to the forefront.

Mashable “Skittles Swaps Homepage from Twitter to Facebook” -Throughout the week, Skittles switched up their home page and Mashable provides an interesting perspective.

Filed under: Digital PR, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

In some of the latest news surrounding the wonderful world of Twitter, details were released this week regarding Facebook’s Failed Twitter Takeover.  Twitter doubters will most likely change their tune after learning that the biggest player in social media is interested in snatching up the micro-blogging site (keep in mind these same people once doubted Facebook too).

For the social media savvy, Twitter makes sense.  Short blasts of info all managed in one place.  Pretty straight-forward.  But for those who don’t “get it,” Twitter can be mind-boggling.

A number of 360PR staff are active on Twitter, including myself.  But while I’m not the most experienced of the millions of Tweeple in the Twitterverse, I do appreciate the site for what it is and the interesting/cool ways that people use it for personal communication and for business.

For example, a friend of mine forwarded me an interesting blog post a couple of days ago about a guy and his friend who saw a tweet from Shaquille O’Neal that said he was eating at a particular diner. In the Twitter equivalent of a litmus test, the two friends took a trip out to the diner to see if the Phoenix Suns’ big man was really operating the Twitter account The_Real_Shaq.  And what did they learn?  Shaq, or Diesel as he has come to be known in the NBA, was hanging in a booth enjoying his lunch.

[Read more →]

Filed under: Social Media by JohnLeRoy - 3 Comments →

As a follow-up a blogger relations session we had a few weeks back with Susan Getgood, which Elicia posted about, we were lucky to have a top locally based mom blogger come to our office and talk to 360ers about what works – and what doesn’t – when working with bloggers.  Christine Koh is the brain behind BostonMamas.com.  And when I say brain, I mean brain.  Among her many other accomplishments, Christine Koh has a Ph.D. in music and brain science!  Christine had some great tips when it comes to planning events for bloggers.  At 360, we typically call them “blunches!”  Her tips include:

• First and foremost, don’t request (or require for that matter) that if a blogger come to an event that they post about it.  Not only is it an immediate turnoff, but PR people and marketers should think of events as a way to build relationships with bloggers.  And hey, if it is a good, meaningful event, then chances are bloggers will have something to post about anyway, which leads me to Christine’s second point…

• The best events are multifaceted and can appeal to a wide range of bloggers and subject matters.  For example, Christine went to a blogger event that was put together by a family vacation destination where there were speakers and sessions on multiple subject matters.  For instance, the chef of the resort offered recipes for the whole family while someone else spoke about economical travel tips so virtually everyone that attended the event had something they wanted to write about coming out of the event. 

Speaking of blogger relations and events – I hope that everyone caught Susan Getgood’s post on Monday about another blogger relations campaign gone bad that spreading like wildfire on Twitter.  Just search #fishfulthinking and you will see what I mean!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Boston, Pitch tips by CarolinePierce - 1 Comment →

Until recently, I hadn’t given any thought to what I would give up for Lent this year. I’ve half-heartedly sacrificed chocolate and sweets or sworn off my favorite seasonal candy in years past, but a light bulb went off last week, however, when I read this Wall Street Journal article about parents planning to give up Facebook for 40 days.

Facebook is a bit of an addiction. I log in every day during my commute to the city. I follow email notifications for friendship requests or wall postings. I crave Facebook. I may not be as enthusiastic as 39-year-old Kevin Shine, detailed in the WSJ article, who logs in “as much as 20 times a day,” but I do agree with his statement - Facebook is “my candy.”

So, to friends and colleagues on Facebook, I’m quitting cold turkey…until April 12, at least. And I’m not the only one who’s giving up this form of virtual interaction. Steve Johnson’s piece in the Chicago Tribune suggests 10 creative and funny ideas for what to do with all the time you’d save by not checking Facebook.

Social media helps us keep in touch with family & friends, to network, and even to connect with brands. It’s also quick, and in our often lightening-speed paced world, anything that helps maintain relationships with a few key strokes gets a thumbs-up in my book. Living without Facebook for the next 40 days will be a challenge, especially for a digital native such as myself, but I won’t be completely out of the loop. To the dismay of Catholic bishops, I’ll still be Tweeting and texting. Is that cheating?

Filed under: Internet, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 3 Comments →