360PR Blog

Some of the smartest minds in social media gathered recently at the Society of New Communications Research (SNCR) Symposium at Harvard for a discussion of the group’s latest research findings. This is my third year attending the event and it has been hugely interesting to see the progression of each of SNCR’s studies. A couple of trends really POPPED for me this year…

Surprisingly, corporations are still behind the curve with social media adoption. Nora Ganim Barnes (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) found this in the Social Media Adoption Trends Among Inc. 500, Fortune 500, Higher Education and Charities study. While many of the world’s biggest brands have a presence on social media platforms, Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies are still behind Charities and Higher Education in their use of social media to communicate with stakeholders. The proof is in the pudding. Check this out:

What does this tell me? While many companies “get it”, there is still more work to do in educating consumer brands (our clients) on the value of social media in helping them to connect with their customers. With changing media consumption habits, the methods in which we communicate must also continue to evolve!

While corporations still have some catching up to do, media and journalists are using social media for their story-telling and reporting in a BIG way. In a separate session, Jen McClure and Don Middleberg presented the “3^rd Annual SNCR/Middleberg Survey of Media in the Wired World”. In this study, it was found that 90% of journalists say that their reliance on social media has increased significantly in the past year. 75% of journalists are using Facebook in generating content. 70% are using blogs. 69% are using Twitter. 54% are using online video. 53% are using Wikipedia. 31% use LinkedIn and 28% use citizen photos.

So, to those Fortune 500 / Inc. 500 corporations that have not yet adopted social media as a significant portion of their communications strategy, you might want to take another look at what the cool kids (i.e. influencers and journalists) are doing!

Thanks to SNCR for organizing yet another great Symposium, as well as for honoring 360PR’s work with the Ball brand National Can-It Forward Day campaign in the Excellence in New Communications Awards.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Boston, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Social Marketing, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

By Rob Bratskeir

At last week’s Critical Issues Forum, Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs boldly declared, “2012 will be the Twitter election,” adding that in today’s Washington, rapid response comes by the tweet, not the press release. 

Gibbs’s thought-provoking keynote address at the Council of Public Relations Firms’ annual meeting illustrated and interpreted social media’s immense power to mobilize communities.   While the Arab Spring may have been the world’s wake-up call to the medium’s massive reach and influence, Gibbs said the 2008 Obama campaign already understood that a shift in communication was underway, and that social media was the “connective tissue [that could] make the election of a man named Barack Hussein Obama possible.”  

The approach Gibbs’s team took starting in 2006 (decades ago in social media time) still serves as a social media strategy and deployment blueprint for not only political campaigns, but for consumer marketers today.  First, make people feel like they have a stake in the outcome, Gibbs explained, rewarding those who have declared interest with access to information first.  Next, be prepared to listen closely to the stories you get back – and not just the ones you want to hear.  Gibbs said that in aggregate, those stories tell a bigger tale – one that either validates your approach, or tells you how to adapt. Finally (and perhaps foremost) be transparent at every step.

Gibbs said that meeting these mandates requires tremendous time, energy and resources.   Looking around and seeing heads nod, I could see that point wasn’t lost on anyone representing the dozens of agencies represented in the room — many tweeting away as Gibbs spoke. 

As in any industry rapidly transformed by technology, Gibbs identified legacy issues as the biggest barriers to effectiveness, and urged communications professionals to abandon the control freak mentality that served us so well until only very recently.   “You have to acknowledge the reality that voters and consumers are now in control,” he said, stressing that engaging in a two-way dialogue, listening and responding are the new rules of the road. 

Gibbs exposed an essential paradox of splintered media, a revolution rooted in cable TV’s rise in the 1980s that is today fueled by social media’s ascent.  “There is more media, but it is harder to communicate,” Gibbs said, illustrating his point with a stunning metric. In 1980, 50 million Americans watched a national network newscast every night – essentially meaning that 50 million people got the same message, day in and day out.  Today that number stands at 21 million, while the U.S. population has grown by nearly 80 million.  In other words, it’s easier to get the word out, but infinitely tougher to get your point across.  

While Gibbs generally stuck to his native politics for narrative, he landed a point about corporate behavior and image management in the social media age that we as consumer marketers and communicators can ignore at our own peril.  “Products today are judged less on their products’ performance than on their parent companies’ reputations,” he said.  One needn’t look further than BP last year, or Netflix today, to understand.

Filed under: Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Interactive Marketing, Politics, Social Marketing, Social Media by Admin - No Comments →

In 360PR’s 10th year, we are celebrating by sharing some of the things we’ve learned along the way in a “10 minutes with…” series featuring interviews with our practice leaders! Last time we chatted with SVP of our Entertainment & Electronics practice, Stacey Clement. Now we’ve sat down  with Victoria Renwick, SVP of our Healthy Living practice, to learn more about her and some of the trends she has spotted over the past 10!

What are some of the trends you’re seeing in the Healthy Living practice?

One of the most significant trends we’re seeing is the stepped up role consumers are playing in educating and empowering themselves before they make a purchase.  So much is happening before the consumer gets to the grocery store or other store or considers an online purchase.  Yes, price is still a consideration, but there’s a lot more that factors into what we buy these days.  This presents an opportunity for brands to act as educators, resources and connectors, instead of marketers.

How important is it for brands to “go green”?

The term ‘green’ has been thrown around pretty freely.  Brands were calling themselves and their products ‘green’ or ‘natural’ and the public, for the most part, took that at face value.  Consumers are more cognizant of green washing now and are making brands more accountable for their claims. People are more aware of how to read labels and investigate the products they are bringing into their homes  – and certainly there are a proliferation of resources at consumers’ fingertips to help. I love the Environmental Working Group site – The Skin Deep section is especially eye opening and a great place to decode confusing labels for cosmetics and health & beauty. The Organic Trade Association is also a great resource consumers can turn to for the latest news on organics and legislation as well as practical tips.

Green business practices are no longer a ‘nice to have’ but an expectation. We expect companies to be conducting business in a way that is ethically sound, better for the environment and better for us as consumers. A broad spectrum of CPG companies and food manufacturers has sustainability plans and goals in place to quantifiably demonstrate how they will be greener in the coming years. It’s all a step in the right direction.

Are there any particularly memorable 360 moments that stick out in your mind?

The way 360PR has been a leader in the social media space stands out to me.  Being part of that evolution over the last three years has been really exciting.  360 was one of the first agencies to really get the mom blogger space. We started connecting bloggers and brands in high touch settings like our Blunch™ series. That was right around the time I started here.

We’ve worked on some really fun campaigns over the years too. Just recently we were teaching the country to can as part of National Can-It-Forward Day, a campaign we created for the Ball® brand. From grassroots to top-tier media, we really struck a chord with people looking to eat more fresh and local year round.

You spent a good part of your early career in the event-planning industry.  How important do you find events to be to your client work here at 360PR and for public relations in general?

Events are part of our 360 full-circle approach.  We’re an agency that does events and does them well.  Events offer brands a high-touch, relationship-building forum with consumers and consumer-influencers, and that’s important as part of an integrated strategy to engage consumers.    At 360, we always have something exciting on tap – whether it’s cooking in the Muppets’ Kitchen or solving the Rubik’s Cube on the National Mall!  It’s also important to keep the formula fresh – virtual events via Livestream & Facebook help us extend the reach of ROI of a client’s investment in a physical event.

As the head of 360PR’s healthy living practice, have you found that your client work has had a significant impact on your personal life?

Absolutely. I’m so lucky to be exposed to the type of clients we have and the resources and knowledge that comes with them.  We’re PR practitioners but we’re also consumers.  Keeping on top trends for clients, you can’t help but take what you learn and apply it to your personal life.

For example, we conducted a speaking tour recently with food activist Robyn O’Brien on behalf of our Stonyfield Farm client. Robin’s a mom of four who compiled a staggering amount of information about our broken food system. As a new mom, I was a sponge, soaking up everything she had to offer.  I’ve bought her book, The Unhealthy Truth, for everyone of my friends who is a mother. It’s just too important not to share!

We also work with PBS KIDS.  When my son is ready to start watching TV or go online, I feel lucky to know what to look for when it comes to healthy, educational media. And as a busy mom, I really do rely on our clients’ services to make like easier. I use Peapod for grocery delivery every week (it’s a lifesaver!) and I do my family’s meal planning through Allrecipes.com.   This summer I planted a (small!) garden, started composting (it’s surprisingly easy!) and joined a CSA too – all things I probably wouldn’t have tried previous to heading the Healthy Living practice.

Filed under: 10 Minutes With Our Practice Leaders, 360 Public Relations, Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Food Industry, Green Marketing, Marketing to Moms, PR Industry by EliciaBasoli - 5 Comments →

Check out the top trends from Natural Products Expo East courtesy of Lindsay Durr, member of the 360PR Healthy Living Practice.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Events and Conferences, Food & Beverage PR, Food Industry by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

By Caitlin McNamara

The JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge Series is a 12-city, six-country, five-continent road race, making it the largest road race series in the world. The Corporate Challenge provides an evening of healthy competition, camaraderie and teamwork for local companies to get to know all of their employees. This year, the Corporate Challenge continued its success with a projected number of 250,000 participants.

360PR was lucky to be involved in the race series by taking the communications lead in Chicago (May 26), Boston (June 2) and New York (June 15 and June 16). In addition to focusing on JPMorgan Chase, the bank, we also worked with companies that participated including Caterpillar and Molex (Chicago), Dassault Systemes and Fidelity (Boston), as well as Coach and Johnson & Johnson (New York). Learning about the individual runners and the companies as a whole, we were able to fine tune our pitches leading to national and regional coverage with Banker & Tradesmen, Mass High Tech, the WSJ Dealbreaker Blog and many more.

Each year, companies from all different industries participate in this 12-city road race series – ranging from Tassimo, to WebMD, to Bloomingdales. In Boston, the 360PR crew took part in the 3.5 mile race around the Boston Common. And, while we didn’t win the race, we’re proud to say that 360PR made it to the top 10 in the Boston  t-shirt contest this year!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Boston, Cause-Related, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations by Admin - No Comments →

By John LeRoy

Many of the “who’s who” of social media converged upon 92^nd Street in New York City for the 140 Characters Conference this week for a two-day session comprised of rapid-fire presentations from more than 140 speakers and presenters.  Among them were TODAY Show’s Ann Curry, Mashable’s Adam Ostrow, Marc Ecko, Cory Booker and Jeff Jarvis, just to name a few.

If you missed it, here is a brief breakdown of some of the topics discussed at the conference:

-       Real-time News Reporting:  One panel examined journalistic issues that must now be considered by news organizations as they vie to be the first to “break” news stories. Recent examples include top-tier news orgs like NPR prematurely Tweeting that Arizona Rep. Giffords had been killed during a shooting five months ago.  Here’s an article about the damages caused by this gaffe.

-       College In Real-Time:  Syracuse University professor, Anthony Rotolo, gave an overview of how he has implemented social media into his courses to conduct conversation during classes via Twitter, perhaps making him one of the few teachers who encourage the use of technology (and social media) as a tool rather than rejecting it as a learning distraction.

-       Happiness (Via Skype):  Author Deepak Chopra addressed an enthusiast from Toronto via Skype to talk about happiness and the “entanglement of minds,” referring to the fact that social media has the ability to affect nearly all aspects of life, including happiness and health, simply by interacting with others.  He went as far as to say that social networks like Twitter and Facebook have become extensions of our neurological make-up.  Talk about mind-blowing!

Here’s the entire list of sessions that took place over the course of the two day conference. If you were there, what sessions stood out for you?

Filed under: Digital PR, Events and Conferences, FaceBook, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by Admin - No Comments →

To call all PR people social butterflies would be a generalization. If you don’t consider yourself an extrovert, however, you’re probably in the wrong profession. It’s our job to gain awareness for our clients, and in doing so, we do a LOT of talking. The panel I attended yesterday, Successful Social Marketing: Cultivating Advocates and Driving Sales, served as a reminder that listening is equally, if not more, important. And, as we all can attest here at 360PR, listening to a brand’s chatter online across forums, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and beyond takes time, patience, and an analytical eye.

The discussion was part of a series of events hosted by Mitx, a group of industry thought leaders dedicated to, in part, keeping on top of trends. Speakers from BzzAgent, New Balance and EMC offered their experience and expertise on utilizing outlets including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to assist in a successful campaign – from planning stages, through launch, and beyond.  Among their suggestions: leverage employees to be brand ambassadors, engage influencers in the early stages, map your content to what people are already searching for, and strike a balance between knowing your brand and listening to your customers.

As speaker Polly Pearson wisely said, social media is a relationship accelerator. So save your breath, because tapping in and listening to the conversation regarding your company/brand/product could prove more valuable than all of your planned email and phone pitches combined.

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Interactive Marketing, PR Industry, Social Marketing, Social Media by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →

By Kerry Murphy

Last week’s Sandbox Summit at MIT left us thinking a lot about play. The power of play. The necessity of play. And most of all how we could incorporate play more into the way we do business here at 360.

When we talk about play, it is not just about games. It’s about the way we think and the way we interact. It is about effective communications and public relations in a multimedia, fast paced world. About flexibility, being nimble, knowing your next move, and enjoying it all along the way.

That’s play, right?

We liked how in the same day, at the same conference, play was talked about as something that can improve the future of our national education system (as Diana Rhoten from Startl told us) but also help to stimulate million dollar business ideas and strategies (Brendan Boyle and Duane Bray from Ideo).

What do you think? How do you think the power of play can best be harnessed?

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Yesterday marked day one of the first Radian6 User Conference – Social 2011. After a full schedule filled with engaging keynote speeches, fun sessions (note: want to get an audience’s attention? Crank some Lady Gaga), and Radian6 product announcements that will certainly change the way marketers listen to the conversations surrounding their brand, the day’s takeaway was this: social media is where life is happening.

The numbers are staggering. According to Dell’s CMO Karen Quintos, two-thirds of people online are engaged in social networks. 700 billion minutes are spent on Facebook every month. Your mobile device is no longer a phone. As @mitchjoel so wisely said in today’s closing keynote, “It’s a remote control for your life.”

As communication pros have known for some time, just because you’re not an active participant in the conversation, it doesn’t mean people aren’t talking about you. And increasingly, people are talking about you (and your brand, and your products) at a faster pace and on more platforms. If you’re not talking back in a strategic manner, you’ll be left behind.    

Social media is now where our lives play out, for better or for worse. And it’s happening fast.

If you’re interested in learning more about Social 2011, check out the website or follow the Twitter stream.

Filed under: Events and Conferences, FaceBook, Internet, Social Media, Uncategorized by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →

By Caitlin Melnick

SXSW is known to many as the conference of all conferences. And as a first timer, I would have to say, it was pretty amazing. The Interactive portion of SXSW (SXSWi) wrapped up earlier this week, and what I heard from veteran attendees is that this year’s conference was bigger and better than ever. More attendees, more panels sessions, more brands, more parties, more technology, more brain power – all in one Southern city.

You can’t get away from the new technology at SXSW. Group texting services emerged during the event, with GroupMe, Fast Society, and Beluga all vying for the number one spot. The social influence measurement site, Klout, was also all the rage, with people asking “What’s your Klout score?” several times a day. The site has created a system to measure influence in the social media arena. It uses over 35 variables on Facebook and Twitter to provide a score based on True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network. Klout Founder Joe Fernandez just may be the next Mark Zuckerberg!

SXSW has evolved to be one of the best forums for social media insights for brands, with sessions like The Council of PR Firms’ “Marketing Budgets Have Gone Social – Is It Working?” At a session entitled, “Brand Mascots in the Digital Age,” panelists discussed how to get classic brand mascots, such as Tony the Tiger and Cap’n Crunch, into the digital world without losing their classic persona.

How was your SXSW experience?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Interactive Marketing, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media by Admin - No Comments →

by Lindsay Durr

This weekend Natural Products Expo West took over the Anaheim Convention Center displaying the latest and greatest in the natural and organic space. Several 360PR clients were in attendance including Nasoya, h2O spring water, Adora Calcium Supplements, and Stonyfield Farm with its larger-than-life yogurt cup booth!

The show spanned everything from dietary supplements to pet food to cleaning products and included a plethora of ways for consumers to make their lives healthier and more green. In the food space, gluten-free remained a buzz term for the second year in a row. We sampled gluten-free versions of everything from cupcakes to pizza to burger buns! Energy and “relaxation” drinks also continued to be a hot item; the LA Times posted an article about the trend which you can view here. Manufacturers also touted developments in green packaging including Seventh Generation’s new cardboard laundry detergent bottle.

For those of you at Expo (or observers of the natural space), what do you think will be this year’s top trends?

Filed under: Events and Conferences, Food & Beverage PR, Food Industry by Admin - No Comments →

The 2^nd annual Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East) wrapped up yesterday. And, boy was it epic – with huge over-the-top booths from the big game companies, to a bevy of costumed characters roaming the city. Over 60,000 gamers descended upon 360’s hometown of Boston for an unforgettable weekend. We were out in full force with multiple 360 staff working the show floor. Check out some photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Massachusetts continues to shine as a “hub” for the worldwide video game industry. In fact, Massachusetts is home to numerous game development education programs from the MIT GAMBIT Game Lab to Becker College and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. We also have hundreds of developers in the area – from Turbine to Harmonix and Blue Fang Games.  In addition, dedicated organizations like New England Games SIG and Boston Post Mortem keep the local games community strong in Massachusetts. PAX East has emerged as the icing on the cake and something we’ll be looking forward to each year for years to come.

The local media was all over PAX this weekend. If you missed the show, but want to find out more, check out the  Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Mass High Tech!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Events and Conferences, Video Games by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

Being a Bostonian means two things for certain:  1) You know that the weather outside is not going to get better for the next three months, and 2) You have driven, ridden in, or at least seen a Zipcar in the past couple of years.  The Cambridge-based car-sharing service has filled its hometown with cars of all makes and models, parked in garages, on street corners and in supermarket parking lots, while at the same time expanding into major markets all across the country (and abroad). 

On Tuesday morning, I had the pleasure of listening to a talk given by Rob Weisberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Zipcar at the Ad Club’s monthly CMO Breakfast.  The hour-long presentation focused on the ways that the brand is using social media to engage its customers, and here are a couple of quick things I found interesting about their social media strategy:

Twitter

-     Zipcar operates specific Twitter accounts in each major market where they have a presence, ensuring that all of the information they share via Twitter is relevant to the people following them.  This localized effort certainly requires some extra bandwidth, but is extremely important when operating as an on-the-ground, in-market brand.

Facebook

-     Offering services on 250 college campuses across the country, Zipcar also maintains a Facebook page for each of these

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Interactive Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized by JohnLeRoy - No Comments →

And I don’t mean the chocolate candy (although a Snickers sounds pretty good right about now)! The other SNCR (aka The Society of New Communications Research) held its 5^th Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala recently in Palo Alto. John and I both were thrilled to attend and honored to accept two  “2010 Excellence in New Communications Awards” for 360PR!

Each year SNCR honors various individuals and organizations who are pioneering the use of social media. 360 was recognized for our work with Dorel Juvenile Group USA and their Safety 1^st brand (Multiple Platforms/Integrated initiatives category), as well as our work on behalf of You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube (Online Publishing/ Facebook category). We are pumped to be among this group of 2010 winners, which included Old Spice, the 2010 SNCR Brand of the Year.

Actually, in addition to the awards ceremony, the highlight of the symposium was when Old Spice brand manager James Moorhead, presented the “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign case study. The campaign, which Cindy blogged about this summer, has led to almost 2 billion impressions to date! A truly unbelievable viral success!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Social Marketing, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 3 Comments →

As the saying goes, sometimes the best conversations take place around the dinner table. This was certainly true at the M2Moms conference . Colleague Caroline Pierce and I crossed paths with incredible mom marketers at the conference and enjoyed amazing ideation conversations over dinner with eleven amazing women. Didn’t hurt that dinner was at Table Fifty-Two on Elm Street. Beyond the food (some of us are still talking about the Three Cheese Mac and Art’s Hummingbird Cake), and the chance to meet Chef Art, there was terrific connection and conversation. Our dinner guests shared their top 11 takeaways from M2Moms. Here’s what they had to say:

1. One key influencer is more important to your brand than numbers.
2. A social media campaign is greater than sum of its CPM parts. With brand ambassadors – loyalty is priceless.
3. It’s the Me + You era and marketing is about fostering sustainable relationships.
4. There are 6 Universal Tugs that influence 75% of moms’ decision marking – savings, health, environment, feel good, convenience and family. Brands need to highlight how their product solves for them in their marketing. They also need to be aware of “drag” tugs that may pull them down and compensate for them. So, if your product is not good for the environment, it better be really convenient, and save you money.
5. I liked learning what brands and agencies need to know (the gaps they are currently facing) to tap into the mom demographic and their attempts to fill that gap.
6. Mobile is quickly becoming Mom’s “first screen” (used to be TV and then laptop but now moms are turning to their phones more and more frequently to accomplish their online tasks). When creating a mobile app for mom- don’t try to create the Taj Mahal. Create an app that does one thing really, really well and then push updates based on the real time feedback you’ll get. (Oh, and free apps are downloaded more frequently, stay on phones longer, and get used 6X more than paid apps).
7. Mom’s primary goal now is spending quality time with her kids and family. She’s looking for products and services that help her do that.
8. Moms are optimistic! They’ve had a tough year (with lost jobs, reduced hours, and often extra family members moving into the household) yet remain confident that things will get better. (They have plans to make major purchases, believe the job situation will improve, and think things will be more positive next year).
9. Moms are proud of what they’re doing as family caregivers and have a big desire to share and broadcast their lives as moms online.
10. Moms in nontraditional families, minority moms (including those with disabilities), and stay at home/ highly involved dads increasingly expect marketers to recognize (and celebrate) them. Marketers who continue to focus only on white Mom+Dad+2.5 kid families will alienate a lot of spending power!
11. I have spent my life under applying mascara. Thanks to the Dior team I now know I need to really lather it on!!! (you had to be there to get this one)

Thank you to: Jyl Johnson Pattee, Kat Eden, Erica Mallett, Caroline Knorr, Ashley O’Brien, Shelley Delfino, Carolin Pierce, Donna Mirus Bates, Jennifer Burkitt, Rachael Herrscher, Jill Rourke. Lady Gaga might have been there in spirit. She sat at our same table one month prior.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Social Media by Admin - 1 Comment →