360PR Blog

By Rob Bratskeir

One of Saturday Night Live’s sharpest jabs in recent memory never even made it to air last weekend.  (Lorne, anybody home?)  The bit featured Jason Sudekis deftly sending up Reed Hastings’s now infamous mea culpa, alongside a perfect Fred Armisen aping that other Netflix (um, Qwikster) guy.  Lucky for us SNL’s dress rehearsals are taped.  Watch the bit, then talk amongst yourselves.  And thank 360’s own Caitlin McNamara for the clip.

Plenty of water cooler-able stuff there.  But what got me most wasn’t any one line, but the duo’s compulsion to keep apologizing: once, twice, thrice.  It’s exactly where the real Reed went off the rails.  He didn’t know how to quit when behind.   After all the talk of corporate hubris, price gouging and flanker brands  – after all the prognosticating over why Netflix did it, and what still may be up their bright red sleeves — I simply fail to understand what went through Hastings’s mind in choosing to broadcast himself, when he had exactly zero to offer in restitution.  We probably would have settled for straight talk.  By then, many believed the price hike on DVDs was taken to subsidize the company’s high-growth, but higher-cost streaming future. Done. Move on.

Hastings’s timing was equally puzzling.  Just as the negative chatter over the original price hike announcement was waning, there he was dousing the embers with gas. Would you ever advise a client to “go twice” with the same bad news?  It leaves me convinced Hastings convened a meeting of one in hatching the plan and pulling the trigger.

There is a more troubling scenario – troubling for those who do what we do for a living.  Suppose Hastings did actually seek the counsel of someone he deeply trusted, and whose advice he would have taken.  What if that person, sensing Hastings’s enthusiasm for the idea, just bit their tongue and nodded yes.  It wouldn’t be my recco, but the guy’s had a lousy couple of weeks.  Maybe this will get him past it.  People love Reed, so yeah, maybe be can sell it.  Still…

OK, maybe a little out there.  Still, I’ll take it as a cautionary tale, and pledge to pull no punches when the stakes are highest — no matter who’s on the receiving end of our counsel.

Filed under: Internet, YouTube by Admin - 1 Comment →

It is concept that has been a staple of Marketing for decades – people rely on the opinions of others to make purchase decisions. Good old fashioned word-of-mouth information sharing used to occur mostly offline, but social channels now let consumers communicate more easily and more often. To companies and communications professionals, social media allows us to become a part of that dialogue. In fact, in a recent study from ROI Research and Performics, they found that over 30% of people are more likely to purchase from companies/brands that they “like” or “follow” on social networks, than from brands or companies that they do not.

We are also able to draw valuable insights about the needs and wants of consumers through social media. The study also found that over 50% of survey respondents strongly or somewhat agree that voicing their opinions on social networking sites can influence the business decisions of companies/brands. I can tell you first hand, this is true.

While neither of these percentages are huge, it is enough for a brand that is not using social media right now to stop and consider integrating a social strategy into their marketing mix. Other highlights from the study can be found on Performics.com.

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Digital PR, Interactive Marketing, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 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 →

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry this Friday to great fanfare. Perhaps the most talked and written-about event of 2011, the Royal Wedding has people all over the world in a tizzy. While your average commoners like you and me may be curious about the dress, guest list and honeymoon locale, some companies are concerned with wedding-related revenue.

Companies with food at their core, in particular, are hoping to cash in. Louisville, Ky-based chain Papa John’s commissioned a food artist to create the likeness of the prince and his bride on a pizza that “tastes as good as it looks.” The mosaic pizza portrait made from mushrooms, salami, peppers, and of course, cheese, can be purchased by residents across the pond.

If you’re stateside and planning on watching the early morning telecast (TODAY’s coverage beings at 4am EST), you’ll certainly need a cup of coffee.  Why not accompany your java with Dunkin’ Donuts Royal Wedding Donut? According to the Behind the Bean, Dunkin’s blog, the heart-shaped, glazed, jelly-filled masterpiece was created with wedding traditions and Will & Kate’s favorite flavors in mind.  If your sweet tooth isn’t satisfied after a Royal Donut, or if you’re looking for something to serve at your Royal Wedding viewing party, stop in to your local cupcake shop. Many across the country, like Boston’s Sweet, are selling the bite-sized treats with toppers featuring royal wedding-related images like Will and Kate’s engagement photo.

What royal-related marketing campaigns have you seen?

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Internet, Media and Press, Retail by SkyeMcIntyre - 3 Comments →

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 →

If the Favorites folder on your browser is chock-full or you often find yourself saving links and images to re-visit them down the line, you’ll want to keep tabs on Pinterest, self-described as “a place to catalog the things you love.”

Essentially, Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board where users ‘pin’ things they find interesting – recipes, images, products, quotes, etc. – to their own boards which are categorized by theme. The option to ‘repin’ an item that another user covets is where the social aspect of the site comes in. Repinning is highly encouraged and you can also “follow” other users and their collections to receive updates on friends’ pins and site activity. Social media junkies will be pleased to find that Pinterest is integrated seamlessly with Facebook and Twitter.

Pinterest is too early in its infancy to tell how it will ultimately affect companies, but judging by its current content, Pinterest could serve as a cultivation point for brand fans and those passionate about spreading the word about everything from diamond-studded shoes to cheese knives to snow globes.

Though it’s unclear exactly when Pinterest began welcoming users, blogs including Apartment Therapy have been buzzing about the Palo Alto, CA-based site since last spring. Still in BETA, Pinterest is currently invite-only. For more information, check out Pinterest’s official blog, Oh, How Pinteresting!, here. Tastemakers pining to pin can request an invite here.

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

Over the past year, we’ve seen more and more brands going beyond just using Facebook for pure engagement with consumers. Many are now using it as a commerce platform as well – and it makes perfect sense. For one,  consumers often look for coupons or discounts from brands on social platforms (according to a 2010 study*, when asked what type of interaction people are looking for when engaging with companies/brands online, 77% of respondents said they are looking for incentives).

If consumers are pro-actively seeking sales-related messages, why not actually SELL products where they “live” on Facebook? Go for it. Just make sure that your brand’s sales-related messages are not too intrusive.

So how do you sell on Facebook? Facebook storefronts are often developed by third-party software developers who integrate a ”Shop Now” section into a brand’s existing page. This allows retailers, like Best Buy, and brands themselves, like Pampers, to showcase products on their page and, more importantly, make those products “shareable” to consumers. The Pampers example is particularly noteworthy, as it was P&G’s first foray into the F-commerce space  and they launched their store using Amazon.com’s eCommerce capabilities, last fall.

They’re not alone. 1800flowers.com, diapers.com, and Hallmark are just a few others that have jumped into F-commerce. Mashable lists some other examples in this recent article.

Have you ever purchased anything, as a result of clicking around on a brand’s Facebook page?

*Source: Cone 2010 Consumer New Media Study, October 2010

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, FaceBook, Interactive Marketing, Internet, Social Media, Social Networking by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

By Amanda Gonzalez

It’s Valentine’s Day! Have you already picked up your card, chocolates, flowers, jewelry, etc?! If not, you better get on that pronto. But these Valentine’s Day staples aren’t the only way to show that special someone you care.

In a recent USAToday.com article, the newspaper shows us how marketers are using social media (like Facebook, Twitter, email, etc) to push their product and brand and help Valentines the world over display their affection in a unique way.

Mattel used Valentine’s Day to write another chapter in the epic love story of Barbie and Ken by asking fans to vote on whether or not the couple should get back together (they went their separate ways in 2004) and using Facebook and Twitter to give Ken a voice.  They also turned Barbie’s Facebook page into an online store on Valentine’s Day selling merchandise from the famous couple. FYI – they reunited today!!

We at 360PR also got into the Valentine’s Day promo mood as our Safety 1^st client launched a Valentine’s Day giveaway on both Facebook and Twitter of their new S1 product line. Not only did entrants get to enter for a great travel system, but they also got to post adorable pictures of their little lovies on Facebook AND $1 was donated for every entry towards infant health kits for families in need!

Have you chosen your Valentine yet?! Did you see any great Valentine’s Day promotions that you thought were clever/unique? Comment below and share!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, FaceBook, Internet, Retail, Social Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized by Admin - 1 Comment →

Who doesn’t love an infographic? They’re so popular lately I wouldn’t be surprised if the term replaces ‘app’ as the most ubiquitous slang word of 2011. My most recent favorite infographic comes from the team @foursquare and it does a great job of showing the service’s growth (and quirky spirit) over the last year.

Foursquare’s latest blog post title sums it up: “So we grew 3400% last year.” While this Huffington Post article points out that a mere 4% of adults use location-based social networking tools, over 380 million check-ins is nothing to scoff at. Even more impressive, is a stat gleaned from a Bulldog Reporter session that the 360PR team participated in last week – worldwide, during a randomly chosen time period of 30 seconds, there were 44 foursquare check-ins on a single platform.

So where are foursquare users?  Everywhere from Wendy’s, to wine bars, to movie theaters, to space.  Yes, SPACE! Do you use foursquare or other similar geolocation services like Facebook Places?

Here’s hoping geolocation services continue to feed our love for infographics over the coming months.  (Check out CoolInfographics.com for some more data visualization.)

Filed under: Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →

You may remember 360 Social’s round-up of 2009 social media moments from last year. Well, in 2010, we turned the proverbial mic over to Lindsay Durr and Skye McIntyre. In this video, Lindsay and Skye recap some of the top moments from this year including everything from the Old Spice campaign and the surge in group deal sites, to the trend of “underage and online” and TIME’s “Person of the Year,” Mark Zuckerberg. Check it out!

Did we miss anything? Share in the comments…

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, FaceBook, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, YouTube by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

We’ve told you about our 360 “Tweet and Eat” lunches before. But, this month we put a different spin on it – instead of the middle of the day, we gathered in the conference room at the end of the day, so we could all enjoy a cocktail or two while sharing some interesting case studies around the use of social media. Here are just a few highlights:

Ford Explorer Facebook Reveal – Earlier this year, Ford took a risk by revealing the new Explorer with an online and Facebook-central campaign, something that other auto-makers have never done. They revealed the new Explorer for the first time on Facebook, instead of at a big auto show. In the first day it surpassed its goal of 30K fans and, as a result, gave a free Explorer to one random fan. In addition all of the components of the campaign on Facebook, Ford heavily invested in ad buys as well to drive people to Facebook and to encourage engagement. This is a great example of a fully integrated online campaign. Check out the full case study on Mashable.

Google Zeitgeist Video - Google has compiled a video, with the help of Whirled Creative, showing how the world searched online in 2010. Over 1.5 million views on YouTube thus far! The most brilliant part of this video is that it subtly shows off some new Google features that launched this year, such as Google Instant. We highly suggest checking out the video – well done, Google!

“Rent is Too Damn UP” Spoof Video – By coincidence, another examples highlighted by staff also came from Whirled Creative. If you haven’t heard of Jimmy McMillan he ran for office in NY earlier this fall and named his political party the “Rent is too damn high” party. Really, that was the name of his party. The eccentric McMillan appeared during a televised debate and the video garnered millions of views on YouTube. Whirled Creative created a spoof mash-up, overlaying the voices from the debate onto a scene from the Pixar movie “UP” which has received over 300,000 views. Perfect example of a “viral” video leveraging current events to garner views.

Happy Holidays!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, FaceBook, Internet, Social Media, Social Networking, YouTube by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

By John LeRoy

Would you give a hyper child a cup of coffee?  Most would answer “of course not,” but in a way this is what Google has done with its introduction of the Instant feature.  The attention span of today’s society seems to be shrinking by the second with the overwhelming amount of information that we consume each day.  Google’s new predictive thinking search feature throws a curve ball into this mix. Now, even when an individual may know EXACTLY what they are searching for, Google brings up new search results for each letter you type.  While this would be helpful in theory, it can prove to be the ultimate distraction.

In the short time I have been using Instant, I have found myself surfing web pages that had absolutely nothing to do with my original purpose for using Google, simply because of the options that Google brought to me.  Don’t get me wrong – I think that just about everything Google does is brilliant.  But Instant may have crossed the line, for me, from being useful to distractive.  In the hopes of maintaining focus, I have actually turned Instant off on my work computer.

On the other hand, and from a brand standpoint, this blog post touches on brand “winners” with Instant.  For example, when the letter “T” is typed, Target is the first website you will be directed to.  This must, I would imagine, impact the site traffic of certain brands immensely.  At the same time, where there are winners, there are losers.  It will be interesting to study the changes in site traffic as a result of Google Instant, and especially which of those brands took a hit after the introduction of Instant.

In closing, I came across this entertaining video on YouTube that I think sums up the power of Google Instant through one of the most fitting songs possible:

What are your thoughts on Google Instant?

Filed under: Digital PR, Interactive Marketing, Internet by Admin - No Comments →

A dress made of meat, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, and a DJ spinning the hottest records of the year while wearing a giant, glowing head resembling Mickey Mouse’s noggin.  Only at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The annual awards ceremony isn’t just a celebration of the most notable music videos of the year prior, but a cultural phenomenon buzzed about as much for the night’s star-studded appearances and often outrageous performances as it is for the music. 

According to CNN.com’s The Marquee Blog and an MTV press release, Sunday night’s live airing of the awards pulled in the largest audience of any telecast on MTV since 2002.  Whether to see Lady Gaga’s sure-to-be outlandish wardrobe choices, or Kanye’s apology (if you can call it that) to Taylor Swift after last year’s infamous spotlight-stealing incident, a reported 11.4 million people tuned in to watch the drama unfold.  In addition to watching the show, people were also tweeting about it.  LOTS of people.  TechCrunch reported that over 1.5 million tweets referring to the show had been sent in the three hours after the broadcast began.  MTV helped drive the Twitter frenzy, implementing their own Twitter tracker (image above) into the show’s broadcast, aiming to make the awards a trending topic.

We can’t wait to see what next year’s awards hold.  If Ellen Degeneres has anything to do with it, it might include veggie bikinis.

Filed under: Digital PR, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →

Who doesn’t love a good deal?  Let’s face it – we love getting things for free, and we love feeling like we’re privy to insider information. No wonder sites like Groupon, Buy with Me, Daily Deal, Living Social and Ever Save are catching on.

The basic premise behind these sites is simple. Sign up to receive a daily email alerting you of that day’s deal – whether it’s 25% off a skydiving trip, 50% off a whale watch, or today’s deal for Boston, $10 for $20 worth of “meats and more” at a local deli. The deals are enticing, and the retailers offering deep discounts benefit because the number of people purchasing the deal is usually remarkably high.

Take the meats and more example, for instance. The deal has only been offered for a few hours and 2,462 people have already thrown down 10 bucks for their choice of steaks and sausages!  And if people who have never experienced the animal offerings of this particular deli are happy with their purchase, it’s likely they’ll turn into regular customers. Another upside? Companies can often feature their offerings for free, and the risk is virtually nothing. It’s truly a win-win situation. 

The one catch – a certain amount of people have to purchase each daily deal for it to actually go into effect and be an active, usable coupon. That shouldn’t deter anyone, however. Most deals are ‘on’ within just a couple of hours of them being posted. And one more thing – these sites are not for the indecisive.  Most deals are available for a 24-hour period only.

Are you signed up for any of these social buying sites?  If so, has there been a killer deal you just couldn’t resist?

Filed under: Internet, Retail by SkyeMcIntyre - 3 Comments →