I’ve moved my blog. This one has served me well, but I’ve decided to move on up to www.bril-yunt.com.
I hope you’ll visit me there for my latest rants on marketing, social media, and the occasional ode to knitting patterns.
App Review: The Democratic Party July 6, 2010
Last week, I was getting a much-needed pedicure. For those of you who have never had a pedicure, it goes a little something like this: You sit in this large chair, and someone massages and pumices your feet. They put shiny nail polish on your toenails. After some time drying, you are free to go.
Though I love pedicures, I get a little bored while I’m literally waiting for the paint to dry. What can I do to pass the time? Answer: download iPhone apps.
As I was treated to a lavender footbath, I perused the app store. Because I am a dork, I started with the “News” category. Because I am cheap, I skipped straight to the “Top Free” section.
This is where I found the Democratic Party app. I’ve always been fascinated by political communications strategies. From a marketing perspective, you have an incredible challenge. You have to get people to do something (i.e. vote) without actually giving them anything physical in return, like say a candy bar. Voters have to be compelled by your brand enough to vote for it, and then you have to work double time to make sure that there is no “buyers remorse.” You must constantly engage and remind voters why their decision was the “right one.”
As Barack Obama’s campaign showed us, social media can be remarkably powerful at galvanizing and organizing voters to action. The trouble, I surmise, is how they’ve been able to continue to leverage this goodwill using these same tools. Tricky business, if you ask me.
Enter the Democratic Party app. True, this is sponsored by the Democratic Party, and not explicitly the Obama campaign. But it builds off the successful strategies that his communications team pioneered: giving people the tools to get involved, and get excited about the candidates and the issues.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the design and the information they’ve chosen to highlight. Here is why:
- Simple Interface: I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. There are 5 categories: News, Find an Event, Photos & Videos, Discussion Points, and Call Congress. There are also three smaller buttons along the bottom: Donate, Alerts, and a Settings Icon.
- Useful Information: I liked the Discussion Points section a lot. (Temporarily put your cynicism to the side, folks.) This section offered clear, succinct summaries of where the party stands on key points, like the Gulf Coast oil spill, immigration reform, and economic reform. The News section was also helpful, with stories about the DNC chairman and reactions to the recent employment report. Granted some of the content isn’t really “news” as far as I’m concerned—The Open Thread stories just look like glorified photo ops. But all in all, the content is helpful if you want to know what the Democratic Party is doing, and the issues they currently support.
- Emphasis on engagement: There are two tabs that focus on getting voters active: The Find Event tab, and the Call Congress tab. The Find Event tab helps you… well, find local events. As you sit in a nail salon, you can plan local canvassing events or find a town hall meeting where the governor will be appearing. But my absolute favorite feature is the “Call Congress” tab. It gives you the number of your representative, and helpful tips on how to talk to their office. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve wanted to call my congressman about something, only to loose steam as I hunted for his phone number. (Did I mention that I am a dork? Yes, previously mentioned.)
But I’m sure you’re wondering: Why aren’t the social media platforms that Obama and Team have already mastered not good enough? Why mobile? My answer: why not? Thanks to our sassy smart phones, we can access media however and whenever we want. It is often said that political battles are won and lost in the media. With that in mind, the Democratic Party is smart to create tools like this that give voters access to political messages wherever their phones take them.
Your thoughts: Are apps by political parties a good thing or a bad thing?
*I will happily review the Republican Party’s app when they come out with one. If you see one, let me know. Would love to compare the similarities and the differences in the execution.*
Lady Gaga Agrees*: You’re Doing it Wrong June 21, 2010
A few posts ago, I explored the world of social media etiquette, specifically the use of auto DMs. Today, I came across another twitter-related comment that made me cringe. (To protect the identity of the guilty parties, all names and links have been changed.) Check out this tweet:
@LadyGagaLike: What do you want out of my Lady Gaga coverage? Talk about it in my comments section: http://ladygagalike.com
Can you see it? Can you see what made me wince just a little bit?
This tweet is all about “me,” not about “we.”
The offending tweet has one purpose: drive traffic to her website. The fictional @LadyGagaLike makes you think that she cares about your opinion, but I think it is more likely that she is playing a numbers game. She wants to boost her traffic numbers by luring you in with an invitation for engagement.
Don’t believe me? Then ask yourself this question: Why the link to the blog? If she wanted our opinion, a simple @reply would do. She could even get crafty and use a hashtag. Twitter is now much more than a place to post what you had for lunch. For many users, it is has become a genuine, self-contained communication tool. If @LadyGagaLike understood Twitter and the social media landscape, she would know that delivering real value to her customers happens wherever her customers, not just in the comments section of her blog.
Okay, I have to give @LadyGagaLike some credit. The fact that she is asking her customers for input is step in the right direction, a tactic few companies incorporate into their social media strategies. I also don’t blame her for using Twitter as a traffic generator. Lots of sites do this, and many of their customers appreciate tweets like this as a way to get updates when new content is posted.
It is the lack of honesty here that bothers me. Is this a new post? Great- tell me. Is this a call for engagement? Awesome- I have tons of opinions and will gladly tell you all about them. The next time you want feedback from your customers, be real about it. Meet them where they are, not where you want them to be.
What say you? Has @LadyGagaLike crossed a line, or is this tweet a-okay as is?
* Lady Gaga has not actually voiced opinions on your Twitter strategy. I have no beef with Lady Gaga or those who love her. I love her too.*
Experience is Everything June 13, 2010
It has been too long since my last post. Mea Culpa, but I was busy. What with the end of my first semester teaching and planning a vacation to Mexico, blogging sadly fell to the bottom of the list behind grading and brushing up on my Spanish. But I’m back, ladies and gentlemen. You know you’ve missed me.
While I was in Mexico, I had the privilege of traveling to Oaxaca. It is a beautiful part of the country, one that I only just began to explore. One of the many amazing things I experienced there was the Santo Domingo church, a beautiful little gem offering me shade and shelter in the middle of a hot Oaxaca afternoon.
The church was built over the course of 200 years, beginning in 1572. The inside is nothing if not breathtaking. My personal favorite piece is the ceiling as you enter the church, the awesomely improbable family tree connecting Santo Domingo to the Virgin Mary through a series of nobles. But the whole church is an ode to baroque craziness, culminating in a riot of gold at the altar.
While I wandered around the church, I started to think about why anyone would build such an ornate, elaborate structure like this. Sure, the paintings and sculptures are pretty, but what purpose did they serve back in the 1600’s?
For this post, I’m not going to delve into the religious purposes. I think that all churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship can be beautiful testaments of faith. But these structures do more than serve as gathering places for people who all (more or less) believe the same thing.
What I’m about to say could be sacrilegious. I’m preparing myself to be smote at any moment. But honest to er… gosh, this is what was going through my head while I was in Santo Domingo: “Now that’s some nice experience marketing.”
All to often, we marketers forget about the experience of our customers. We think “My product/service is vastly superior to all competitors. It slices and dices. It recharges and recycles. Of course, people will want it.” But that’s not enough.
For many products (and especially services), the experience is just as important as the thing itself. Think about American Girl dolls. These expensive dolls are more than just playthings. Proud doll parents can go to one of eight stores across the US to partake in everything from tea to special doll hair salons. American Girl understands that for some of their customers, the stores offer an almost religious experience where they can commune with American Girl products (rather than say… the Holy Spirit.)
Good experience marketing has to be practical, but is also has to wow, to woo. In the case of Santo Domingo church, it has to make you say “Why yes, I will come back here every Sunday when I would much rather be sleeping in or reading the Sunday New York Times.” And I would… if it weren’t over 2,000 miles from my house.
What are other good examples of experience marketing?
Getting Chatty: The Adventures of Launching a Twitter Chat April 19, 2010
“I feel bad for people that just push messages on Twitter instead of conversation. They’re missing out on incredible stuff.” - Scott Stratten, Unmarketing
About three months ago, I stumbled across my first chat on Twitter, #brandchat. By using the #brandchat tag, I am able to participate in discussions around brands with people all over the world, with many levels of experience. It is at times a little “fast and furious” but it is fun—and ridiculously addictive. I now head back to #brandchat almost every week when my schedule allows.
Chats aren’t particularly new, but I have notice more of them lately. I think this is due in part to two trends. 1) There is now a critical mass of people on Twitter. And 2) those people are more comfortable with the exchange that Twitter allows.
The emphasis here is on the word “exchange.” There are essentially two ways a person or brand can use Twitter. You can use it as a bullhorn to broadcast your message. Or you can use it as a telephone to create interesting conversations.
Chats facilitate the telephone aspect of Twitter. Only think of this as a conference call with a bunch of people you may or may not know, who can jump in and out at any time. It gives you the opportunity to gain new perspectives on things, and (as goofy as this sounds) meet people interested in the same topics as you are. I’ve found these conversations incredibly helpful, and have made a few “twitter friends” out of it too.
A few things I’ve noticed for good chats:
- Set a Time: We’re busy people. Between juggling our day jobs, night jobs, personal lives, and family obligations, there is little room of spontaneity in our lives. (Unless you schedule it for Sunday afternoons.) Given this reality for many folks, pick time and stick to it. Make sure everyone knows that you’ll be there every week, same bat time, same bat channel.
- Set Questions Before Hand: Outside of a Cracker Jack box, no one likes surprises. If you expect people to give up their time to engage in the chat, let them know if it is worth it by posting the questions on your blog. This can work to your advantage. Example: One week I wasn’t sure I would have the time for a weekly chat. When I saw that the questions to be discussed covered a personal interest of mine, I carved out the time and made sure I participated.
- Moderators Just Moderate: The moderator’s role is pose questions, and keep the discussions going. They can retweet interesting comments, they can ask participants to clarify terms or tweets, but that’s about as far as they should take it. Be fluid and let the conversation move where it will. Ultimately, this is a “power to the people” kind of environment.
- Take Questions from the Audience: The chats that have legs are the ones that get community members involved. Actively solicit them and make sure you’re covering topics they want to discuss. If someone says “Hey, I would love a discussion about marketing across silos” build one. Then thank them for their time and their contributions.
- Use External Tools: There are a few tools out there that can help you manage your chat. Register that hash tag so that people know this chat is legit. I like What the Hash Tag, but would love to hear from chat moderators if there are other sites or services you like. You should also try using TweetChat or Tweet Grid. Both of these sites help you “put up blinders” so that can follow one hashtag in your stream. Once you sign in, anything that you tweet through those sites will automatically tag your posts with the chat tag you’ve specified.
As you may have guessed, I am a chat moderator. Or more specifically, I’m about to be the moderator for not one, but two bouncing baby chats. The first of them launches tonight at 8:00 EST. The WPSchat is born of my personal love of Women’s Professional Soccer. If you’re into the WPS, I strongly encourage you to stop by and introduce yourself. The second is a bit more professional, and I’m still working out the details. More to come on that.
Have you participated in any chats lately? Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Auto DMs: You’re Doing it Wrong, Sir April 13, 2010
Early today, I sent out a simple 23 character Tweet: “I’m no fan of auto DMs.”
As most things I tweet about, this post was inspired by real life events. Yesterday, I was followed by someone (who shall remain nameless.) After taking a few seconds to review their bio and evaluate how they use Twitter (conversation vs. bullhorn), I decided to follow them back. They seemed like a real person, interested in the same things as me, and engaged with folks in their network via Twitter. Done and done.
This morning, I saw that I had one message in my direct message in box. I’ll admit it: I got a little excited. With the exception of invitations to join the mafia, most of my DMs are from folks in my twittersphere, with links to interesting articles, posts, or suggestions to challenges I’ve tweeted about. My excitement was instantly deflated by an auto DM from the person I had followed just yesterday. “Thanks for the follow. If you follow me, I’ll follow you back. Let me know if I can help.”
Not only is it obvious that this is an auto DM, it is a poorly constructed one—I am following you. No “ifs” about it. (This DM also brings up my second Twitter pet peeve: the promise of reciprocal following. Alas, this is a post for another day.) But putting my inner copyeditor aside, what annoys me the most about auto DMs is that there is no way to make them human.
No matter how many exclamation points or emoticons you put in, an auto DM makes you sound like a robot. IMO, this defeats the purpose of social media. I like to think that social media amplifies our humanness, helping us make connections with people who we may not usually have access to in the “real” world. The key to being a good social media citizen is to be authentic. And even the best crafted auto DM message has no hope here. So to you auto DM-ers, I say “You’re doing it wrong.”
As an epilogue to this story, I give you the aftermath of my “I’m no fan of auto DMs” tweet. Within a few minutes of my tweet, I got replies from a few folks who agree with me. They too have been smacked by an auto DM or two, and their comments ranged from the annoyed to the down right hil-ar-ious. And just like that, the promise of social media is fulfilled—helping real people make connections, have a laugh, and share their experiences.
What say you? Are you pro auto DM?
*UPDATE: After checking my account this morning, the auto-DM-er has now unfollowed me, not even adhering to their “promise” to follow back. Wow. Talk about not getting it…*
Tiger Ad: Creepy or Courageous? April 9, 2010
Yesterday, Nike released the new Tiger Woods ad, the first since word of his er… indiscretions came to light. The video quickly made its rounds on Twitter, which is how I first came across it.
The ad uses a voice over of Tiger’s late father, posing some pretty direct questions: “Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything.” The camera remains steady on an unemotional Tiger, and ends with the Nike swoosh. It screams vulnerability.
Some people have said this is creepy. And you can’t blame them. You’re hearing the voice of a dead man. It is literally haunting. But I think this is actually really courageous. Why? Because it has nothing to do with golf, and everything to do with basic humanity—ours and Tiger’s.
This ad accepts that the rejection of Tiger is based on emotional reactions to his personal life, not logical analysis of his professional expertise. Rather than paste over that with images of what a great technical golfer Tiger is, Nike has decided to meet our emotion with a corresponding emotional ad. Bravo.
To be clear: I’m no fan of Tiger. (I’m no fan of golf for that matter.) I think the choices he made hurt his career, the trust of his fans, and the brands he represented. Most importantly, these choices hurt his family. But Tiger is human, and being vulnerable is a basic part of the human experience.
The ad reminds us that though Tiger’s skills may be superhuman, he is not. He is just like us. He had a father who nurtured him, and pushed him to answer tough questions. He made mistakes, and feels remorse for them. He was once highly respected, and now faces the daunting challenge of regaining trust of those important to him and his future success.
Few of us will achieve the iconic status that Tiger Woods has. But all of us have made missteps in our lives. We’ve had to face critics—parents, teachers, bosses, sometimes even ourselves—and find ways to apologize and move forward. Once the public can start seeing itself reflected in Tiger Woods, it can begin to forgive him. And Nike and Tiger can start their long climb back to the top.
What side of the debate do you land on: is the Nike ad creepy or courageous?
W.W.ECS.D. with Social Media? March 24, 2010
My last post was about voting, specifically supporting women’s voting rights around the world. As I was writing it, I was struck by how long it took women in the US to get this right—over 70 years. Think about that. Many people started the movement never lived to see it a reality. What would have happened if they had more resources at their disposal? What could have happened if they had access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube? In short, what would Elizabeth Cady Stanton do with social media?
Here are some key points in the women’s suffrage movement that could have been major inflection points with the use of social media.
1869: The National Woman Suffrage Association is established by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.
Social Media Tactic: Start a Facebook page. Update it routinely with developments of the cause, and engage with fans to help them understand how important suffrage is. Watch out for the fans of the more conservative American Woman Suffrage Association, but don’t get into heated debates online or on your fan pages. No one needs to see that.
1872: Susan B. Anthony is arrested and brought to trial for attempting to vote for Ulysses S. Grant in the presidential election. At the same time, Sojourner Truth appears at a polling booth demanding a ballot; she is turned away.
Social Media Tactic: As Susan and Sojourner make their way to the polling stations, arm them with flipcams and other mobile media devices to document how they are being turned away from the polling booths. Before they are carted off to trial, get your hands on those flipcams, and post the video on YouTube. Let the American public see what denying rights looks like.
1878: A Woman Suffrage Amendment is introduced in the United States Congress.
Social Media Tactic: Use Twitter to share this exciting news. Keep up the pressure by tweeting developments (of which sadly there are few until 1919) and asking your followers to share the news with their networks.
1895: Elizabeth Cady Stanton publishes The Woman’s Bible, which freaks out the NAWSA. They vote to distance themselves from Stanton’s more radical views.
Social Media Tactic: Time for a lesson in crisis communication. Along with other damage control techniques, you should be blogging. Okay, you should already have a blog by now, but now is the time to leverage it. Appoint more moderate suffragists to write regular posts that highlight how the NAWSA embraces less radical tactics.
1913: The National Women’s Party is formed. More militant than other organizations, the Woman’s Party participates in hunger strikes, pickets the White House, and launches a full-scale civil disobedience strategy to generate awareness for the cause.
Social Media Tactic: Develop a branded YouTube channel, and arm your members with flipcams, iPhones, and other mobile technologies. Show the opposition that you’re taking it to the streets, and piping that message back into the social web. Videos go viral and show that suffragists are a force to be reckoned with.
August 26, 1920: The Nineteenth Amendment is ratified.
Social Media Tactic: With the primary goal of women’s suffrage accomplished, what do you do with your movement? Keep those channels alive and well, but think about the appropriate way to shift focus. Organize Tweet ups to educate women on knowing their rights, how to register to vote, and where polling places are. Also use this as a platform for the Equal Rights Amendment that you introduce in 1923, which as of 2010 still has not been ratified.
I think that if the women’s suffrage movement had been able to use social media, the long journey to the vote would have been shortened but I’m not sure by how much. Remember: whatever tools you have, your opposition has. The woefully misguided National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage could also start a Facebook page, twitter account, and YouTube to rally their supporters. This makes it even more important for you to carefully and strategically manage your cause’s social media communications, thereby giving voice to the voiceless.
So the next time you’re scratching your head about how to get out your message, just ask yourself– What would Elizabeth Cady Stanton do?
*Huge thanks to the Library of Congress and the tremendous access that they provide through their website. Without them, it would have taken me ages to pull together all these dates and facts. *
Voting: Better than…. Well, anything March 8, 2010
In honor of International Women’s Day, I’d like to talk about something very dear to me. It isn’t marketing, media, or even really, really good lattes (though I am a huge fan of all three.)
My all-time favorite thing is voting. I’d do it every day if it were in any way possible or ethical. To be clear, I don’t just vote willy nilly. American Idol, for example, doesn’t give me the same rush I get as voting on a ballot question. Nope, it is that fundamental element of civic engagement that makes me giddy every fall. Or any other time of year, depending on if it is a special election.
Okay, but what does voting have to do with women? Just ask the 19th amendment of the US Constitution. That great little amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920. Think about it– when my grandmother was born, she was not guaranteed the right to vote. Had it not been for the women’s suffrage movement, she would never have had the chance. Nor would my mother, nor would I.
Don’t be fooled—this isn’t something that happened over night. Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, women fought for the vote for over 70 years before it became law in the US. (Side note: Imagine what Stanton would have done with social media. Now THAT would be a viral campaign I would love to see! Her tweets would have been fierce, I’m sure.)
Luckily, many countries have wised up and extend voting rights to women. Unfortunately, there are still a few places where voting is not considered a basic human right. And let’s not assume that just because women have the legal right to vote that they are, in fact, voting. In far more countries, women are discouraged from voting or running for political office, or their participation is conditional. This, of course, means that they aren’t able to fully advocate for themselves, their families, or their communities. And as far as I’m concerned, this is simply unacceptable.
So on International Women’s Day, let’s be thankful for the gains our societies have made, but remember that there is still a long way to go. As global citizens (which I believe we all should strive to be,) we must hold ourselves and our governments accountable.
Chocolate Chips: A Personal Brand Strategy March 3, 2010
Last week, I taught a class about ingredient brands. We’re all probably familiar with the concept, but for those who need a refresher course, it goes a little something like this. Brand A combines forces with Brand B to become an uber offering that makes them both more appealing to their customers. Think of it like a chocolate chip cookie. Brand A is the dough. Brand B is the chocolate chips. Though both chocolate chips and cookie dough are tasty on their own, they are typically much better when consumed together.
Other examples of ingredient brand partnerships include Intel inside Dell computers, Splenda in Eddy’s Ice Cream, or Oreos in McDonald’s McFlurries In all these cases, each brand is enhanced by the association with the other. And in the case of two of the above examples much tastier.
The morning after class, I stumbled my way to my day job filled with thoughts from the previous night’s discussion about ingredient brands. I pushed them aside as I answered emails and drank my much-needed coffee. Later that morning, I joined the discussion on #brandchat which focused on the idea of personal branding. Perhaps it was the dual stimuli of caffeine and interesting conversation, but a light bulb went off in my little brain.
Personal brands can be like ingredient brands for companies. As an employee, your personal brand should enhance and compliment the company brand, just as their brand should bolster yours. The power of both together should offer your customers or clients something that cannot be matched by a competitor. But just as with our traditional construction of ingredient brand relationships, this promise isn’t always fulfilled when the brands are out of balance. Sometimes the brands simply do not complement each other, resulting in an association that doesn’t drive value for your customer. Other times, one brand far out shines the other. This can do considerable damage by lowering the perceived value of both. And then there will be times when your personal brand stands on its own, much like when IBM opted out of including the Intel brand because “There is one brand, and that’s IBM.”
Just like any good ingredient brand strategy, the best case scenario is when the personal brand and the company brand work together in perfect harmony. They will help each other reach new markets or channels and develop exciting opportunities for growth.
So think about it… does your personal brand compliment your company brand? Does its brand compliment yours? If not, what should you do about it?
