20 posts…and then some
We were tasked to post about topics featured in class, namely, how the new media frontier impacts has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other, and as a result, how brands can interact with us.
What a difference 9 weeks makes! With a list of future posts still dancing within my head, I feel like a blogging addict. I will likely take a few days off after this class concludes on December 28, but I will be back in 2010 with more updates. Until then, please look me up on cyberspace at the links below:
Also, please check out my Blogroll at the right hanf side of my screen. These are links to my fellow classmates blogs. Great insights, definitely worth a look. I am proud to be associated with a talented group of individuals from across the globe.
In keeping with our viral video discussion, here is a special video….ABBA’s Happy New Year video. 4 million views on YouTube and counting! I wish you all a Happy, Healthy, and Safe New Year.
Donna
p.s. Go Mountaineers ! Good luck at the Gator Bowl!
Toyota Recall – Canadian bloggers need not post?
I think by now we’ve all heard that Toyota has had a serious consumer safety problem with accelerator pedals. The pedals would become stuck while driving, and caused the deaths of 12 people. Toyota’s initial response was “just throw out the floor mats.”
Needless to say this did not sit well with anyone….the media, consumers, and above all the blogging community. After a public relations nightmare, the company agreed to recall 4 million vehicles in the United States. If you go to the web site, you’ll see a link about the Floor Mat Campaign (still no mention of the word “recall” on the home page!).
On top of all of this, it seems that Toyota forgot to notify Canadian vehicle owners about the recall. On November 19th a Canadian blogger commented that although a detailed letter was sent to 4 million US vehicle owners, nothing was been communicated to Canadians. Although car sales have slumped across North America, Canada’s CBC news predicts that sales of Toyota products in Canada will approach 200,000 for 2009. Still a pretty large number to risk injury or worse.
According to a statement by Toyota Canada,
“There is no risk of accelerator-pedal entrapment when compatible Toyota and Lexus Canadian-designed, all-weather floor mats are properly used in the affected models as they are different in design and material composition from the Toyota-supplied mats in the U.S.”
However, after even more bad online coverage by both the media and the blogging community, Toyota did a complete 360 on its position of Canadian vehicles. On November 27th, Toyota announced that the company will extend the recall to Canadaian consumers to fix accelerator pedals for 209,000 vehicles in the country.
What went wrong? Toyota’s failure to track online statements about the company caused a crisis situation to get worse. Blogs are not limited by geography. By missing the conversation, Toyota has seriously hurt its brand in the eyes of consumers across cyberspace.
What went right? As blogs are open to the world, they create an open conversation about critical issues. With pressure from a diverse mix of publics including consumer groups, the media, government, and bloggers, companies can be pressured to do the right thing.
RSS: Really Simple Strategy
Unless you’re like me and you’re posting like a fiend to get your assignment done for your master’s class on time, you may not have as much of an opportunity to post on your website or blog every day.
On the flip side, are you overrun with blogs and news sites you frequent? For example, I just perused the Advertising Age Power 150 Blogs, and thought my head would spin with so many resources.
In either of these cases, why not consider an RSS feed?
Say what? If you’re not familiar with the acronym, you’re not alone.
More likely, you’re probably familiar with the little orange button you’ll see all over cyberspace.
The RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. According to its entry in Wikipedia (more on that below), “RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.”
Pushing Data Out
The internet is hungry for fresh content. One of the simplest ways to get traffic via RSS is to use a blog. Each time you update your blog, the RSS feed will give readers a sample of your content and a link to your blog for more information.
Blogs sites (such as WordPress) are fairly user friendly tools, and can be a quick way to publish RSS feeds. By categorizing your blog by date and topic, RSS directories can be used to promote your blog.
Streamlining Data In
What about the information overload from so many newsources and blogs? RSS feeds allow you to choose to get update notifications delivered directly to you through a news reader of your choice (Google, Yahoo and Microsoft all offer these services).
You then select the Web sites from which you want to receive information and the content will be delivered automatically to your RSS reader.
Either if you are a reader or a marketer, RSS offers an efficient means to build an effective means of two-way communication. Companies are using RSS for a variety of reasons, ranging from public relations to one-click product deals
For a brief tutorial on creating an RSS in plain English, here’s a great YouTube video:
A word about Wikipedia:
Wikipedia is the free online encyclopedia that is open to the public for editing. The site was launched in 2001 and has grown to include millions of articles in a variety of languanges. There are significant concerns about the quality information that has an open architecture for editing. However, Wikipedia has become one of the most popular resources, and is reported as being the eighth most-visited Web site in the United States.
With real time editing, Wikipedia does not have a formal review process. As a result, every article can be called as accurate as those who have taken the time to write or edit it. Although Wikipedia (and the growing number of individual “wikis” for specific topics) continus to grow, research from an extra source is always a good idea to get your facts straight.
Can a mattress be social? Tempur-Pedic becomes buddies with Facebook and Twitter
This is one of the first commercials I have seen in a while that directly linked Social Media with a product. Mattress Company Tempur-Pedic (the squishy mattress with the handprint) has a new “ask me” television campaign to drive potential consumers to Facebook and Twitter sites to get a first hand look at what “actual Temper-Pedic owners” are saying about the mattresses. Tying in social media directly with an ad has been done before yes, but this one caught my attention as it so closely ties in social media directly with the product’s TV ads.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I just had to check out what people are saying. Currently Temper-pedic has 3,396 fans on Facebook. Tempur-Pedic’s Twitter presence is fan based only, I could not find a page dedicated to the company through a keyword search. One of the first Google hits on Tempur-Pedic and Twitter came up with a comment by consumer Gretchen Rubin, who claimed that the company’s pillows had a horrible smell. I guess that proves the posts are real, but if I was the CEO of Tempur-Pedic, it’s probably not the first impression I would want of the company.
Back to Facebook , the replies I read were positive, save one from Nicole Brown on Christmas Eve. Ms Brown is a current customer and made a comment that she is looking for sheets that better fit her mattress. Tempur-pedic was on its game, and sent a reply with a recommendation for something that may help her in less than 24 hours. The Tempur-Pedic reply was on Christmas Day no less! That’s exceptional customer service!
Based on replies on what customer’s are saying, I wouldn’t mind giving Tempur-Pedic a try. However, like fine jewelry and luxury automobiles, you get what you pay for. On December 22nd, fan Betsi Lynch called her Tempur-Pedic the “best $7,918 she’s ever spent.” Now that’s some pricey sleep!
Costs aside, there are lots of consumers that desperately need a comfortable mattress due to back problems or other physical limitations, and I’ll bet this sort of product that would be perfect for them. Kudos to Tempur-Pedic for taking a brave step into social media to keep the dialong between clients and potential clients going.
You can check out the Tempur-Pedic ad here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?comments&v=1204137496205
Teens and Facebook: Permission to stay connected or risk to employers?
Today’s teenagers were born into an era in which they never knew a world without TiVo, internet or chat rooms. Whether at school, work or band camp, kids are social in person, and they take their expectations on remaining plugged in wherever they go. Will their habits succeed in the workplace, or crash and burn?
This month Junior Achievement and accounting firm Deloitte released a survey report about teenagers and their expectations about social networking habits on the job.
In our mobile society this probably would not come as much of a surprise to anyone:
The report found that 88 percent teens surveyed use social networks every day, with 70 percent saying they participate in social networking an hour or more daily.
More telling however, was that half (58 percent) said they would consider their ability to access social networks at work when considering a job offer from a potential employer.
Although the majority of teens surveyed stated they do not behave unethically while using social networks (83 percent), the report found conflicting information. Read on for some statistics:
- 40 % do not consider the potential reactions of college admissions officers
- 38 % do not consider the reactions of present or future employers
- 30 % do not consider their parents’ reactions.
- 16 % readily admitted to behavior that included posting content embarrassing to others, spreading rumors and pretending to be someone other than themselves, with a vast majority of them expressing regret later about doing so.
These figures provide some soboring statistics for employers. A lack of mindfulness can hurt a friendship, and yes, that can be costly to the individuals involved. But what if you’re a business owner? The implications of an employee’s post can put the costs (both financial and reputation) to a company beyond repair. The cost from bad pr, lost sales or even a lawsuit due to an employee’s action spreading rumors about co-workers or managers and leaking proprietary information can be overwhelming.
As the job force of the future puts such an emphasis on social media, additional training and education is required. As employers may be less familiar with social media tools than their young hires, they will need to consider enhanced training and communication relative to social networking in order to recruit the best and brightest. However, teens entering the workforce may also need to learn some lessons about ethical decision-making tools to help them understand the importance of behaving with integrity on- and offline. After all, once something is posted, it can live on forever.
Currently more than half of the companies surveyed by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics do not have a social medial policy. Employers need to recognize that policies should be created sooner than later to avoid risk. I am a legal marketer by trade, and love the e-blasts sent by Jaffe Associates. I’ve provided a link for their published Social Media policy. This is a good sample, regardless of industry. But definitely work with your HR and legal department to make sure this is right for your company.
A little leg work now, and employers and recruits can interact with each other safely and effectively.
Diversity Consumers & New Media: outreach for a happy holiday
With holiday season upon us, we are all scurrying to finish last-minute wrapping and shipping, baking and decorating. Retailers (both online and brick and mortar) are pulling out all the last ditch efforts to get people to spend, spend, spend.
When it comes to consumer demographics, retailers are learning a message loud and clear:
Do not ignore minority consumers!
According to a Multicultural Report by research firm Diversity Affluence, African Americans possess $87.3 billion in purchasing power, Asian Americans possess $90.2 billion, and Hispanic Americans hold $104.5 billion.
So, how do businesses reach these very different audiences?
One way of communicating is definitely through new forms of media. A 2009 report by Big Reports found that although all demographics named cell phones as the most common new media item being utilized, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian respondents replied with higher usage than Caucasian respondents.
Minorities also have a higher regular usage rate, and are more receptive to use their mobile device to play videogames, take/upload picture phones and use instant messaging online.
In addition, minorities who are active online have been found to be more active on social media sites than Caucasian citizens.
While in 2008, Facebook was secondary to MySpace, today, the roles have reversed, and most (but not all) minority groups have reported to prefer Facebook.
The exception to preference in Facebook relates specifically to Hispanic-speaking Americans, who gravitate to social media sites with a stronger established Latin American presence. Many prefer MySpace or Hi5 (strong in Latin America, allowing Hispanics in the U.S. a better opportunity connect with family members out of the country.
What to do?
It is anticipated that usage of social networking will continue to grow among all ethnic groups. Smart marketers will recognize that there is no “one size fits all” approach for a diverse consumer mix. By creating a communications strategy based on where target consumers interact, marketers and consumers will have a happy holiday season for all.
Web 2.0: History in the Making
As I’ve gone through the Emerging Media Course at West Virginia University this semester, I have learned that one of the most important aspects of new media is information. Both marketers and consumers have a vested opportunity to share, communication about each other,
Web 2.0 is changing the way we share and manage our information. Virtually anyone can do this now, and over the course of time, the internet is becoming smarter. Although some of what we do is passive (i.e., clicking on a website link), programming behind the scenes allows sites to learn what is of interest specifically to you, and offer recommendations of additional products or services. (Think of Amazon.com’s recommendation list).
This fabulous video made its way around the internet waves in 2007. Although by today’s online standards what happens yesterday quickly becomes old news, something from two years ago is really old news. However, this link shows a very useful insight into the development of today’s “Web 2.0″. The video focuses on the evolution of forms ranging from HTML-based web-pages to RSS-feeds, from text to multimedia, and static web-sites to dynamic, “living” blogs and social web utilities.
Interesting to note is that creator of this film is NOT a social media guru or a modern day ad agency executive. Michael Wesch is the Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology from Kansas State University. Through is in-depth study of humankind, Wesch has created a relatable demonstration of new media’s influence on how society “talks” to each other (either in person or via technology). By watching, observing and learning how online communities will continue to evolve allows marketers an opportunity to learn new ways to communicate and engage consumers.
(Not to mention, the digital music is way cool.)
Career: Landing a Job Using Social Media
As we approach the holidays, it is hard not to think of countless professionals without employment. All too often, hard working individuals find themselves unemployed as a result of the economy and not as a result of a bad review or poor performance. In 2008, there were an estimated 1.2 million job losses. Fast forward one year later, and unemployment is now at 3.5 million, leading to an unemployment rate hovering at 10%. Even though many analysts are telling us that the recession is technically over, there are also predictions that employers are not anticipating a surge in hiring. Rather, many companies are determining how to “do more with less.”
Job Losses, Recent Recessions, compiled by Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Not a very optimistic prospect for the currently unemployed. Add on top of that an estimated 1.5 million college graduates, making the search for a job really slim.
With these sobering statistics, what is a job seeker to do?
The 1-2 punch of the economy and the revolution of the Internet has made a traditional employment search a thing of the past. Yes, candidates can and still should participate in employment fairs, and by all means send a thank you note for interview opportunities. And I cannot stress how important building a strong network is both in person. However, social media’s 2-way approach allows the possibility of many-to-many interactive communication in which a job seeker can be a proactive receiver and sender of information.
As much as companies spend countless resource hours on a social media presence, this approach can also help job seekers. Regardless of career, virtually everyone has a specialty of some sort that they can communicate to the world. You can become an information producer instead of just a recipient. One of the best ways to do that on the web is to launch a blog that centers around your expertise and passions. Best of all, it’s free! Check out WordPress.com, Blogger.com or Live Journal for a few ideas.
Definitely research companies that are of interest to you. Find out what they are doing online. I’m a big fan of LinkedIn by nature of its more professional tone and appearance. If you haven’t already created a LinkedIn profile, do one immediately. Importing your contacts from your email system (Microsoft Outlook, Google Gmail, etc.), is a way to research contacts (1st, 2nd & 3rd degrees) for information on their contacts for potential outreach for job searching. Follow companies of interest on Twitter to get updates and push your information out to them.
The biggest key is to this is integration of web 2.0 with the traditional approach you’ve already been using, in order to be consistent and be yourself. Recruiters do not want surprises. Be true to yourself whether you interact with them in person, on paper or online.
New Media: beating cyberbullies at their own game
With advances in technology, individuals can use it for good or for evil. An unfortunate result of online communication is cyberbullying.
Today CNN is featuring a success story in which a bulled teen was able to turn the tables by using new media aganst her attackers. A video of a student being filmed was posted on Social Media sites YouTube and CNN ireport. The video received many views, including one by a local reporter, who notified the authorities. A clip to the video can be viewed here.
Cyberbullying is a term that can relate to many things: A chat room discussion. Fake profiles on a social networking site. Unflattering video or image posts. Hurtful instant messages. These are all ways to harass, ridicule, embarrass or threaten another person.
The problem is that what used to happen on school grounds has spread to the masses. Cyberbullies can enroll other students to join in that may normally not be an active participant on school grounds. The end result that unseen people who wouldn’t normally bully don’t take it as seriously because there is an sense of anonymity behind a keyboard or mobile device. As we’ve seen in recent headlines, the end result of Cyberbulling can be deadly.
A national law enforcement survey released some alarming statistics. Their poll of children and teens found that one in three teens and one in six preteens have been victims of cyber bullying. Estimates show that more than 13 million children aged 6 to 17 were victims of cyber bullying. Read more for some additional alarming statistics:
– One-third of all teens (12-17) and one-sixth of children ages 6-11 have had mean, threatening or embarrassing things said about them online.
– 10 percent of the teens and four percent of the younger children were threatened online with physical harm.
Most alarming statistic? More than 2 million of those victims did not report the cyberbullying.
Through social media, the victim was able to use the same tools in order to report the problem. Well done.
Using social media — charity cause or bandwagon approach?
In light of social media, a laundry list of new terms have come to life. “Friending” is now a verb, and “Tweets” are much, much more than what my pet parrot Cosmo greets me with.
One of the newest terms that crossed my radar is “Slactivism.” According to the Urban Dictionary, a must-have reference these days, a slactivist is defined as one who feels a need to be politically active, but doesn’t quite know how and thereby jumps on the nearest bandwagon cause.
Without question, social media lets people connect with each other, and organizations can use these relationships to increase awareness.
However, does clicking on a charity event on Facebook really do much good? This trend has been criticized that click through activism can be ineffective, as people are just using their mouse clicks to fake awareness.
As people have limited time, would online “slacktivism” replace in-person volunteerism? Would kids be without mentors, or walk-a-thons without participants?
Can social media have a bigger impact than a bandwagon approach? The answer? Yes!
Causes, an online application for Facebook and MySpace was released in 2007. The application promotes viral financial donations charities and nonprofits. In just two years, the company has registered an impressive bank of statistics on usage and donation numbers. As of June 2009, over 70 million users registered to support more than 53,000 registered non-profit causes worldwide. In just two years, Causes campaigns have raised over $10 million dollars. Although Causes does keep 4% of the proceeds, this is still remarkably better than the 7-12% average that is spent on fundraising by other not-for-profit tactics.
According to a study by Mashable.com, the key to online giving through social media is trust, both from the organization, and from those people you connect with. By building a dialogue based on trust and openness, charities have an opportunity to effectively fundraise. But by engaging with its audience, the organization may also be able to gainer support with calls to action for an increase volunteers.
A recent example occurred in my hometown of Buffalo, NY. Hit show Extreme Home Makeover rebuilt the home of one needy family. A mass social networking campaign garnered a record number of volunteers – over 5,000 in all. With the largest volunteer turnout, volunteers gave the entire neighborhood makeover.
Yes, landscape has changed for charities. And pursuing web-based activism, the opportunity is prime for organizations to connect with a wider audience. As the message is spread from person to person, nonprofit organizations have an opportunity to raise money and bring a community together, both in person and online.
