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.
Bacardi and Michael Shumacher prove that drinking and driving don’t mix
If you’re reading my post, that means you have survived another Christmas. For that you should be congratulated! If you still have holiday fever, no worries! New Year’s Eve is just around the corner.
In keeping with the season, what better time to review a short film covering the dangers of drinking and driving? Bacardi has created a film to demonstrate the dangers of drunk driving, but not in the way you would expect.
Here, bartender Salvatore Calabrese, is asked to mix a cocktail. He’s dressed in a crisp, white shirt, but more on that later. The drink is not going to be mixed in the way you might think. The catch? Mr. Calabrese needs to mix the drink while in a sportscar being driven by 7-time Formula 1 Racing Champion, Michael Shumacher.
As Shumaker maneuvers every turn (thankfully on a closed course!), our hapless bartender is getting a shower of mixed drinks on his lap as he prepares to mix a cocktail. He begs the driver to “keep it steady, keep it steady.”
Finally, the ride ends, and Calabrese’s once-white shirt is now a blush pink thanks to the ride. He serves a drink to Shumacher, who reminds the viewer, “Proof that Drinking and Driving Definitely don’t mix.”
This film was created in the UK, and my best guess is that this “tongue in cheek” approach to suh a serious subject would never fly in the USA. In fact, if you visit the website referenced in the film, www.championsdrinkresponsibly.com, the site tells customers that the site is ”not intended for visitors from the US and Canada. If you are entering from these countries please visit bacardilimited.com.”
Fortunately the fatalities in America have dropped significantly. According to Alcohol Report.com. 26,173 fatalities were reported in 1982. Fast forward to 2009 and the number has been cut nearly in half to 13,846. Yet still, one fataility is one too many, and a good PSA can only help reinforce the mission against drunk driving.
Nonetheless, this is a creative method to talk about a serious subject. And if two buddies in a pub can talk about the ad as racing fans and relate to it, all the better.
Be safe and well this holiday season!
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
In with the new: changes to web design for 2010
Well another new year is upon us, and it might be a good idea to take a look back at where we’ve been with web design, and where we are going.
Perhaps I am simply spending too much time on a computer lately, but it seems there has been a major shift in trends in web design. There are probably dozens that strike out at designers, but I would like to cover a couple of the big trends, size and design mirroring characteristics or print.
Size of graphics
Everything is bigger! We’ve seen logos and headers increase to fill up an entire webpage 2010 will be oversized logos, large headers, and bigger images. These types of headers can take up the entire screen, but quickly resize themselves after a second. Users do not need to click, and risk closing out of the site, or sticking on a popup.
Check out the new look for CNN.com as an example. The new layout is cleaner, key stories really pop. The site also has some YouTube characteristics, with bigger graphic links to new video clips. One drawback? I am not a fan of needing to scroll to read other news articles. Advertiser space takes up a lot of real estate, as you can see below. I’d rather the Cialis bathub logo was below the information I really want to read, but I guess CNN needs to pay some bills like the rest of us.
Migration to mirroring print. Type and graphics
Type: Until recently web designers are afraid of using new and different fonts as there was a concern over compatibility with user issues. Yes, Arial, Verdana, Calibri, etc will continue to be in our vocabulary, but we are beginning to see examples in which type is richer, and a bigger player in the site’s design. When used correctly and creatively, it type can lead us into a more captivating site, and providing the users’ attention to key content. The site for 365 Days of Astronomy, (library of 365 podcasts about astronomy) is a good example of implementation a type into the design of the site.
Illustrated graphics: Although video and stock photos will always be important, the use of illustrations is increasing in popularity. Used as a means to blend the interaction between the virtual web and hard copy print, illustrations can be used to personalize the web for users. Here are a few examples of unique illustrations. The Bryant Park Hotel has an approach to strictly use illustrations on its home page. Users need to dig deeper into category pages to find photos for hotel meeting rooms and accommodations. The hotel is renowned as a hub for the fashion world, and the website’s slick appearance and music reflects that. Although as a user, I would probably like to see some images of the hotel on the main pages, I think the hotel’s image allows the site to get away with not having images sooner.
Another example for Doll Play Station, a site for online fashion doll games for girls, shows a mixture of illustrations and photos. Here offering girls real photos of how they can use the games adds a better personalization for the site and the user’s engagement with it.
Most of us will continue to receive less print mail, and many of us are subscribing to less print publications each year. As companies are switching to a web only presence, designers are tasked to provide a layout that print readers will instantly recognize and become comfortable with. It will be interesting to see how sites will continue to evolve by the close of 2010.
Viral Video: What a Week for Hewlett Packard
Christmas time is here, and what better gift under the tree for the family than a shiny new computer? Well, if you’re a representative of Hewlett-Packard (HP), this might not have been the most wonderful time of the year.
I caught a story on CNN yesterday about the latest viral video. In this case the video provides a problem for a company instead of the usual happy wedding dance or Susan Boyle’s latest musical number.
In the video, electronics store employees Wanda Zamen and Desi Cryer test out a webcam built into a HP computer. One of the selling points of the product is facial recognition in which the camera will follow the users face. In the video, Zamen and Cryer take turns in front of the camera. The webcam follows Wanda Zamen (who is Caucasian) as she moves in front of the screen. However, once Desi Cryer (who is African American) moves into the picture, the camera is still. Facial recognition and motion ceases to work.
With such an unusual product flaw, the pair decided to film the product’s shortcomings and post it on YouTube.
Zamen and Cryer chose to make the shot film for amusement of friends and family. In a statement on Mashable they remarked, “we thought the video was funny and decided to post it on You Tube. It was our intention to provide a good natured chuckle to our fellow man, and honestly we did not imagine that so many people would watch and react to the video.”
Wow. That good natured chuckle has now been viewed by more than one million people. The biggest problem? The title of the video reflects one of the remarks in the film- “HP computers are racist”.
A sitation like this could have spelled disaster for HP, who did admit to CNN that e cameras may have issues with contrast recognition in certain lighting situations, which could prevent the product working for individuals with different skin tones.
Instead of hiding its head in the sand, HP quickly reacted on its blog (The Next Bench), and posted a statement that “We would like to thank both of them for bringing clarity to the discussion via the (Mashable) statement they issued this week. I think it’s important for all of us to understand their intentions when they shot the video. HP continues on by saying, “we invite you to continue to connect with us here on The Next Bench or on Twitter at @HP_PC. We assure you that we are listening.”
We’ve learned that HP’s product is far from perfect. But by acting quickly and communicating to both Wanda and Desi, as well as the general blogosphere the company may have survived a public relations disaster. As a result, HP may still have a happy holiday after 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.)
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.
New media: an internal business communication tool
Well folks, it’s been too long since my kickoff launch of my blog. No excuses, but with a couple of large projects, a 40-50 hour work week doubled in hours, thankfully only for the short term.
As a part of my first post, what better option to consider than methods for effective time management with social media. By looking internally first, an organization can build an internal structure to allow for increased dialog and information sharing within a business.
Time is a precious commodity, and how organizations manage it has a great impact on their bottom line. Effective and efficient communications become even more critical in today’s down economy, as organizations are doing more with less.
The diagram below points to how social media can be used for targeting consumers, and it is my suggestion that this model may have value on internal use within a business first. If engagement is an objective of Social media, why not look at it as a tactic for engaging employees? For example, a blog can be a resource to quickly share information. By creating an online forum for frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) and methods for internal posts and updates by staff, resources can be posted to allow for efficient distribution of information.
Source: Awareness Networks, 2009
It’s a reality. Social media is here to stay. As marketers, we are expected to be familiar with the content and tools available and analyze them for their value in which to spend resources. By looking internally first, we may be able to re-energize employees during the downturn.
p.s. Expect more posts daily. Again, my apologies for being MIA. Also, better things ahead: I got engaged this weekend. Who knew that was coming?!
