carrie*connects

Social Media Impact Explained

This is a clever little YouTube infomercial argument for social media that is very compelling - I hesitate to agree with the producer's enthusiasm for Gen X driving the way the trend is evolving, and I think their concept is a bit reductive in terms of scope, but it does offer great food for thought - especially with the notion that brands need to drive their message directly to their customers.

Video | Do You Need A Social Media Recovery Group?

If you erupt into a mini giggling fit when you watch this video (from Sony Vaio) about Social Media, you may need to seek counseling (like I do).

This is Brill ... The Start A Lie Campaign

Love this idea ~ The Tappening Movement is an educational campaign to move people away from bottled water.  A clever devise they created was this "Start a Lie" website in which you choose from a number of witty, implausible lies about bottled water such as "Bottle water hates Father of the Bride" and "The US Government uses bottled waterboarding" and then spread the word on email, Facebook, Twitter or Digg (what no FriendFeed??)  It's not a non profit, but it is quite clever.

Social Media Marketing ~ How To Infuriate Your Fans & Friends on Facebook pt. 1

About a year ago if I mentioned the concept of harnessing the power of Facebook and Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr, ect as a realistic strategy for marketing a brand, I would generally get a very long "hmmmmmm ....." followed by a very pregnant pause from many of the people I talked to.   A massive question mark would float over their heads as, more often than not, they just couldn't grasp the concept. 

Magically within the past six months however all that's changed with virtually every person I've ever known jumping on (at least) the Facebook bandwagon.  Unfortunately, rather than adopting the evolving norms of social media into the platform, which BTW are based on (1) actual human contact (2) original and interesting ideas (3) reciprocation ~ most Facebook newbies have attached dusty old marketing ideas to their shiny "new media" programs.  

As a result Facebook in particular is being used in some very annoying ways.  I thought I'd start tracking the most insidious behaviors and note them down here (mostly as a venue for venting my angst about the situation)....if you want to annoy on Facebook, here are some ideas:

1)  Businesses who want to really tick off their Facebook fans should be sure to send incessant group emails announcing minor sales, bland product announcements, and other information that is of interest only to their internal sales staff.  As a blogger, I'm used to getting press releases from other PR firms emailed rapid fire via specific email accounts, as such I really have little patience for this type of information sent to my Facebook in-box ~ and I'll lay you odds that I'm not in the minority here.  Even the most casual Facebook user is most likely not interested in being spammed about your 5% off sale once a day - if they are they'll visit your page to see it.  Facebook by definition is a "FACEBOOK" ie: people attached to faces, and personalized messages should only be sent this way. 

2) Keep requesting your friends "fan", join a group, or attend an event 0ver and over and over - even though they've probably repeatedly chosen to ignore your previous attempts for a reason.   Once is more than enough.

3)  Repeatedly poke, send game requests, gift requests, and all manner of the embeddable widget nature to people you've never had any sort of correspondence with and to whom you're a complete stranger - they love that.

4) Post only the dullest and most narrowly defined product photos and information about your company on your Facebook page so that instead of a lively interactive forum with an array of accessible ideas and information, it resembles a yellow page ad.

5) Never correspond with your fans or friends when they post info of their own (you know - the stuff that comes through on your homepage news-feed from them) ~ we know you're the only one that matters!  And when they comment on your posts or go so far as to post items to your page or wall, be sure to ignore them.  People love being treated solely as "consumers" and not individuals - isn't that what "social" means?  Oh it doesn't??  It means engaging and talking??  Whoa ....

Oh....there will be more .... stay tuned.   Yes, the Medium is the Message, but only if you know how to use it.  Otherwise it's just another cyber-armload of junk-mail to toss in the trash unopened.

Events | Boston MFA Hosts a Giant Karaoke Party

I love this event - a giant dancing and karaoke party held on the Museum of Fine Art in Boston's front lawn to kick off what sounds like an interesting exhibit.

As described by the museum: ""Seeing Songs" presents an eclectic mix of work—mainly from the Museum's collections—that draws on music as inspiration, focusing on abstract as well as representational art and connections to musical forms as varied as classical, jazz, and pop.

From lyrical works on paper by Wassily Kandinsky and a painting by Stuart Davis that depicts music as gesture and improvisation, to recent videos by Gillian Wearing and Candice Breitz that explore the relationship between pop stars and their fans, this exhibition brings together an international group of artists in whose work we see songs."

The Vogue-ing party included a giant screen and a Madonna impersonator which celebrated one of the key pieces by artist Candice Breitz’s - a video installation entitled "Queen (A Portrait of Madonna)".

One thing to note: A stated goal of both the installation and the event was to involve younger people with the museum - they publicized it through social media like Twitter and Facebook, ect to this end.   So I thought it was kind of interesting that the main musical icons featured were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond - all artists over 50 that I wouldn't necessarily associate with a your typical urban youth - I would see Katy Perry and Black Eyed Peas perhaps as more appropriate, however perhaps they have not achieved iconic status yet in the eyes of the museum.  Here's a video of the dancing and singing. 

Paul McCartney Makes a Splash In New York

Imagine you're hanging out at the office, working - Facebooking - Twittering away and all of a sudden some guy starts playing his guitar really really loudly just outside your window.  And then it actually sounds like someone is playing drums and base!!  You rush to the window to offer the dude a few choice expletives and - wow - realize that it's Paul McCartney hanging out on the Late Show marquee playing music. 

Surreal? Yeah - a little - but not so much for the Big Apple.  A fabulous publicity stunt?  Yep!   McCartney's spontaneous concert garnered him pics on all the major news networks and on countless blogs and websites - whereas a similar planned event in Central Park or at Rockefeller Plaza would have been more or less digested into the panorama of constant activity in NYC.  Good show Paul.  Love the shots of the cell phone behind him below, and the images of people looking down on the event from the offices above taking pictures - wonder how many Facebook pages those ended up on. 

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Technology Trendcaster | Become a Sociopath ~ It's the Latest Thing!

I recieved an invitation this morning to join the new social network StyleCaster (which sounds suspiciously like a column that I write called Trendcaster on Bloomacious.com) - naturally I immediately zoomed over to take a look and post my mug on my own page.  

While the site doesn't seem all that different from our own network Bloomacious Cafe it apparently is embedded with lots of watching and listening devices that when explained in the video below makes me yearn for a nice long nap. 

Terms like "associated neuro network"  and "associative dynamics" are a far cry from my favorite phrase "me likey!"  but they mean similar things.

If there's any doubt after listening to this explanation that networks are the new blogs (which are the new magazines) then take a sneak peek at Fashionair which is girding up to launch soon.

Broken down gently, networks allow companies to watch the patterns and flows of their members - whom they friend, what they comment on.  We've done the same thing for the past 6 months through our networks and it's not quite as scientific or reliable as the Sociocast guys would like you to believe. 

Networks do provide a venue in which individuals can enjoy a club-like camaraderie- they also can serve as a TV station, a community blog, a messaging system and a newsletter - and are the next step beyond Facebook and Twitter.

Beauty PR | Now Playing On Facebook ~ Philosophy's Summer of Love Campaign

The innovative beauty brand Philosophy has a very cool promo going at the moment on Facebook aimed at users and bloggers looking to expand their reader base.

Called The Summer of Love, the campaign involves Facebookers becoming a fan of the Philosophy page and then posting a note on their wall espousing their "philosophy of love". 

Five philosophers, or inspirational fans, will be chosen to serve as guest bloggers on the site PhilosophyGivesLove.com.

You can also share a story on PhilosophyGivesLove.com and receive free samples of Philosophy products.  To date, posting and participation has been robust.

It's a wonderful use of both Facebook and the alternate Philosophy site, giving them direct access to 10's of thousands of Facebookers, as well as enriching their homespun, community oriented image. 

We have a fabulous giveaway of Philosophy's Eye Hope, an eye treatment the company recently released that we just posted on our sister site, Bloomacious.com.

Beauty PR | Paris Releases Siren ~ But Can She Still Connect With Consumers?

Another day, another meandering post about Paris Hilton.  OK I'm not obsessed with the celebutant, she just keeps cropping up with things that make you look ~ sort of like that boy in Jr. high math class who keeps throwing spit bombs at you because he can't stand to not be the center of attention. 

Our subject today is the release of another fragrance from Paris, this one called Siren (which as we can see is meant to conjure images of mermaids and ships crashing onto rocks).  Licensee Parlux Fragrances is hoping to grab about $200 million in global sales from the product which will be in stores next month.   About 2000 doors will carry Siren - Macy's, Belk, Bon-Ton, Boscov’s and Stage Stores among them.

What is rather interesting about this particular fragrance is the statement that Neil Katz, CEO of Parlux released the other day. 

He said, "[Paris is] head and shoulders above so many other celebrities because of her connection with consumers, but also her connection with the paparazzi,” said Katz. “They appreciate that she takes the time to answer their questions, and pose for them. Paris understands the role they play in her business.”

While many of us in the beauty and fashion PR trade don't like to admit it, we more or less count on paparazzi to get shots of celebs wearing or using our client's products in public (just take a look through back posts on this blog of the amazing array of celebrities pushing our client Orbit Baby's stroller - all pap shots for the most part).  But to my memory this is one of the first times that a cosmetics brand has publicly mentioned paparazzi shots as a marketing plan.  Yes, we know the conversation goes on beyond the camera, but the public acknowledgment is the part that makes my ears perk up. 

This matched with the comment that Paris "connects" with consumers makes me take pause.  There are a growing number of celebrities who really do connect with consumers - they actually correspond with them on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter with endearing regularity like Isaac Mizrahi, Steven Cojocaro, Rachel Zoe, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Tina Fey and many more.  By correspond I don't mean they hit and run by posting a link about a product coming out or a show they're headlining and then head out for a shopping trip - they spend time writing back and forth with their fans who follow them - discussing a range of topics and commenting back. 

Yes, it's a new age in PR - one of access and two way conversations - not so much staged photo ops any longer (although photos play strongly in the mix as well, but usually they're candids taken by the stars themselves).

As they say, consumers vote with their feet - I'm excited to see how this marketing strategy pans out - at least here in the US.

The print campaign for Siren was shot by Mark Liddell in Los Angeles - advertising is scheduled to start in major titles next month.

WWD describes Siren as having "top notes of juicy mandarin, apricot nectar, and frangipani, with a heart of honeysuckle, coconut orchid and water lily. The drydown consists of vanilla beans, sandalwood and creamy musk. The sculpted glass bottle is designed to represent the tail of a mermaid with pleats that twist around to mimic a splash."

Siren was created by Honorine Blanc with Firmenich and will be available in two sizes of eau de parfum, 1.7 oz. and 3.4 oz., priced $45 and $55, respectively. There will also be a 6.7-oz. body lotion for $28.

source: WWD

Beauty PR | Get Your Free Samples On Facebook

Yes, I said free!  Beauty marketers and publicists are always searching for ways to get their brands out in front of the public. For good reason - it's a very crowed marketplace.   Here's an example of one firm that has taken to Facebook in that effort. 

This very cool Facebook application, Free Beauty Samples is a joint venture between beauty consulting firm Excelsior Beauty of Paris and youth marketer Archrival.

The process is pretty basic, go to to the application page, and register your address and skin type.  You'll install an application on your Facebook Profile and you'll be asked to send the application to friends.

You'll receive three samples (of skincare only at this point) in a cute red envelope which you'll be asked to sample and review on your own Facebook Page.  Sound good?  Give it a try and let us know what you think.