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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. 

Twit Notes: Kevin Spacey Tries, Fails to Explain Twitter to David Letterman

Kevin Spacey is always fresh and funny - and his appearance on David Letterman last night was no exception. Love this clip in which he tries to explain the nuances of Twitter (which apparently even Elizabeth Taylor and Larry King have mastered) to a non-tech friendly Dave.

I'd love to point out to Kev that Twitter etiquette goes that those 800,000+ following him should get a reciprocal follow from him - hmmm - to date he follows *4* people!!  ahhhh!  Celebs :-)

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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Design PR | check into our [design] Sketch Pad

We curate a number of lovely little web galleries on tumblr that are just fabulous - one of my favorites is [design] Sketch Pad which features great picks from around the web of interiors, gardens, products and art that we just love. 

While we could easily host this project as an independent website, Tumblr makes a great spot for it.  If you're not familiar with Tumblr, basically it has four very attractive elements for promoting image rich products and projects: 

(1) The public page, which is the screen shot above - there are a good number of prefabbed templates as well as those than can be super customized as ours is.

(2) the tumblr page, which is a feed of posts from the tumblr blogs that each individual follows - this is very similar to the feed you see on Facebook or Twitter, but it includes photos and more expanded text. 

(3) An option to reblog posts - so a product posted on a Tumblr page can be reblogged hundreds and thousands of times through the Tumblr community.   Posts also are automatically tweeted on Twitter and can be sent to Facebook as well.

(4) A very user friendly feed that can be converted into a widget - see our combined widget in the left hand column of this blog for an example - and feel free to grab that and incorporate into your own publishing project or blog.

If starting your own design blog seems daunting - we invite you to submit design links to [design] Sketch Pad - just add the info here and we'll put it on (providing you have a great pic and the right link info).

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 | 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

Twitter Tasting

For someone who was one of the first publicists to do pitches via email and set up online press kits, I've been marveling over the past few days about how dramatically the media industry has changed over the past 12 months or so.  Unless you're really following along it would be quite easy to be overwhelmed by the evolutions at Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, FriendFeed, indie blogging, networks, and on and on...

Twitter as just one example has evolved pretty dramatically in just a short time from a rather simple, (somewhat over-hyped) platform to a really viable and interesting space.  I've written about Twitter here for over a year, showing various examples of ways that companies and personalities have put it to good use ... that being the point ... it's all in the way you use it at this point. 

Just one recent, very creative example is this very cool Macallon Twitter Tasting that Jean at (dare I say the legendary website) Notcot wrote about on her blog today.  Here's the way she describes it:

"Macallan’s brand ambassador @livingthedram (Graeme Russell) teamed up with the Michelin-starred chef Ed Brown of Eighty One in NY for the ultimate Macallan Tasting ~ all live tweeted and projected on the wall!!! And while i nearly moved my flight to make the dinner ~ but being twitter and all, they were kind enough to send samples over for me to taste along with them! Unfortunately my timing still sucked a little, but first thing i did when i got home was grab some food, and start catching up on the #macallan tweets - and taste along with them!"

You can check out all of Jean's fabulous photos and recap of the event on her blog and if you're somehow not familiar with NotCot.org by now take a look at the festivities that go on there 24/7.

The Today Show Finally Tweets

The Today Show (finally) did a package on Twitter this morning - which if you've been delving around in the social media jungle like I have for some time now, kind of seems like someone explaining how a telephone works.  We've written on this blog pretty extensively about how companies use Twitter as a customer service tool, and entertainment has made it into a brand extension experience, so we sort of figured everyone in the professional world at least had a working knowledge of the technology.

However, when I recently suggested using Twitter as a crime prevention tool in my neighborhood out in sophisticated Connecticut I was really surprised when only about 10% of a group of about 200 people had even heard of it or had a clue how to use it.  Whoa, is it me as a San Francisco transplant being surprised that everyone doesn't "have" to be connected 24/7 - probably. 

I've heard Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera say they were confused by Twitter on their show, which is interesting considering that of all the social media, Twitter is perhaps the least intimidating and least time consuming.  So when I saw this piece get cued up this AM I was a bit skeptical as to how relevant it would actually be.  Then low and behold "newmediajim" turned up in the piece as Jamie Gangel's cameraman - ahhh this guy knows a thing or two about Twitter.  He was one of my first follows when I first started about a year and a half ago, and he has a pretty incredible following - and he actually pays attention to Tweets.   So at any rate I think you'll find the celeb Twittering mentioned in this piece pretty interesting:

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