T-mobile Digital contest

T-mobile decided to rebrand themselves in 2013. They started by calling themselves the 'Uncarrier' and getting rid of contracts as you traditionally knew them for 24 months. This was a really cool marketing and branding strategy. It resulted in the highest number of post paid account growth in the companies history. What they did next was truly amazing. Imagine a contest where the clues are given online, the research is done on line and the answers are all posted online. Now take it to the next level and say that all of that is done through social media.

T-mobile introduce a contest to catch Jeremy. Jeremy is a kid(young adult) that is traveling all over the world and posting his adventures on social media. What you had to do was figure out where pictures were taken based on clues that were posted on Jeremy's and T-mo's social media sites. hey made it more family friendly by having Jeremy use a competitors plan which was racking up the cost for every post. T-mobile did this to introduce their new plan for no cost roaming. The Grand prize was a trip around the world for the winner. It also showed that Jeremy racked up over $74k in charges on his trip. It was a great way to introduce a new service and use social media to do it.

https://explore.t-mobile.com/catch-jeremy

Above is a link to the final page for the competition and in the background you can see a lot of the pictures that were shared on social media during the trips. T-mobile does a great job at engaging new and potential customers online with new contest on a weekly and in some cases daily bases. They understand the social media generation and I believe they are really taking advantage of it.

Heineken #Openyourworld

For my second blog post I was asked to write about a particular company and how they are using social media for marketing. The first thought that came to mind was one of my favorite companies and most often my drink of choice, Jim Beam. I already follow Jim Beam (Beam Global) on various social media sites but more so to follow their growth, so I logged in to Facebook to look at what they are doing from a marketing perspective. At first glance it seemed nice enough with updates every few days and plenty of pictures of their products but then I realized that's all it was. There are only pictures of their products and they all look like magazine adds. Nothing about their posts were engaging or made me want to participate in the conversation.

So I began to look at other companies and decided that I should limit my search to adult beverage companies so that there would be a somewhat level playing field since these companies can't really market to people under 21 (in the us) and there are certain legal responsibilities and restrictions. I looked at the Facebook sites and websites of companies whom I remembered their many vibrant magazine adds and commercials like Absolut, Corona, Grey Goose and Jack Daniels. While most of these companies did a better job than Jim Beam, I was astounded that these companies who spend millions of dollars of top notch brand recognition have missed the mark so drastically on social media. Then I remembered a Heineken commercial I often see while watching football. You know the one where the guy is on a date with a beautiful woman, there is great lively music and tons of eclectic people like magicians and over the top personalities and the whole place is an amazing party. The commercial itself reminded me of the bold adds of the other companies but since I hadn't seen it in a while I went to their website and facebook page to check it out. What I found blew me away.

Although the Facebook cover photo and profile pic look just as mediocre as the all of the other companies that's were the similarities stopped. Heineken's Facebook page has very little actual Heineken branding and you rarely see their product in posts. Even when they do showcase their product it doesn't come off as boring and "cookie cutter" as the other companies I researched. Instead what you encounter is a very fun and engaging environment. Heineken posts twice a day under the hash tag #openyourworld. each article is about all sorts of ecletcic and fascinating, some times funny, things from all over the world. One article is about  bitcoins and how you may soon be able to buy beer thru virtual currency, another is about some of the strangest hotels to sleep in in the world, another is about a real cool company that can make exact replica miniature figurines of people with just a picture. Everything on their page is inviting and engaging. I was also amazed at their transparency, openess and willingness to address an unfortunate incident that caused them some negative press. They responded to every post and question regarding the incident, even when they were asked months later by someone who hadn't already read their numerous responses.

I love what Heineken is doing and how they are doing it and I believe that more adult beverage companies, no actually ALL companies should look at what they are doing and take note. Although I like Heineken's product and voluntarily imbibe in it every now and again I have never been a "fan" of theirs. I certainly would not put their beer at the top of my list in fact not even in my top ten but after discovering their page I am now following them on Facebook and go to their page frequently to read the stories. I would also recommend their page to everyone of my friends and consequently I now have an urge to try their beer again tonight. I may do it just to support the amazing job they are doing but who knows, maybe I'll start drinking it a little more often.

OREO!

Oreo has been really stellar at using social media to reach their consumers. Their campaigns are thoughtful, timely, and spot on. When the power went out at the Superdome during the Super Bowl, Oreo had a new Twitter campaign launched within minutes. "You can still dunk in the dark" they tweeted with a picture of an Oreo cookie in a dark room. Whenever there's a momentary lull in action, regardless of the situation, most people with a smart phone kill time with social media apps. So this post was pretty genius, and got the attention of other major media publications and of course, anyone that followed them at the time... and probably anyone that followed their followers! I didn't have a Twitter presence at the time, but just reading about it made me want to eat an Oreo or two (or row). Mmmmmmmmmmmm Double Stuff.

Another thing that caught my eye was their Oreo-A-Day campaign:

For over three months, Oreo tweeted pictures like these commemorating significant events for those dates with pictures of their cookies taking different forms. I loved this because the pictures were thoughtful and adorable, and show their followers things that matter to them, or rather more simply, things that matter (period) like equality, science, the environment, and (duh) pop culture icons! ;)

I have always liked to eat Oreo cookies (even though I have to limit myself now that I'm not 12 anymore) but I appreciate them more for their creativity and community involvement, not matter how small. They don't have to post about things like "Pride." It's kind of a risky topic because of how vastly different the views are about the subject. But for me, it's an important one and the way it is handled by businesses (regardless of the viewpoint) influences my feelings about that business. Waytago Oreo!





Cite:
http://www.shopify.com/blog/7589919-the-secret-behind-oreos-social-media-marketing#axzz2nw1UhSED

Coca-Cola is Changing the World

Coca-Cola launched its Facebook ‘Change the World’ campaign in June. As a part of this campaign Coca-Cola posted questions about current world issues such as gender equality and asking what is “your vision” for changing the world allowing consumers to post about things that are important to them.

 In addition to posing questions Coca-Cola gives you the opportunity to vote for your top six things that are important to you and family to make changes in the world. I am intrigued by the campaign and while I am an avid Diet Pepsi drinker I appreciate the Coca-Cola initiative and program but it does not change my preference in Pepsi over Coca-Cola.

Post #2 "Dove Beauty Campaign"

Dove took a different approach in appealing to their major demographic, which is women, in their latest campaign. They came up with the "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign and became one of the most viewed videos in social media of this year. Dove decided to appeal to women since this is their target market and focus on a deeper aspect. I do not know of a single woman, including myself, who is completely happy with their overall appearance. We tend to be our worst critic and most likely see ourselves worse than we really are. Whether this weight, height, aging skin whatever the case as woman we seem to focus on our flaws. This is exactly what Dove concentrated on to attract their audience.

Dove asked woman to describe themselves to a person, who unknown to them was an FBI sketch artist. He then drew a portrait of each woman only going by the description each woman was saying of themselves. Then they asked a different individual to describe the same woman who they had previously encountered in a short meeting. The results of the two portraits were dramatically different from each other. They showed the two portraits to the women that had initially described themselves versus the one from the stranger they had met. They where all astonished to see the difference in the sketches of how they perceived themselves to how others truly saw them. The portrait being described by the women themselves targeted on the flaws making them look unattractive versus the portrait of the stranger was a more positive beautiful picture.  The woman realized how negative their view was of themselves and how beautiful people actually saw them.

I do believe this was a great campaign that attracted many viewers and consumers. It illustrates how "Dove" is not only concentrating on superficial beauty but really wants women to see how beautiful they really are themselves and how the world really perceives them. I think almost any and every women can relate to this topic and feel it resonates with them. I feel Dove did a great job on touching such a deep issue with many of us women today and making it a positive message.

Nikon

Nikon, a camera company, took a major risk last summer at Warner Music Group’s 2013 SXSW Music Residency. In lieu of recording the great musical performances at this summer festival themselves, they gave out Wi-Fi-enabled cameras to select fans to film and take photos that could be instantly shared via social media. Having familiarity with music and technology, these attendees were the perfect candidates to spread the word about Nikon’s new camera. The gamble paid off as the live streams from the concert were viewed for a whopping 11 minutes on average. In large part due to tweeted photos and videos from concert-goers, the campaign resulted in over 166 million social impressions for the company. 

This is a great example of a large scale word-of-mouth campaign that was spread with the aid of social media. Nikon gave complete control to its fans by allowing them the opportunity to use the latest technology and share their impressions of it. The fans basically had the influence over marketing the new gadget and the brand’s reputation. I think it is incredibly cool that the company took this risk and allowed the product to speak for itself while refraining from using some sort of gimmicky ad. It makes them come across as a company that is proud of and confident in its product. I am much more likely to become interested in a product if I see that “real” people are using it and liking it.  

State Farm - Discount Double Check

This an awesome marketing campaign that State farm came up with that took on a life of its own. This campaign started out about saving money to a full blown competitions on Facebook. You can find all of the commercial ads on YouTube and other places all over the Internet looking to capitalize off of the popular ad. Arron Roger is the State Farm pitchman and quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. State Farm took the ad a step further by playing on the rivalry of the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

I really didn't pay much attention to the ads until the Daaable check Bear fans joined the ad. I even started saying around the office that Arron Roger was going to get Double Checked, i.e, sacked. The more I see a State Farm, I actually stop and watch  the commercial to see if they have a new ad.

Unfortunately, the campaigns are more entertaining than anything, I do not feel compelled to buy the product. As a consumer I understand that they are focusing on saving money in a tight economy, but I would be more interested in details.

Have you ever tweeted a coffee to someone?

Starbucks: Tweet-A-Coffee

Starbucks coffee has taken their online presence to a whole new level. Through social media Starbucks are created a new way to connect to their consumers by using Twitter. All people have to do is connect their Twitter account to their Starbucks account and then tweet @tweetacoffee and your friend's Twitter handle, and you just bought your friend coffee. Your friend can then click the gifted coffee link to add it to their Starbucks account, and just use their phone to use it.



Starbucks has already been achieved success through their Starbucks app, and letting people buy coffee through the app and have rewards. Starbucks could not have hit the social media forefront harder. Being one of the top brands already on Instagram, their innovation doesn't stop there.

The e-gifting program started in 2011 and has added it to Facebook and their phone app. This creates a way for their consumers to share and use coffee as gifts when they are not able to. I remember last year when two of my close friends were going through a rough time, and I wanted to cheer them up. I called Caribou Coffee and placed an order through the phone, and had them pick up a few drinks. This Starbucks e-gifting would have really helped. This program is still in it's beta version, but it has already generated over $200,000 in purchases. They have also connected with over 55,000 users through Twitter, and phones. I believe soon enough they'll be able to do much more with all their connectivity.

LUV is in the virtual air!

et Lag Johnny checking in with my new feature “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles” Note I am stealing this title from one of my all time favorite movies.  Watch the movie sometime and let me know what you think.  I find every time I watch I find what’s beautiful in our humanity and what’s wrong so very often in customer service.  Regular readers know that I look when a company executes well and you all know my all time favorites are In n Out Burger and Portillo’s here in Chicago. If you didn’t know this one look at my waistline and you’ll know I’m and expert.  I digress, going back to my earlier theme I want to share with you a company that addresses both the best in human nature and customer service.  I just LUV Southwest airlines.

Southwest’s traditional MSM outreach is the best and they even do a great job with good ol’snail mail.  I actually know that I will get at least birthday card in the mail every year from my friends at SWA.  Southwest is in possibly the toughest industry when it comes to exceeding customer service. So often Mother Nature works against their best efforts and the worst in our nature holds them responsible.  Through an active social media presence SWA works to make the best out of the worst.

The staff dedicated at SWA to the primary social media channels of facebook, twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram includes ten full time staff members.  They have almost 2 million likes on facebook and 1.2 million followers on Twitter.  Pretty impressive for a company in an industry that battles the halitosis of air travel is supposed to make you crabby.

It’s not so much that they are active in social media, it’s how their active and the spirit of SWA that they bring to it.  Southwest looks as social media as social business and they are all business when it comes to being social. Christi McNeil head of Southwest’s social media efforts puts it this way, "everything we do in social media is rooted in core company values in being fun loving, warrior spirit, fighting to get things done then having a servants heart to do the right thing at the right time.  They just don’t make excuses or false thanks; they make sure the customer knows they care and do everything within their power to make things right.

As we head into the Christmas week Southwest is anticipating its largest number of social media interactions ever.  2102 saw a 75% increase during this period in 2011 and they anticipate at least this much if greater growth this Christmas travel season.  Regardless of the platform they are using Southwest has integrated Salesforce ExactTarget Marketing Cloud to help manage their efforts this year.  I am looking forward to hearing great things from them again this year. Again Southwest is about the customer not excuses.

 Here is one of my favorites from the virtual universe. http://www.dearswa.com/

From its inception from an idea drawn on a cocktail napkin (original social mediaJ) I have simply LUVed the way Southwest has made me a fan.  Check out their blog “Nuts About Southwest”  @ http://www.blogsouthwest.com/

See you in Wichita!

EA Sports – Madden Football - Post #2

Ea Sports has a very successful video game called Madden. Every year it is listed in the top ten of all video game sales. Although their brand is a household name with males between the ages of 10-50, they have not neglected Facebook’s huge social media platform. They post new and fun topics weekly. Some of the posts just ask players to vote for the best Madden NFL player. I’ve seen another post asking friends/consumers to post their best plays and they would actually show the videos . Their Facebook campaign is not only about posting fun items though. They also run extensive pre-launch campaigns in order to get the word-out and create buzz for their yearly release. During these postings they have contests such as allowing users to vote for the player they want to see on the cover of the game. Their 2013 Cover contest generated a record 20 million votes and 598,000 ‘likes’! I think EA Sports is a prime example of a company growing with the times and not believing that just because they are on top, they can neglect the new trends and interests of their target audience. They post engaging content and connect with their customer base. I enjoy their posts and ‘slow my scroll’ when I am perusing Facebook and I get to a Madden posting. If you play Madden, click ‘like’ on their Facebook page and your sure to see what I’m talking about.

Donut Vault- Macri Blog #2

It seemed that cupcakes were all the craze for awhile in the city of Chicago, however, I find myself drawn by the buzz of The Donut Vault.  The Donut Vault is a donut shop downtown Chicago that exists purely by word and social media. 

            The Donut Vault posts their donut menu on Tumblr once a week.  Then daily they update twitter(throughout the day) with types of donuts available, quantity available and length of line. The operation is open from 8:30am until the last donut sells and they only accept cash. 

            This campaign certainly makes me want to get to the city as soon as I can to get a donut.  I live in the suburbs and haven't tried the Donut Vault yet, however,  I am strategically planning my visit.  The fact that they have built such a draw purely on word of mouth and social media fascinates me.  I must go check it out for myself.  Since this class I now follow them on Twitter and hope to encounter a donut soon.

Blog Post #1 – Nilson: Four Square

Through this class I was introduced to Four Square.  This application is for smart phones and uses GPS technology.  Users ‘check-in’ at locations that they visit and can connect with friends. In addition, when users check into the various locations that they visit they are awarded points.  Users who check in the most at any given location can become the “Mayor” of that location.  Badges can also be awarded by checking into various locations.  I received my “Newbie” badge after I registered.  A nice feature that Four Square incorporated was the ‘Profile & History’ page which allows you to view past check-ins by category.

Personally, I had a hard time remembering to check into the various locations that I visited.  I would usually remember to check-in after I left. When I did use the check-in, I had the option of adding a photo along a review of that location.  One of the best features that I liked about Four Square is ‘browse nearby’.  This feature helps you find places to eat, get coffee, or my favorite – where to shop.  There is also a ‘special’ tab which lists nearby businesses that will give you a deal when you check in at that location.  Today Target is offering a check-in special of 50% off holiday string lights! 

All in all, this is a social networking device that I need to get used to but that I will use.  Four Square is a great way to decide where to go next.  Businesses that register with Four Square can reach millions of new customers. Similarly, it is a great way for self-promotion.  Businesses have used Four Square to offer discounts or even free drinks to users who become “Mayor” of their location or who are the first to check-in on a given date.  In short, it doesn’t matter if you are a mom & pop business or big box store; Four Square is a great way to generate business! As a user, this is a great app to connect with businesses that you were unfamiliar with or to show your loyalty to your favorite place.

SwiftKey for one and for all

Hey y’all your friendly neighborhood coffee guy checking in about an app that is a must have if you’re an Android type. Typing for most of us under the age of 50 is not something we think much about it we almost don’t remember never not being able to type.  Forr those older than 50 it’s more than likely that you hunt and peck or type begrudgingly. The app I am going to review below is for everyone regardless of age.  Gone are the days of the IBM Selectric typewriters and here are the days of the virtual keyboard that you can only see and not feel.  Keyboards today have shrunk to the point of anyone with more than petite fingers struggles type even monosyllabic words without error.  This is where SwiftKey comes in.  This amazing typing app for Android devices saves the day.

What is it?  SwiftKey is a word completion app that almost reads you mind.  With a complex algorithm that analyzes a library of over a trillion words it completes words as you type.  It also completes full phrases and intuitive learns how you use words and what words you use together.  Phrases can be stored and recalled with simple screen gestures from SwiftKey’s cloud feature.  The customizable keyboard feature allows you to configure and position the keyboard in a way that suits you.   .  SwiftKey was launched in 2008 and has 100 million users worldwide.  With 1 billion Android enabled devices worldwide Swiftkey is on its way to becoming the must have typing app.  Sorry Iphone users, no App for you!

The world moves fast and customers and coworkers alike almost demand instantaneous responses to calls, emails or texts.  For sales folks on the road like meit is not so easy to respond so fast leaving customers and collegues out in the virtual cold.  SwiftKey is the tool we have been waiting for.  Simple gestures on your android device allow to rapidly and simply reach back to those who have reached out to you.  In a meeting, a simple swipe lets the messaging party know.  Want to get a quick note back to another party? SwiftKey has this answer.  Need to get pricing or product information to a customer? with SwiftKey’s custom gestures you can place the information in an email, text, tweet, or facebook post without even typing.  With the SwiftKey cloud these custom gestures can be created and shared amongst a multitude of devices.  Want to communicate a company announcement or new product swipe one way.  Want to sign your communication with the latest corporate messaging swipe another.  Not only does this change the way the individual types it changes the way companies’ allow their employee’s to message.  Virtual time is no longer the enemy of relationships with SwiftKey quick, simple and direct communication is the order of the day.

With more devises going to touch keyboards both the individual and business user need not be afraid of loose the feel a physical keyboard.  SwiftKey has been developed so one types less which is great regardless of the manner of input.  This program works with physical key boards a well.  SwiftKey was developed for the individual user however with a little creativity businesses can exploit the amazing utility of this product.  I can’t wait to download the new beta version that supports emoji as well!

Learn more at

www.swiftkey.net

Nilson Blog #2 - Nike Social Media Genius

Nike is one of the top marketing competitors in the business.  Their “Just do it” campaign brought the company to the forefront.  However, I believe the “find your greatness” campaign that launched using social media during the summer of 2012 is their best.  Nike put together a few powerful and inspirational one minute ads and eventually went viral to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hEzW1WRFTg).  In addition, they launched a twitter campaign of #findgreatness.  Interestingly, at the time that Nike launched their ad campaign, they were competing against Adidas and their “take the stage” campaign during the London Olympics. 

The one minute television ads that played at the start of the Olympics bombarded the televisions across the world.  The ads were powerful, inspirational and gave you a ‘warm fuzzy’ feeling when you were done watching.  The ad to me that was the most powerful was of the overweight child jogging (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LsXRj89cWa0) and the narrator stating that “greatness is wherever somebody is trying to find it.”  To me this exemplified a company who believed in you – no matter how big or how small.  In fact, even though Adidas was the ‘official sponsor’ of the Olympics, it has been claimed that Nike outshined Adidas almost two to one in regards to revenue and awareness. 

Nike is a marketing genius which is evidenced by its sales and the use of its product by major universities throughout the country.  Personally, even though their campaigns give me a ‘warm fuzzy’ feeling like the boy who was jogging – I would not buy their product -- but for different reasons.  Nike is #2 on the list of Most Wanted Corporate Criminals for human rights violations. In that regard, I would never buy one of their products until they change the way of manufacturing their product.  Nike is a true marketing genius. 

Gorman Blog 2: Nokia's keeping it real this holiday season

Nokia has launched a new campaign named "Holiday Realness" that lets customers connect with each other and share what the holidays mean to them (and how Nokia helps them experience and share it). Their tag is, “If it’s real to you, it’s right,” covers the social media spectrum including YouTube, Faceboook, Twitter and Instagram (#holidayrealness) as well as a dedicated site (http://www.nokia.com/us-en/holidayrealness/).   Included in the campaign are series of videos produced by Nokia featuring “real holiday celebrationgs” including 3 a.m. Christmas carolers and dog-obsessed Christmas parties.  Visitors are encouraged to share their real holiday moments and memories – in words, videos or pictures.  Tweets and Instagrams with the hashtag are reposted to the dedicated site.  In addition, visitors to the website can create and share holiday cards called “Oh Snaps!” that allow you to superimpose your friends’ faces onto funny holiday scenes (presumably, using pics taken from your Nokia phone) that you can use as profile pics, share to Facebook, Instagram, etc. 

The campaign is trying to embrace and use content that many consumers currently share with their mobile devices:  photos of kittens, quirky family traditions, etc., while at the same time showcasing how the Nokia can help capture those moments.  I think the idea of celebrating the different ways consumers celebrate the holidays shows how easily we can connect with one another using technology.  As you explore the site, you see ads for the new Nokia, but you aren’t overwhelmed with the advertising.  In fact, there are some moments that show users why/how the Nokia is the best option to capture and share their holiday memories – because it works in any light, without flash, creating the best outcome for sharing images and videos.   

The campaign doesn’t necessarily make me want to go out and buy a Nokia—as an avid iPhone user, it would be a big jump to switch.  However, I like that Nokia is trying to “keep it real” using a campaign that directly ties to its product.  And I am impressed with the creativity in using a multi-media approach with pictures and videos that provides a direct link  the phone’s capabilities, and connects it to a variety of social media avenues that showcase the same thing.   I did use the site for social interaction and that’s saying something – I actually created a few Oh Snaps! and shared them with a couple friends, which I have to admit were pretty funny.   So maybe if I did switch to Android, I’d go with a Nokia…but for now I’m sticking to my iPhone.

 “Monitoring and Listening” is the key to Customer Engagement

What are listening tools and how can they help drive customer satisfaction and increase customer growth?

Organizations most likely implement social media as another channel to improve customer engagement.  Through firsthand experience at my company, the implementation of a Facebook page and Twitter was the first step in the process but it was important to educate the teams that would be responding to the posts and tweets.  The next step was to implement the social listening tool. After initial research we chose Spredfast as the tool that best met the needs of our needs.

Spredfast  is used by the Marketing team to respond to customer issues as a proxy for responding on Facebook and Twitter directly.  We also have a Social Media team queue in the Call Centers that use this to respond to customers as well as to listen to potential customers that have service with other companies.

According to Spredfast.com, this tool allows for more collaboration and provides analytics on the data captured that can be turned into actionable tasks.  It is used for monitoring the conversation and taking action based on what is being heard on Facebook and Twitter.  “Every social interaction with your brand is an opportunity to create a great experience and build a lasting relationship. Spredfast delivers the technology, insights and specialized experience to delight customers and light up your social web.”

A Case Study on the implementation of Spredfast at the HomeAway  Company (Online Vacation Rentals) was conducted and the results have extremely positive.  There was a 67% increase in the number of views of HomeAway properties from 2010 to 2011.

There are many more case studies and testimonials on www.spredfast.com that support the implementation of this tool to increase customer engagement and customer growth.

Debbie Ladewig

Beyond Gaming and Sports Fanatics

I've been an avid lover of sports since the age of seven.  I can remember falling in love with the game of football.  My favorite team since the age of seven has been the Dallas Cowboys, and win they won the Superbowl in 1996 I nearly lost my mind.  My favorite games to play on Nintendo 64 was Madden NFL and NFL Blitz along with NBA live of course.  I had every edition.  I always liked the competitiveness of gaming and playing sports. 

Two young sons later, I birthed gamers and they love to challenge me to a game of basketball, football or any competitive game on the PlayStation, Xbox and Wii every now and again.  Fast forward to 2013 and I see a commercial on TV, where two kids are presenting to their parents the reasons they should purchase the Wii U Sports pack for the benefit of the entire family.  My vision was immediately replaced with that of my two sons ages 9 and 11.  I could clearly imagine them doing something to this magnitude.  I immediately knew one item that I needed to get for the entire family for Christmas. 

The creators of the Wii U Sports Pack, used a very creative way to appeal to a family that wants to not only monitor what their kids are playing on the gaming systems, but it has also carved out a way to create family time as well as fulfill that competitiveness not only within your own family, but the ability to challenge other families to a great game of sports.  Great job Wii U!!, you have definitely earned a consumer for this one.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a photo-sharing website that launched in March 2010. By December 2011 it had become one of the top 10 largest social networking sites. Users can view images from a variety of categories and “pin” them to different boards on their own page. When browsing the web, you can pin anything you want to one of your Pinterest boards. In this sense, pins are like bookmarks in that you will always be able to link back to the original site. One can create up to 350 boards on his or her page and like/pin up to 100,000 times each. 

There are myriad ways to organize your own boards on Pinterest. They can be a place to put gift ideas, plan projects, save recipes, quotes or books or just for fun. I created my own account in order to learn more about Pinterest for this post. The possibilities are endless! I wish I would have done this when planning my wedding last year. This site is much more convenient than the traditional wedding planning sites. It would have been so much easier and simpler to have a board for each different part of the wedding (caterers, flowers, dj’s etc.) Users can also browse around the website for other interesting boards to follow. Once you select boards that are interesting to you, they show up in your news feed. You can connect with friends through Facebook to see their boards and things they have pinned. 

One easy way to save things to your Pinterest account is to install a Pin It button in your browser. It will appear at the top of your browser and you simply click it when on the page you would like to save. If you have your own website, you can put a Pin It button on your homepage. This will make it easier for those interested in your site or business to follow you. It is a great way to connect with potential customers and share your business with possibly millions of people (Pinterest has approximately 70 million users, about 80% of which are women.) Basically anything from the web can be pinned up on Pinterest and users can get very creative in putting boards together. With so many of their likes and interests organized in one place, businesses have access to a very full idea of a potential consumer’s profile. In this way, Pinterest can be a very important tool for narrowing down a target audience. There is an incredible amount of data available that can be very useful for marketers. According to Forbes, Pinterest is an important avenue for small businesses to engage with their online audience. One suggestion is to create a guest pinner board. Customers and fellow Pinterest users will feel more personally involved and the business will have automatic access to feedback about services or products. This type of customer interaction is very important according to Dave Kerpen in his book Likeable Social Media. The hyper-visual environment of Pinterest has put a new spin on the use of social media marketing, and businesses can benefit from exploring ways to use this site.

Yelp- Consumers Control Content

In my first blog post I commented on a new and innovative technology called Geomagic that encompassed all 3D systems (information-to-content) in a way that blends software technology with actual manufacturing processes. That was not only an example of an extremely cutting edge technology, but it had to do with the design/ creative solutions aspect of my focus area, “arts, entertainment, and media marketing”. For this second blog post I will focus on a company that is using social media for marketing in a way that very directly correlates with my focus area. I have chosen to examine Yelp because it has taken the very shift that has happened in advertising and marketing, and built upon it to create its own successful system that is user-oriented, user-controlled, and user-marketed. In the last decade with the rise of internet and social media, we have seen a monumental shift take place where the consumers are now the ones in control of the advertising and marketing content for a product, service, brand, company, etc. Yelp has amplified the customer review/ comment forum section of social media sites into its own company that is based on customer commentary. 

We are now in what is commonly referred to as “beyond the advertising age”...although this is an overzealous overstatement, advertising and marketing industries have certainly recognized the power shift- the diminishing ability of the advertiser, marketer, and copywriter to persuade audiences, and the increasingly gained power of the consumer to control content. The internet has allowed the public to interact with brands like never before. We see many examples of this (Dave Carroll’s YouTube hit “United Breaks Guitars”) and it can be much more powerful at influencing audiences than a traditional high cost marketing campaign. As crowdsourcing, social media, and consumer control continues to progress we see the need for big brands and marketing campaigns to focus on interactive advertising, at least as a way to be inclusive and encourage consumer participation in a friendly way. In my opinion Yelp, has been one of the smartest and most successful companies to make use of the consumer content control. Their launching in 2004 has influenced hundreds of other similar and ‘copy cat’ sites. Their very premise is founded on the user and consumer (you & I) as the central character. As our text referred to it, Yelp has allowed us all to have our say in the “cocktail party” conversation. There are now so many Yelpers that any self-marketing tactics applied by one to boost their own business has been rendered useless. For many large or well-known businesses there are so many opinionated, glorified, and unapologetic reviews that Yelp remains a place where the public feels they can go for advice untainted by clever marketing schemes. When you choose what to Yelp you can rest assure that you are in control and not part of some large targeted audience, however, if you are a business using Yelp you are offered immediate access to highly targeted and niche audiences (Kerpen 256). 

I wrote my first review for Yelp as one of the activities in the class. I reviewed a small neighborhood restaurant called Feed. It is a solid, local business that I was happy to advocate for. As a Yelper you choose a rating anywhere from 1-5 stars, and you are entitled to write as little or as much as you want. As for monitoring, as long as your post is not flagged as highly offensive, crude or racially insensitive, you can pretty much write whatever you want. Next to Google, Yelp has been hailed as the next important thing for your small businesses’ visibility. Yelp receives 84 million visitors a month and growing, and has over 33 million reviews in over 96 international markets. And though this is not the large scale territory of Facebook or Groupon, it is the best for what it is and what it serves to do. 

Hannah Gregory

eHow Anything

Since the beginning of time people have always been curious about how to do projects on their own or just fulfill their curiosities. I remember when I wanted to build a deck, I needed to go to the local hardware store to buy a how-to-video. As 2.0 technology advanced, eHow was created in 1999 to show people how to do things on their own without leaving there homes.

As convenience became a commodity eHow in 2009 introduce a mobile version to connect with its followers anywhere. By offering so many articles on how-to-guides, there was never a real need to force the sales of the information because followers were captivated that they had the knowledge at their finger tips.

Today you can find particularly any project you need to do on eHow. This is also a great launch pad for business's and who have items that might help expedite the completion of a project. The marketing potential is incredible, if you were looking to build a deck like i was; you could shop for patio furniture as well. Cool stuff!

Webinar

A new technology that I found is called the webinar. The webinar is an online meeting with your clients. This can be conducted via computers, tablets, and even smart phones. This is basically live chat with your clients providing them with help or letting them get in contact with you. This can also be used throughout a company. One can get all of the employees in a meeting no matter where they are. You can go over sales or new policies that are being implemented. Webinar gives you an option to get in direct contact and answer any questions people might have.

 This is a very useful feature for a company to have, it allows immediate contact with its customers or employees and will help with faster communication. It can also help with customer service or help expand your companies reach. It is very popular in professional services including many accountants and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Even doctors and attorneys could be able to immediately contact their clients with any questions they might have. The Webinar is a very useful tool when trying to expand a business because it allows you to get in direct contact with millions of customers with the touch of a button.

Recently I saw an Adidas commercial featuring Derrick Rose. At the end of the commercial they had a #supportDrose and last year they had one #thereturn. Adidas is clearly using twitter to help its marketing campaign. They are hoping that using these hash tags will make people more involved and aware of their campaigns. This will in time hopefully sell more products pertaining to Derrick Rose because of all of the people online who see this. They are more likely to show their support for their brand and participate online.

I think that this service causes more people to participate in Adidas' campaign for Derrick Rose. If people just saw commercials they would not be inclined to participate, just made aware of the product. But in this case, the commercials allow people to go online and talk to other supporters of the products. These commercials and many others are allowing people to go online and post on either facebook or twitter. Companies often provide some sort of benefits such as special deals or coupons for those who like or add the companies online. This is a very interest incentive program for the consumers and it is clearly working.

Indeed.com - Revoluntionizing the Job Search

Indeed.com has become the premier choice for job seekers searching for a new job. Although the Indeed site officially launched in 2004 they have increased their service offerings over the last 10 years to be the primary source for job seekers and employers surpassing Monster and CareerBuilder and having more unique visits to the site annually than Monster and CareerBuilder combined.

Indeed is a job aggregator site that pulls job listings from all over the Internet giving job seekers a “one-stop shop” for viewing job postings. Rather than utilize the traditional job posting or advertisement philosophy Indeed does a web scrub to hundreds of job postings sites to one centralized search location utilizing a Google type model for searching allowing candidates to hone directly in on the type of job they are seeking.

Sites such as Google, YouTube, Yahoo and hundreds (if not thousands) all feed into Indeed.com when job seekers click on “job listings” on those sites. Last year Indeed implemented their resume database allowing job seekers to post their resume for employers to search and find. In one year Indeed has acquired 2.5 million active resumes.

Indeed has revolutionized the way job seekers search for jobs but also the way employers advertise for job openings. With one 30 days job posting/advertisement a potential of 60 million job seekers could view and apply for your job. Realistically (depending on the job scope) a job could yield 500-1000 views making Indeed the most efficient way to look for a job or new hire.