The Role of Social Media in Branding Efforts

My friend Jason Kintzler (@PitchEngine) - founder of Pitch Engine and overall social media junkie - started a personal blog the other day called New Media Cowboy and launched it with a post entitled “Social Media is Branding.”

Kintzler’s post reminded me that many internal branding efforts are misdirected at best because they’re caught up in the old world way of marketing-think: Specifically, “I (the big, important marketing executive) will tell you (the lucky consumer) what to think about and how to act toward my brand (be it product, service or organization).

This approach is so bass-ackwards it’s laughable, and yet it’s still the way many companies attempt to brand themselves, their products and/or services.

In reality, the definition of a brand has always been directed by those on the receiving ends of any and all communication and marketing efforts and NOT by those on the sending end.

It’s like my very first communications professor at BYU said: “You cannot not communicate.”

In other words, everything we do or say is a form of communication (or marketing, if you will). But since an effective form of mind control has not yet been invented (thank goodness), we cannot control how others will perceive such communication efforts.

Hence, communication has NEVER been a one-way street; rather (at a minimum) communication is a two-way thoroughfare (marketing too). And it is the perception of those receiving any marketing message that determines the brand of an organization, a product, a service or person and NOT the other way around.

“The perception of those receiving any marketing message determines (one’s) brand . . . NOT the other way around.”

That’s what intrigued me about Jason’s post.

He suggests that social media and the tools/services that make up social networking efforts are in fact branding efforts at their very core because they’re all about two-way communication and engaging individuals with one’s organization, product, service or person.

The reason why this observation is so critical is that the best customers are not just repeat customers - they’re evangelizers. They tell others about their great experiences with your brand and as a result they expand your sales, marketing and communications efforts many, many fold.

Why? Because they’re not on your payroll; they’re independent from your organization. As a result, what they write, say and/or do has a HUGE CREDIBILITY - often times generating more impact than virtually any other thing that you might attempt.

Kintzler’s right - social media is ALL ABOUT BRANDING. 

This is a very important concept to grasp and it should flavor any social networking effort undertaken by every marketing, PR, new media and/or communications pro from this point forward.

PR Gaffe Gives Nike Black Eye

When is the winner of a race not the winner of a race? Simple: When other racers don’t know what’s happening with all of the other racers or teams during a race.

Clear as mud? Let’s be more specific.

As I wrote yesterday on the SOAR Communications blog (see “Fastest Runner Finally ‘Wins’ Nike Women’s Marathon“), Arien O’Connell (photo above) posted the fastest time in this past Sunday’s race in San Francisco. However, because O’Connell didn’t start the race with the elite runners some 20 minutes before the 20,000 other runners, O’Connell’s time of 2:55:11 didn’t put her on the winner’s podium or give her the winner’s prizes.

Not fair. Maybe. But them’s the rules, both Nike’s and those of USA Track and Field. And for good reasons.

You always have at least two competitors in a race - other racers and yourself. Truth be told, the strategies and tactics that go into running a race don’t always mean running flat out from start to finish. In fact, sometimes the person who wins is she who has the best plan going into the race or he to adapts the best to the unfolding drama on the course.

Unfortunately, for Nike, few people outside of competitive/professional runners realize such strategies and/or rules exist.

Nevertheless, Nike could have had all of the runners start at the same time - apparently that’s their plan for next year’s Nike Women’s Marathon.

But this year, after word got out that O’Connell’s fastest time didn’t win the Nike Women’s Marathon all heck broke loose. Hundreds of comments, most negative toward Nike, were attached to online stories and blog posts.

Brian Solis of FutureWorks fame wrote an impressive blog post providing good background on the race (his wife and mom ran in the marathon), and then he appropriately lambasted Nike for dropping the PR ball in this instance.

Remember: Companies like Nike sponsor and/or produce events like marathons for very specific corporate goals. In the case of this marathon, I believe the three main purposes of the race were to A) raise money for cancer research, B) celebrate female athletes and “average” runners, and C) promote Nike.

Several days after the race, Nike backtracked (kind of) and named O’Connell “a” winner in the race. Not THE winner - A winner. She also got the same prize package as THE winner.

And as mentioned above, Nike also announced it will NOT have separate start times for elite runners and the rest of the pack in next year’s contest.

At the end of the day, these were the correct steps for Nike to take. But my heck, what a mistake by Nike and its marketing & PR teams to not honor O’Connell on race day.

If such an event had NEVER occurred before (a non-elite runner’s results surpassing those of a top elite finisher), that would be one thing.

But literally days before the running of the Nike Women’s Marathon a similar result had occurred with the Chicago Marathon when the fourth best time was posted by a non-elite runner. Except in this instance, Wesley Korir did NOT receive the $15,000 in prize money awarded to the 4th place finisher.

How did Nike not know this? And even if they didn’t know this had happened, how is it that a company dedicated to sport and celebrating the competitive nature of the human spirit didn’t immediately step forward and declare to the world,

“Wow! Look what happened. We’re so excited by Arien’s best time finish, we’re going to award her a prize package identical to the ‘official’ 1st Place finisher!”

Then everyone would have joined in celebrating with O’Connell and Nike, instead of decrying the company’s lack of fair play and its corporate callousness.

Nike gets a “Sad Betty” Award in my book, even if they did the right thing eventually.

They just didn’t “Do It” from the get-go, and that’s the problem.

7-Election ‘08

I never thought that after hours of studying, researching and writing in the library one of my greatest educational moments of the night would result from a conversation about 7-11. After inviting my husband and me to canvass Colorado next weekend, my sister-in-law told us in an ecstatic but hushed voice that “The Sev” was now selling its killer $1.29 hot chocolate in Obama cups. She learned about the 7-Election campaign when her enthusiastically republican roommate came home sipping her warm drink out of a McCain cup. “Don’t worry,” the friend dryly assured her, “they have Obama ones too.”

I learned that for the past several presidential elections The Sev has given its patrons the opportunities to cast their vote in their cup. So, my husband and I decided to break away from the library to cast our 7-Election votes- partly because were fascinated by The Sev’s marketing campaign, and partly because we wanted a warm snack that would satisfy our midnight munchies. We maneuvered our way through the 7-ll crowd to find the blue Obama and red McCain cups were appropriately on opposite sides of the hot drinks bar, though they did require the same lid. Across the way were a group of college girls who had instead chosen to express their political beliefs with their respective blue and red Slurpees. As my husband was putting away his change, I had to ask the cashier which presidential cup was more popular. Considering his store was in the middle of Utah (University of Utah isn’t the only part of the state that is through and through red), I was surprised that with a line of customers behind us he took so long to respond. His mind automatically went to the national 7-Election figures instead of the local ones I was curious about. “It’s hard to say,” he said pensively. “We’re selling a lot of Obama cups on the East Coast, but here it’s all McCain.” This gentleman then briefly mentioned his political concerns in a way that showed the 7-Election campaign reached farther than the cash registered. To him, it carried great implications for our country’s future.

As we drove home in residential stop-and-go streets, my husband teased me for hesitantly sipping the hot chocolate through the lid’s opening. “They make it the perfect temperature so you don’t have to worry about burning yourself.” “But I have been burned before!” I responded, thinking about all of the hot chocolate injuries I had sustained throughout my life. I then realized I was as nervous to sip out of my 7-Election cup as I was to cast my vote for the President of the United States. Politicians have burned me before, and I’m worried about getting burned again. Both the Obama and McCain cups have warm, chocolaty propositions, but how can I be sure that the beverage beyond the opaque lid won’t scorch my palette before I have a chance to taste it?

7-Election is an effective marketing campaign with many consumer and educational facets. Honestly, I was relieved to find that the cups weren’t the souvenir kind that you feel compelled to find room for in the cupboard. However, my husband who gives me a hard time about keeping my designer teakettle on the stove found the “perfect” spot for the disposable container on our kitchen windowsill. He’s excited to fill it with more hot chocolate and sport it around campus. Also, the 7-Election, its website (7-election.com) has the current results, the fun facts about past 7-Elections and links to cnn.com and usatoday.com. The Sev is helping average voters establish our own political opinions, one sip at a time.

The Cross Over

I had barely considered researching public relations positions when a job opportunity presented itself. Newly graduated and newly married, I was ready to put my self-designed journalism degree to good use with a solid magazine or community newspaper. Instead, life circumstances and curiosity lead me to SOAR Communications, the Politis Communications sister company. At the risk of sounding severe, I thought crossing over from objective journalist to paid advocate might make me seem like a traitor of sorts, if not to my writing professors and internship advisers than to my decade-long commitment to journalism. I wondered which of my journalistic tendencies I might have to alter as I established my new role in the media.

I have found the crossover between public relations and journalism fields exciting and enlightening. In fact, my journalism training has served me well in my capacity as a SOAR team member. Communications professionals and journalists alike have a mutual respect for AP style, even in its silly moments. My enthusiasm for feature writing has made it easy for me to love writing targeted pitches and blog posts (right now, by the way, I’m completely in my element). The on-the-ground interactions in journalism and public relations afford similar opportunities to meet interesting folks. As the public relations support for Interbike, the largest bicycling trade show in North America, SOAR staff had the chance to work with news media from around the world, each with a different interest in cycling. While some reporters looked like they had just gotten off their mountain bike, one duo habitually wore matching shirts and ties. Some working media would have felt more comfortable speaking to us in Korean while others had sweet French skills that made me wish I remembered the words “media” and “badge” en francais. Also, as the most experienced model on the SOAR team (David was a close second), I had the opportunity to sub for a no-show at Interbike’s urban cycling fashion show. Who says that PR and journalism people can’t enjoy equal shares of adventure?

I have to admit, though, that I haven’t fully come to terms with the new release writing style. The beauty and beast of the news release is its sly combination of feature and hard news characteristics. The “just the facts, ma’am”-function of the news release motivates me to write powerful yet concise prose. However, I have to remember the promotional language akin to feature writing is necessary to magnify the client. It’s a tough balance to strike. I occasionally hear my soul screech when instead of a direct quote, I have to use a quote constructed from extrapolation.

In my month at SOAR I have learned that marketing is a reality of the news. News media without public relations is like a bowl of ice cream without a spoon. The utensil isn’t necessary, but isn’t it a lot more effective when you have it? I’m still not sure how I think the media and communications outlets should interact, but I do know that the crossover between the two industries excites me.

Be Relevant

As public relations and marketing professionals we can never do enough to stay relevant to our customers and audiences. One Dallas bakery is taking the buzz of a local football game and channeling alumni/fan dollars to support some sweet local charities.

If you don’t know, the Oklahoma Sooners and the the Texas Long Horns will be battling out an annual rivalry during the Red River Shootout this weekend. (Growing up in Edmond, OK and marrying a man from Dallas brings this event into sharp focus for the two of us.)

So here is the skinny: On Friday and Saturday, folks can stop by Sprinkles Bakery and purchase either OU red velvet or Texas vanilla cupcakes (as shown below). Proceeds from the sale of each cupcake go to the Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Children’s Medical Research Institute at the OU Health Sciences Center, respectively. Last year the bakery was able to donate a couple thousand dollars to each organization. Hands down, a great way to create buzz for a product and brand your company as one who really cares.

Super Cool? My answer. Yes.

Do Your Online Press Releases Make a Good First Impression?

Thousands of press releases make the rounds on computer screens every day - milling around in editorial systems, emails, RSS feeds, and online news portals like a literary Times Square.  Whether you post releases to your website or utilize a wire service, the challenge is this:  How can you make your content stand out from the crowd?

In my opinion, the headline is the most important aspect of a press release and falls under the “you never get a second chance to make first impression” category. After all, if you can’t persuade someone to open your release they can’t really read it, can they?

A headline should be compelling, it should succinctly state the theme of your release, and it should make someone want to know more. That’s it. The sub headline and body of text should have the honor of going into detail.

So what can you keep in mind when crafting your releases for a company newsroom or for online distribution?

Write a headline that is keyword rich. You know your audience. What terms or phrases will catch their attention and make them want more info? Think “hot buttons.” It is your release vs. everyone else’s.

For online releases, the headline becomes the page title. The headline becomes the press release’s page title in the HTML source code. This is one of the pieces of content that search engines use to index your press release. According to SEOmoz’s most recent Search Engine Ranking Factors, keyword usage in the page title is the #1 positive factor in search engine rankings.

Google only displays the first 63 characters of a headline. I use Google as an example, as they own a majority of search market share. I’m not saying that you should make all headlines 63 characters - just try to front-load your headline with the most valuable part of your headline so the important stuff is visible in search engine results pages (SERPs). Yahoo! shows 120-characters, in case you’re curious.

Headline creation should take you a long time. Between picking key terms that will attract your audience, coming up with a succinct way to describe what your readers can expect from your release, and considering what your readers will see should they stumble across your release in SERPs, you have a project on your hands. In the end, it will be worth it.

Your headline is the first thing people will see, and it is the key to having a release that’s read vs. one that isn’t. It also is someone’s first impression of your release.

Make it a good one.