filter by tag: newmedia

February 18, 2010 at 4:11 PM by Cici

There seems to be a trend emerging wherein agencies and clients use new media and Web analytics to catch each other sleeping. It started with the Zappos agency review in July in which one respondent, Ignited, tracked Zappos’ review of its submission and found the company had spent fewer than 15 seconds per page viewing only five of the 25 pages submitted. Right, wrong or otherwise – as usual both sides have their story – the point is that Zappos was “found out” thanks to Google Analytics.

 

And just yesterday, Marty St. George, senior vice president of marketing and commercial at JetBlue, tweeted the following:

We're pitching our advertising AOR. Curious on digital savvy....first test is how many of the agencies will find me on twitter. #sneaky
10:57 AM Feb 17th from UberTwitter

I would look at these examples as an eye opener for parties on both sides – you better be on top of new media or it’s likely to bite you in the “you-know-what.” The hashtag #sneaky at the end of JetBlue’s tweet gives me a sense of the spirit in which it was done. But, for Ignited, I think it was a legitimate test to see if there was any valuable return on its hours of time invested.

Some follow-up tweets from JetBlue indicate the sneak attack may not have been as fun as initially thought, but it was a great wake-up call to agencies on the types of metrics some clients are beginning to use. No longer should we just view new media as a way to communicate, but realize that they’re also a way to track us, like a bloodhound. Sarbanes-Oxley would be proud – you can run, but you can’t hide.

As someone involved in business development, these tactics initially make me question the authenticity of a relationship we might be about to embark upon. If the client and/or agency is setting up “tests” for us to fail or pass and we don’t even know we’re being tested, it seems sneaky (no hashtag needed) to me – the wrong way to lay the foundation of a trusting relationship. Shouldn’t the quality of our work, the quality of our strategies speak volumes? Isn’t that what they are hiring us for?

The JetBlue example also feels arrogant. But even if I “passed” the test, found the tweet and presumably were as smart as the client, I’d constantly have to wonder what next test was being administered. Would I start to think up some of my own tests to get the upper hand (even if I never told the other party)? Wow, this could get interesting…

Tags: Twitter Trust partnership trend strategy newmedia

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January 26, 2010 at 4:20 PM by Mike

If your clients aren’t talking about social media, get them started now! A new study from Cision and George Washington University finds nine out of 10 journalists turn to at least one type of new media channel for story research and source information. That’s especially true for newspaper and online journalists, three-quarters of who use social networking sites for research, compared to just under two-thirds for magazine writers.

 

The big takeaway here is that while journalists used to go directly to the source for information, they are increasingly looking to social media to act as conduits. This means that we need to make sure our clients are participating in and taking ownership of the online dialogue and their presence across social media, blogs and traditional online media. This requires an entirely new level of rigor and in many cases, new skill sets to maintain their brand.

This could be a good opportunity to start a dialogue with your clients about the importance of online brand maintenance and reputation – beginning with a basic audit of their online presence. From there you can start to home in on the key places where consumers are talking about your brand.

Tags: blogs socialmedia research newmedia media

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January 22, 2010 at 11:41 AM by Marcus

Josh Bernoff, Forrester analyst and author of groundswell – winning in a world transformed by social technologies, is a leading force in helping survey and segment how people use the Internet. His research is an invaluable resource for marketers trying to understand social technology behavior. His Social Technographics “ladder” is a segmentation model of how adults online are using technology socially. In most cases a person falls into more than one group, groups include:

• Creators – Who actively create content for an audience.
• Conversationalists (New) – Who have quick exchanges back and forth through Twitter/Facebook updates.
• Critics – Who rate sites, comment on blogs and edit wikis.
• Collectors – Who use RSS feeds and add “tags” to pages or photos online.
• Joiners – Maintain a profile on social networking sites.
• Spectators – Consume content online but do not create.
• Inactives – None of the above

 

This week Bernoff released an updated version of the ladder specifically to address how Internet users are using Twitter – the microblogging site. Here is what Bernoff had to say,

“Well, it worked. Despite the rapid pace of technology adoption, the rungs on the ladder have shown steady growth, with some (like Joiners) growing faster than others (like Creators). We have analyzed data for 13 countries, for business buyers, and even for voters. My colleagues and I have done profiles for over a hundred clients, profiling Walmart shoppers, non-profit donors, and doctors. In all that time, only one thing has been bugging me: there was no place for Twitter. We fixed that today.”

The “fix” Bernoff is referring to, is a new rung called “Conversationalists” a group that 33% of adults online fall in. This Forrester’s ladder update is a big win for all who champion using online conversations to build relationships and trust. It illustrates the point that conversations among friends, families and between brands and consumers are shifting to the online space. With a third of all U.S. adults in this group it makes it hard for brands to ignore the status update phenomenon that is Twitter and Facebook.

How many of the rungs do you fall under? Is there one or two you would add?

-- Marcus Andrews, New Media Associate

Tags: research newmedia socialmedia

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January 20, 2010 at 10:14 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Almost 80 percent of new media users interact with companies or brands online. So, it's pretty much an imperative that your brand have a social media strategy in place. But that poses a puzzling question: Who should take the lead when it comes to developing your social media strategy? PR or digital?

 

2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study

 

A recent PRNews article lays out the argument for the PR folks, and our own director of new media, Mike Hollywood, couldn't agree more. "Our channel agnosticism affords us the luxury of looking at the entire media landscape before deciding which channels are best for our client's message AND audience."

 

Read his take on the debate and get tips for implementing your own social media strategy.* And be sure to tell us what you think. Who should own the strategy?

 

*Check out our updated new media research, the 2009 Consumer New Media Study.

 

Tags: bestpractices socialmedia research PR cone strategy newmedia

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November 13, 2009 at 12:28 PM by Knowledge Leadership

With a predicted decrease in holiday spending this season, brands are reaching into their marketing coffers and pulling out social media strategies to help boost sales and maybe even beat the grim prognostications. It might just pay off, too. According to our client Deloitte's 24^th Annual Holiday Survey, nearly 20 percent of respondents plan to use social media sites to aid in their holiday shopping, largely to find sales, discounts and coupons or to research gift ideas.

But, what’s good for the goose may not be so great for the gander, or in this case, the über-luxury brands. The lifestyles of the rich and famous leave plenty of room for new media – our research shows new media users with the highest HHI are 10 percent more likely than the average population to use these sites and tools – but it's not necessarily in luxury brands’ best interests to develop social media strategies that overemphasize traditional sites, such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. The popularity of new media stems from its democratic, community-building traits that bring once-exclusive content to the masses. Something luxury brands, counseled to return to their elitist, indulgent roots, don’t want to see happen to their products.

 

 

Brands would do well to remember that when marketing the most luxurious of products and services, the same rules apply whether using on- or offline channels. Remain high-touch, and remain exclusive. Affluent new media users are 20 percent less likely to expect retail brands to use new media to solicit product or service feedback. They want to keep those relationships high-touch and interpersonal. Whereas the average user finds new media an ideal platform to voice opinions once difficult to express in a meaningful way, affluent consumerslikely expect a more direct, face-to-face, line of communication with their favorite brands. Also, whatever experiences luxury brands do create online, they should stillfoster a senseof indulgent exclusivity. Reserve them for only the most preferred customers to enjoy, and make sure they can share the content, but only among peers.

Although popular social media sites may not be the best channels for affluents, it doesn’t mean they still can’t be effective branding tools for luxury goods – among a different audience. Luxury brands need to maintain a certain cachet to hold on to their brand status, and a large Facebook or Twitter following from aspirational fans, perhaps future consumers, can bolster their posh positioning. But keep in mind, affluents and aspirationals are two very different audiences. Learn to play to the strengths of both, and social media have the potential to be very generous this holiday season.

Tags: socialmedia branding research clients newmedia bestpractices

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October 29, 2009 at 10:20 AM by Mike

With the new FTC guidelines for online disclosure just around the corner, brands, agencies and bloggers are all doing their best to understand what this means for online reviews and product information. Jason Kottke successfully (and humorously) turned a 57-word blog post into 375 with the disclosures he included. At the same time, a new site launched which is trying to standardize the disclosure copy that bloggers, tweeters and other online content creators can use to disclose their association with a product or brand.

 

 

You’ll notice there are several “flavors” of disclosure – this is probably not the be-all-end-all solution, but if you are looking for ways to ensure your online contacts are being transparent, you may want to use this copy as a suggested starting point for the disclosure statement.

 

Certainly this is going to be an interesting aspect of the communications world to follow in the coming weeks and months. With the FTC more likely to slap a fine on the associated brand than the offending blogger, we can likely look forward to at least a few large brands serving as the unfortunate examples for the larger community of what might happen if the new guidelines are not followed. For many, disclosure has always been a part of how we as communications professionals do business – but these new guidelines certainly underscore the importance.

Tags: mediarelations newmedia blogs socialmedia

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October 20, 2009 at 10:13 AM by Knowledge Leadership

There’s good news for businesses online!

 

New media users are increasingly interacting with companies and brand in this environment. In fact, interactions are up 32 percent from 2008 with almost 80 percent (78%) of new media users engaging with businesses through traditional online or social media channels. This is according to our latest research, the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study.

 

 

The2nd annual new media study, an update of the 2008 Business in Social Media Study, is a three-part survey which explored new media users’ interactions with brands, their support of social and environmental issues and their engagement with corporate responsibility practices. The research also reveals new media users:

• Feel a stronger connection to (72%) and better served by (68%) companies they can interact with via new media
• Believe companies should market to them through traditional online advertising (43%, up from 25% in 2008)
• Believe they can influence corporate responsibility decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels (62%)
• Believe companies and nonprofits should use new media to raise money and awareness for causes (79%)

For additional findings, please visit www.coneinc.com/consumernewmediastudy to download the research fact sheets.

Tags: media mobile blogs CR marketing socialmedia research PR newmedia cause

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September 25, 2009 at 1:35 PM by Knowledge Leadership

Your weekly glimpse into the world of new media

 

Mobile: Starbucks launches an iPhone app and outmaneuvers Dunkin’ by letting you actually pay for coffee with your phone. Mobile barcodes may be the next big marketing trend, as other retailers continue to experiment with them.

 

 

Experiential: To promote its Black Pepper Jack and Smoking Cheddar BBQ flavors, Doritos is brining back the Hotel 626 online fright fest – this time as Asylum 626 – to resurrect the retired flavors from the dead.

 

Social: Fast-casual TGI Friday’s new spokesperson is a lot more likeable than the chain expected. Its new Facebook campaign resulted in 500,000 friends in only six days.

 

Research: A new report from the e-Tailing Group finds five out of 10 social media tools have been adopted by more than 50 percent of brands and retailers.

 

Misstep: Google Gmail users were without access to their contacts while the search giant’s email platform suffered another outage.

 

 

Our favorite: The Starbucks iPhone app. Some day we’ll be able to run the whole world from our phones.

Tags: Facebook newmedia clients trend campaigns digitaldownload

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September 4, 2009 at 12:57 PM by Mike

Who falls for these things?

 

 

 

USocial is a service that has promised in the past to bring its customers scads of Twitter followers and is now jumping into the business of bringing the masses to Facebook fan pages, according to a recent AdAge article.

 

Is it just me, or is paying for fans and followers in social media the equivalent of a band paying to pack the club it's playing tonight?

 

Think about it... OK, so the club is packed to the gills. The band comes on stage and starts to play. It's actually really good! But...no one in the club cares. Not a single toe tapping or head bopping in the crowd. At best, they politely sip their drinks, keep the chatter to a minimum and don't throw stuff at the band members. With every song, the band tries harder and harder to get the crowd groovin', but it receives no feedback, just blank stares and chirping crickets. When the concert is over, the people leave and go about their business.

 

The next day, not a single concert-goer tells a friend what they did the night before. No one goes onto iTunes and buys the band's songs, and the band can forget about getting any of those folks to come see it in another venue in the future.

 

In the end,  the band feels defeated and the members wonder if they can go on chasing the rock-star dream.

What should they have done instead? And how does this apply to building a social media following for your brand? Here's a better option:

 

1. Find the fans you have. Tell them where you're playing. Sincerely acknowledge their presence, and maybe even give them something special for attending your show.

Social Media Application: Use your existing marketing channels to promote your efforts in social media. Engage deeply with the early adopters as they are the key to your future growth. Make them feel special (because they are!) with exclusive offers or products.

2. Even if there are only a few people in the audience, put on the best show that you can -- something people will talk about the next day. Encourage them to spread the word.

Social Media Application: Create (or aggregate) content that wows your fans. Make it shareable. On Facebook, use the publisher to update your status and share photos, videos and stories. Don't underestimate the power of users "likes" or comments - their friends are listening.

 

3. Listen to your fans. If they don't like the song you just played, try something new.

Social Media Application: Engage. Solicit feedback. Silence is a good indicator that you are not hitting the mark. Establish metrics and keep an eye on the types of content and engagement that produce the most feedback from your fans. (Facebook Fan Pages have all of these measures built in.)

4. Understand that you'll be playing smaller venues for a while, but if you follow the above steps, you'll soon be packing them in.

Social Media Application: Be patient. Sustained organic growth of your follower and fan base will ensure you are reaching the most targeted consumers with the most appropriate messages. Don't fall for the easy way out of paying for your fans.

 

 

 

Tags: newmedia bestpractices socialmedia

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August 17, 2009 at 9:32 AM by Cone

Does your dog have a better life than you? You buy him the latest designer duds and be-jeweled collars, you take him to the doggie day spa for some R & R, you sign him up for professional massages so he can work out all his stress. Puh-lease!

 

At a time when the Paris Hiltons of the world are toting their pooches around in Louis Vuitton handbags, Cone client ALPO® brand dog food is saying, “Get real!” It’s time to let dogs be dogs. This back-to-basics trend is building momentum as the economic realities of 2009 have many people calling for an end to gaudy displays of excess and a return to traditional, common sense values – even when it comes to our dogs.

 

 

According to an ALPO survey, pet parents are taking a simpler – and wallet-friendlier – approach to life with man’s best friend. When asked when their dog is happiest, 62 percent of owners say it is greeting them when they come home, being taken for a walk or a run (52%), receiving treats (48%), napping on the couch (32%) or chewing a bone (30%).

 

To celebrate the simple pleasures of just being a dog, ALPO is launching the ALPO Real Dogs Tell It Like It Is Contest. The national contest is searching for real dogs to share their stories about their favorite real dog behaviors, such as rolling in the mud, drooling for dinner or chasing a ball. Up to 20 winning “pawthors” will have their stories published in a first-of-its-kind “how-to” manual to help dogs be dogs.

 

Whether it's shopping at discount retailers, cooking more meals at home or letting dogs be dogs, consumers are simplifying their lives in an effort to focus on basic necessities. ALPO is leading the trend in the pet care industry allowing consumers to extend the back-to-basics mentality to their four-legged friends.

Tags: contest trend research newmedia clients

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August 11, 2009 at 4:27 PM by Cone

During the last few months, I have heard clients, co-workers, industry colleagues and just about every marketing professional I know state that there is a lot of jockeying for position within the social media space. Even though the idea of social media has been around for a while, it seems like everyone who works in marketing communications has just awakened from a deep sleep, all at the same time, and decided that social media is going to be the focus of his or her job.

 

Don’t get me wrong. It’s exciting and it’s a fresh approach to what we do. However, it doesn’t, or shouldn’t, really change things that much for marketers who care about their craft. So what if the media landscape has changed drastically within the last year? So what if consumers are getting their information from completely different places than they were just six months ago? Truth be told, when the dust settles, it still boils down to a sound strategic approach and a good idea.

Of course, we need to understand and continually adapt to the new playing field. We need to know that there is a right and wrong way to approach bloggers. We should be open to a constant, steady stream of new technologies, social networks, content creation concepts and digital partnerships from which brands can potentially benefit. But, the key thing that we, as marketers, should understand is, for the first time, we have the opportunity to establish a two-way dialogue with the very consumers we are trying to reach. That’s a great opportunity, but we won’t get the chance again if we blow it with a bad idea or approach.

So before any social and/or traditional media campaign is executed, it’s important to first think about the basics. Understand your objectives, know your target, carefully build your strategies and bring to life a creative platform and idea that truly earn valid consumer and media attention. Even though we are in the world of PR 2.0, it is important not to forget the basics of marketing 101.

 

-- Mark Malinowski, Vice President

Tags: blogs socialmedia newmedia PR marketing strategy

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August 6, 2009 at 4:25 PM by Mike

The following originally appeared in Cone’s inConetext quarterly newsletter. To read current or past issues, visit our Web site.

 

 

New media have provided countless innovative ways for consumers to connect with like-minded individuals and engage in dialogue around topics of interest. Increasingly, consumers are connecting to research and discussing their relationships with brands and corporations, scrutinizing not only the benefits they derive from these relationships, but the ways that organizations impact the world as a whole.

 

According to our 2008 Business in Social Media Study, 85 percent of social media users want to engage with brands through social media channels. That’s five out of every six people that are looking for some form of interaction with your organization. New media present a tremendous opportunity to engage with consumers around your CSR efforts, as both new media and CSR are rooted in transparency, open dialogue and collective efforts to improve upon the status quo.

Tags: research sustainability socialmedia newmedia

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August 4, 2009 at 9:31 AM by Cone

It’s an exciting time for media relations. In the ever-changing online world, there are new, creative ways to communicate instantaneously. Consumers are rapidly gaining control of the various lines of communication and demanding companies maintain a constant online presence. How do we stay relevant and lead strategic communications programs?

 

First, let’s get rid of all our media descriptors. It’s not traditional vs. social media or old and new media – it’s all media relations. We need to increase our expertise in all areas.

Second, let’s not just tweet because it’s the hottest method at the moment. Let’s first determine how best to achieve our clients’ objectives, identify our key audiences and then recommend which channels of communication will most effectively deliver results. For example, Pizza Hut has strategically employed social media to achieve its goals of engaging consumers and increasing sales. On the other hand, let’s not have a creative tactic, but poor strategy. Does anybody remember the company behind Elf Yourself?

Third, remember that consumers are now the media. They can influence our purchasing decisions quicker than a long-lead magazine can roll off the press and become brand evangelists overnight. So remember, the next blogger you pitch could be your next-door neighbor.

Despite these changes, the important rules in media relations remain the same: stay transparent by expressing accountability and maintaining honesty. And, we still need to spend time building relationships – getting to know all media and becoming a valued, trusted resource to each contact.

--Maureen O’Connell, Senior Account Supervisor

Tags: bestpractices strategy mediarelations newmedia

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August 3, 2009 at 10:50 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Nearly half of all American dog owners say they cannot live without their dogs on a daily basis, according to a new Beneful survey. That means a daily pooch pick-me-up is more important than their morning cup of coffee (35%), television (35%), their car (26%), their cell phone (23%) or even best friends (15%)!

To honor this powerful relationship between dog owners and their best friends, our client, Beneful, launched WagWorld.com, an online destination where dog lovers can find and share new dog-friendly places to visit with their dogs, write reviews, upload pictures and pass along posts to friends and family.

 

The site allows canine crazies to filter searches by places to eat, places to play or places to sleep. And, all suggestions are rated by WagWorld users on a five-paw scale. WagWorld comes at a good time as branded Web sites and the opinions of others online have become the second most-trusted sources of advertising. In fact, WagWorld may soon be known as Yelp! for dogs.

In celebration of the launch, Beneful is also searching for the Top 10 Most Dog-Friendly Cities in America. Visit WagWorld.com between July 27 and September 27 to add reviews, post photos or upload stories about living life with your dog in your city. The cities with the most buzz will make the top 10 list to be announced this October.

Tags: promotion clients newmedia socialmedia

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July 29, 2009 at 3:25 PM by Knowledge Leadership

1. Fierce competition: Rivals square off
2. All aTwitter: Brands find clever ways to use Twitter
3. Everywhere you want to be: Marketers going mobile
4. "Video killed the radio star": Marketers are turning to Web video
5. I hardly recognized myself: Brand revitalizations

 

Tags: promotion PR marketing branding campaigns advertising newmedia Twitter

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June 1, 2009 at 1:18 PM by Knowledge Leadership

Recently, we shared our excitement for Starbucks’ latest social media campaign. The coffee giant asked its consumers to photograph Starbucks’ outdoor advertisements and upload the Twitpic to their Twitter feeds using the campaign’s hashtag.

 

 

This was all well and good until anti-Starbucks activists “hijacked” the campaign and uploaded their own Twitpics. Instead of pictures of the Starbucks’ advertising, the activists’ pictures featured homemade banners protesting the chain’s stance on union representation for its employees.

 

The lesson for Starbucks, or any company embarking on a new media campaign, is to recognize that when it comes to new media, you don’t really control the conversation or the outcome. If you understand and accept this, you can prepare yourself for negative dialogue. And, you may even learn something that can turn into a positive.

Tags: client newmedia socialmedia

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May 26, 2009 at 11:21 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Cone’s EVP of Crisis Prevention & Management, Mike Lawrence, recently had the privilege of speaking at the 2009 Bulldog Media Relations Summit in New York, NY. His presentation, entitled “Lightning Response: Surviving the First 24 Hours of Crisis” can be viewed below.

 

 

Thank you to everyone who attended!

Tags: newmedia socialmedia crisis

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May 5, 2009 at 11:34 AM by Cone

Cone announces the launch of its new media Clickstart Program, designed to help companies effectively engage consumers online through the use of social media channels. The introductory program will aid companies in exploring emerging communication technologies and identifying opportunities for additional consumer dialogue and interaction. “New media are here to stay, and having an online presence is now the cost of doing business in this communications 2.0 world,” says Bill Fleishman, Cone Managing Director and EVP of Brand Marketing. “Often we find companies recognize the importance of using technology to speak to stakeholders but could use some help getting started. Clickstart is designed to provide that solid foundation.”
read more...

Tags: newmedia socialmedia

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