In light of the recent tension from WikiLeaks and the holiday season, I find myself wondering, “Where is the love?” 

An article I read today from Fast Company addresses the recent embarrassing confidential information released by WikiLeaks, telling executive to remain guarded and assume the worst from those they don’t trust.  On the verge of the holiday season, I feel that rather than solely shielding ourselves against others, businesses and executive should take this opportunity to spread some cheer. 

This seems like an appropriate time to bring up an article I found on CNN.com called “8 feel-good websites to brighten you day”  which simply describes and provides links to 8 websites that can bring a smile to our faces.  The question is how can businesses create ways to make their customers and followers feel good, and in term stimulate good reputation and possibly sales?

While it isn’t exactly relevant for businesses to have RSS feeds of “happy news” for the day, maybe if we try to remind consumers that we’re people too with interests and concerns they’ll feel a stronger bond to the company.  Establishing a connection with followers is like making friends- sharing common interests and bonding over them.  Does an entire campaign need to revolve around making consumers happy?  Maybe for larger businesses where consumer reviews are easily found online, but for smaller businesses blogging, tweeting and even using Facebook can bring the extra humanism to a consumer’s experience.

As long as it remains appropriate, businesses shouldn’t be reluctant to share things they care about or ideas that they find interesting to stir conversation and thought.  Keep the thought in mind when working over the holidays, maybe the smallest pleasant gesture towards clients can create a big impact for your company’s reputation, as well as moving your clients to spread the cheer too!

Tina Walsh
Marketing Coordinator

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Aside from the traditional media attacking The Gap as a result of its sudden and drastic logo change, social media tops off the attack with @GapLogo and @OldGapLogo, parody Twitter sites stirring up buzz by arguing their sides of which logo should come out on top.  The uprising against the new logo became so strong that Gap finally went back to its original logo, tweeting,

“We’ve heard you.  We only want what’s best for Gap.  No crowd sourcing, but the Blue Box is back”

The respective responses from @GapLogo and @OldGapLogo:

“This is for you, @Gap.  Take me back!  Please! Listening to Take That – Back for Good ♫ http://blip.fm/~xcfd3”

“Well…looks like my work here is done.  Peace.  I’m out”

Parody accounts on Twitter are not new to the world of social media, but their targets and uses continue to transform into tools for voicing concern and distaste with many large corporations aside from the Gap.

Two examples of parody Twitter accounts that target corporations include @BPGlobalPR and @ceoSteveJobs.  @ceoSteveJobs pokes fun at issues that Apple faces, including iPhone4 complications, mediocre service from AT&T, and the highly intimidating persona of Steve Jobs.  @BPGlobalPR is much graver, as it eerily makes jokes from the point of view of BP executives, such as

“In Space, nobody can hear you scream. So quit hollering and taking pictures you stupid astronauts! http://ow.ly/21saV”

While humorous, does the account move beyond the zone of poking fun and spreading awareness to simply using fear and dark sarcasm to inform?

I do not follow any parody Twitter accounts at this time, nor have I begun to follow any of the parody accounts discovered from the creation of this post.  While humorous, it’s unsettling to me to participate in the negativity that such accounts promote.  I stand behind the idea related to @ceoSteveJobs and @GapLogo and @OldGapLogo that if you don’t like the product, then don’t use it.  Regarding more serious issues, such as that of the gulf crisis, I would rather focus my energy on efforts that directly foster progress and improvement. 

The flip side of such accounts is that they offer informational content.  Viewing a parody account informs the reader of all activities taking place for the corporation—and none of the information is sugar coated.  Rather than searching through news sites, viewers can simply click on articles within tweets to learn more about the corporations’ latest happenings.  The same can be said of shows such as The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.  Both shows use satire and comedy to inform people to stir thought and engagement in current events.  These Twitter parody accounts can serve they same purpose, but I wonder if sometimes the snarkiness takes away the value?

What is Twitter’s take on the creation of such accounts?  They fully support users’ self expression, so long as they do not abuse the Terms of Service and make an effort to follow the guidelines for parody accounts.  Guidelines include creating a username and profile name that are not exactly similar to the parodied item, the bio distinguishes itself from the real identity, and communication with followers and users is not intended to deceive or mislead.  This is where the difference between Twitter parodies and shows like The Colbert Report lies; there is transparency with the shows, and the honor system with a policy for good behavior on Twitter.

What does this mean for corporate executives of medium to large sized businesses? Businesses will have to monitor the popularity of parody accounts, or perhaps avoid their creation in the first place by satisfying customer grievances before they assemble/congregate into hate groups.  For companies like BP, the issue goes far deeper (pun intended) than customer service, but following social networks that parody the company are a good place to connect to what people think and feel about their brand.

Tina Walsh
Marketing Coordinator

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In an increasingly competitive setting for landing employment, social media provides a useful tool for prospective interviewees gaining information about their possible employers.  Mashable.com shares an article that gives useful tips for interview preparation moving beyond a corporation’s website by analyzing blogs, Twitter pages, and LinkedIn.  Do any of these tactics cross the line between company research and invasion of employee privacy?

From each section, I’ve pinpointed some of the most important takeaways:

LinkedIn

A company’s LinkedIn profile offers information, such as new hires, specialties, and related companies where past employees may have previously worked.  Research of the LinkedIn profile helps interviewees develop more insightful questions to rise during the interview, along with possible personal connections to the company that one may not have realized existed.  Helpful questions to ask oneself when exploring a firm’s LinkedIn page include,

“How long do most people stay with the company?  Where do they go after?  Do all current employees share similar credentials?”

Corporate Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter

Companies may have news releases and relevant information on their website, but how do they directly communicate with their audience?  Many firms share their progression on campaigns, events they plan to attend, and articles or news on topics they find interesting and significant through Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Corporate blogs offer a more detailed view into common thoughts and opinions the firm wants its followers to consider.  Contemplate the objective of a company’s blog: Does it focus on its own accomplishments and events, or does it communicate information that relates to a certain subject that isn’t the company itself? 

Employee Blogs and Social Networking Accounts

Employees are the key drivers of an organization, so their personal blogs and social networking accounts provide insight about the way they may go about handling their work.  This information can be especially useful for determining how well one may fit with the company, but should not be plunged into too deep during the interview, as it may be unsettling for interviewers to discuss their personal life in a business setting. 

While it may be beneficial to follow executives of an organization, I feel it is almost an invasion of privacy to track down employees from a site, like LinkedIn, and then access their personal thoughts through Twitter or Facebook.  It’s certainly important to understand a firm’s general environment to determine fit, but it becomes eerie when an applicant finds themselves walking into an interview recognizing and knowing the employees, when the knowledge is not reciprocal.  There is a part of me that doesn’t want to understand the company too much more than they understand me, especially on a personal level.  Think about the opposite side of these tips; a firm can now search its applicants on Facebook and Twitter, tapping straight into their personal lives.

With companies using resources like Facebook and Twitter for corporate promotion, it only makes sense to dig a little deeper and find more information.  Competition is fierce, and it will be interesting to see the way that individuals fare through gained knowledge from these sights, as well as the way firms will manipulate them to attract the best applicants.

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In my last post regarding affiliate marketing, I brought up the question of whether an affiliate marketer can make a full living off of affiliate models.  The people behind The Third Tribe, who offer an affiliate marketing program, do not believe affiliate marketing is successful without incorporation into a larger strategy pipeline.  In a phone seminar between Johnny Truant and Sophie Simone, they highlight the difficulties that are not so apparent when “Average Joe” signs up for an affiliate program.  Some topics of their conversation include,

• Johnny’s irritation with Google Adsense: Affiliate marketers often make a number of cents for each sale or click that comes from their site.  Google Adsense does not pay marketers until they have reached $100, which took Johnny nine months.
• The products to promote are the ones with personal meaning.  Knowing a product’s creator and having used the product yourself, it’s easiest to communicate genuinely about the usefulness and benefits of the product.  Readers can tell the different between a sincere suggestion and phony sales pitches.  A connection to the product results in an earnest description and more clicks and sales from viewers.
• Communicating genuinely to readers builds trusts and causes them to become loyal to your site.   Loyal readers are more likely to click links from your site that you recommend, rather than the ones that simply interest them, because they trust your knowledge.  They will also recommend your site to their peers, resulting in a growing base of loyal followers.

Without a relationship as the connective tissue between a product and readers, affiliate marketers find that generating sales is much harder than anticipated.  Some most basic affiliate models, such as the Barnes and Noble or Tea Forte models in my previous post, allow an affiliate to choose links to set up on their site, but if they don’t have a true understanding and fondness for the product, they will not generate revenue and will ultimately abandon the product.

Does it seem like The Third Tribe is hypocritical with its criticism of affiliate marketing when it has its own affiliate model?  Its model is different enough that it’s their form of an improvement of the models they describe.  Third Tribe’s affiliate model is not built for affiliates to generate revenue; it’s a tool to bring down monthly costs to maintain a Third Tribe membership by referencing friends.

I think Third Tribe gets it right when they place strategy at the center of affiliate marketing. It also seems to me that a healthy dose of skepticism and distance from your own approach is a good thing, opening doors for improvements and innovation that can lead to greater success. In this regard, I think Third Tribe’s exploration is insightful and useful to anyone considering “cashing in” on affiliate marketing.

Tina Walsh
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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What do they have in common? Besides the fact that their music is played in my house on a regular basis, they are experts in their business.

Around Grammy time I read an article about Lady Gaga, and just last week I posted a link on my dad’s Facebook about the Grateful Dead. Now, I know everyone’s been hearing about Lady Gaga, but you may be asking yourself, what can a business today learn from the Grateful Dead?

Social media in the business sense is all about conversing with your customers, making them feel important, and in return generating sales and leads. Here’s how both of these artists do exactly that.

Connect with Customers (or Fans)

Lady Gaga: She goes where they go. Online. She debuted one of her latest singles, Bad Romance, on her own website, not on TV.

Grateful Dead: Before a public announcement was made about an upcoming tour, the Grateful Dead’s most loyal fans received a phone call from their hotline alerting them of the upcoming shows.

Build a Relationship with Fans

Lady Gaga: She has nearly 3 million followers on Twitter, updates her status regularly, and even has a pet name for her fans that she tattooed on her arm, she calls them her Little Monsters.

Grateful Dead: Die-hard fans, referred to as Deadheads, became a sort of social community. The band reserved the best tickets for their fans, but made sure to cap the prices for their 4 hour long shows. Deadheads were actually allowed to tape the shows because the band believed that sharing the tapes would increase their fan base.

Generate Sales

Lady Gaga: Album sales have reached at least 8 million and digital single sales surpassed 20 million. She just became the creative director for Polaroid and is a spokeswoman for Viva Glam lipstick (proceeds go to Mac’s AIDS fund).

Grateful Dead: All of the special treatment and focus on community encouraged Deadheads to buy merchandise. They are one of the most profitable bands of all time.

Social Media isn’t just about putting as much content online as you possibly can, and being on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Buzz, and any other number of sites. Fundamentally, treat your customers and fans well and they will treat you as well as they do Lady Gaga and the Grateful Dead.

Julie Novak
Marketing Coordinator
RedZebraWorks

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