Posts about Communications

Sex, Drugs & Rock n’Roll? How About Smart Technology, Ethics and Privacy?

Sure, sex sells and drugs and rock n’ roll still elicit a raised eye brow from many, but I have a question that is much more important to the masses.  Are we really ready for where smart technology – specifically related to appliances – is taking us?  Do we have the ethical issues identified?  What about privacy policies for vendors, industry ethical standards, laws and regulations?  Have we really thought out the implications and considered the ramifications?

Image courtesy of digitaltrends.com

Image courtesy of digitaltrends.com

It has been less than a week since a refrigerator has been identified as the source of more than 100,000 spam email.  Seriously…yes, a fridge was used to spam people.  It was spam this time, but my point is that someone was able to get control of the computer in the appliance – a fridge that was located in someone’s home or business.  We have been so focused on virus protection and firewalls for our computers, mobile phones and tablets, but what about all this great new technology that is already in our homes and yet to be in our homes – fridges, microwaves, and even diapers – I kid you not diapers.

Technology is emerging so quickly that we just can’t keep up with the implications and ramifications.  Regulators  and legislators are still struggling to catch up with social media and all the issues around privacy that have emerged.  Ethically, we are still working to deal with online bullying and distribution of child pornography as well as what rights employees have to privacy, and the rights of employer  to access to social sites and information of their employees.

This is not to say that all this technology is not great.  Just the opposite actually!  I love technology and the things that it can do for us. Technology has enabled us and empowered us to reach wider audiences and to have a voice.  Prior to social media, individuals didn’t really have this ability…not without a lot of expense and time.  Additionally, I believe that there is some great work being down with Smart Grid technology with a significant focus on protection and privacy.

The issue for me around all of this smart technology in terms of appliances  is really centred on who is the gatekeeper?  Who is helping identify all of the potential land mines that come with having access to so much personal data? Who is ensuring that the right people have the information versus protecting it from the wrong people?  As more and more smart devices enter our homes, there are countless companies that will have access to our activities including food and drink preferences and consumption, brand preferences and by extrapolation spending habits, when and what rooms we use and how, the frequency of cleaning and on and on and on.  In addition, who has the access and power to take control of our devices ( and information) and use it they way they want to use it?  Can our access be cut off?

As we become increasingly dependent or reliant on our technology, how long will it be before we  are rendered incapable of caring for ourselves?   What are we doing as individuals to ensure that we protect our data, our privacy and our ability to think for ourselves?

What are your thoughts on having “smart” devices in your home?  Are you ready to jump in with both feet?

My 6 Must Reads from 2013

I don’t make New Years resolutions.  I don’t believe in them.  However, I do use this time of year to take inventory and edit.  So far I have removed over 100 pounds of paper from my house and have laundered and prepared three large bags of clothes to take to one of our local charity shops.  My next stop was my library.  I realize that I amassed a lot of new books in 2013.  Despite being in edit and purge mode though, I can’t get bring myself to ever dispose of books – except text books.  My collection of books tends to be heavy on biographies followed by business books.  Of course there is a bit of the fiction types that take me away into another world and time.  Thankfully being a part of a book club forces me to have more of the latter.  That is a good thing.  In reviewing and organizing my new additions from 2013, there were definitely  six books that stood out and, if asked, I would recommend. Here are my top picks from 2013:

IMG_1872

Audience: Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans and Followers, by Jeffrey K. Rohrs

This is a great book that really helps organizations to understand and value the role of an audience.  @jkrohrs uses great stories and examples to get the point across.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, by Malcolm Gladwell

I really loved this book.  It did make me stop and think about a lot of things.  @Gladwell did a masterful job of looking at things differently.  I had more “aha” moments reading this book than I have for a long time.

Influence Marketing:  How to Create, Manage, and Measure Brand Influencers in Social Media Marketing, by Danny Brown (@DannyBrown) and Sam Fiorella (@samfiorella)

This is another one of my favs of 2013.  If you are interested in Influencer Marketing, then this is  the book for you.  It is a great source for the history and evolution of the topic.  The book also gives great information for your strategy.  For more detail on this book, check out my review by clicking here.

Lean In:  Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg

Of all the books on my list this is no doubt the book that has been discussed the most.  To be honest I needed to take time and reflect about this book.  There was so much hype about it and its author, I almost unfairly dismissed it and left it off the list.  That would have been unfair.  It is a good read and one that should be read by both women and men.

 WTF (What’s the Future) of Business, by Brian Solis

@Briansolis gives good insight into metrics and the changes that need to occur to keep pace.  Having worked in more than six industries, metrics is one of the common themes.  What are the right things to measure and how best can organizations achieve the right ROI?  Great food for thought can be found in these pages.

Youtility:  Why Smart Marketing is About Help Not Hype, by Jay Baer

@jaybaer is one of my favs when it comes to marketing advice.  One of the things that I like best about his advice is that he is just so grounded.  His advice is based on what most would say is common sense. That being said, very few people have common sense and so many people complicate things unnecessarily.

There were a lot of great books released in 2013, what books would you add to the list?

What Canada’s New Anti Spam Law Means For Marketers (Even in the US)

Do you have customers in Canada?  Do you email your customers?  Thinking about setting up an email campaign for your customers?  Now is the time to learn about the new Canadian Anti Spam Law that comes into effect this July (2014) in Canada, and yes this applies to companies based in the United States.

Image courtesy of www.inboundsales.net

Image courtesy of www.inboundsales.net

This new law is expected to have the most severe penalties in place for those who violate.  The maximum penalty for an individual that sends out spam is $10,000 and $1,000,000 for an organization.

With email marketing making a resurgence of sorts, this new legislation will make it far more difficult for companies to employ new marketing tactics to reach customers and even more difficult to reach prospects.  With 2014 really being the year of mobile (in my opinion), this will definitely throw a wrench into the mix.  Marketers are going to have to come up with new ways to get the coveted attention of the audience.

Here is a synopsis of what you need to know:

1.  Existing Email Lists

If you have an existing relationship, it is expected that you will have a very clear process for opting out if the recipient decides that he or she no longer wishes to receive email.

Implications:  If you do not have a very clear (and easy) process for customers, you are at risk for violating the anti spam law.

AND very importantly  the email MUST be relevant to the recipient’s role and/or duties.

Implications:  This is an important nuance that marketers must be aware of.

2.  Buying New Email Lists

While this new law does not prohibit the buying new email lists, it is very clear that all parties must adhere to the existing Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).  Additionally, the same rules apply for having express consent and also having a clear opt-out process.

Implications:  There will be an extra level of due diligence required for companies both selling and buying lists.  The question you need to ask yourself in order to protect you and your organization is:  Will you be able to determine if Canadians are included in the lists?

3.  Text Messages and “Cellphone” Spam

Think you can still text or reach out by cellphone?  Think again.  The same conditions for email apply to these marketing/communications tools.

Implications:  Your text messages now need to have an opt-out option AND you need express consent.  From a personal standpoint I can relate to this. Organizations texting me and I never signed up to receive texts.  This will be an interesting scenario for travellers to the US.  How will phone companies be handling sending text messages to Canadians when we have not expressly consented?  What will happen as a result of unwanted text messages?

4.  Does this legislation cover all businesses, including government and not-for-profits?

Like the Canadian Do-Not-Call list, it does not.

Political parties and charities are exempt as long as they are not engaging with people for the primary reason of selling and/or promoting a product.  Some might argue that a political party promoting a candidate is selling a product, but it is not clear how this fits into the equation.  This might actually be a good test-case for the law.  Based on the Do-Not-Call list, I suspect that politicians can still send such email.

5.  When exactly does this new law come into effect?

While the key provisions will be effective July 1, 2014, the full effects will not be in place for 36 months.  In fact, small business and not-for-profits are being given this grace period to accommodate the changes that this means for them.  Realizing that they might have the technology and/or resources of larger and for-profit organizations, the government is providing more time to these organizations to make the change.

Do you have concerns over this new legislation?  Are you versed on these changes?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Will 2013 Political Antics Result in an Abysmal 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer?

Like many in the Marketing, PR and business world, I am anxiously awaiting the 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer.  Will the bizarre political antics of 2013 result in abysmal results when the 2014 Trust Barometer is released? (Tweet this) Time will tell.

IMG_1859This is a question on the minds of many.  And, quite frankly it should be.  Organizations whether privately owned, publicly traded or even government-based, trust is becoming more important.    Having the social license to operate is based on the foundation of trust.  The same goes for those individuals (and organizations ) who wish to influence policy or purchasing decisions. Members of the C-suite (or senior government) and Marketers in particular should pay close attention to the results of the Trust Barometer and here are 5 reasons why:

 1. Investments

Over the years there has been a shift in the types of organizations that individuals want to associate with or invest time and/or money.  (This also applies to geographic locations.  See #3.) They want trustworthy organizations that are perceived to be doing the right things. If you are publicly traded you should be very interested to know where your industry falls within the barometer.

2.  Recruitment & Retention

Whether you are recruiting for your Board of Directors or your workforce, trust plays an important part in how your industry or profession is perceived.

If overall your industry is not faring well, it could impact your recruitment efforts. With this knowledge however, your C-suite and Marketing professionals can take steps to differentiate your specific brand and business.  With some careful planning, work, a lot of consistency and proper employment branding, it is possible to stand apart from the industry and be the bright light.

3.  Business Expansion

There is a lot of consideration given to business expansion and the choice of geographic location.  Businesses tend to stay away from areas or regions that don’t meet workforce planning requirements of skills, education, or demographics.  They also careful in locating in areas that have a questionable economic position.

More importantly though, managers that understand that reputation management is the single greatest risk that keeps Boards of Directors awake at night (as outlined by CIMA), and a country or region that has been identified as lacking trust will most certainly impact site location.  While some may not consciously realize that they are including this in their assessment, it is a contributing factor.   It relates directly to the region’s ability to attract and retain quality people.

4.  Employee Engagement

As BlessingWhite findings have shown us time and time again, engaged employees stay for what they can give versus the unengaged employees who stay for what they can get.  This should be a huge red flag for employers, including governments.  With reduced budgets, having the right people in the right frame of mind has never been more important.

The question for employee engagement should be:  if an industry has been identified as lacking trust, how does this trickle down to the organization?  The 2013 Trust Barometer found that on average employees were more trusted than CEOs when delivering information.  Add to that the gap in how the C-suite values the importance of treating employees well and there are significant concerns.

5. Spokesperson Selection

The Trust Barometer should be carefully referenced when thinking about corporate spokespersons.  Are CEOs the most trusted?  Are subject matter experts the most trusted?  Or, is the average employee the most trusted?

And just what were some of the political antics of 2013?  Let’s take a look at a few (in no particular order):

In the United States:

  1. Mayoral Race in New York
  2. Snowdon Leaks and the associated fallout
  3. Healthcare Debate
  4. Healthcare Rollout
  5. “The” Government Shutdown

And, really for the first time we can’t forget Canada.  A country that usually has super boring politics  saw a year when things went spinning out of control with media coverage focused on three key stories:

  1. Senate Spending Scandal – This is really several stories with Duffy, Pamela and Patrick.  After months of suspense and intrigue, the soap opera would just not go away.  And, into 2014, the story will continue.
  2. Quebec Charter of Values – Apparently in Quebec some feel that it is more than ok to merge Church and State.  Or, more appropriately, the State can/will tell you what you can wear or not wear to work and in public.  Next, they will tell you what language you can speak or not…oh…wait a minute…never mind.
  3. Mayor Ford of Toronto.  That’s it.  That is all I need to say about this.  Of all the stories, this one was very well covered by the media, the late night shows and satirists everywhere.  Everyone knows about Mayor Ford.

What is your take on Trust in 2014?  What do you anticipate we will see?

3 Tips Smart Content Marketers Can Learn From Downton Abbey

If you haven’t heard of Downton Abbey by now I am not sure what you have been doing.  I dare say that each of us who work in content marketing would love to have the audience that Downton has achieved.  In fact, according to Entertainment Weekly the Season 4 premiere on PBS was up 22 percent over premier of Season 3.  So, what is it that makes this show so riveting?  And, are there lessons to be learned?  There are definite lessons that content marketers can learn from the success of Downton.  Here are 3:

Image courtesy of www.26.org.uk

Image courtesy of www.26.org.uk

 

 1.  Be a Good Storyteller

This is probably the most consistent message you will hear about content marketing.  Some marketers are better at it than others. I continue to work at this.  Sometimes I hit the mark.  Sometimes I do not.

We can all take some tips from Julian Fellowes.  Just watching the show has given me ideas.  It is enough of a break from the same-old-same-old that my mind can think about new and fresh ideas.

2.  Don’t Blend In

In a sea of so-called reality TV of Housewives, singing contests and storage/pawn-a-thons, Downton Abbey is clearly different.  The characters are actors being actors and not people pretending that they aren’t following some contrived storyline.  The characters have depth versus one-dimensional and predictable personalities.

When creating content we all follow the prescribed approach don’t we?  Create a list – just like I have done here.  Ensure that it relates to something timely and topical – just like I have done here.  However, we to stop there.  We don’t  think differently.  Fellowes really demonstrates that being completely different from the norm or the expected, resonates with the audience.

3.  Create Suspense

This might be the biggest challenge for content marketers.  We tend to write independent stand-alone pieces.  We only have your attention for a short time after all.  However, if done well, this might be a great opportunity.  This could be the best way to shake up your audience and you certainly won’t blend in with the rest.  This will be an area that I explore.  How can I create suspense?  And, will I be successful?

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 2.55.53 PM

These are just three areas that content marketers can look to Downton Abbey for inspiration and learnings.  What would you add to the mix?

3 Ways to P!$$ Off Your Customers – Keurig Canada Customer Service #Failure

Customer service is not something that you expect some of the time.  Customers expect good customer service all  of the time – period – full stop.  Great customer service is what sets a brand apart from its competitors.  Unfortunately, some companies are failing at customer service – both traditional AND social.  Even more unfortunate is the specific epic #failure of Keurig Canada.  Here three things we can learn from this bad experience.

The Issue

For the first time I opted to buy my coffee online direct from Keurig Canada.  This is not a complicated process.  Create an account, select the coffee you want, check out and pay for it.  Check, check, check and check.  All was well up to and including the confirmation email receipt.  This email stated that I would receive another email when shipped.  Days passed, no email.  A week passed, no email.  More days passed, no email.  I checked on line.  What did I find out?  My payment was taken, but yet there was no status on my shipment.  In fact under delivery date, it said: “N/A”.  I made my original order on November 30th.  After approximately two weeks, I called.  In total I called three times.  Each time I waited on the line for close to an hour and still could not reach a human.  An option was given to leave a message.  I left a message with my name and telephone number and asking about delivery.  No one returned my call.  I emailed Customer Service as well.  No one ever responded.  I resorted to social media and did get a response and a call from the main location in the US.  Unfortunately they were unable to help.  They couldn’t see my order because I was in Canada.  They were fantastic.  In fact, I want to stress that when dealing with Keurig in the United States, their brand representatives are among the best.  I love dealing with them.  Cross the border and well, that is a different story.  Dealing with Keurig in Canada is painful at best and enough to make you rethink your coffee machine purchase.  Keurig Canada’s customer service is a failure.

So, how can your business excel at customer service – both traditional and social?  Here are 3 lessons learned from Keurig Canada’s epic #fail:

Screen Shot 2013-12-12 at 5.19.42 PM

1.  Understand the Brand You Represent

It is incumbent on all organizations to ensure that all employees, and particularly customer-facing employees, know and understand your brand – the brand values, voice and how to actually live the brand.  If you are going to outsource parts of your operation, this is even more important.  It only takes one person to hurt your brand and reputation.

Keurig Canada failed to understand the brand.  Their website states the following:  “Keurig” is derived from the Dutch word for excellence, which is our standard for everything, from our patented brewing technology to our gourmet brands of beverages and our customer service.”  

Keurig Canada if you believe that not returning phone calls and/or email which you specifically point your customers to as a communication channel is “being excellent,” I beg to differ.  This is NOT excellence.  Failing to keep your customer informed is a fail.

 2. Staff Your Customer Channels

There is no question that certain times of the year more busy than others.  The business cycle should not come as a surprise.  Staff for it.  Keurig in the US was able to answer and respond to calls.  Their population base is larger.  They have more customers.  They were staffed appropriately.  Jump on a plane and get schooled by the Keurig experts at your head office.  Please!

 3.  Rethink Your Processes and Actually Make Changes

Clearly there was an issue and Keurig Canada realized it.  I received notification that there was an issue with unusually high volumes and therefore they were offering a free box to make up for it.  Good on them, sorta!   This is an opportunity for a second chance.  Unfortunately, they have failed yet again.  Not only did they require that you make a minimum purchase, it has now been a week since my last order.  Guess what?  For days there was no information.  My delivery date said:  N/A.  I checked today and my order apparently shipped yesterday. I have not received the verification email that they promise.  So, the question is:  has it really shipped?  I could call or email, but based on my previous experience, I will pass.

Screen Shot 2014-01-04 at 10.28.14 AM

What’s Your Experience?

These three items are three easy fixes.  If you value your customers, establish processes to avoid these missteps.  The next step is mine.  Will I continue to be a Keurig user?  Or, will I sell my machine and go another route?  I am not certain just yet, but I can tell you that I am seriously evaluating next steps.

So, what is your customer service experience with Keurig?  Would you choose another coffee system?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

Marketing Challenges of 2014: The Influencers Weigh-in

If 2013 taught us anything, content marketing is not going anywhere.  Nearly all leading companies finally have content strategies.  With this in mind, tactics have had to change.  What do brands do to stand out in a sea of content that flows freely in every digital space that can possibly exist?  Good question!    Thankfully you have come to the right place!  I asked 5 of the top influencers what brands should be doing in 2014 to stand out. Let’s see what they have to say:

Screen Shot 2013-12-24 at 12.57.18 PM

1.  The Return of Good Writing (Tweet this)

@marketingprofs’ Ann Handley thoughts focus on the words you use and how you use them.

“Next—in 2014 and beyond—content grows up, and with it comes the notion that good writing is the foundation of all good content, whether that content is a 140-character tweet or the product pages of your website or your content marketing infographic…..Increasingly, organizations will realize that words matter. Your words (what you say) and style (how you say it) are your most cherished (and undervalued) assets. In other words, good writing is the basis of good content that gets noticed, no matter what form that content ultimately takes. What’s more: For businesses, good writing is a mirror of good, clear, customer-centric thinking.”

2.  Being Uniquely Creative While Being Authentic (Tweet this)

Radian6 and IntroHive Co-founder David Alston (@davidalston) knows from experience that in order to stand out, you need to be unique.  After all, Radian6 did this with their Community Strategy and won the hearts and minds of a fantastic community.

“Content marketing and social media are mainstream so the big thing in 2014 will not be if you use them, but how creative your brand will be. Just using each no longer let’s your brand stand out. How you string them together and how you tie them into other platforms and processes creatively will help make your brand shine in a sea of noise.”

3. Focus on the Customer First – Before the Technology (Tweet this)

Influence Marketing Co-Author Danny Brown (@dannybrown) believes there needs to be a return to actually understanding what our customers want.

“…without understanding what your customer wants, and at what stage of the buying cycle they’re at so you can prime your message for that exact moment, it doesn’t matter how cool the technology is, or the channels we use, or the implementation of a tactic. We now have linguistic mapping tools that allow us to segment customers, who they connect with, what they’re looking for, and archival history with our brand’s core business or competitors. 2014 will see us, as marketers in the social space, truly take advantage of that technology and deliver on the ROI approach that 2013 saw us begin to implement.”

4.  Become Superior Short Form Storytellers  (Tweet this)

Digital Veteran and HBR contributor, David Armano (@armano) believes that if you want to be successful in standing out, remember that people have short attention spans.

“Short form storytelling in the form of Vines, Snaps, Instavids etc. and short stories on YouTube [will be key]. Brands need the ability to tell a meaningful “story” quickly, sometimes in seconds or other times through a series of images. Stories that have “sharing power” built into them or where you can become a part of the story (think hashtags on Vine where people do their own Ryan Gosling video etc.). So in other words, small is the new big and short is the new long.”

5.   Become More Effective – Rather than More Intrusive (Tweet this)

The Age of Context Co-Author, Shel Israel (@shelisrael) believes that for the first time in decades, marketing and communications professionals will focus on effectiveness and finally concede that being intrusive is not working.

“This will be accomplished by using the contextual technologies outlined in my recent book with Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer), where we talk about how mobile, location, data, sensors and social media converge to allow sellers to understand where people are and what their intentions are. So marketers will begin to be able to just make offers to people who might actually be interested in what they are being offered. We call it Pinpoint Marketing.”

And what do I think?  I agree with all of these thoughts.  I would add that mobile continues to be a significant challenge and opportunity. With the increase in mobile adoption , as Marketers we need to embrace mobile and make it easy for our customers and prospects to purchase via social.  After all, I believe that 2014 will be the year of mobile.

What do you think?  Will content marketing change?  Will it be replaced by something else?  What is the next “thing”?

3 Critical Communication Tips Utilities Need During Storms

Blizzards, hurricanes, tornados, flooding — you name it and these weather events can wreak complete havoc on our electrical grid, leaving thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of customers without power.

Image courtesy of the weathernetwork.com

Image courtesy of the weathernetwork.com

Most utilities, but not all, do a great job of getting the preparedness message out to customers in advance of the storm, and really strategic utilities have made the move to using social media to not only communicate information, but also to listen and engage with customers during and after the storm.  There are some great learnings from these utilities that we can all apply to our social media and customer service strategies.

From personal experience I can attest to the fact that leading up to a storm, good communications and PR practitioners go into a full-scale information-sharing mode participating in hundreds of media interviews while also sharing information via social media.

The real challenge and opportunity however, arises when the storm is nearing an end or actually finished and thousands of customers remain in the dark for hours, days and maybe longer.  So what do strategic and prepared utilities do?  They do these three things:

1.  BE PREPARED

Strategic utilities have fantastic plans in place for their customer interaction centres to take inbound calls, but they don’t stop there! They also staff for listening, engaging and responding through social media channels, while still engaging with the media and doing interviews.

The conversations that can most impact your brand will occur in these channels. Frustrated customers will share their stories and photos with people who they can commiserate with. Not being present will further frustrate your customers.

From My Archives - Previous Life at a Utility

From My Archives – Previous Life at a Utility

Take full advantage of visuals. Post your photos and videos – both your own and those submitted by customers – that show the damage to poles, lines, service loops and more. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and how true that is.  In the utility world we know that most damage takes place in hard-to-reach and isolated areas. Why not show what you are facing behind the scenes, the special equipment needed to reach transmission towers or broken poles?

2.  BE AVAILABLE

Have multiple resources trained and ready to use social media tools.  Most importantly, engage with your customers outside your normal working hours. Being available will go a long way to ensuring your customers that you are there for them.  Utilities need to be proactive and communicate according to best practices for each social channel that their customers are using.  Utilities that fail, don’t engage with the customers in the customers’ preferred channels.

From personal experience, reaching out to the customer immediately has lead to private conversations that then resulted in the customer publicly praising the utility for its attention and prompt response.

3.  LISTEN

Be sure to be listening in the space where your customers communicate. Conversations occur in multiple channels and missing a key conversation can do significant damage to your reputation and your relationship with your customers. Utilizing a monitoring platform not only ensures that you hear these conversations, but saves you valuable time that can be directed to engaging with your customers.

Now that we are in full storm season, what are your tips for utilities?  What would you like them to do? 

Don’t Be Stupid: Social Media Can Get You Fired

It’s time to grow up and face the fact that social media, or what you say in social media channels specifically, can get you fired.  This is a message that I “try” to get across to University students and professionals that I coach on best practices for social media, PR and media relations.   Unfortunately not enough practitioners focus on this message!

Screen Shot 2013-12-23 at 1.07.50 PM

The now infamous Tweet

If there is one thing that we can take away from 2013, it is the fact that using social media can get you in trouble if not careful.  In the first quarter of the year we saw what many deemed a “shit-show-in-progress”  when Adria Richards, was attending a developer conference and not only tweeted about being offended by sexists comments made by two male attendees, but tweeted a picture of the offenders. Long story short, plus you can read the story in the link provided, the two men making the comments were fired, as was Adria.  There are many lessons to be learned from these events and some to be taken very seriously, but I will save those for another blog post.  The focus of this post is that a single Tweet can cause an avalanche that can’t be stopped.

Let’s look at the latest Tweet fiasco.  If you haven’t heard about Justine Sacco, I don’t know where you have been.  Her now infamous Tweet and her actual Twitter account have been deleted. In fact, it has been reported that she has deleted or suspended all of her social accounts.  Despite this, the now infamous Tweet lives on.  Did Sacco make a mistake?  The obvious answer is yes.  The court of public opinion has ruled on that.  Her one Tweet resulted in her being publicly called out, humiliated, fired and her social accounts taken over by people around the globe calling for action, some even threatening her. Did she deserve to be threatened?  No. She did not.  Should she have known better?  The answer is yes.  She was the Director of PR for a pretty well known company.  I am sure that this holiday season is taking on a whole new period of reflexion for her.  She has lost her job.  She had to shut down all her social accounts.  She is infamous.  She has had to publicly apologize for her error in judgement.  Despite her apology, people continue to Tweet to her and about her.  The Tweets are less than kind.

Screen Shot 2013-12-23 at 1.37.55 PM

A Tweet AFTER the apology from Sacco

When coaching clients I hope to help them understand that social media is public.  You may only have a small number of followers or friends on social, but the fact of the matter is that it is public. Sacco apparently only had a few hundred followers.  She clearly didn’t think about the worldwide impact that 12 words would have.

The key take away from these actions is quite simple:  when you share your thoughts in social media, you are “publicly” sharing information.  What you might think is funny or light-hearted or even informative could actually be offensive and perceived as insensitive and hateful.   Before hitting “send”, “share” or “Tweet”, pause and reflect.  Think about what “could” happen.

Now the questions is:  Do you feel sorry for Justine Sacco?  Why or why not?

3 Tips to Fix Your #Failed Mobile Marketing

According to a 2013 Pew Internet study, 56% of Americans own a smart phone and 35% own a tablet.  Research from Canalys earlier this year predicted that tablet sales would increase by 59% this year.  In fact in Q3 of 2013, over a quarter of a billion units shipped worldwide.  So getting your mobile strategy right has never been more important for sales.  The C-suite no longer accepts applying outdated tactics that net poor results. (Please Click to Tweet So, here are 3 easy tips to fix your mobile marketing and sales now:

Image courtesy of businesstocommunity.com

Image courtesy of businesstocommunity.com

 1.  Understand that Most Mobile Device Use is Not Really Mobile

That’s right, the biggest mistake that marketers are making is NOT understanding how people are using their devices.  A joint study released by AOL and BBDO revealed that 68% consumer mobile phone use occurred at home.  Yes, they are using their devices at home!

Marketers need to have a two-pronged approach to reach the ‘at home market’ and the ‘on-the-go market.’  They have different needs.   There is an added level of complexity when understanding the use of tablets versus smart phones.  Marketers who succeed in mobile will be those who establish different strategies and tactics for each.

2.  Mobile Phone Use Does Not Equal Tablet Use

According to Pew, the demographics for those using tablets most include:

  • Those living in households earning at least $75,000 per year (56%), compared with lower income brackets
  • Adults ages 35-44 (49%), compared with younger and older adults
  • College graduates (49%), compared with adults with lower levels of education

In order to effectively reach tablet and smart phone users requires different approaches, particularly when it comes to advertising.  It is not a one size fits all approach.

3.  Advertising on Mobile?  Know Thy Device!

If you are still using the old “push” model of broadcasting messages in your  advertising, you are likely failing.

Marketers need to focus on micro-targeted “pull” campaigns that effectively result in the customer accepting messages. In addition to pull, Marketers need to forget banner ads.  While somewhat annoying to computer users, they are even less welcome on mobile.  They just aren’t scalable to mobile and therefore completely ineffective.

Finally it is important to know that those succeeding in the mobile market and netting sales have built relationships with customers.  Through these relationships, they have learned customer  preferences, including real-time location information.  They offer deals that result in real sales.  Starbucks for example leveraged mobile by offering a $5 credit to those who joined My Starbucks Rewards program.  This resulted in more than 500,000 downloads of the mobile app in its two-week trial period.

Take-Away Lessons:  

  1. Don’t push information.  Pull Information through offering something up to your customer or prospect.  What are the chances that someone who redeemed that $5 spent more than the credit allotted to him or her?  Probably pretty good.
  2. Understand how customers are using different devices and use appropriate tactics.
  3. Don’t annoy prospects and customers with annoying banner ads on mobile.  Be creative and delight your customers with real offerings to PULL them into your store or location.

If people thought that social media changed everything, mobile is like living inside a snow globe that someone continually shakes.  What changes are you making to your mobile strategy to accommodate for this different world?