Mobile Media: Wherever I go, you come too

A key component of successful social media networking, marketing and sharing is the ability to access the social web at critical times. The technological advancement of smartphones and wireless providers have enabled consumers to get on the Internet virtually anywhere at any time. I am not suggesting that one stays constantly connected. Instead, mobile accessibility has unchained us from our computers. Everyone is now able to explore the world while utilizing critical elements of the social web.

Flipcams, cell phones and mobile-optimized web sites are now available in the mainstream market. In many ways, this has helped exponentially increase the amount of up-to-the-moment information available. We can now upload text to our blogs, pictures to Flickr, and videos to YouTube while remaining copmletely wireless. For businesses seeking to engage their target audience, this is an opportunity to get real-time feedback on anything from product reviews to onsite experiences.

Below is a picture re-cap of a recent bike ride I took through downtown Columbus. Most of these were taken with a cell phone, which I was able to upload to Flickr as I rode. By the time I arrived home after two hours of riding, there were only a few photos left to finish posting. Without this capability, it is unlikely that I would have shared this experience at the rate that it became available.

7 ways to keep people interested

Rich or poor, there will always be one item everyone needs more: TIME. The inevitable suffocation of email, text messages, voicemails, newspapers, TV have streamlined the methods of communication. For both the everyday consumer and businesses, it is increasingly important to be as concise and relevant as possible in messages to both one another and to target audiences. This concept, of course, is not just relevant to the Social Media guru. It applies to virtually every available avenue of communication delivery.

7 ways to keep people interested in what you have to say:

1. It's not about you. Define your message and stick to it. EXAMPLE: If you wish to be followed on Twitter because you fancy yourself as legitimately knowledgeable in a particular category, 90% of your tweets should be relevant to that concept. A fellow Tweeter may originally chose to follow you because they find the links you post are helpful - not because they want to know your favorite and coffee and "are ready for Friday to be here." Analyzing any social media profile is an easy way to find the narcissists traversing the Earth.

2. Avoid abbreviations. It just makes your message sound amateur. No one wants to take the time to decipher your invented hieroglyphic language of shortened words. Similarly, sEnTeNcEs LiKe tHiS aRe eNdLesSly oBnOxIoUs. If you passed the 8th grade, use proper grammar. If you feel it is absolutely necessary to abbreviate, chances are, there is a more concise way to get your point across.

3. Headlines are king. (particularly in microblogging and texting) Your content may change the course of history, but if the headline is trash, your own mother won't even both reading it. Imagine scrolling down a list of hundreds of headlines all pertaining to the same subject... which link would you care to read? Use that formula for your own headlines.

4. You are not the CNN army of one. Message blasting is ego-tastic. Think of the little boy who cried "wolf". Don't be the little communicator that cried "everything I say is important, because I say so." Screen how much you share. Avoid the self-proclaimed experts, and don't become one. Timely, relevant and succinct messages sell themselves. Throwing up fifty new posts, headlines and press releases an hour will not earn you a big following... much less will it do much for your credibility. Peter Kim makes an excellent point regarding the building and maintaining of relationships through social networks.

5. Your brand is not your alter ego. This ties directly into credibility. If web authority is what you want, don't create a false identity. Be your brand - it's not your turtle shell.

6. Listen, listen, listen, jump in. You must give respect to receive it, but ALWAYS be willing to listen first and speak second. A target audience is a small town and people know immediately if you are new to the area. Don't immediately try to be the life of the party or you will become the new neighbor who wasn't invited to the 4th of July.

7. Expect the expected. Consciously build your brand, or people will do it for you. Contrary to guerrilla marketing, it it can always help to appear where your audience EXPECTS to see you. Call it the gray area of permission marketing.

If you have an insight or thought to share, please feel free to comment or drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com. Find me on Twitter @PaulMatson.

The Morality Myth

For both the daily news aficionado and the occasional newspaper headline skimmer, it is easy to recall some of the biggest media blunders throughout history. Being the 21st century, America has experienced everything from a simple Freudian slip from a news anchor to disastrous copy editing errors in a newspaper headline. More than not, these mistakes are accepted as reminders of our human imperfection and parodies are even made to commemorate some of our favorite public slip-ups.

The 2007 controversy with Don Imus, however, is an entirely different story. Shock jock or not, we all know that the radio veteran found himself unemployed and in the middle of national social backlash after a brief inappropriate comment made about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

The details are not difficult to unravel; most of MSNBC's advertisers associated with Imus in the Morning pulled out within hours, media statements were prepared, and personal apologies began to hit the airwaves.

The Corporate Tremble

If one knows anything about both corporate and private media, a colossal amount of revenue is generated from network ad space sales. Simply put: no advertisers, no show. More than a year after Imus' radio faux pas, he is consequently back on the air. However, this time advertisers are timid to commit their financial loyalty. Big surprise. Most Americans would like to believe that Imus' being fired, public embarrassment, and slow return to the spotlight are all part of his moral punishment.

Not so fast. Put yourselves in the shoes of MSNBC. If Imus' dispicable comments resonated with less controversy throughout society, it's almost guaranteed that he would never have been removed from his show. Furthermore, advertisers would be just as eager as ever to throw cash at the radio show. Timid behavior from the news corporation's leaders and their advertisers is simply a reflection of how the public might react and not necessarily a reaction of their moral code.

The bottom line is this: Living in a capitalist society means everyone is in the business of something. And that, of course, means you either turn a profit or get out squeezed out of the industry. A corporation's dramatic decision to cancel a show such as Imus' or make major changes in the company are decisions made on grounds of perceived profitabilty, not moral standards.

I'm not saying that MSNBC or any other conglomerate is bigotted or racist, but the truth is companies will tend to choose their path in the marketplace based on risk management and profit potential... not necessarily moral grounds.

Cutting Imus was, in essence, a move to cut a severe loss in ratings. Advertisers on the show pulling out was a natural reaction to save face in public association. No one wants to be caught talking to the kid on the playground that everyone hates. Furthermore, bringing Imus back is in part a result of financial analysts predicting a monetary comeback if Imus was reinstated.

Get the picture?

Love or hate what you've read, please leave a comment or feel free to drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Daily dupes and marketing half-truths

All marketers are liars.

Well, not always. But it is safe to say that the average consumer has fallen for the the marketing dupe at least once.

And to clarify, dupe: Easily deceived.

America may be politically divided, but we are one united and loyal bunch when it comes to our fast food. Let's pick on Taco Bell and Wendy's. I would be the last to deny my occasional craving for some late night indulgences, especially after seeing a new commercial for the latest Taco Bell food "creation." However, after spending some in line at the drive-thru, it occurred to me that fast food chains are incredibly adept at re-packaging the same five or six ingredients into "new" items to regain our loyalty.

The Epiphany

At Taco Bell: The crunchy taco and soft taco contain the same three ingredients. Being the genius that Taco Bell is, they added a little sour cream and combined the two tacos to create the Crunchwrap Supreme. Or Transfat Supreme, rather. Same ingredients, more money.

At Wendys: Oh, the classic and refreshing Frosty. Not ice cream... Frosty. Several months ago, Wendys began offering a small bag of "mix-ins" (I still wonder if Coldstone looked into a copyright infringement lawsuit), and sold the new Frosty for an additional $1.30. With the amount of Oreo provided in the "mix-in" bags, not to mention you had to do the mixing yourself, I can't help but wonder how many Americans buy into this slide of hand. Even more recently, is the introduction of the Frosty Milkshake. Really, now? They can't possibly think we're that dumb. Who hasn't waited for their Frosty to melt and drank it with a straw? I was drinking Frosty milkshakes long before they called it that. Here's the new choice, and I would hardly call it a dilemma: Medium Frosty - $1.29. Frosty Milkshake (same size, with whipped cream on top) $3.19.

Enough with fast food. Let's focus on outdoor advertising. More specifically, the entertaining graphics and catch phrases we see on billboards driving down the interstate each day. My personal favorite is this:

"Stay at the Holiday Inn... where kids eat and stay for free!"

Whoa there road-tripping tourist families. Keep driving. Since no hotel anywhere charges extra for kids, not to everyone is welcome to the continental breakfast, I fail to see the "free" portion of this bargain. Sadly, I can only sadly imagine how many people have marveled at and fall for this outstandingly (false) deal.

The bottom line is this: Everyone is in the business of something. That means sales are necessary, and since everone is human, we want to believe we're being given a "insider" deal or a price break. Oh, contraire. Two rules to follow-

1. Think twice before paying more. Always.
2. If you were a given company, how would you try to make a sale to you?

God bless the $.99 menu.

Reality check! Focusing on Consumer 2.0

If you read The Social Networking Animal, you already know there's more at the consumer's fingertips (quite literally) than any marketer could ever dream of comprehensively understanding. There are many who might like to believe they are "online marketing experts," but where is the expertise focused? Knowing how to create a Facebook event and send Twitter updates is hardly a ripple in the web 2.0 pond. Need more proof?

No marketer would deny the powerful shifts that are occurring, yet likely no one is bold enough to claim they can truly keep up. Living in a world saturated in brand messaging, one of the most effective methods to successful campaigns draw from the well of permission marketing. In other words, its about becoming brave enough to step back and let your consumers discover you; occasionally by dangling the interactivity carrot.

Shifting focus

Time to step over the Web 2.0 mountain and get over the "wow" factor of new and emerging digital technology. Yes, Technorati, Mint and widgets are so very cool. Yes, we all agree that they have enormous potential. Yes, we have a lot to learn. However, it's time to understand how consumers (and that includes you and me) are being revolutionized from these new mediums of message vehicles.

Thank you to mr.youth and RepNation, here are some rules to follow to keep a consumer engaged in your mantra:

CONSUMER 2.0

1. Consumers own brands: Consumers will speak about, repurpose and associate with your brand as they see fit. People aren't stupid.

2. Authenticity trumps celebrity: Consumers respond to honest, relevant messaging from peers over marketing speak and celebrity endorsements.

3. Niche is the new norm: Consumers do not form a mass market. They relish in choices and look for products and services that speak to them personally.

4. Bite-size communications dominate: Consumers digest short, personal and highly relevant messaging in bulk while growing increasingly adept at blocking out noise

5. Personal utility drives adoption: Consumers choose to consumer what they find useful in their lives over manufactured marketing needs.

The bottom line is this:

Don't be so bold as to think your message is the most important thing your target audience's life; let marketing become a two-way street of engagement.




Love or hate what you read? Don't hesitate to leave a comment or simply drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com.

Back off, evil marketers: the danger of over-delivering your message

The angle:

Read this blog because I wrote it, and you know me. So pretty please?
VS.
I write about it... because I think you should know.
Props, Seth Godin.

As most marketers know, the number one rule to "cool" is not to let your marketing show. MTV may be one of the most recognizable companies to fit this niche. After all, the network is one humongous advertisement - something is being sold; CONSTANTLY. If their primary TV audience all realized this at once, the network could potentially tailspin. When was the last time you looked forward to talking to an uninvited salesperson?

That being said...

THE MANTRA: MTV represents you in all your pop culture glory - they would never tell you what is cool. You tell THEM what's cool, and they'll happily sell it back to you in every imaginable way. It's a classic example of selling ice cream to Eskimos. The trick is making consumers feel as though they're not being duped (er, sold) - money spent on concert tickets, online music videos and countless hours watching meaningless reality shows is simply allowing consumers to participate in "cool" culture. A chance to fit in. In essence, MTV could be called Marketing Television. People will talk and propagate their messages and programs without the feeling that MTV is paying for any of it.

So, you already knew all of that? I'm glad someone is paying attention. So what business WOULDN'T want people to think the world of them? Why wouldn't you want to want to appear to be the number one brand?

Anti-brand

The irony is that having all the positive free publicity in the world can hurt you. Making promises and over-delivering doesn't work every time. Take the latest Indiana Jones installment (set to be in theaters May 22). Steven Spielberg is actually downplaying his film, worried that spoilers and other media will have people expecting too much from the latest Jones whipping action. The result of high expectations? Big letdowns. Simple as that.

Not to slight his own production, but Spielberg knows the danger in over-promotion.

The bottom line is this: a good product can help sell itself, but don't let everyone believe you're #1 unless you really ARE #1.

The science of SCANDAL

DRAMA. We all hate it - which is exactly why we can't get enough of it. T.V.'s VH1 may have capitalized upon this niche the most effectively in recent days. Not to slight the classic Star and National Examiner tabloids (you guys have also done a great job creating unnecessary drama).

For example: VH1 ratings busters

I Love (to hate) New York .......... two seasons
Rock of Love (most of those girls belong in a brothel) ............. two seasons
Flavor of Love (that clock-wearing grandpa AGAIN?) .............. THREE seasons

It's impossible to count how many people I've heard (myself included) say "I hate drama. I just stay away from it." Bull. We all have it. Most psychologists agree that people tend to deal with pseudo reality much better than The Real World (no tv pun intended). Why are shows like Laguna Beach and The OC so popular, anyway?

The theme here (thank you, VH1) is: Watch & Discuss. Girls can talk about those spoiled children on Laguna all day long... and it will never come back to haunt them. It's the perfect storm of gossip.

So here's the marketing spin. Want more details on Heidi and Spencer's relationship? Visit VH1.com. Can't get enough of Trump and Rosie's verbal battle? Check out Rosie's talk show. Need some behind-the-scenes action of the original Flavor of Love? Get never-before seen video clips on the web site!

My question is this: what if all scandals are just brilliant publicity stunts? We hear accusations of this nature all the time, but how do we prove them either way? Better visit Bret Michael's web page to find out.

Love or hate what you've read? Leave a comment or drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com. Enter your email address in the left column box to get these articles in your email.

The social networking animal

Things are getting hot in here... the Internet that is. With so many web sites to join, it can make you dizzy just thinking about which one is the right one for you. As an aspiring PR pro, I've realized that it is critical to stay at the battle front of the explosion of social networking, mobile marketing, blogging, twittering... you get the idea.

Web 2.0 - the name of the game

Those of you who know me - you're aware of my tendency to propagate Gmail and other google-related services. But there's much more to the madness. So finally, both reluctantly and proactively, I have compiled a list of EVERYTHING I stay active on with regard to the Internet. I've also included my personal link to each. Enjoy.

Here it is: (drum roll)

Google Mail
Gmail - pauljmatson@gmail.com
Seriously, people. Unless you use a work address full time, there's no excuse not to adapt to this service. Not only do you have virtually unlimited storage (I currently have 781 emails in my inbox using 3% of my alloted storage capacity), but you have the ability to chat online through instant messenger and it's accessible anywhere on the planet. Not to mention it's FREE?

Google services
Besides Gmail, I also utilize
1. Google Calendar (VERY similar to the functionality of Outlook and other related services)
2. Reader (RSS feeder)
3. Picasa Web Albums (automatically saves any photos I upload online)
4. Documents (using Google as a document host server)
5. Orkut (international professional networking) - Find me at Paul Matson
6. Analytics (which is how I track my blog exposure)
7. Talk (instant messenger through Google)

Blogspot
Currently what I am using to host my blog. The sign-up, set-up and maintenance is a piece of cake. If you have something ot say... get a blog!
my blogs:
paulmatson.blogspot.com
ouprssa.blogspot.com

Chase Online Banking
I can transfer funds, pay my credit card, and a number of other services. Most major banks provide this service for free. Make your life easier!

Mint Financial Tracking
A free online service that tracks your spending and savings and offers tips on how to save and earn more money without making major changes to your lifestyle. You have to see it to believe it.

Networking

LinkedIn - Business/professional networking
Think of it as a much classier Facebook. It also appears in Google searching, so you might to consider joining in you're in the job market or looking to hire! Find me

Technorati - Premiere blog searching
Whether you're looking to increase your blog's web traffic or search blogs efficiently, there's no better place to start. Find me

PRopenmic - Profile server for PR addicts
It's relatively new, but has the potential for some great idea bouncing and provides an excellent opportunity for some PR networking. Find me

Facebook
Need I say much more? Find me

Myspace
Also likely to appear on Google searches, you might want to consider signing up just to make sure you have some control over what the Internet reveals about you. Undoubtedly, this can be used to your advantage. Find me

Twitter - Microblogging
If you haven't already signed up, DO IT now! It's an unparalleled way to make quick news releases or just give your friends a quick update on your whereabouts. There's lots of cool stories about what Twitter has done for people both in the professional and personal realms. Sign up today! Find me

And just for fun...

Pandora - Online Radio
Forget iTunes radio. Pandora will literally tailor it's playlist to the music you like. Not by genre, but by algorithm. Stop wasting your money on iTunes and sign up (also free, of course).

There you have it.

Confused or have questions? Drop me an email at pauljmatson@gmail.com or leave a comment. Happy surfing!

Welcome to the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department & Trauma Center

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio was constructed with help from a 50 million dollar donation from the insurance mecca. It's no surprise that any legitimate organization, particularly a children's hospital, is more than happy to accept such a generous donation. Children's hospitals are an illustration of innocence and a hope for brighter futures- an affiliation plenty of companies would pay top dollar of which to be a part.

Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch agrees. Nationwide Children's Hospital is about to break ground on the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Department & Trauma Center after receiving a 10 million dollar donation from the clothing giant. On the way in, you can also stop by the Limited Too and Justice Main Lobby. No, seriously.

Maybe we could build a new home for the President of the United States and call it the Ronald McDonald House. White is a boring color anyway.

As most are aware, A&F has a reputation for utilizing increasingly risque advertising, and is often accused of targeting young adults and adolescent teens with sex appeal.

You don't have to be a Seth Godin to realize the conflict of interest at hand. Advocacy groups have collaborated in a minor uproar against A&F's strategy. It's easy to see Abercrombie's motivation behind such a donation (there's only so many times you can hear "clean up your act" before the corporate PR team has to do something). Nevertheless, a donation to a Children's hospital just gives Abercrombie's image a little bit of sleaze. A donation fueled by guilt, even.

Not to take it to the extreme, but basic psychology tells us that people often are the strongest advocates for a cause in which they secretly partake. Let's go down the list:

Mark Foley
Larry Craig
Eliot Spitzer

It's anyone's argument whether NCH should have accepted the donation. To be the devil's advocate, that money is going toward something that will truly benefit society. But a question of ethics? Definitely. Although it would never happen, an anonymous donation would have been best suited.

Down the drain and back again

Let me begin by saying that the United States still fares far better than the rest of the world in public water (both in quality and availability). Just ask anyone who's taken a trip down south. Far south. Water is so easy to get that most of us just take it for granted; which is why it's no surprise this recent study has been receiving national attention. Better go get your Brita filter now before they sell out tomorrow.

The study maintains that the city water distributed to more than 40 million Americans has traces of everything from "medicines used to treat anxiety, epilepsy, asthma, angina, and in some places, traces of a sex hormone." No, seriously. That's quite a cocktail. Fortunately, the research states that each drug is found only in the parts per thousand and would take massive amounts of consumption to yield any undesirable effect. Unfortunately, most people won't pay attention to that part.

Long live the bottle.

So after reading several articles similar to the one linked above, I began to wonder what the ultimate response will be to all these shenanigans. Bottled water, anyone?
By coincidence (or not), Pepsi & Starbucks have recently gotten a little smitten with one another, launching a new bottled water campaign.



I'm not necessarily implying that all of this media is premeditated, but who's to say it isn't? Bottled water has long been on the rise.

And to think I drank out of the garden hose as a child.

When boring is better

So many people argue, and rightfully so, that the majority of today's advertising is completely avoidable. While the average consumer is experiencing a barrage of different media inputs on a daily basis, every business has become a contender in the war of having the most creative edge.

Let's face it. Traditional media is going to make the cut forever. Today's consumer markets are increasingly webcentric. Search engines, YouTube, RSS feeds, the blogosphere, and you name it are becoming the frontier of tomorrow's advertising and the focus of most PR initiatives. As my high school jazz teacher put it, keep it "hip" and the people will dig it.

I would argue that this isn't always the case. Instead of trying to reinvent the mecca of attention-grabbing advertising techniques, why not go back to the basics?

So here's an idea.

A.J. Kubani is the founder of the 25-year-old company called Telebrands. You know the 30-60 minute product demonstrations featuring obscure gadgets on T.V.? The pet steps? The stick-up light bulb? He's the mastermind behind the operation. You can purchase just about anything from him with a few easy payments of $19.95. Corny and as bland as Telebrands might seem, they've been putting quite a few nickels into their piggy bank over the past 25 years.

But if Telebrands is the epitome of anti-innovative marketing, why are they the king of T.V. product sales?

Whenever Telebrands advertises during prime time on a popular channel, not only is it expensive, but "people are unresponsive," says Mr. K. They're too engrossed in the show. Better to advertise on channels where your ads are the most interesting thing. Kubani's favorites? The Game Show Network and Fox News. Yes, really.

Here's the bottom line. Businesses can be original by sticking to the root of key message delivery. Advertise where people expect to see it... or even want to see it. Sometimes shoving promotions into emails, text messages, or even the lines in between parking spaces - it's just too much.

Keep it real, keep it relevant, and try letting the consumer come to you.