People Create the Ideal Atmosphere and Work Product

March 23, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Who is on Your Team

While out for St. Patrick’s day last week, it occurred to me that every bar has its different people. I noticed a few types: the new to town, the creepy old man, the regulars, the drunk girl, the gaggle of girls and the group of guys. Every bar has them. And they play a vital role in creating the atmosphere and experience of the bar patrons. This got me to thinking about the members of a marketing and communications team.  [Read more…]

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Bandwagon – Super Bowl, Super Ads?

February 5, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Yes, it’s true. I’m jumping on this bandwagon, albeit a few days later than most.

I’ve been contemplating the commercials from Super Bowl Sunday. I’ve gone back and watched a few over again on YouTube, and I’ve since seen some of them during normal TV viewing.

Once again my favorite had to be Budweiser with their lost dog. I just LOVE those Clydesdales. And this is probably the third Super Bowl in a row that Budweiser got me to tear up and/or cry. Yes, a beer commercial. Their team has a way of telling a story in 30-60 seconds like no other. Watch it with me.

There’s no way you can tell me that did not tug at your heart just a little …

[Read more…]

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Add Social Media to the Mix, Don’t Replace Your Program with It

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This article – B2B Social Media Should Amplify Traditional Marketing, Not Replace It | Social Media B2B – from Social Media B2B is so true. So many brands are trying to replace an entire integrated communications campaign with social media. It just doesn’t work this way.

Social media should be an additional component to a brand’s entire communications mix. No single tactic should be counted on to carry all of what needs to be done to make a brand successful. Only when everything works together in concert can a truly successful campaign be found.

How do you measure the success of integrating social media in your campaigns?

Filed Under: PR/Marketing, Social Media Tagged With: , , ,

Social Media for Social Good

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Recently, Mashable profiled a woman from Chicago who was homeless and used social media to change her circumstances. She may not have had a home, but she had a cell phone and used Twitter to help her deal with mental health issues. She thought that the aspect of minimal anonymity would help her get past her fears of talking to people.

What happened? Well, she met people who helped her pay her bills and who became her friends. She has been off the streets since April 2011 and has not plans to turn back.

This story is a true testament to the fact that social media can help just about anyone. So, the next time you think that social media can’t help you or your company, think creatively, decide your goals and get going.

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Looking for Some Entertainment

January 3, 2012 By 2 Comments

Last week my colleague sent me a link to an article with the email subject line, “looking for some entertainment?” And, boy oh boy, was it something to read.

It was the saga of PR gone bad by Ocean Marketing. Or, is it …

On the surface this train wreck of a story looks like a PR nightmare, but upon closer examination, it turns out that it’s a customer service disaster that happened to have been handled by a marketing firm.

It’s one of those stories that you know if going to be bad from the start, but there is no way imaginable that you can foresee a PR/marketing guy tell a customer that he is wrong and then move on to name drop to the editor of his primary target publication and tell him that his publication sucks – all before he even realizes who he is talking to.

The first thing you learn in any PR or marketing class is to know your audience. Clearly, this gentleman (and that’s being nice) forgot that first rule. My advice, read through the news about Ocean Marketing and then watch this spoof on the whole thing.

Happy laughing! What do you think of the situation?

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