You can’t scroll through your Google Reader these days without seeing a story of someone getting fired for something they tweeted or wrote on a blog. One of the most high profile cases out there involves Chrysler firing their social media agency after a staffer tweeted “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive.” from the Chrysler account.
If your plan is replace paid media with social media and put the savings in the bank, you are destined to fail. In my earlier post, “Social Media Isn’t Free,” I expressed my belief that any social media campaigns need to be supported with real dollars. To quote every economics professor ever, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.”
Okay, it’s free sometimes. It’s free for me to go onto Facebook, make a profile, find my friends, etc. It’s free for you to read this blog, post a link to it on Twitter and share it on your Facebook page (and I’d be grateful if you did).
But when it comes to your brand, social media is not free.
You may not pay for it every time you use it, but with every campaign, initiative or program there are costs. Even in social media.
If you work in advertising you’ve probably heard a client say “We want a viral video.” Of course they do. Every one loves viral videos. They love getting them, they love sending them. And brands REALLY love when something they create “goes viral.” Who wouldn’t? Millions of impressions, recommendations by friends, likes, tweets all involving your brand.
But you can’t create a viral video. You can only create great content and hope that people like it enough to share it. Or you can create great content, promote the hell out of it and hope that people like it enough to share it.
Starting to see a theme here?
And that is where I got the title for this post. Far too few people realize that there is a difference between a viral video and a viral campaign.
iPhone app: Twitter – It’s not the most advanced app around, and certainly not the first Twitter app, but it is the official one and it works really well. It was a great movie by Twitter to acquire a very popular app and make it the official one, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.
iPad app: flipboard – I still don’t own an iPad and probably won’t for some time. But if anything is going to make me buy one it’s this app. Flipboard pulls all the content from your social graph into an easy to consume “magazine.”
Website: We’re all fans – what better way to celebrate musicians and their fans?
Gadget: Xbox Kinect – Radically re-imagining the way we play video games. It’s incredible and yet still primitive. But it shows the way that wind is blowing.
Meme: Bed Intruder – What can I say about this that hasn’t already been said?
…and the remix:
New TV show: The Walking Dead – After the first episode AMC ordered a full season for next year. That’s how good it is.
Since it’s getting to be the end of the year and everyone else is making predictions for what 2011 will bring, I figured I might as well make some of my own.
But rather than write another post I don’t think anyone will read I decided to create a short video that no one will watch. For the two of you out there reading, enjoy!
Just a few years ago green products were booming. Every major CPG producer, as well as many new entrants, were looking to add green products to their portfolio. We saw new brands like Method, Clorox Green Works, and 7th Generation promoting their environmentally-friendly as the smart choice. And these products BOOMED.
But now it seems that green at home isn’t as important to consumers as green in the wallet.
It’s Thanksgiving. PUT DOWN YOUR IPHONE. If your family is anything like mine, that’s what you’ll be hearing this holiday. And we won’t be alone. 59% of us Americans (it’s probably even higher among the people on this list) will check work email over the holidays. 15% said they will be thankful for the distraction work email provides them.
Recently I was given the privilege of speaking to an “Intro to Advertising” class at Howard University. My first thought was that I would just go in and wing it. Play a couple agency reels, show off some cool work and then take questions. Two days before the presentation it dawned on me that college undergrads can be notoriously quiet when it comes to asking questions of a guest speaker, especially at a 9am class on Monday morning.
When I was younger I used to love the McDonald’s Monopoly game (truth be told, I also used to love McDonald’s). It was a great added reward for doing something I already liked doing. Not to mention there was a chance you could win all sorts of great prizes.
Unfortunately I never won anything. Even when I cheated.
Hot Tub Crime Machine 