Final Blog Post

The semester has come to a close and with it, my blogging assignment. Writing the 26 blogs, although a required task, was an overall enjoyable experience. Not very familiar with the blogosphere before this was assigned, I learned a great deal. The learning was actually two-fold for me; I became informed about word of mouth and buzz marketing while I also learned the components of a blog.

Blogs are a neat method of receiving information and keeping track of industry trends. They are considered an up-and-coming medium, and a respected one at that. One need not be a professional to create a blog, but a great deal of the media or marketing centered blogs seem to be written by individuals employed or involved in those fields. Some of these media or marketing employees are blogging simply for personal enjoyment, while others represent their respective companies on posts to a company blog. By reading blogs and writing entries, I learned about the writing style typical of blogs, how to handle posted comments, and how to promote the blog.

Blogs are meant to be written in a style that is easy and informal. This is what makes blogs the information source of choice for many due to the fact that the very nature of the writing makes the content more interesting. Throughout my posts, I tried to relax and not think of the post as a report, but rather a conversation. Although I at times succeeded and at others failed at this task, writing the entries became enjoyable because it was my own interpretation of material, free of stylistic restraints.

An exciting aspect of the exercise was the comments garnered by other blogger.com members. Although these comments were few and far between, with only about 6 comments for the whole semester, they were by far the most rewarding aspect of the blog. Blogs are not meant simply to be read, but to be interacted with as well. When someone posted a comment, even if it was my professor, it was special; it meant that someone out there in the web looked at my writing and that short piece of writing invoked some type of response. I received some thoughtful reactions to articles, updates on information, and suggestions of sites or products to consider. At first I wasn't sure what to do in return for the posters, then I realized that the best method was probably to post a response directly underneath on my own blog. Hopefully this was an effective means for providing feedback to individuals who took the time to visit the site and look over the entries.

In order to attract readers to comment, promoting the blog is necessary. This proved to be a very enlightening activity. I found out about blog monitoring cites like blogdigger.com, where users can search for types of blogs and entries. I also got a sense of the direct correlation between promoting the blog and receiving comments. Towards the end of the semester, after I had promoted my blog through posting on other blogs, advertising it on my Facebook, and subscribing to Blogdigger.com, I began to get more comments. With the blog model ideally being a conversation, it is necessary to seek out other opportunities to involve readers.

Becoming comfortable with the format and upkeep of a blog was an important aspect of the overall assignment, but the other major component was to acquire knowledge on a particular topic, which for me was viral, word of mouth and buzz marketing. Through reading blogs and articles online, I became informed of the channels of buzz marketing and some general guidelines for what makes a marketing endeavor buzz worthy.

Throughout the semester I observed different forms of creating buzz. In my posts I covered viral video, news media, advergames, and events or contests. Viral video and advergames are extremely popular right now and spread particularly fast with the younger generations. YouTube has continued to dominate the scene with companies creating outlandish extra commercials to post or just weird clips. I was introduced to advergames for the first time doing this assignment, and they are very effective due to their extreme addictiveness. News media continues to be a tried and true method of spreading the word about something. This method was reinforced, however, by recent data from Neilson demonstrating a direct link between media coverage and increased sales. Finally, events and contests are often utilized by companies as well. This is a great way for costumers to get excited about a brand and to talk to others about it.

Of course I wrote about other means of creating word of mouth too, be it a conscious effort of the company or not. Often times negative feedback can spread about a company or product in a manner that the company did not anticipate at all. An example of this was when Proctor and Gamble's logo was interpreted as a Satanic image. Another spread of negative buzz came from the unappealing appearance of the KFC famous bowl. On the other hand, positive feedback can come from accidents, like JetBlue and their handling of the recent runway crisis. Their actions helped to spread positive news and images of the company.

Reading through blogs, articles, and press releases over the course of the semester, I began to notice some basic guidelines for buzz marketing endeavors. If a company wants people to talk about something, it needs to be timely, or pertinent to current issues. An example of this is the recent green and sustainable activities of Wal-Mart, HSBC and Home Depot. Their efforts are getting attention because of the national concern over global warming. Another requirement of buzz worthy happenings is that they need to be very different, following the "dog bites man" model. The "Quiznos Coyote" that I covered in one of my posts received substantial amounts of coverage simply because it was so incredibly unusual to have a coyote walk into a sandwich shop. A final component of buzz success is utilizing the current technology to generate reactions. Advergames, contests off of company websites, and viral videos are all examples of using the Internet to build buzz.

Word of Mouth and viral advertising are proven methods for garnering attention for a brand. It is so successful, in fact, that some companies use WOM as their only means of advertising. It is a powerful method as well, because it brings truthfulness and importance to a message if someone hears it from a friend. This blog has been a tremendous opportunity to read about and analyze the instances of viral, word of mouth and buzz marketing. Furthermore, it has brought me up to date on the dynamic world of blogging.

Fast Food = Scandalous

When patronizing a fast food establishment, I never really ponder the big questions like:

• "Who developed the menu of this fast food joint?"
  
• "Who's the genius behind this limited time only super-tasty-hungry meal?"

As a fast food developer I certainly would never ask myself:

• "If this ends up being too many calories, is this going to create negative word of mouth for the company?"

Well, I guess the food mastermind at KFC should have considered that one when he brought into being the KFC Famous Bowl, a dish that is used as an example of gluttony to the extreme. In a blog I recently came across that is all about current culture, Culture Blog, young women and their propensity to continually gain weight, yet insist on wearing skin tight fashions, was the focus of an entry. The entry blames a number of factors such as current fashions, self-consciousness...and the KFC Famous Bowl.

A picture of the dish is displayed on the page to support the statement that we live in a hypocritical society that promotes "Victoria Secret models as ideals, while simultaneously advertising the KFC Famous Bowl of mashed potatoes, chicken, gravy and cheese." The calories and fat content are supplied as evidence of the excessively unhealthy lifestyle of Americans: the bowl contains 700 calories, 31 grams of fat and 2110 grams of sodium.

That's some negative WOM if I've ever read/heard it.

Another aspect of the food industry is the difference in quality/attractiveness of advertised food items versus the actual product. The KFC Bowl once again served as a bad example, this time the epitome of food that does not appear as it was advertised. I came across it first on AdFreak.com where an entry highlighted the sometimes extreme difference between the food item in the picture, and the one in the take out bag. KFC Famous Bowl, once again, was the poster item for ugly looking fast food in real life. The blog links to Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality, where other less than desirable looking fast food can be viewed.

But in actuality, according to some responses on chowhound.com, people didn't like the look of the Famous Bowl even when it was at its glamour-shot best in advertisements. In fact, those who left comments make references to throw-up and other foul things to describe the look of the dish. This proves that a food product's overall presentation and look is very important in garnering desire for a product and maintaining the integrity of the entire brand.

The KFC Famous Bowl is an interesting study in how to get people talking, in all the wrong ways, about a food item. Next time Mr. Mastermind, keep calories, actual presentation and overall attractiveness in mind before rolling another special meal out to the global chain.

Buzz Word: "Green"

With Earth Day around the corner, a number of companies are rolling out or hyping-up their efforts to become "green" or "Eco friendly." With more and more of the U.S. population becoming environmentally aware, this is a brilliant marketing strategy that not only is effective, but constructive as well. What makes this buzzworthy is the fact that big name, big box stores are among those taking the plunge and they are supporting it with incentives, events and advertising campaigns.

Wal-Mart, as mentioned in the article Wal-Mart: The Average Joe is Greener Than You Think, "more or less represents the devil" in the eyes of some consumers. When certain people look at Wal-Mart, they see the embodiment of "the man", mistreated workers, and waste on a giant scale. This is why Wal-Mart, in correlation with Earth Day, is launching its "Live Better Index." There is an explanation of the push in a press release that can be found on the website dedicated to busting Wal-Mart myths, Wal-Mart Facts. By really making a commitment to environmentally friendly practices, Wal-Mart hopes to decrease its ecological footprint while probably at the same time improve any unpleasant associations with the image of the company. The corporation has actually been working on this environmental initiative for quite some time, but Earth Day provides a timely way of spreading the word about it. The hope most likely is that people will see new products in the store, take the survey, and then talk about Wal-Mart with others. I remember when I first read about Wal-Mart's work with sustainable production; I was very surprised and shared that news with others.

Another big box store looking to change in a big green way is Home Depot. According to the article Home Depot Steps Up Its Eco-Friendly Game, the store is relabeling 2,500 products already in stock with an "Eco Option" sticker. This label allows consumers to recognize what they can purchase to live sustainably. The underlying purpose of this service though, is most likely to show that Home Depot has a global conscience and helps a consumer purchase responsibly. Not only is Home Depot bringing value to the environmentally conscious consumer by offering a variety of sustainable products, it is also "walking the walk" as far as its corporate behavior by fighting against carbon emissions and refusing to harvest trees from vulnerable plots. Home Depot is turning the launch of the "Eco Option" label into an event, creating some discussion by passing out 1 million free CFL bulbs on Earth Day. As of right now, one can see the CFL bulbs featured on the front page of the Home Depot website.

Initially, this blog post was focused on big retailers and the push towards providing more organic products or materials made of recycled fibers. However, there is another way for non-retail corporations to get a piece of the goodwill that comes with sustainable business practices. Featured in the article HSBC Sees Green in Green, HSBC is familiar with the good image of sustainability, and moreover, how such tactics can translate to an improved bottom line. One method utilized by the London-based bank is cutting paper costs by switching to online transactions. HSBC was actually named "Sustainable Bank of the Year" for their efforts. HSBC will be rolling out an entire campaign with the tag line "There is No Such Thing as Small Change" over the next few months, starting with Earth Day this Sunday. HSBC will be offering various sustainable events until June 8 and passing out a "Green Living Kit" to those who pay their bills online three times. You can check out their sense of corporate responsibility and sustainable initiatives on this page of the HSBC website.

I couldn't help but cover these interesting promotions/campaigns/events for Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and HSBC. I have never seen corporations develop entire campaigns for Earth Day.

The cases are interesting to compare because:
All three companies have the same idea in mind, to establish themselves as green companies in order to enhance customer opinions and to fulfill their duty as a an active member of the global society. I know it is trendy to be sustainable, so perhaps that isn't so strange come to think of it. However, the fact that all decided on a major push for Earth Day is kind of humorous. Each is trying to promote discussion about earth friendly habits, and at the same time involve themselves in that discussion. I will be curious to see if there are any news stories on Sunday or Monday about the events these companies have planned.

All three articles were featured in Marketing Daily this week.

Lexus on Fire

Lexus is one of many car brands searching for new ways to create interest in its models. With the automobile industry definitely at the maturity stage in its product life cycle, the market is absolutely saturated and any amount of market share is fought over fiercely. Wanting to position the brand as a performance one rather than simply luxury vehicles seems to be the focus for Lexus, particularly before rolling out some supped-up models. What is really cool are all the ways that Lexus is planning on promoting it with the goal, as far as I can gather, of making the brand popular among a younger audience as a performance import.

A virtual opportunity to drive the Lexus was the discussion of a Marketing Daily article, describing how the brand decided to work with Atari to get into that company's "Test Drive Unlimited" game. Owners of the game and an Xbox 360 will be able to download a free "Lexus Car Pack" that enables them to drive 5 models and then new models as they come out. In the game there is a Lexus dealership where the gamer can exchange the points they win in game for a new car. With a huge amount of people owning an Xbox and keeping hooked to the Internet for continual updates, this marketing endeavor is amazing opportunity to reach large percentage of the younger demographic. Atari will be promoting the Lexus addition to the game through online ads resembling previews, and also in the game they will be sponsoring Lexus races. Lexus in real life will be participating in more performance oriented car shows.

Another interesting marketing effort from Lexus: an online serial novel. Lexus enlisted the help of L.A. author Mark Haskell Smith to write the novel that I learned about on Random Culture . "Black Sapphire Pearl" is available online and off of the Lexus Online Magazine; a very interesting approach, perhaps livening up their magazine. I read a little bit of it and I'm not sure if it is something I would read or get hooked on, but maybe an older audience member or Lexus enthusiast would be caught by it. Still, very cool and different way of associating a brand with a particular lifestyle/adventure.

Podcasting is another avenue Lexus has been exploring to reach the "younger, hipper consumer." Based on information from Flytip, Lexus signed a deal at one point with a California public radio station to advertise on podcasts for 26 weeks. I could not determine if this campaign was successful or something Lexus continues to pursue, but it is still another way in which Lexus has been committed to finding different ways to reach consumers. Podcasting is actually a popular method of auto advertising, with Audi on that scene as well.

Way to go Lexus, it will be fun to read about the success of the "Lexus Car Pack."

Interactive Killed the TV Star

BuzzMarketing.com claims there are "7 things you should know about traditional advertising," in comparison to the alternative media services they offer. Upon clicking the link, the reader is basically told the same thing seven times, that TV advertising is dying. In class we briefly discussed that big name companies are gradually moving to more interactive, guerrilla and viral initiatives, but BuzzMarketing.com puts this claim into numbers quoting that "78% of the top 133 marketers" feel that their television advertising fails to pack a punch. Furthermore, they definitely justify the rumor that "big name companies" are movie out, by stating a fact from AdAge that both Coca-Cola and Johnson&Johnson decided not to participate in television upfronts this go around. I knew that television was part of a traditional advertising model, but I did not recognize television to be the embodiment of it.

Brad Templeton, EEF chairman, software entrepreneur and self-proclaimed troublemaker, has a blog about ideas. These ideas range from "backwards middle airplane seats" to "making instruments with the human voice". With his thoughts running the entire gambit, it makes sense that he would also come across the conundrum currently facing TV advertisers and advertisers in general. He presents his opinion of the latest phenomenon in TV, Tivo, and makes some possible suggestions of how to increase the interactivity, most already employed: product placement, DVD encryption and interactive ads. Basically, Brad is saying "TV, you better come up with some ways to force me to watch ads, because with the current technology, I simply don't have to." This is really at the root of the problem with TV. But, even if viewers were forced to watch commercials, the engagement factor would be nowhere near the level of viral videos or advergames which consumers actually elect to be exposed to.

Interestingly enough, at the same time that big business is thinking twice about TV advertising, Television Advertising.com is focusing on convincing small businesses to break onto the TV scene. They site a major difference in the type of Television advertising they are advocating, which is "Immediate Response TV" versus those focusing on brand image. It makes sense as being a quick way to reach a lot of people. However, it must be tough encouraging small businesses with equally small budgets to invest in a historically expensive media...especially when cheaper, more engaging media exist.

"Gump Marketing" and the "Quizno's Coyote" Viral Video

Viral videos range from zany commercials, to silly skits, to news footage.
Well, the viral video topping charts today is that of the "Quiznos Coyote." The coyote apparently traipsed into the propped open door of a Chicago Quiznos, and sat himself/herself in a beverage cooler. If you can imagine, the customers were frightened at first and exited the store. But, they soon became part of a large group watching the coyote from the windows, absolutely transfixed. The coyote was eventually removed, excuse me, "Adrian" was eventually removed. Yes, somehow the coyote managed to receive a name in this process.

A media frenzy ensued; a simple search of "Quiznos Coyote" returned several pages of links. The coverage spanned the major broadcast network affiliates: ABC, NBC, Fox and CBS. It also went on to reach The Star and the Chicago Sun-Times, along with the ever popular YouTube. Everyone wanted a little piece of the action, even the wildlife preserve that handled Adrian's release gave continual, almost unnecessary coverage of the coyote's status. Their site includes an action shot of Adrian jumping the crate in his return to the wilderness.

Quiznos absolutely jumped on the media coverage, putting out a media release and making jokes about broadening their customer base.

Quiznos has had some interesting campaigns in the past, the "spongemonkeys" and "baby bob" come to mind. Adweek hailed the strange hamster-esque figures as one of the best ad campaigns, although personally the spongemonkeys really did NOT make me want to buy a sandwich, or make me want to eat anything for that matter. Then, Quiznos went back to the classic and equally strange "baby bob". That was back in 2004, but what has happened to the advertising/marketing strategy of this sandwich shop?

Chris Houchens on the Shotgun Marketing BLOG likes to call this type of approach "Gump Marketing". More explicitly defined, the Forrest Gump Marketing Philosophy means that "you're not taking care of the marketing side of business, but you're still growing and opportunities are presenting themselves because of destiny and/or blind luck." It's a, "we'll get what we get" sort of mentality. Well, that is precisely what is going on with this viral footage/story of the Quiznos coyote. Fate brought Adrian to the Chicago store, spreading the name of Quiznos nationally with an endearing vibe. Quiznos realized what had fallen into their lap, and based on a Marketing Daily article, took advantage of this opportunity to push media coverage and "strike a chord with animal lovers" by donating to Chicago Animal Care and Control.

Viral marketing is a fascinating phenomenon, and what makes it so intriguing is that you never know what crazy antic will catch the eye of the public or how fast it will spread. Viral also has more of an opportunity for the Gump factor, because it is typically cheap to produce and spread.

The Connection: Press Coverage and Buzz

There is most definitely a connection between what people are talking about and the latest news coverage. Local and national news outlets give individuals a sense of what is going on in the community, the nation and the world. Although it seems that media consumers are becoming more savvy and critical, they still trust and depend upon the news hour , the local paper, etc. that they patronize to give them truthful, unbiased information. Therefore, topics of discussion in the news become topics of discussion on the street; this discussion is the payoff that press releases seek and that show sponsors desire.

A brilliant example of the buzz power of the news media deals with the story run on the health benefits of red wine. An article in the Chicago Tribune from about a week ago states that since the 60 minutes story on Red Wine was aired in the early 90s, red wine figures have been on a "healthy roll". And in November 2006, after Harvard released to the press that the reservatol in wines has health benefits, red wine sales jumped by 8% in four weeks. Furthermore, red wine, that typically trailed behind white wine, has now surpassed white in sales as result of its upwards climb since right after October 2006. According to an article in Marketing Daily, blush wines have actually decreased in sales. This same article says that the newest figures from the Neilson Company appear to show a direct link between the the coverage of the red wine health news and volume sales for that type of wine.

Danny Brager, vice president of client service for ACNielsen's Beverage Alcohol Team, said that the marketing efforts of the wine industry have really been a huge factor in increasing sales. Box wines are on the rise by 40% at the same time that many consumers, based on the Neilson data, are also favoring more expensive brands.

But, the point here is that there is definitely a connection between news coverage, particularly television news coverage and creating buzz. It is a powerful medium that carries a great deal of weight. That is why many companies jump at the chance to be sponsors, occasionally putting news programs under pressure to cover or not cover certain stories, for example. The Line Between News and Sales, is a compelling compilation of guidelines that some news station executives put together with the support of Newslab and the Committee for Concerned Journalists. This must mean, unfortunately, that broadcast journalists have folded under pressure once or twice, and that the "line" has been crossed before.

In no way am I insinuating that the wine industry paid for the news coverage previously discussed, but it is a perfect illustration of how news carries and translates to sales.

Promoting the Blog

This time, I tried to more actively seek connections with other bloggers and their entries.

For my most recent entry about negative WOM, I posted a comment and link on the entry in the Bazaarblog that I cite. If my blog entry was being cited, I certainly would want to know about it.

After surfing the web for a blog specifically about advergames, I came across a blog entitled "Advergame Network" and looked over some of the games that had been featured in the past. I actually found a game featured on the blog that was very similar to one that I had mentioned in my entry, and therefore commented and left a link to my blog.

Lost Remote TV Blog is so cool. It was fun to read around in there. I came across an entry about MTV and other networks going towards mobile features and commented on it, left a link, and compared it to my entry on MTV's death of the Reality TV model.

My final attempt to promote my blog was to try to sign up with Blogdigger.com. Now, after spending a substantial amount of time trying to determine how to sign up, I think I have it. Hopefully my future blogs will be posted to the database for other users to read.

WOM - Negative Style

We have established that word of mouth (WOM) marketing is a vastly effective method for getting the word out about a brand or product. Now, just as buzz can be related to good things about a brand, it too can be negative. Word of mouth is certainly not something that can be completely manipulated or controlled by marketers, as I may have glazed over in my previous blogs. It is often hit or miss, and containing negative word of mouth can be quite the task.

A recent Brandweek article, "News Analysis: Companies Have a Devil of a Time Denying Rumors", discusses this very issue of negative word of mouth, and how it applies to some corporate giants such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Proctor and Gamble. In fact, this article highlights that these entities have been falsely linked to Satanism through rumors spread among consumers. These rumors have naturally caused some isues for the companies. Proctor and Gamble was particularly linked to the devil because individuals believed its old logo, featured above, had three sixes in it.

What I have learned in my readings, is that the spread of buzz has excellerated exponentialy due to the surge in technology. In the past, as mentioned in Brandweek, companies or brands were able to wait it out until the crisis or negative press was at a breaking point. Now, with email and the viral nature of news, it could reach that breaking point in a day and could become the completely unanticipated news feature!

The way companies have neutralized this negative word of mouth or even translated it to positive feelings about the company, is by being very proactive. Proctor and Gamble legally squelched any rumors of satanic ties and posted evidence on their site of their innocence. jetBlue, who recently had major issues with their service, have tried all they can to nip those negative associations in the bud quickly. A Bazaarblog entry explains why jetBlue has been successfull in taking care of the bad publicity. Citing jetBlue as an example, the entry explains that in order to succeed despite adversity, a company needs to:
"1. Listen to their customers, admit their mistakes and show sincere remorse"
"2. Commit to making significant changes to improve customer service"
"3. Back up their promises with real results"

There is also another theory about rumors and negative brand associations; this other theory is that no buzz is bad buzz. The owner of Carmex Lip Balm supposedly doesn't worry anymore that some people claim the product causes "slack mouth" or is addictive. He claimed that he was once very concerned about such outrageous falsehoods, but now he just sees their perpetuation as simply another time his product is mentioned. Still, there exists a special page on the Carmex site devoted to clearing up facts and myths.

Oh Advergames

Viral Chart recently came out with its top 10 viral games of 2006 for the U.K. They also came out with the best viral videos, but the games really caught my attention.

I have never considered myself one for games. I had a Nintendo Gameboy for about a year or so during my adolescence, and have had little interaction with any other video game formats. Assuming that I had a built-in immunity to the addictive nature of games, I decided to try out some of the "best games" to see what all the noise was about. I must say, I found myself drawn to play several rounds of mindless games without even knowing it. With ease, I pressed the "play again" button and gladly spent another few minutes being exposed to a brand name.

Wow. Advergames are far more advanced and purposeful than the simple "pop the pimple first" banner/click game. They are well designed, creative and the epitome of the latest buzz word in marketing communications, "engagement." Their interactivity sets them apart in a special way from video, the subject of my previous blog. Not only do they spread like wildfire, but they can offer a degree of teaching and a special form of recall.

Looking at the top ten U.K. viral advergames resulted in some interesting observations. First of all, three of the top ten games revolved around soccer, called "football" in Europe. These games were:Keep Them Uppy, Viva la Volley and Studs up Soccer. This is obviously a popular sport and appeals to people enough that they enjoy playing soccer-related games. Two of the games were Christmas themed, so perhaps the spreading of advergames is especially high during holiday periods, particularly now that people are already accustomed to interactive e-greetings. Elf Attack and Chimney Challenge were the Christmas oriented games that made it into the top ten. One of the most popular games was actually generated by Dodge, an American automotive brand which I did not expect to be especially attractive among the U.K. market.

Two of the top games were generated by nonprofit organizations and focused on using the games to change behaviors and inform. One of these games, How Does Your Garden Grow was primarily concerned about sharing the mission of its creator, Growing for Life, to connect plants with people. The game consisted of the gamer manipulating the celebrity-inspired gardener to water flowers; therefore, teaching people to take care of plants. The other nonprofit game, Snack Dash, is supported by the School Food Trust. In this game, a little character runs around the screen and can lose weight from eating good foods and then swell up to signify that he has gained weight when he bumps into a walking vending machine or other unhealthy choices. Snack Dash actually came in at #2 on the top ten game list, and How Does Your Garden Grow was only a couple of spots behind.

How Does Your Garden Grow was actually one of two games on the top ten created by Tamba. Tamba is a company that makes awardwinning advergames in the U.K. and spreads them around the world to various advergaming sites. They made Chimney Challenge as well. In my naivete, I did not think that there were companies completely devoted to advergame creation. With it becoming such an amazing method for customer-product interaction, it only makes sense that advergame demand would increase and justify specialists.

I am completely sold on this type of marketing; it is fun and provides a sort of free value to the consumer. Another neat aspect of advergaming is that it can be used to collect consumer data as well. At the beginning of many games I played this evening, I was prompted to put my gender and age.

On the other hand, there is such a thing as an impotent advergame. This blog entry on Water Cooler Games describes the innefective and pointless Monster.com game called Foot in The Door. Try it and you will see that the game does not add an amusing element to the phrase, "getting your foot into the door," but just bores instead.

Viral Video and the Political Scene

The viral video factor has been unleashed upon the presidential primaries with the release of a 1984 ad featuring Hillary Clinton. The ad is a play on the Apple commercial, where dazed and drone-like individuals watch a screen with Clinton's image while a female athlete runs to destroy the screen with a sledgehammer.

Needless to say, this video became an instant hit and source of buzz. An article on AOL News, written today, says that the short video was watched by one million people after being posted on YouTube. On the bottom of the linked video you can see the number of times it has been viewed, which at this point is over two million. What was particularly buzz worthy about the video was that the creator was a mystery for a short period. Fingers were pointed at Obama, who did not claim responsibility but at the same time did not refute the message of the ad.

Finally, the Huffington Post somehow identified the creator as Phillip de Vellis, a relatively young professional working for a company that does consulting and creates campaigns for liberally oriented groups and Democratic candidates. A New York Times article explains that the company, Blue State Digital, was helping to create Obama's website and assist with utilizing new media his campaign. Blue Digital was not affiliated with the creation of the video, however, and de Vellis was allegedly fired after admitting to its creation and to acting completely on his own.

How has this video set the tone for the rest of the campaign?
Another AOL news article asks some similarly themed questions such as:
"How will Web content outside the control of campaigns affect voters?"
"How should campaigns react to anonymous but highly viewed attacks?"
"When is Web content, no matter how provocative, newsworthy?"

I predict this will be a very different election. With politicians already scrambling for help capitalizing on new media and creating Myspace accounts, a whole new level of public involvement will be reached and a new era of campaign tactics will be ushered in. Politicians' visibility will be elevated to the extreme by current media. The change is almost comparable to when Nixon and Kennedy had the first televised Presidential debate. The way people voted changed then, and perhaps citizens will vote differently now.

It is possible that this guerrilla-style video has given us just a taste of what is to come.

Company Identity in Second Life

Our task in Audience Research was to run around in Second Life (SL) for a class period, completing a scavenger hunt of sorts. Very cool. We were directed to teleport our way around, but specifically to a few locations: Leo Burnett, Paper Couture and Kawaii Ku. We were asked to give insight into our impressions of these locales.

Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett Worldwide is a Chicago-based advertising agency, according to Source Watch. Their website in real life is fun and interactive, based around the concept of "the big black pencil" which translates to "big ideas." This concept of creativity really hit me upon visiting their island in second life. This island and its "storefronts" are nothing like what you would expect in the real world. Leo Burnett took full advantage of the capabilities of SL to create a fantastical island where their conference room is located in the trunk of a giant tree and glowing orbs dance around you when you are outside. The tree at different levels of the trunk has different rooms: a library and a gallery to name a few. Another tree house looking building has spaces and rooms that are off limits to the snooping avatar without access.

The purpose of the island and spaces seems to be to excite, inspire, impress, and most of all, house employees and clients form around the globe. Its auditorium can hold conferences and meetings, and the other spaces can be used to meet, generate ideas and interact. I liked the island because it was very different and demonstrated the level of creative freedom that the planners enjoyed. The Leo Burnett island looks as if the employees were allowed to just go wild and create. As an advertising agency, I'd say that it is in the best interest of the company to look to wow a potential client with a far out space. That creative freedom and emphasis on new ideas would sound great to someone wanting an innovative campaign.

Paper Couture
This is one of the leading fashion shoppes in SL, and boy could I feel it upon teleporting in. The space is chic to the extreme, with single outfits, purses, shoes, etc. placed on the racks in sparse boutique fashion. I clicked on a purse and it was over a hundred Lindon dollars, but only a dollar in U.S. dollars. I must say, I was tempted. It was such a strange experience to covet clothes and items for my avatar, this second self. An ornate spiral staircase led to an even more exclusive upstairs.

The purpose of this site, as I perceived it, is to provide clothes for those fashion conscious consumers in SL. Or, on the other hand, their clothes could be for those unfashionables in real life, seeking and able to afford a fashionable persona in SL. It also seems to try to bring SL a little closer to being real. This is more than a video game where you are limited to certain outfits and colors. In SL, if you want to invest and personalize your avatar, you certainly can.

I really liked the site particularly because of my emotional reaction to it. What's funny is that, just as in real life, I felt awkward going into this store. It was very exclusive looking and expensive. I looked at my own prefabricated clothes from orientation island and felt inadequate. When I interact or look at avatars with ornate and personalized clothes/hair/shoes, I feel like I am obviously an outsider and uncool. If my feelings are similar to what others are experiencing in SL, then this truly is a marketer's paradise.

Kuwaii Ku
Kuwaii Ku appears to be an anime inspired site. Now, I am not very knowledgeable about anime, but the three parts of the island looked like it represented the different types of anime; one part was of the Hello Kitty, pop variety, another focused on feudal anime, and finally the last on more of a edgy, urban anime. It was interesting to look around and I liked the bright colors. It was fun to see my classmates romping around here and the tunnel for the train is neat to walk through.

I came back to this spot at night, and turned on the sound for the first time in SL. It was a much more intimate feeling and more real. I heard the sounds of birds, the wind and the trees. I have come to realize that deserted places in SL make one strangely lonely. Very interesting.

Analysis
After our recent experience of holding a lecture in SL, having class in SL, and looking at a variety of locations, I think I have an answer for the prompt "If your company was going to come into SL, what would you tell them?"

First, I would have them listen to this edition of CC Chapman's podcast, and I would echo the sentiments expressed in this podcast, to not be afraid to really give SL a try. And by really giving it a try, I mean embrace the capabilities of SL and not be limited by the typical restraints of the real world. I would encourage Pinkberry to consider experimental and fabulous designs with plenty of space for clients and employees to interact.

Each member of the company, from corporate to frozen yogurt server, should get an avatar to roam around a bit to get a feel for what is out there and for what they find enjoyable on different islands. On the Scion island, for example, I really enjoyed interacting with the cars. Adding interactive components or freebies make a site memorable and cause avatars to come back. Maybe free frozen yogurt, advergames, and interacting with topics somehow would be good. Also, there is a Pinkberry song now, so it could be fun for avatars to make their own ode to Pinkberry.

Finally, I would tell them to make sure to hold company events and public events as much as possible to get employees involved and a name made in world. Pinkberry could offer conferences on healthy living to go along with their pure + simple focus, as well as host concerts with artists that are associated with relaxation and refreshment. An opening of a photo gallery of people's favorite topping/frozen yogurt combinations could be interesting as well.

Engagement is the Key

Hyundai is launching its first effort in a new marketing strategy, an interactive game called "Mash and Seek." The press release explains that people are invited to submit to be one of the 16 people who will be chosen at random. Those sixteen people will be divided into four teams of four, and then each member will receive a collage-style picture of each member of the team. Here's the challenge: the four members have to find each other before the other teams find their members in order to each win a Hyundai Elantra.

Hyundai has created a website for the competition, www.mashandseek.com, where hopefuls can file to compete. There is little else on the site except for a picture split into four that is animated to show how comical and difficult the activity could be. Hyundai wants for those who do not get notification of being a team member to continue to be involved with weekly "Mash and Seek" sweepstakes quizzes. So, although the "Mash and Seek" site is currently terribly plain, it will probably grow and become more dynamic with constant quizzes and updates.

This game is recognized as a viral execution, where people will be sharing information, posting to Facebook accounts and blogs, and creating personal web pages all in the hopes of reaching their teammates. Hyundai is focusing on a new marketing strategy, as mentioned in an article, Hyundai to Launch Game That's Guaranteed to go Viral, on Marketing Daily. They are utilizing guerrilla tactics with street teams while also pursuing grass roots opportunities. They want to create discussion among the target market of the technologically savvy by engaging them.

Hyundai does not currently have a slogan or tag line, but the theme of its current endeavors is"think smart." In the press release, this is stressed by mentioning the game as "fresh and creative" and a "social experiment." The game calls upon the players to "master the global network" by being "smart" and inciting their need for "discovery." The language oozes of a challenge for the intelligent and web informed.

Right now people may have to put their ear to the ground in a really quiet place to hear anything about the competition, but the game is still young. I imagine that buzz will begin when the teams are actually chosen at the end of April. If all goes well, I should bump into some attempts to contact team members while surfing the web.

Hyundai's Web Site

The People's Player

The Zune, also known as Microsoft's answer to the iPod, has been and is currently positioned as a social networking tool. This social networking tool connects music lovers with other music lovers, music lovers with musicians, and musicians with other musicians. The plan was to create a special place in the market outside the shadow of the giant in MP3 sales, Apple. For Microsoft, that meant considering the trends and figuring out how to get people talking about the Zune.

Taking a look at a Marketingvox.com entry , one can read that back in November 2006, when the Zune was about to be launched, Microsoft debuted the slogan "Welcome to the Social." The major selling point for the player was the wireless song sharing capabilities that drove home the concept of bringing music to the people.

According to a Marketing Daily article just out today, Microsoft is still really trying to gain street credibility and get people to associate Zune with not only music, but with music experiences involving people. The Zune is pushing its connection with both high and low profile music events; you can see off of a section of its website that it is currently sponsoring artists and performances at the larger than life music festival in Austin, Texas, SXSW (South by Southwest). By acting so music savvy and dedicated to continually developing the music industry, the portable music player is hoping to hit home with a very niche audience. Unlike the iPod, the Zune experience is not merely about getting your favorite tunes, but finding new artists and connecting to the broader music community.

Marketing with SXSW was a brilliant move, but other attempts to increase word of mouth for Zune have not been so impressive. A post entitled Marketing the Zune Way that was featured on the marketing section of zuneinfo.com, explains how recently the Zune promo car just tooled around city streets at 3 a.m. blasting Justin Timberlake as loud as it could.

A spoof of an iPod ad is also linked off of the Zune marketing page that is amusing and gives a taste of the fierce loyalty we know exists among "Microsoft People" and "Apple People." Actually, that aversion to the Zune and supposed loyalty to iPods can be seen based on reactions to an entry on the Marketing Pilgrim blog. The premise of the entry is that people would prefer to see a picture of a girl in tight clothing than win a Zune. There was quite a bit of a response with many people saying, in so many words, "I just don't want a Zune."

On the other hand, perhaps these comments are not related to loyalty to another player, but simply reaction to the horrible product buzz that the Zune has received. According to the Marketing Daily article referenced previously, the product has had many technological issues, from skipping tracks to faulty screens.

Overall: Although inspiring discussion among music lovers and creating buzz through concert sponserships are excellent ideas to appeal to a distinct market, it is going to take a lot of positive coverage to make up for some product failings.

Viral Video - Be Careful With That Stuff

With viral video becoming a fad tool for generating word of mouth for brands and companies, it was interesting to read a post on Organic Frog that questions the use of such videos. The videos are compared in the title to reality TV, perhaps alluding to the sometimes hollow yet entertaining nature of reality TV shows.

"Froggy," the blogger persona of Organic Frog is a junior planner at an interactive agency, Agency.com. As surprising as it was to hear a dislike of viral videos voiced by an interactive specialist, his/her main argument revolved around the fact that these videos are being created simply to entertain, and often conflict with the brand message or " brand storytelling."

The evils of posting cool videos simply to entertain is exemplified in the post through the Quicksilver "Dynamite Surfing" video. In this video, dynamite is used to create an artificial wave. Definitely cool and in the spirit of Jackass, the video has been successful on YouTube and sites where video is featured. However, the message that the video sends, although catching the feeling of thrill seeking that is often associated with the surfer culture, is directly in contra to Quicksilver's stand on environmental issues.

With so many new online opportunities to exploit as an advertiser, we might be seeing a bit of the, "I'm not sure why I'm here but I need to be here" phenomena. Everyone is in a rush to get into the internet mix of social networking/sharing sites that they might not be so carefully crafting their messages to get there. And who wouldn't be in a rush? Major portals such as AOL, Lycos and yahoo feature hit viral videos off of their main pages and to be among the top-ranked videos translates to thousands upon thousands of click-through opportunities. Infiltrating the viral video scene also results in major word of mouth coverage. Viral video has become so popular among the young demographic that get togethers among college friends often result in the showing and sharing of favorite viral videos.

So, the message here is:
Advertisers and brand-builders, slow down and make sure that the viral videos you are creating are really 100% in-line with your campaign and perpetuate the integrity of the brand. Of course we want people talking, but we want to give them something good to say.

Lycos.com viral videos
AOL Video Blog
MSN Videos - Click the Viral Video Tab

MTV= Reality TV No Longer

Oh the water cooler, how it once was graced by discussions about The Bachelor, Survivor, The Mole, Beauty and the Geek...and the list goes on. Reality TV shows have provided endless amounts of dialogue between viewers and priceless opportunities for networks to get their programming covered. For goodness sake, each Survivor winner was mentioned on local and national news outlets around the country!

MTV not only jumped on the reality trend, but one could almost say initiated it with its "Real World" series way back when. Punk'd, Laguna Beach and the Newlyweds, were all the buzz with its teenage target. And who could forget the Osbournes? I remember talking with friends and family about that show, as well as reading articles about it in the newspaper and seeking out online updates about the show.

Taking a look at the MTV that existed before the reality TV push, a major discrepancy exists between that broadcasting line-up and current programming. The network went from music videos and Daria to My Super Sweet Sixteen, Parental Control and the Flava of Love. The reality TV model served MTV well for a period of time, but now the once buzz-producing shows are no longer delivering.

We all knew there has been an excess number of reality shows on MTV for quite some time, but it is shocking to read that MTV hasn't had a scripted show in 5 years. This information comes from the recent Media Post's TV Watch article which explains how MTV's poor ratings and an "executive shake up" are resulting in its first scripted series in quite some time, Kaya.

Although the reality TV genre has lost a bit of its sparkle, it seems to still have a relatively strong hold on popular media. But what does MTV's fizzle of reality programming bode for the genre? What does it mean for the future of good old fashioned water cooler buzz? I guess that is up to Grey's Anatomy and 24.

Check out some reviews of MTV programming on yelp.com. This is a neat site to see what people are saying about a variety of entities. This is probably one of the sites that could become victim to something I discussed in an earlier blog, the new payola of online influencers to inflate ratings. The reviews on MTV, however, seem to be legitimately heartfelt and are a fun read.

Publicizing the Blog

In order to try and get the word out about my blog for Audience Research, I did the following:
-Post the link on my Facebook profile
-Comment on a blog entry of a fellow student blogger with a link back to a relevant entry of mine
-Comment on a blog entry on Coleen's Cuisine blog; the entry was the first search item to come up with a Google search query of "Pinkberry blogs"

Hopefully I will get some hits!

Pinkberry: A Story of Buzzzzz

When two of my fellow classmates and I chose to do our final class project on Pinkberry, we did so from a list of companies provided by our professor. We had never heard of Pinkberry before, all we knew was that upon visiting the website we instantly were transfixed by the naturally beautiful simplicity of the product images. Merely looking at the site is a guilty pleasure for my group members and myself, as we each take turns issuing a statement along the lines of "Man, we are so going there one day." Certainly none of us knew of the obsessed customer base of the company and the word of mouth phenomena that is Pinkberry.

In a recent article in Entrepreneur magazine, co-owner of Pinkberry, Young Lee, likened the word of mouth transfer from customer to customer, to a machine gun. The rapid-fire buzz brought the friends of customers, business partners, and, as it would seem, the world to the obscure location in West Hollywood. The power of the Pinkberry product allowed the company to overcome any obstacles and become wildly successful. This product power is a combination of the sleek stores and customer experience, as well as the very unique-to-the-US-market product.

This product is not unique, however, to the Korean market where supposedly the inspiration for Pinkberry is located. The February 21, 2007 New York Times article on Pinkberry, Heated Competition. Steaming Neighbors. This is Frozen Yogurt?, addresses the competition that the stores have spawned and some of the issues surrounding who came up with the concept first. If you stop to think about it, really the buzz about Pinkberry is to blame for creating other frozen yogurt look-alikes.

Bottom line: People are completely obsessed with this product and that blind obsession has lead to several parking tickets and consumer recommendations. People are not only talking about it in real time, but online through social marketing sites. A Flickr photo search with the query of "pinkberry" results in several hundred uploaded pictures of people oohing and ahhing over their particular frozen yogurt/topping combination or the decor of the store. Blogs discuss the product, while people talk about their devotion to Pinkberry on their MySpace profiles.

Ready and Willing Opinion Leaders

And we thought they were hard to reach.

According to a blog entry on the WOM Research Blog, influential consumers are relatively easy to get in touch with. Who knew? Information from StartSampling and McElroy Inc. shows that these "Social Persuaders and Influencers," or "SPIs," are receptive to in-store trials and brand websites to mention a few tactics. In fact, according to the study and in comparison to the average consumer, these PSIs are easy to reach.

If these consumers are so easy to reach, why have they evaded marketers for so long, or at least why has it been made to seem that way? This mystical character, the opinion leader, has captivated marketers and been the motivation for countless studies and focus groups particularly, it seems, at the teenage level. Perhaps these individuals are naturally curious, are comfortable with taking risks, and enjoy being informed about the consumer culture around them.

The article goes on to justify what we all know; the SPI represents a golden brand opportunity. The research shows they are "61% more likely to learn about product or services through product reviews" than the average consumer and "76% more likely to seek out information from store employees." The list of percentages continues with several impressive and confirming statistics about the comfort SPIs have in discussing something in a social setting, sending emails, and talking to peers.

What does this all mean? Well, if these influencers are easy to reach while the average consumer is very difficult to reach, let's continue to put these SPI's to work spreading the buzz. At least we finally know they are getting the marketing messages.

Engaging the Audience on Another Level

Windows created quite the buzz-based campaign for their recent release of Windows Vista. According to an entry on Womnibus, a blog specifically about word of mouth marketing, Microsoft went all out with a campaign speaking specifically to the bloggers of the world and the techno driven, computer game playing segment. The Womnibus article, Vista Puzzle Campaign Brings on the Buzz, also linked to a Red Herring article about the campaign, Vista Buzz Builds on Puzzles, which begs the question, "Will the buzz translate to sales?"

Considering that this campaign is being viewed as one of the "most ambitious interactive games to create product excitement in history," I was surprised that I had not heard about it. Perhaps the genius behind the campaign is that it was extremely targeted to the "vista enthusiasts," the hardcore techies, and in that case, it would make perfect sense that I knew nothing about it.

I must admit, the concept is rather elaborate and exciting: mysterious clues sent via black envelopes and cryptic sky writings in major cities by the "puzzle mistress" of an online game. Even more compelling are the prizes, with the reward for first place being a trip 63 miles into space. Thousands of people have been going to the vanishingpointgame.com to pore over clues and try to solve puzzles. The black envelope sent to bloggers contained an oddly shaped USB drive with clue documents and then a letter from Loki, the puzzle mistress. Even one blogger, Tod Ogasawara , claimed that he was not a "viral marketing fanboy" but that he simply is a sucker for a puzzle.

Checking out the puzzle website now, it appears that all of the puzzles have been solved, so there must have been quite a response. The deadline was in conjunction with the Vista launch February 8, but the website does not seem to say anything about the winner. Will the contest deliver the fabulous prize and cement a successful first month launch?

Getting Attention and Driving Site Hits

A recent article from the The Wall Street Journal Online, The Wizards of Buzz, breaks some very interesting news about online customer ratings, comments, blog posts, and social book marking sites. There exists a certain level of trust between online users and online consumers, a trust that is continually strengthened by the popularity of online social networking. Therefore, when a member of the network rates a service highly or blogs about a particular topic, the online community pays attention. The community especially pays attention when one of their prolific pundits gives something a mention.

Although hundreds to thousands of people post on sites such as Reddit.com, Del.icio.us, Stumbleupon.com and more, a relatively small group of people make up the majority of posts. These individuals are followed by readers and become respected for their expertise or entertaining content. It is this group of commentators who then have the ability to direct traffic in droves to websites or attention to recent news pieces.

With their fairly wide exposure, these seemingly ordinary people gain a shade of celebrity status among their web readership. We all know that celebrities are courted left and right to promote causes, well now these web personas are being pushed by sites and companies to plug their products. What does these mean for the social networking sphere which promotes such a sense of community and trust? Just as quickly as companies are entreating web personas to create some buzz about their products, social networking sites are initiating teams dedicated to nipping this in the bud. If users cannot trust the integrity of the commentary on a site and the viability of the user ratings, then there will be no reason to visit.

Marketers are trying their best to infiltrate the latest trend in online activity, hoping to go beyond site ads and clickthroughs to blog mentions and inflated rankings. With people spending so much time online talking and interacting, it is an ingenious, yet treacherous frontier to pursue for creating buzz.

Superbowl: The Ultimate Viral and Word of Mouth Advertising Event

It would be a huge oversight, as a blogger dedicated to discussing word of mouth, viral, and guerrilla marketing, if I did not mention the Superbowl ads and the vast amount of buzz they produce. This perhaps is the one time when people look forward to commercial interruptions and are often even more attentive during these breaks than during the actual programming. In a word, Superbowl ads are golden.

Not only do people talk about the commercials before, for example the Nationwide advertisement with Kevin Federline leaked out prematurely, but they discuss them during the game and for several days after. On Monday, the first thing we gabbed about in all of my classes were our favorite Superbowl ads. On Friday, you guessed it, we were still talking about them. And with the viral video community, viewers not only talked about the ads, but watched them again and again. There were sites dedicated to Superbowl ads and rankings such as SuperBowl-Ads.com, but tons of commercials were posted to YouTube, the machine of the viral video revolution.

Also any controversy surrounding advertisements during the Superbowl was highly public and thoroughly discussed by many. The Snickers advertisement entitled "chest hair" featuring two men sharing a snickers bar and accidentally kissing, was seen as extremely offensive to the gay community and promoting homophobia. This posting on gather.com by John M., Snickers Ad Causes Controversy, Gets Pulled, prompted much discussion. Check it out; read about the ramifications of the spot and then take a look at the numerous comments posted in response to the entry.

It might not have been the most remarkable set of Superbowl ads, but I'm sure all of the advertisers felt that the $2.6 million they paid for the spot was well worth it in terms of buzz.

Image from- http://www.jazzsports.com/super-bowl-2006/super-bowl-odds-2006.php

They Keep Trying

A marketer's dream is to know everything about the target, to understand that group so completely that no move is unanticipated and that no product fails to hit the mark. If a marketer could, they would just spend every single day with the target audience, and sometimes members of the target audience do allow marketers to come into their homes, check out what's in their closet and hang out for a while. However, that is not the norm and typically companies have to find other ways to figuratively invade the lives of the consumers.

After reading several articles on specific target market segments (female teens, young males, boomer women and Hispanic women) it is plain to see that in-depth research and a great deal of time go into getting to know a segment. Buzz Focus: Cracking the Ficke Tween Code was an excellent example of the "hang-out"/focus group approach to understanding an audience. The author spent time asking young girls what they thought about emails, samples and celebrity endorsements. Turns out, this group was willing to gab and disclosed that they adore ads, can't get enough samples, find email "sacred" and greatly admire celebrities. Now the men and boys in Targeting Young Men, on the other hand, were described as experts in "confounding advertisers." This enigma of a a segment has been most successfully reached by grassroots and has succeeded in alluding the Neilson ratings.

Looking more closely at the older female market, the articles entitled Market Focus: Hispanic Women and Market Focus: Target Female Boomers, described some findings. In the Hispanic household, the female is the "decision maker" and looks to do what is the best for their families, often buying premium brands. In order to figure out what this segment is like, they recruit people who really know the market and how to reach them. Spending on advertising directly targeted to the Hispanic community has grown exponentially, and will only continue to over the years. Now the boomer age segment of women in general is an interesting group. This is a viable and profitable segment, that seemed to be best understood, at least in the article, by women marketers just taking time to learn about themselves and all about women. This segment seems to be dominated by a collective, nurturing mentality that enjoys social networking and blogging.

Image from- www.ciadvertising.org/.../Implications.htm

They Don't Call it Guerrilla Marketing for Nothing

Guerrilla- (n.)
a member of a band of irregular soldiers that uses guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy by surprise raids, sabotaging communication and supply lines, etc. - definition courtesy of http://www.dictionary.com/

In order to get a better sense of buzz marketing, I conducted a cursory search of specifically buzz marketing agencies and groups that specialize in alternative advertising. I slowly began to realize how very appropriate the term "guerrilla marketing" is. Reading over the mission or self-promotional statements of a handful of companies, I see that these groups are aggressive tactical units, seeking and destroying the last pure shreds of untouched-by-advertising time in an individual's day. One appropriately named company is "Street Attack." Amazing. If I were a brand, I would hire them too.

Upon reading the following statement by Street Team Promotion.com, I felt as though I was reading a Roman-esqe charge to the advertising troops. --

"Street Team Promotion.com provides highly customized micro-marketing campaigns for products, services and events. We bring the exposure and the results businesses need in expanding their brand and reinforcing their brand message to specific demographics effectively. We ignite a social influence that can begin in local markets and reverberate regionally and then nationally." - National Campaign Director - Street Team Promotion.com

Others were a little more internally concerned rather than imperialist. Buzzoodle seemed to be concerned with training employees and promoting positive feelings for the company, for example. Buzz marketing firms can be focused on a single target audience, and devote their existence to knowing everything about that market. Buzz Marketing Group is such a company that makes its business off of doing everything short of reading the thoughts of teenage females.

Curious about some alternative marketing agencies?
Buzz Marketing Group
Street Attack
Steet Team Promotion.com
Buzzoodle

Image from- http://www.altterrain.com/Brand_Ambassador_Marketing_Expedia.htm

Podcast: The Industry News Source

I just finished listening to a podcast from the independent global PR firm, Edelman. Earshot, their series of podcasts, cover a variety of pertinent industry topics from "Ethics in Social Media" to "Political Blogging." The podcasts, about 20 minutes in length, are hosted by Phil Gomes, Senior Counsel for Online Communications at Edelman and senior advisor to the Society for new Communications Research. The episode in particular that I downloaded was entitled, "Careers in Communication: Asia/Pacific", and dealt with "challenges facing graduating students in the Asia-Pacific Region."

Ad Age also has a collection of audio shows on aspects of the advertising industry, or marketing communications industry in general rather, called Why it Matters. These audio reports are hosted by Hoag Levins, the executive producer of AdeAge.com. The report that peaked my interest was the "Audience Tracking Issues in a Time of Media Upheaval" which featured an interview with Ann Marie Kerwin, the Ad Age MediaWorks editor.

This form of receiving industry news is fantastic. By simply downloading this podcast, I was privy to a panel discussion between the Gomes, a professor at the prestigious Nanyang Technological University of Singapore (NTU), a PR practitioner at Edelman Singapore, another PR professional at Edelman Hong Kong, and a graduate student at NTU. By listening to the Ad Age audio report, in less than eight minutes I heard the media tracking trends from an expert . As a student, this was an amazing opportunity to gain a global perspective of the PR industry and to grasp the changes in the media world. There was something so much more real and memorable about listening to the industry trends rather than reading them. I am extremely enthusiastic about the possibilities of receiving industry updates in this format.

You can listen to Edelman podcasts at:
http://www.edelman.com/podcasts/
Phil Gomes is a prolific blogger and you can visit his blog at:
http://www.philgomes.com/blog/
Ad Age audio shows are available at:
http://adage.com/article?article_id=48120
Visit Hoag Levins' Website at:
http://www.levins.com/

Image from- www.totalcatholic.com/podcast/index.html

Tell a Story: Seth Godin's Google Address

The buzz whiz, Seth Godin, began and ended his presentation at Google with congratulations on the company's amazing success over the years. The in-between time was spent both explaining the cause of that success and warning against becoming average.

Taking a moment to consider my own Google usage, I simply reflect upon the day that has passed me by in a very normal fashion. Today, I have easily used Google's search feature over 25 times to find public service announcements, weather, images and more. The thought of using another search engine never even crossed my mind. Furthermore, I can vividly remember remarking not just today, but on other days to friends, acquaintances and professors that "I adore Google." All of this came to mind when Godin told the story of the woman who approached him after seeing the Google shirt he was wearing. "Google is my life," she said, according to Godin. And that is one of the major reasons that Google has experienced out of this world success; people love the company and the services it provides because it unlocks the power of the Internet.

Something remarkable is "worth making a remark about", mentions Godin. Google has continually dominated the thoughts of Internet users by delivering just that. If there isn't something special about a product or a service, then no one is going to talk about it. If no one talks about it, no one knows about it. Take Gmail for example, as Godin frequently did throughout his speech, and consider whether users really need all of that space to store email. Probably not, but the fact that it is different and at the "edge" makes it worth talking about, in Godin's words, gives it a story. Recently having signed up for Gmail, I am completely enamored with it and I exclaim so without any prompting . It is a service that I find so "remarkable" that I have already convinced my roommate to give it a try. She loves it too. Gooogle Earth is another such service that is on the edge and therefore a subject in Godin's address. I have discussed Google Earth often in my classes and with friends.

A final key to the Google empire is personal and relevant "permission marketing" that is specifically tailored to the online searcher. When a product is searched, then advertisements for that particular product don the sidebar of Google search results pages. Google supposedly delivers value to its users in this manner. At the same time, this is actually the one aspect of Gmail that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The other features are so amazing that I am willing to have my privacy violated, and yes that is what I see the personalized advertisements on the side of my inbox as, a violation of privacy. The first time I noticed a correlation between my emails and the sidebar was when I received an email from a professional Public Relations group. There in the right hand column were ads to find a PR position and other related sites. Creepy was the first word that came to my mind. My roommate and I have since discussed this and came to the same conclusion. I recognize the lucrative nature of these click-throughs and do not see them as an attempt by Google to meet my needs.

I was surprised that I was completely enthralled with the almost 50 minute Godin presentation and hardly felt the time. He made some extremely valuable points and through watching it, I have learned how very integral "buzz" was in the rise of one of the largest dot com's.

Check out the video

Image from- www.nerdyshirts.com