Archive | March, 2011

Foursquaring on an Island Adventure

26 Mar

I’m writing from Tybee Island, GA and you probably haven’t heard of it. I hadn’t. But when it came to stopping somewhere on our spontaneous camping road trip, we happened to land on a place so tiny it could barely fit our 27-foot trailer. Picture a Cape Cod/Myrtle Beach hybrid zapped by the electromagnetic shrink ray from Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

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However, it’s wild to admit that this island is not too small four Foursquare. After all, a year ago I would have created nearly every location and been the mayor of most of them. The only capability would have been touting my many beach and restaurant stops and earning the Great Outdoors badge. And while I admit I still enjoy these features (especially my recent badge), Foursquare has changed for the better.

Today, there are 22 “specials” on this island. Everywhere I go, at least four people have checked in there too. Every location has a mayor.

But the “for the better” aspect is more than its growth in popularity. Foursquare’s new “explore” feature has quickly transformed me from newbie Tybee tourist to island-navigating native as it has provided me with an arsenal of tips and photos to nearby restaurants, beaches and shops. I’m choosing my own adventure with minimal sweat to the brow. The Foursquare 3.0 update, which occurred a few weeks ago, gives you what you need on request. Quoted from Foursquare’s blog, “Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll find something nearby.” Perfect.

In simple terms, Foursquare surrounds my vacation experience and I embrace it because it makes the trip easier. Plus, my friends still get to hear about me sipping margaritas on the beach. Cheers to that.

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A Proactive Brand is a Smart Brand

23 Mar

The Internet had a mini heart attack yesterday. Netflix was down.

For a growing population, Cable is no longer a household item. Its impending doom to the land of VCRs and boomboxes is due to Netflix and the Internet. But all was awry when Netflix was down for nearly two hours. A PC Magazine report said it was due to a ‘rare technical isssue’ but the true cause is still unknown.

While Netflix-dependent users spewed their dissatisfaction all over the Internet last night (with Twitter and Facebook as the common barf bag), I was interested in what the Netflix brand would do about this situation. When they say there’s no such thing as bad PR, I don’t believe it (hello O.J. Simpson) but what I do believe is taking advantage of these center-stage moments for the good of your brand.

Netflix felt the same way.

Within 24 hours of the incident, affected customers received an apology email with a 3% credit toward their next bill.

Instead of waiting for my angry call, they proactively faced the issue head on and offered a solution. So while I was perturbed for a moment, I’m happy again. The point is simple. Support your brand by addressing issues and communicating. Be proactive and there will be less Internet vomit. Let’s clean it up.

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Blogger’s Inspiration

20 Mar

You may say I’m overly inspired. I get it from friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and nearly every website I visit. And so, I’ve recently been inspired to write about the blogs that inspire me.

Onextrapixel certainly showcases web treats, as it alludes. This weblog touts the most relevant and unique websites. The site was started in Singapore by inspiration-hungry web designers and developers. But even if you’re not in that camp (like me), there are tons of sexy sites featured here to make even those with souls of custard think twice. In addition, there are tips and tutorials so the left-brained are not left out.

 

Brandflakes for Breakfast, created by CT-based interactive firm, Humungo, spoons out the tasty information on the web and feeds it to readers on a daily basis. The posts are short and to the point with links to more information.  I highly recommend following these bloggers on Twitter – @darrylohrt & @kdel713.

 

ePromos Promotional Products could easily do the blog thing incorrectly (aka lame sales tool pushing product). However, their approach calls out unique, successful promotional ideas (outside of their own) that serve as a great place for marketers to be inspired. The posts are relevant too (already showcasing promo items from SXSW) and told through videos, pictures and easy-to-read posts. I only wish they posted more often, but then again, great promotional case studies are few and far between.

 

Inspired yet?

 

 

 

 

 

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Technology on Vacation

17 Mar

Florida, I’m coming your way.

The husband and I are planning a spontaneous camping trip to Florida. As a Type A account planner, I admit, the word “spontaneous” is not in my vocabulary. But with this smartphone society, there’s really no such thing as “spontaneous” anymore. And that’s why I’m okay with this trip. Here’s a perfect example:

The Florida State Parks iPhone App

This app is crammed with photos, videos, slideshows, GPS directions, comments and maps covering the entire state. Anywhere we want to camp, hike, picnic, geocache, take photos, explore…well, you get the idea…it’s got opportunities.

This app was made in 2010 by @sandrafriend, a Floridian with intense knowledge of the parks in her state. It covers all 160 state parks and more than 1,700 images (with free updates so it’s hardly outdated).

I’m a big UGC fan and I appreciate how user comments rule this app. It keeps it fresh and credible.

Oh, and while I’m more of the free-app-downloading type, this is worth the $2.

Check it out.

What does this all mean? It’s not just about aiding in the revelation of my inner spontaneity. Technology continues to be a part of our lives and craft who we are and how we live. And so, I’m taking this technology on vacation with me.

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Sourcing Warmth

13 Mar

Since we bought our house late last year, we’ve been using our wood stove constantly. There’s nothing like a fire that’s cozy enough to curl up near yet warm enough to wear a t-shirt in December. And so, the wood stove became our mecca and go-to heat utility. That is, until we ran out of wood.

I’m know we’re not alone. Wood stoves are popular across America and wood is prevalent. Who hasn’t seen a salvageable dead tree ripe for the taking? Yet people (including me) pay for seasoned wood by the cord.

Move now to social media. This is a place where people share what they see, hear, feel, taste and know at every moment. There lies the opportunity. Why can’t wood be social? We can utilize the tools we have to save each other money. Post the wood spotting, which then enables someone to retrieve it before it rots. Understanding there is the minutia to keep in mind (private property, accessibility, etc.), there is the ability to merge two great things – the outdoors with social media. This idea has been done before – take geocaching for example – but not in this way. This is an opportunity to:

  • Help people be efficient with their heat source
  • Utilize the outdoors
  • Share

This all ties back to the idea that social media is not going away because the opportunities within it are so vast. We’re just taking the first few logs in the ginormous wood pile we call new media.

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A Media Mix

13 Mar

It’s not like I haven’t written before. I probably have 30 notebooks full of short stories dating back to 1995 (I was 14). Then there’s my unpublished manuscript which I wrote during a college fellowship and my English minor. I enjoy writing enough to keep submitting said manuscript despite being rejected 11 times by publishers. Young Adult fiction has a place for me. Sorry publishers, I’m not going away.

So why is this my first post?

A Media Mix was a long time coming. Call it a wrinkle in my brain for the past five years. I fostered it as I grew my advertising career. I crafted my craft. I found I was intrigued by the success of multiple mediums working together to deliver ROI. And for the past five years, I’ve focused there. But lately, social media and microblogging has captured my attention. After all, social media is popular not only in the advertising world but as a part of every person I know. And so, A Media Mix was born. It’s a place for:

  • Sharing the love and awesomeness of multi-media campaigns’ effectiveness
  • Microblogging in a full-fledge blog (should be interesting)
  • Sneaking in creative writing tidbits
  • Infusing my life because, after all, my hilarious husband and brainy border collie are very entertaining
  • Creating bullet points

Let’s do this.

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Being Multi-Faceted

12 Mar

Why are multi-faceted campaigns so successful? Here’s my educated-yet-still-writing-the-scientific-algorithmic guess.

It really is a “big idea.”

The good ideas are the ones with legs. It can work in any medium…with any headline…within any media budget…for years at a time. That’s when strategy and creative approach blend to concoct a brainchild.

It’s reaching you in multiple ways.

The consistency of a campaign that speaks to you where you eat, sleep, work, breath and live (wow, this sounds Big Brother-ish) can ultimately enact change. For me, I’m always looking for the next way it will be executed.

It catches your attention.

If you’re experiencing a message over and over in different places (during your happy, Modern Family moment and your troubled, sitting-in-traffic moment), and maybe it’s just me (entrenched in media), but you notice it. You realize a connection. Experiencing that enough could make you a believer.

When working with Clients, it’s great to partner and create multi-media campaigns. Don’t get me wrong, managing it is a ton of work. One edit affects all executions. Not to mention the amount of creative and strategic brainpower it takes to give birth to this brilliant idea. But it’s worth it. After all, you’re implementing something that does its best to reach your audience and meet Client expectations. And when that happens, it’s magical.

That’s a topline.

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