Corporate Eye

...compare, compete, excel

Archives for 2008

Brands and Social Media Marketing – Samsung

Samsung Electronics America is tapping the social web in its promotions leading up to the Super Bowl on February 1, 2009.  The Super Bowl is one of the most watched sporting events in the United States and, it is broadcast globally.  Brands pay big bucks (over $2 million is not unusual) for a 30-second advertising spot during the Big Game that is likely to be seen by well over 100 million people around the world.  Samsung is counting on it with its new marketing campaign.

Samsung has created an entire campaign around its 30-second ad buy during the 2009 Super Bowl Pregame.   The campaign is called “That’s How I See It” and is intended to hype Samsung as the Official HDTV of the NFL – a sponsorship title I’m sure they paid heavily for. [Read more…] about Brands and Social Media Marketing – Samsung

The Bloggers Are Impacting Political Arenas

They’re everywhere. Bloggers that is. They’ve been at the U.S. National Democratic Convention all week, and judging by the buzz on political websites and blogs, they’re not going anywhere too soon. This short video excerpts a portion of the bloggers that were on hand at the Democratic National Convention and gives us a glimpse into the reasons why they feel like they’re making a difference by blogging on the political issues this week.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1578089393/bctid1753232335

As you watch the clip, you will hear the bloggers comment time after time that they don’t want to be “spectators” or just “sit by.” They don’t want to be told what is going on…they want to see for themselves. At a time in United States history where history is being made on an almost celebrity-like level, it’s no wonder why bloggers want to share in all of the fun. But, how will the bloggers blogging affect the political climate on the Internet or even in local communities? Will people pay attention to them long enough to really be able to form an educated opinion about the issues? Will it really matter?

Blogging has been around now for a while, and has been relegated to people who simply want to journal their lives or their personal developments. But in social marketing circles, blogging has taken on a life of its own and now has people of all backgrounds, skill levels, social status, religious slants and political persuasions blogging on the ‘net about whatever strikes their fancy. The only difference being that when certain bloggers blog, people are going to listen, and take note.

This Washington Post article talked about how John Edwards was offended by a couple of bloggers blog entries, but decided to keep them on anyway, despite his reservations. Is it perhaps the powerful bloggers voice that changed his mind? Or maybe the repercussions that would ensue had he dismissed the blogger’s services? Oh how powerful IS the blogging voice!

When situations like what occurred with John Edwards on last year begin to happen frequently in political arenas, people become understandably nervous about what it is that bloggers might in fact put on their blogs. Political climates are especially prey for fodder and “misunderstood” information. Are bloggers loose cannons? Can they simply say anything that they want to say?

This week at the U.S. Democratic National Convention, there are numerous bloggers who are blogging about what they see, hear, are gossiped to and what they speculate on. It is safe to assume that a lot of their material won’t be accurate. It is also safe to assume that out of over 100 bloggers that were allowed privilege to get into the convention to sit as blogger-journalists, that each of their blogs will form varying opinions and ‘unmatching’ stories. It doesn’t mean that the bloggers are reporting inaccurate information; it just means it’s their opinion.

How then, if the blogger’s opinions are going to be at the helm of their blog posts, can we safely say that the blogs are “good journalism” or even worthy material? Is political blogging, simply by virtue of it being political, any less subject to scrutiny or analysis? Can political bloggers simply say anything that they want to say? Where do we draw the line? Or, should we?

Do Tech Companies Give Good IR Web? (part 2)

After subjecting Microsoft to my critical and highly subjective review of how tech companies get investors to their investor relations pages, I thought it would be fair to look at how Apple does it.  After all, Apple is a company that is known for its design flair and ease of use.  My expectations were high.    

When I visited Apple’s home page, I searched high and low for something that typically would lead me to the investor relations page, either a link or tab that was labeled “About Us” or “Our Company” or even “Investor Relations”.  I found nothing – nada – zilch – that looked like where I wanted to go.  Finally, down at the bottom of the page, in tiny print I found “Media Info”.  Clicking on that lead me to a page of press info with a small box labeled “Media Resources” where Investor Information is number four in the list.  Clicking on that got me where I wanted to go.  

 Needless to say, my expectations about Apple were not met.  This was a disappointment for me as I am a fan of Apple’s products – this post is being written on a Mac and between my kids and I we have more ipods in my house than I care to think about.  So how do I score them on my completely arbitrary scoring system?  I give them a 7.  While it only took two clicks to get where I wanted to go, the treasure hunt factor was way too high for a company of Apple’s stature.  Further, Investor relations is not a media category, and the printing for the links was tiny.  

 

Further investigation of the web page revealed two other ways to get to the investor relations page.  The first was to navigate to the site map and find the “Investors” page.  Personally, I try to avoid site maps whenever possible as they usually involve extended hunting for what you want.  This wasn’t my first choice and I don’t give Apple much credit for it.  The second method was more innovative.  At the top of Apple’s home page there is a small search box, similar to the search box that is built into their current operating system.  By the time you type in the first three letters of investor relations, the link for the appropriate page pops up.  This is cool, if only you know to do it.  it may be the wave of the future, but most of us are conditioned to use links and tabs at this point.

So what does all of this tell investors about Apple?  First, if you never found Apple investor information it would be OK with them.  By placing investor relations as a subset of media, it also tells you that Apple wants and expects to control the message to investors, something they can do with the media.  Alas, this almost never works, although it doesn’t keep companies from trying.

Corporate Brand Mind Survey from Harvard University

Harvard University’s Department of Psychology is conducting some interesting research related to corporate brand reputations, and you can participate by taking a 10-minute survey on the Mind Survey website.

The tests are broken down into 19 categories related to emotional triggers, and each test references the same collection of corporate brands . 

The 19 surveys included in the Mind Survey project focus on: [Read more…] about Corporate Brand Mind Survey from Harvard University

The Marriott Brand Shows How Your Blog Can Be Successful

Mr. Bill Marriott of the Marriott Hotels takes time out of his busy schedule on a regular basis to write on his blog. As a busy executive, you would think that he has very little time to do such things and that he would also have a staff to handle such administrative functions. However, what Mr. Marriott is doing and what other business leaders should mimic is Mr. Marriott’s commitment to quality, his commitment to excellence and his unfailing commitment to the core of his business conglomeration – – the customers.

Blogs have quickly become a marketing magnet, enticing and attracting customers who otherwise may not have considered a product or service showcased in a blog. Companies who blog on a frequent basis and blogs that speak directly to the customer are more likely to be successful than those blogs that simply exist. Customers want to know that you have their needs and considerations in mind. They want to feel and see genuine customer service. Blogs contribute to this and fill this need by offering a connection between the company and its customer base. Customers (and competitors!) read blogs to see what the company is doing, what their future plans are and, again, to connect with the company on any level. Customers generally want to feel good about spending their money with you.

Maintaining blogs can help a company’s success rate, no matter how big or small the company is. Blogs are designed in nature to be a voice or a personality for the company, therefore establishing solid connections with the blogging audience is key in making the blog as successful as possible. Bill Marriott maintains a very connecting blog where he also allows others to comment on the blog and he even responds to those comments on occasion. While yes it is true that most executives are very busy individuals, what I believe is important here is the ability for an executive to connect directly with his readers and make a significant impact with his business. Let’s look at some elements of the blog to make that assessment:

  • Mr. Marriott writes and contributes to his blog on a frequent basis. Doing this is one way to ramp up your blog’s readership and show your level of concern for your readers. Giving them fresh, timely content on a regular basis makes readers come back for more.
  • The blog itself is easily navigable and a clean read. The eye doesn’t have to travel too hard or fight to find a comfortable reading level. Be sure that your business blog is easy to read as well so as to keep readers coming back for more. If there is any difficulty or not enough white space, you could possibly lose readers.
  • Lots of images and photos of Bill himself and of his numerous hotel locations. Ideal for businesses that are showcasing a product (like in this case, hotels) or something that you want customers to “see.” This helps customers make decisions quicker and are more inclined to add services or features on to their orders.

What is your blog doing to attract customers? How can you make your business blog more attractive to customers and invite them to comment?

Branding in Social Media vs. Traditional Media

Integrating a social media plan into your branding strategy has moved from being an option to becoming a necessity for survival in today’s fast moving marketplace.  Not too long ago, the thought of adding a viral component to a marketing campaign was a nice add on but hardly a requirement for success.  Today, the companies that are going to survive and thrive are the companies that understand the importance of social media and experiment with it to find the best ways to leverage its reach and power in order to drive returns.

With that shift in strategic direction in mind, consider the ways that social media differs from traditional media described below. [Read more…] about Branding in Social Media vs. Traditional Media