LB's Rambles

2D or Not 2D?

...That is the question? Well...maybe and maybe not, Prince Hamlet. I'm talking here about 2D codes, those matrix barcodes which are suddenly appearing everywhere, and the QR codes which are a subset of 2D codes - you can read all about them in Wikipedia, but they have become the latest gimmick in mobile marketing. Stores, products, you name it, all are displaying these codes, which are designed to be read by your mobile phone, which will then...

Ah, there's the rub. A lot of what we are seeing, when marketers use these codes, doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense. That's summed up really well by Steve Smith at MediaPost's MobileInsider blog. If you're sitting in a store, and you see one of these codes on a product and use your cell phone to grab it...why on earth would the company behind that code simply run a 3-minute ad for the product you've already decided to buy? Are you going to stand in the store for three minutes and watch it? How about a seven-minute movie trailer?

Read the whole thing; it's hilarious and well-written - and more than a little sad. And it's really not just about 2D codes - as one commenter on MobileInsider points out, it's a problem with virtually all kinds of marketing - you need to create value, not clutter.

Arrogant and Stupid

As you probably already know, there's been quite an uproar in social media over the stunt pulled by GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons, who not only went to Zimbabwe to kill an elephant but also posted the whole sordid thing on Twitter. That may strike you as an arrogant and stupid thing to do. You'd be right.

I have occasionally disagreed with comments made by Erik Sass at MediaPost's The Social Graf blog, but I think he is absolutely right in his comments on the arrogant idiocy displayed by Parsons. "Social media is great," he says, "but even the most innovative social media strategy is futile when your company's top management is stupid, malicious, or both."

Apparently, a lot of people agree with him. I know an entrepreneur, who announced on Facebook that he had 400 GoDaddy domains but who has moved (or is moving) them all because of Parsons' stupidity. I imagine he's not alone. I'm sure there are other people working at GoDaddy who deserve a hell of a lot better as a leader.

Energy, Life, Death - and Marketing

When you think about energy safety, how do the various forms of energy line up in your head? What comes to mind? Nuclear? Oil? Coal? Seth Godin looks at some numbers from a marketing/PR viewpoint - and comes up with some information and opinions that may surprise you...

Hat tip: Instapundit

Keep it Transparent

I've been preaching the gospel of transparency on line for a long time now. It seems so obvious to me: if you try to pull a fast one, or say something stupid online, it's not going to stay a secret. Period. And if you're a company, trying a little fancy footwork with the truth, your brand is going to take a hit.

It's not a new concept. But my friend Peter Shankman, I think, says it a lot better today than I can, so I urge you to read his take on transparency and stupidity.

To Gaffe or Not to Gaffe?

When is a social media gaffe not a gaffe? When a company, brand or individual posts something stupid...then apologizes a few hours later and pulls down the offending post or tweet or article, is that a gaffe? Is the withdrawal the end of the matter?

We had an example this past week with a widely-publicized tweet from Kenneth Cole, seeking to link events in Egypt to the brand's spring fashion collection. Gaffe? Strategy? Some thoughts from PR guru Mark Ragan at Ragan.com.

Is Ragan too cynical? I'd like to think so. I'm not sure I can think so.

Ironman

If you work in social media, marketing or public relations, there's a good chance that you already know Peter Shankman, the guy who founded Help A Reporter Out, or HARO. He describes himself on his blog as "Social Media Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, CEO, Speaker, Consultant & Adventurist." He's also been a good friend of mine for about 15 years.

He now has a new title, too: "Ironman." Last weekend, at the Cozumel Ironman race, Peter jumped in the water and swam 2.4 miles. Then he got out of the water, got on a bike and rode 112 miles. Then he got off the bike, put on his running shoes and ran a full marathon, 26.2 miles. That earns you the title "Ironman."

And because he is Peter Shankman, he has written a phenomenal post on his blog applying to life and business the lessons he learned in preparing for this race. It is absolutely must-read stuff. Go read it. Now.

And leave him a congratulatory comment. He's more than earned it.

Get Smart

My old friend Peter Shankman, one of the smartest people I know in social media and marketing, has an excellent post on his blog today, wondering "Are We Ever Going to Get It?". By "it," he means "social media." Not to mention "social media marketing."

He's right. He's as right now as he has been for the past, oh, I don't know, fifteen years or so, back when the World Wide Web was a brand new concept and nobody had even come up with the whole concept of "social media." There are times that arguing with clients/colleagues can feel a lot like trying to turn an enormous ship onto a new course by dragging one arm in the water. Peter runs down some of the basics which, unfortunately, too many people still don't get.

How Not to Talk to Your Customers

I just received a "research survey" call from Bank of America which provides a good object lesson in how not to try to carry on a conversation with your customers.

The caller, clearly reading from a pre-written script, started out by telling me that his research firm was conducting this survey for Bank of America and was calling me because I was such a good customer. He then - immediately, without a single question or answer - began reading a lengthy obviously-lawyer-written advisory to the effect that any ideas that might emerge from our conversation about banking products would be the sole property of Bank of America.

At which point I started laughing and interrupted him, said "Good Night," and hung up the phone.

Folks, if you want to call me at my home - intrusive, no? - and pick my brain for ideas about your product and/or service, here's a tip: DON'T start off the conversation by reading me something that tells me that anything of potential value in our conversation will become your sole property. You're asking me to do you a favor by taking the time to answer your questions; I'm far less likely to do so when your lawyers insult my intelligence.

Oh, and for what it's worth, I have no intention of charging you if you pay attention to this piece of advice.

"The Best Day to Send a Press Release"

Is there such a thing as a "best day" to send a press release? I'm not convinced. Neither is Jeremy Porter, who has written a very good article at Ragan.com trying to answer the question.

Having worked both sides of the fence, as a journalist and a PR person, I have to agree with Porter: there is no hard, fast rule, nor should there be. If I were asked to come up with an answer, I'd say, "the best day is when you have REAL news to impart." That is, real news that would be recognized as such by a reporter - not a release that you're sending out because your boss wants to see the company name out there. There is no good time to send a press release like that!

I think Porter pins it down pretty well:

You may think you’ve got a hot story to share, but are you a journalist? Read the release out loud. Does it read like a news story? Could you imagine reading the release that way in the paper or magazine you’re targeting? If it doesn’t read like a news story, go back to the drawing board and make it more interesting.

But there's still more to it. Is a press release the most effective way to get your story out? Are you paying too much attention to print and broadcast and not enough to the web and social media? How are you doing with your one-on-one conversations with your potential targets?

Successful PR takes a lot more work than just sending out a press release on Tuesday morning because somebody told you that was the best (and slowest) time in a particular news cycle. The world doesn't work that way any more, if it ever did.

Internet Importance

Here's a new study whose results really shouldn't surprise anybody who has been paying attention: according to Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, the Internet is the most importanjt and influential means of communication worldwide when it comes to driving consumer decisions. The findings are contained in Fleishman-Hillard's Digital Influence Index for 2010.

There's a good summary of the key points at MediaPost's daily Research Brief newsletter:

The Digital Influence Index reveals the following nine key insights into the Internet's global influence on consumers' lives:  

• Globally, digital dominates in influence but not marketing dollars spent.
• The Internet plays an even more critical role in China, home to the world's largest and fastest-growing population of online consumers.  
• The Internet plays an integral role in the decision-making process for research, purchases and peer influence
• As more users embrace social media and generate content, a consensus is emerging that people share too much personal information
• People trust the Internet most when they have multiple sources, and a friend is one of them
• Internet users report a lack of trust in content produced by sponsored or paid bloggers 
• Microbloggers trust companies that listen and respond in real time.

The index doesn't discount the importance of peer conversation on consumers - but, in many places, it's secondary to the Internet.