With the proliferation of social media, more and more organizations are realizing its value as a marketing and public relations tool. As such, we now have a multitude of examples that provide lessons on what to do and not to do when it comes to social media campaign planning and execution. We’ve recently seen two great examples of both.
Old Spice launched a campaign in Februrary around the Old Spice Guy with a television ad themed, “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” This initial ad campaign recently climaxed this month with a flurry of 180 YouTube videos personalized for fans and celebrities alike. The original ad attracted 19 million views, with this latest “Old Spice Responses” campaign resulting in 5.9 million views and 22,500 comments, all since the middle of July.
What’s great about the campaign is how Old Spice and marketing agency Wieden + Kennedy used viewers to go viral, noting that brands don’t make viral videos, users do. To achieve viral success, they not only sent customized video responses to random individuals, but also to celebrities like Alyssa Milano and Ellen DeGeneres. The campaign also took a positive approach, offering valuable, but funny advice, as opposed to a shocking or over-the-top attitude to help the content go viral. This approach made people want to be a part of the experience.
On the other hand, in an effort to be seen as edgy and youthful, Dr. Pepper launched a Facebook campaign in the U.K. with ad agency Lean Mean Fighting Machine (LMFM) that used Chat Roulette as part of April Fool’s jokes by “punking” users, showing them a cheerleader to get their attention then switching her out for someone less desirable. Later, LMFM led a campaign that gave consumers a chance to win £1,000 if they allowed the brand to take control of their status updates on Facebook. This campaign eventually offended a 14-year-old girl (and her parents) with an inappropriate message.
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Each new technological convenience, such as smart phones, portable tablet computers and free wireless internet at every corner, makes the Internet more and more accessible to “e-patients,” or health care patients searching for online diagnoses, treatment options and other health care information.
These e-patients turn to online health resources to find information in preparation for, or even in place of, doctor visits. While these popular sites can instruct worried parents on how to treat a simple cold or tummy ache, they can also create unnecessary confusion and anxiety about unlikely diagnoses.
In fact, of the 61 percent of American adults looking online for health information, six in 10 of those e-patients say their most recent Internet search actually affected their decision on how to treat an illness or condition.
To help solve the potential problems posed by this wealth of online information, health organizations, hospitals and physicians should consider this old adage: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”
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OKLAHOMA CITY – Saxum, a multi-dimensional creative, public relations and marketing firm, recently announced the promotion of Houda Elyazgi to senior account executive, Lisa Janssen to media relations supervisor, Rachel Leonard to account executive and Anthony Triana to media relations specialist.
Elyazgi is responsible for managing accounts, conducting research, writing, developing campaign strategies and planning special events for clients as a senior account executive. She also coordinates Saxum’s Step Up program, which provides a $50,000 pro bono service grant to one Oklahoma nonprofit each year. Elyazgi graduated with distinctions from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communications with an emphasis in public relations and a minor in Arabic.
As media relations supervisor, Janssen oversees writing, communications and media outreach for Saxum accounts, focusing on strategic media placements that reach clients’ objectives. She also oversees the firm’s social media presence and conducts trainings for clients in traditional and social media. Janssen brings a multimedia and journalism background to Saxum, after graduating summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in Spanish.
Leonard serves as an account executive at Saxum, focusing on account support and management, with a particular emphasis on Saxum’s health care clients. She also has experience using social media communications tools to effectively reach target audiences and garner media coverage for clients. Leonard graduated with academic distinction from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations
Triana leads the Saxum Intelligence Department, focusing on conducting research, writing and gathering information of interest to Saxum’s clients. As a media relations specialist, he also supports Saxum’s media efforts through strategic expert positioning of Saxum clients. Triana graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s in journalism and mass communication with an emphasis in public relations and a bachelor’s of business administration in finance.
About Saxum
Saxum provides integrated strategies in public relations and marketing for clients at the local, regional and national level. Saxum also provides creative services through its wholly-owned subsidiary Maxus Creative. With offices in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and a presence in Austin and Dallas, Saxum is ranked 13th of 135 independent public relations firms based on annual revenue growth by O’Dwyer’s PR Services Report and is a member of IPREX, one of the world’s largest international public relations networks. For more information, visit www.saxumpr.com.
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Recently, I was honored to be asked to give a lecture at the 2010 Four Star Debate program at King’s Academy near Amman, Jordan by Gen. Tommy Franks, The Academy of Leadership & Liberty at Oklahoma Christian University and the National Center for Policy Analysis.
The topic given to me was communication, one of the four pillars of leadership as defined by Gen. Franks. The audience consisted of approximately 40 high school students from the United States and the Middle East. Other speakers included Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan, as well as two-time Olympic Softball Gold Medalist Michele Smith. Needless to say, I felt the pressure to perform.
As I began preparing my remarks, a lot of thoughts came to mind.
First, the students I was to address are all digital natives. They were born into an age where communication technology has been a primary tool they have used to learn. Understanding how to make this technology work to their advantage is a huge benefit.
“How many of you had cell phones by age 12?” I asked.
Nearly every hand raised.
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It can sometimes be hard to find a timely topic for this blog. Thanks to LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert, a backseat-driving PR goldmine dropped in my lap.
Here’s a recap: James is regarded by many as the NBA’s brightest star. From his first day in the NBA, James’s star power has been so strong that folks from CNBC often talked about the economic benefits he brought to Cleveland, a city hard hit by recession. Free agency came calling this year, and the James sweepstakes was narrowed down to several teams, including the Cavs, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.
Typically, when free agents sign a contract, they release a media statement. James, however, scheduled a primetime ESPN special to announce he’s joining the Heat. Within seconds, Cleveland fans disowned him, Facebook lit up and President Obama released a statement (OK – the last part didn’t happen). The most common knock against James was that he publically embarrassed his home state by announcing on live television that he was leaving.
But it didn’t end there. Apparently confusing owning a franchise with owning a human being, Gilbert wrote a scathing letter about James and posted it on the Cavs’ website. While James and Gilbert both made mistakes, James comes out on top, and I’m sure the Boys and Girls Club of America appreciated the $2.5 million raised from the ESPN special.
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