Archive for September, 2009
Twitter isn’t for kids
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We’ve all seen Tweets that use the phrases, “OMG,” “totally,” and of course, “!” used as punctuation throughout. Even better are the multiple “!!!!!” This is absolutely acceptable for individual Tweets if that’s how that individual communicates. However, if the voice of your brand is communicated that way, it’s worth serious evaluation. Twitter is not for kids anymore.
If you are a business and your goal is to remain true to your brand, which is how it should be, the “voice” that is carried throughout your marketing needs to remain in line including your social networking voice. We’ve seen professional brands that come on to Twitter and begin Tweeting one way and then suddenly the voice changes. That’s okay if your voice is still consistent with your brand. However, if it sounds like you’ve handed over your passwords to a social networking newbie, you may start losing followers and not gaining any new ones.
A common misperception we’ve heard is that social networking is owned by the younger generation. That’s not necessarily true. And yes, there are exceptions to this rule. But while today’s college student most likely has a Facebook account and maybe Tweets, they are doing so personally. Their personal voices have been perfected with their friends in a causal and engaging manner. If the person you have assigned to manage your social networking does so without the insight to your brand positioning, the image of your company online won’t be consistent with your marketing. The expectation that it will, is wrong.
So, when a company just hands over its brand to the youngest person in the office without educating them, they are passing off a critical component of their brand to someone without any training. Companies surely wouldn’t do that with an ad or collateral piece. Which leads me to believe that businesses are either: 1) not taking it seriously or 2) they are just doing social networking for the sake of doing social networking. The fact is it’s a very powerful, fully Google searchable voice to your business. If you doubt the power of social networking, you’re just kidding yourself.
We also see confusion on where social networking fits. Social networking is a tactic. It’s not a strategy. However it does require a strategic approach just like any great marketing program.
Want to know how your potential new hire or agency handles it? Easy, check out their work.
1. Do a Google search and see how their personal social outreach trends.
2. Check out Twitter and see how many people they follow, how many follow back, how often they post and the number of posts to date.
3. Go to Facebook and check out their profiles including frequency, photos, links and other tabs.
4. View their LinkedIn profile to see how their professional resume is presented.
5. See if they have a personal website and/or if they blog.
If you are looking at hiring professionals or an agency,
1. Be sure to check out the agency’s social networking presence with a Google search. There should be a consistent level of frequency and not just starts.
2. Search for individual team members to determine their level of participation. After all if you choose the firm, they will be managing your efforts.
3. Go to their Web site. If an agency is active in the social networking arena, there should be links to their pages and it should up-to-date.
4. See if the agency blogs.
If the agency can’t do it for their own business, how are they going to do it for you?
No matter if it’s an individual or agency, a review of each of the online platforms will help determine their personal brand and therefore how they might represent you. If they’ve promoted themselves well, they’ll do justice for you. If they’re not active socially, then you have your answer.
Branding is so much more than a tagline
Posted by: | CommentsThese are my thoughts on the numerous postings and articles about the RSCVA’s new campaign. It was written before the presentation to the RSCVA Board on Sept. 24.
In the course of full disclosure, I personally have not been involved in the new branding initiative. However, I did work with the RSCVA for close to eight years as part of promoting the area as America’s Adventure Place. Over the last few weeks, I’ve attended two presentations from the RSCVA team about the effort. Here’s my two cents…take it for what it’s worth.
First the research is solid. 11,000 surveys say loud and clear that Reno is misunderstood. More research showed why people actually come here. Surprise, they come here because we aren’t afraid to be who we are and for the same reasons we call it home. Eleven years of declining visitation means our challenges started way before America’s Adventure Place campaign. But that’s not the issue here and the merits for or against that could be debated as well but as of today, that would be living in the past.
The RSCVA started this process with an RFP–3 local firms and 3 out-of-market firms were selected to present. Mortar, the winning agency based in San Francisco, told our tourism decision makers things they didn’t want to hear but needed to. We needed someone from our primary visitor market to be straight with us. Even more importantly, they “are” our visitors residing in our primary drive market. As the owner of a PR firm, I’m saddened to hear so many people say that the RSCVA shouldn’t have gone out of market because of the talent here. True, we have exceptionally, talented individuals right in our backyard that are noted experts in their respective fields. But I’m also hazarding a guess that they have clients outside the Reno Tahoe area…I know we do. And if they don’t, what’s stopping them?
The tagline hasn’t been announced by the RSCVA, but was instead leaked to the media and since then there’s been speculation on the merits of the entire campaign. To judge the success of the entire campaign by a tagline doesn’t even make sense. RSCVA said they entered the process without ever thinking the tagline would change. But the results and feedback were pointing in a new direction. Seeing the interviews of individual’s perceptions of our area is at times funny but more so eye-opening and at the same time unbelievable. Where we went wrong doesn’t matter. What does is how to get back on track. Comparing Reno against Vegas isn’t even a fair way to begin. Comparisons are always difficult. You end up comparing your greatest weakness with someone else’s strength. We needed to own our uniqueness, be honest with ourselves and, as I’ve heard the RSCVA say, quit apologizing for who we are.
With the current economic situation, there’s no better time than now to take an inward look at ourselves, and critically, so that we can be up and running when times are good. Sitting on the sidelines, whining and waiting for the good times is too late. RSCVA is funded by hotel room taxes and the dollars spent to date needs to be looked at as an investment. It’s a small price that could be easily recouped after 30 sold out lodging nights…give or take. Those sold out nights translate to more than just room tax dollars. It means food, drink, entertainment, gaming, gas, etc. Talk about a positive impact.
As far as all this speculation on if the tagline is good or bad and what the ads look like, it’s all premature. Branding is not a tagline, new logo or advertisement. It’s so much more. From the responses I’ve been reading to the articles and editorials, it’s all being done without the benefit of seeing the complete picture. It’s shiny object syndrome at its finest.
Is this campaign it? I don’t know and we won’t know for some time. But I’m willing to give it time and see where it leads. Personally, I’m ecstatic that the RSCVA is doing something instead of sitting around and waiting. If they were, I’m sure they’d be criticized for playing it safe and not reacting.
