My response to a “who owns social media” question was a bit longish and self-contained, so I thought I’d share it here:
Social Media should be treated as just another marketing channel. Each channel has it’s rules, it’s purpose, it’s strengths and weaknesses. Social Media is good at shaping opinion, so it seems like it should be part of PR.
But doing so is a mistake because it restricts messaging and it can lose its authenticitity. What about the voice of the other constituencies in the organization? What about promotions? PR can’t and shouldn’t try to manage the voice of every facet of an organization.
Should Marketing own it? Social Media channels are contact points that impact an organization’s (or individual’s) brand, after all. I say “no” for the same reasons. An organization isn’t simply made up of the peeps in Marketing and PR.
Social Media needs to owned, directed and managed by an integrated team of people that represent the organization as a whole. If you’d like to see an organization that “gets it,” take a look at the Verity Credit Union Blog, and check out the list of writers on the right.
Oh, they are pretty good at it — the Verity blog was the first credit union blog ever.
You know the ads on the right hand column of your Facebook feeds page?
Here’s a view I’ve received a lot lately:
Yeah. I know. You’ve seen these ads enough already.
Not sure why I’d receive ‘em…I’m not a gamer and there’s nothing in my profile that would lead you to believe I’d be interested in this. In fact, I really don’t like seeing a gun or a crime scene every time I log on to Facebook.
So I’ve nuked these ads whenever I’ve seen them, using Facebook’s advertising feedback feature:
Now that’s what advertisers and users are looking for: Users can receive tailored ads, and advertisers can build a feedback loop for their creative.
Well, at least in concept.
You see, I decided to delete all the “Mafia Wars” ads that popped up, and they simply kept appearing—sometimes two to three of them at once. It didn’t seem to matter which reason I gave, they still littered my screen.
Look, I like a good mob movie as much as the next guy—but what if I really found these offensive? I’d be pissed.
This practice isn’t just anti-user, it’s anti-advertiser.
Somebody has said every way they can that they don’t want to see your ad—but Facebook is still serving them up?
Sure, the feedback widget says “Over time, this information helps us deliver more relevant ads to our users” but if you are given the option to remove an ad because it’s offensive, misleading or anything else on the list, shouldn’t your wishes be granted there and then? Are there any advertisers out there that really want to offend people over and over?
I started deleting the “Mafia Wars” ads weeks ago. And while they don’t pop up nearly as much, I’m still receiving them.
It’s nice Facebook is asking for feedback, especially since it appears they are using the information provided to improve the user experience…somewhat.
But they aren’t asking people to passively answer a poll regarding the color of their wallpaper. They are asking people if they find an ad offensive or misleading. If the user says “yes, this offends me,” the ad needs to disappear from their user experience—forever.
I spoke at the Recognition Roundtable today here in Bellevue, a group of mostly HR people from major companies located here in the Pacific Northwest that are looking for ways to encourage and support recognition within their respective workplaces.
In the session, I shared—
Why this topic should matter to every marketer
What social media is
How social media can help build a culture of appreciation, with a few examples
I’ve owned dozens of cars, and like a lot of people, most have been Japanese or German. So when I turned in my leased Honda and started the hunt for a new hybrid, I drove the Toyota Prius, Camry and Highlander Hybrids, the new Honda Insight and a Lexus RX 400h.
The Prius felt underpowered
The Camry was nice, but felt too much like the Accord I’d just turned in
The Insight was loud and somewhat disappointing
And the Highlander Hybrid was so close in price to the Lexus, I chose the latter of the two
But the events of the last week have me second-guessing myself, and I have Ford’s social media marketing team (and a great product) to blame for it.
Let me explain.
A few weeks ago, Ford contacted me “looking for fresh perspectives and feedback, something a little more engaging and authentic” from “non-traditional approach for bloggers and other content creators” and asked if I’d be interested in test driving the new Fusion Hybrid for a few days.
I agreed, and last Thursday, they delivered a shiny new one to my office, with the Michigan “Manufacturer” plate and all.
Here are few pictures I snapped with my iPhone:
I drove the car to work, to the beach, to Costco, to a Mariners game. Basically everywhere.
The fit and finish were good and the ride was really quiet. In fact, it put my both my high-energy kids to sleep on the ride back from their grandma’s house. Sounds like a cliche, but it’s true.
I got a lot of comments from neighbors “That’s really a nice car,” co-workers “I’d buy that” and was even given a special parking spot by a parking lot attendant after he said “Is that the new Fusion Hybrid—cool!”
What I liked most was the fact I nearly forgot it was a hybrid. The transfer from electric to gas is less obvious than it is with my Lexus, a fact that the press hasn’t missed, with USA Today calling it the best gas-electric hybrid yet.
Oh, and while I didn’t get the 81.5 miles per gallon achieved in a recent hypermiling stunt, I did get a respectable 39.5 MPG in a mid-size car.
All-in-all, an eye-opening experience.
Ford’s social media team is firing on all cylinders
You might have heard the buzz about the Fiesta Movement, Ford’s social campaign that put 100 “agents” (selected from over 4,000 applicants) behind the wheel of a 2011 Ford Fiesta for six months and how they’re sharing the results of their “missions” on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.
Ford is winning on the social web due to the aggressive approach that Scott Monty and Ford’s social media team have been taking to engage customers and build authentic conversations around their products and brands.
While Ford’s branding and social media campaigns are good, I’ve become brand loyal to other manufacturers and it will take a lot to break that hold.
Ford’s dealers still publish absurdly noisy ads with prices the average buyer will seldom get (loyalty discounts, military discounts, first-time buyer discounts, etc)— and you’ll always have to haggle with the salesperson and expect them to bring in the manager when they can’t close the sale.
Still, that happens with most dealers and Ford’s product is good and worth a look.
People like me have been saying “Once American manufacturers catch up with Japanese and Germans, I’ll start buying American cars again.”
Well folks, has that time come? Ford’s product quality and the way they’re communicating with customers has me reconsidering their offerings.
Registration is free. You pay for your own food and/or drinks.
Feel free to share this with anyone you know that might be interested.
I hope to see you Thursday.
Join Social Media Northwest
If you would like to learn more about Social Media or just want to network with other people interested in the topic, join Social Media Northwest on Facebook.
Skittles, the chewy, fruit-flavored candy from Mars, Inc. has jumped into social media in an innovative new way: They have coded their website so their navigation now floats over three of the most popular social media websites.
Skittles.com is now nothing more than a navigation box floating over the Twitter search results for the term “skittles.” Essentially, this is capturing all the Twitter conversations regarding their brand (and their new marketing tactic) right on their homepage. Click the the Friends button, and the nav will float over their Facebook Fan Page. The Media button floats their nav over their YouTube channel.
“Skittles” has been the number one search topic on Twitter and in social media since Sunday, and as you might expect, most commentators love it. It’s bold, innovative and its helping drive word of mouth regarding the Skittles brand with people who love to share ideas.
Whether the failure to filter was intentional or not, I don’t know, but by not filtering visitors get to see the authentic conversations regarding the brand. Still, all tweets aren’t suitable for children.
So, do you think Skittles new social media play is responsible or not?
In The Night After Christmas, Jonathan Salem Baskin waxes poetic about the excuses marketers will make when retailers realize their marketing efforts (especially their holiday sales) weren’t what they hoped for this year:
The marketing had failed, the sales not triumphant,
The guy sneaking away was the company’s consultant.
More rapid than eagles his course was quite plain,
A getaway with successful branding he would claim.
“Now Viral! now, Social! now, Awareness and Retention!
On, Creative! On, Catchy! on, seeking only mention!
The brand was made memorable, I won’t take the fall!
Didn’t they know it wasn’t supposed to sell at all?”
After getting past the fact that Baskin’s poem is better than the ditty I wrote for the Outsource Marketing Holiday ‘08 card, I realized what he’s saying is what most business people assume about marketers:
We can’t be trusted.
It’s not just the fact that it’s our responsibility to persuade. From all corners of our society, we’re let down by people in sports, pop culture, government, business and religion.
We can’t trust our leaders—our heroes, even. Why would anyone trust someone in marketing?
Since 2006, the Edelman Trust Barometer has found a “person like yourself” is the most trusted person in the U.S. Not analysts, experts, educators or the government. People trust people that share their common interests.
I’ll be curious to see if this holds true in the 2008 Trust Barometer results released next month. I bet it will.
Since a “person like yourself” is who people trust most, it’s good to see social media is finally gaining acceptance and adoption by marketers.
Done right, social media can be a powerful tool to help build trust. Done poorly, it can have the immediate opposite effect.
Obviously, there are other things marketers can do, and we’ll tackle those next week.
It’s time to raise our game, folks. Marketers face a crisis of consumer confidence, and we have a lot to prove.
So, what do you believe marketers can do to help gain the trust of consumers?
You might have heard about the recent uproar over a new Motrin ad targeting mothers. If you have already formed an opinion on the topic, skip the video below.
Otherwise, take a look, and try to be as objective as possible.
The way I see it, the purpose of the ad was to help the average mom who has back pain. If you don’t like it don’t buy it – why badmouth the product so viciously? No moms or babies were hurt in the making of the commercial.
What I don’t understand is where are all these caring, united voices are when talking about education, poverty, the economy and other topics that have far more impact and can truly make a difference for themselves and their children’s lives? And such outrage, as is it now expected for companies to have a 24-7 monitoring presence, even on weekends, for everything, and then get told “they’re not listening” when they’re probably taking care of their families on a Saturday or Sunday?
Ultimately, the power of social media can be good, bad, or in this case even ugly. Whichever way you dice it …everyone is talking about Motrin around the water cooler today.
I ask you this…what should we really be mobilizing for or against today?
The apology has been panned by many—most notably Seth Godin—for it’s formulaic and impersonal tone.
Lessons learned from the Motrin social media debacle
Know your audience. If this ad was tested among mothers in social media circles, something went awry.
You must be message responsible. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with the key message, but a few phrases in the script (“wearing your baby seems to be in fashion,” “supposedly, it’s a real bonding experience,” etc.) and the snarky delivery made for an ad that talked down to the target audience.
Get real or go home. To many, the ad and apology lacked authenticity—the attempt to create a personal tone felt forced, or worse, fake.
The discussion will happen, with our without you. For most companies, participation in social media is no longer optional.
Social media is 24/7/365. Conversations don’t just happen during business hours. This brouhaha exploded before Motrin had a chance to respond.
I’ve been on the Advisory Board for a number of marketing programs at the University of Washington for about twelve years.
Here’s an interesting program worth considering if you are in the Seattle area and are interested in Interactive Marketing:
Are you spending more on web marketing yet not getting the results you want? Does your CEO keep asking why you aren’t getting big statistics on your Web site hits? Are you somewhat bewildered by the emerging technology choices out there?
Check out the UW certificate program in Advanced Interactive Marketing. Industry experts have teamed up with UW faculty to provide an in-depth program that addresses these very concerns. The certificate in Advanced Interactive Marketing program will help you to:
Create effective online marketing plans
Execute effective online marketing campaigns
Measure and analyze online marketing performance
Communicate effectively about your product or service
Assess the effectiveness of existing online marketing campaigns (Web sites, social media, etc.)
You are invited to an information session to learn more about this career-enhancing program.
