A Student Profile

In what area do I wish to learn more and why?

Through my studies of social media, the concept of crowd-sourcing sparked my interest. It’s a relatively new idea that only a few brave companies have dared to try but those that have tried have succeeded. The study of consumer behavior has always interested me and crowed sourcing is an aspect that is yet to be studied in depth.

Describe your ideal position involving social media and explain why you feel you are qualified for it.

Although I am active and interesting in social media, I prefer to take a different approach to it than others. While members of my class may want to be creating blogs and facebook fan pages, I prefer to research and track what they do. I want to be a part of the social media marketing craze from a solely research perspective. I feel this will gain me better insight into what the present day consumer is looking for in a product specifically and in a brand overall. My ideal position would be researching, studying and watching a specific area of social media marketing and quite possibly publishing a book or an academic paper on the ever-evolving topic.

Here is a sample of my work for your consideration:

“Crowd sourcing is one of the best and easiest ways people in the fashion industry can get a handle on what their consumers really want to wear.”

“In the alcohol biz, it’s safer to shoot for achieving brand loyalty rather than a higher consumption rate.”

“More and more people are not trusting traditional advertising and would rather find their information online from a third party source.”

To view a professional resume, please visit my LinkedIn Account. To view a more personal resume, visit my Twitter account.

LinkedIn

Twitter Post

Blog Showdown: Boches Vs. Brogan

Round 1: Their Audience

Taken from the man himself, Edward Broches blog hopes to offer “Creative and social media ideas for a consumer driven world from the perspective Mullen's chief creative officer and chief social media officer.” Sounds good, but who exactly would be reading this blog? Right off the bat Broches states his credentials, the ideas he’s offering are coming form a well known, highly respected advertising agency’s chief creative officer. By mentioning this he is validating his opinions to his readers but he is also attracting a group of followers who know Mullen and their work. A number of his blog posts reference changes in technology and how to morph with the times. Simply from reading the comments his postings receive, his audience seems to be highly educated and highly informed when it comes to industry trends; many of them seem to be in the communications industry themselves.

According to his blog, “Chris Brogan advises businesses, organizations, and individuals on how to use social media and social networks to build relationships and deliver value.” Judging from the comments he receives, his audience seems similar to Broches with a few exceptions. While Broches seems to be popular within the industry, Brogen seems to branch out from that and engage your average joe with his wide range of topics and rather cynical wit. His readers seem highly interested in the topic of social media but they also seem to be a bit younger than Broches audience.

Verdict: I would advise someone to read Broches blog when they are (for lack of a better word) helpless when it comes to social media. Broches writes many step-by-step guides to specific areas of social media where as most of Brogan’s post rely on his readers already being “in the know.” Although both bloggers achieve their goal of offering creative social media advice and strategies, Broches’ delivers what he’s promised to a more receptive audience.

Round 2: Their Ideas

Two of Edward Broches’ step-by-step blog posts really struck me. They both centered on the same idea, that it takes something extra to be considered a social media agency. He writes that it takes 14 (yes 14!) qualifications to be a productive and smart social media agency. The list is not broad at all and lists some pretty complex skills but after digesting the rather heavy ideas, I came to the conclusion that he is absolutely right by having 14. It’s not just about building cool looking web applications or understanding personal branding; it takes a lot more than that. Broches even warns his readers not to be duped into hiring an agency that claims to be “social media gurus” because there are a lot of people out there who simply just don’t know all the things they claim to know.

On Brogan’s side, one of his postings I enjoyed titled “Why Simple Still Wins” details in a short and sweet way why clean, plain, effortless advertising resonates in people’s minds more these days. And I agree, with all the ad clutter plus all the talk centered on what to do about all the ad clutter, it is the simple, sleek advertisements that stand out and will drive people to purchase (just think about what Apple has done using that philosophy).

Verdict: Both bloggers have fascinating ideas that deserve to be acknowledged, read and discussed. And the best place to do so would be in a classroom…a social media-marketing classroom perhaps?

A Letter to YouTube

Dear YouTube,

I know you are pretty much number one in your division of heavy weight video sharing sites online; you probably don’t need to be taking any improvement advice after what a great year you’ve had but that doesn’t mean I’m going to refrain from giving you any. There is value in looking at competitors or what others are doing in the field. Following is a little review of a website you may of heard of and a few suggestions on what they are doing that you could be doing this new year too!

There is this idea that in the fashion world, it’s all about what you’re wearing and who made it. This cultural phenomenon is embodied in WhoWhatWear.com. After leaving their high profile (and high paying) jobs at Elle Magazine, Katharine Power and Hillary Kerr created one of the most respected and well-put together fashion websites to date. With a manifesto that directs people away from the site if they are looking for mindless celebrity gossip, these two ladies live and breathe fashion every day. As they so politely put it “if you're interested in with whom Sienna Miller is "canoodling," you're in the wrong place…However, if you are interested in Miss Miller's new handbag of choice or what color nail polish she's wearing this week, we respectfully suggest you come here.” Since the websites creation in back in 2006, Katharine and Hillary have stayed true to their ideals offering up a bias free, strictly informational, highly inspirational fashion website.

The video addition to their site is the “Ask a Stylist” section. After years of experience professionally styling for the chic elite, they are now bestowing their knowledge onto us in the form of a vlog. Subscribers of WhoWhatWear, or WWW for short, can submit their fashion brain busters to their website and hope that their question will be answered. The most recent clothing conundrum is centered on the trendy body con skirt and how to transform the look from day to night. With their expertise, these women present a video that is fun, engaging, and all those who watch, whether shopping high end at Bloomingdales or affordable chic at H&M, can mimic the styles.

Now what can you learn from this youtube? Not only does the "Ask a Stylist" section get people more involved in the website but it makes it more personal as well. That is something that YouTube is lacking, they are not a very personalized website. It is Katharine and Hillary themselves who take the time to read through and respond to these questions, they are the stars of the video responses. This provides a face to the website, or in this case two faces, which makes the site less frigid and more sociable. YouTube could easily take on this strategy by adding an ask YouTube section to the already popular website. They could give consumers a complete tutorial of the site as well as how to use specific features. By these adding these improvements, YouTube could become number one in the internet education field.

Enjoy the suggestions YouTube, improvement is always possible!

Oh Emerson..still behind the times?

• 33% of all colleges maintain a blog
• 29% maintain message or bulletin boards
• 19% employ video blogging
• 14% issue podcasts
• 39% of colleges reported using no social media technology
• 53% monitor social media for “buzz” about their institution

39% may seem like a low number to some, but with over half of all the colleges monitoring the buzz about them, why haven’t more of them adopted social media for themselves? Here at Emerson College, we happily fall into the other 61% who do use social media. As we continue to bring “innovation to communication and the arts” we better be doing some innovative communicating on a daily basis.

Facebook

Emerson College’s Facebook page is…existent. It’s the only word I can really use for it. By no means is it bad, but it could do for some sprucing up. There are no postings, photos or information that is not already accessible through the Emerson College E-Campus site. There are directions to the campus, but Facebook is not generally used for that. There are also a number notes posted that are not over two sentences in length. For example, the most recent post is a link to a note with the headline “Annual scholarship dinner brings scholarship funders and recipients together” Once the link it clicked on, it brings you to the note page where there are two sentences about this entire dinner. Maybe the annual

scolarship dinner isn’t that interesting, but it warrants more than two sentences. There is also very little interaction between students on the page, and isn’t that what Facebook was made for? In fact since November 1^st, there have been 20 posts from Emerson but only three comments from students. And with only one third of the entire student body as fans of the site, it seems like no one really cares to become a fan of their own institution much less comment on their page. A school who is doing it right is the New York City based New School. People are going onto the page and asking questions about the college’s various programs and the college is answering! There are student and administration videos, photos and other links. What makes this page even more engaging, are the links to both the schools Twitter and YouTube page, something that Emerson College still lacks.

The Class

Being a marketing student at Emerson College, I’ve really appreciated a social media-marketing course. Most internships available in the area are all social media related. Companies’ want someone from the young, hip generation that feeds off of anything social media related to run their blogs, Facebook, twitters etc. Coming from a generation where nearly everyone can say, “I know how to use Facebook.” I feel confident that I can say “I know how to use Facebook to market a product.” See the difference? It’s a pretty big one that I hope all marketing agencies will take into account. With social media being the trend that will never end, taking this class gives me a sense of accomplishment and quite possibly the ability to one up the competition when applying for a job. Nice going Emerson College, thanks for that.

Blog

Emerson does keep a blog, although until I did this posting, I had no knowledge of it. However, once I discovered the blog I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was actually updated frequently with a variety of different writers. With more advertising on the official website and Facebook, this blog could become more widespread than it currently is. The writers and topics vary from sports to journalism to BFA proposals and everything in between. Another score for the innovator in communications.

Twitter

Emerson College has yet to jump on the twitter bandwagon but we should do so soon! Other institutions, like NYU, have already had great success with their twitter accounts. They post everything from subway slowdowns for off campus students to web comics centered on student life in New York City. There is a lot that Emerson could learn from this account and students would have fun updating the site, and they’d do it for free! If we have a class in how to use twitter as a marketing platform, we should at least have a twitter if not for anything else than to show incoming freshman what they will learn in the social media marketing class.

http://www.nacacnet.org/AboutNACAC/PressRoom/2009/Pages/SocialNetworking.aspx

Crowd-sourcing in the fashion world

What is crowd sourcing?

A relatively new concept, crowd-sourcing is slowly becoming a popular tool marketers use to connect and get involved with their audiences. Chances are you are unfamiliar with the name but have at one time participated in some form of crowd-sourcing without even knowing it. I'll explain; when company has a problem or an idea that needs to be tested, they release the information to an unknown group (that's us common folk) to gain advice and help. And of corse we don't mind helping out our favorite companies (especially if there is a cash prize involved). Once the challenge is presented, we log onto our online communities and try to tackle the challenge by offering solutions. These solutions are then voted on and reviewed by the company and the winner is given a lovely prize. And the final step for the company is to hopefully make some sort of profit with the new ideas given. Crowd-sourcing can really be broken down into 8 simple parts, shown here by this map. It is a rather new process that most companies are just starting to appreciate the value of but others have been using this tactic for a long time.

Oh those tricky consumers...

The average consumer is quite possibly the most difficult person to predict; it is a challenge to know how people will engage and react to a new product and service. There is no industry who knows this better than the fashion world. No matter how much work, love, care and craftsmanship goes into designing a piece, it is next to impossible to predict whether it will be the "hot item of the year," or if it will be doomed to waste away in the back of the sales racks. Crowd sourcing is one of the best and easiest ways people in the fashion industry can get a handle on what their consumers really want to wear. Unfortunately, it is not a tactic that is used by many big fashion houses...yet.

Tweets on a Tee

Threadless Clothing is not unused to the concept of crowd sourcing, in fact their entire company is based off crowd sourcing. An online store since 2000, Threadless Clothing allows independent artists to upload their tee shirt designs to the forum, members of the Threadless community then vote on their favorite designs. The best and most popular designs are then chosen to be printed and sold through the online store. The lucky creators of the winning designs receive a cash prize as well as store credit. Theadless Clothing is selling exactly what their consumer wants to buy simply because the consumer is telling them what to sell! It seems like a simple and easy concept but most companies do not utilize it as they should.

Recently, Threadless Clothing formed a relationship with Twitter and together launched Twitter Tees by Threadless. By involving a popular social media network, Threadless Clothing has taken their crowd sourcing model to the next level. They were founded on the idea of community involvement and Twitter is one of the largest online communities and it continues to grow, it seems only logical that these two super giants would form a partnership. The idea around the Twitter Tees is very similar to Threadless' entire business model. Twitter users can submit or nominate their favorite tweets that they've stumbled across online. The community then votes on their favorite and the winners are turned into tee shirts. With over 500,000 users on Twitter, they certainly have enough material and a great jumping off point for the new line.

Drink that Social Media Down

“Shipyaaad”

Shipyard Brewing Company is a small brewery founded in 1992 in my hometown of Portland, Maine. Originally, the beers were all brewed in Kennebunk, Maine but within two years the product was so in demand that they had to build a new brewery in Portland just to keep up with the rising popularity. Not bad for a small beer company from Maine. At first, the company used fairly predictable ways of advertising its product. They targeted locals by partnering up with some of the most popular restaurants in the area; eventually they sent their product south when they struck a deal with Sea Dog Brewery. This is a company that does not have regulated a large sum of money to advertising. They rely heavily on word of mouth. There are no mainstream media advertisements, no television commercials or radio spots. Most people outside of Maine have never even heard of this particular beer and therefore they pass right by it on the shelves and gravitate towards the “safer” choices of Budweiser and others like it. Social media marketing is a perfect tactic for this company, it’s cheap, easy to maintain and has the ability to reach a large number of people in a short about of time. Oh, and did I mention it’s really cheap?

What’s the right way to market booze?

When it comes to marketing alcohol, it can be a bit of a challenge. In the United States, the marketing is highly regulated in a similar way that tobacco advertisements are. In other words if no one else sees your advertisements, at least Uncle Sam will, but he might not like what he sees. In the alcohol biz, it’s safer to shoot for achieving brand loyalty rather than a higher consumption rate. It’s better to have people to buying (and stick to buying) your brand on a regular basis, rather than buying your product for one night of heavy binge drinking. There have been a few companies in recent years that have gotten it right by using social media. If I could only pick two ways to market Shipyard Brewing Company using social media it would have to be through an iPhone application and through a blog. (But I would recommend using Facebook and Twitter as well just for good measure.) An iPhone application is so great because it encourages a very deep level of engagement; it is not just a notification system that a poorly constructed Twitter account can turn into. Users are basically downloading (and sometimes even paying for) an interactive advertisement and caring it around with them wherever they go!

Absolut-ly Right

One of the best examples of advertising for alcohol is Absolut Vodka. They have an Absolut page on Facebook which the company utilizes to not only announce new products or events but also cleverly directs people over to their website which is top notch. There is also an iPhone application called Drinkspiration, it allows users to browse and make the perfect drink choice and if they so choose, share it on Facebook or Twitter. They dubbed it “GPS for cocktails.”

Another clever thing Absolut has done real well, and it may be what they are most known for is their video blogs called “In an Absolut World.” Available on youtube or via their website, these blogs are creative, engaging and some of the most interesting I’ve seen. An example of one of their best viral videos revolves around a group of artists from around the world who make art spelling out Absolut’s philosophy. And to tie it all together, some of the art is done with empty Absolut bottles…how cute is that?

“Yeah…there’s an app to find your booze”

Proximo Spirits, which is the liquor company that is responsible for such products as Three Olives Vodka and 1800 Tequila, has recently come out with an iPhone application that they happen to be very proud of. The idea is simple, the application will determine your current location and then poof, like magic, it will locate all the bars and restaurants near you that carry Proximo products. Diving deeper into the app, you can read reviews of the establishments, get directions and get drink suggestions as well. Really, the only thing this application can’t do it pour you a drink.

But what about all those rules…

Yes, the advertising of alchoal is highly regulated but with a few smart people on your team it’s easy to invent new and interesting ways to advertise your product. Currently Shipyard Brewing Company is half way there; they have recently launched a Facebook page and are working on a Twitter. Currently, they only distribute their product in 25 states, with a successful blog and a rad iPhone app, they may just be in demand in all 50 states.

How do I talk to those bloggers?

Listen to Me!

One of the biggest challenges in the social media-marketing world today is getting influential bloggers to not only listen to you, but write a blog about you or your product. Sometimes this can just happen by pure luck, you produce something they enjoy (or hate) and they write a little blog about, people read it and poof! Next thing you know more and more blogs pop up all over the Internet regarding your product, because of that a growing number of people are becoming aware of you and your product. And it all started with this one blogger. But how do we reach that one, special blogger? Andwho is this guy anyway? What does this guy have that other bloggers don’t? Well the answer is simpler than you think. What he or she has over other bloggers are readers. Yes, it is that simple, they have people who read their blog regularly. And as a result these people respect their opinion, and are viewed as a credible source.

Who is this person?

With all the bloggers in the world it is important to find the “right one.” You must find a blogger that does not only have a strong following but will also be receptive to you and your ideas. Luckily, AdWeek makes it easy for us. The publish a list of bloggers that they deem the “Power 150,” the bloggers with the most viewed, commented and popular blogs. A great example of one of these blogs is the popular site AdFreak. On top of this website there are two sister sites, MediaFreak, Brand Freak and TweetFreak. All three are successful and respected as well, a company should be pleased to be featured on one if not all three. But today, we’ll focus specifically on AdFreak.

Ad Freak

One of the greatest aspects of this blog is that it is not just one person. It is eight different contributors, who all have different viewpoints and interests. The chance of having an effect on one of the eight is pretty high. On this website, these eight bloggers review different television commercials and specific ad campaigns. They keep their postings short and sweet while still encouraging conversation. The postings are at times humorous while still engaging their audience. Other postings are heavily critical. Several of their postings get people of talk.

For example, one of their most recent postings concerned Pepsi’s Amp application for the iPhone. It was posted only three days ago and the number of comments have grown and grown since. Because this was such a popular topic, the bloggers did the intelligent thing and posted a follow-up thread just two days after the first. These are two of the most commented on postings in the past few months. Pepsi is getting a lot of heat for their new iPhone application and AdFreak does not condemn it any less than anyone else, however they do something smart with it. While everyone is discussing how every woman will hate this app, AdFreak actually hops off the bandwagon and actually discusses whether or not this move will do anything for the brand.

The most important aspect of this website is that it is all just ads. The entire website is made up of advertisements. And because of this, people willingly watch them repeatedly. In a world of DVR, online television, and consumers doing pretty much whatever they can do to avoid watching commercials, people go to this website to watch commercials. That is what gives this blog so much power and sparks the interest of advertising companies.

How to Reach Them

When communicating with this particular blog, take a hint from the structure of their posts. Keep your communications short and sweet. Bombarding them with useless product specs will not get you anywhere, a simple overview accompanied with a television commercial or a print ad will get you much further. Once the advertisement gets blogged about and reviewed, they will automatically link your website to their blog. So useful! They are also very active on twitter, which would be the perfect place to approach them. These bloggers may actually respond better to that approach.

For example, if you were to email just one blogger from the website rather than the group it may serve you even better. That way making it more personal will give you a better chance that they will write on your topic. One of the bloggers (who wrote about the Pepsi Amp Application) Rebecca Cullers writes mainly about food, video games or similar products (like an iPhone application). Therefore, when you pitch to her, you better be pitching something interesting that involves food or technology. Otherwise it will seem as though you are wasting her time.

Whatever product you are marketing, it is important to reach out to a blogger. More and more people are not trusting traditional advertising and would rather find their information online from a third party source. Twitter, Facebook and blogs are the new marketing tool and it’s time to practice using and communicating with them.