Archive for June, 2012

Does Giving Your Brand’s Social Presence A Face Matter In Your Strategy?

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 27

Have you ever interacted with a brand on Twitter or Facebook and wondered who you were talking to? Ever thought that if you knew it was a 50-something male or a 20-something female that you’d approach with a different tone? Would it even make a difference?  Many people probably wouldn’t care, but those that do are pretty split on this. I am a big believer in promoting the faces behind the account to help make communicating with the brand a tad more personal. Logos just aren’t enough.

I haven’t done research or found stats that prove why showing off your community manager could be helpful for your company, but I believe it would help give your brand a more human voice when posting and conversing with fans. ‘Humanizing your brand’ is the new thing these days and has been adopted by few companies, but is a growing ideal. Some brands that are promoting their operators include @UPS, @Dominos, @Southwestair, @JetBlue and @Starbucks by putting the names and/or Twitter handles in the company’s profile. @Dell is the only one I’ve found that adds their community managers on the background image of their Twitter page. It’s tough to do the latter because of the lack of real estate available, but is a great way if you can! I suggest keeping the logo in the avatar and adding your operators in the company’s Twitter profile or in the background image, like the brands mentioned earlier.

I always feel comfortable when conversing with a brand that does this because I can see who I’m talking to and I’m willing to bet that others feel the same way. When I’m only talking to a logo it often feels like I’m talking to an old corporate codger who is grumpy all the time or a lawyer who is way too worried about each word posted. Personally, I like to chat with the brand’s community manager on my own Twitter account because I am in the same career field and like to learn from others like myself. By doing this, it also allows me to chat with the company like I am with one of my friends, with a more relaxed feel. This is the type of thing all brands hope for in social media, to interact with fans on a deeper, more personal level. The goal is to build a community with your following, but you need to be transparent and open about your goals and intentions. Letting people see behind the curtain of your brand’s social channels is a must, in my opinion, because it can really help attain that goal, or at least steer it in the right direction.

Just my short, quick opinion on the topic, but I really believe it can be a valuable asset for a brand’s social strategy. What do you think?

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While Twitter Was Down, May It Be A Lesson Learned

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 21

I don’t know about you, but when Twitter was down today I was affected. Much of my work revolves around social media and when there is a technical problem, I get anxious. Today’s outage was the biggest in 8 months, but much different than others in the past. It made me realize how far off our world has come with technology. Reminded me of that South Park episode (Season 12, episode 6) where the internet went down and the world went nuts. Randy took his family to Silicon Valley where millions of others flocked and were put into fenced off camps, similar to the movie Red Dawn, and the internet was being rationed in 45 second intervals per family; hilarious!

I really believe the world will end when the entire internet goes down permanently. It’s sad how much we were shaken due to the Twitter outage. I was watching other social media sites during the “blackout” to see what was being said about the issue. The majority of people flocked to Pinterest and Facebook, mainly to complain about Twitter not working. I realize that if the internet went down, most people would seriously have no idea what to do. I’m from a small town in Wisconsin and know that Twitter is virtually unheard of and certainly not used, so this entire issue has not forced anyone there to even bat an eye at the mention of a “Twitter blackout”. But in most cities, this was a major problem. I understand Twitter being down hurts a lot of people’s work progress, but I’m just pointing out a larger issue.

My point is is that our world revolves around the internet and social media so much that when it is MIA we are like blind camels wandering the desert with no idea what to do. Let this be a lesson, that there is more to our lives than the internet and Twitter. Ration your time better and spend it with friends and family more, get out and experience the world or take on new hobbies. If what you are doing on the internet isn’t helping you become better somehow, leave it alone. With the right efficiency, you can have done on the internet what you need done in a much shorter period of time if you try hard, but most would rather surf the net. Lucky for me, I grew up in an area where being outdoors was all we ever did and even now, outdoor activities still consume my life much more than the internet does.

By no means is this a rant, I just want to point out how dependent on technology we’ve become. That needs to be fixed. That being said, check out what was said with the hashtag #WhileTwitterWasDown on Twitter. I was too lazy to put together any sort of curation revolving around things being said about it, but look forward to Mashable finding the funniest things mentioned. What are your thoughts on this and what were YOU doing during the infamous “Twitter Outage” of 2012?

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Milwaukee IndyFest: IndyCar Racing Getting Social At The Milwaukee Mile

Author: Cedar Brown

Jun 12

It’s finally here folks, Milwaukee IndyFest begins this week at the historic Milwaukee Mile. This Father’s Day weekend, 26 drivers from the IZOD IndyCar series will roll into town for one of the most exciting races on the schedule. Only this time, there is added excitement found behind the scenes.

With the ever-growing popularity of social media in sports, you can now chalk up IndyCar racing as another group joining the club. Andretti Sports Marketing and ExactTarget have partnered for a new campaign to grow brand awareness and excitement for the veteran race track. Michael Andretti, CEO of Andretti Sports Marketing and former IndyCar driver, has always been a fan of the Milwaukee Mile and is working hard to bring it back to prominence. Together, they have chosen the 26 most influential social media users in the Milwaukee area for 2012, I was quite humbled when chosen for this list. Andretti wants to use social media to give fans a never-before-seen look into the energy, passion and real-time decisions that make racing such an exhilarating sport. The goal is to make this race the most socially connected race in the IZOD IndyCar Series. ExactTarget has paired each social media user with a driver so that, in the days/weeks leading up to the race, they can continue to build buzz around IndyFest and a specific driver (plus it gives each person someone to root for).

This sport is popular all over the world and IndyFest will have fans from around the country joining in on the fun as well. Because many are not from the area, and IndyFest is a 2-day event, part of our job as 26ers will be to provide tourism information such as great lodging spots, ticket information, dining options, local hot spots and the fun night life we have. Each person has the job of promoting IndyFest through such channels as social media accounts like Twitter and Pinterest, blog posts and whatever else their creative minds can think of. One spunky 26er (Carrie Keenan) even created a Spotify playlist for the big race! I’ve even seen Pinterest boards specifically for this event, mine included (“shameless self-promotion”). Wednesday, June 13, Social Media Club Milwaukee will have their monthly meeting as well as an IndyFest tweetup at Translator Digital Cafe.

Follow the hashtag #INDYFEST on Twitter for all the city/race info you need as well as some of the best IndyCar commentary you’re ever going to find! Please feel free to join in on the fun conversation with the Social 26ers as we discuss all the racing fun you can handle.

Milwaukee IndyFest is definitely the perfect family event to attend. The Thursday before the race, there will be a free street party for anyone to attend, hosted by Marcus Hotels and Resorts. There will be driver appearances, live music, the “Kid Zone” and much more. The full schedule of events for the street party is available here. Friday will include autograph sessions, driver practice and race qualifying, with free grandstand seats Friday only. Saturday, the nationally televised race will begin at noon and will be followed with a post-race concert by Smashmouth, free for ticket holders. Full list of the weekend schedule can be found here.

The main issue around this is that having a race at the Milwaukee Mile is a big deal. The economic impact of an IndyCar race in Milwaukee is equivalent to that of an NCAA Final Four. In recent years, the attendance for the annual race in Milwaukee has declined significantly, and even went on hiatus in 2010. The Milwaukee Mile is the oldest continuously operating race track on earth, since 1903. I believe it’s important that Wisconsinites and IndyCar fans everywhere attend so that we don’t lose such a significantly historical place. Come on out, say hi and have some fun!

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