Hear Today, Be Here Tomorrow With Social Media

 

For years big brands have been telling us, the consumers, how to feel about products or services. If you drink this Coke, you will feel like you could solve the world’s problems. If you spray your body with Enjoli, you are a woman who can do it all. And if you crunch these Doritos, your wishes and commands come true.

 

Fortunately, over the years, consumers have gotten smarter. We now know that we can’t save the world by drinking a Coke. And we have also found out that it’s more than just a perfume that makes the woman. And what do Doritos actually do for us besides add a little extra padding to a body?

 

What we are witnessing today for brands is actually quite the opposite. We, the people, are telling the brands what they do for us or what we want them to do for us. But, are the brands listening?

 

Through social media consumers have the opportunity to express themselves like never before. However, if some brands are still trying to figure out the social media movement, and doubting its sincerity in staying power, they will be left behind. These companies will simply be left standing with no one left to tell their message to.

 

What has been missing all of these years from the brands’ position is that there was little, if any, humanization of the brands. It was a stagnant logo. A cute, catchy jingle. Actors acting. We may have had a fleeting feeling of emotion but that's all it was ... fleeting.

 

Today, consumers expect brands to demonstrate “the who” behind the logos – that brands are actually people just like you and me … we want to relate. Consumers want their brands to mimic human nature with all of the emotions we experience: joy, sadness, failure, honesty, integrity and yes, humility.

 

It’s strange and exciting, all at the same time, to think that the humanization of brands is thanks to technology. Really, the answer has been in front of brands the whole time. My advice to companies today? Don’t look in a mirror but stick your head out through an open window to see and hear what’s really going on. 

Tis’ the season for pitching holiday cheer!

The holidays are in full swing and for many companies it is the time of year to find ways to give to the less fortunate in the communities that they live and do business in. What organizations often struggle with, however, is how to go about sharing those stories with the general public.

 

What most do not know is that the holiday season is also a time of year when the media is looking for good news stories to share with their viewers. What a prime opportunity for local companies to share these “feel good” stories with the community.

 

But, how do you let the local media know that your organization is participating in such an event? There are a couple of ways.  

 

Send out a media alert to the local newspapers and television stations inviting them to cover your event. Whether it’s a blood drive, holiday party for a local non-profit or spending an afternoon in a soup kitchen, find an interesting angle to the story and pitch away. Make sure to include the details of the event, such as the time; place and a media contact person. Make sure that you have a great visual hook that would partner with the story for video or photo coverage. And always make sure that you have approval from the people or the organization benefiting from your generosity, so they know media may be present.

 

You can also take your own photos or video and submit them to the media or use them in your social media efforts. Does your organization own a Flip camera or is it easy to upload photos to your computer? Make sure to connect this footage to your Web site, e-mail campaigns to customers or your social media accounts often. Many media outlets also encourage you to submit photos with a caption describing the event, which is likely to garner print or Web site coverage.

 

And as always, make sure to think about the following tips for pitching the media, no matter the time of year or event. Is the story timely and involve people in the surrounding community? What is the visual piece attached to the story? Who will be your spokespeople to talk on behalf of the company…and are they prepared for the interview?

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the media is looking for stories to keep their viewers in bright spirits. Don’t let the opportunity of finding ways to garner good news coverage pass you by. 

Red Shoes Speak: Mobile Communications in Wisconsin Blizzard

Red Shoes Speaks No 6 - Blizzard from Lisa Cruz on Vimeo.

Wisconsin got socked with a huge blizzard that dumped more than a foot of snow in Northeast Wisconsin on Wednesday 12/9/09, but you would not know it by the fact that Red Shoes PR continued without a hitch. Tommy and Lisa talk about advantages to being able to work anywhere ...and in this case working from home in a blizzard.

YouTube video: Insight Magazine organizes competitive teambuilding laser tag at Badger Sports Park

Watch as Red Shoes PR, Keller Inc and Insight Magazine go head to head in a competitive game of laser tag at Badger Sports Park.

Why Auto-DMs Should be Banned from Twitter

It drives me nuts to receive an auto-DM after following someone. It takes away from the transparent, honest and genuine spirit of twitter when you get the equivalent of an out-of-office reply that you know went to everyone else. As soon as I see one pop into my direct message box, my immediate urge is to un-follow that person.

The auto replies vary from the generic (but honest) "Thanks for the follow, I'll be sure to return to the favor," to those who try to veil the fact that the same message goes to everyone, "Hey, it looks like you have great things to say, be sure to check out my Web site for more information on what I do."

When someone follows you on Twitter, chances are it's because that person thinks you have interesting things to say and you would both benefit from interacting. Don't take the risk of insulting your new followers by assuming they're all following you for the same reason and would all benefit from the same message. It's time to embrace social media for the fact that it's not a one-size fits all advertising message and start interacting on a personal, one-on-one basis.

(image courtesy of @chriswallace)

Like social media, our company philosophy also grew organically

 

 

To work hard

To have fun

To be the best

 

A prospect stumped me the other day. They wanted to know what our philosophy is as a business. In other words what makes us tick-- every day. Hmmmmm.

 

I remember more than a year a half ago furiously writing out our business plan and including our philosophy in the plan but the list was about 10 items long. With a list that long we were bound to fulfill one of them.

 

Out of that list of 10, three things have naturally risen to the top since we launched Red Shoes PR. But it’s funny, I think we had to grow into this philosophy, not necessarily dictate it from the beginning. Which if you think about this approach it is very similar to how social media also grows as well – organically.

 

It’s kind of like when you move into a new house. I remember buying furniture for my living room before really living in it. What a mistake. That furniture was quickly relegated to the basement. After we lived in the house for a year or two, then it became apparent, based on our lifestyle and personalities, what kind of furniture would suit us best.

 

The same thing applies to our company philosophy. I had an idea of what I wanted for an internal culture but I couldn’t quite put it down on paper --succinctly. But now I can. It was so easy when it came time to answer the question. The three principles I have outlined are at the core of who we are and what we do every day.