The Marketing Advantage

How To Help Kids Be Safe on the Internet!

2009-07-14T11:09:00.001-07:00

Girl Scouts of Western Washington has joined the national partnership between Girl Scouts of the USA and Microsoft Windows, called LMK (“let me know”) – an online safety resource where girls are the technology experts on subjects that are often best discussed at a teen-to-teen level, like cyberbullying, predators and social networking.

This girl-led campaign allows girls to share their online concerns with peer "tech-perts" about the issues that affect them while raising awareness about how to help keep girls (ages 13–17) safe while surfing the Web. Additionally, parents have access to a site specifically geared to their needs, equipping them with the tools necessary to understand and act on the rapidly changing world of online safety.

Have your daughter sign the Internet Safety Pledge:

Internet Safety Pledge

Traveling through cyberspace can be fun, but like any trip you take you have to "Be Prepared" for unforeseen things. So, read this before you go any further. Then print this page out and discuss it with your parent or guardian.

I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents'/guardians' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents'/guardians' permission.
I will tell an adult right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.
I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents/guardians. If my parents/guardians agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my parent or guardian along.
I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents/guardians.
I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents/guardians right away so that they can contact the online service.
I will talk with my parents/guardians so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

Girl Name __________________________________ Date __________________

Parent/Guardian __________________________________ Date __________________

Source: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Why Seth Godin's Blog is So Successful!

2009-07-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Josh Bernoff, the author of Groundswell, has some interesting thoughts about why Seth Godin's blog is so successful...and there are some lessons to be learned.

"At least once a day, every day, there's a little homily on marketing, or brands, or quality, or something else that makes you say "hmmm" or "that's right" or even "that's wrong" -- but something that's worth your time."

Josh goes on to write the following in AdAge.com about what Seth told him:

I've carefully curated a voice in my head that blogs in a way that appears to resonate with people. I'm guessing (though I have no talent) it's a lot like curating a sound on the saxophone. Training helps, listening to records helps, but mostly you blow a lot until you resonate and then repeat, prune, experiment, prune, repeat, prune until a groove occurs.

One reason I encourage people to blog is that the act of doing it stretches your available vocabulary and hones a new voice. You won't get it for a while, but you'll get it.

I write at least one a day. I queue up the extras, and replace ones I don't love with a new one. This discipline does two things... first, it treats each post as a precious opportunity (which it is) and second, it cajoles me into overcoming whatever little voice in the back of my head says "nahhhh."

When News Goes Too Far!

2009-07-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I spent many years in local television news seeing the good, the bad and the ugly. Well now I've seen it all. A reporter in Las Vegas, upset with someone bothering him during a live report, appears to slap the person. You judge for yourself then let me know your thoughts.

What Makes a Great Iconic Brand?

2009-07-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Carla Stratfold has some answers in her post on Mediapost.com.

The reality is, brands don't become iconic by chance. Achieving this status takes careful planning and execution. If you're looking to build the next iconic brand keep in mind the following:

1. Establish brand trust. Most iconic brands have established trust not only with customers, but also with employees, partners and others.

2. Power your brand at all intersections. Iconic brands relay a powerful image and message at all touch points - billboards, ads, and tradeshow booths as well as customer service agents.

3. Create customer relevance. A successful brand connects with its customers in a meaningful way.

4. Infuse your brand with custom photography. Smart companies also invest in digital assets they can repurpose across all channels of advertising - TV commercials, print ads, and in the social media world.

5. Share customer stories. These stories bring meaning and reality to the messages organizations communicate about their brand.

The Power of Product & Service Reviews!

2009-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

AdAge.com is out with a new story that has great merit. It's about the power of product and service reviews that every marketer should take a second look at---and nurture.

What to do?

1. Embrace the reviews. LISTEN. You will find more information from these customers than anywhere else.

2. Share the information. Make sure people throughout the organization get it.

3. Use the testimonials to your advantage.

4. Respond! Make it a two-way conversation,

AdAge.com mentions that Crate & Barrel kids-furniture subsidiary Land of Nod reissued a $400 activity table with a more-durable wood when consumers complained it was too soft and showed punctures and dents from normal kid use.

Attention Ladies in Puget Sound!

2009-06-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

Girlfriends Weekend

Be a Pampered Camper!

Attention ladies in the Puget Sound area. You are invited to join us for a very special fundraiser at Camp River Ranch in Carnation in September. We hope to see you there!

September 12-13, 2009 Camp River Ranch, Carnation WA

Girlfriends Weekend is an exceptionally unique and exciting event offered by Girl Scouts of Western Washington. It is a weekend getaway at beautiful Camp River Ranch for all women who need to escape from life's stresses and reconnect with the youthful spirit that is inspired and empowered by Girl Scout camp. Your attendance at Girlfriends Weekend helps us provide leadership opportunities for more than 26,000 girls in Western Washington.

Join us for a fun-filled weekend at Camp River Ranch without men, kids or work! Relax, rejuvenate, pamper and let loose at camp!

Bring your friends and make new ones!
Eat decadent food prepared by a well known caterer, sample wine and don't clean up after!
Sing along at a campfire you won’t soon forget!
Feel pampered with massages, workshops and sunrise yoga!
Energize with activities that include canoeing, kayaking, nature hikes and crafts!
Or choose to do nothing but sleep late and read while enjoying the fresh air!

Our keynote speaker Saturday night will be NPR commentator and author Deb Jarvis of Seattle. Deb's book, "It's Not About The Hair," is a humorous and inspiring account of her journey through surviving breast cancer. Her talk will leave you laughing, crying and inspired like never before.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Promote your business to community-minded women and enhance your brand image by aligning with the well-known and trusted brand of Girl Scouts. Gain recognition among over 26,000 Girl Scout families and the weekend participants. Most importantly, support Girl Scout programs that prepare girls to lead with courage, confidence and character as they take action to make the world a better place. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities by calling 206/226-5679.

Reservations

Individual tickets for the weekend are $350. “Buddies” (2 women) can register together for $500. An outdoor cabin for four women can be reserved for $1000 and an indoor -unit (heated) unit for 12 women is $3000. To make a reservation or find out more, call 206/226-5679.

The facilities range from rustic camping in old-West style wagons to heated troop houses with electricity. Participants can choose their preferred accommodations. Our beautiful lodge overlooking Lake Langlois will serve as the dining hall.

The NEW Power of Moms!

2009-06-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Good post recently by Lolita Carrico on MediaPost's Engage Moms about the power of moms...and every marketer should read this one.

According to a recent eMarketer report, 50% of moms find online reviews from "others like me" to be a valuable source of information.

So, how do marketers get involved in effective sampling and word of mouth campaigns? Some pointers:

1. Target the recipients of your product
2. Look for a partner with an engaged community
3. Continue to engage with your influencers

Word of mouth strategies are effective on many levels. The key is to be authentic in your outreach and expect authentic feedback in return.

(c) MediaPost.com

Real Friends More Valuable Than Bloggers!

2009-06-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

eMarketer is out with a story reporting on a Mintel study on Internet buying. Thirty-four percent of US Internet users who bought a product or service based on a recommendation got that tip from a friend or relative, while one-quarter bought based on advice from a spouse or domestic partner. Lower on the list were bloggers and chat rooms.

The most common reason that Internet users recommended a product or service was price, followed by quality and convenience.

Seattle University Course: Word of Mouth Marketing!

2009-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'll be teaching an innovative graduate level course this summer at Seattle University, Marketing 591-02 "Word of Mouth Marketing." I say innovative because very few colleges and universities across the country have stepped up to the plate in this arena.

The key speaker will be Sean O'Driscoll of Microsoft fame, who now heads up Ants Eye View. The course is based on Andy Serovitz's book Word of Mouth Marketing.

Market at the Mall to Reach Teens!

2009-06-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

According to a recent Scarborough study if you want to reach teens, advertise at the mall. Almost 95% of teen mall shoppers see some type of mall ads and 68% of them spend two hours or more at a mall. What works? Posters, hanging banners and TV/video screens and interactive displays/kiosks.

Read the story here.

How to Turn High-Profile Employees Into Brand Ambassadors

2009-05-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

Kaplan Mobray has a great article in the latest edition of AdAge.com. Here are the highlights:

To stand out forward-thinking Fortune 500 companies are trying a new tack: They're tapping into the personal brands of their most inspiring public executives. Motivational speakers at companies such as Deloitte, Nike and Pitney Bowes have become their company's most coveted brand ambassadors.

Personal brands can bring to life an organization's culture as no print or digital image can. Bottom line: There's a new and largely untapped resource within corporate walls that can help companies build brand equity, and it's your employees -- specifically those employees with individual personal brands.

Consumers increasingly base their feelings about a company on what they know about its people, rather than what an ad agency's creative team can portray.

Hiring employees who have established personal brands will help companies immediately inherit value and relevance in a crowded market and may lead to quicker results in meeting growth objectives.

It's those employees and their speaking engagements and other ways of reaching out that can help make corporate brands real, trusted and relevant in the minds of prospective recruits and customers.

Promote from the inside out. The company e-mail newsletter or intranet is an effective way to find interesting facts about the people who sit right next to you. Use these vehicles to promote employees' outside interests and accolades, creating tons of internal buzz that will have your company's brand soaring and your people proud to wear your logo.

Tweet your people right. Social-networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are powerful tools through which companies can discover and promote their personal brands.

© Crain Communications

It's Not About the Tweet, It's About the Relationship!!

2009-05-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard me right. If you're using Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, blogs and all the rest of them, I applaud you. You know the tools and you are using them. But the key issue is what are you doing with the? If you just Tweet and tell the world what flight you took or what the commute is like or that you just had dinner with your friends---who cares? Twitter and all of these social media tools are about building communities. They are tools to build relationships.

If you tweet from a company account do you try to solicit comments from your customers? Twitter is a great two-way communications tool IF you ask questions. Are you just posting comments or are you creating a two-way dialogue with your tools?

Whether you are a non-profit trying to build a relationship with donors or a corporation trying to build a relationship with customers --- use social media tools for relationships.

How to Reach Moms!

2009-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Maria Bailey is CEO of BSM Media and author of "Marketing to Moms," is out with a new blog post and it has some important insights about how marketers should strategically think about messaging to mothers.

Her point is that, while moms who blog are powerful, if you want to successfully reach them it requires "an integrated approach of delivering relevant messages through multiple channels of communication." Bailey says, "Marketers solely focusing their efforts on mom bloggers not only execute a partial marketing plan, but also miss two-thirds of the overall U.S. mom market."

She cites some numbers that are impressive:

* According to BSM Media research, 90% of mothers have watched an online video in the past week.
* Moms love to socialize and share. In-home parties or mom mixers are a great way to put your brand in the conversation. 80% of the moms who attend will tell three to five other moms about the sponsor brand.
* There is no other communication medium that keeps up with the pace of mothers better than radio. Moms spend up to 75 minutes a day in their cars with radio.

PEMCO'S Latest Northwest Profile!

2009-05-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it PEMCO is at it again. That innovative and creative team led by CMO Rod Brooks has come up with another creative Northwest Profiles spot that's definitely uniquely "Northwest." KING-TV's Evening Magazine profiled a "behind-the-scenes" look at how the commercials are made---then came the world premier of the new commercial.

Reaching Moms Through Schools

2009-05-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Great story today from MediaPost about how to reach moms. Here are some highlights:

Through-school marketing program directed to moms you have one of the most effective ways to build brand awareness and purchase intent for products.

A through-school marketing program cuts through the clutter in the competitive marketing-to-moms space by putting a brand's message directly in front them.

Relevant and receptive environment - Moms at school, or engaged in school-related activities, are in "full mommy mode" - making them particularly receptive to brand messages that speak to their challenges as a busy mom and offer solutions that will help them make their families more successful.

Tips for Executing a Successful Through-School Marketing Program

Plan ahead
It's important to know what a typical school's event planning cycle is for the year. t come August.

Make it relevant to moms
Make sure your program is relevant to moms in the context of the school environment otherwise you might lose the brand goodwill that you hoped to garner by sponsoring a school program.

Give schools a real reason for doing it
The last thing you want to happen is for your program to come across as blatant marketing with no real benefit to the school. Make sure your offer has value to the school and that your key connection in the school (the person or group who will execute the program) can clearly see how the school and the school families benefit from running your program.

State Farm Backs "MommyCast"

2009-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

MediaPost reports that State Farm is looking to deepen its connection with moms and they've decided the way to do that is by sponsoring a series of videos of the popular podcast MommyCast.

The videos, which will available on a State Farm and MommyCast co-branded channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/beingthere4family) will focus on topics such as college planning, home buying, insurance and home safety. In the first video, the two moms speak with former Washington Redskin (and current real estate expert) David Harbour about investigating a neighborhood, schools and crime when researching a prospective new home.

(c) MediaPost and Crain Communications

Twitter Proves Worthwhile as Killer App for Local Businesses

2009-05-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Story in adage.com is worth noting....in a recent Twitter promotion brought in 150% of a recent day's business for Naked Pizza in New Orleans, a company hoping to go national.

Adage.com reports, "Berry Chill, a yogurt shop with three Chicago locations, has been using Twitter to send out "Sweet Tweets" -- promos that require users to show they're Twitter followers of the store. In a month, they've logged 700 followers. The last big promotion gave away 1,100 yogurts with sales the same as the day before."

Suggestions:

Don't blast promotions incessantly. Intersperse them with other nuggets of wisdom or news related to your products and industry or neighborhood.

Twitter's immediacy is its biggest strength -- so use it to pump up business during lulls or discount last-minute unsold goods.

Paid Search + Display Ads = Success

2009-05-12T07:43:00.000-07:00

There's a new study from iProspect that has some revealing findings on paid search. It's reported in mediapost.com.

Here's what MediaPost reports:

The findings suggest that while 31% of people click on display ads, nearly as many -- 27% -- go to search engines to provide a search. More than 20% type the company Web address into their browser and directly navigate to the Web site, and 9% respond by investigating the product, brand, or company through social media.

Robert Murray, CEO at iProspect, Boston, says, "Display isn't dead, but just as many people will perform a search, and you had better have an integrated paid search campaign."

Tapping into a competitor's display campaign, marketers can run paid search ads based on keywords and messaging. Marketers should keep in mind all conversions and clicks the display ad will drive to competitors' sites if they invest in display and not integrate a paid search campaign.

The survey found that of the 52% of Internet users who respond to an online display ad, 48% are familiar with the display ad offering or company but do not purchase the product.

Meet radio's Delilah & author Debbie Macomber Friday

2009-05-04T15:42:00.001-07:00

Here's a great opportunity to make a difference and meet two celebrities! This Friday meet nationally syndicated radio personality Delilah (left) and Debbie Macomber (right), the author of over 100 books that have sold over 100-million copies!

The event will be the Peninsula Leadership Luncheon hosted by Girl Scouts of Western Washington. It's happening Friday, May 8th in Bremerton. All proceeds from this event will go to the Peninsula Girl Scout Program Center. Suggested donation is $85. The first $125 of your gift of $125 or more will be matched by the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Challenge Fund. To register go to: http://www.girlscoutsww.org/node/1926

How Personality Can Predict Media Usage

2009-05-04T08:17:00.001-07:00

Great story from AdAge.com reporting on data from psychographic-research company Mindset Media. The findings---"personality is often a more effective prediction tool for media usage than age, gender and income."

Here are some highlights:

* People who have a lot of "bravado" -- who prefer to leap before they look -- are 50% more likely than the average person to be heavy consumers of all media.
* Those who chafe at rules and may be sarcastic are 60% more likely than the average person to be high consumers of all media.

According to study findings the Internet is almost more of a mass medium than TV.

© Crain Communications

Women Are Connecting Online For Shopping Research!

2009-04-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

According to the 2009 Women and Social Media Study from iVillage, BlogHer and Compass Partners, women are connecting like never before with online communities to do their shopping research and share information. (c) MediaPost.com

64% of the online women polled are posting product recommendations to message boards and articles online.
79% of women in the iVillage Community are doing so.
77% of women polled say these community recommendations impact their purchase decisions.

How One School Makes A Difference With Social Media!

2009-04-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Take the case of Ted Holmes, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Meridian School in Seattle. Here's his story:

For many parents, getting kids to talk about what they did in school is much like pulling teeth.

“You ask them what happened in school, and they reply, ‘oh, nothing,’” said Ted Holmes, a parent and elementary school administrator. “It’s a lot like being in a black hole.”

So Holmes, who is Director of Admissions and Marketing for Meridian School, came up with a novel idea. Give parents a window into the classroom using Twitter, the popular instant messaging site.

Over the past few weeks, teachers at the independent K-5 school in Seattle’s Wallingford District have set up Twitter accounts and are sending periodic tweets from their classrooms. Tweets are meant to be short, 140 character answers to the question: “What are you doing?”

Parents can elect to receive tweets on their cell phones. At the end of the day, the short messages from the classroom can be “a conversation starter” between parents and kids, according to Holmes.

On a recent school day, Kindergarten teacher Julie Hannan tweeted about the day’s lessons. “Today we are scientists. We looked at soil, flowers, and planted seeds.”

Another teacher described the rules of a game called “Crocodile,” which had been invented on the playground that day by Kindergarten boys.

First grade teacher Eilene Glasgow wrote: “We had a fun hour learning a folk dance.”

Paul Fadoul, a second grade teacher, posed this question on a recent dispatch: “Do you know the difference between a planet's rotation and revolution? Ask your second grader!”

The school elected to use Twitter over other social networking sites because Twitter is fast and easy to use, and because the messages by definition have to be short. Teachers already have a lot on their plates, and the school did not want the new assignment to create an additional burden. Not all teachers and parents were eager to embrace the technology. A lot of older parents in particular “didn’t see the point,” Holmes said.

But now that the school’s Twitter accounts are up and running, “it’s interesting to see how many people are eager to get on,” said Holmes.

The school regards its move to Twitter as something of an experiment. Twitter may be all the rage today, but it’s not necessarily the perfect solution to the needs of teachers and families. The only way to really know is to try it.

In general, elementary schools have not been quick to embrace social media, according to Holmes, and that may be a mistake.

“The people who have young, school age kids today are becoming more interested in communicating through social media,” said Holmes. “We want to show that we are not being left behind.”

About Meridian School

The Meridian School is a independent K-5 elementary school in Seattle’s Wallingford We are accredited by the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools and a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. neighborhood with a total of 186 students.

The Meridian School
4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98116, 206-632-7154
www.meridianschool.edu

Social Media is the New TV at Century 21!

2009-04-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

From AdAge.com comes this story....Since pulling all its national TV spending in January, Century 21 Real Estate has been making digital the focus of its marketing efforts in a bid to make lead generation more efficient. This week, the company is venturing into the next phase of its digital transition via online radio, social networking and Twitter.

For the past month, the company has been using a new online radio show, a co-production with BlogTalkRadio called "C21 Talk Radio," to brand the conversation around the housing market.

Alan Levy, president and co-founder of BlogTalkRadio, said more brands are tapping into social-media platforms such as online radio because of their ability to create a long-form dialogue. Of course, Century 21 isn't turning a blind eye to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, all of which are part of the company's new C21 Communities social-media platform. Century 21 is hosting its first Tweetup today, in San Francisco, under the Twitter tag @c21sftu.

Century 21's online 'Mother-in-Law' campaign logged more than 32 million impressions in two and a half months.

The True Power of Social Media

2009-04-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Great post by Kristi Faulkner, president of Womenkind, an integrated marketing communications company in New York in MediaPost.com. She tells the story of a message that appeared on Twitter April 8: "Heather and Mike need your help."

Their daughter, Madeline, passed away from respiratory syncytial virus, complicated by her premature birth just 17 months earlier. The entire tragedy played out, in real time, on Twitter.

It began with a simple "Maddie has a cough" on April 5. It was an innocuous tweet squeezed between "Seth Rogen, come here" and "Those are sweet bangs ... I once had bangs." For the next two days, thousands of concerned moms were re-tweeting Heather's updates from the hospital and finally the sad news of Maddie's death.

Let there be no more doubt that the on-line community is, in fact, a community in the truest, human sense. Social media is the uber-gathering space -- better than a beauty shop, supermarket, diner, church, pub, firehouse, school, and town square rolled into one. The scale of Facebook or Twitter is global. Yet, when a human story touches our hearts, we react as intently as we would to a crisis in our own neighborhood.

Heather Spohr's 3,500 Twitter followers instantly activated an outpouring of support from around the world. Almost 700 people expressed condolences on her blog. More than 400 bloggers paid tribute to Maddie on their own sites, and thousands of people donated as little as a dollar towards funeral expenses through a PayPal account set up by a sympathetic follower. In just two days, more than $30,000 was donated to the March of Dimes in honor of Maddie, and 35 teams were formed to walk in the charity's annual drives. Most of these people never even met little Maddie Spohr.

As marketers, we seek to quantify the power and penetration of nascent social platforms. What percentage of the target audience is engaged in Twitter? How many women 34-55 are on Facebook? How many eyeballs does this blog get compared to that one? And for heaven sakes, what's our ROI?

Social media has turned a faceless audience back into individuals, and restored the emotional connectedness of which one-way media robbed us. It doesn't feel odd to think of our Twitter followers as neighbors. We know them, we see them around. Sometimes we chat, sometimes not. But when a girlfriend is in need, we are there. In mass.

Marketers take note: Emotion sells. Especially to women.

(c) MediaPost.com

How to Get the Most Out of Social Networks

2009-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Emma Hall has an interesting article in AdAge.com about how to get social media engagement without annoying your users. Here are some highlights.

Nearly a third of social networkers say they are fed up with the constant requests to join groups and try new applications, according to research by the Internet Advertising Bureau in the U.K.
Marketers will need to work harder and keep innovating if they want to harness the consumer power of social networks and persuade people to join their sponsored sites or pages.
31% said there are too many invites to install applications.
16% said they dislike social network sites "when advertising isn't relevant to me."

The IAB research found that exclusive content, which appeals to 28% of social networkers, and a genuine interest in the message, which attracts 37%, are the keys to a positive response from consumers on social networks.