AT&T Wasting Trees... Again

0 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 2:57 PM

I have been an ATT* customer for the last five years, and rarely received mail that was not a bill, so it surprised me to see a magazine from them in my mailbox. The magazine had articles like "Texting & Dating: the New Rules" and "New Offers that won't Break the Bank!"

I was confused. First, I had never received a magazine like this before and second because I am signed up for paperless billing. Wouldn't an e-newsletter be a better choice? Clearly, they don't know their audience. With all the crap ATT has gotten for their 300 plus pages of iPhone phone bills you would think they would be a little more conscientious about printing materials.

I know some people would still rather get a hard copy, but for those who clearly do not want to waste the paper wouldn't you distribute the information electronically? That really got me thinking.

Sending a newsletter is a pretty old tactic. To be honest, I don't think many people read them. Sure, you might scan the headlines but a newsletter from my cell phone provider is pretty low on my priority list. Isn't there a better way to reach me? Creating a Twitter account might be a good start. What about creating cool apps that only work on the ATT network? ATT has started to use Facebook, but in my quick search I couldn't find an official fan page.

Here's an idea. One of the things ATT is known for are their rollover minutes. In fact, I have hundreds of rollover minutes that expire each month because I never use them. (Many Gen-Yers would rather text than talk. Most of the time it's faster, and there's no need to "make nice" with mindless banter about the weather.) My point?

What if ATT really started to embrace social media and create a Facebook app where ATT users could donate their rollover minutes to other ATT users? What a great story that would be! Can you feel the potential? People could start connecting with other ATT users all over the globe. Surely that would be a better way to spend time and money than writing cutesy articles and printing what I can only imagine is thousands of magazines.

So after all this I have only one thing to say. ATT, please stop sending me pointless magazines and start engaging me in ways that matter. To ME. Thanks.

*For some reason blogger won't let me use the "and" symbol so bear with me.

 

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Twitter Links Feb. 8 - 14

0 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 6:32 PM

It's time for another round of Twitter links. Read, learn, enjoy!

 

By Consumers, For Consumers

0 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 12:30 PM

This article on AgencySpy got me thinking today. With the invention of mobile phones with video cameras, YouTube and recording and editing software it has become increasingly easy for the average person to document their experiences with their favorite brands. We've seen this recently with the Dutch Heineken walk in freezer ad. (To view the original ad click here.) I'm still waiting to hear if this is for real.



And now we have this lovely ad for Trader Joe's or arguably the Palm Treo.



Not all consumer material is positive of course. The below Comcast video is enough to make any PR person cringe.



Even though some user-generated content is a cause for crisis communications I urge PR and advertising professionals to not take positive user-generated videos for granted. When a brand has consumers championing their product or service they should think of ways to leverage the attention. Maybe they would make good spokespeople? Heck, maybe they'd even do well in an ad? Perhaps you could use them to write a blog post on the company web site or become a regular contributor. There are lots of different ways to involve and embrace your brand ambassadors. Don't let them slip through your fingers!

 

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Twitter links Feb. 1-7

0 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 10:30 PM

Every Sunday I will post links from my previous weeks Twitter posts. My hope is that you will find these links helpful and interesting. Let me know what you think! Right now each post will show up just as it did on Twitter. I'll do my best not to post links that are no longer relevant. To get them in real time follow me on Twitter @ladyhero.

 

My Favorite Superbowl Ads

1 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 7:06 PM

Between Jennifer Hudson's national anthem and the winning 78 yard drive by Pittsburgh, NBC Sunday night viewers saw $206 million dollars in advertising. Rather than bash all the awful ads I'll tell you my favorites and briefly mention the ones that didn't make the cut.

My Top Four
Hulu's ad featuring Alec Baldwin was one of the best ads of the night. It worked because A) Alec Baldwin is hilarious, and B) it gave viewers an immediate reason to visit the site -- to watch your favorite Superbowl ads! I also liked the ad because it educated viewers who aren't as Internet savvy about another "free" source to view high quality TV. Take heed, there is no longer a need for fancy DVR or expensive cable and satellite! Hulu provides high quality entertainment for the price of a high speed Internet connection.





Doritos Crystal Ball ad was hilarious. Some will argue that it contained unnecessary violence. To them I say get over yourself. While I have seen ads where the college humor goes too far this one had everyone in the house laughing. Maybe those who were offended have just been kicked in the balls too many times?





Not all the Miller High Life one second ads made it to game time, but they were great. The Milwaukee market saw the "High Life" ad. These ads work because they stick to Miller's brand. In a time where $3 million seems a bit excessive for a Superbowl ad, Miller went the cheaper route and bought ad time in local markets. The media buy complimented the brand message perfectly. Miller High Life clearly gives you the best bang for your buck.





Finally, I have to give up for PETA. Creating an ad that you know will be banned isn't exactly a new trick, but PETA was successful in creating a ton of buzz. Most major news sources and several blogs ran stories on the ad.

I'm not sure if it will convince anyone to go "veggie," but it's a nice spot. Does anyone know if the women in the ad are actually vegetarians? If they are, that might give people something to think about.


'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

Other ads that deserve honorable mentions are: Cash4Gold, E*Trade (I can't help, it I love the baby) and the NBC: LMAO ad.

What Should Have Stayed on the Cutting Room Floor
While there were many disappointments this year the Budweiser ads were the worst. The Clydesdale's did not make me want to drink beer much less Budweiser. I was also put off by all the 3D ads. No one I was with had brought special 3D glasses to watch the ads and without them they fell short. Maybe I would have felt differently if I'd had the glasses?

To see what the Twitterverse thought of the ads go to Search.Twitter.com and type in #superads09. What were your favorite Superbowl ads?

 

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The Whopper Campaign

2 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 7:39 PM

Burger King along with their ad agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky recently launched a Facebook application named Whopper Sacrifice. Burger King's tongue in cheek Facebook application had users delete 10 friends from their network to receive an e-mailed coupon for the new Angry Whopper. The friends were then sent a message announcing their deletion in favor of a fast food sandwich. Ouch...

To date, Burger King claims 232,566 friends were deleted in favor of the free Whopper. In addition, the campaign has sparked controversy with more than the 232,566 former Facebook friends. After going live for only a couple of days, the application was hacked allowing people to get a free burger without dismissing 10 friends. Then Facebook shut down the application proclaiming it violated user's privacy. The termination is allegedly temporary, but after being hacked and shut down by Facebook I wouldn't be surprised if the app was gone for good.

While some may say this campaign has been unsuccessful I have to disagree. The controversy surrounding Whopper Sacrifice has generated so much buzz that I'm sure Burger King has far surpassed its awareness goals. A quick Google search will show you that articles about the campaign have appeared in the New York Daily News, L.A. Times, Media Post, New York Times and MSNBC to name a few.

That is not to say I don't have my own criticisms of the campaign. While I admire Burger King and CP+B for thinking outside the box and using social media in a unique way, I'm not sure of the overall strategy. This Facebook application has certainly raised awareness and encouraged people to try the Angry Whopper, but it also flies in the face of Facebook creators. Typically the idea is to gain friends not lose them. An application that forces users to lose friends is sure to get Marc Zuckerberg a little miffed. True, Facebook is not hurting for users, but I wonder how eager they or other social networking sites will be to work with these companies in the future.

Have Burger King and CP+B jeopardized their standing with social networks?

 

When Your Social Life and Professional Life Blur...

2 comments Posted by Sarah Soczka at 9:47 PM

Not so long ago, when people punched out and went home for the day they were done worrying about their professional image. They were free to relax with friends, and even get a little... Crazy. This does not hold true today. In an era where competition is as fierce as ever, my generation does not only need to worry about getting into the best schools, having the best grades or even landing the perfect internship. Instead, many are worrying about their online presence and how it may be affecting their current job and job search.

With everyone Facebooking and Twittering the social media space does not only belong to a circle of close friends. For many it is not uncommon for an aunt, uncle or even parent to be part of their social network. Furthermore, many people are "friending" colleagues.

I am a big fan of social media, but I must admit that sometimes I yearn for the days where the only harm an unflattering picture could cause is a mild humiliation in class on Monday.

Today I manage five to six different social media accounts. Not only do I try to make sure all of these online spaces are kept current, but I also worry about the messages I send out. Would my coworkers and family approve of my Facebook status? What about that last tweet? There's no complaining about work or the company when one of your friends is a V.P. Is it ok to decline a coworkers friend request? And, how much is too much, or not enough? If I don't tweet everyday will I be considered out of the loop? If I tweet 10 times a day will people think I'm neurotic?

The hardest and greatest part about social media is there are no rules. There aren't even many social norms. What is appropriate and what's not is completely up to the person and their social network.

On either side of this debate are two, I think, valid arguments. The first is that the Internet is a public space, and if a person is leary about some of their "extra curriculars" they should think twice before posting online. The second deals with the right to privacy. I think it's safe to say that most social media web sites allow the user to play around with their own privacy settings. For instance, I block all of those who I have formed professional relationships with from viewing my photos on Facebook. To all my professional friends it's nothing personal, but as I try to brand myself online I don't want you looking at photos from my latest Saturday night at the bar.

Which brings me to my main question. Is there a way to enjoy all social media has to offer without compromising yourself? Is it possible to keep parts of your private life private online? If we remain professional it can take much of the fun out of social media. If we strip our Facebook profiles to look like nondescript paper cutouts we are left with little sense of authenticity and character.

Is there a solution? A way to have fun with social media while not scaring away potential clients and job offers? What about creating two online persona's? One with an alias to be used with close friends and another to be used for business?

Right now I am debating whether or not to post this to my Twitter and Facebook account. How will my colleagues react when they see my hesitation towards sharing my whole self with them online? I guess I'll have to wait and see. Until then, how do you manage your professional and private lives online?

 

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