Tweets Gone Wrong

During the past couple of months, there has been several examples in the social media world of rogue tweets. First Kenneth Cole sent out a controversial tweet that used the unrest in Egypt to promote his new spring line. The tweet, sent out by Mr. Cole personally, stated:

 

Hours later the tweet was deleted, and Mr. Cole personally issued an apology on his label’s Facebook page. His apology did not seem to appease many from condemning Kenneth Cole on Facebook and Twitter. This did not stop new followers to @KennethCole. According to the Associated Press, an additional 3,000 people started following the label after the insensitive tweet.

Kenneth Cole’s tweet was a case of bad judgement, but the Red Cross tweet was an accident. The Twitter account for the Red Cross mistakenly sent out a tweet about #gettngslizzered on Dogfish Head beer. The employee in charge of the account meant to post it on her own Twitter account. The error could have been a disaster, instead the organization acknowledged the mistake, “We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red is sober and we’ve confiscated the keys.” Their ability to approach the situation with humor made them stand out in this crisis, and resonated with beer-drinking Twitter users who turned the #gettngslizzered hashtag into a fundraising tool for the organization. The employee in this instance was not fired.

However, this was not the fate for the New Media Strategies employee who sent out a tweet on Chrysler’s official Twitter channel. This employee, who had obviously just experienced a frustrating commute, tweeted, “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to fucking drive.” It could be that the person meant to tweet this from a personal account, even so as a PR person you should never insult your client or the client’s city–since Chrysler has a strong partnership with Detroit.

These examples demonstrate that mistakes will happen because real time communications in the social sphere cannot happen without human beings initiating them. However, it demonstrates the importance of understanding how to communicate in this connected age. All communication is increasingly becoming more and more public, and we must be careful about how we represent ourselves and our clients.

Agency Life: What They Don’t Teach in Schools

It’s been over a year since my last post. This is shameful to note, as I usually admonish clients about the importance of continuous content. The truth is I let others’ social media presence  take the precedent over mine. I moved to DC in a weekend after taking a Digital internship at Edelman. I learned a lot about social media; I quickly picked up skills on how to analyze social media and the softwares to measure it. After Edelman, I took another internship at a crisis communications firm where I learned traditional PR skills like pitching and writing press releases. I found myself longing to be back in social media though. Then I found myself in the communications department of the Smithsonian National Zoo. It was quite different from agency life, but I found an encouraging environment and interesting work. Now I’m in Denver, looking for a new adventure.

One post I’ve been meaning to write is what your professors don’t warn you about agency life. Don’t get me wrong, I thrive in agency environments, but I imagine it could be shocking for some newly grads. Here are some tips:

1. PR people are like lawyers: they bill their time in 15 minute intervals.

2. Multitasking is key. With multiple clients, you need to learn to switch gears quickly.

3. You need to be an expert on everything. Or at least the industry your clients are in.

4. Google Reader and Google Docs are your closest friends.

5. Think like a reporter when pitching. Always Google their city to see if a big news event will have them swamped.

6. Construct every document as if a client will see it. Never create sub par work.

Why Social Media?

I’m back from my travels.  For the past few weeks, I’ve been following a group of travel agents around Australia.  (To read about the adventures, visit Ask About Australia). How did I score that gig?  It’s part of my job being a social media freelancer for Ask About Travel.

On this trip, one of the main questions the other agents asked me was “Why should I be interested in social media?”

The better question is, “Why aren’t you already invested in social media?”

Flexibility; with all the variety of social media outlets on the web, it is the most efficient way to reach a target market.  You can find a social media outlet specific to your specific demographic.

Speed.  You can market your brand to the right public in a matter of seconds, which provides you with the quick results necessary to survive in the business world.

Two-way communication. Social media allows the best communication with customers.  By connecting with them through social media, you are better able to understand their needs and wants; thereby gaining an edge on your competitors.

“But my clients are older.  They like paper documents and coming in to book travel.”

That may be the case today.  However, the older generations are becoming increasingly more social media savvy.  Ivy Bean appeared on many news stations around the world as “The World’s Oldest Tweeter” at the ripe age of 104.  Twitter’s demographics reveal that most of its users are 45-54 year olds, and Facebook is no longer the exclusive playground of college kids as parents, professors, and employers “friend” undergrads every day.
  Also, shouldn’t you always be looking for new clients?  Sure, there are a lot of baby boomers out there, but why not also focus on their kids.  Expanding your client base is a core staple of business. The next generation is going to be your clients tomorrow. The best place to find  and attract them is in their native environment: the internet.

The most important thing is to remember is that social media is going to keep growing and expanding.  It is not a fad.  You’re either going to have to embrace it, or be left behind in the dust.  Similar to how websites have become mandatory for business to be taken seriously in today’s world, in a few years, you won’t be taken seriously if you don’t have a posterous. Scoff if you will, but we are on the verge of a revolution:

the opposite of pickpocket is….

Putpocket apparently.  In a campaign by British broadband provider, TalkTalk, they’ve recruited former pickpocketers to sneak 5-20 pounds in unguarded pockets and open handbags.  So, leave your bags a little bit opener in tourist hotspots like Trafalgar Square and around Buckingham Palace….but beware because real pickpockets are probably still afoot too!

I kind of wish Aflac would copy this idea in the US, but instead of reforming pickpockets they would train ducks! Think about it, Aflac!  It could be a marvelous marketing opportunity!!!

log out, shut down, go out!!

I’m online at work, at home, and now thanks to my phone, anywhere I go.  Do I have an addiction?  Not more than any other first world citizen.  That’s why this UK ad for Vaio works really well.  They’ve invented a Social Media Addicts Association to sell their new laptops:

long day on the interwebs

(via the next web)

all you can jet

Jet Blue has recently come out with the All-You-Can-Jet pass for $599, which will allow unlimited travel on all Jet Blue flights between the dates of September 8 and October 8.  Is it a great deal?  Probably not…you still have to pay taxes on all the international flights.  So you’d have to make at least 3 trips that month to make it a real bargain.  If you have a lot of time on your hands, it may be worth the investment.

Many are considering it a challenge.  NY marketing executive, Joe DiNardo and his friend plan on flying for 31 days straight, spending no less than 12 hours on the ground.  Their site, twelvehoursinacity.com, will document their journey.  They seem to be doing this without sponsorship.  Brendan Ross posted an ad on Craigslist looking for such sponsorship to pay for his pass, but it may be too late Jet Blue has sold out of passes seeing rising number of hits to their blogs and twitter accounts as well as an increase in their stock.  Not bad, Jet Blue, not bad…but will others like DiNardo gain profit from your PR?  Only time will tell.

which .com would you hang out with?

In the office, at the coffee shop, in bed, people are always tied to computers.  Spending so much time online, it is not hard to visualize websites as people.  Elontirien did just that with this drawing of various social networks:

Pretty interesting depictions.  Only one girl though…guess we still need to make our mark in the digital world.

sentimental value

People get attached to the oddest things.  I can relate…there’s always some relic from ages past that I can’t bring myself to part with.  Would the object be of any worth to anyone else though?  Well Significant Objects is proving that if you share that story, it might.  The curators of this project purchased various objects for pennies at garage sales and thrift stores, then gave them to creative writers to invent a story about said objects. The stories are posted on eBay with the object for sale.  This ceramic shoe went for $77.51.  However is it really the story that influenced the bidder?  Maybe they are a collector of shoes….or maybe a fan of the writer…I feel many variables exist around this experiment.  However, the stories are entertaining short reads; I suggest you take a read.

donate a penny to vanquish spammers

There’s hardly anything you can buy for a penny these days.  Yahoo wants you to put a one cent stamp on all your outgoing emails.  The cent will go to charities, and by certifying your email, spammers will be eliminated forever.

Sounds like an utopian idea.  What about the organizations who send out bulk newsletters to subscribers?  Will they pass through or be forced to pay thousands?  Also, spammers will probably just find a way to fake a stamp…it’s a good idea in principle though.

Read Wired’s take on the issue  here.