Old Spice is new again

Old Spice is new again

By Josh Anderson

Copywriter, The “Adholics”

My grandpa was an Old Spice guy, my dad is too. And if you listened to my new BlackBerry ringtone, you’d think I was a third-generation Old Spicer.

Well, I’m not – yet. But that hasn’t kept me from appreciating the recent branding effort of this 70-year-old hygiene product. It still smells musty, yet there’s something refreshing in the air for Old Spice.

It all started one fateful day in February

Say what you will about Super Bowl TV ads and the ridiculous cost for one :30 second spot (over $3.5 million at last check). But when done right, they can offer significant impact.

Remember the first year GoDaddy ran a spot during the NFL’s championship game? The number of viewers scrambling to visit the company online caused a bigger crash than Danica Patrick at Daytona. And GoDaddy is a web hosting company.

Fast-forward to Super Bowl XLIII. GoDaddy broadcast the Most Watched Super Bowl commercial of 2009, according to TiVo. Still, one of the most talked about commercials featured an unforgettable shirtless character riding in on a white horse to save a brand in trouble.

“Hello ladies.”

At that moment, the Old Spice Guy deep-sixed any memory of the poor 1960s-70s boat captain spokes-model.

More significantly, Old Spice has enjoyed improved sales overall. According to Advertising Age, the Proctor & Gamble Co. brand has been consistently gaining market share, enough to erase a deficit built up over the past.

And though it’s hard to measure the hard dollar sales results of Old Spice Guy, one cannot ignore his impact.

Sweet smell of success

This is especially true online, where the campaign has gone viral.

Unless you’ve unplugged yourself from the digital world, you’ve probably heard about the Old Spice Guy’s 186 highly publicized videos released in early July. These videos, developed in response to people who sent in requests through Twitter, generated more than 34 million aggregate views and a billion PR impressions in a week, according to P&G.

In the six days following the start of Old Spice Guy’s personalized videos, he reached more than 100 million followers. And as of July 18, Old Spice had become the No. 1 all-time-most-viewed sponsored channel on YouTube.

Old Spice’s Twitter account @OldSpice has blown up to include more than 80,000 followers. And its Facebook fan base has grown to 630,000, with fan interaction jumping 800% since the launch of the personalized videos.

Even OldSpice.com has seen its traffic levels spike by 300%, though I’m not sure who else besides me has downloaded the free ringtone.

So what can we learn from an Old Spice Guy?

“Social media for the moment isn’t really about traditional metrics; those are on the way, no doubt, but right now it’s more about customer engagement and awareness – the opportunity for consumers to talk directly to the Old Spice Guy, and have him talk directly to them,” says Renay San Miguel of TechNewsWorld.

I agree. Old Spice is a great example of an established brand boldly going into unchartered waters to reinvent its image.

They understand that social media is changing the world of advertising as many of us know it. No longer do companies control the discussion. More and more consumers want to be entertained. And they want to interact.

To take advantage of this burgeoning two-way communication, companies must get beyond the confines of ROI. New media has blurred the direct connection between marketing and sales. And though companies still need to sell stuff in order to remain in business, they must find ways to do so while developing relationships with their customers along the way.

Looking for a refreshing approach to your marketing? The “Adholics” can provide a number of traditional and new media solutions that meet your needs.

Social Intelligence

Social Intelligence

Utilizing Social Media Data

By Jason Sem

Social Media Strategist | The “Adholics”

Its amazing to see how social media has so quickly transformed the marketing world, not to mention the realm of advertising and public relations. We went from talking about how to build a Twitter account a few years ago to now expecting social media to do some heavy lifting.

And much of that heavy lifting is in the form of data collection based on online discussions and engagement.  Companies are trying to keep up with these emerging social interactions by monitoring what is being said about them online but can’t seem to grapple with the fire hose of data that is coming at them.  Most of them are just trying to make sense of properly engage customers and haven’t quite figured out how to use the information that is coming back at them.

From what I see, most companies, not named Ford or Dell, are still hesitant to really embrace social technologies and aren’t quite convinced of its relevance to their business. Either that, or they haven’t the faintest idea how to craft and implement a strategy that incorporates branding, business lead generation, quality customer service, and consumer insight.

Many companies these days have a social media presence but they aren’t really tying it to their overall business objectives. Its just hanging out there on its own. They throw up a Facebook page or sign up for a Twitter account but don’t really have a strategy on how they engage with people or what type of data they hope to glean out of social interactions.

Without any prompting, customers are openly sharing information that would otherwise have taken months of surveys and focus groups. And they’re doing it for free.  This has prompted the growth of a relatively new field called Social Intelligence, which harnesses the insights found within social media data to better understand customers and inform marketing and business strategy.

McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s biggest consulting firms, as just recently partnered with Neilson to provide this service to clients, so you know there must be something do this. (Nielsen Joins Forces With McKinsey For Social Intelligence Consulting)

Social Intelligence is quite an easy concept but one that isn’t being fully utilized by most companies. It involves these three basic steps:

• Monitoring social media
• Collecting and analyzing the content
• Using the insights to inform your strategy

Companies are just beginning to figure out the first two steps but have yet to figure out the third and, what I’d consider to be, the most crucial step. Zach Hofer-Shall, an analyst at Forrester Research recently published an article called Defining Social Intelligence which he encouraged companies to start taking online conversations seriously to better utilize the data coming from their social channels.

I think Zach and Forrester are on to something.  Thus, you should be seeing more and more demand for services that link social data to business insights.

Here are some interesting articles I’ve found on the subject:

• Add Ratings And Reviews To Your Social Intelligence Strategy
• Defining Social Intelligence
• Social Intelligence Meets PR
• Online Social Intelligence

Talking to kids these days – 3 ways to write for social media

As an interesting followup to Jason Sem’s post last week, The “Adholics” copywriter Josh Anderson has decided to throw some of his thoughts on Social Media into the mix.

Hope you enjoy!

Talking to kids these days – 3 ways to write for social media

By Josh Anderson

Copywriter, The Adholics

It’s a social media world out there, and companies are just living in it. If they want to reach their customers, they need to figure out ways to reach them through Facebook, Twitter, the blogosphere, not to mention a multitude of other channels. And they need to take advantage of this crucial brand building opportunity starting today.

But what if your company is ready to jump in? How do you actually begin implementing your plan? Are there rules to being social?

In the immortal words of Captain Jack Sparrow, “They’re not rules, they’re more like guidelines.” Interacting through social media doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but there are three do’s and don’ts to keep in mind.

1. More spit, less shine

Too often companies treat social networking like traditional media. Problem is consumers are much savvier these days when it comes to mass communications. They can see an ad coming a mile away. And now thanks to Doritos, they’re actually making their own and running them during the Super Bowl.

As a copywriter, it pains me to say it: If your company is going to be on social media sites, you need to leave some of those rough edges on your messages. Remember, you’re having a conversation and building relationships. When was the last time a coworker met you at the water cooler and recited five reasons why she prefers Culligan over the leading brand?

That’s not to say you shouldn’t have a good idea of what you’re going to say before you post it. But if you want to develop lasting relationships with consumers through social media, remember to KISS (keep it simple, stupid).

2. Leave ROI out of it

Let’s not kid ourselves companies consider tweeting, Facebooking or YouTubing to make money. But this isn’t the place where your call to action results in immediate reaction.

Social media is a branding venture based on consumer loyalty. You should focus on the interaction you’re having with your customers. The day you start overtly driving customers to 800-numbers is the day your company starts losing followers. Build up to it over time. Sprinkle deals in here and there. Don’t push too hard, too soon.

Besides, social media is cheap to produce. It’s not like you’re pumping thousands of dollars in to it. So take the time to genuinely interact with your customers and don’t worry about the return on investment. If you build it (the relationship), they will come (the Benjamins).

3. Be active

While we’re on the subject of money, it’s worth noting that social media is a perfect outlet for many companies who need or want to report quarterly results. But for every spread sheet of numbers you post, you should consider posting 57 messages about people.

Some consumers enjoy numbers. But most are interested in who you are as a company. They want to know what you stand for, both as an employer and within your community. So tell them. Often. And use a variety of methods.

Share quick updates about your food drive. Link to your president’s blog entries detailing why your company is an expert in the field of widgets. Post short videos documenting your latest product innovation. And make sure to contribute at least two times a week.

Sound simple enough? It is. And you’ll be impressed at how quickly the kids start listening to what you have to say. For more tips on how to utilize social media, contact The Adholics. Or just follow us on one of our 12 channels.

Thanks for the post Mr. Anderson!

Cheers,

Joshua Fedie

The “Adholics”
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Great blog post by “Adholics” partner Jason Sem on using LinkedIn/Twitter

I am still learning what all of this Social Media Marketing is all about myself, luckily in my team I have my very own Social Media Consultant Jason Sem of J.B.Sem Consulting. Jason has just posted a great article on his blog www.jbsem.com/blog titled “So now you’re on Linkedin & Twitter – Now What?”. The post includes a presentation that he just gave of the same name, and I would say to anyone reading this that either wants to know more about these things themselves, or wants to learn different ways of approaching this issue with your clients, this is a worthwhile read.

Here is a brief excerpt:

“Social media is a fairly easy concept to grasp if you think about it in terms of a social gathering like a cocktail party.  The etiquette you adhere to at a cocktail party is the same etiquette you abide by within social media channels: be yourself (casual, witty, interesting) and above all show interest in who you’re talking to (in other words, don’t talk about yourself too much; ask questions instead!). The difference is that your cocktail party is offline.”

The entire article and slide presentation recently shown at J.J.Hill Library in St. Paul MN can be found at http://www.jbsem.com/so-youre-on-twitter-linkedin-now-what

You’ll also find some great links at the end to some further tutorials on the subject.

I’ll sum it up with this, if you are one of those afraid to take the plunge, get over it! Social channels are a great way to stay connected in both your business and personal life. If you have never been Linked, poked or tweeted, you are missing out.

Thanks for reading,

Cheers,

Josh Fedie

The “Adholics”
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Branding on Social Media Channels, who is this important to?

Branding on Social Media Channels: Who is this important to?

By Joshua Fedie

Principal | The “Adholics”

Starting my own company, and embracing Social Media as much as possible, I have found some interesting disconnects between a company’s branding and it’s Social Media Channels.

True: Branding is not just design, Branding is also the messaging that a company projects to the world, but both seem to be lost in many cases for many companies.

Is this Social Marketing concept really still too new, are we really still trying to figure it all out?

A little; yeah.

But one thing seems to have been unanimously decided, Social Media Marketing is not going anywhere, it is everywhere and it is time you embrace it, both personally and professionally.

But if you are going to go through the trouble of creating a company page on a social network, why not pull your visual branding into the mix? Is a generic theme really all you want to leave your visitor with? Do the birds panning across your Twitter page fit your Brand messaging?

Probably not.

Most social channels have a certain level of customization allowed (some more than others).

Use that capability!

Bring in your tag-line, your corporate colors, some added pizazz that leaves your visitor 100% certain that they are visiting the page of the group they intended.

A Twitter and/or Facebook page (to name a few) is arguably just as important today as a web site is to your future success. This is where your customer finds you today. They don’t call anymore, they don’t knock on your door, they Google you, they Tweet you, they Poke you and that’s how we learn about each other and the products and services in the world.

So please, I beg of you, let’s bring some Branding back into our interactive world! It is not enough for your web site to look the part; every tool needs to be in alignment.

It’s important, It’s a no-brainer, and the technology exists making it dare I say… easy?

Not quite ready to commit to SMM?

What’s that, you prefer 1 on 1 interaction?

Great; so whom have you interacted with lately?

It is true, the “Social” element seems to almost need a revolution these days, how social is a “Poke” after all? Nonetheless, this is how people are talking right now; you can ignore it if you want, but you’ll be ignored in the conversation, and forgotten should the real “Social” element come back into the picture.

And it will; it’s already heading that way.

For example: I just signed up to be a member of an interactive group of Social Media Marketers engaged in the practice of pulling “Social” back into the picture. This is an online community that actually meets! IN-PERSON!

The group I am referencing is Social Media Breakfast MSP, You can find them on the web at http://smbmsp.ning.com. They have local chapters around the country, so if you are reading this outside of Minnesota you probably have a local chapter as well. Please check out The “Adholics” profile at: http://smbmsp.ning.com/profile/JoshuaFedie_TheAdholics while on the site.

This is just one of the many Interactive Social groups making the leap of getting back to the face-to-face discussion that is too important a part of business to be forgotten.

But remember, 9 times out of 10 they find you first online, so lets look good when they find us!

I like to think that my group has done a good job of keeping our messaging/branding aligned across the various social channels, but feel free to be the judge for yourself.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheAdholics

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Minneapolis-MN/The-Adholics/276466962727?v=app_4949752878&ref=ts

And one final note, just because you went to Cabo recently and consumed a Margarita larger than your head, does not make it a good profile picture. (Unless of course you sell Giant Margarita glasses for a living, or want your friends to stage an intervention.)

But I digress.

Cheers,

Josh Fedie

The “Adholics”
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