We all know them, the mascots of large corporations — the creepy King of Burger King (since retired), Flo with her bump-it of Progressive Insurance, Mayhem (a personal favorite) of All State Insurance and now “Peggy” of Discover Credit-Cards in his Coogi sweater (tapping into call-center nightmares and a touch of xenophobia).

The latter two fall into a category of marketing that highlights the awful aspects of life or customer service as the antithesis to their great services.  Domino’s pioneered the first giant step into this category creating ads emphasizing how truly terrible their pizza was.

Instead of denying the problem, Domino’s tapped its customers’ complaints and made the necessary improvements. Then they televized it with customer pictures from the dark ages of pizza delivered with all the toppings stuck to the box, juxtaposed against customer pictures of the next generation pizza used in their national ad campaigns. You know you’ve got smart PR people working for you when you can talk into Oprah’s third ear, Gayle King about a pizza chain.

How does this affect change in other industries? I’ll sound like a broken record, but social media is the golden ticket. We’re getting back to basics where the customer is always right and away from the old school of marketing where the customer was merely a vessel to imbibe what we poured out.

Complaints can be addressed in real time; they can even be tracked to locate the person complaining so it’s easy to provide them with the nearest available store, repair center or customer service outpost. Change is scary and it’s especially scary if it’s what’s holding your company back from its full potential. In the case of Domino’s, a complete overhaul was essential to garnering larger market shares and new customers. Social media carries the conversation over from that half minute ad into the full monty of Twitter and Facebook and enhances that almighty bottom line.

A huge SNAFU happened a few weeks ago with two large companies, Chrysler and AFLAC, all thanks to two individual Twitter accounts.

An employee at New Media Strategies let slip an f-bomb and slammed Detroit drivers in what they thought was a personal account and turned out to be the @ChryslerAutos account. Regardless of which account was used, the tweet was a red flag warning for agencies and companies.

Gilbert Gottfried whose famously grating voice has been tethered to the AFLAC duck was released from the position for insensitive tweets following the devastation wreaked by tsunamis that hit Japan several weeks ago.

Some may argue that there is a steep learning curve for social media but I’d like to bring back the old adage “If you wouldn’t want it published on the front page of the New York Times, then don’t say it”. The employee did not verbalize these thoughts but social media is the new dialogue, the new conversation.  Facebook, Twitter and blogs are our second generation vocal cords with which we communicate with one another.

Judgment was swift: New Media Strategies was down an employee and Gilbert Gottfried was no longer quacking his way to insurance holders. Now the debate rages: who should control a company’s social media messaging?  The break-down of silos between marketing, communications and public relations is the key to successful messaging. Without complete integration and constant communication, a company’s messaging can run into snags which global media outlets will happily document.

Another windy morning in Chicago last Thursday ushered in an intrepid LoSasso quartet to The Drake Hotel. Awaiting LoSasso President, Scott LoSasso and Vice President, Mark Hollingsworth were professors from colleges and universities around the Midwest, plumbing the depths of LoSasso’s interactive marketing expertise at the 2011 Spring Marketing Management Association Conference. The talk was organized by Don Jones and resulted in great dialogue between area professors and our LoSasso team.

The presentation addressed changes in the marketing industry and what businesses are looking for in new hires, especially those undergraduates hot off the presses. Particular attention was paid to content driven interaction: the driving force behind creating a space for consumers to interact with one another and with businesses. Industry forums and social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare) have become the new quilting circle or local watering hole where information is readily exchanged, available and digested at a rapid pace.

The message was clear: the toolbox has changed but the fundamental principles of marketing have stayed the same. Developing a relationship with a client is still at the core of those principles; it is the way in which we enhance that relationship that has grown to include social media, SEO (search engine optimization) and the need to build a presence both physically and virtually for every client.

Frequent and consistent messaging continues to be of utmost importance but a close second is the need for silos within businesses to break down. More than ever, direct marketing and public relations are completely meshed together: communications and marketing departments have to interface constantly to maintain that consistent messaging for optimal success in their campaigns.

The discussion was also centered around best practices for hiring and what makes a new hire successful. Scott LoSasso initiated the conversation by outlining optimal job candidates that contribute to a team work environment. Incoming new hires are strong writers, positive team players, involved in an array of social media platforms, creative thinkers and detail-oriented. For more information about skill sets businesses look for in new hires, visit iMedia Connection.

Thank you to the Marketing Management Association, Don Jones, The Drake Hotel and all in attendance for a great open discussion about our evolving industry!

What keeps brand managers awake at night?  I have no idea but my guess is it’s brand integrity and the constant battle against those who would destroy their hard work.  I speak of course of the social media cornucopia that spilleth over with third parties ripping or altering others’ brand messaging.  This is the cost of a democratization of information.

That said, I’m flipping through an advertising magazine and see a full page ad with a blown up faux penciled-in registered symbol {®}. A big eraser has partially erased the symbol and below it Kleenex® has a message for its consumers/those pirating its brand name?  It’s unclear but the text reads, “You may not realize it, but by using the name Kleenex® as a generic term for tissue, you risk erasing our coveted brand name that we’ve worked so hard for all these years.  Kleenex® is a registered trademark and should always be followed by a ® and the words ‘Brand Tissue’. Just pretend it’s in permanent marker.”

As a casual reader, I felt I had just been scolded by Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. for occasionally calling any old facial tissue, a Kleenex.  In the wake of Domino’s and Miracle Whip’s new ad campaign strategies of embracing the negative and flipping the script, Kleenex stands out in stark contrast.  Was that their marketing strategy?  It seems a better approach would be to say, “Our brand has become so synonymous with facial tissue that everyone’s been calling other brands OUR name.  We encourage you to remember who the original Kleenex® is.”  Granted this was an isolated case of an ad and it hasn’t appeared in mass media but what are the ramifications for this type of insuring one’s brand integrity?  For such a large company, probably very little damage will ensue but it begs to be considered — is this the revolution and will it be televised?

As seen in the February 14, 2011 "The Relationship Issue" in Advertising Age Magazine

For the overzealous out there, Twitter can become an entrancing and addictive platform for one’s incessant and inane ramblings.  Marketers can be the worst culprits of all by over-saturating their followers with the equivalence of spam.  Nobody likes spam which causes followers to click the dreaded “unfollow” button and for companies to lose traction with a desired target audience. Social media networks are backed by extensive data collection to enhance their users’ understanding of their consumer base and respond accordingly.

Marketers risk losing the people they’re trying to reach when they approach social media without discipline and structure.   Tweets can be scheduled to post automatically  based on the user’s customized settings.  Variety keeps followers engaged both through content and number of tweets per day: regular tweets at regular intervals allow a reader to enjoy the experience rather than become annoyed by it.  A reader at ease is more likely to read the content you’ve tailored to them instead of scrolling past it and disengaging completely.

Just follow the golden rule: tweet others as you would like to be tweeted.

Follow LoSasso’s Twitter feed for more helpful hints on getting the most out of Twitter.

By now you’ve surely seen the “new” Gap logo in all its glory.  And you’ve undoubtedly heard all the comments and backlash surrounding the switch.  In fact, after only one week there was so much backlash that GAP ditched the new logo completely in favor of bringing back the original design.

Gap originally launched the new logo with the intent of refreshing their image.  Gap’s VP of Corporate Communications, Bill Chandler described the design as “a more contemporary, modern expression.”  But when fans of the brand began to bash the new logo on the internet, Gap quickly took to its Facebook page asking fans to submit their own ideas for an improved Gap logo.  This quick attempt at a crowd-sourcing project did not go over much better than the new logo.

In a statement last week, President of GAP Brand North America, Marka Hansen said, “We’ve learned a lot in this process.  And we are clear that we did not go about this in the right way.  We recognize that we miss the opportunity to engage with the online community.  This wasn’t the right project at the right time for crowd sourcing.  There may be a time to evolve our logo, but if and when that time comes, we’ll handle it in a different way.”

There are some valuable lessons that can be learned from Gap’s situation:  do the research before you make a major change to your brand’s identity; if you make a mistake, admit it, listen to feedback, correct it, and move on; and most importantly, listen to your customers – ultimately, they are the ones who make or break your brand.

Although Gap may not have done everything right over the past few weeks, they did do their best to listen to the feedback they received and correct the problem quickly – and that is an admirable thing for any brand to do.

Our nation’s colleges are finally stepping it up and embracing social media as viable classroom material.  At LoSasso, we’ve long believed that there are many opportunities for businesses to expand online through interactive marketing methods. It seems like Academia is finally taking the plunge.

No ROI? No Service

Many online marketing practices have been ignored for years due to a fear over return on investment.  Executives were hesitant to spend marketing dollars on Tweets and Facebook pages without knowing the value of these projects. With the arrival of increased social metrics, corporate marketers have shaken off these initial reservations and begun implementing social media, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click campaigns in creative and effective ways. For example, the recent “Old Spice Guy” social media campaign has been a boon for Proctor & Gamble’s odor-ific brand, elevating both awareness and sales.  Given this type of success, business schools are adding interactive marketing to their course offering.

Big Picture Marketing

According to an article written by Alyson Shontell of The Business Insider: War Room, at least six schools, including Harvard and Columbia, are adding social media graduate programs.  The University of Michigan’s business school offers a course aimed at helping students gather information online in order to make sound business decisions.  As Shontell points out, many courses on new media completely snub traditional research means, only allowing the citation of online sources. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Foursquare are providing an abundance of valuable marketing information daily and it seems that tomorrow’s leaders will be prepared to harness this data.

Why Did it Take So Long?

It’s no secret that billions of dollars are earned through online ventures. So why did it take so long for our nation’s top universities to embrace digital marketing courses?  First off, this new era of marketing has no handbook. Many professors are learning to apply traditional marketing concepts to new media. These kinds of changes in the curriculum take time. It’s when professors and administrators merge their knowledge of core marketing principles with a student’s casual use of social media that the real magic happens.

Secondly, many schools were waiting to see if there was a need for new media courses. If businesses weren’t using Twitter to reach audiences, why teach it? Social media marketing is no longer seen as a “fad” and instructors have plenty of case studies to pull from.

It’s an exciting time to be in marketing. Due to the nature of digital communications, detailed data on consumers and audiences is available like never, allowing marketers to implement actionable data in client campaigns. With increased infrastructure to teach these new tactics, the industry will continue to generate fascinating and effective campaigns.

For More Information: How Business Schools Are Getting In On Social Media, by Alyson Shontell.

If you have been paying attention to the media lately, then you have probably noticed that President Obama is everywhere. According to an Advertising Age article, his PR blitz seems to be working.

Throughout his run for the presidency Obama proved himself to be media savvy, and his latest PR campaign follows in that tradition. His administration has been using different platforms and outlets to reach many different audiences.

From appearing on the “Tonight Show” to filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket on ESPN, the Obama camp is not afraid to reach out to unconventional media sources in order to get the story out there.

His race around the media circuit is clearly a strategy to bolster support for his $800 billion stimulus plan and $3.6 trillion 2010 budget proposal, as well as to compensate for the shrinking economy and AIG bonus scandal.

Many public relations experts agree that his PR approach seems to be working. According to Michael Feldman, founder of the Glover Park Group,a Washington-based communications-strategy firm, “This is an aggressive all-out push, and he’s trying to reach people not just where they work or where they normally consume information but where they live.”

“People made a big deal that he was the first sitting president to go on Leno,” Mr. Feldman said. “But we have learned that’s where a lot of people get their information — the monologue and other unconventional places. And this administration recognizes that, and they are going there to help tell their story and communicate to the American people.”

Adapting to the current trends is essential to effective PR campaigns. Incorporating a diverse set of media sources ensures that President Obama’s message reaches a large, diverse audience.