In recent days I’ve had reason to do some research into the social marketing efforts of some tobacco brands. Then today I ran across this article in Ad Age about how Michelob is entering the Twittersphere. So it got me thinking how deep should brands which historically have seen their marketing activities limited by the government because of health issues be allowed to trend in this brave new social world. Many of the issues relate to the products and how they are marketed to minors. …
Bill Lohmann is back where he should be. Bounced around the Times-Dispatch because of the well-document “churn” at the paper, Bill is back writing the long-form stories that best showcase his reporting and writing talents. Leave it to Bill to find Sister Vicky Ix, or as I like to call her, “the blogging nun,”who showcases her social media and culinary talents on YouTube. Sister Vicky is just one of the many Richmond-area folks included in Bill social media roundup in today’s Lifestyle section. Bill does…
There was a mini-buzz at THP late on Friday as Caroline and I discussed the possibilities for Google Wave. This is Google’s next attempt at a category killer. It’s next step to bring all of social media into the Googlesphere. Here’s a great article from Mashable that shows and explains. At the very least Google Wave seems to marry just about all the social media tools and almost all the platforms in one place. It also is very Google, as it encourages APP creation that could tie…
This will likely be my most challenging post to date and one I have been debating about actually writing for a long time. For more than six months now, we have been working with clients and non-clients who have expressed some level of interest in either learning more about or executing social media as part of their marketing mix. In that time we have found that most people (clients, potential clients, interested parties) usually fall into one of four categories. This post will identify those…
It is only natural in a poor economy, you tend to let things happen to you and your business instead of letting “you” happen to your business world. As clients cut back or new business slows or the media shrinks in the case of PR firms like ours, you tend to play defense instead of offense and just hold onto to what you have instead of building on it and going for more. This stance obvious leads to a murky middle ground that is not…
There was a time when being a journalist was cool. When it was honorable. When you could introduce yourself as one at a gathering and people would think, “Gee, that’s a pretty important job…that guy/gal reports the news and watches our backs.” These days when I see journalists out and about they have this blank stare of resignation and they are met by others with a look usually reserved for people who have lost a loved one. The layoffs and severance packages keep lining up. …
Every once in a while you have to go a little “off-brand” in your blog posts and sprinkle in some of your other passions. For a number of years as some of you know, one of those passions has been the quest to see an economic development project including a ballpark built in Shockoe Bottom. This quest began before my business partner and I purchased a minority stake in a building that would literally stand across the street from the right field line. Our involvement,…
So for those who Tweet, the last day or so has been interesting. For about a day the ability to follow conversations between those you follow and third parties was temporarly removed…you follow? These third-party conversations are sort of integral to the Twitter experience since they can help Twitterers decide who else they want to follow….still following? It wasn’t removed by a glitch or a virus, it was removed by the folks who RUN Twitter. They said, following those third-party conversations, was likely annoying to…
From time to time I have spoken about some of the great people I have met and learned from on Twitter. Prime examples are John and Chrisanne Sternal, a PR “power couple” from Florida. Living with someone in the business is something with which I have some experience as well, and the Sternals have turned their passion into a business. Their website understandingmarketing.com is full of rich content focusing a great deal on small business marketing, public relations and social marketing. Their latest article includes…
So there I was Thursday night at the first mass Richmond Social Markering Club (#smcrva) meeting “Twittering” away with friends and acquaintances that I had met online thinking that all of this is the wave of the future. In the perfect world, we’d all be cross promoting ourselves, our clients, our likes and dislikes on social marketing platforms and life would be wonderful. Yippee!!! If there is one thing I’ve learned in the six months that I’ve immersed myself (as much I can be immersed)…
Wow. Sure it was loud, crowded and well…loud. But the SMCRVA event tonight was a great success. It was also long overdue. Richmond needs groups like these with people who can bridge their own specialties through the use of technology and communications to help each other and the community in which they live. Tonight was just the beginning. People who have been conducting virtual conversations for months on Twitter and Facebook met in person for the first time by exchanging hugs. More than one person came…
I admit it, I’ve become one of the “gray-hairs.” On my recent trip to Florida one of my cousins (insert Jewish accent here) looked at me and said “Jonathan, you’re getting gray….looks good though.” I’ve been in Richmond now for 17 years and have “practiced” public relations and marketing for 16 of them. In all those years I can’t remember a time where the birth of a local industry group has been met with the excitement and anticipation that the birth of our (Richmond) Social Media…