There are many trending topics happening this week.  I could discuss this year’s best Super Bowl ad.  The return of Ferris Bueller – hands down, am I right?  Seriously... I think I’ll just watch FBDO for the 1,000^th time on Sunday instead of the Super Bowl.  Why aren’t my days off half as glamorous as that one?  Must be the car…

Anyways, today I’ll be talking about Infographics.  Infographics are everywhere.  Just go on Mashable and every other entry contains an Infographic.  There are Infographics about what people look up on Facebook, how we use Twitter, the economy, the election…there are even infographics about infographics...lots of them

Wouldn’t all this information be better presented in a list?  I know you’d love that Dave….

Some people just love Infographics.... here's what Blue Wheel Media says about them:

"Infographics have the ability to transform a boring collection of statistics, facts and figures, into a stunning masterpiece that you won't be able to keep to yourself.  Upon finding a great infographic, the reader is overcome with a thrill of discovery - almost like an adrenaline rush, triggering desire to share."

So if this is true, how can you apply this latest trend to your business and have the biggest impact with your documents?  If I had any design talent, I would create my own infographic with pie charts, symbols, squiggly lines and shiny colours, but I’ll just have to do a list

People respond to visuals – so don’t be too texty.

Keep it short

People are busy, we have lots of things to do and we get distracted easily.  So if you want us to read your quarterly sales report, keep it short…because after page 1, I’ll be bouncing over to YouTube or checking out Perez Hilton.

And it the same vein:

Keep it simple

Avoid jargon, fancy abbreviations or acronyms.  Don’t use 4 words when 1 would suffice.  Forget complicated – use simple, direct, easy-to-understand words that every single one of your audience will get.  No one wants to feel condescended to when reading that ubiquitous sales pitch. Indubitably!

Don’t just dress it up, back it up

See what I did there? Very tongue in cheek (if I do say so myself). 

This blog is a combination rant,commentary and airing of grievances all in one. As part of my daily research to keep up-to-date with all things social, digital and PR, I go through a bookmarked list of blogs that feature the latest posts related to said areas of interest. I then check my Twitter lists to see what the important people are Tweeting about. Since Twitter is a great sharing platform I figure any worthwhile stories, blogs and articles will eventually be tweeted. 

And I must report that I have noticed an annoying trend. Let me know if you see it:

• 5 Tips for First Time Managers
• 5 Ways Social Media is like a Networking Event 
• 5 Facts You Didn't Know About Facebook Edge Rank
• 7 Reasons Every Job Seeker Should Have a Blog
• 11 Things That Annoy Journalists and Bloggers

Happy New Year! 

I know, I'm only 4 days late but hey- it's been a while. I should have probably finished this series before the holidays but things just got crazy busy here (crazy is good)and the blog got put on the back burner. But alas! I have returned to finish this mini series: Cutting Through The Clutter. Here's a quick recap of what we discussed in the previous posts:

• Of all the social networking sites out there, less than 5% really matter to your business
• That 5% of the pie is also important to 95% of your competitors
• Your 5% varies on your industry, location and culture- so make sure you get it right
• Bottom line: everyone's putting all their eggs into the same basket
• The goal: cut through the clutter and rise above your competitors to reach your audience

      

Dave Siekanowicz

In my previous post we established the nature of this ‘weird devil’ known by many names but living under the umbrella term of “Social Media”. Our attempt at managing the digital strategies that go into a successful social media plan concluded with something that looked like an evil math equation (yes, yes- I know, ALL math is evil; but this equation is super evil!): Over 1000 “known” SMS+ less than 1% matter to your business+ that 1% also matters to 95% of your competitors= high risk of getting lost in the clutter.

In hopes of cutting through everyone else’s clutter (because of course your business is the only one that matters), it’s crucial that you manage your 1% at 100% capacity. But wait, where is YOUR 1% located? It’s easy to hop on the popularity bandwagon and do what everyone else is doing, but what if that’s not what’s best for your business? Sure Facebook is important to most businesses, but if you’re located anywhere in Brazil or India then forget about Facebook and focus on Orkut. This Google owned platform has exploded in Brazil since 2004, where it is now the top social networking website. What better way to reach your Brazilian audience then by switching to a Social Media platform they have embraced?

No biggie, after all you are located in Canada right? So you should go ahead and put all your effort on Twitter, but wait- your business is a restaurant. Well if you’re a restaurant then you will find that your 1% should focus on Yelp! Yelp, is a food/restaurant review social media website that encourages user generated content. Your customers can post reviews, highlight favourite menu items, post videos or pictures of the food and most importantly connect with other foodies via a platform that is popular in the foodie community.

One more? Alright, your business is a high-quality boutique film production studio interested in showcasing the highest standards of video to an exclusive community that can appreciate the work, effort and quality you put into every project. You had the bright idea of putting up your vides on MySpace, STOP- oh I jest, no one uses MySpace anymore. You had the idea of uploading your videos to YouTube, alright that’s pretty good- or maybe not. How about Vimeo? Vimeo is a video based social media platform that has less ads than YouTube, features higher viewing quality, nicer branding/graphics and most importantly has a community of passionate film makers who feel they are too good for YouTube. Boom- there’s audience. Vimeo it is.

The moral of the blog- to maximize your 1% don’t necessarily go running with the wolves. Instead find out which pack your audience is running with and go there (wow that’s a terrible analogy). Sorry about the length of this one, join me next time for Cutting Through The Clutter: You’re Supposed to be Social, SAY SOMETHING!

Dave Siekanowicz  

Today as I was doing my morning blog roll, I came across an interesting line written by Alan Cross (a popular music historian and guru) in a recent post on his Explore Music blog. The post was in regards to the latest reviews of the new Broadway Musical written and scored by Bono & The Edge of U2 fame, entitled "Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark". So far the musical, now dubbed The Most Expensive Broadway Production Ever*, has not been a favourite of the critics. With constant criticism, a poor story line and dangerous stunts that sent several actors to the emergency room, the new Spiderman musical couldn't catch a break. 

Despite all the setbacks, the musical opened again to favorable reviews. Much work still needs to be done, but at least it is no longer a complete disaster. Alas I digress, the line which stuck out to me was Cross' final comment in regards to the future of the production "And there is still much work to be done on the PR front. It [Spiderman Musical] needs many weeks of big crowds just to break even".

Regardless of the many technical improvements, the poor PR the production has been plagued by thus far has left some deep scars the public will remember when buying tickets. This is just one of the many illustrations that helps put the weight of brand/image/public reception at level with basics concerns such as quality/product/expense. Without the proper framing, branding and marketing that PR professionals provide, even the greatest product can suffer. All the hard work and investment that goes into production, development and distribution can be time/money wasted if members of the public (future customers & clients) are not properly engaged.

What will happen to the Spiderman Musical in the coming months will either serve as an excellent case study of how much PR can accomplish if implemented properly or an example of how all the re-vamping and TLC’ing in the world can’t help resurrect a show if the PR misses the mark.

 Is your PR working for you?

According to urbandictionary.com, the mustache “is a universal icon representing the epitome of authority and raw manhood.”   Since 2003, the mustache has also evolved into quite possibly the most genius non-profit marketing strategy of all time.  Every ‘Movember,’ men all over the world grow a mustache or a ‘Mo’ for 30 days to raise money for Prostate Cancer.  Not only are these sponsored mustaches raising money for a great cause, they have also become a recognizable symbol that forces people to discuss men’s health and the somewhat embarrassing topic of prostate cancer.  As our CEO Alan has found out, when you are growing a mustache there is no hiding it.  Wherever you go, people are going to ask questions, roll their eyes, or giggle, and men find themselves forced to talk about why they are growing and the cause behind it.  Combine that with testosterone, male camaraderie and a serious dose of competitive spirit (beware of peach fuzz… you will be mocked) and you have got yourself an incredibly successful fundraising campaign.  The mustache has arguably reached the elusive pink ribbon branding status, and it is growing every year.  Last year in Canada, Movember raised a total of $7.7 million for Prostate Cancer Canada.  This year they have already raised $4.4 million and it is only day 5. That is almost a million dollars a day. 

The secret to this year’s increased success is a combination of better merchandising and a great social media campaign.  Much like the pink ribbon, on the Movember website you can purchase t-shirts, jewelry, cufflinks, toys, skateboards, mugs and even flip cams all branded with the iconic Movember mustache.  In fact, the mustache brand arguably has better selling potential than the pink ribbon because it appeals to both men and women.  Ladies with “mustache envy” can purchase fake Mo’s and mustache jewelry, or they can support their mustached-man with t-shirts that say “I heart Mo.”   The mustache has the novelty factor that maybe other campaigns are missing, and that is the key to its branding success.  

Movember has also amped up their social media presence this year.  Mo Bro’s can link up their ‘Mo Space’ fundraising page to Facebook and twitter to keep their fans updated on their ‘stache, which increases awareness and boosts fundraising potential.  There is also a live plixi twitter photo feed that shows photos of Mo Bros from all over the world that have hash tagged #Movember, thus uniting growers and followers and demonstrating the true reach of the campaign.  Mustache growers can also make their own videos and post them on You Tube for a chance to enter the ‘Moscars’ – an award ceremony for the best Movember film.  Lastly, there is an app for that - iphone has created an app for Mo Bro’s, so they can keep track of their fundraising and share mustache updates with their friends and family on the go.   

           Just like Alan’s mustache, Movember is growing fast and it cannot be tamed.  The beauty of the campaign is its simplicity and its ability to grow organically through a universal symbol that everyone can recognize.  Rather than creating a new logo or branding to raise awareness for men’s health, Movember harnesses the natural essence of manhood and engages the most important marketing tool of all... face-to-face communication. 

When disaster strikes celebrities are the first ones to jump on the “helping” bandwagon.  It’s a win-win for the cause and for the celebrity. They get the chance to promote relief efforts for a disaster with their recognizable name, while promoting their own brand in a positive light.

George Clooney hosted a star-studded benefit concert for Haiti relief that featured names like Bono and Rihanna.  The concert was immensely successful and raised a whopping $68 million for the victims of Haiti.  The star power helped to raise awareness of the devastation in Haiti to those who otherwise may not have cared.  Celebrities who lend their time are essentially promoting themselves in a positive light, while helping a cause that is timely.

When the devastating oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico it wasn’t five days before a benefit concert was being planned.  Lenny Kravitz, John Legand and Ani DiFranco were among the A- listers to perform during Gulf Aid, which raised over  $300,000 for relief efforts. Along with the crisis and relief efforts that were covered by every major news station, the Gulf Aid benefit concert and its celebrity contributors were among top newsmakers.

When celebrities throw their efforts into a timely cause they not only benefit the relief efforts, they also benefit themselves and their personal brand. Mel Gibson, if you are listening, there is still a ton of work that needs to be done in the Gulf!

There is no doubt that social media has made the world a smaller place.  By now most of us have incorporated Facebook, YouTube and Twitter into the fabric of our daily lives and changed the way we communicate with others.   However, no event has demonstrated the extraordinary power of social media quite like the recent earthquake in Haiti.  Suddenly Twitter is no longer just a fun way of socializing, but has become a critical tool in saving countless lives in the aftermath of the disaster.   As we speak, thousands of people are tweeting about Haiti, spreading the word, building support and disseminating important and timely information to those who need it around the world.  There are currently about 100 tweets a minute being posted about Haiti, and it is estimated that there have been more than 150,000 tweets about the Red Cross, helping to raise over $20 million for the charity’s Haiti relief effort.

Although social media has been used as a platform in emergency situations in the past, it has never had this much success in actually making a difference where it matters most.  Relief organizations seem to be harnessing Twitter more effectively than before, applying it in conjunction with other mediums to boost fundraising and spread awareness far and wide in a very short time.  Volunteers working in the disaster zone are using Twitter to share information with each other and coordinate their relief efforts to ensure that they are responding in the most effective way possible. 

Traditional media outlets are also using Twitter to disseminate news quickly and easily.  Early this morning a Toronto Star reporter tweeted in the middle of a 6.1 aftershock that she felt a tremor but had run outside and was safe.  As news of the second earthquake broke, Twitter temporarily crashed due to the high volume of tweets trying to get through.  News programmes were actually reading tweets from Haiti live on-air to give viewers the latest information about the aftershock.  Phone lines in Haiti are down and even text messages are taking up to 2 days to get through, therefore social media is stepping in where telecommunication is failing. 

Although people are still relying on traditional media to get their information about Haiti, they are using Twitter to react to the situation, share their feelings, and seek solace with people in the Internet community.  For the first time after a natural disaster of this magnitude, Twitter is allowing followers to witness events as they unfold through the eyes of those who are in the centre of the action.  Not only can people share in the pain of Haitians as they struggle to come to terms with what has happened, but they can also share joy in the wonderful stories of hope and survival that are emerging from the rubble. 

Some aid workers argue that immediacy is not the same as impact, and they worry that technology is actually having a negative effect on the Haiti relief effort by distracting people from the magnitude of the disaster.  Charities are concerned that social media users will have forgotten about Haiti in a few days and will turn their attention to another fad topic, when it may take years before Haitians fully recover from the disaster. 

While this may or may not be true, the point is that Twitter has started the conversation about Haiti and people are talking about it more than ever before.  Social media has allowed people to connect over this disaster on a global scale, and it has revolutionized the way we can help those who need it the most.  Imagine the possibilities if Twitter had existed during 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina.  Twitter is saving lives in Haiti because it is giving people a medium to come together and show how much they care.  While the earthquake is a terrible tragedy, it may make people finally sit up and take notice of this impoverished country and force the world to take steps to make a difference in Haiti, not just now, but in the years to come. 

Does every company have a brand? Does every company need a brand? What do you think of when you hear the name of a company? Does it conjure up positive feelings or negative ones? What is a brand? What makes a good brand? How do I get a good brand name when I don’t have the resources of a Tim Hortons or Bell? Let us explore a few of these areas to demystify the world of branding.

Firstly, let’s define a brand. Brand is what people think about when they hear your name – it is the perception of your company in the market. Brand is more than a logo, it is more than a tag line, it is more than a well crafted advertising campaign. A brand is what you stand for and it is how you are perceived in the marketplace. You do not really own your brand. You own the logos, the copyright etc... Your brand is what the market thinks of you based on your brand and related activities. It is ultimately how you are perceived.

Does every company need a brand? Every company is a brand whether you are an auto body shop or a Twenty-Million dollar enterprise. You may never have focused on your brand; you may have spent your time on building a solid reliable business with excellent service and great clients. But now you have to grow. What do you do to get to the world outside your immediate customer base? How do you differentiate your offering? Of course you need great strategies and solid tactical approach to executing on those objectives, but how do you facilitate that effort? This is where your brand becomes extremely valuable. Still not convinced? Think about these three questions:

1. Did you ever lose an account where you had the better value proposition?

Maybe you were beaten by a better brand?

2. Do your sales executives tell you “no one knows who we are”?

Maybe they spend a lot of time on ineffective prospecting.

3. You rarely get leads “because the prospect has heard of you”.

The brand can sell for you when you have an integrated approach to building your brand.

Brand can shorten the sales cycle because your credibility is established early which saves time during the prospecting phase. Your sales people can actually increase their productivity with an investment in your brand. In our view “the Brand” or your brand is affected positively or negatively at every “touch point” you have with your prospects, suppliers, customers, potential recruits – every point you reach outside of your organization. In other words, everything you communicate with the marketplace impacts on your brand. 

We believe that in order to “Live your Brand” you need to have an Integrated Thinking approach to your brand strategy. It does not start and stop with Marketing. It involves every employee, supplier, partner (and so on…) with whom your business comes into contact. It can be as simple as ensuring your receptionist 

communicates your core messages accurately and passionately.

So what are some of the branding items you should consider?

1. Make sure your Key Messages are simple and accurately describe what you do.

2. These messages need to be embedded in all your marketing collateral, advertising copy, web site etc..

3. The messages need to be communicated internally so that all staff has a comfort level with what makes you unique. If you don’t know what that is look harder, your clients buy from you for a reason, find out what that is.

4. If you plan to get some media exposure you need to have your spokespeople trained on the basics of Media Relations and interview strategies.

5. Your spokespeople also need to be trained in effective speaking to ensure that they enhance your company brand when public speaking in front of your prospects and clients.

6. Your sales team needs to internalize these messages without improvisation. Your feet on the street communicate with hundreds if not thousands of prospects in a given year; they need to be on message. 

These are just a few simple steps every company can do to begin to build their brand. There are of course many others that would likely require the use of PR agencies, but in fact that investment can have a great long term ROI. Generally, the cost of PR can be close to the salary of one mid level employee annually. Clearly, branding is tough to measure as PR is tough to measure, but we always know when we get good PR because our clients and prospects tell us so.

Branding makes the company relevant. When you are known, it facilitates all other sales and related activities.

Everyone that “touches” your organization in any way must come away with a good positive feeling. This enhances the essence of your brand. 

“Live your Brand every day, after all – it is who you are…”