Hate Flying for the Holidays? So does the TSA....

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Getting a pat-down at airport security may be uncomfortable for holiday travelers. But life for the blue-shirted officers of the Transportation Security Administration isn't much fun either.

"We just want the passengers to understand: Look, we're not perverts or anything like that; we just have to search everything," said Rick McCoy, the senior TSA officer at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. "We're not here to be abused. We're just here to help you get on your flight and go about your business."

McCoy has been a screener for the TSA for nearly nine years. That means he's been with the federal agency since its inception in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"The work life here is horrible," said McCoy, president of his local union representing officers. Turnover is like a "revolving door" and health benefits are "atrocious," he said. Morale is low and so is the pay, he added.

Officers typically start at $29,000, but that's only if they're working full-time. New officers often start as part-time workers, said McCoy, at about $14 per hour. He said that part-timers, who make up 37% of the screener workforce at O'Hare, typically have to work four-hour days for at least three years before they're considered for full-time.

"I can't sugar coat this to these guys," said McCoy, who described many of the new employees as young students. "I tell them, 'Whatever you do, don't leave school.'"

McCoy says he makes about $42,000 a year in base pay, which is near the top of the officer pay scale. He said he relies primarily on overtime to support his family, especially since he pays nearly $500 a month for the TSA's healthcare plan.

The relatively low pay, particularly with the new part-timers, might be contributing to problems with the professionalism of some of the officers, said Anne Banas, executive editor at www.smartertravel.com.

"They're not paid a very high wage and they're not necessarily trained in customer service," said Banas. She said that some of the officers she's encountered are "great and gracious," while others are "power-tripping and controlling," with a "not my problem" attitude.

The best way to deal with stressed-out screeners, said Banas, is to "be as polite as you can. Don't make demands. Try to keep a cool head if you get pulled aside for pat downs."

Things have gotten extra-tough for the officers lately, since the TSA initiated its controversial pat-down procedure ahead of the Thanksgiving travel season. This new method of screening passengers is meant to detect explosives hidden in clothing, like the underwear bomb carried by a suspected terrorist on a Christmas Day flight last year.

Pats downs are implemented when passengers choose not to go through the advanced-imaging body scanners, or when they set off the scanners or metal detectors.

The pat downs result in some embarrassing contact between officers and passengers who consider the procedure to be too intrusive. Airline security blogger Steven Frischling has been posting anonymous complaints from officers on his blog, www.flyingwithfish.com, including this one:

"It is not comfortable to come to work knowing full well that my hands will be feeling another man's private parts, their butt, their inner thigh."

Frischling said that screeners tell him they're "demeaned" by the pat-down procedure, which they describe as "ineffective."

But in a recent statement, TSA administrator John Pistole stood by the new procedure as an effective way of weeding out terrorists.

"We cannot forget that less than one year ago a suicide bomber with explosives in his underwear tried to bring down a plane over Detroit," said Pistole. "The terrorists allegedly behind the thwarted cargo attempt last month are out there bragging about how they will strike again."

0:00 /1:04Airlines hope for happy holidays

"We all wish we lived in a world where security procedures at airports weren't necessary but that just isn't the case," he said.

The pat-down procedure resulted in about a half-dozen incidents at O'Hare where travelers hit or pushed officers, said McCoy. He said these events don't always result in arrest, which further undermines morale.

"We're reminding people that these agents didn't create the policy," said John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing 600,000 federal workers. "Taking out your frustration on them is inappropriate."

Gage and McCoy said that 12,000 of the 50,000 officers are currently union members, but they don't have the power of collective bargaining. They said that conditions might eventually improve for TSA officers if a majority of them vote to unionize with collective bargaining in the coming months.

For now, despite the poor morale and work conditions, McCoy said the screeners realize their jobs are important and the stakes for failure are high.

"If something happened to a plane coming from any one of these TSA airports, there would be a lot of distraught people," he said

How Social Media Boutiques are Winning Deals Over Traditional Digital Agencies

Categories: Social Media Posted on December 21st, 2010 (WebStrategist.com)

Research Findings: While Traditional agencies clinch up to $162,000 per client from beginner, experimental and formalized companies, yet when corporations become advanced, boutiques earn an average of $238,000 per brand. Expect traditional agencies to glean new skills or start M&A, and expect boutiques who have vision to stand the test of time.

Social Media Boutiques are Emerging to Threaten Traditional Agencies
It’s been a long time coming since we’ve seen major disruptive in the agency space. 10-15 years ago we saw the rise of internet agencies, digital agencies, and web marketing boutiques, and then a fast consolidation during the downturn. Now, we’re seeing the rise of social media boutiques, and we have telling data that shows they are threatening the budgets of traditional digital agencies in a particular type of client. This is a massively growing space, at Altimeter we were tracking the many agencies on a wiki, but stopped updating it due to overflow of submissions.

Above: 2011 Budgets: Social Media Boutiques Overtake Traditional Agencies Among Advanced Buyers

Companies that are just getting started and are formalized naturally lean on their traditional agency partners
In the novice through mature level brands, the traditional agencies are the first go-to. Corporations rely on them, as they have existing relationships and have purchase orders set in place. Yet we know (see engagement DB and our Facebook marketing research) that most corporations are not even engaging with their customers –they are doing it wrong. They often rely on traditional agencies for education (often a loss leader) research and strategy and implementation.

After Traditional Agencies Have Laid Groundwork Boutiques Swoop In, clinching revenues
Once corporations realize that social business is not about short term campaigns, they give $ to boutique agencies. The data from the buyers indicates there’s a significant jump in spending on boutique social media firms when the buyer is advanced and sophicaiated in social business. They know their traditional agency lacks flexibility or doesn’t have a business model for social engagement and relies on them. This is a great opportunity for the boutique agencies, who let the traditional agency do education, set plans in place, experience a few failures letting boutiques swoop in.

In my LeWeb keynote, I stand by my convictions not to hire social media “Ninjas, Gurus, and Samurai” and received audience applause. Instead, I offered, corporations should hire business program managers, in other words, people that put business goals first –tools and technologies second. This also applies in selecting your boutique agency

Why Social Media Boutiques Differentiate Successfully from
Social Media Boutiques are taking the budgets away from Traditional Agencies as corporations become mature. Corporations know they need these specialists for the following reason

• Offer a specialized skillset in new media and social business that traditional agencies may not offer
• They can do deep change management within the corporations –traditional agencies have a reputation for layering social media on top of existing campaigns.
• Are not shot term ‘campaign’ focused, instead are more long term focused such as building a community with customers for the long term.
• Are ready to roll up sleeves to assist with deeper customer engagement –not just deploy traditional advertising (one of the top spends in social business)
• Are more agile within smaller teams and can quickly maneuver as the technology space changes over time.
• Fundamentally are geared to measure differently around engagement –not just top line and bottom line measurements

Yet social media boutiques are limited by their size –and must partner
Despite their strengths, Social Meida Boutiques have weakenesses. They are often unable to scale as engagement is difficult to roll out to all product units and around the globe, are quickly finding that traditional agencies are catching up by training staff (see how Edelman has an internal black belt education program) and often lack the ability to achieve an integrated marketing approach

Industry Analyst Perspective: What the Future Beholds

• Traditional agencies will adopt these skills, or be forced to content with options.
• Expect the traditional agencies to generate revenues outside of engagement in brand monitoring, education, measurement, and leading an integrated approach
• Traditional incumbants will acquire these young startups. Expect this data to be cascaded to the upper echelons of traditional corporations who know they need to quickly get a strategy on M&A activity (see today’s Dachis news)
• A handful of these agencies will grow into the next digital agency. Not wanting to sell and enjoy the fruits of their hardwork, many of these agencies will stay
• Brands will rely on traditional for education –boutiques often can’t afford to this unless it’s a loss leader for a sale.
• While specialization and competition is good, buyers will demand that their agencies work together. The previous HR block marketing team rallied 5 agencies together to work on a single social media effort, for a holistic customer experience
• We’re already seeing a few traditional agencies like Edelman (in the lead, in my opinion with Rubel, Armano, Carfi, Brito), Oglivy (Bell, Rohit) build strong internal teams on social business using blogs, thought leadership, and hire social media practitioners.

If you found this helpful, please forward on to your agency partners, and internal teams. Or if you’re an agency and want to share your perspective, I look forward to your comments below.

Twitter Tweets Big With $200 Million in Funding

Twitter is putting to rest any doubts it is taking a shot at being one of the Web’s next big platforms with a $200 million funding round that values the company at a staggering $3.7 billion.

AllThingsD.com reported details of the round, which will also bring former DoubleClick CEO David Rosenblatt and Flipboard CEO Mike McCue to its board of directors. (Twitter has confirmed the funding round and new board members.)

The funding round comes after Twitter reportedly spurned acquisition feelers from Google. It is a huge bet for investors, led by Kleiner Perkins, that Twitter can grow to become a tech platform alongside Google, Facebook, Apple and others. With its 175 million registered users posting short updates, Twitter could theoretically build “ the communications graph” to operate alongside Facebook’s social-connectivity graph.

Rosenblatt, who served as president of Google’s display ad business, will bring to Twitter his deep knowledge of the online ad business. He’s been a director at other companies, including GSI Commerce, where he joined the board last month.

The question is whether Twitter can build a big enough ad business to justify its high-flying valuation. To date, it’s run very few ads, choosing instead to create ad products in-line with how its service is used. Rather than display ads, Twitter is offering promoted tweets, trends and accounts.

Dick Costolo became CEO of the company in October with an eye to turning it into a formidable ad business. Its sales force, under Adam Bain, remains tiny; and Twitter does not yet have an office in New York.

Is it Time for Time (Inc., that is)?....

In his first big shakeup as Time Inc.’s new CEO Jack Griffin announced two major promotions he said were aimed at speeding decision-making and creating clearer lines of authority.

The big winner is Paul Caine, who adds the new title of evp, chief revenue officer to his current duties as president of the Style & Entertainment Group, which includes People, InStyle and Entertainment Weekly. In his new role, he’ll oversee corporate sales, with Leslie Picard and Kirk McDonald reporting to him.

Stephanie George, evp, who previously led corporate sales, was moved to a new position at the company of chief marketing officer, which could be read as a diminished position, because marketing services represents a relatively small part of Time Inc.'s overall business, although one where Griffin sees big growth potential. In her new role, she’ll oversee Time Inc. Content Solutions, corporate communications and Time Inc.’s partnership with American Express Publishing.

Both will report to Griffin, as they currently do.

One insider said Caine’s promotion is a recognition of his success running SEG, which is said to contribute at least 50 percent of Time Inc.’s revenue, and a way to reduce his overlap with corporate sales.

“It’s a lot cleaner and easier for him,” this person said. “If he’s negotiating with P&G, and there’s corporate sales and marketing also negotiating, it gets complicated.”

“This organization will drive faster, more coordinated decision-making and better align our resources against our goal of creating and delivering unmatched value in the marketplace,” Griffin said in an announcement.

What a Long, Slow U.S. Ad Trip it's been...

Forecast: Long, Slow U.S. Ad Recovery

ZenithOptimedia predicts 'disappointing' ad growth between 2010-13

Adweek: Dec 5, 2010

For the U.S. ad economy, it’s going to be a long, slow climb to full recovery, according to a new forecast that Publicis Groupe’s ZenithOptimedia will present at the UBS
Media conference in New York on Monday (Dec. 6).

Two other shops will also offer new global ad forecasts at the conference: Interpublic’s MagnaGlobal and WPP’s GroupM. Headlines from Magna: China will soon overtake Japan to become the second-largest ad market, while the Internet will surpass newspapers within two years to become the second-largest ad medium after TV. GroupM predicts that global ad spending will reach $500 billion for the first time next year, up 6 percent.

According to the ZO forecast, ad spending in the U.S. will grow just 2.5 percent next year to $155 billion, and a total of just under 9 percent between 2010 and 2013 to $164.8 billion, an increase that the agency termed “disappointing.” The Olympic-Election year of 2012 will see growth of just 3 percent to $159.6 billion.

Meanwhile, the global outlook is a little better, with projected spending for the same period up about 5 percent annually to $521 billion, per ZO.

“It’s a muted recovery,” said Steve King, ZO’s global CEO. “While the recovery is underway, it’s just not as dramatic”—or as rapid, compared to the recoveries that followed other recent recessions, he said. The severity of last year’s economic downturn partly explains the slow rebound, said King. It was also more widespread in terms of its geographic reach.

Of course, the sluggish growth projected for the next few years in the U.S. is better than the performance of the recent past. In 2009, spending dropped 7 percent. And 2010 growth is expected to total an anemic 1.5 percent to $151.5 billion, per ZO.

Factors stunting near-term growth in the U.S., ZO said, include corporate concerns about debt, unemployment and government spending.

That said, some growth is better than none, and GroupM chief investment officer Rino Scanzoni noted a “significant rebound in spending” in the U.S. during the second half of this year, compared with the depressed spending levels during 2009. Most of that growth was fueled by TV and Internet spending, he said.

ZO predicted that near-term worldwide spending growth will be driven by emerging markets. Brazil for example, is projected to grow 31 percent next year.

According to MagnaGlobal, China and India will show “standout” growth over the next several years. China will overtake Japan to become the world’s second-largest advertising market by 2013, Magna predicts, with ad revenues exceeding $54 billion. India’s ad economy should rise 21 percent next year to over $5 billion, with annual growth averaging more than 19 percent over five years.

“Until advertisers are fully confident that the economic recovery will be sustained, we expect growth to remain below its long-term trend rate of 6 percent,” said King of ZO.

Globally, ZO said that newspapers and magazines will continue to be the biggest media laggards, with spending in those sectors down another 2 percent between 2010 and 2013 as circulations continue to fall and readers migrate to the Internet. By contrast, Internet ad growth will spurt 48 percent during the same period. TV spending will be up 19 percent and radio will be up 10 percent.

According to Magna, Internet advertising will overtake newspapers as the second largest ad medium globally by 2013. It said that annual Internet ad revenue growth would top 7.5 percent over the next five years to $117 billion.

Everyone look out...here comes the FTC!

Federal Trade Commission Proposes 'Do Not Track' for Internet Advertising

Chairman Liebowitz Says Self-Regulation Efforts Well-Intentioned, but Not Enough

Published: December 01, 2010

The stakes for online privacy just got a little higher.

The Federal Trade Commission revealed its proposal for a universal "do not track" mechanism on Wednesday that would allow people to choose whether they want internet companies to collect information on their browsing habits. On Thursday, a House subcommittee is holding a separate hearing on the matter. Online publishers and advertisers have come to rely on such data, and any significant alteration of current practices would have deep implications for the internet industry.

The FTC's report stated that despite numerous attempts at self-regulation, the industry has not done enough to protect consumers' privacy online, and that they need to work faster and improve their efforts.

"We're sending a clear message that self-regulation of privacy has not worked accurately," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a call with reporters Wednesday. "The industry as a whole needs to do a far better job."

A coalition of advertising industry trade groups calling itself the Digital Advertising Alliance initiated a self-regulatory effort a few weeks ago that would allow consumers to choose to prohibit marketers from targeting them with advertising. The DAA, which is comprised of the 4As, the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), represent more than 5,000 corporations.

This initiative had been met with some praise from officials at the FTC when first launched, but it has not progressed quickly enough, according to Chairman Leibowitz.

"I think the people who are doing that are very well-intentioned," he said, "but it has been in pre-beta development for quite some time -- I think for more than two years. We'd like to see them move faster." Chairman Leibowitz did indicate, however, that the industry group appears to be taking proper steps and that its efforts could lead to a "more comprehensive" system.

Stuart P. Ingis, partner at Washington law firm Venable and counsel for the DAA, said that the online ad industry has delivered the kind of choice the Commission has asked for, and that the business community is in the best position to execute these plans. "We've built a very good framework," he said of their consumer opt-out program, which launched a few weeks ago. A significant component of the industry's program includes an icon that will appear on ads, which will lead consumers to an opt-out page. "In the next months, this will be ubiquitous," Mr. Ingis said.

Stopping collection, not just targeting
The Commission had expressed concern that the industry program does not allow people to keep online marketers from collecting data on their surfing habits, but only prevents marketers from serving, or targeting users with more relevant advertising. "We support the opt-out of collection not just targeting," Chairman Leibowitz clarified.

But according to Mr. Ingis, the industry program does stop marketers from collecting data once they choose to opt out, underscoring a larger question over what purposes the Commission defines beyond the scope of advertising. "We've had dialogue with them on this issue before, and we've met that goal," he said, "but if they want to extend the opt outs to include collecting data for purposes other than marketing, I don't know how that will work." He pointed out that third parties collect data for purposes other than advertising, such as email log-in authentication, as well as traffic data such as Google Analytics, which is widely employed across the web.

"That's why 'Do Not Track' is such a misnomer," he said.

The Commission's guidelines are preliminary, and it underscores the FTC's limited authority. A Do Not Track law could only be enacted by Congress, suggesting that this report is an appeal to whichever party -- industry or Congress -- will act more quickly. A subcommittee is holding a hearing called "Do-Not-Track Legislation: Is Now the Right Time?" on Thursday.

How it would work
A sticking point is how exactly a Do Not Track feature would work. The Commission's report spells out a specific example whereby a web browser, such as Firefox, would install a piece of software such as a cookie onto the user's browser that would signal to online marketers whether that consumer has chosen to make available his or her browsing habits in return for targeted advertising. But such a mechanism would only be specific to that browser and not to the specific person, as the Do Not Call legislation offers.

A browser-enabled Do Not Track feature would also have to differentiate between data collected for marketing purposes, or other reasons, whether for traffic data or log-in authentication, such as online banking.

But privacy advocates have largely approved of the Commission's report, and argue that a Do Not Track program is technically feasible. "The browser-based mechanism is simple and very generalize-able," said Peter Eckersley, senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "It could apply to mobile platforms without changing much. There is some flexibility on this proposal."

Chairman Leibowitz also said that despite the specific Do Not Track example outlined in the report, "it's not the only way, and that's why we're seeking comment. We're big believers in transparency and process, and if someone has a better idea, we want to hear it."

Cyber Monday is the new Black (Friday)?

Associated Press

Cyber Monday sales top $1 billion for first time

Associated Press, 12.01.10, 09:28 AM EST

NEW YORK -- Americans jumped on deals and promotions offered online on Cyber Monday, spending $1 billion and making it the busiest online shopping day ever, according to new data.

Research firm comScore Inc. says revenue rose 16 percent from a year ago to $1.03 billion on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Since the beginning of November, online sales are up 13 percent to $13.55 billion.

The improvement is welcome for retailers hoping that Americans start spending more freely. But shoppers are still holding out for bargains and spending cautiously as unemployment remains high.

According to ShopperTrak figures, revenue at brick-and-mortar stores was flat over the weekend following Thanksgiving, but traffic rose 2.8 percent.

A clearer picture of spending will come Thursday when the nation's retailers release revenue figures for November.

An Interview with our VP of Operations, Jeff Roach with B2B Online...

Are opt-in lists worth the extra money?

Jon VanZile

Story posted: April 26, 2010 - 6:01 am EDT

When it comes to “opt-in” email lists, things can get confusing pretty quick.

A true opt-in list is one created by your company with subjects who specifically invited emails from your company. But b2b list vendors frequently advertise “opt-in” lists that are targeted at your market category or product mix and are designed to yield better results. In some cases, these lists may contain records that were obtained by your competitors—or records that your competitors may have already targeted if they have access to the same list database.

This less-than-ideal scenario raises a good question: Do these more expensive opt-in lists really yield any benefit in the sometimes small world of b2b email marketing or are third-party opt-in lists little more than a marketing distinction used by list vendors?

“Opt-in lists are definitely more valuable than general lists,” said Christine Crandell, senior VP-marketing for Accept Software Corp. in Fremont, Calif. “Having said that, just because the list is opt-in doesn’t necessarily mean the list members will be interested in the product being offered.”

That sentiment was echoed by Peter Burke, CEO of Mavington Group in Wayne, Pa.

“I understand the premise of opt-in lists, but I don’t really see how they apply in executive contacts,” Burke said, adding that he rarely uses opt-in lists in his company’s marketing efforts.

So beyond their greater perceived value, if the feeling is that opt-in lists may not increase leads, what’s the point of using them?

This is where price comes in, said Jeffrey Roach, advertising operations director at eLink Media in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“I find there to be a mixed opinion from my clients on whether site- and product-specific lists are more effective than general opt-in lists,” Roach said. “Price is a huge factor, in that opinion.”

In Roach’s view, the ultimate value of a list isn’t whether it’s opt-in or not, but the return on investment the list yields during a campaign. Naturally, because opt-in lists are more expensive, they have to yield better business results.

“This game is about ROI, and if you’re priced out of your metrics, does it really matter where the list came from?” Roach said.

They key to extracting value from opt-in lists (or any lists), Crandell said, is to do your homework: Make sure the list matches the campaign, including its price.

“Marketing needs to carefully match list profiles, demographic and psychographic, with the desired target audience,” Crandell said. “A good match and a credible opt-in list are an essential foundation for productive marketing campaigns. As we implement our marketing plans, we may secure additional opt-in lists for campaigns that are targeted to a different audience, industry or geography than what is addressed by our marketing database.”

Opt-in lists have one additional benefit: Emails generated from an opt-in list are less likely to trigger spam filters and result in your email being blocked.

There is a new personality at play in the marketing world...

As reported on Adweek.com 28-November 2010

Focused on marketers, WME aims to replace shops

Ari Emanuel

Ari Emanuel wants your lead agency status.

With the launch of Lverage, WME Entertainment’s latest venture into brand marketing, Emanuel, co-CEO of WME, has set his sights on replacing, not supplementing ad agencies, said sources who’ve discussed the venture with him. To that end, he has surrounded himself with partners like former Omnicom Group vice chairman Michael Birkin who knows the ad game and is well connected with marketers.

Birkin is chief strategist for Red Peak Group, a New York-based specialist in brand consulting and experiential marketing that WME acquired for Lverage, said sources. Red Peak’s CEO is Jay Lenstrom, former CEO of Omnicom’s Radiate Group. WME also acquired the Red Interactive Agency in Santa Monica, Calif., and forged ties with Marc Byron, founder of Trivergance Business Resources, a direct marketing firm in Fort Lee, N.J., that remains a separate company.

In conversations with other potential partners, Emanuel has positioned WME as “more connected” than chief rival Creative Artists Agency and its more established marketing arm, which opened in 1998 after CAA shocked the ad industry by (briefly) overtaking McCann Erickson as lead agency on Coca-Cola. CAA Marketing today operates largely as an added resource for marketers who already have lead shops. As one source put it, “It doesn’t feel like CAA is trying to disintermediate advertising agencies. These guys (at WME), really their goal is to get some big accounts and be the AOR.”

The broader ambitions represent a break from WME’s past efforts in this space via Endeavor Marketing and its chief, Mark Dowley. While Dowley this summer helped introduce Emanuel to players in the ad world, he may not play a role in Lverage, said sources. Endeavor Marketing is now part of Lverage. Dowley could not be reached, and Emanuel, through a representative, declined to comment.

The simple reason, of course, why Emanuel’s marketing goals are bigger this time is that his agency is bigger. WME is the product of last year’s merger of the William Morris Agency and Endeavor, the shop Emanuel opened with three colleagues from ICM in 1995. Additionally, WME now has access to fresh capital via a $300 million private equity fund at The Raine Group, in which the agency has a minority stake. The fund will enable WME to make investments that, in turn, could aid efforts to link talent and brand marketers.

Marketers are particularly alluring to WME these days because their dollars represent a potentially sizeable source of revenue for the agency’s clients. As WME co-CEO Patrick Whitesell said of his clients at Google’s Zeitgeist 2010 conference in September, “We know what their value is to consumers. We know what they are to advertisers. So, the next step is for us is, how can they economically benefit from those things that are out there and happening?” At the same conference, Emanuel added: “We’re having more conversations with advertisers every day, whether it be the P&Gs, the GMs of the world. Almost on a daily basis now, you’re having those conversations.”

To move beyond transactional deals with such marketers and build brands long term, however, WME will likely need more strategic and creative firepower, said sources. That may explain why Emanuel approached former JWT North American president Rosemarie Ryan -- a strategic planner by trade -- and ex-JWT chief creative officer Ty Montague before the duo launched Co: in September, according to sources.

“There’s absolutely merit in finding a way to bring that kind of creative pool together with advertisers and marketing companies,” said a source. “What that (also) entails is really understanding brands, how they get built and all of that stuff. I think they see it solely as a creative endeavor and not necessarily a strategic endeavor as well. And I think you have to do both.”

NBC...It's Must House Clean TV!

As reported on Adweek.com...

Comcast Reveals NBCU Leadership Structure

Steve Burke

It was the worst-kept secret in the history of worst-kept secrets, but after weeks of leaks and speculation, Comcast at long last announced the new executive lineup at NBC Universal.

The cable giant detailed the roster in a memo from Comcast chief operating office and incoming NBCU CEO Steve Burke. Given the volume of leaks pouring out of NBCU, there were few (if any surprises), though a few new positions were introduced.

As Mediaweek previously reported, all but a handful of the bold-faced names at NBCU will retain their posts. (CEO Jeff Zucker in September announced he would leave after the deal closes, while NBCU entertainment president Jeff Gaspin was shown the door earlier this week.)

Moving to the top of the broadcast heap is ex-Showtime mastermind Bob Greenblatt, who will assume the role of chairman, NBC Entertainment. In his new role, Greenblatt will oversee NBC's prime-time and late-night programming, as well as business affairs, West Coast research, marketing, public relations, scheduling and NBC Universal Media Studios.

Joining Greenblatt (and moving back East) is current Comcast entertainment group CEO Ted Harbert, who joins NBCU as chairman of the broadcast flagship. Harbert will keep his eye on advertising sales, affiliate relations, research, domestic syndication and the NBC station group.

On the cable side of the ledger, Bonnie Hammer will become chairman, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and Cable Studios. In addition to her current charges, which include USA Network, SyFy, Chiller, Sleuth, Universal HD and Universal Cable Productions, Hammer will add oversight of Comcast's E! and G4. Neil Tiles will remain president of G4, reporting to Hammer, as will an as-yet unidentified new E! topper.

Lauren Zalaznick will become chairman, NBC Universal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media. Bravo, Oxygen and iVillage will continue to report to Zalaznick, as will the Integrated Strategic Marketing Group, which includes Green Is Universal, Healthy at NBC Universal and Women at NBC Universal. Zalaznick will also manage the digital properties Daily Candy and Fandango, as well as the Spanish-language network Telemundo; moreover, she'll add cable nets mun2, Style and PBS Sprout to her roster.

Telemundo will continue to be led by president Don Browne and COO Jackie Hernandez, while Salaam Coleman Smith will stay on to lead Style.

In the early going, ad sales will take on a bifurcated structure, with Marianne Gambelli taking on the broadcast duties as the new president of NBC Network Advertising Sales and Dave Cassaro assuming oversight of all cable network and digital sales. Along with prime time, Gambelli will be responsible for news and sports ad sales.

Gambelli will report to Harbert, while cable ad sales president Cassaro will report to Hammer and Zalaznick. Steve Mandala, Peter Naylor and Mike Rodriguez will remain, reporting to Cassaro.

NBCU president of sales and marketing Mike Pilot will leave upon completion of the acquisition, which could close as soon as late December. In his memo to staffers, Burke addressed the departure of Gaspin and Pilot by noting, "These transitions are often difficult, and at times, people who have made great contributions end up leaving."

Pilot took the reins at the NBCU sales unit in 2006, after being shifted from his previous post as chief executive of the equipment finance group at GE.

Among those staying on at 30 Rock are: NBC News/MSNBC president Steve Capus, CNBC president Mark Hoffman and NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol. The veteran deal maker will add the Golf Channel, Versus and the Comcast Regional Sports Networks to his plate; Jon Litner (RSNs), Jamie Davis (Versus) and Earl Marshall (Golf) will report to Ebersol.

Jeff Shell will move to London to become chairman of NBC Universal International.

"The team described above will not begin to operate the company until after the transaction closes, which will occur following regulatory approval," Burke said. "Between now and then, each business will continue to be managed by its respective leadership team, and NBC Universal will continue to be led by Jeff Zucker, whose talent, hard work and commitment have been instrumental in building NBC Universal into the company it is today."

Burke said employees could expect further announcements before the $13.8 billion transaction is wrapped up. He signed off with a brief forward-looking statement: "I hope you are as excited as I am by the prospect of what we can accomplish together in the future."

Zucker earlier today said that NBCU and Comcast are now in the final stages of the regulatory review, adding that issues having to do with online video were of paramount concern to Washington lawmakers.

Yogurt anyone?...courtesy of Mullen

As reported on Adweek.com...

Interpublic Group's Mullen has picked up U.S. advertising chores for the Fage Greek yogurt brand, succeeding WPP's Ogilvy & Mather, which worked on the account for three years.

Fage spent almost $4 million on ads during the first two-thirds of 2010, almost as much as it spent in all of last year, per Nielsen.

Boston-based Mullen will handle traditional and digital chores including creative development, media planning and buying and social media outreach.

All told, domestic Yogurt sales tallied $4.97 billion in the 52-week period ended Oct. 2, a 7.6 percent increase vs. the same frame in 2009, Nielsen said. So the win gets the agency into growing category.

Ogilvy two months ago launched a major push for Fage online. One ad showed a woman's necklace pressed into a bed of "ridiculously thick yogurt." The tag: "Fashionably low in fat." Three blueberries -- dangling as pendants -- added a splash of color to the creamy white background.

The client called that effort one of its largest ad pushes ever, but the Ogilvy relationship apparently soured. The first fruit of its association with Mullen appears early next year.

Mr. Goodwrench is filing for unemployment benefits...

As posted on November 11, 2010 in Adweek.com

Why GM's Scrapping Mr. Goodwrench

After 38 years, the automaker plans to discontinue the long-running campaign in February

After 38 years, GM is sending its iconic "Mr. Goodwrench" to the junkyard. The automaker plans to discontinue the long-running campaign in February, as part of a de-emphasis on GM as a brand and a greater focus on the "new GM" -- meaning its roster of brands that include Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

Despite the fact that GM is in the midst of a road show with institutional investors to promote its initial public offering this month, there is little appetite at GM for any marketing activity, outside of investor relations.

"It is ironic that most companies doing an IPO would do anything they could to promote their corporate brand, but GM is . . . [calling] attention to the stock and the IPO, and then changing the subject as quickly as possible to Chevy and Cadillac," said independent marketing consultant Dennis Keene.

Dating back to 1972, the idea behind Mr. Goodwrench was to embody in a single character a set of standards that all GM dealerships adhered to in providing good service with GM certified parts. The tactic was born out of an advertising tradition of conveying a product or service attribute through a fictionalized character. (Other examples are Mr. Clean, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and Mrs. Butterworth.)

The original Mr. Goodwrench was a bald, nerdy looking guy with black-rimmed glasses; he looked more like a high school science teacher than a mechanic. The idea back in the early 1970s was to use an image that would engender trust -- a father-figure who looked like he had knowledge and would never hoodwink a customer or take advantage of a woman. The campaign surrounding Mr. Goodwrench gained significant awareness among consumers throughout the decades.

The current embodiment of Mr. Goodwrench on the Goodwrench.com website is a buff-looking younger man, holding up a clipboard that displays completed service on a vehicle. For reasons beyond knowing, Mr. Goodwrench is on his knees. He also has shockingly clean and manicured hands, despite his profession.

But that's also part of the reason why Mr. Goodwrench is out of favor. There isn't actually a lot of grease and wrench-work going on with new cars today. If something goes wrong on a vehicle, it usually requires fixes to the on-board computer. "Goodwrench" doesn't quite reflect the technical sophistication of today's vehicles. Maybe "Mr. Goodchip" would be more appropriate.

Starting in September, each of GM's brands will advertise its own branded certified repair work with no connection to GM. De-emphasizing GM has been an ongoing campaign for the last few years. Small GM badges on the outside of cars, inside cars, on safety-belt buckles and keys have been disappearing.

The company's bankruptcy and government bailout last year is most associated with the GM brand, not with the individual brands, according to the automaker's research. It's no wonder GM wants to steer clear of that tarnished image.

Except for this month, when the company starts trading shares again. It's ticker symbol will be GM.

Mmmm...spam...just what I want on my vacation...

Spam and a slow tow for thousands on cruise ship

By JULIE WATSON, Associated Press Julie Watson, Associated Press –

SAN DIEGO – The former fun seekers of the Carnival Splendor are cruising again — but just barely.

In a scenario likely none of its more than 3,000 passengers pictured when they planned their seven-day jaunt on the Mexican Riviera, the disabled cruise liner was being towed to San Diego by tugboats. Instead of a lavish seafood buffet, passengers were subsisting on Spam.

After two days adrift, the ship began moving again Tuesday when the first of several Mexican tugboats arrived. Rocking gently with the waves, the ship was pulled along slowly with a Coast Guard boat along one side and the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier on the ship's other side. There were no visible signs of damage.

The 952-foot vessel was expected to arrive in San Diego on Thursday night, Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement.

The ship was 200 miles south of San Diego and about 44 miles off shore when an engine room fire Monday morning killed its power and set it adrift.

No one was hurt, but the nearly 4,500 passengers and crew were left without air conditioning, hot water, cell phone or Internet service. The ship's auxiliary power allowed for working toilets and cold water.

U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopters were ferrying supplies, including Spam, crab meat, croissants and Pop Tarts to the ship from the USS Ronald Reagan, an aircraft carrier that reached the Splendor after it was diverted from training maneuvers to help.

The Splendor only had enough food to last through midday Tuesday because refrigerators on the ship stopped working after the power was knocked out, Navy Commander Greg Hicks said. But thousands of pounds of food was delivered by Tuesday night.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy also sent resources to the ship.

The tugboats were originally set to take the Splendor to Ensenada, Mexico, but the cruise line changed its plans and will attempt to have it towed to San Diego, where hotel and flight arrangements would await the passengers, Carnival said.

If the process moves too slowly, it may still be taken to Ensenada, the statement said.

As of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Splendor was about 190 miles south of San Diego, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The ship was being towed by one Mexican tugboat while a smaller counterpart helped the ship maneuver. A third tug boat, the U.S.-based Monterey Bay, was scheduled to arrive late Tuesday night, the paper said.

Toni Sweet, of San Pedro, Calif., was frustrated when she couldn't reach her cousin, Vicky Alvarez, aboard the ship. She said she called her cell phone and did not get an answer.

"We know everything is fine, but we're just worried," Sweet said. "She was nervous about going on a cruise ship even before this happened and now with this, I don't think she'll ever go again."

Carnival spokeswoman Joyce Oliva said the ship's command is able to communicate with outsiders on a backup system.

Carnival Corp.'s stock was down about 1 percent Tuesday.

The situation will be costly for Carnival, which is refunding passengers, offering vouchers for future cruises and may have to dry dock the ship if the damage is extensive.

"We know this has been an extremely trying situation for our guests and we sincerely thank them for their patience," Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said in a statement.

Accidents like the engine-room fire are rare, said Monty Mathisen, of the New York-based publication Cruise Industry News.

The last major cruise accident was in 2007 when a ship with more than 1,500 people sank after hitting rocks near the Aegean island of Santorini, Mathisen said. Two French tourists died.

In May, a machine room fire in a cruise ship off the coast of Norway forced 607 people aboard to evacuate.

"The ships have to be safe, if not the market will collapse," Mathisen said.

Have No Fear -- the Social Water is Fine!

As posted by Sarah Fay on November 5th, 2010 at 9:36 pm on iMedia Connection:

A resounding message came through to me at the ad:tech conference this week and that is: Social Media Programs are moving the needle for big brand marketers. And not just a little bit -- a LOT. But companies who implemented these programs had to let go of some major hesitations before jumping into what Lauren Zalaznick, President of NBC Universal Women and Lifestyle Entertainment Networks described as “brackish waters”. In her keynote on opening day, Zalaznick made note of her reasons to be wary of new technologies that are disruptive to her business, changing the rules and undermining her revenue streams. And yet her mantra is “No Fear”, while focusing on the consumer, and creating the content that will win. She sees technology as an enabler to give consumers what they want, when they want it, so they can become more deeply involved in programming. In fact, she pointed out that there is a direct correlation between consumer involvement in social spaces and programming success.

In one instance, on Oxygen Live, a mobile marketing component for “The Bad Girls’ Club” turned viewers into marketers, and ratings jumped 87% on the east coast and 119% on the west coast on a season over season basis. Zalaznick also noted research that confirms 96% of women saying if they like your product, they will recommend it to everyone they know. It is no wonder that the NBC Universal Is weaving in all kinds of opportunities for audiences to interact with programming and has been first to execute with such new technologies as Foursquare and Groupon.

Jeffrey Hayzlett, the former CMO of Kodak, and keynote on Day 3 of ad:tech had a similar message that is drawn from his recently released book, “The Mirror Test – Is Your Business Breathing?” He talked about the need to innovate and to move quickly. In his hilarious and fast moving speech, he illustrated a brilliant use of Twitter: Kodak was on its way to market with a fantastic high resolution, waterproof product with a lackluster name, which was some combination of letters and numbers – Kodak style. In his frustration, Hayzlett sequestered his team until they came up with a better name. They thought of tapping Kodak’s huge Twitter following with a contest to come up with the best name. Great idea, but what about the legalities – all contests at Kodak have to be vetted through its vast legal department and there would not be enough time to make the launch deadline. Hayzlett calculated that the cost of a suit would be outweighed by the value of what was gained (not to mention the agency costs circumnavigated) so they did it – without Legal. What did they get? 28,000 submissions and a great name: “Play Sport”. Kodak brought the contest winners to CES and their pictures were inserted inside the product box, showcasing Kodak’s consumer involvement. Hayzlett went on to say that fear hobbles a company’s culture, and you have to fail at some things – he gamely made note of one opt in program that got just two responses. The good news: “No one died.” And the Kodak team was able to tweak the program and turn it into a winner.

Examples of harnessing the voices of influencers on behalf of brands are everywhere. I moderated a panel where Michele Sweeney, CRO of Netshelter demonstrated how marketers like Verizon and Microsoft garnered exponential returns on budget by immersing content into highly focused technology sites where influencers are engaged and actively weighing in with their opinions. High level executives on the panel, such as Lily Chakrabarty, an SVP of Starcom who heads up the Samsung account, and Stephanie Agresta, Managing Director of Social Media at Weber Shandwick are dedicated to creating long term social strategies for their clients.

This is happening! Why do I keep hearing reports of how hard it is to find people in the marketplace who believe in social media? The evidence is clear. For those who want to learn more about why social media is important, and how to go about creating successful programs for your company, you might want to read the recently released, “Perspectives on Social Media and Marketing” co-authored by Bonin Bough of Pepsico and Stephanie Agresta of Weber Shandwick.

Hopefully you will realize the water is safe – or at least worth the risk!

CP+B apparently better like slacks for Christmas...

As posted on Adweek.com 4 November 2010:

Though Best Buy's creative assignment stays at Crispin Porter + Bogusky, the MDC Partners' shop was stung today by the retailer's decision to consolidate its $300 million media business at Publicis Groupe's Starcom. That shop, meanwhile, is enjoying a week of riches.

The assignment had been shared by the two agencies, with Starcom handling media buying and Crispin overseeing planning chores.

That marks two wins (MetLife and Cadbury's Milka brand) and a loss of note in the brief CEO tenure of Crispin's Andrew Keller, who was promoted to chief executive as October drew to a close after serving as the shop's creative leader. He has big shoes to fill, supplanting industry star Alex Bogusky as the agency's most visible human asset.

For Starcom, Best Buy was the second huge account acquisition this week. On Monday, Darden awarded the shop media duties for its Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants, with spending of about $300 million. Darden also cited integration as a key factor in its decision.

Along with Starcom, sister shops Razorfish and Tapestry will handle some duties on Best Buy as well. Razorfish is digital specialist while Tapestry focuses on multicultural assignments.

In a statement, the client said, "We regularly review all of our agency relationships and activities. In an effort to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our media investments, we recently made a decision to move our media planning and buying to Starcom, in an integrated partnership with Razorfish and Tapestry under the Publicis umbrella. In addition, this move supports Best Buy's objective to drive an integrated marketing model."

With this consolidation, all four remaining shops are surely hoping this is sufficient "integration" for now.

Tapping Into Email and Social Media Addictions

As Posted in iMediaConnection 3 November 2010:

Let's talk about how brands are approaching social integration in email marketing. I will be the first to admit that I (might) have an email and social media addiction. In fact, while we are on the topic, I might as well admit my addiction to digital media as whole. Once I acknowledged my condition, I did the natural thing: I Googled "addiction." According to the 12-steppers:

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction -- that our lives had become unmanageable.

And after reading Step 1, I might argue that my life has become more manageable thanks to my addiction. In fact, my friendships, especially those that are geographically distant, seem to have been strengthened through email and social media. Alas, I have an addiction and might not be seeing the whole picture clearly.

Yet, as I walk through hotels, airports, office parks, schools, soccer fields, high school football games, and any other venue where people gather it seems that we are all sharing this addiction. We are looking for connectivity with brands, people, friends, heroes, and news sources 24 hours a day. A recent study put average time spent on social media at 4.6 hours a day and email at 4.4 hours a day, with the percentage of people doping it daily at 46 percent and 72 percent respectively. No other activities came close to social media and email -- so if you can effectively combine and harness these two forces, your marketing programs should soar.

On that same note, 30 percent of brands used social sharing in their holiday campaigns last year. This year, look for social integration in email campaigns to not only skyrocket, but also to truly impact sales.

So, when it comes to brands using social media in their email marketing, which ones are doing it right? And which ones are still figuring it out? Let's take a look at programs using the social-email combination in interesting ways -- both good and bad.

These first few examples are well-executed campaigns coming from our own team, after which I'll discuss some outside examples of brands that are making waves at the intersection of email and social media.

Wacom Pen Scrappers
If you have read my past articles, seen me speak, or worked with me on campaigns, you know how important I consider welcome emails. So why not integrate social media into these important messages? If social media is a prime part of your overall digital marketing, you need to make sure it is out in front of your audience. And adding -- not forcing -- social media introductions in a welcome campaign works well. Of course, choose your focus wisely. If you have other campaign goals, do not make social media front and center -- but do introduce it.

In looking at the Pen Scrappers community site we built for Wacom (now three versions in), we made sure social media was incorporated into the email template in a way that stood out but did not steal the attention from the goals of getting started and exploring content. In this way, social media becomes an expected element in future emails.

Banfield
Banfield wanted to use email to introduce its subscribers to what the company was doing in three social media channels. Instead of just saying follow us/friend us, the company chose to add some value by providing a glimpse of what it is doing in each channel -- yet still leaving a little bit behind the curtain to engage the click.

By providing context and showing subscribers what they might be able to add to the social media conversations, Banfield helped build value and a story around its brand. People love their pets. Providing content that nurtures these relationships helps to solidify the brand's connection with subscribers.

Starlicious.TV
After building a new branded entertainment game show and interactive game for Starlicious this year, we waited to engage with social channels until we had published a majority of the shows. We needed the content to support the marketing effort. When introducing a new brand or property, it is important to first build the relationship before asking your audience to take steps that might not make sense. If you simply tell people to jump in and engage in social channels without proving the value of your content, you create a reason for churn. The goal is not to battle for new points of engagement, but rather prolonged engagement that supports the building and continuing of relationships.

We also did something a little different by introducing one of Starlicious' partners, Gain, as the channel for the Facebook relationship, as the brand already had a commitment to the channel and content to support it. Why bite off more than you can chew? Sometimes it is better to focus on building and supporting an existing network than to try to start your own. If you're fortunate enough to have a partner that ties into your brand, promoting and supporting that partner can benefit all parties.

OK Magazine
Publishers are starting to get it as well. Social is about sharing, and a majority of people who are sharing content are not simply sharing deals and sales. We worked with OK Magazine and other publishers to incorporate social tools into their weekly and daily emails. We have experimented with many formats of sharing and found that people really love to share content from emails in this way. We live in an information society where people gain some social credibility by telling people first and being in the know. What amazes me is how often we see people simply scan and share content from an email -- at times more so than from the web page on which the full story resides.

Yet with some layouts, we like to pull the sharing elements into the stories that are the most likely to be shared. Some publications do better with this, as they have an ad model that needs to be supported from the website and not just from the email. If you are in publishing, you need to find the right balance between social sharing in emails and meeting your business goals.

Brands 5-7

Up next, I'd like to highlight some brands that I have developed mild crushes on lately due to how they are using social media as a driver and connector for their marketing goals and customer engagement.

Levi's
My top crush is a close tie between Levi's and Barneys. Over the past six months, the 100-year-old Levi's has done an impressive about-face when it comes to using social to lift its email programs. The company has done a great job in testing the location and content of its social-sharing elements as well as how those elements function within the overall context of the emails.

A recent example in which the company used email to launch its own community site called "Shape" demonstrates the importance Levi's places on email as an immediate impact channel. Notably, the company continues find a good mix with its email campaigns. Certain campaigns look to move the sales needle, while others are heavily focused on social-following incentives.

Barneys
Barneys has been one to watch this year. One stand-out campaign used email not to sell things (but do note that there is still a navigational shopping header in the email), but rather to showcase an interview of the people behind Barneys' social media work. This is a great idea for breaking up the monotony of the buy buy buy, sale sale sale, now now now retail approach. Being that it was a long holiday weekend, it gave people a chance to relax, enjoy, and become closer to the brand through email and social.

Nike
Stepping away from the fan-follow-friend-stalk technique employed by many marketers out there, Nike took a great approach when it used one of its Nike+ emails to get people to connect social accounts in order to inspire and reach more people about running. I see posts across Facebook and Twitter all day long, and it is quite motivating to see all the people you know getting out from behind their screens. In fact, just seeing these posts reminds me to pack my shoes when I travel so I can get out of those conference rooms and hotels for a run.

Nike keeps it simple yet makes a big impact. Social is not about the brand; it's about the users. Same with email, right? It is about the timely, relevant communications that users want, and that strategy works in both places.

6 Social Sharing Best Practices for Driving Traffic

As posted on iMedia Connection 3 November 2010:

Wondering when to use the Facebook "like" button on your site and when to use "share"? You're not alone. Used together and in the right combination, "like" and "share" are powerful tools for driving referral traffic from social networks, opening new communication channels with customers and prospects, and building relationships with your best advocates.

Driving referral traffic is the first significant benefit of social sharing, as shared activity, content, and products are now pushed to the user's network of friends, enabling them to discover what's new and worthwhile with little effort. But sharing technologies have evolved significantly in the last several months, making social sharing a renewed area of focus for most companies. In this article, you'll learn the best practices for "like" and "share," and how to put them to work for your business.

Best practice 1: Create a balanced "like" and "share" button strategy
Rather than choose one or the other, sites who combine "like" and "share" into the user experience see the greatest level of success in terms of driving referral traffic, building relationships, and learning more about their customers and visitors. Why? Not only do "like" and "share" have different strengths and different applications, they actually drive the most value when used in concert. Let's drill into the specifics.

The "like" button has many benefits. When clicked, an item is published to the person's Facebook feed, driving referral traffic to the website. If the user is already logged into Facebook, this is a one-click process. "Liking" adds data to the user's profile on Facebook: It is an easy way for users to make a connection with the things for which they have affinity -- just a single-click user experience. "Liking" also opens a new communication channel for the site that can subsequently publish news items to the feeds of Facebook users who have liked that item on their site.

Facebook recently released data on the value of a "liker," which provides compelling reasons for engaging them: "People who click the Facebook Like button are more engaged, active, and connected than the average Facebook user. The average "Liker" has 2.4x the amount of friends than that of a typical Facebook user. They are also more interested in exploring content they discover on Facebook -- they click on 5.3x more links to external sites than the typical Facebook user."

So where does the next generation of "share" functionality fit into this picture? Enabling share in addition to "like" enhances both the overall user experience as well as the power of the "like" button for the site. Sharing provides a way for people to express themselves and share with friends when "like" (or "recommend," which is another form of the "like" button) is not the appropriate sentiment. People typically "like" things or "social objects," but share activity. For example, if someone makes a comment on an article or reviews a product, they are more likely to want to "share" their point of view with friends rather than "like" it.

When a Facebook user clicks the "like" button, the website hosting the button does not get access to information about that user or about the "like." Adding sharing to the site effectively closes the data loop, as current social technologies -- including Facebook's Graph API -- ask a person to connect with a website the first time he or she chooses to share something. Once a user connects, the site then can access that specific user's "like" data and apply it to its own site to personalize the user experience.

Here is an example of an effective application of both "like" and "share."

Best practice 2: Enable sharing to multiple social networks
To drive the most referral traffic, enable your users to "share" to multiple social channels. Not only do people want choice when it comes to connecting and sharing, but many social channels have feeds and are quite effective at driving referral traffic. Facebook is clearly an important option, but the data below illustrates why providing multiple options matters when it comes to applying second-generation social technologies.

You can also help maximize referral traffic by enabling your site visitors to "share" to multiple social channels simultaneously, as New York Daily News and American Eagle Outfitters do in the examples below.

Best practice 3: Make sharing dynamic
There are two primary ways to make sharing an active, dynamic, and more social experience for your website. The first is to build sharing into key activity flows where appropriate so that it becomes a natural extension of the user experience. For example, when someone takes a poll, completes a quiz, makes a comment, or rates an item, it is natural to add the option to share as the final step in the process. You can also create a frictionless user experience by giving your users the option to "always share this type of activity" or "never share this activity" as YouTube has done effectively with video sharing. The YouTube user dashboard is shown below:

The second way to use sharing to create a dynamic site experience is to publish sharing activity to an on-site activity feed. In this example, The Home Depot brings a sense of activity and community to an otherwise static page by publishing the shares and other key actions of their users from all social platform to a site-specific feed.

Best practice 4: Use sharing to build relationships
Today's sharing technologies are based on the concept of first establishing a relationship between the user and the site, wherein the user connects their social identity to the website via an explicit permission or authentication step. This is an enormous win for both the site and marketers because it establishes the foundation for a relationship. Most people associate authentication with registration or log-in, but the process can be woven into a variety of social activities, from sharing to community features, creating far more opportunities for any site to make that connection. This is an enormous win for marketers, as a connected user typically comes with rich social network profile data, including a pre-validated email address, and that user's "likes" across the web, which can help the business personalize the site experience and communicate with that person more effectively.

The "like" button also provides an opportunity to build relationships. While the site does not have information on any individual user, the entity that was "liked" can publish relevant activity to the "likers" as a group. For example, a children's apparel retailer could promote an end of season sale to "likers" of its winter coats. A publisher could publish pieces by op-ed writers to people who "like" a particular op-ed piece.

Best practice 5: Optimize shared content for the feed and user profile
While some content might be intrinsically more interesting than others, one thing is certain: Presentation counts when it comes to driving referral traffic. Optimizing all the elements of what is published to a user's feed is important for both "likes" and "shares."

There are two different "like" button implementations, and while the iFrame version is easier to implement, the XFBML version gives you more opportunity to optimize. According to Facebook, "The XFBML dynamically re-sizes its height according to whether there are profile pictures to display, gives you the ability (through the Javascript library) to listen for Like events so that you know in real time when a user clicks the Like button, and it always gives the user the ability to add an optional comment to the Like. If users do add a comment, the story published back to Facebook is given more prominence."

Prominence on Facebook means it's more likely that the Facebook algorithm will actually display a "like" to people in the user's network, or to more people in their network, so taking the time to use the XFBML version and enable commenting is highly worthwhile. Optimizing "likes" for the feed also involves adding Open Graph tags with information that Facebook can pull when someone clicks the "like" button. To optimize for the feed, in addition to information that categorizes each item within the Open Graph, sites should also be sure to specify the image and text that will show in the feed item:

Shared items should similarly be optimized for maximum exposure. One of the advantages of the latest generation of sharing technologies is that you have full control over the image and body text for shared content, as well as the hyperlinks that appear at the bottom of the feed item. In this example, the item published includes a photo that supports the content, text that moves a user to take action, and a link at the bottom that specifically drives more people to the original site to take the poll:

Best practice 6: Track referral traffic from sharing activity
Capturing referral traffic data is a key part of optimizing your site for social referral traffic, not unlike how web analytics is applied for search engine optimization. If you are working with a social technology vendor, it should at a minimum provide consolidated cross-network analytics, and ideally more granular and actionable detail. Online businesses should track and act on three key areas:

Area 1: The percent of "shares" and referral traffic coming from each of the social networks. Including a shortened URL with each shared item enables tracking at this level. Key metrics include: monthly and yearly growth in traffic referred by social networks; referral traffic by users sharing content from the website, as differentiated from marketing efforts originating on social sites; and number of referral clicks per shared item and by referring social site.

Area 2: The specific site content and activities that drive the highest volume of sharing activity. Ask vendors if they are able to track sharing and referral traffic by content ID so that you can determine where to focus your efforts on both dynamic sharing activities and content development.

Area 3: Key influencers: When sharing is tied to authentication, you should be able to track which of your customers or visitors are sharing the most, which are driving the most referral traffic, and even which are driving sales. Businesses can then engage these key influencers with special offers, elite status, and by providing even more opportunities to spread the word.

You can read Marie Claire...unless you're obese

Mike & Molly characters

Maura Kelly, contributor to popular women’s magazine Marie Claire, provoked 1200 angry comments, Twitter outrage and blogger fury after posting a controversial piece called Should “Fatties” Get A Room? (Even On TV?) earlier this week.

Kelly slammed CBS sitcom Mike & Molly, which follows two obese characters who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group and fall in love. She unabashedly offered her opinion of the show (“implicitly promoting obesity”) and took what many called an insensitive tone. Without having watched the show, she wrote, “I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything.” She then compares obese people to drunks and heroine addicts.

Readers called the post “ignorant” and “hate-speech.” Many called for Kelly to be fired and were angered that she was given a platform on Marie Claire. “Dear Maura Kelly, I sincerely apologize for my disgusting body and all the various rolls of fat on my person,” writes one reader sarcastically, who was later applauded by women’s blog Jezebel.

Kelly apologized in update to the post, but the magazine’s editor in chief, Joanna Coles, offered an unapologetic response to Fashionista. “Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger,” Coles said. “She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.”

“Marie Claire” has been trending on Twitter today, and some women reported mixed feelings about the post. “The Marie Claire “Fattie” blog post was a slippery slope, yes, but obesity is an epidemic,” tweeted New York stylist @PalomaPatron. “Belligerent or Brilliant?” asked Cleveland blogger @MadMomMission, suggesting it was a PR ploy.

The controversy brings up some interesting questions. In an age of fast, provocative blogging, should Marie Claire admit fault for posting an insensitive piece? And are Kelly’s points about the show promoting obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle justified? Was she being unnecessarily insensitive or has she sparked debate that has previously been lost to political correctness?

Here we go again....good luck Economist Ad Network

The Economist has an audience of global elites that advertisers salivate over, but its print and online reach fall short of making it a mass-reach media vehicle.

Today, the British-based newsweekly is trying to remedy that situation, with the launch of an online network composed of sites that reach Economist-like readers, but on a bigger scale.

The Ideas People Channel is the umbrella name for the network, which comprises Economist.com plus about 30 niche sites like those of Christian Science Monitor and The Nation whose content spans politics, culture and ideas. Executives said the channel would launch with 11 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S., with a goal of reaching 21 million globally.

Such premium content ad networks were all the rage a few years ago, as media companies like MTV Networks, Forbes and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia put together networks of their own and similar sites to extend their online reach and better compete with online giants.

The Economist’s Paul Rossi, managing director, evp, Americas, said the Ideas People Channel is different, because its audience is defined not by demographic traits like age, income or education but by their mindset. “Ideas” people are intellectually curious, opinionated and influential, he contends.

“It builds around the Economist audience,” he said. “We call it the Ideas People, because when you put a group of Economist readers in a room, there’s very little that ties them together.”

The IE Business School based in Madrid, Spain is the first advertiser on board, and Rossi plans to pitch the network to corporate advertisers that he says are moving dollars online in their quest to build their brands or promote a positive image.

“I wouldn’t use this network to sell cheap tickets to London, but in building a brand, introducing a new product, introducing people to a new idea, this is an efficient way of doing it,” he said.

The effort comes as the core print publication’s growth has slowed. Year-over-year ad page growth is flat so far this year after falling 20 percent in 2009. Circulation grew 1.5 percent to 822,695 in the first half of 2010 after stronger growth of 3.3 percent and 8.5 percent in the previous two six-month periods.

It makes sense that The Economist would want to grow the reach of its online site, which currently reaches less than 1 million monthly uniques, per Compete.com, and to publishers like Jonathan Wells of the Christian Science Monitor.

“While we have a large number of people in our audience, we don’t always have the scale advertisers are looking for, especially those involved in corporate image and advertising campaigns,” Wells said. “In the aggregate, we can provide a useful audience for advertisers.”

But it will need to convince ad buyers that the network’s audience matches that of The Economist, whose sought-after readers command a premium from marketers, pointed out Scott Daly, evp, executive media director of Dentsu America, who handles print and online buying.

“I would be skeptical of their ability to do that,” he said.

CP+B = SO+L?

Miles Nadal likes to describe his MDC Partners as a place “where great talent lives.” These days, however, the CEO of the smallest of the major holding companies is grappling with talent leaving, principally Alex Bogusky, co-chairman and creative soul of MDC’s most valuable agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Bogusky, who also briefly held an MDC role, left abruptly in July, nine years after MDC took a stake in Crispin and after Nadal, a self-made businessman from Canada, reportedly offered him $15 million to stay. In many ways, Bogusky, an articulate and visible leader, personified the agency, which in turn raised the profile of MDC. His absence creates a void across both.

It’s against this void that Nadal seeks to put his imprint on his crown jewel agency, with the goal of turning the largely domestic Crispin into a bona fide global player. This summer, Nadal rechristened MDC’s Zig in Toronto as “CP+B Canada” -- a year after buying Swedish digital shop Daddy and rebranding it as “CP+B Europe” -- and he’s now searching for a global CEO, sources said. The shop is also said to be seeking a top strategic planner. In his CEO recruitment efforts, Nadal has said that current CEO Jeff Hicks, whose purview has been U.S. focused, may shift to another role, said sources.

Getting the leadership right at Crispin is no small matter: Nadal, in his pitch to potential CEOs, has said that the agency generates some $200 million in annual revenue, or more than a third of MDC’s 2009 total of $550 million, as reported by the company. More broadly, Nadal faces the challenge that confronts any company whose most valuable asset is talent.

Also, without Bogusky, Crispin has lost some of its “public sizzle,” said a source, who added:
“There’s no focal point at that agency right now.”

When contacted about his global plans for Crispin -- including talk of a CEO search -- Nadal was uncharacteristically mum. In response to e-mails sent to Nadal and Hicks, a representative for both MDC and Crispin denied that a search for a new top exec was under way and said of Hicks: “He’s the CEO and I believe he’s the CEO going forward,” adding that “there are going to be promotions at CP+B.”

Crispin calls itself an “advertising and design factory” and it’s likely that few of its notoriously workaholic staffers would disagree, with the agency churning out creative at breakneck speed. Bogusky’s influence can’t be understated: When he decided to move to Boulder, Colo., for lifestyle reasons in 2006, there was upheaval in the Miami agency’s creative department as its staffers and strategic planners followed him west. Now with Bogusky gone, some of the 600 in Boulder, who toil in a huge former cattle shed, are migrating back to Miami.

Bogusky, meanwhile, is holed up in his “FearLess” cottage in Boulder, where he blogs about issues like obesity levels and advertising to children, the kind of morality questions that weren’t quite so troubling while he awaited his final MDC payouts and worked on accounts like Burger King. It was those marketers, after all, who helped him retire as a multi-millionaire in flip-flops before the age of 50.

Nadal, who heaps praise in his approaches to potential hires, displays the indefatigable optimism of a college dropout who has the requisite badges of success, including a home in the Bahamas and an 80-foot yacht.

In tweets and blog posts, Nadal seems to have a driving need to share the pearls of wisdom that presumably helped him get to where he is today. In a tweet last week, Nadal offered a reminder he may well keep in mind as he seeks to set a future course for Crispin: “I use this Quote 1-5 times Daily!!!” he wrote. “‘You are what your record says you are’ -- Bill Parcells.”

How to Use Social Media to Unite Lonely Consumers, Build Brand Loyalty

The current burst in social-media use seems to address a fundamental human need: the need to interact with other people. While it may seem that sitting online leads to less human interaction, consumers actually feel they are more connected to people than they were before they joined social networks.

New data from the Harris Poll finds that 54 percent of consumers have had less face-to-face contact with friends recently, but 57 percent feel more connected than they did before. An amazing 60 percent of consumers on social networks say they know what's going in friends' lives, even though they do not personally interact with those friends.

One surprising revelation is that social media makes consumers -- especially those 18 to 34 years old -- feel "very connected" or "connected" to friends of friends or casual acquaintances. Amazingly, 59 percent of consumers in this age range prefer to interact with acquaintances via social media rather than face-to-face, showing how consumers are using social media to maintain these loose ties, rather than let these people slip away.

Given that, examine your own social network. Some of the people I'm connected with are people who share a common interest, and that's it. I'm loosely tied via Facebook to a guy in a Van Halen tribute band because we both love the band's music. I'm loosely tied to people on Twitter who have common interests like ATVing, marketing and home recording.

Now, what if those loose ties could be brought to bear on brands? Instead of connecting loosely over guitar heroics or shared occupations, can people come together because of a connection over a brand? Here are three brands that are strengthening consumer loyalty by connecting like-minded consumers in interactive communities and creating a strong sense of community, both online and off.

Starbucks
Coffee shops like Starbucks have a built-in offline community element and are gathering places for socializing, working, and dining. But Starbucks is also fostering a very unique online community, one that lets consumers collaborate on the brand they love. The brand's My Starbucks Idea website solicits consumer ideas and suggestions, both large and small, and lets the community discuss them, vote on its favorites, and see the ideas put into action.

The consumer-generated ideas range from thoughts on rewards cards, ways to foster community within the bricks-and-mortar Starbucks locations, and requests to revive drink flavors. The brand keeps the community in the loop with its Ideas In Action blog, where staffers write about new developments and announce community contest winners. One recent post announced the return of salted caramel hot chocolate after several members expressed disappointment at its discontinuation.

You don't step into a Starbucks location in the first place unless you like coffee, and the brand is finding a way to unite coffee fans online as well. The Harris study also found that more than half of the respondents value the opinions others share; Starbucks has created a platform for posting opinions and uniting like-minded coffee fans.

Dell
Like Starbucks, Dell's IdeaStorm website is built on serving a community of brand advocates. Consumers can post their ideas for Dell products, improvements, and feedback on new products. The community votes to promote or demote the ideas and, just like with Starbucks' platform, Dell responds to the ideas that generate the most interest from the community.

The website also includes "Storm Sessions," which are Dell-moderated discussions around a specific topic. Unlike the "ideas" part of the website, Storm Sessions run for a limited time before they are closed and reviewed by the brand. Dell's been running its service since 2007, and the community has contributed more than 14,000 ideas with 90,000 comments. IdeaStorm is already responsible for new computers that run on the Linux operating system, as well as Dell's use of bamboo to replace plastic wrap for packing its products.

Again, this taps into the idea of uniting fans with common interests. Linux is far from the most popular operating system in the world, but fans came together on Dell's website and voted the idea toward the top of the ladder, where Dell took notice. Social media did two jobs in this case: it brought Dell fans together in a branded environment where they could communicate with one another, and it also showed Dell that there was a very unique, passionate audience it was not serving.

Mountain Dew
The soft drink has done a great job in the past appealing to a consumer base looking for high-caffeine beverages -- namely video-game lovers and extreme sports enthusiasts. Yet the brand sought to unite all of its customers into one community with its Dewmocracy contests, which let consumers pick the newest flavor.

Several brands have used social networks like Facebook to help pick new flavors, but Mountain Dew added a new wrinkle to the formula. The brand spent more than a year on its latest Dewmocracy campaign, slowly expanding its scale from the most-dedicated fans to the public-at-large.

The first step involved sending seven flavors of soda to 50 Dew fanatics, who were also given cameras and told to debate and show their love for the brand on video. The cameras were a great idea because it made the social-media effort more personable. Rather than just looking at static images or Tweets, Dew fans could see like-minded fanatics in action. One young man proved his allegiance by brushing his teeth with the soda.

After narrowing the seven flavors to three, Mountain Dew turned to its Dew Labs Community, a 4,000-person group of passionate soda fans. Those fans then created nearly every element of the three sodas, including color, name, packaging, and marketing campaigns. After that process was complete, the three flavors were made available in stores for a limited time, with the general public electing a winner via online voting.

What Dew did was a little different from Starbucks and Dell. Where those two brands set up sites soliciting ideas from all consumers, Dew began its promotion by reaching out to its most dedicated, loyal consumers offline, and then gave that offline community a place to assemble its testimonials and feedback. The Dewmocracy campaign used Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube just like the other brands used these social networks to unite consumers through a common interest.

Building community, uniting fans
Consumers are using Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with close friends, but also to keep tabs on casual acquaintances or people with common interests. As seen here, consumers are more than willing to come together when that shared interest is a brand, and marketers should be looking for ways to bring their fans together in a branded environment.

All three of these brands were able to successfully unite consumers via social media, connecting them to each other through a shared common interest. At the same time, the brands were able to use the communities to improve their offerings -- through reinstating products, developing new software, or new flavors of pop -- which strengthened the brand in consumers' eyes.