Zocalo Group

"The Decision" Hysteria: LeBron James Takes on Twitter

2010-07-15T15:47:50Z

Ever since July 1st, the nation has been glued to the media in hopes of Free Agency confirmations, specifically regarding NBA superstar LeBron James. Although I am not a big fan of basketball, I have been sucked into the excitement and curiosity of the Free Agency buzz. With gossip and news spouting from every source, everyone has been on high alert for more regarding what was dubbed as "The Decision". However, it was the sudden use of Twitter that quickly created a LeBron James epidemic that became impossible to escape.

Timing is everything; and that could not have been any more correct when it came to LeBron James' decision to join the Twitterverse. The "King of Akron" who has previously steered clear of the social web, made a splash by joining Twitter with the handle @KingJames on July 6, merely five days after becoming a free agent and one day after trending across the Twitter platform with a paid advertisement. NBA star and friend, Chris Paul, announced the arrival of LeBron to the Twittersphere, by tweeting it (of course), causing mass re-tweets and an overall hysteria in the sports world. Did LeBron join Twitter to announce where he would be playing next season? Would he drop hints as to where he might end up? Was it just a big PR stunt to create buzz? News channels helped spread the story like wildfire, leaving unanswered questions murmuring throughout the media landscape.

James' list of followers surged to an incredible 25,000 in just one hour after Chris Paul's announcement - even before a single tweet was posted on the @KingJames Twitter page. In the following seven hours, that number shot up to over 150,000 followers. This surpassed Twitter superstars such as Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears who took weeks to reach similar numbers.

James made his official entrance with his first tweet, "Hello World, the Real King James is in the Building 'Finally'. My Brother @oneandonlycp3 gas'd me up to jump on board so I'm here. Haaaa".

As is bound to happen with all major Twitter accounts and news stories, fake LeBron James pages popped up all over the web - most namely, @LeBronJamesEgo, with over 311,000 followers in just 24 hours. This page has been used to continuously poke sarcastic jabs at LeBron James and the hysteria surrounding his free agency and decision, much like @BPGlobalPR has done throughout BP's Oil Spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.

After less than a day on Twitter, LeBron's publicist confirmed that he would not be posting "The Decision" on his Twitter account, but rather with a one-hour special on ESPN. The formal television decision surprised many who expected the new-found Twitter fame to be a prime court for James' announcement. However, LeBron tweeted the morning of his big decision, that he would be answering questions from Twitter during his ESPN special. The integration with his massive Twitter following would come through use of the hashtag #lebrondecision.

With all eyes on "The King" - who is undoubtedly looking for that championship ring wherever he has considered playing - the timing of his announcements during this crucial time have been vital to his popularity and career. Rather than appealing simply to his hometown of Akron, Ohio and hopeful Cleveland Cavaliers fans, James encouraged fans from major cities all over the US to follow his every move (and tweet) to know if he could have brought the national title to their doorsteps. The unprecedented uproar from fans has presented James' camp with opportunities to integrate fans (and bandwagon fans) of all ages across many platforms.

On the night of July 8, LeBron's long awaited decision came, as promised, with hoards of media attention. James chose to sign a contract with the Miami Heat to join fellow NBA superstars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Eager and confident Miami Heat fans used Twitter and other internet outlets to tease the rest of the nation as their team builds on its already-existing star power. Meanwhile, this formation of what seems to be an unstoppable trifecta immediately upset anxiety-ridden fans all over the nation. Cleveland fans cursed James for his lack of loyalty and slathered derogatory remarks all over Twitter for abandoning his home team. Many posted photos and videos of James jerseys being set on fire and defamed in just about every way imaginable. Other eligible cities commiserated for not becoming the "chosen ones" and criticized his coward move to follow the leaders. The presence on Twitter and other social media outlets was inundated with the good, the bad and the ugly all aimed at LeBron James.

While "The King" and his camp deserve praise for their incredible PR feats and the LeBron James microcosm that they have so tactfully created, the work won't end now that the announcement has been made. If we think that the buzz was too much to handle a mere hours before his official announcement, the boundaries are now endless that our knowledge has been quenched. Expect LeBron to be a trending topic across the nation for days to come, with endless retweets and mentions from opinionated basketball fans and those caught up in the excitement of free agency. As LeBron continues to dominate the Twittersphere with no end in sight, the real question is, will his basketball legend mirror that of his recent social media title?

You Can Click But You Can't Hide: Introducing Apple's New Mobile Advertising Platform

2010-07-08T21:17:21Z

Ever since it became apparent that consumers were spending more and more time on their phones (and less time tuned into the television set), companies have been scrounging for ways to avoid missing valuable touch points with key audiences.

Introducing iAds - Apple's new mobile advertising system. Developed to be part of the iPhone 4.0 OS, Apple has sold ad space to a number of big-name brands hoping to break through the clutter of mobile marketing. What makes iAds different is that once the user clicks on the advertisement, they are no longer forced to exit the app into a separate web browser. Rather, the interactive ad opens into an HTML5 window, allowing the user to stay within their current app and "emotionally experience" the ad.

But, how will people actually feel about iAds?

Reviews have been mixed. A recent study conducted by JiWire found that people have been surprisingly open to mobile advertising as a whole.

Why you might ask? It turns out that if consumers can forgo paying for an app in exchange for putting up with a few ads, they're all for it. Another reason is that mobile ads tend to be tailored to specific consumer preferences (based on their location). In this way, consumers immediately benefit from deals and offers they may have otherwise missed.

On the other hand, not everyone is looking forward to iAds. An article by Slate notes that the new ads will only contribute to the online clutter by overwhelming people and invading privacy. It's also been noted that despite the hype, there really isn't anything new behind iAds, beyond the name itself.

The comments above point back to a theme we've seen since digital and mobile marketing started gaining speed: as long as the consumer believes they are being targeted in an authentic way, everything remains copacetic. Cross that line, and that's when things start to get messy. Authenticity is key for mobile marketing. If companies are bold enough to invade people's space while they're on the go, they better have something of value to offer. This holds true whether using AdMobs (Google's version of mobile advertising), or iAds.

While iAds may have a catchy name, companies choosing to be among the first to advertise through the system have realized the value of being associated with Apple. This goes to show that you can't underestimate the value of a name and the fact that consumers expect Apple to bring their "A" game, thus making them more likely to click on the ad in hopes of discovering what the "experience" is all about.

It will be interesting to see how the success (or failure) of iAds plays out and the effects that the new system will have on the way brands and consumers play in the mobile advertising space.

Dave Kissel to Present at BrandSmart 2010

2010-06-24T13:14:24Z

Today, BrandSmart 2010 kicks off in Chicago, hosted by the American Marketing Association. Considered a leading event for branding thought leadership, attendees will learn best practices around effective brand management and engagement. Among speakers at the conference is Zócalo Group's very own, Dave Kissel, who will be presenting on the topic of "Word of Mouth Marketing: The Most Powerful Form of Influence is Now the Newest Way to Build Brands."

For a full conference schedule and updates on the event, check out the BrandSmart blog and website.

For a more personal discussion around brand building, be sure to check out Dave Kissel alongside marketing recruiters, Geri Kleeman and Marilyn Vojta, as they discuss how to effectively manage your time and communicate your personal brand. In the article, they offer insight into building a strong brand and the 10 components necessary to get you there. Check out the article, "Personal Branding and Today's Job Market", to find out what they are!

A Yelp-aholic Speaks Up: Exploring the Value of Review Sites

2010-06-18T14:01:09Z

With so many online review sites out there, consumers are now empowered to voice their opinion on practically everything. Personally, I rarely leave the house without checking a review first -- whether it's what I should eat at a local restaurant, or where to find the most trustworthy car repair shop. And I'm not alone in this.

According to a recent Nielsen study cited in The Washington Post, seventy percent of Internet users trust online recommendations and reviews. Online review sites are virtual word-of-mouth machines with people spreading the word about products and services they love, or warning people about the bad experiences they've had. You no longer have to try something blindly - the opinions and recommendations of others are at your fingertips.

Businesses are getting more and more involved in these forums, not only getting the word out about their products and services, but also managing what people are saying. Some review sites such as Viewpoints, SheSpeaks and Smile.ly work with companies to distribute products and associated messaging to consumers in order to generate reviews. While other sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor offer advertising and sponsored results to affect brand awareness. Several of these sites are actually giving businesses the opportunity to get involved by responding to reviews directly. In all cases, the lines are now blurred between what is perceived as an open marketplace of opinions and what is a business-influenced product/service push.

Yelp is a good example of this, recently under fire for allegedly manipulating the placement of positive and negative reviews based on a company's ad spend. I'll admit, I'm a bit of a Yelp-aholic, so I thought I would take a deeper look at what this site is doing both right and wrong in the online review space.

Let's start with the positive.

Creating a community - Yelp has many tools that allow people to communicate with each other, form relationships and feel like they are part of something. You can become friends or fans of other reviewers, and give them compliments of all sorts with fun badges to boot. There are also talk threads where people can ask and answer questions about almost anything.
Authorship - Yelp requires that you use your real name to sign up. I'm sure there are ways around doing this if you really want to be anonymous, but for me, having my name associated with reviews has made me a bit more judicious in what I say.
Rewarding frequent reviewers - If you're named Yelp Elite, you know you've made it in the review community. Yelp strokes the egos of its reviewers by designating those with the highest quantity and quality of reviews as "Elite." This system encourages people to write tons of reviews and in return, Yelp gives them a badge and invites them to Elite events. I'd say this deal works out a little better for Yelp but hey, I've bought into it. Yelp also highlights reviews of the day and "Featured Yelpers" to give even further recognition to its best Yelpers.
Search options - Yelp does a great job of letting you search reviews by all sorts of categories from neighborhood to price to type of service. You can even find places by whether or not they're BYOB, or good for groups.
Features and partnerships - Yelp continuously innovates and adds features to its site and mobile apps, helping to keep it relevant and ahead of the curve. For instance, they were the first iPhone app to implement augmented reality. You also can now book a reservation directly from a restaurant's Yelp review through OpenTable. These are both super smart value adds that have enhanced the user experience.

Now, the not so great.

Manipulation of review placement - As a fan of Yelp I hope this is not the case, but as mentioned before, there are allegations of Yelp allowing businesses to buy their way to more favorable rankings. If this is true, it will certainly erode trust about the validity of Yelp as a real source of consumer opinion.
Authentic reviewing - While Yelp requires that you use your real name, ratings could easily be skewed. For instance, a loyal employee of a business could easily post rave reviews, just as a disgruntled employee could post scathing remarks - both holding the ability to skew perception of businesses. Online platforms like this give people with chips on their shoulder a forum for filter-less complaining, which often negatively affects the integrity of the site.
Bandwagon jumping -Yelp continuously makes enhancements, but one recent change to the iPhone app that I'm not so sure about is the location "check-in" feature similar to Foursquare. They recently announced that you can earn badges and titles based on how many times you check in. Foursquare has already established this system, so will people really want to keep score on multiple networks? Guess we'll find out when Yelp rolls this out over the next couple of months.

Yelp and other online review sites are a great way of - at the very least - sharing initial opinions about products and services, helping to make life a little easier and often guiding final purchase decision. It only makes sense that businesses monitor these sites, but how they continue to get involved in this process remains to be seen. The sites themselves must also commit to a high degree of integrity and enforce standards that preserve the authentic opinions and recommendations of consumers.

So, I ask you, what role do you see these forms taking as the world of social media continues to expand? Will they last?

How Much Is Too Much? The Social Media Debate Over Sharing Private Information In A Public Space

2010-06-09T15:50:29Z

As social media weaves its way from a favorite past time of twenty something's to an integral part of nearly two thirds of the population, it's no surprise how many details are being shared online and why privacy in the online space is increasingly becoming more of a concern. While intentions may have been good when creating networks like Facebook and Twitter, it is becoming more and more apparent how these outlets can and are being used against users, intentionally or not.

Social media users have 24/7 access to their networks no matter where they are. It has become a companion of sorts, allowing them to share feelings and opinions wherever they may be. Updating Facebook statuses hourly and tweeting about one's every move is now common practice among many users and personal safety concerns - both online and off - have been brought into the spotlight as a result of this "over sharing." (Photo Source: http://socialnomics.net)

What's The Big Deal?

A constant stream of private information to social media networks -- which often includes people that someone may have never even met or those who normally wouldn't be privy to such information -- could potentially be quite risky on a number of levels. Companies are beginning to use these networks to target individuals for marketing purposes, to compile evidence in legal disputes and even as a way for credit companies to track people down. Gone are the days of anonymity and believing a private page is actually private. Voicing opinions about a pesky neighbor over Twitter can now be used against a person and they may wind up paying for it later.

The emergence of location based services such as Four Square where users can "check in" at places, earning themselves levels of status at the establishment, brings a whole new level of danger into the fold. In an effort to prove a point, the website PleaseRobMe.com emerged to demonstrate just how risky these services can be. The website is a stream of updates from different sites, showing when users check-in somewhere that is not their home. The idea behind the site is that if a person isn't home, and lets other knows about it, they are leaving themselves open to getting robbed. A little over the top? Perhaps, but the site makes a valid point that if used in the wrong way, these social media tools can leave users vulnerable to harmful possibilities.

(Photo Source: www.pleaserobme.com)

What To Do?

So, what can be done to ensure one's privacy on social media sites? Staying current with personal privacy controls is extremely important and there are a variety of applications and programs being developed to help users do just that. In light of the recent Facebook news that the company is now using social plug-ins to make previously private information public, programs have emerged to make it easier for users to change their newly defaulted public settings back to private.

According to cnet.com, SaveFace and ReclaimPrivacy.org are two such applications. SaveFace works by changing fields such as personal contact information, wall posts and friend lists to the "friends only" setting. Reclaim Privacy scans a Facebook member's privacy settings to flag profile areas that may be unexpectedly public. Both applications have the ability to reset Facebook's automatic public settings, enabling a more secure profile.

An interesting article on ConsumerReports.org also details where and how consumers can control privacy. Released specifically to target Facebook, these seven tips can and should be avoided to ensure privacy:

• Using a weak password
• Leaving your full birth date in your profile
• Overlooking useful privacy controls
• Posting your child's name in a caption
• Mentioning that you'll be away from home
• Letting search engines find you
• Permitting youngsters to use Facebook unsupervised

It is important to remember that as social media platforms continue to evolve and new tools arise, so do new safety threats and those looking to steal information. Social media platforms are great tools to make and foster connections as well as to learn new things. In order to keep them that way, it's imperative to stay on top of privacy control updates. Be aware of who is in a person's friend network and remember that holding back on posting detailed information remains the best way to ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

WOMMA's "School of WOM" Conference Wraps in Chicago

2010-05-28T17:15:55Z

The 2010 Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) School of WOM wrapped up Wednesday afternoon here in Chicago, and the social media community has been abuzz with conversation about the wisdom that was shared.

The School of WOM conference is designed to help marketers "move beyond tactics" and gain the knowledge necessary to "engage the social consumer across business disciplines." The three day event featured best practices and case studies from some of the world's top brands, including Coca-Cola, Best Buy, Proctor & Gamble, Google, and Kraft Foods. The School of WOM is led by a "faculty" of distinguished industry experts from agencies (such as Zócalo Group's own Paul Rand and Emily Bader) and major corporations.

With hundreds of Tweets and a lot of active discussion circulating around the event, I thought it might be helpful to share some key insights shared by some of the biggest speakers.

Conference Conversation Volume

Key Notes from the Keynote Speakers:

Jeffery Hayzlett - Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company

Hayzlett asserted that moments lose their power if they are not shared. This, he said, is why Facebook and Twitter are so powerful. As a company that traffics in moments, Kodak realized it was in its best interest to make sharing moments as easy for consumers as possible. This is why the company will be adding a new "Share" button to all of its cameras.

Dan Heath, Co-author of Switch and Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Heath, whose newest book features the sub-head "How to Change Things When Change is Hard," connected with the audience by challenging them to "obsess about success." He made the case that people spend too much time concentrating on how to change what isn't working in a given situation, when their energy would be better spent focusing on replicating what is working.

Jeanne Bliss, Best-selling Author, Chief Customer Officer

Bliss has spent years evangelizing for the importance of customer experience in driving positive word of mouth recommendations. A key point she drove home during her presentation was the idea that businesses need to truly think of their employees as partners, not just cogs performing a given task. "Beloved" companies, she said, trust their employees to do the right thing and eliminate excessive bureaucracy that creates barriers between employees and customers.

Andrew Mason, CEO - Groupon

Groupon's colorful CEO, Andrew Mason (who gave his presentation in shorts and a faded shirt), preached about the importance of customer service. At one point he indicated that he's sometimes tempted to screw up on purpose, just so he has the chance to apologize -- because he sees just how powerful a heartfelt apology can be. He also perceives customer service to be a major differentiation opportunity for businesses, because, frankly, most companies are so bad at it that even being just a little bit better goes a long way.

Rob Morris, Co-Founder and President, Love146

Morris, whose organization is dedicated to the abolition of child sex slavery through prevention and aftercare solutions, tugged on attendees' heartstrings while sharing his take on how online WOM (such as Love146's successful Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter programs) can be used to engage and mobilize individuals around a cause.

Jim Lecinski, Managing Director, Central Region, Google

Although Google may be ubiquitous as a brand, the company still puts a great deal of emphasis on developing sound WOM strategies. For brands that aren't as well known, Lecinski offered these four tips: 1. Pose a challenge, 2. Hold a contest, 3. Give a gift, 4. Surprise people. He pointed to Google's recent integration of the classic Pac Man arcade game into its home page logo as an example of a surprise that sparked a tremendous amount of conversation across the web.

There's only so much of a three day conference that can be packed into one blog post, so we'd love to hear from you. Were you able to attend the School of WOM? What was the most valuable piece of advice you took away from the event?

Catalyst for Industry Shift, Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference Leads Conversation

2010-05-21T20:16:34Z

As the final presentation of last week's much anticipated Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference came to a close, the chatter online showed no signs of slowing down, with attendees and followers buzzing about the latest insights and trends emerging from the growing Hispanic segment.

The first conference devoted exclusively to the Hispanic public relations and social media marketing industry, the three day event in Dallas, TX attracted leading brands as well as marketing and PR professionals from corporate communications, government, non profits, PR and social media agencies. Hosted by the Hispanic PR Blog -- led by founder, Manny Ruiz -- and the Hispanic Public Relations Association, the conference exceeded everyone's expectations with more than 300 attendees and 20 informational sessions.

Using the #HPRConf hashtag and following the newly designed @HispanicPR Twitter page, conference enthusiasts were able to stay up-to-date on event details and speakers.

Zócalo Group was also on-site as a presenter and the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor, helping to co-host the event's Tuesday Tweetup with the Sánchez Ricardo Agency, a Washington DC-based multicultural communications firm. Thanks to the hard work and incredible energy by Midy Aponte, President/Founder of the firm, and her team, the event turned out to be a huge success and a great networking opportunity for attendees.

Throughout the week, the vibrancy and excitement from the conference floor was evident, spilling over into the hundreds of messages and introductions shared via Twitter and other social media channels. Discussions focused around the role Hispanic marketing and social media will play in coming years -- a conversation that will undoubtedly grow as brands and marketers work to better engage consumers.

Key Trends:

In case you missed any of the conference, check out some of the important trends and questions emerging from the dialogue.

Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference becomes an important catalyst for industry trends and change
50% of moms in the US are of color and 40% of US kids are multicultural
Digital understanding is essential for winning with Latinos
Measurement & ROI is big - Hispanics are 73% more likely to purchase a brand associated with a cause
PR measurement can be divided into four stages: output quantity, output quality, impact, and economic value
How is social media going to transform Hispanic marketing?
Latinos are quickly becoming the most active social media users, but the key is translating that into influence
Ignore the dividing line between social media and PR as they're often seated at the same table
US Hispanic buying power will exceed $1.3 trillion by 2013
Want better ROI? Get away from pay media and invest in sustainable social media programs
Is social media a PR or advertising function?
What tools do you use to track social media campaigns?
Latino media is all about connecting to culture, language is not enough

The conference demonstrated the importance of paying attention to the needs and issues surrounding the Hispanic segment, with marketers already rethinking their strategies to effectively target and engage this audience.

Curious about what else people had to say about the conference? Check out the key presenters, tweeters and hashtags generating some of the greatest buzz during the event.

Most Talked About & Recommended Presenters:

Rudy Rodriguez, Director of Multicultural Marketing for General Mills, discussing their "Que Rica Vida" campaign

Lee Vann from Captura Group and his discussion on why Latinos are more social than other demographics

Stephen Chavez, Hispanic Marketing Consultant, and his educational session on learning CSR strategies targeting Latinos

Mike Fernandez, VP of State Farm, touching on the importance of the Hispanic community in the changing face of America

Glenn Llopis, Center for Hispanic Leadership, discusses how diversity propels innovation

Most Active Tweeters:

@MidyAponte
@MauraHernandez
@Berly624
@hispanicpr
@leevan
@jrvilla
@hispanicfund
@HPR_TweetUp
@Ivan_Leon
@statefarm
@jansell

Other Top Hashtags:

#latism
#diversity
#Dallas
#latino2

Links:

For more information, photos and to hear what others are saying, check out these great resources.

What's next? Keep an eye out for the upcoming Hispanic Social Media Guide from Hispanic PR Blog, due out later this month!

(Photo Source: Jonah Ansell, MyLatinoVoice.com, Pegasusnews.com)

Where FourSquare and Fashion Intersect: Engaging Consumers Where it Matters

2010-05-17T18:27:41Z

What do you get when you combine the fashion industry with location-based social media applications?

Some very happy shoppers.

Take the below campaigns, for example. The following brands chose to use the location-based app Foursquare in different ways to reach consumers; however, they all share one common theme. Each campaign focuses on heavily integrating the consumer's online-offline experience, allowing brands to directly and immediately engage with consumers.

1. Catch A Choo:

In Jimmy Choo's first social media campaign, the luxury shoe brand is teaming up with Foursquare to lead consumers on a treasure hunt to find their new line of trainers. The shoes "check-in" to some of the most exclusive and fashionable locations in London. The first person to snag the shoes while they are still checked into that venue, get to keep them.

2. The "Fashion Victim:"

Marc Jacobs, who is considered a veteran to social media when it comes to the fashion industry, created a new badge for New York Fashion Week. Consumers were allowed to check-into stores and unlock the "Fashion Victim" badge. Four people who did so in New York were chosen at random and given tickets to the Marc by Marc Jacobs show.

3. The Faces of Stupid:

Diesel ran a one-day event (working in conjunction with their "Faces of Stupid" Campaign), where consumers who checked-in within a three-block radius of the Union Square flagship store, received their choice of specially designed T-shirts.

A Closer Look at Their Strategy

The fashion industry has decided to take a unique approach to location-based marketing and so far it's worked. The main and crucial difference between using location-based services (like Foursquare or Gowalla) versus other social media outlets (such as Facebook), is that brands have the unique ability to immediately alter and improve the consumer's experience. This is an extremely important factor for fashion retailers.

The above campaigns let Foursquare do the talking for them - that is, they used the app to fuel word of mouth - rather than pumping out a ton of additional promotion. As two of the first brands in the fashion industry to dive into the location-based social media pool, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo have seen a significant return on their investment, garnering enough traditional media hype for their Foursquare tactics to make the campaign worthwhile.

In many cases, however, brands end up promoting themselves so heavily through traditional channels as well, that the "social" aspect of their social media campaign becomes completely lost.

As more fashion brands jump on the bandwagon, these kinds of campaigns will undoubtedly get a bit more creative, but for now, consumers are so excited by the spontaneous giveaways and treasure hunts that the fashion retailers can sit back, relax and watch consumers engage with their products in ways they've never seen before.

Knowing that the fashion industry has always been one to push the boundaries of consumer expectation, it will be interesting to see the new campaigns that emerge as more retailers (both high-end and mainstream) begin adopting a stronger social media strategy.

Source: Branding Unbound, the Blog

Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference Kicks Off TODAY!

2010-05-10T19:31:53Z

PR, social media and marketing enthusiasts get ready as the much anticipated 2010 Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference kicks off today in Dallas, TX. Hosted by the HispanicPR Blog, the conference runs May 10th - 12th and will feature some of the industry's leading voices and hottest trends in Hispanic communication.

You too can join the conversation by visiting the Conference's website or Tweeting #HPRConf and visiting the newly designed @hispanicpr Twitter page. Share your best insights and comments related to the Conference and its speakers with colleagues, friends and followers!

For all you social butterflies looking to mingle with fellow Tweeters and Conference attendees post-presentation, check out the official Tuesday Tweetup (@HPR_Conf), held in the Draft Media Sports Lounge at 5pm and hosted by The Sanchez Ricardo Agency.

With the U.S. Hispanic market growing faster than ever, marketers and brands alike have been working to wrap their heads around how to best target and engage this audience. Featuring more than 24 professional development sessions, and more than 70 speakers and presenters, this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference provides an invaluable resource for gaining insight and best practices into reaching this segment.

Attendees and supporters are already buzzing about this year's line-up of topics including a focus on:

•    Engaging Hispanic Audiences Through Media Relations
• Targeting PR Initiatives to Reach Urban Latino Youth
•    Developing Partnerships with Hispanic Organizations, and
•    Leveraging Social Media in PR & Advertising Campaigns

Presenters hail from some of today's leading agencies and brands including:

•   General Mills
•   UnitedHealthcare
•   McDonald's
•   Verizon Wireless
•   Microsoft
•   Walmart
•   State Farm
•   Qwest
•   Zune
•   Southwest Airlines
•   The US Army
•   NBA
•   The American Heart Association
•   The National Pork Board
•   and more!

For a complete Hispanic Conference agenda, please check out the official Conference website, or tune into @HispanicPR for up-to-the-minute details on speakers and events!

As the Official Twitter and Word of Mouth Sponsor of this year's Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference, Zócalo Group will also be on-site during the event. You can find us by tweeting @jansell or @paulmrand as well as stopping by the Tuesday Tweetup for in -person introductions.

Zócalo Group President/CEO and the President of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), Paul Rand, will also be featured as a presenter in panel discussions around the impact and influence of social media and word of mouth marketing. Check out his upcoming sessions here:

Tuesday, May 11th - 1:30pm
"A Review of Key Issues and Trends Every Marketer Needs to Know About Hispanic Social Media"
Wednesday, May 12th - 10am
"PR vs. Advertising: A Frank Discussion About Which Discipline is Best Suited to Lead Hispanic Social Media Initiatives and Why"

The Hispanic PR & Social Media Conference is the national trade show division of the HispanicPR Blog, the leading trade media outlet focused on Hispanic PR and social marketing news and views. Share your questions and Conference favorites with us here!

(Post co-authored by Leah Bassett)

In Search of WOM Pioneers: William Castle, Film Maker, Marketer and Hollywood Strategist

2010-05-04T16:41:16Z

Examples of Word of Mouth can be found in the most unlikely places.

Recently, I found myself watching the William Castle inspired documentary, Spine Tingler, a film that documents Castle's intriguing film making throughout the 1950's and 1960's.

What I find striking about this documentary is how Castle is discussed. Most documentaries speak about the filmmaker's influences, his directorial style, and/or his themes; however, when many of his colleagues and other industry eminents spoke of this esteemed film maker in interviews, they often described William Castle as a "brand", and that for all of his talents as a filmmaker, his strongest asset was that he was a great "marketer." Granted, his reputation was that he was "King of the Gimmick"...but in many ways, William Castle is one of the unsung heroes of word-of-mouth marketing.

In short, William Castle would drive positive customer word-of-mouth about his movies through creative strategies, fostering a pop-culture brand which exists to this day - all of this within the context of the 1950-era media industry.

Castle's strategies for driving customer word of mouth include:

Creating unique "brand" experiences for audience members directly within his films. Even now, he is known for his unique stunts, such as having a skeleton "emerge" from a movie and float through the audience (House on Haunted Hill); having a "punishment poll" to determine the end of a movie (Mr. Sardonicus); and most famously, having theater seats "buzz" a person in order to encourage them to scream, as if they were participating in the film itself (The Tingler).

Moviegoers - then and now - recognized the director's willingness to create unique experiences for his audience. In short, his "stunts" were the 1950's equivalent of offline WOM campaigns.
Developing a distinct personal brand. Castle would often appear in his movies to provide an introduction (and, of course, to explain the "stunt"). By doing so, he not only helped promote the film, he successfully created a personal brand that came to rival that of fellow filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock. By closely identifying himself with his movies, Castle created offline buzz strictly due to the force of his personality.

However, this same technique later backfired when he tried to produce the film version of Rosemary's Baby in the late 1960's. Hollywood saw him as strictly as a "B-movie" director, causing considerable negative word of mouth in the industry, ultimately preventing him from taking the role.
Encouraging and driving conversation around key influencers and customers. Castle would often travel to towns where his films were shot, meeting audience members (primarily 8 to 14 year old's) and interacting with them through special events. Today, we might call this "viral marketing."

In addition, Castle developed strong relationships with key influencers within Hollywood, including Harry Cohn, then head of Columbia Studios. In fact, Castle's ability to engage influencers led to his films becoming financially profitable, as well as driving sustainable word of mouth with later influencers like Forrest J. Ackerman, collector Bob Burns, and most notably, John Waters, who wrote a tribute to Castle in the early 1980s.

So, in the spirit of William Castle's pre-WOM efforts, I turn to you, dear reader, and ask - are there any unsung pioneers of WOM? Any one in any context - popular culture, history, technology, business - who embraced word-of-mouth principles long before anyone else? Someone you feel is a true pioneer of WOM?

Uncovering the Truth of How Consumer Banks Are Being Recommended: Zocalo Group's Recommendation Index Unveiled

2010-04-29T19:03:13Z

Today, Zocalo Group's second Recommendation Index was announced, focusing on how consumers are recommending and talking about the Consumer Banking segment. In a joint effort with M/A/R/C Research, the study provides a list of the most recommended banks and the words used to describe them, while creating a score that marketers can use to compare against other brands in the same category.

Due to tough economic times, banks nationwide have seen more frequent restructuring and closures, making the need to meet consumer demand more important than ever before. For those still standing, it becomes imperative to know how their brand is being recommended and which words or services drive that conversation.

How would you describe your own bank? Positively or negatively?

Ever wonder what others are saying about it and how it compares to competitors?

This quarter's Recommendation Index helps shed light on those very questions, looking at more than 40 banks in both online and offline analysis. Which of those most recommended? The results are in.

Leading the pack are PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, Capital One, ING, Bank of America, HSBC, Merrill Lynch, Wachovia and JPMorgan Chase. Although, not a specific brand, credit unions placed second on the list overall behind PNC Bank.

Top drivers of recommendation in the overall consumer banking category include: positive customer service experience, good interest rates, rewards programs and incentives, convenience (foremost online, followed by brand locations), and the perception of being trustworthy and dependable.

Alternately, leading causes for negative consumer word of mouth include: poor customer service, followed by overdraft fees, changes to rates or services without adequate warning, the perception of being untrustworthy, and additional fees or charges.

In addition to key brands and themes, the Recommendation Index offers an average for the entire category - consumer banking falls at 13.5 - illustrating that consumers provide positive recommendations 13.5 times more often than negative recommendations. This provides an industry standard for judging the impact of a brand's marketing efforts.

For additional details on the Recommendation Index as well as results from 2009's analysis of the Casual Dining Restaurant category, please visit www.recommendationindex.com.

Which banks do you recommend and why? What is the single most important thing a bank can do to keep your business?

When A New Screen Becomes An Open Door: Predicting the Future Success of the Ipad

2010-04-20T20:33:03Z

With all the speculation about the potential success of the Ipad, we're seeing a lot of word mouth about this new product, from points of view emanating from all ends of the spectrum. Not since Nostradamus put feather and quill to parchment have we had such provocative prognostication and conversation about the future; to wit, whether Jobs' new device will have the impact of Sir Isaac Newton (like, big) or Apple's Newton (tiny tiny).

And while much of the talk is about how the "marketplace" will respond to such a new product, it's easy to get over our heads quickly. Let's not forget the "marketplace" is just a bunch of people, like you and me, who buy and use things we like and don't the things we dislike. Following that logic, let's do our own speculation on the future success of Apple's new screen, the Ipad.

As I see it, we, human beings, not the "marketplace," today use screens in our lives to do three things: 1) Create 2) Communicate and 3) Consume. Pick up a Best Buy circular or wander into the electronics section of any big box and you'll see no shortage of screens on sale, of all shapes, sizes and forms.

Screens for Creation: Computers do a really good job of this, whether desktop, laptop, or netbook; computers are screens that help us make things. Typically with keyboards, they're singularly awesome at helping us we build, write, assemble, and edit content. They're pretty good at communicating (email, social networking, and chat) and ok at consuming (surfing the web or watching a DVD).

Screens for Communication: Mobile devices are really good at this, and today's smartphones are powerful in helping us reach out and stay in touch through voice, SMS and MMS, and social networks. However, these devices typically aren't the best at creating content (ever tried to write a long email on an iPhone) or consumption (ever tried to read a book on your Blackberry?)

Screens for Consumption: This is where it gets interesting because, to date, screens built primarily for consumption were either really big, such as your monster HDTV at home, or really small, like your Ipod nano. Big consumption screens were made for groups of people to experience the content together, primarily video, and small screens were primarily for individuals to consume music first, with video as an afterthought. And here is where Mr. Jobs has laid his bet...we will want to consume all types of content, including content that has sight, sound and motion, personally.

We consistently hear of Ipad users marveling about the device's immersive, incredible capability to experience content, whether it's movies, books, photos or the web. This is where the Ipad seems to shine brightest; it's a phenomenal personal consumption device first and foremost, that allows you to communicate (email, social networking, but not phone); however, it's not a very good creation device (no camera, virtual keyboard, limited storage, etc.) because that's not its focus. We've never seen a device that emphasizes personal consumption in a way the Ipad does, which is why it's revolutionary and, I speculate, while it will be a runaway success.

How might we measure this success, you may ask? Enter the (not yet industry standard) Kissel Formula for Word of Mouth Capability (The KFWOMC). This highly scientific (ha!) formula stipulates that a product's ultimate success (PS) is dependent on how highly and smartly marketed a product is (M), multiplied by whether the product Sucks (-) or is Cool (+), which directly correlates to its Word of Mouth and whether people will talk about and make the product successful. I would imagine the equation would look something like this:

M * (-)S or (+)C = (+ or -) WOM = PS (approximately)

In practice, and without a tremendous amount of intensive regression, the formula could help us explain disasters like the movie Waterworld and New Coke (both highly marketed but sucked), and runaway successes like sliced bread (high "cool" factor for the time) and the mobile phone. Ok, so looking back is always easy, but what about the formula's predictive capability?

Looking forward, and using the above formula, the Ipad will do well...highly marketed, great story, very cool, leading to positive word of mouth, leading to product success (hey, over 500,000 sold already!) The formula, however, does not bode well for Baltic evening wear becoming the next fashion trend, nor for any future entertainment vehicles that include Janeane Garofalo. In regards to Apple's newest innovation, only time will tell on how successfully this new device can impact the future of how we create, communicate and consume content.

Promoted Tweets Good for Business?

2010-04-13T06:53:54Z

Twitter announced the first part of a plan for monetizing the social networking service: "Promoted Tweets." These sponsored status updates will appear in keyword search results by advertisers.

This is great for three reasons:

- Offers value to community. Twitter users can benefit from knowing the latest deal from favorite businesses. I personally have searched for a specific brand on Twitter to see their latest status updates, sales or news in case there are calls-to-action that peak my interest. For example, Dunkin' Donuts offered a free pastry with coffee purchase until 10am and it was only through my Twitter feed that I noticed the offer.

- It doesn't disrupt the experience. At this point, only one Promoted Tweet will be displayed on the search results page, so a user doesn't have to scroll through tons of company deals that may not have anything to do with the search. These also will be limited on a user's personal news stream, preventing over saturation in personal accounts.

- Recognizable. It is a process similar to Google's sponsored results, so the majority of Twitter users will be familiar and comfortable with it. The ad's will be clearly labeled.

Additionally, Twitter is testing out the process, so if people aren't looking/clicking through a sponsored tweet, the advertiser won't be charged, giving brands a cost-effective way to experiment using the channel to generate revenue.

It has also been suggested that this new strategy by Twitter may be a good opportunity for brands confronting negative conversations to mitigate or offer a more positive viewpoint via the new Promoted Tweet model. From a user's perspective, however, this could come across as an unauthentic attempt by the brand to solve a problem or misunderstanding.

Interestingly, Yelp also announced last week that they were removing the equivalent of Promoted Tweets on their review channel - killing "Featured Reviews." This is a more sensitive issue, as businesses expressed pressure from sales teams to purchase and users didn't seem to always understand that the first review was chosen and paid for by the business.

What do you think of the Yelp ad model? Is it good for brands and users? Will Promoted Tweets on Twitter last?

A Cure for Content Curation? How the Online Space Is Beginning To Overwhelm

2010-04-12T15:43:53Z

As technology and social networks grow faster by the second, it gets more and more difficult to keep up with every update. "Content curation," or the input of internet content at faster rates than it can be consumed, is a legitimate concern right now for many online users. YouTube statistics reveal that 24 hours of video is being uploaded per minute; Twitter is now reporting 50 million Tweets per day; Facebook statuses are updated 60 million times per day. With social updates occurring constantly, it's no wonder that we can't keep up with our friends, let alone world news or current events.

Being named "the Web's biggest challenge in recent years," content curation reveals the changing ways in which consumers search out and react to information. It also brings up some important concerns. Are there drawbacks to this overflow? And are we equipping ourselves in the right ways to handle this massive quantity of information? How do we determine what's relevant?

As social media junkies, we can see the benefits to continuous and perpetual streams of information. We eat it up as each new story comes; however, the average user does not have the time or patience to spend paging through each link or story to find exactly what they are looking for. In a world where time is of the essence, everybody must realize that the inundation of haphazard online content is going to keep growing and it's up to each of us to moderate web intake. But how? In a perfect world, we would want to combine efficiency, personalization and relevance as it relates to the news and information we find online. But that's much easier said than done.

Enter Digg.com.

Over time, social voting website, Digg.com, has become a staple for technology lovers to find the latest and greatest, most relevant stories to hit the web. Recently, the site revealed its plans to begin filtering Facebook and Twitter links through a personalized home page based on the activities of friends. Coming in the near future, Digg will let you sign in using any of your existing social network accounts and allow viewers to "Digg" stories without even logging in at all. With the plan to not only share links and updates from social networks (and the usual Digg stories), but rank them as well, there is no telling how this re-positioning can enhance the relevance of Digg to web users.

By combining pertinent news, high-interest statuses, updates and photos of social network friends all in one place, Digg may have uncovered the cure to content curation. The not-so-easy fix of efficiency, personalization and relevance may come together, but we all know how unpredictable the internet can be. Related platforms like Google Wave and Flavors.me have also attempted to guide users toward a single location for all their social networking and content needs, but in many ways have ended with lukewarm results and little widespread knowledge.

Until we know how successful the Digg undertaking may be, we will continue to take the heaps of internet content as it comes and try to stay sane in the process.

Image Source: http://langwitches.org

Pick me, pick me! How bloggers can utilize mobile video broadcasting to get ahead

2010-04-01T18:12:02Z

With a greater number of brands and marketers realizing the value of blogger and influencer outreach programs, it's becoming necessary for these individuals to find ways to differentiate themselves from their counterparts. If the goal is to engage consumers in new and innovative ways, how can bloggers or influencers stay ahead of the game to be recognized as a leading expert with mass appeal and influence? In short, how do they prove to marketers that they're right for the job?

The increasing use of live video broadcasting from mobile devices might just be the ace in the hole that bloggers and influencers need. There are a number of different phones that support a handful of mobile broadcasting services, such as Qik, Bambuser, and Next2Friends, but Ustream is emerging as one of the most widely used platforms currently available.

Ustream offers a free, interactive video broadcast platform that allows anyone with a webcam and an internet connection (or smartphone with the Ustream Application) to broadcast live, high-quality video to an audience of unlimited size. Users can either broadcast live to their Ustream channel or straight to their own website with an embeddable code.

This 'Social Stream' feature also allows Ustream users to chat live with viewers and simultaneously send updates to their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and AIM accounts - all in real-time. With the combination of this live broadcasting and online connectivity, a new level of interactivity has been created for users.

Imagine that a car company is hosting a test drive for influencers and bloggers. Now imagine that one of the bloggers in attendance is broadcasting the event live to their blog. Using Ustream or similar technologies, they could easily conduct live video interviews with product directors, capture in-the-moment footage of a test drive, demonstrate the car's sound system, or show off the rumble of the car's exhaust. By communicating with viewers in real-time, the blogger is able to tailor the viewers' experience and foster deeper engagement.

As with any sort of endorsement or review, transparent disclosure of the blogger's relationship to the brand and/or product must be shared as well. When done responsibility and consciously, using live and mobile video broadcasting could be a creative way for bloggers and influencers to set themselves apart.

So, I ask you, what best practices would you share when using this technology? What do you see as some of the risks and/or benefits? How will brands and marketers evolve this this to fuel engagement and recommendation?

Image Source: http://techcrunch.com/2009/09/17/ustreams-mobile-video-broadcasting-comes-to-android/