First Impressions In a Digital Age – Examining Brands via “First Tweet”

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Truer wisdom today than it ever was for business, as a company’s “firsts” can be easily discovered, digitally. For example, Twitter has a “First Tweet” tool that allows users to enter an @username to revisit that account’s first foray into the social platform. It’s interesting to see how well (or not) brands and personalities introduced themselves.

Popular social websites like Buzzfeed and Mashable promote whatever is new, including new arrivals to Twitter. This makes a business’s or individual’s first tweet an event – those 140 characters must be thought through and meticulously crafted. So let’s look back at how some of our favorite brands handled their first tweet and see what we can learn.

The “Fortune” Brand

These Twitter accounts are managed by a team of expert and creative communicators (we hope), ready to jump on the latest social event or hashtag, build brand advocacy at every turn and defend the company’s reputation when needed.

Mildly random. Aimed for maximum character count (139).

Nice to see Oreo got better. #youcanstilldunkinthedark

Happy. Hipster-ish. Explains what to expect.

Random introduction, and the link no longer works. Tsk tsk.

Simple, brief… Grammatical error, unfortunately, in the second sentence. “Check’n” is clever for the big bank, especially as a large business early adopter (2007).

The “Comedian” Brand

Public personalities (particularly comedians) understand their brand and reputation means everything. They’re probably personally generating content – if anything came across as not authentic, it would be called out immediately by their followers.

Yes. It’s Actually Neil Patrick Harris.

All Ellen…

…and this was too good to leave out. (We don’t follow Ellen and didn’t know her handle; this was our first search for it.)

Typical Jimmy Fallon, bashfully dipping his toes in, to test the water.

A+ for Jimmy Kimmel.

The “Parody” Brand

Good parody account writers/runners understand brand as well as trained corporate brand/marketing managers (and have an excellent sense of humor).

#LanguageNerds

This account could be ghost-written by Jesse Eisenberg. It has his cadence.

Sad Paul Giamatti is a consistent, depressed minimalist. It’s brilliant.

Nailed it.

The “Anti-Brand” Brand

This post wouldn’t be complete without an example of the “anti-brand” account. These are run by individuals who launch accounts with one goal: tarnish a company’s image. Their first post(s) need to create a buzz immediately to have an impact… and business needs to pay attention because these posters can be tireless (at least until the event fades into memory).

(If you’re a brand anarchist, remember: quality does matter.)

Try it and share your favorites (good or not-so-good)!

January 30, 2014August 18, 2015

Super Bowl XLVIII Advertising – Preview Edition

It’s three days before Super Bowl XLVIII. We’re reading about the pointlessness of “Media Day,” Richard Sherman (still) and – of course – the commercials.

Leaking commercials prior to an event like the Super Bowl is a new trend in advertising. It builds “buzz” and generates conversation about a brand. In fact, digital marketing has become so powerful that a company can skip the cost of a national or regional advertising buy during the game (roughly $4 million for 30 seconds) and simply release the content. And, executed effectively, works.

Remember: the ultimate test of a successful ad is that a consumer recalls the product or brand associated with the spot.

Here are a few of our favorite spots that have been released, so far.

“Sorry, Coke and Pepsi” (Sodastream)

You won’t see this version during the broadcast – it was rejected by Fox for mentioning direct competitors, Coke and Pepsi. Look for it in the 4th quarter.

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“The Right Music” (Beats Music App)

Bears, music, Ellen and dancing? It’s a perfect combination.

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“Puppy Love” (Budweiser)

What’s not to love, if you’re a fan of the Clydesdales like we are? (We don’t drink their product, though…we’re wine and Summit people.)

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“Rendezvous” (Jaguar)

We talked a lot about this one – the idea is wildly creative: British villains played by Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong share their secrets. But the idea is a little muddled in execution: the title of the spot differs from the hashtag, which differs from the vanity URL. Consistency in message is important.

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“Wings” (Volkswagon)

Not only does this spot take a sentimental look at “…an angel gets its wings…”, the execution is creative, fun and humorous. The punchline is edgy, considering it’s a family-friendly ad. Well done. And effective, because the reference is to “German engineers,” consumers would likely recall that it’s an ad for Volkswagon.

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“Mega Huge Football Ad We Didn’t Make” (Newcastle)

Newcastle is winning the Super Bowl ad game so far. With content, buzz, Keyshawn Johnson, Anna Kendrick and a strong PR plan… they’re just doing every thing right. Check out their YouTube Channel.

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If you really want to get the jump on what you’ll be seeing during the game, take a look at the Ad Age Super Bowl Ad Chart.

Happy Super Bowl (advertising) viewing.

December 24, 2013August 18, 2015

Holiday ads 2013

December is always an interesting time for advertising creators and viewers. We at ZC love ads but have been DVR dependent for years and are forced to fast forward through commercials because of…well, convenience. But, being away from the DVR this week and dependent on live television our attention is on this year’s holiday ads. Herewith: a perception.

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In this interesting contrast, two companies took a similar idea in different directions. Watch:

Apple – “Misunderstood”

Hootsuite – “Happy Social Holidays”

One, from a content creator and content developer, evokes a “don’t judge” perception from a well cast quiet young man; the other, a platform, evokes a “balance” perception. Both effective.

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KMart – “Show Your Joe”

We have no words for this.

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JCPenney – “JCPenney Holiday Commercial 2013”

The title is as dull as the spot (as is the YouTube video title – seriously, JCP…).

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WestJet – “Christmas Miracle”

This video went viral. Many were moved. Many wept. However, does it pass the ultimate advertising/marketing test: do you remember the product/brand in the commercial? At one point, we thought it was a spot for Best Buy. #freeadvertising

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This time of year provides a bounty of advertising and marketing opportunities. What have been your favorites, what was effective to you and what are the “what leave you thinking” spots?

November 15, 2013August 18, 2015

Brand Lessons in Social Marketing

This week, we saw a stark contrast in how a brand’s social marketing event can take off, in good ways and bad.

The awesome social media managers at TESCO Mobile and a “fan” had some fun together on Twitter. It soon escalated into an all-out digital party with Yorkshire Tea and Jaffa Cakes and Cadbury UK. Did they invite more guests? BuzzFeed captured it all here. (The result? Free publicity!)

J. P. Morgan and its Twitter activity was not as successful. An attempt to connect with its consumers by marketing a Q&A session with #askjpm failed when bloggers and unsatisfied customers took control of the hashtag. American Banker has the story here. #badidea, indeed. (The result? A public relations problem!)

What can we learn from this? One brand can face more risk than another when interacting socially because of their perception in the marketplace, as well as their ability to control the intended message. Social marketing – both the message and how you use it – must be part of a complete PR/marketing/communication strategy.

November 7, 2013August 18, 2015

Lessons to Learn From These 5 Brands

Barilla Pasta and Bertolli

The president of Barilla Pasta received backlash over statements he made about having images of gays and lesbians as family heads in his company’s advertising. What happened?

In response to Barilla’s Twitter apology, consumers called for a boycott of Barilla products and shared their images of previously purchased Barilla Pasta in the trash can.
Competitor Bertolli capitalized on the negative press and announced their pasta is “for all” featuring pasta in different shades and shapes.
Weeks after the incident, Barilla announced creation of a “diversity and inclusion board” and plans for more inclusive advertising.

Barilla responds on Twitter

Esquire Magazine

Esquire Magazine had a terrible technical error related to a 9/11 story and an unassociated advertisement. The team for Esquire Magazine’s Twitter account reacted unprofessionally and only made matters worse (see image). What did we learn?

Every public message a brand makes should be professional, respectful and informative; there’s no room for snark in communications with the media, consumers or “followers” of your brand.
Never rush or underestimate a response to an urgent situation, especially if it involves people’s emotions.

Esquire Magazine’s response on Twitter

Kmart

Retailers recently announced their annual holiday shopping schedules. Companies that have decided to open on Thanksgving Day are getting push-back and criticism from empathetic consumers that these employees aren’t able to spend the holiday with their families. Kmart is responding with a questionable strategy (see image) that looks to be backfiring. What can we take away?

Use approved language in communications, but don’t SPAM consumers with the same talking points (especially if they’re not working); it sends a message that you’re not listening.
Don’t point fingers at another brand to deflect consumers’ feelings about your brand.
Adjust strategy when you need to!

Kmart Twitter account on Nov. 7

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

In a recent update to its Fantasy Football mobile app, Yahoo! remembered their audience (gamers and sports enthusiasts) to have fun with their consumers.

“What’s New” description in app update

September 4, 2013August 18, 2015

A personal blog post: Preparing For “Hard Launch”

I “soft launched” a communications consultancy in April and am winding up for “hard launch” in September. It is the most challenging, yet interesting, thing I have ever undertaken (aside from parenting). I’ve been telling friends that it’s like a “self-induced-crash-masters-in-education whirlwind.” I dove, willingly, into business learning, renewing and refining skills, unleashing new skills and discovered a level of ethic, discipline and endurance that I forgot I was capable of undertaking.

During this time, between soft and hard launch, the biggest challenge for me was “brand,” for 2 reasons:

I have always cringed at talking about myself. I got into communications to talk about other people, their ideas, new things, etc.
The enormous challenge of defining what you do in such simple terms that people can find you on the internet to do business. It’s daunting. This is how my brain looks when I think about working with clients and prospective clients…

Communication keywords

Narrowing that down to something “clickable” has been my biggest challenge. But it’s coming along.

July 22, 2013August 18, 2015

A Tale of Two Casual Dining Restaurants – Chipotle and Soul Daddy

Chipotle, the fast casual restaurant with the simple menu, celebrates 20 successful years.
One of the biggest restaurant failures EVER was invested and nurtured by Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle.

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America’s Next Great Restaurant ran on NBC in the Spring of 2011. The series featured four “investors:” Chef Bobby Flay, Chef Curtis Stone, Chef Lorena Garcia and Chipotle Mexican Grill founder Steve Ells. The winner would receive their own small business – inspired by their passion – to manage. Most candidates were home cooks with their own personal or financial struggles who were competing for a life-changing opportunity.

After each round of competition challenges, the candidates were given feedback and advice by the four investors. Feedback ranged from menu and food quality to the restaurant name, branding and dining experience. In the season finale, Jamawn Woods of Detroit, MI was announced the winner and given the keys to three “Soul Daddy” restaurants. His restaurants, in New York City, Los Angeles and the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, opened the following day. They closed within two months.

Steve Ells recently reflected on Chipotle’s “accidental success” and 20 years of his chain. Ells and the leaders of Chipotle have evolved the business over time, in reaction to market changes and consumer trends:

Embraced sustainable food
Committed to “Food With Integrity”
Struggled with serving high calorie food
Hired workers with questionable documentation.

This month, Chipotle celebrates 20 years as a business; it generates nearly $3 billion in revenue each year. Its initial stock price was $22 a share; it closed last Friday at $408.

I am fascinated by the contrast of the story of these two establishments and their connection. Chipotle was hatched from Ells’ idea, the business grew at it’s own pace and was successfully nurtured by Ells over time. Soul Daddy, hatched from Woods’ idea of a chicken and waffle restaurant, grew and transformed in front of the television lens – it was doomed from the start. The investors, the show’s producers, the demands of the show’s strategy, etc. drove the business plan, product and marketing – and changed it each week. The *intent* was to improve Woods’ idea, but the result was a failure. The restaurant was launched in a national spotlight and given to someone who – through no fault of his own – was not ready. This LA Weekly blog post is a good post mortem of Soul Daddy.

How the four investors and producers believed this reality show model could have worked in the first place befuddles me. How could Ells and his success with Chipotle, along with the expertise of the three other restauranteurs, not transfer a successful formula to Soul Daddy? Some critics blame Ells and his Chipotle empire for the failure of Soul Daddy, but it’s not that simple.

The process lacked thoughtful planning, real world perspective, competitive analysis, a strong brand and all else that a prosperous restaurant business requires – including TIME. The series spanned only nine episodes. Sadly, Jamawn Woods has not yet re-opened a Soul Daddy restaurant with his own vision and plan.

June 24, 2013August 18, 2015

The creative “Prezume”

Prezi is a virtual whiteboard that transforms presentations from monologues into conversations: enabling people to see, understand and remember ideas.
The company/program made numerous “Best” lists in 2012, including PC Magazine and Time, giving it more visibility and heft to content creators.

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I enjoy being a communicator for many reasons – “creativity” is one of them. Because of the technology and tools available today, it can be relatively simple to apply creativity to any idea and make something descriptively and visually tangible. Prezi is one great example.

Prezi is a cloud based application that gives “people the ability to zoom in and out during a presentation to make storytelling more engaging and memorable.” Prezi also provides templates and the ability to import PowerPoint presentations, giving users more than a blank page from which to start.

With this technology at our fingertips, how we communicate with each other continues to evolve. Prezi recently promoted a new template, the “Prezume” – a clickable resume. It does what you expect: take the sections, themes and terms from a traditional resume and adds graphics, commands interaction with zooms and works to engage the consumer more strongly than a document. Take a look at my exercise with a “White Board Prezume…”

The “Prezume” isn’t going to revolutionize job application processes. It differentiates. I shared my Prezume with a vendor during introductions at a meeting – he flipped through it on my iPhone (using the Prezi app), scanning information about my former employers and professional experience while I told my story of recently starting my own business. We quickly made connections (same alma mater) and contacts (he recently finished a project with a former colleague of mine).

Prezi, along with countless meme creators available on your smartphone, are helping us change the way we create, consume, process and share information, which is increasingly more visually. Visuals cut through the clutter. Look at the popularity of photos, infographics, emojis and memes on Facebook and Pinterest. Read more about visual trends in this Wired article.

Wish to learn more about Prezi? Explore here.

April 9, 2013August 18, 2015

Marketing Master Class: “Monster U”

The marketing masters for Monsters University have an excellent campaign in place to promote the upcoming film
Campaign features NCAA targeted media buys and brilliant parody website, including merchandise store

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Television advertising for universities has become incredibly popular in recent years. Most commercials air during college sports broadcasts and follow a formula that includes: smiling students, picturesque campus, a balanced representation of academics and (take your pick of) Business, Sports, Science, Research, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts or Leadership. Mix in some nostalgia for alumnae and the goofy school mascot and you have yourself a commercial!

“Imagine U at MU” was created to promote the June premiere of the upcoming film Monsters University; it is an incredibly witty yet respectful take on this formula. If you watch the upcoming NCAA basketball tournaments look closely for this spot to air interspersed with real commercials.

However, that only scratches the surface of what looks like another powerful promotional campaign. In a bit of marketing brilliance, the tactics include a beautiful and fun higher education website devoted to the world, and campus, of Monsters University. The creators’ thoughtful planning and development of this website is successful because:

No one does character better than Disney; in this medium, the Monster U characters come alive in a different way than on television or in the film. For example, in sections like “Campus Life,” the characters feel real, relatable and accessible.
The content creates a natural extension of the story that will be told through the film.
It sustains both the Monsters University brand and the film’s upcoming premiere beyond the television budget or inevitable fast-food tie-in.
The built-in store provides a natural and direct product selling line, outside of big box retailers.
Kids and adults can draw a transferable experience to the Monsters University website from their current school’s website (or alumnus site).
It is incredibly cost-effective, in the scheme of the worldwide marketing spend for the film.Walt Disney and John Lasseter are icons of storytelling and artistry. This is a wonderful tribute to their philosophy of creative, collective and innovative thinking.
Ongoing learning and organized socialization is promoted, which can inspire kids in their own lives.

Well done. Well done.

To read additional kudos about the Monsters University campaign and Walt Disney, the staff at Crossroads identified a few lessons to learn (#4 should be #1, in my opinion).