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Welcome To My Den
This is the new, improved and reincarnated Dunn's Den. This blog is about marketing, advertising, social media and the goings on in my local community; from MY VIEW!
I look forward to connecting with you!
Great news. You woke up this morning and a video produced about your brand has over 760,000 views in a 24 hour period. Twitter is a buzz about your brand, your video is being translated in every language imaginable and your brand has truly gone global. You now know what it means when a video goes viral. Congratulations are in order, right?
Wrong!!! See, the problem is this. All of the hype about your brand is negative. Yes, you read it right, negative. Neither you nor your ad agency produced the buzz. Instead, a couple of employees with a little bit of time and a $150.00 camera made the video about your brand, posted it on You Tube and the world watched.
Think it can not happen to you and your brand? Do you still think social media is a fad or something your kids do for hours on end? This is exactly what Domino’s thought until it happened to them.
Last week, Donino’s Pizza faced a truly trying time when a video was posted on You Tube showing two employees defacing its food. In a 24 hour period, the video went viral and social media sites were a buzz. With 760,000 views on You Tube, it is enough to make any marketing executive shutter.
Another case in point is Aston Martin. Someone on Twitter decided to set up an account using their name and started tweeting (sending out messages) as Aston Martin. To make a long story short, the tweets were not all good. Aston Martin found out their brand was hijacked and contacted Twitter to have the account shut down. How many tweets did Aston Martin (the hijacked brand) send out? Enough that people took notice and objected to the comments.
Bottom line: Social Media has arrived. Will it have the same look and feel next month, next year or ten years from now? No, it will not. Social Media will continue to evolve as we will. These are exciting times to be in the advertising and marketing world as the industry is being turned on its heel. Change is inevitable; how you handle it is up to you.
What is your plan to protect your brand? Do you have a process in place for what to do when your brand comes under fire? Your brand will come under fire. Will you be prepared when it does?
Take action today and put together a list of the major social media sites and actively monitor these sites. Google has some great tools that will help you to do this. Find out who you need to contact at each of these sites and what the process is to have your hijacked brand removed from the site. How can you leverage the same sites to help you in your campaign?
Here’s the marketing outrage of the year. The Port Authority of New Jersey and New York has changed the name of the new signature building at the 9/11 terrorist strike from “The Freedom Tower” to “WTC I.”
Why? Because the word “freedom” makes it hard to sell, they say. They are trying to find tenants for the 1776 foot office/monument, and its tough sledding. But the rumor has it that China has popped for about three floors. Did China insist on the change? Why should they object? Are they afraid of the word? Or of the concept?
To me, “WTC I” invokes sad memories. It makes me think of bad, past days. Dark days of heroism, grief, and, yes, terrorists. But “Freedom” is inspirational and looks forward to days of light, progress and joy.
The old Twin Towers were not a raging success. I don’t think their occupancy was ever that great; I don’t know why. Maybe the new building will have a curse on it, and be hard to rent no matter what name it bears. If I were a salesman for the project, I know I’d rather be selling freedom than a tombstone.
There will be a brief chapter in my new textbook called “Courageous Marketing.” It will cover brands that survived the recession by plowing forward. It will describe the guts of taking uncertain paths. It will honor those who are single minded, despite pressure to diversify. It will not include the chicken-hearted politically correct sycophants like the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York.
The climate these days is to decry the greedy capitalists. The ones who make profits on the backs of the needy unfortunates. But they’re the ones who take risks for freedom, the brave people who aren’t afraid to step up with pride and say, “This is what I stand for. Want a piece of it?”
Ok, ok, ok, I get it. We are in the midst of one of the biggest recessions in the last 20 plus years, according to the media. Everyday I look at my RSS feeds, my google page or the news. It is all doom and gloom. Personally, I am tired of it and believe now is the best time to be in and grow a small business. Yes, I know fear sells and yes I know media companies are in it to make money, but come on people. Give me a break. Can’t I have just a little bit of good news sprinkled in with the doom and gloom?
As someone who is participating in the American Dream via entreprenuership, I am always looking for ways to improve, stengthen and grow my business. So instead of focusing on the doom and gloom, I am focusing on the positives. The positives of a good recession for a small business owner, in my mind, are as follows:
1) Invest in your infrasturcture.
Small businesses by nature are set up to run lean and mean. We do not have access to millions and millions of dollars from ponzi/hocus pocus fianancing, so we must be practical with our resources. In good times this means sales reps don’t want to “waste their time with us” and in down times we can pick up equipment for pennies on the dollar. Now is the time to purchase the equipment you want but could never justify the cost. If you are buying used equipment, MAKE SURE you purchase a service contract. You will sleep better at night.
2) Invest in your people.
Let’s face it. The most important thing in any business is your client base. Right after that, it is your people. Now is the perfect time to not only train your people, but also recruit new employes. The recession will end and when it does, are your people better, the same or worse for the experience? How many jobs can one employee perform and are they fully trained on that new piece of equipment? Are they cross-trained in two to three other positions? What were your biggest employee headaches over the last few years? Now is the time to solve them. Recruit, recruit, recruit. The best hires I have ever made were people that took six months to a year to recruit. Now is the best time to find new employees so you do not have to make knee jerk reactions when you do have to hire. Most everyone will at least sit down for a cup of coffee and start a conversation. Call all the people who did not want to talk to you for the last two years and meet with them. You will be amazed at what you find out about a person…like are they really worth all the hype?
3) Invest in your customers.
This is THE most important thing that any small business can do. What can you do, right here right now, to strengthen a relationship with one of your customers? Find something in your business that you can use to help them. It does not necessarily have to be a product or service that is fee based. A tremendous value add you can provide is education. What is happening in your industry that will affect your customers? Take the time now to build trust and help your clients prepare for the future. Note, I did not say this is a sales call for you to peddle your wares.
4) Build NEW alliances.
Stop reading this blog, pick up the phone right now and call someone. Anyone. Build a new relationship with someone outside of your current network. You are on every social media sight known to man, so pick up the phone and put a voice to that face. The more people who know you, the easier it is for them to refer you.
This “recession” will end. What you do right now right here, today will pave the road for your success in the future.
Attached is a press release from a client, Emory Johns Creek Hospital (EJCH), who just won the E-HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AWARD.
We at Town Planner Calendar are both proud and honored to have been chosen to develop this project with Emory Johns Creek Hospital. I appreciate EJCH’s leap of faith in choosing our agency to help them in launching their first social media site. We at Town Planner Calendar are very passionate about Social Media and its limitless roles in procuring tangible results for our clients.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Johnel Reid November 18, 2008
EMORY JOHNS CREEK HOSPITAL WINS E-HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP AWARD FOR VIDEO BLOG
JOHNS CREEK, GA – Emory Johns Creek Hospital was recognized for its outstanding website at a special presentation in Orlando on November 11 during the Twelfth Annual Healthcare Internet Conference.The EJCH blog and video blog sites earned the Award of Distinction, the number one award among hospitals of 200 beds or less, in the category of Best Web 2.0/Rich Media category.“It is an honor to be recognized for our considerable efforts this past year,” said Johnel Reid, Director of Marketing for the hospital.“What began as an experiment for us, has gained momentum and produced significant results,” she added.
Emory Johns Creek Hospital’s site was chosen from among 1,100 entries by a panel of 114 judges familiar with healthcare and the Internet. “A growing number of healthcare organizations are clearly embracing the Web and emerging technologies,” says Mark Gothberg, eHealthcare Leadership Awards chairman.Gothberg notes that many organizations have invested in new sites or made significant improvements in their existing sites.“Such rich media forms as video, audio, blogs, and discussion groups are changing the landscape of Web sites,” he says.
The hospital launched its blog and video health library with the help and video production of Scott Dunn, of SONARconnects.“We know that people are changing the way they receive their news and information and we know the Internet plays a significant role,” said Reid.The team videotaped interviews with their medical staff about a variety of health related issues and then posted the videos to the Internet.“In less than four months, the 150 videos we have posted have received more than 11,000 views,” Reid said.
“Our audience can expect to see our blog continue to evolve,” said Reid.“We are finding ways to become more interactive and build relationships with our patients and the community.Healthcare marketing, at its core, is about relationships — building trust among physicians, hospitals and patients,” she said.“Traditionally, healthcare marketing has been fairly conservative.We are fortunate to have leadership that embraces this experiment ,” Reid added.“We have exciting plans for 2009 that will include improving the quality, server response and using more social media elements.”
“It’s rewarding to work with clients to help them find ways to reach their markets in new ways.The Internet is changing how people get their news, their information, even their entertainment.It is changing how people connect with each other and with the companies they choose to do business with,” said Dunn.“In the case of Emory Johns Creek, we found a way for doctors to reach their target audiences in a very personal, non-traditional way.It’s a win-win situation for everyone – the doctors get the value of knowing their messages are being heard, the audience gets the information they were looking for, and the hospital builds relationships with the communities they serve.
Emory Johns Creek Hospital is known for its state-of-the-art technology in a luxurious, hotel-like setting. Services include advanced orthopaedic surgery, joint replacement, spine surgery, 24/7 emergency care, state-of-the-art all digital imaging including a 64 slice CT, The Birth Place with Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 24-hour anesthesiologists, intensive care, advanced cardiac care, rehabilitation services and women’s services. Emory Johns Creek Hospital is home to the Atlanta Bariatric Center, designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons.
For more information, please visit emoryjohnscreek.com. To find a physician close to where you live or work, call 678.474.8200
For those of you who missed my first blog about Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company, that blog can be found here: Joffery’s Coffee & Tea. In a nutshell, Joffrey’s sent out a free packet of coffee to anyone who would blog about them. I found out about it from a couple of other bloggers who found out about it from a couple of other bloggers, and so on and so on. Viral advertising at its finest!
A couple of days ago I checked my mail and found another package from Joffrey’s. This package contained Coffee 2.0, which was a great surprise. Thanks, Joffrey’s, for sending the package my way and for keeping me caffeinated.
Why am I taking the time to blog about this? Simple. Joffrey’s does not leave their success to viral advertising alone. Rather they use viral advertising as one way to touch their target market and gain exposure. Coupled with their viral marketing is their product. They do not rely on the internet alone. Instead they use the internet to connect with people, and in turn then send people their product. This allows Joffery’s the ability to measure their advertising. As most of you know, I am not a huge fan of viral marketing by itself. This is a great example of how to use viral marketing while getting your product in the hands of people who use it.
The other reason that I am blogging about this is that Joffrey’s does a GREAT job telling me a story. Let’s face it. You can buy coffee pretty much anywhere. Coffee is not a new concept and Joffrey’s understands this. They know that I will not buy their coffee because it is coffee; rather I will buy their coffee because of how their story makes me feel while I drink/purchase their coffee. They tailor their story to their target market.
Below you will see the contents of the package Joffery’s sent out. Playing off the Internet 2.0, they have Coffee 2.0, complete with UPDATES and info on HOW TO INSTALL (where do you usually see updates and info on how to install?).
Joffrey’s - all I can say is keep up the good work. Continue to grow your business virally while putting your product in the hands of your target market. Thanks for connecting with me and I look forward to your next product.
Please click on the images below and they will open up for you to read the information on the paper and on the bag. Use your browser back button to come back to this page!
Johns Creek, GA – Emory Johns Creek Hospital is the first hospital in the area to embrace social media and Web 2.0 in its marketing and communications strategies. Web 2.0 is the reference to the understanding of the importance and impact of the internet as a viable and powerful platform.The hospital launched its blog as an extension of its website earlier this month and began the first in a series of video clips featuring physicians and administrators.“Traditionally, healthcare marketing has been pretty stodgy in its approach, choosing more conventional mediums and messaging,” said Johnel Reid, director of marketing for the hospital, and a member of the Advisory Panel for the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, an agency of the American Hospital Association.
Healthcare is as competitive as any industry, and more complex than most.Certificate of need laws, the consolidation of hospitals into large, multi-facility systems, federal laws governing physician relationships and marketing, healthcare marketing can become very complicated.“We know that we are in a highly competitive market,” said Reid.There are so many choices for advertisers, the trick is finding one that’s effective at reaching your audience.“We are fortunate because our leadership embraces the experiment – we are able to try new approaches based on what we know about our community, and then develop what works,” said Reid.
The Emory Johns Creek blog has already generated interest and traffic numbers continue to rise.“As we add more features and video, we envision the blog becoming an interactive forum for our patients, physician and community members,” said Reid.The hospital worked with Scott Dunn, of Town Planner Calendar, to produce the video series.“Scott has been a real advocate of pursuing social media – and using the internet to find creative ways to reach our audience,” said Reid.(CLICK HERE to see the BLOG)
“Emory Johns Creek continues to push the ceiling and we’re very proud of that,” said John Quinlivan, ceo of the hospital.“We are committed to bringing the latest and greatest not only to our hospital in the clinical sense, but in every other area, as well.Utilizing new technology – from our imaging and surgery departments, and now to our marketing efforts – is central to our mission.”
Emory Johns Creek Hospital is known for its state-of-the-art technology in a luxurious, hotel-like setting.Services include emergency care, state-of-the-art all digital imaging including a 64 slice CT,The Birth Place with Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, 24-hour anesthesiologists, intensive care, advanced cardiac care, rehabilitation services and women’s services.Emory Johns Creek Hospital is home to the Atlanta Bariatric Center, designated a Center of Excellence by the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons.
For more information, or to find a physician on staff at Emory Johns Creek, please visit emoryjohnscreek.comor call 678.474.8200.
Not a day goes by that I do not have a client ask what social media sites they should be on and why (usually right after they ask if I will charge them for the work I just did).A site that I steer EVERY ONE of my clients to is Facebook.
“Facebook (while looking puzzled) - that site is not for adults, business owners or entrepreneurs; it is a site for kids.”Yes, there are kids on the site; however, there are many, many, many adults on Facebook as well.The Atlanta network of Facebook (as of this writing) has 416,557 people in it. All of which I can assure you are not kids!
Here is why Facebook has been and will be (until something better comes along) my number one choice in social media sites.In a nutshell, it captures my digital business life; it allows me to connect with people from around the world and share real-time information easily; and, it has more applications on the site than I could ever possibly use.
Facebook hosts my digital business life. When you log onto my account, you see my digital business card, a short bio on me and Town Planner Calendar, pictures and videos of my clients and other information that I have deemed important about me.It is not just a site that tells you what I do and what I have done, but a site that I use to share information about me.It funnels my twitter, flicker, You Tube, and blog accounts to one specific site.
Connecting with people from around the world is simple to do.Join a group that interests you and connect with people from around the world to share ideas.I have bounced ideas off of people that I have never met face-to-face but have a working digital relationship with.(On a side note, these people are not kids, but leaders in their industry who I would have been unable to collaborate with had I not met them through Facebook.)It is easy to join a conversation and get connected.
Lastly, Facebook is a great place for me to stay in touch with new applications being developed on the web.Let’s face it, after working till 2:00 in the morning, who doesn’t like to test their music skills by playing the music challenge?Yes, it is mindless fun but at 2:00 in the morning, this is all I need to help me sleep.
Microsoft, if you read this blog: be very, very, very careful if you are able to purchase Facebook.Develop better applications within Facebook to make it easier for me to “Get Connnected”! Make all of the software interact with each other. Make my experience more enjoyable and I will thank you for it. Make it more difficult and I will dump the application in a heart beat.
What are your thoughts?How are you using social media to create, build and strengthen business relationships?Click the link below and share your ideas with the world!
In the first session of my advertising classes I ask the students if think they could be copy writers. They all say yes, with varying degrees of conviction.
Then I ask them to prove it: “OK, I have reserved advertising space in tomorrow’s paper. I have a goat that I want to get rid of.Write a headline for my ad.”
They set to work, and after a few minutes they gleefully want to share their inspirations. Some of the memorable lines were, “Buy a cheap labor saving device,” or “Give this poor goat a loving home.”In every class someone comes up with a version of, “Don’t let somebody else get your goat.”
I stop the hilarity and say, “Is this a Billy or a Nanny Goat?”Someone answers, “We don’t know, you didn’t tell us.” I reply, “You didn’t ask.”
So it goes with other questions: How old is this goat? Is it healthy? Does it come from a line of good goats? Why is it for sale?“You didn’t tell us!” Again, “You didn’t ask.”
Then I get into the buyer.Who buys goats, and why? What are some problems with goats? “How should we know?”
The point of this story is you should never write an ad until you know what you’re talking about. So far I’ve only had one student who refused the assignment. She said, “I don’t know anything about this goat. I can’t do it.” (She was engineering major and knew nothing about marketing.)
If you want to sell a goat, get steeped in goat lore. Get to know goat owners and goat lovers.Go so far as to get one yourself.
Then decide, what is the one most important thing you should claim about this goat?That is its positioning. Now you are ready to write an ad. And your ad will have a good chance of actually selling that goat.
