4sight

Ooh Baby Baby

No, we shouldn’t be surprised to learn that more than one in five children have used a smartphone by the age of 2.

This is especially true among Gen Y moms, where technology is in their DNA.  And they are passing along those same traits and habits to their kids.  A newly released survey by BlogHer.com and the Parenting Group (they run Parenting, Babytalk, and Parenting.com) tell us what we have already observed.

 
I talk with a lot of colleagues who are young parents.  And the integration of technology through computers, tablets, and of course, cell and smartphones is at a high level.  Many are achieving proficiency with these devices before they successfully learn how to use the toilet.

It makes me want to pitch Arbitron on a baby ethnographic study to learn more about this phenomenon.  But given how much I enjoy sitting near toddlers at restaurants, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.

But it does speak to the overwhelming reality that smartphones – while still an option for many people today – will become standard equipment for young children even as many enter kindergarten.  While the schools may balk at this practice, nervous parents won’t be able to untether from their kids, and the smartphone is the conduit.

I hear stories of toddlers walking up to TV screens and trying to change and expand the images by touching them.  This is learned behavior and an expectation of how things ought to work.

We live in a touch screen world and you wonder how many of these kids will have Facebook profiles by the time they enter school.

Don’t laugh.  Time’s “Healthland” site reported last week that Facebook now makes it easy for parents-to-be to announce their new family members.  A new standard choice to identify family has been created: “Expected: Child.”

It’s complicated.

The Big House

This post will not make the many Spartan fans who work for Jacobs Media and jacAPPS too happy.  But too bad, because those rocket scientists at the University of Michigan have done it again.

When you figure that Michigan Stadium a.k.a. “The Big House” probably sits empty for more than 100 days a year, how do you “repurpose” it to generate additional revenue and continue to build the storied “Go Blue” brand?

Simple – you provide the ultimate fan experience: the chance to get married right on the block M on the 50-yard line.

U-of-M (as it’s known in these parts) has set up the following rate card:

•  A one-hour on-field ceremony  $6,000
•  The stadium press box             $4,000
•  An individual suite                   $2,000
•  The Jack Roth Stadium Club     $9,000
•  The fan experience                  Priceless

Yes, this is great NTR – a chance to utilize facilities that otherwise go unused – but it is also a novel way to create the ultimate fan event.  As Katy Hepner, special events coordinator for Michigan’s Athletic Department, notes, “We know that we have passionate fans who, it would be their dream to have their wedding on the 50.  So we said, ‘Why not use the space some more and at the same time, we can kind of help make the dreams of our fans come true?’”  (And it's a lot cheaper than those "destination weddings" in Cozumel.) 

So, what does this mean to the well-branded company?

Ask yourself this: what facilities, assets, and/or people sit unused that would make for that incredible fan experience?

Which of your personnel could contribute to creating “a moment” for your most passionate fans?

Great brands can provide listeners with a backstage, behind-the-velvet ropes experience.  Sometimes it’s just a matter of imagining your business through the eyes of your customers.

That’s why they call it CX – the Customer Experience.

Big Footprints

The other day, the graph below starting making the rounds through my TweetDeck silos.

It’s pretty impressive, right?

But it didn’t take long for many web critics and pundits to jump all over Google+’s impressive ascension.  And in fact, comparisons to Facebook, in particular, aren’t fair.  Facebook has defined social networking, and it takes time to carve out the cultural/techno phenomenon that this activity has become.

So maybe Google had it easy.  Millions and millions of users to begin with while Facebook did the heavy lifting.

But that simple explanation overlooks the power of a mega brand and the value of taking risks.  Since Facebook has become the 8 million pound gorilla in the social media room, hundreds of other “networks” have popped up.  And while some have had an impressive degree of success (Twitter, Foursquare, etc.), many you’ve never heard of.

That’s why Google’s accomplishment shouldn’t be overlooked.  Its past forays into social media haven’t been successful (Buzz, Wave).  So the initial success and strong start for Google+ is noteworthy, driven by fun, compelling, and simple features like Circles and Hangouts, which Lori Lewis has pointed out in this blog and on “Merge.”

Success in this space isn’t just due to Google’s heft.  But it sure didn’t hurt.

And that speaks to the power of big brands and vast communities.  It’s one of the reasons why iHeartRadio is in position to become more valuable and functional.  It has spent the last few years adding millions of people and cool features, putting it in a position of being a popular, go-to mobile application.  That gives Clear Channel the chance to do big things with Thumbplay, because they have a huge population and a degree of consumer trust in their brand.

Pandora has moved into that stratosphere as well.  Earlier in the month, they announced passing the 100 million mark in listening audience – a large footprint that enables this brand to branch out into comedy and try other experiments and projects.  When you’re that big with a mass audience, there’s ample opportunity to grow your brand via extensions.

So what about the small company – the one that isn’t Pandora, Amazon, or Google+ but has to compete in the same space?  Well, that describes most of us.

The “long tail” quality that the Internet has defined makes it possible for independent artists and small companies to grow and prosper – but if and only if they innovate and take risks.  The opportunity is there, enabled by the real-time web.  Where else can you tweet back and forth with world famous celebrities, innovators, and movers and shakers?  How else can you share ideas with thought leaders like Guy Kawasaki, Jeff Pulver, and Tomi Ahonen as easily as you share photos with your sister or your best friend from college who moved to Iowa?

But the ideas have to be there.  And that’s the challenge we all face, whether we’re at the helm of the biggest company or in the process of trying to get a start-up off the ground.

This is the time to push ourselves, take the plunge, give it a shot, and if necessary, deal with a misfire and move on to something else.  Even companies with small footprints can do amazing things. In fact, many would argue that smaller, more agile businesses have a bit of an edge in this fluid environment. 

But the one thing that defines failure whether you're part of a big brand or an up-and-comer is doing nothing and standing pat.

It’s almost guaranteed.

The Facebook Moment

As social media has grown by leaps and bounds, many of us have had that seminal moment on Facebook - an incident that might cause you to exclaim, “HE’S on Facebook?!”

Well, that moment happened for me last year when my 81 year-old mother tried to “friend” me on Facebook.  For me, it wasn’t so much a privacy issue (she has a pretty good idea of who I am and what I'm about).  It was more of a principle thing – whether your mom should be your “friend.”

Now, thanks to Mashable, we can walk through Mike Newman and “Cool Material’s” fabulous flowchart to help you make that determination.  OK, it’s probably geared more to Gen Y Facebook fans, but you’ll quickly get the idea – and a few laughs along the way.

Have a great weekend.

Team Coco

Consider these comments in a recent New York Times article that describe a popular media personality and his new show:

“It will be a hit with advertisers initially because of the familiarity they have with ______.” – Brad Adgate, SVP for Research, Horizon Media in NYC

“We know ______ has a passionate following, and we wanted to tap into that.” – Daryl Evans, VP/Consumer Advertising & Marketing Communications, AT&T Atlanta

Here’s another quote from Evans:

“______ is a proven talent, and a proven brand.  Rubbing up the AT&T brand against the ______ brand is a good thing; there’s a nice brand equity share.”

The name that belongs in these blanks is Conan O’Brien.  Turner Entertainment ad sales is leveraging his new show on TBS.  In fact, they had deals in place with AT&T, General Motors, Microsoft, and the News Corporation – before the show even aired.

How is that possible, especially for a guy who “the press always liked…more than viewers,” according to Steve Sternberg of the Sternberg Report?

Nonetheless, to hear Linda Yaccarino, EVP and COO for Turner Entertainment tell it, getting Conan off the ground (check out the AT&T blimp) with advertisers was about “working closely with Conan’s creative team” to integrate sponsors into commercials.”

O’Brien’s team also utilized social media, generating nearly a quarter million “fans” for the show’s Facebook page, as well as more than 100,000 followers on Twitter, a strategy they are working hard:

 

This combination of strategy plus investment guarantees a successful launch for Conan, whether the show ultimately wins in the ratings or not.

And it speaks to the differences between the way that TV companies and networks approach their franchise shows and personalities and the way that radio often does it.

Consider the following...

1. Investment. Turner invested in promotional materials and collateral, well before the show debuted.  By thinking and acting big, they communicated the message to advertisers that they are committed to this show and their new personality icon.  In turn, sponsors and brands – already familiar with who Conan is and what he does – feel that if TBS believes in this show, they can, too.

2. Integration. Conan’s team is ready, willing, and able to work with sales and sponsors to handcraft commercials, campaigns, and materials that reflect his brand essence.  By working closely with advertisers, the Turner sales team reflects a confidence in Conan – to him and his team, and to these sponsors.  Plus, the show gets incidental marketing from commercial campaign integration. 

3. Social media. Conan and the Turner team had a plan to generate audience excitement for the show, something that any major personality could do.  But presence on Facebook and Twitter – with strong followings on each – is another metric for advertisers that demonstrates engagement and loyalty.  It also helps to ensure a respectable audience when the show kicked off.

4. Proactivity.  Turner didn’t wait for the first few Nielsen's “to see what happens” in the ratings.  In radio, that “wait and see” approach guarantees a slow advertising start for new shows.  By locking down advertiser commitments upfront, Turner has some breathing room to tweak the show and its marketing after it rolls out.

5. Strategy.  Offering sales trips to Cozumel in January isn’t a strategy.  It’s a tactic.  A strategy is working with individual advertisers to create win-win-win programs for Turner, brands, and viewers.  In the process, some of these advertisers are using their own sites and media to promote the show.  Diet Coke and Bing are both advertisers that are creating their own content or using their sites, while Chevy may give away a new 2011 Cruze.  By helping advertisers debut their own products in the show, Turner and Conan can share in their success.

Tailored promotions, talent integration, product placement, and an intrinsic belief in the product are all components in the Team Coco plan.  All departments at Turner are on board – programming, talent, sales, social, and marketing.

That’s media value, that’s multi-platform marketing, that’s integrated sales programs.

That’s success.

(And if the first night means anything, Conan edged out both Jay and Dave.)

Down On The Farm(Ville)

If you think some people in your station or office are unproductive because of an addiction to computer games or Facebook, the combination of those two - FarmVille - is probably the culprit.  The creation of Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, Farmville is an amazing Facebook game that has now sucked in more than 70 million monthly players, vying to create virtual farms using digital tractors, animals, and other tools - all of which are on sale.  According to USA Today, FarmVille generates lots of revenue by selling these virtual goods to players.

Now, FarmVIlle is available on an iPhone app, so there's no telling just how distracted players will be in restrooms, cars, restaurants, and all the other places people use their mobile phones.  And if you're thinking that we're just talking about kids playing FarmVille, the average user is a 43 year-old woman, an amazing stat that underscores the changing nature of digital revenue, as well as the stereotype of the "typical gamer."

Maybe the most impressive thing about FarmVille is the philosophy of its creator, Pincus.  While you've been running music logs, re-forecasting this quarter's revenue projections, or arranging the weekend air schedule, some estimate that Zynga may be worth $3-5 billion.

Despite these obvious riches, Pincus isn't interested in an IPO or cashing in any time soon.  As he points out, "We're focused on building a long-term sustainable consumer service.  That's our mission."

Smart guy who knows more about customer satisfaction and building successful businesses than many of the experts selling those services.

FrontierVille is next, a Wild West themed game.  Maybe RadioVille is in the planning stages.  

I'm game.

Stray Voltage

What happens when social media meets politics and creates an unintended consequence?

That’s what happened to two of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s staffers – Alec Ross and Jared Cohen.

 

Both of these guys got their Twitter thumbs slapped for sending out colloquial tweets during a trip to Syria.  The State Department was embarrassed by some of their missives, calling their messaging “stray voltage,” and there were the predictable criticisms from the other side of the aisle.

But the piece of the story that may have gone unnoticed is the importance of integrating young people into the political process as hundreds of thousands live vicariously through the tweets of Cohen and Ross.  When I wrote this blog, Cohen had amassed more than 300,000 followers, while Ross has more than 287,000.  As they journey around the globe, they have become Twitter celebrities, keeping their followers up to date with U.S. foreign policy as well as their unique views from the inner circle.

Secretary Clinton praised both Cohen and Ross, saying their ability to combine diplomacy and technology is a piece of “21st century statecraft.”  As we struggle in radio to integrate America’s youth into our medium, the political world has many of the same challenges, especially among a generation loaded with cynicism, and justifiably so. 

This is Twitter at its best – celebrities or people in a position of power or access who take us behind the curtain.  Many radio personalities have the ability to bring their special access – backstage, in the studio, or even at home – into the spotlight.  But so often, tweets from DJs have more to do with “Breaking Benjamin tickets in the 9 p.m. hour” or “Talking about Lost tomorrow morning.”

 

As mobile devices make Twitter totally accessible and ever-present, smart digital strategists and social media thinkers can do amazing things with this great tool – more important than retweeting other people’s stuff or waxing philosophically about the weather. 

Otherwise, it’s just a bunch of stray voltage.

Reunited And It Feels So... Familiar

As we have learned in our Technology Surveys, sometimes the winds of change are blowing so hard that we don’t notice some of the small changes along the way.  Today, jacAPPS’ Alex Young comments about how social media may be putting a damper on all those high school reunions – especially for the Gen Y community.

Has Facebook replaced the high school reunion, or just the small talk?  Are these anticipated or dreaded events the next endangered species, thanks to Internet phenomena like Facebook?

About a year ago, some former classmates of mine created a Facebook Event page solely to provide information about our 10 year high school reunion scheduled for this fall.  The group allows me to see who’s attending, who’s not, and who’s still on the fence.

It also allows me to friend any old classmate I was wondering about, or hadn’t spoken to since graduation, and gather every possible bit of information about them, down to what side dish they had with dinner three weeks ago.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t this ruin the surprise?  And isn’t surprise the point of a reunion in the first place?  Should it be required to have your Facebook URL and current picture on your nametag?  Maybe our current popularity should be based on how many FB friends we have.

Many of my high school friends that have moved out-of-state have already thrown out the excuse that they know everything about everyone already, so why make a special trip for the event?  I mean, Facebook has already revealed whether Susie Q made it on Broadway, or that Tommy, the high school football captain, was recently unemployed for 18 months before landing a job as the night janitor. 

From similar conversations, I learned that most graduates who still live in the area or who will be home for the holiday still plan on attending.  But for those who have moved away, the drama and anticipation have been diluted.

Recently, I had a text message conversation with my best friend.  We decided that we wanted to join in on the reunion fun, but that just leads to more questions:

If I already know everything going on in a former classmate’s life, what will we talk about? It eliminates the whole getting to re-know you phase of the reunion banter.

Should I pretend like I haven’t spent the last 4-5 years sharing every momentous occasion with them on their FB page (job change, marriage, baby, etc.)?

Or should I spend the evening counting how many times I say, “Oh, I remember seeing that on Facebook?"

I spent no shortage of time on my iPhone, and I’m not playing Labyrinth or Tweeting.  I am probably using my FB app to get information about my former grads so I don’t end up the one looking like a fool.

On the flipside, my cousin skipped her 10th, 15th and 20th year reunions.  She said she had absolutely no desire to travel back to her hometown 2,500 miles away just to hang out with a bunch of people with whom she probably had nothing in common with anymore.  Yet, since she joined Facebook and reconnected with a lot of those people, she might be more compelled to attend the 25th.  Facebook helped her figure out that while there may be a lack of commonality with some old friends, there are others she wasn’t close to in high school who just might merit some face time… and that’s all thanks to Facebook. 

I have come to the conclusion that while Facebook might not yet completely replace the high school reunion, it definitely takes the edge off it.  All of the dirty little secrets are already out of the bag.

We already know which of us is going bald, can’t find our waistlines, or were unable to translate popularity into a multi-million dollar career.  Our Facebook connections create an atmosphere that is less about who became famous and who gained 50 pounds and more about people with a common past getting together to have a good time.

And isn’t that the way it should be anyway?

The Dirty Little Secret

OK, "recession" aside, perhaps the three most oft-mentioned words in business and communications circles last year (and now this year) are "mobile," and "social media.' 

We've discussed both phenomena in this space, and I can promise some powerful data from our Tech Poll VI which we're wrapping up as this blog posts. 

Social media has become a mega-force because it changes the way we communicate with one another.  If you think about it, for decades and decades, people simply picked up the phone, wrote a letter (or sent a fax), or struck up a live conversation.  That's how people did business with one another.

Then the Internet came along, and we started emailing information.  Later, texting on mobile devices became shorthand for conversation.

But it has been the advent of social media, popularized first by MySpace, and now totally dominated by Facebook that has reinvented the way we interact with one another.  And Twitter is using some of the same principles to become a force in social media.

At the same time, there is no shortage of social media "experts," more than happy to advise businesses on the best way to utilize these new tools.  And caught in the middle are traditional advertising agencies, struggling to come across as hip, but often tethered to their traditional media roots.  When you have been proficient for decades at designing and creating campaigns for television, radio, and print, the explosion of social media can totally redefine the media plan - and with it, the core focus and staff of the agency itself.

We're all trying to learn and better understand this space, often reading whatever we can get our hands on to better grasp the change.  We were fortunate to have one of President Obama's top advisors, Scott Goodstein, speak at last fall's Summit at the NAB.  And since then, I have made a connection with Alison Circle, who heads up media and social networking for the Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library.  I have truly enjoyed the insights gleaned from both of these new experts in the field.

A recent case study in the "Business" section of The New York Times caught my attention.  It's the story of a new high-end startup - EPC Cigar - and the media choices they made in launching their new brand.  They had a $300,000 budget with lots of options in front of them:  taxi tops in New York City, TV ads on channels like Comedy Central, Spike, and Vh1, radio in NYC, Chicago, and L.A., and print ads in publications like The Wall Street Journal, Yachting, Golf Digest, Wine Spectator and Cigar Aficionado.

Instead, EPC Cigar went with their agency's choice and opted for a social media campaign that mostly uses website resources, Facebook, and Twitter.  This campaign only chewed up $40K, allowing them to divvy up the rest on trade shows, events, point of sales material, and some traditional media.  Part of their aversion to going the "old media" route was a belief they could get more bang for their buck with social media.

The company's main spokespeople are also the owners - Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, Jr. and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo III - and they are directly involved with maintaining the company's Facebook and Twitter presence.  

When the article was written in late February, EPC Cigar had garnered 700 Facebook fans and 250 users following their tweets on Twitter.  (Since the Times article appeared and I wrote this blog a few days later, they picked up another 700 fans.)

Now this doesn't strike me as great results.  Understanding that this is a premium brand that is aimed for a well-heeled male consumer, I picked WCSX here in Detroit - and they have twice the number of Facebook fans.  So what does that tell you? 

In an effort to put these case studies in perspective, The Times sought out opinions from a panel of experts, some of whom expressed disappointment at EPC Cigar's small numbers of fans and followers. 

As Donna Novitsky, CEO of BigTent pointed out, "The Facebook fan and Twitter follower numbers are extremely low — we would want to see tens of thousands, at least.  It is likely that cigar smokers and would-be cigar smokers are not the most active social media users.  It is also possible that avid social media users do not smoke $13 cigars.  Plus, the dirty little secret of viral marketing campaigns on social media is that it often takes a lot of traditional media marketing to get them started.”

That's a "dirty little secret" that every radio rep should be telling clients who are enamored with the "efficiency" of using only social media tools for branding and sales.  Traditional media still delivers the big numbers for new media monsters from Apple to Microsoft to Droid.

And there's a good reason why.

When It Goes Wrong

Toyota is going through hell right now, and in the typical frenzy that occurs in these media crazy times, they have become the butt of jokes, from late night talk hosts to YouTube.  

We can all sit on the sidelines and snicker, but the fact is, anyone who manages a company or station should get a little shiver when they read about Toyota's problems.  That's because deep down inside, we know the same thing could happen to us. 

Toyota had a sterling reputation for decades, bolstered by great reviews, a strong track record for building reliable vehicles, and fabulous word of mouth. 

Does it all just get blown up because of the company's current problems, which seem to be getting worse by the week?  Or does the equity of the Toyota brand allow them to salvage their image, and ultimately, their vehicles sales?

That's the same question that a consistently strong radio brand ought to ask when something goes wrong with a promotion, an event, a contest, the transmitter blows up, or even when a personality misbehaves, breaks the law, or otherwise embarrasses the station.  How big is that "good will gas tank" when something goes wrong, and a station is faced with a public relations nightmare?

It all comes down to how you handle it, and in a recent blog entry, media maven Joe Jaffe discussed Toyota's travails and what the company ought to be doing to turn perceptions and reality around.  Here are a few of his points, paraphrased by me.

First, the day when you could simply run a full page ad in USA Today and The New York Times are over.  That's not where most people are.  Instead, using YouTube, Facebook, and outlets that are viral and more inclusive is the way to go.

Second, make sure that your website tells the right story at a time when the station is experiencing one of these difficult, embarrassing moments.  It's the place to get in front of the problem, and address it head on.

We see this all the time in radio during a crisis when the website has not been updated and simply looks and feels out of it.  

Third, social media can help in a big way.  As Jaffe notes, Toyota has surprisingly few followers on Facbeook and Twitter.  This is because "the first people to turn to are customers, loyalists, enthusiasts, fans, friends, followers, advocates, evangelists... hell, even critics.  These groups of people don't magically materialize overnight.  They are built, earned and nurtured over time."  

They aren't alone.  A new study by ForeSee Results shows that only one-fourth of the top 100 online retailers have a Facebook presence; another quarter have fewer than 10,000 fans.

Using the connectivity of social media - as well as a radio station's email database - can quickly communicate to your customers the problem and what you're doing to solve it.  Building these networks of core followers isn't just a good idea so you can promote ticket giveaway or celebrity guests on the morning show.  This is where communities are built and nurtured, especially useful during crunch time.
 
Of course, as Jaffe points out, Toyota has also been slow to "join the conversation" on Facebook.  A commitment to dialogue with listeners/customers is also so essential to transparently working through problems and regaining brand equilibrium, as opposed to simply letting "fans" or "friends" bitch and moan about how lame the company is. 

Fourth, Jaffe talks about anticipating problems before they occur.  The importance of "contingency planning" cannot be under-estimated, as shown by Toyota, a great company that has now gotten caught - multiple times - in compromising situations with its vehicles and their mechanical/computer problems.  These dilemmas are worsened by the company's lack of responsiveness and adaptability.  

On the radio front, how vulnerable are stations because of smaller staffs and harried managers?  How many contests are being executed without the proper rules?  How many poorly conceived events aren't properly secured or managed?  How many important things are simply slipping through the cracks because of a lack of time and manpower - all with the ability to bite a station where it hurts?  

On the technical side, how many stations now lack the "redundancy" necessary when there's an engineering problem or even an "act of God" that disables the tower, the transmitter, and other key components of the broadcast chain?  The website and the stream (that so many broadcasters fought) could be the salvation the next time something goes technically awry.  In radio, there can never be too much "contingency planning" because as we all know, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. 

Fifith, there's the reaction from the top.  In Toyota's case, they have been painfully slow to provide explanations and even truth from the corner office.  Akio Toyoda, president and grandson of the company's founder, took forever to face the media.  This has led to more speculation, doubt, and questions about Toyota's intentions.  When disaster strikes, stonewalling never works.  Tiger Woods learned this, and now, so has Toyoda.  It may cost his company billions. 

Whether in a serious auto recall or a major mess for a radio station, this is where leadership rises to the top.  In our fast-paced media and Internet world, it is more important than ever for CEOs to step up, get out in front of the problem, and meet the crisis squarely.  You can question big salaries and bonuses all you like, but these are the times when corporate moguls earn theirs. 

Finally, when the problem hits the station - or car company - across the street, squelch the urge to pile on.  There is a "karma train" and it's just a matter of time before trouble arrives at every door.  Note that in the middle of Toyota's mess, Ford had to issue a recall of its own. And now Honda is experiencing problems.

GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, BMW and the rest would be wise to resist the temptation to try to make hay from Toyota's multi-recalls.  Toyota's backfires may make them feel good because for so long, the company enjoyed much media love and adoration.  

There's no need to hit Toyota when they're down, because consumers have already gotten the message.  Toyota will either do a better job in the coming weeks of addressing its problems and its PR - or they won't.  In the meantime, a car company with a good product and brand that provides quality and economy, along with being well-marketed and connected with consumers, will do just fine while Toyota suffers. 

Toyota has finally started running heart-warming, nostalgic TV spots that address their problems, and underscore the hard work that is being done to turn their problems around.  They are well-produced and they take responsibility for the company's mess.  If it were only that easy.  And the current wrangling with ABC-TV affiliates in the southeast over what Toyota feels are "excessive stories" muddies the ad waters even more.

There's a lot to be learned from this Toyota lesson.