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OCT 11, 2010

Marketing and WoM: The Power of the Referent

Earlier in my development, when I was in business school, I interviewed a lot. Jobs, internships, graduate assistantship positions… the interviews never seemed to end. Yet, when it came to expressing my value and defending my abilities, I often balked. I found it very difficult to market myself without feeling like I was boasting or coming across as a cocky upstart. It was then that my Marketing Professor, and mentor, gave me some great advice: ‘Tell them what I said about you.’

I no longer approached the conversation with ‘I’ and ‘am’ but instead relied on the words others had used to applaud my successes.

And just like that, my interviews changed. I went from sounding stilted or uninterested to immediately expressing my value in a manner that made both me and the interviewer comfortable. It was a simple fix, and one that I haven’t soon forgotten. But what struck me most about this advice were two things: the inherent irony that a marketer had difficulty marketing their self, and the power of a referent.

Word of Mouth (WoM) advertising is the pinnacle of success for many marketers. When you can get your customers to proselytize their connections into loyalists or adopters of your products, you’ve hit the jackpot. No better advertisement has there been than one from someone you trust. And while many companies may be able to spend seemingly unlimited wads of cash on celebrities and spokespeople you may look up to or hold in high esteem, nothing can replace the advice of a trusted family member, friend, teacher or mentor; and that is precisely why WoM is the way to go.

This is actually something that is not lost in today’s technology world.

Facebook’s ‘like’ button is a prime example. So is re-tweeting something on Twitter. Yet relying on a referent is truly a dated method of reinforcing the validity or power of something. A Web 1.0 example of this might be forwarding emails about a new product or even making phone calls to inform family and friends about a local politician they should support; rest assured, it’s an idea as old as communication itself, and forms the basis of marketing. This tried and true tactic is one we are all comfortable with and find familiar.

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OCT 3, 2010

Twitter: In the Eye of the Beholder?

Twitter, like any other mass-communications channel, serves a relevant purpose to many different crowds. Depending on who you are, who you’re trying to reach, and what you’re trying to say, this channel can really help strengthen the conversation and add a real-life connectivity factor that traditional channels like email or direct mail (MLM) miss completely.

However, it can become overly tempting to use new media channels the same way, regardless of the audience or intention. In this discussion, I’d like to point out some relevant ways to use Twitter, and some less than relevant ways that might detract from the true goal of connecting and engaging with people.

Let’s start with some high-level perspective ‘buckets’ of Twitter.

Some companies view Twitter as a PR channel. This is especially true in times of crisis communications and reputation management. For example, the Red Cross, during their Haiti Relief efforts, relied heavily on Twitter to get their message and call-to-action out into the world.

Others view Twitter as an offset to traditional advertising. This is especially relevant for the work I do in the Twitterverse. A terrific example, which may become a later posting, is the work that Ford did with their Ford Fiesta Movement. A terrific series of social media targeted discussions hyped the brand and has led to record sales: all with an ~90% savings over traditional ad spend…talk about an ROI!

But, no matter what kind of channel you envision it being, you must be aware that immediacy and connectivity are the two hallmarks that distinguish new media from old.

Immediacy: You can’t tweet 2 days later and expect anyone to find it relevant.

I actually heard a leader of a PR agency tell me “Who cares, it’s like email, and I get to it when I get to it. The average user won’t mind if it takes me a few days, maybe longer.”

I don’t know where the average reader of this blog sits, but I sincerely hope you found something wrong with that last statement. If it’s not about real-time responses and connecting with people about trending issues, then I honestly don’t know what it’s about. If you’re not relevant, you’re not part of the conversation. If you’re not part of the conversation, why even bother signing up.

The TwitBlitz: You can’t tweet 40 times on Tuesday and not at all the rest of the week.

People notice. You’re better off tweeting 3 times a day, every day, and averaging out to half as many tweets; especially if 2-5 of those tweets are directly in response to another user or a loyalist. I’ve un-followed people for this very reason. Granted, I’m occasionally guilty of tweet-blitzing but that’s usually under the guise of a live-tweeting session or over the course of a public dialog about a topic I’m discussing. There are always exceptions. But, point still stands – get it together.

Connectivity: If you’re not connecting, you’re doing it wrong. That’s the name of the game.

Having a lot of followers is not connecting. In fact, quite the opposite. I routinely go in and remove followers I wouldn’t follow back. It’s not because I’m mean – though one could make that argument – it’s because I want to have a focused conversation. There are also friends from my personal life I do not follow on Twitter, as I don’t think their tweets add value to the uses around which I define my social media behavior pattern.

Defining one’s Twitter MO is another great point we can discuss more later. Suffice to say, it’s essential to start with a mission or a strategy, otherwise it’s just the thunder before defeat.

How do you choose to use Twitter? Are there any methods you use that this blog misses? Think I’m wrong? Sound off below.

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SEP 26, 2010

The Case For Hashtags

I’ve had a series of great conversations with people interested in learning more about how they can leverage Twitter to help them create lift, create a loyal base of followers and engage their public on important issues. During these conversations, the course of discussion inevitably turns to Tactics for Twitter. As part of a potentially on-going series on this, I’ll be discussing a few simple Twitter Techniques that can help the average Twitter user instantly gain notoriety and relevance while using this Web 2.0 Service.

One of the easiest ways to up one’s Twitter game is through the use of hashtags.

What’s a hashtag?

The pound symbol we all know and love from our old telephones [remember those dark days before cell phones?] and tic-tac-toe [in the age of the iPhone does anyone still play this?] has been given new life through the Twitter interface. Provided that your tweets appear in the public timeline, entering the ‘#’ symbol before a word will instantly make it searchable on the public timeline.

What’s the implication?

Now when you are attending a sporting event, watching a political debate, spending time learning about your trade at a conference, or even just catching up on back episodes of Entourage, you can alert your followers and the Twitterverse at large. This allows Tweeps to connect on areas of common interest. For example, a photographer might find other photographers by hashtagging their camera model, the type of film they use, their lighting preferences or even the simple fact that they are a photographer.

The tweet that would otherwise go unnoticed becomes much more relevant and informative.

“Headed to the beach today to take photos of my daughter and wife.” –Nothing too interesting about that.

“Headed to #OCMD for #LaborDay to take #photos of my daughter and wife. #canon #hdcamera #photography” –By creating a series of hashtags, this user has allowed others the option of engaging him in conversation about the subjects he is addressing in his tweet. An avid OCMD fan might follow this user now. The same goes for the tourism board of Maryland, the makers of Canon cameras, a high-definition camera enthusiast or two, and potentially even a slew of photographers.

The mechanics of a hashtag.

Hashtags are single words or phrases with no spaces or adjoining punctuation. “#Customer Service” would hashtag the word ‘Customer’ but not ‘Service’. The same goes for “#Customer_Service” and “#Customer-Service”. The only way to get both words hashtagged together, simultaneously, is to make it one word. Capitalization is the easiest way to ensure the individual words in a hashtag are distinguishable, in this case “#CustomerService”.

Some general tips.

-Keep it short. Shorter hashtags are easier to digest. After all, this is a microblogging service we are talking about.

-Hashtag often. You never know which of you interests or keywords might spark a great conversation. Why limit yourself in the number of ways you can connect with others?

-Experiment. If you’re not sure whether a word should be a hashtag, or if you’re at a conference and you want to find others in attendance through their hashtags, just give it a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose. Just be logical, short, and to the point. For example, if you’re attending the 2010 Pennsylvania Governor’s Debate, you probably don’t want to hashtag #2010PennsylvaniaGovernorsDebate. Instead, consider #2010PAGovDebate or #PAGovDebate or similar.

NB: Hashtags rarely require a year in the name given the relatively instant manner of communication Twitter allows us all to enjoy.

So there you have it – a really simple introduction to a really simple tool. Are there other instances of hashtagging you’ve seen work well? What are some of the areas this article misses that are important to you?

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SEP 19, 2010

What’s In A Name? Choosing Your Twitter Handle

You know, sometimes it’s tough being a first generation American. I am typically forced to explain the spelling of my name to my counterparts of European descent, I often am required to phonetically pronounce my name for wary waiting room staff and I am consistently challenged to resist correcting good-natured folks who just can’t translate the series of ostensibly unrelated letters into cohesive sounds. Still I find that my name offers me a point of differentiation in a crowded marketplace. There are distinct advantages to having a ‘unique’ name as a consultant – most notably, often getting elevated to a one-name status: a huge boon for folks who quickly need to stick out in a room full of people.

Yet, I opted to choose a twitter handle that had nothing to do with my name.

As an early adopter of the Twitter technology, I had several options for choosing my handle. What name became my brand was almost completely up to me. Despite this fecundity of alternatives, I opted for what, arguably, is a gobbledygook series of letters that form a vaguely pronounceable word.

Why? Marketability, Anonymity and Multifariousness.

Marketability.

An off-putting or hollow word for many, but a nonetheless useful one for purposes of our discussion. I would have an easier time advertising my capabilities, interests and expertise through a nom de plume. With no direct bearing on my person, I could transform into the social media whiz with a penchant for 80s TV trivia and local politics – all with the click of a mouse.

Anonymity.

While arguable similar to the above, this adds a layer of pretense to my posts. My followers and IRL friends know that I’m me – but others out there might give my ramblings an air they otherwise would not. This, ironically, speaks against commonly held practices in Twitter that require exposing the man behind the curtain so to speak, yet still works in this context. Remember, you want to engage and inspire your followers — and there is more than one way to make that happen.

Multifariousness.

I can now vacillate between personal and professional, non-sequitur and on point, ridiculous and slightly less ridiculous – all without worry or fear. Clearly the poster of a tweet is an individual who, at best, represents a few collective views and opinions. Taking this for granted allowed me to expand the scope of my discussion without needless concern for the impact.

And there you have it: the (very) basic reasoning behind my own decisions. While certainly less a ‘how-to’ and more a ‘why-I’ I sincerely hope this helps those of you out there contemplating a switch from the status quo to something new and different.

Are there any aspects of personal vs. professional that my pithy commentary failed to take into account? Please, sound off below.

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AUG 11, 2010

National Night Out Unites Local Neighborhoods

It must have been about 3:00am when they broke in. The lock installed on my downstairs window proved little resistance as these strangers entered my home. They disturbed my furniture, rearranged items on the bookshelf, bumped into tables and chairs, and searched my home in an effort to determine which of my personal effects to steal. They groped around the downstairs living area until they found something of value, and then left as quickly and quietly as they broke in.

Thankfully, everything they took can be replaced. Everything, that is, except my feelings of safety and security. Since this incident earlier last month, my roommate and I have tightened our home’s perimeter and alerted our neighbors to be on the watch. Yet, the experience has left an indelible mark on me and those closest to me.

My immediate instinct was to get angry, over-react, and make snap decisions. Living in the city has its challenges, and summertime crime is certainly one of them.

After more careful consideration, cooler heads prevailed and I instead began talking to my roommate, neighbors and close friends about ways we could make our neighborhood safer. One suggestion that very quickly floated to the top of the discussion was participating in National Night Out.

Since 1984, National Night Out – as the name implies – has served as a nation-wide program designed to “heighten awareness and strengthen participation in local anticrime efforts” in cities all across the country.

Last year’s National Night Out involved over 36 million people in 14,625 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide. With numbers like that from last year, the participation and turnout for 2010 is widely expected to be the greatest yet.

Last week, my neighborhood took part in the festivities. On Tuesday evening, August 3, 2010, members of our community came out in force to meet their neighbors, chat with law enforcement from Harrisburg City police, Special Units and County Parole agents, and share a nice summer evening outside. While the neighborhood kids got their faces painted and drew sidewalk chalk art, the neighborhood dogs got better acquainted as the neighborhood adults enjoyed freshly grilled hot dogs, chips, hot wings, desserts and soda.

For me it was a tremendous opportunity to get to know the people who live around me, and to develop our collective resolve to take a zero-tolerance approach toward crime and violence in our neighborhood.

National Night Out was great on many different levels. It provided a venue for me to meet my neighbors and fellow community stakeholders, it gave the police department the opportunity to see whose rights they are working to defend on a daily basis, and it allowed all of us to enjoy each other’s company while learning more about crime and loss prevention techniques from local experts. In addition, the children of the neighborhood were able to meet each other and play together while the adults talked. A few of our neighbors and friends even won raffle prizes such as plants from a local shop and gift certificates to local restaurants, just for attending.

The event, in short, was a phenomenal success. I met new neighbors, spent time with local law enforcement, and swapped notes on security and crime prevention with friends.

It would have been easy to decide to leave the neighborhood. It would have been easy to let my frustration get the better of me. Instead, my neighbors, roommate and I saw this as an opportunity to enhance our community and make our houses our homes, and our homes our neighborhood.

My house is now a lot more secure. There are floodlights, an enhanced security system and a myriad of precautions. But having one house locked up like Fort Knox does not a safer community make. For that to happen, we need a concerted effort involving everyone involved. Perhaps that is the most effective deterrent for crime: a network of neighbors who keep an active watch. When a group of individuals make their presence and concern known, they collectively form a neighborhood: that makes a huge difference.

I hope to be the last person in my neighborhood to suffer through the experience of being a victim of crime; it made me feel violated and powerless. With programs like National Night Out in place, and the recurring strength of neighborhood communities and local law enforcement, this hope can become our reality.

Ganesh Harinath resides in downtown Harrisburg, where he works as an independent consultant. He earned his BA from UCLA, and his MBA from Penn State University. ganesh at ganeshharinath.com

This op-ed was printed on August 11, 2010, and can be linked to here.

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AUG 5, 2010

Wave? Goodbye.

The product heralded by no one outside of Google as being any good, Google Wave, is going to shut their doors at the end of the year. What was a terrific case study in the workings of artificial demand is now a terrific case study in what can go wrong when a platform tries to be everything to everyone, without the everyone part.

It was a simpler time when Google Wave launched late in September of 2009. No, not really, but it sounds good. The world was pretty similar to how it is now, and the timeliness of the product made sense. Twitter was catching on, YouTube was becoming a core product in the Google ‘takeovereverything’ strategy, and everywhere people screamed from the deepest darkest corners of the intertubez for real-time technology.

I can personally recall feeling a smug sense of self-satisfaction when I received my invite to join the service in late 2009. I was the envy of all my friends and colleagues as I logged in and began networking. But about 45 seconds in, I stopped. There was no one to talk to, the GUI was ridiculous and the attention to UX was practically non-existent. There are enough reviews of the product itself, and the defects are widely known now, so I don’t need to get into too much detail here. Needless to say, it wasn’t so much ahead of its time as it was just too much to take in at one time.

End result? I logged in to Google Wave fewer than 5 times total during the lifetime of my account. I’m willing to bet I wasn’t the only one… Real time typing? Collaboration? Rethinking email? Awesome concepts, not so great implementation. And that pretty much sums up the product.

On the Google Blog, they’ve stated as follows:” The central parts of the code, as well as the protocols that have driven many of Wave’s innovations, like drag-and-drop and character-by-character live typing, are already available as open source, so customers and partners can continue the innovation we began. In addition, we will work on tools so that users can easily ‘liberate’ their content from Wave.”

In typical fashion, Google has attempted to be the ‘nice guy’ and continue providing the open source service. At least that is something we can all agree [or mostly agree] is a good thing.

What’s next for Google? Speculation has already called for the new product, Google Me, to be all the rage. Let’s see if Google can get it right this time.

I hope I get an invite.

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JUN 27, 2010

Tax Abatements Today For A Better Tomorrow

It doesn’t take a genius to tell you Harrisburg is facing real financial trouble.

During the last two public city council hearings, some have argued we should file for bankruptcy while others claim we must sell our few profitable assets. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet. Instead, we must look to a variety of measures to use the assets we have to create revenue over time.

Interestingly, Harrisburg does have an excess of supply: in this case, underutilized real estate. When property sits blighted and condemned, with buildings literally falling down, there are clearly more buildings than are needed: otherwise, why are these buildings not maintained and/or legally occupied?

In fact, it turns out there are opportunities to create revenue from this inventory. According to the Harrisburg Young Professionals’ 2009 Annual Survey, as many as 1 out of every 5 professionals who do not live in the city “looked but did not find a good place.”

This means demand for housing in the city is not being met by the current supply of homes and apartments. Harrisburg needs to attract investment to meet this demand. Harrisburg needs tax abatements.

Tax abatements are a deferral of tax increases that are automatically imposed when someone invests in their property (renovations or new construction).

Tax abatements defer new taxes and gradually phase them in over time. They are a common sense solution to curtail population loss and stimulate demand for city living in a city with the highest property tax rate in the region. This happens by making residency affordable for homeowners, which in turn generates revenue for the city through future tax collections – revenue that otherwise would not be created.

Tax abatements are needed to increase the city’s tax base. Per US Census data Harrisburg’s city population has been cut in half the past 60 years: a strong indicator of the falling value of downtown property. Increasing the city’s population lowers the cost of services for all residents. By allowing tax abatements on property in the city, we facilitate investment in the thousands of housing units needed to attract prospective home-owners into the city.

Critics argue tax abatements are just welfare for rich developers. I beg to differ. It is commonly understood that the high property taxes in the city, if unabated, would depress property prices and render any new investment impracticable. Developers cannot invest without the ability to recoup their costs and make some amount of profit. They only make a profit if the cost of building or renovating a property is less than its selling price. They assume the risk while we are poised to receive the tax revenue. In the meantime, blighted land is replaced by livable and workable space.

Some question whether tax abatements aid seniors who have lived in their home for several years. I say they’ll benefit. When vacant or under-developed properties surrounding a home increase in demand due to the decreased production costs, property values of surrounding homes improve.

With tax abatements, older residents would have the chance to make improvements to their home with no immediate tax implications (increasing their asset’s worth). This is in addition to existing measures exclusively designed to assist older generations, like the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and Pennsylvania Property Tax Expanded Relief for Seniors.

Others argue that at the end of the tax abatement period, Harrisburg will lose residents. In reality, those people are missing the point. Harrisburg has already lost tens of thousands of residents. Tax abatement seeks to improve existing properties and build new ones, thereby adding to the future tax base. The goal of the tax abatement program is to collect the tax revenue generated from present or future property owners.

If a building is vacant and boarded up, if a parcel of land is undeveloped, if fewer than half the homes on a street are occupied, then there is an excess of supply and/or a dearth of demand. This is the case in virtually any part of the areas surrounding my neighborhood of Olde Uptown. Blame it on the schools; blame it on the high taxes; blame it on the rain [as we were instructed to do in the late 80s]; but accept this as reality. No amount of wishing, hoping, or even lip-synching is going to change the fact that we are surrounded by horrendous land that generates no real benefit to Harrisburg’s economy.

We all want the city to succeed. The revitalization of Olde Uptown is a paramount example of this type of successful transformation. With tax abatements, a better tomorrow is within reach – but only if we act today.

Ganesh Harinath is a renter in Olde Uptown, Harrisburg, where he works as an independent marketing communications professional. He earned his BA from UCLA, and his MBA from Penn State University. ganesh@ganeshharinath.com

This op-ed was printed on June 27, 2010, and can be linked to here.

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APR 14, 2010

Digital Marketing, Supersized

Earlier this week, McDonald’s solidified their foothold in the digital realm with the announcement of the addition of Rick Wion to their TMT. Mr. Wion is the first Social-Media Chief for the global corporation, and will primarily direct the US social media efforts.

Less important than Mr. Wion’s credentials and title (all of which attest to his current role ) are his capabilities in the digital realm. As one of the largest brands on the planet, McDonald’s has a unique opportunity to immediately cut through the noise of the online space and begin creating brand ambassadorships and virtual relationships with their loyal followers. As something of a McDonald’s loyalist myself, I am excited for their move in this direction.

The corporate strategy involved in this maneuver has undoubtedly informed Mr. Wion’s movements; needless to say, McDonald’s has their work cut out for them. This space is theirs to lose, and it would not be difficult to do so. Mr. Wion’s instructions to his business segment include the mandatory ‘region identification’ on Twitter handles as well as the culling of the ever-influential mommy-blogger segment. As most active social media marketers can tell you, there are fewer segments more polarizing than the mommy-blogger, as evidenced by a few notable instances.

All in all, Mr. Wion has his work cut out for him – but in a good way. This is not a greenfield initiative, but rather an opportunity to solidify market share through an existing channel. The market is out there; McDonald’s has answered the call. What companies should follow McDonald’s lead? Do you think McDonald’s is really breaking ground, here, or just proving their size by being a late-stage adapter on this front?

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NOV 18, 2009

Control Shift

A secondary advertisement that I found fairly intriguing is that of Wheat Thins Artisan. The juxtaposition of a child with these adults as well as the inherent “devalue” proposition of their competition’s powdery, flaky, neon-like cheese substance is a pretty convincing push mechanism toward the Wheat Thins Artisan offering. The commercial itself is a pitch about the adult-ness-icity-ism [my ‘word’ not theirs] of choosing snacks, essentially eschewing the notion that dusty crackers are suitable for adults and embracing the contrary notion that as we get older we need to update or maturate our selections and choices. In the truest testament to brand essence, it becomes less about the product and more about how you feel when you are interacting with it; the logical enthymeme here it not at all dissimilar to Old Spice’s and Nivea’s responses to Axe and Tag Body Sprays, irrespectively.

Do you think this advertising strategy will pay off in the long run?

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JUN 19, 2009

The PDA Is Mightier Than the Sword

There’s a lot going on in Iran right now. Current President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, defeated main reformist candidate Hossein Mousavi and two others. In the meantime, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared Ahmadinejad the clear winner and has asked all Iranians to unite behind his leadership. Personally, I’m more than a little ignorant on the socio-political structure in Iran, so I’m not in a position to criticize the Ayatollah’s role as a one-man supreme court; but I do find it perplexing – to say the least. If any of you can link to an interesting [re: succinct] article that can sum up this dynamic, I’d be much obliged.

The part about this struggle that is ‘sexy’ is the aforementioned victory has been downtrodden amidst speculation that widespread corruption, ballot-stuffing and general shady activity is the true cause of the purportedly maligned election results. I’m not a political scientist, but given the overwhelming mounds of data, I am inclined to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. For more information, check out this chronology that I found pretty enlightening.

Web 2.0 has played a vital role in our understanding of the events as they have unfolded, and that is really the point of this article. On June 16, reporters were restricted from reporting from the streets of Iran, essentially terminating any connection to the truth the western world hoped to maintain. Unlike Tiananmen Square, however, gonzo journalism has taken to the PDA, and YouTube is littered with videos of rally supporters and folks of Persian descent decrying the current milieu and eschewing the populist regime. It seems that instead of scouring for a window into the plight of the Iranian citizen, we are instead deluded by an influx of personal 45 second micro-tales and crudely shaped vignettes.

In a time when firms are continually attempting to rationalize spending efforts and shore up ROI, the direct reach and impact of social media rears its timely head. If Twitter and Facebook can lead a counter-cultural revolution, what can they do for the DJIA? All I know is that we can ‘easily’ show our support via the Twitter version of a red ribbon lapel: a green-tinted avatar.

After all, we are each humans first and marketers second. Well, at least so much so are those of us lucky enough to be counted among the latter. :)