This is kind of a crazy idea, surely not new, but an attempt at driving focused discussion of a timely topic. In addition to good information a topics, there is also some great entertainment value in having a live radio talk show between two people on different sides of an issue, and that’s the intent of Social Media Throwdown.

I was inspired by the many times twitterites exchanged quick tweets about topics from personal branding to a Joe the Plumber reference, however, I wanted something more spontaneous. I am not one to have a favorite medium, but instead one that appreciates the unique benefits of each medium, old and new, that is available. Perhaps this comes from my experience in both radio and television.

I also like the Blog Talk Radio platform, and thank my friend John C Havens, co-author of tactical transparency for turning me on to it a long time ago.

In this first episode we have a leading personal branding strategist and author Hajj Flemings trading points of view with Geoff Livingston, social media and branding leader, who takes a much different perspective on branding of an individual.

We’ll cast this live on Blog Talk Radio Friday, February 6 at 1 PM CST – The listener call in line is: (646) 716-4882 and we will try to get as many questions as possible, hope to chat with you Friday, Feb 6 at 1PM Central.

Time 22:32

True story, I get a pitch about a marketer who is getting ready to leave the hustle of the rat race to go on a Buddhist retreat next year. I’ve got to tell you that I was a bit skeptical, I think the two disciplines, marketing and Buddhism are about a contrary as you can get.

The marketer, James Connor is the author of the book the Perfection of Marketing. It’s a quick read and told though the eyes of Connor as he weaves a story around a typical discussion with a CEO about marketing. It certainly is a different narrative than most business books, and I recommend it to every marketer as a gift to a skeptical CEO.

So I write back that I’d like to interview James not just about the book but what I see as the contradictions in the idea of being a marketer and a Buddhist. This is part two of my conversation with James Connor. We focus on the spiritual aspect of his journey in life and business. Did he completely convince me that marketing and Buddhism are made for each other? No, but Connor opened my eyes to a different perspective, and for that I’m very grateful.

As a participant of social media, Connor’s spirituality is insightful and shows the beauty and peace of giving. These insights give him a unique perspective on human nature and that perspective is an asset as a marketer. A premise of Buddhism is the concept of giving, and taking care of others. The best way to succeed is to help others, and I believe that is a principle of social media. Those that understand this principle and live by it will get back more than than give.

Comment & Give to Others

Leave a comment below or better yet, call the comment line 206-600-6887. Enter the contest to win the book The Perfection of Marketing by email marketingedge AT providentpartners.net put the word perfection in the subject line.

Time 21:52

I’ve always found it interesting that many company CEOs view marketing as an after thought. Their concept of brand begins with a logo rather than a culture. Some may believe that brand is only for large companies that have time and money for a brand strategy and its execution.

I take a different view. Brand is rooted in a company’s belief system and value proposition, so while you are thinking about why a company should exist, it is also thinking about its brand. So when you think of service in the hospitality industry Ritz Carlton comes to mind, and when it comes to automobile safety it’s no accident that you think of Volvo.

When a company views a brand as part of its core, part of its reason to exist and the major quality that motivates people to purchase their product or service, then it is much easier to execute the messages that will flow from their brand position.

Just as Stephen Covey refers to True North as the ethical and moral direction for personal growth, I think True North for a company is its core brand value.

James Connor, author of The Perfection of Marketing believes you can drive sales in three steps to brand building. We get into the details in this podcast the first of a two part conversation. Tomorrow we chat about Connor being a Buddhist and a marketer, a seeming contradiction for me.

Enter the contest to giveaway Connor’s book by emailing me at marketingedge AT providentpartners DOT net and in the subject line put the word Perfection.

Every entry, every comment on the blog or on the Marketing Edge comment line 206-600-6887, Provident Partners will give a food item to a St. Paul, Minnesota food shelter. The Marketing Edge podcast is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month, gives us a call and we’ll get you on the next show.

Also check out a new show I am hosting Social Media Throwdown First show is a discussion about the merits of personal branding with Hajj Flemings and Geoff Livingston

Time 43:24

Oh, God, now don’t be getting all upset about me saying Santa uses Giftag. Can you prove Santa doesn’t use Giftag? Exactly. So there.

Giftag is the new gift-registry builder and community platform from Best Buy’s social media team. The best part about it is — get this — it is based on the fundamental principle that the social web is, well, social. That’s why it allows users to build lists from anywhere on the web – not just Best Buy. In my Xmas 2008 list I have warm and toasty long johns (I live in Minnesota, give me a break) from REI, and at Best Buy, an excellent Samsung 46” 1080p flat panel HDTV for an unbelievable price.

This is a major step for any corporation, and Best Buy deserves a ton of credit for implementing a true brand experience that puts the customer first and that accepts the reality that Best Buy customers also need underwear, hats, blankets and plenty of stuff sold all over the place. Isn’t it better to make life easier for those purchases? Yes, and users are thankful for it.

Gary Koelling, senior manager for social technology at Best Buy, was in the Marketing Edge studio and we had a wide ranging conversation, from the concepts of being social to how exactly you can build a list for your Santa’s to check twice, and even check off. That’s my favorite part.

To show Marketing Edge listeners that we too believe it is better to give than to receive, we will fulfill an item on a Giftag wish list. We will purchase a gift for one user of Giftag, like a movie or something that is up to $25. To get in this drawing, here is what you do:

1. Use your IE or Firefox browser and go to www.giftag.com
2. Add the Giftag plug-in
3. Create a profile and a list
4. Add gifts by visiting any sites that have gifts you want
5. In the tag field, include the tag Marketing Edge

On December 20, I’ll review the lists and purchase a gift. See this Santa uses Giftag.

More Winners

A shout out to Traci Long, the winner of the book Twitter Means Business by Julio Ojeda-Zapata. Traci listens to the Marketing Edge in The Woodlands, Texas, along with her colleagues at Proact Safety Happy Holidays and thanks for listening.

Edgy advertising can sometimes cut the wrong way. Motrin is finding that out the social media way as mommy bloggers, Twitter Moms, and even a few dads are chiming in regarding an ad about fashionable baby carrying techniques.

It’s not like this is a new trend — baby slings have been around for a long time. The latest fashion, combined with the ability to comment on it, is what is giving Motrin a migraine. What are your thoughts about baby slings and social media-savvy moms giving Motrin a piece of their mind?

Use this nifty opinion tool to view the ad by clicking on the image, then share your thoughts by using words expressed by others in the list and rating them, or add a new sentiment to rate. You can also provide more details than a word in the text box. At least those moms using slings can get something off their chest without dumping the kid.

I have five children, personally I used the on the shoulders technique. Not with all five, mind you — if I did, we’d be in the circus.

Disclosure: we help Quick Comments with some strategy consulting. It just happens to be perfect for this blog post. If you want to use the widget for this Motrin ad question here is the code:
<iframe width="225" height="602" frameborder="0" src="http://qcwidget.com/widgets/3ee5981b3bd3" ></iframe>


Time 14:22

Slowly retailers are understanding that in a world of Free Speech and Equal Access (via the Internet), consumers and employees are talking about them. Many retailers are reluctant to jump into the social media world for an assortment of fears, some real, most perceived.

Adam Cohen, author of the Thousand Cuts blog, a regular read of mine, led a study of retailers using Facebook pages. Cohen’s firm, Rosetta, monitored uses of Fan pages by major retailers overtime from May to September of 2008. A highlight from the piece;

“A September 2008 study by Rosetta (formerly Brulant) that focused on the top 100 online retailers in the US found that 59 had a fan page on Facebook, up from 30 in May 2008. Among the 29 who added Facebook pages since that time were Best Buy, Toys “R” Us, Kohl’s and Wal-Mart.” The report is available for a limited time on eMarketer.

Adam and I discuss in this Marketing Edge podcast how, in some cases, employees or customers may have already created a Fan page on Facebook without the permission of HQ or the Brand Manager. You’ll have to blame James Madison and Thomas Jefferson for their wacky free speech idea in part for this behavior. However, as you have seen with Barack Obama’s campaign the ultimate in retail, when consumers are energetic about your brand, it’s best to watch the energy and not shut the lights off.

For a little background on my perspective on retailers and how they can assemble a comprehensive online strategy, dial back into the archives of the Marketing Edge blog to January 3, 2008 and the potential social media play for REI.

The Classic Question?

Is it best to dip your toe in the social media pool with a more conservative approach with a bit more corporate style like Target (nice grouping of more than 100,000 Fans)

Or a bit less structure like this page produced by fans of Jeep Wrangler

What are your criteria for how retailers can participate in social media?
___________________________________________________________________________________

All real comments on this blog will result in Provident Partners donating a food item to a Twin Cities charity. It’s getting cold in these parts and a bowl of soup is a good thing.

Or you can call the comment line 206-600-6887 and leave a comment we can play back on the show. If you don’t want us to play it back, just say so, we’re fine with that, we are just glad to hear from you.

A horse with Hooters, now that’s classy. It caught me off guard this morning when I read stories about Hooters joining on as a new co-sponsor for this year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, just in time for a likely triple crowning of the thoroughbred. I mean, this is a horse named after UPS, you know brown trucks, brown uniforms. According to an Associated Press article, “the horse was named in honor of UPS, a client of original owner Paul Pompa Jr’s trucking business.”

Well the big brown company, UPS should be turning a shade of red after they let one of the best marketing and PR opportunities for any company slip through their hands and into the bosom of Hooters. That’s right, they should have been exclusive sponsors of the horse, especially after winning the Kentucky Derby UPS should have locked up exclusive sponsorship to the thoroughbred. Big Brown is being compared to some of the best horses to have won those prestigious races. And what do winning horses have? Speed. And what do I like best about my shipping company? Speed hmmm, nice brand association ain’t it?

Was it not enough ROI to spend a comparative pittance for the Kentucky Derby sponsorship to get $1.5 million in advertising exposure? Was it not enough to be associated with a winner whose name is practically the subtitle of your company? (What can Brown do for you?)

This was a big customer with a horse running, and winning so far, in the three most important, nationally covered horse races in the country. What’s not to sponsor?!

Now, because of short-sightedness combined with a lack decisive management and then some, UPS marketers have looked a gift horse in the mouth. They will be sharing the sponsorship spotlight with Hooters, yup the place that makes you think of wings and breasts, not in that order, a co-sponsor of Big Brown for the third and final leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes.

Tell me, if there is a joint photo op, UPS delivery person in uniform on the left and Hooters spokeswoman in uniform on the right, – Get the picture brand managers?

OK enough UPS bashing let’s get after this ridiculous comment from Kelly Wietsma, president of Equisponse, the marketing agency that represents Big Brown’s owner IEAH Stables. Wiestsma has been quoted in BrandWeek, and other articles, on Big Brown’s marketing future, “We’re definitely going to mass market in a way that’s never been done in our industry. I want every kid in America to be able to walk into a Wal-Mart and buy a Big Brown shirt or a Big Brown Beanie Babie.”

One of us is out of touch with the American parent. I have three daughters ages, 10, 11 and 16. I grew up around horse racing and saw Secretariat win the Belmont Stakes. I am a big fan of the horse Big Brown. However, given the stupidity of this misalignment of brand sponsorship, I don’t believe Wiestsma will see Beanie Babies, perhaps in Hooters shirts, flying off Wal-Mart shelves.

This decision is a lack of being decisive at UPS and a ton of greed by Equisponse with little regard to what a brand really means.
Good luck Big Brown you’re a hell of a horse. To those entrusted with brand management on this one, see picture ——–>

Update to this blog on June 7 at 9:25pm CDT.

I read with great interest that the New York Racing Association (NYRA), who runs the Belmont Stakes and Belmont Park, rejected Hooters secondary sponsorship of Big Brown. The horse’s jockey Kent Desormeaux was threatened with a fine if a Hooters logo showed up on his silks.

NYRA attributed their decision to a conflict with an unnamed sponsor. Curious isn’t it? My guess is either UPS forked over more cash, or an even more complex plot, they got another entity to be a silent sponsor, to pay more money with the caveat that Hooters’ honeys can’t be part of the party.

Was this a distraction that could have been avoided? You bet.

Time 21:04

Before I head off to a great conference on social media at the NewComm Forum, author of The Age of Engage Denise Shiffman spent time with me on the Marketing Edge podcast.

We get into the double edge sword of ROI for marketers, what sold a bunch of web banners, click through ads and email campaigns 5 years ago is now coming back to hinder social media adoption. Why? because relationships take time and are hard to predict. Shiffman suggests the social media measurement metric should be lift around campaigns and to implement small, focused projects with a clear objective. A discussion of that campaign its achivements and failures should be shared across a company to get buy-in and help the learning process.

Shiffman has also set up Marketing Reinvented wiki as a marketing plan for a real restaurant opening in California this summer called Amanada’s Restaurant. It’s a down to earth, health food restaurant. Shiffman invites anyone to register for that wiki and comment about marketing a restaurant.

Congratulations to Murine Juenda, of Seattle, Washignton the winner of the Age of Engage book from the Marketing Edge podcast.

The next book giveaway is The New Rules of Marketing and PR from David Meerman Scott, to enter the drawing send an email to marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the words New Rules in the subject line.

Time 15:00

Put a taste of the Iowa caucus into your corporate communications. This will be an ongoing theme on the Marketing Edge during this election year. My premise is that social media is like oxygen to the embers of ideas. The networks and groups formed using social media resembles grassroots organizations and therefore companies need to take a page from political campaigns.

In this podcast we chat with David Almacy, VP of Digital Strategies for North America for Waggener Edstrom.

He also was at the White House for President Bush in 2005 – 2007 as the director of internet and e-communications. David was also recently recognized by PR Week in their 40 Under 40 issue.

We share some views on the Iowa Caucus about social media and mainstream media. There is also more on my perspective on this issue from Minn Post reporter Christine Capecchi in an article entitled Caucuses 2.0: Online efforts become instant political laboratories in Iowa

Having spent a decade in political communications, and a few years covering politics as a reporter, social media has the potential to help change society, because of the speed with which it can spreading ideas, and the ability to galvanize more people around an issue/brand faster.

Look, the civil rights movement didn’t need social media; but the same fundamental tactics for grassroots organization and communication skills are now necessary for companies who wish to participate in, not market with, social media. There is more of a movement in social media than a marketplace.

If I was to crystallize the general difference of perspective between political communications and corporate communications pre-social media into a bumper sticker, it would be this:

Brand champions may say this is the same as Lovemarks. I agree, and in the world of politics and on the battle field of ideas that shape a society, people have died for the brand they love.

In this discussion David and I touch on the use of social media, the fragmentation of information sources, and the mysterious mix of mainstream media quantity with social media passion.

Another interesting take on measuring social media in this presidential campaign is the Spartan Political Performance Index. Stay tuned as this election year, creative minds will tweek, shape, and test all forms of social media. The winners will be those observers in corporate marketers who can see applications for their brands.

Another Marketing Edge Book Drawing

We are holding a drawing for the book The New Influencers by Paul Gillin, he’s another thought provoking guy at the Society for New Communications Research. So if you want in on the drawing send me an email to marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the words New Influencers in the subject line.

Marketers, here is a social media recipe with some zing. You can build an opt-in network of followers for just about any objective you want: new product launch, latest bargains, thought leadership, consumer engagement. The ingredients are all here if used with healthy amounts of honesty, transparency, and interaction. Let’s take a comprehensive look at a handful of technologies that will make a succulent dish and we’ll use one of my favorite places to shop: the outdoor recreation retailer REI. Disclaimer: I’m also an REI member, but so are thousands of other people. I don’t own stock and they don’t pay me for anything. Here’s a recipe I’d love them to try:

1) Create a Twitter profile for REI Outlet and build a following. Dell Outlet did it (http://twitter.com/delloutlet) and received an award from the Society for Ne w Communications Research. REI can build a larger following in 2008 across its wide variety of constituents: campers, cyclists, kayakers and on and on.

2) The Twitter piece can tie into a microsite with a combination REI expert- and user-generated content for REI Adventure. Right now, www.rei.com has nice photos and text, but I’m at a loss as to why they are not taking advantage of a variety of media to embrace the visitor. Give us more: more personality, more views, more experience. REI is all about outdoors — take us there.

3) Then REI Adventures (their travel packages division) can use Utterz and Flicker to create instant posts of audio, video or pictures from hikers on its Zion National Park trip, with its unique hoodoos rock formations, or other campers photographing a grizzly in Denali National Park – from a safe distance of course. Bring the trip to life for customers’ family and friends, those researching on REI.com and those following REIcamping or REIcanoeing or REIhiking on Twitter, Utterz or any other site built for easy content creation. I bet some of REI Adventures customers have twittered from a trip already. Some have posted on YouTube like this REI Costa Rica cycling trip.

4) Then, enhance the Web and in-store experience by creating “buying guide” podcasts and/or vidcasts (with RSS feeds, of course) by area of the store. These could be downloaded to portable devices or played on the Web site. I realize the REI Web site is full of great information, but are you asking the customer to print stuff and bring it in? That’s not very green. Instead, post audio and video to download, which will add even more “green” to the REI marketing effort.

5) Lastly, bring all of these aspects of REI together with a social network, either on the REI site or another location like Facebook, Ning or MySpace. At the very least, by using blogs on the REI site, enthusiasts can share their experiences together under the REI banner.

As an REI enthusiast, I’d love to see part or all of this implemented. The interesting part of social media is that people can do this themselves without REI’s blessing, but I believe the store and brand are such a strong presence, that it is missing an opportunity by not participating in social media. Now what do you think about that?

Time 32:16

Plenty of attention is given to participating in blogs, join the conversation, be open, be authentic, yada yada yada. The early adopters have tested the social media space with ample case studies for dozens of new books and information for panel discussions.

The hidden winners in the blogosphere who get a fraction of the fanfare are market researchers. This podcast is dedicated to the corporate executives who are skeptics of joining the conversation, but as you’ll hear here, have considerable reason to at least listen to it, it being first the podcast and then the thousands of conversations taking place on the web daily.

Look at just one segment of commentary and social media, www.tripadvisor.com, they have more than 10 million reviews of hotels. Forrester research shows that 36 percent of travelers look at reviews and of them, 73 percent report the reviews affect their choices. More from an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer – It’s just the tip of the iceberg known as the blogosphere, but in reality is a bunch of people talking just like they do at parties, conference rooms, or ball games. The only difference is online, you can listen in on them.

This podcast is the second and concluding episode of a conversation with Umbria founder Howard Kaushansky. Umbria, at www.umbrialistens.com is one of a handful of companies that provide detailed insights into what people are taking about in blogs, and reviewers’ comments on the web and to a great extent who is saying it.

The bottom line is this

1) There are millions of comments being made on the web about nearly every industry or profession.
2) Even if your company has no intention of starting a blog, the comments that exist can provide significant insight into your company, your competitors, and your market.
3) Blogs and social media is not just a playground of the younger generation, middle age baby boomers use social media, blogs, and travel sites just as much as the 18 -24 year old set.

On another note, Marketing Edge listener Alison Coffey is the winner of the Join the Conversation book drawing. Our next book is Paul Gillin’s The New Influencers. To throw your name in the drawing send me an email at marketingedge@providentpartners.net with the words New Influencers in the subject line.

An observation from the Society for New Communications Reserch conference in Boston, Dec. 5 and 6: Social media is like having babies.

Why? As a father of five, I speak from experience:

1) There never really is a good time. You can wait till you have enough money, till you think you are in the right job or house, but really, the right time never comes. So if you want ‘em, get busy.

2) The first child is always nerve-racking. From the first ultrasound to the child’s first steps, everything is a big deal, full of uncertainty and doubt.

3) As things progress, and if you are fortunate enough, you may have another. The entire process is a bit easier but still intimidating, which leads to a greater appreciation for parenting — and your children.

Segue to the Coca-Cola and Mentos videos that entertain millions on the Web. It’s a fascination with seeing common things behave uncommonly. It is the quirky progression that draws you into these video vignettes created by eepybird productions. These guys are actors, not marketers. Their approach to life is to engage people in what they are doing. Hmmm — that’s a good thing.

Big companies with iconic brands like Coke are extremely protective, and rightly so. After all, getting involved in any form of social media is not child’s play. It can seem more like playing in traffic, and every parent is nervous about their kids crossing the street.

Luckily, there are rules. Last night at the Society for New Communications Research dinner, I had a conversation with a senior executive from the Coca-Cola Company. I came to these conclusions about entering social media for corporate marketers:

1) Social media is a playground of ideas, with plenty of ways to stay safe.
2) Observe the way consumers interact with your brand. The more fun they have with it, the greater the reason you should be a conduit for them to share it with others.
3) Creativity is the art of discovering where the playground ends and the street begins.

Stay tuned to Coke. They will be coming out with another element of the social media in their virtual world playground real soon.

Time 12:56

The first stop for marketers who are attempting to determine how to approach social media is to listen to the conversations taking place on the web. Most executives are going to ask, what are people saying about our company or our industry? Who are they and does it matter to us?

While the numbers for social networking are mind boggling, an estimated 60 million users on Facebook alone, the perplexing issue for marketers that have must justify their spending is what is the impact to the company, will it grow sales, brand, influence? Or conversely, will not being there hurt us in some way?

In this podcast we highlight one company that can help answer those questions. Umbria, who can be found at www.umbrialistens.com. There tools search blogs, product review comments, and other social media sites looking for company mentions and more importantly context. For example, it is not good enough to learn that Starbucks was mentioned, but that a woman having a bad day found a moment of peace over an egg nog latte at Starbucks. Now that is listening. Umbria industry reports include healthcare, consumer electronics, and other industries

For those into the viral marketing concept, whether Umbria or a strategy that includes alerts and watches from Google, Technorati, Digg and others, the key is having a process that puts your ear to the ground – sorry had to use a cliché somewhere in this piece. Other tools include Sentiment Metrics and Cymfony, there are plenty of choices. Ths issue is with growing numbers of participants in social media, this tactic should be on your 2008 coporate marketing budget.

Do you have a strategy for listening to social media? What tactics do you find helpful?

Join the Conversation Giveaway

Joseph Jaffe’s book Join the Conversation is a good one. Well worth the read. We are giving away a copy with my comments included in the margins. It’s my way of joining the conversation – email me at marketingedge@providentpartners.net with Conversation in the subject line. We’ll have a drawing for the winner on December 19.

Giving Back

Every comment and email we get Provident Partners donates a food item to a St. Paul food shelter. Last month 24 items were donated. Thanks for sharing.

The panel from BlogWorld on “Tracking Reputation in the Blogsphere” provided excellent insight into how corporate skeptics can make sense of new-media junkies’ hype about online conversations. More importantly, determining in a methodical analysis whether those conversations are something for corporate execs to be concerned about or join.

The ability to listen to the conversations taking place online is of the greatest value to companies. The reason is that they don’t need to be told about losing control of their brand, which can drive brand managers and CEOs insane. They don’t need to come up with frequent content that makes people happy or to write responses to blog posts, which can drive marketers to drink (more than they currently do).

No, the ability to listen to the conversation plays to the corporate desire and history for research. The corporate structure appreciates research of markets, research of competitors, and research of potentially new product demands.

It is also a way to validate whether there are conversations going on that company leaders should care about. An example would be if a brand manager, VP of a line of business, or product development manager was handed a report that said, “In the month of April, there were 25,000 mentions of your product on 250 blogs and user review sections. Twenty-five percent of those mentions were negative, 50 percent positive and 25 percent neutral.”

Take that the to the next level of detail by highlighting the context of those conversations.

One of the presenters on the panel was Howard Kaushansky, president of Umbria, who highlighted how conversations can be ascertained though sophisticated language processing and searching of blogs and other social networks, such as MySpace and, soon, Facebook.

Excellent presentation, as you can see the level of detail available with some of these tools. Companies need to understand the wealth of information that will increase enormously during the next 2 years and can be analyzed, if corporate executives looks at the blogsphere as a research resource and not just a play thing for MySpacers.

This interview with Howard, called “Listen to Conversations,” has a case in point about how consumers purchasing a pair of jeans labeled themselves. For example, Gen Xers have moved into the “fit” category as opposed those who label themselves as caring about the labels they wear. Another example in this conversation with Howard is how you can pick out mentions within the body of a blog. So, for example, if a blog about parenting mentions that the mom or dad had a great pumpkin latte at Starbucks, Umbria brings that mention to light and gives it some context.

Click on the Utterz player at the right or click here to listen to that interview.

What is your take on whether companies can gain value from just listening to the conversations, especially if they are skeptical of participating?