BRAND NOISE REDUCTION

You know…there is something that is bugging me about social media and all of the hoopla surrounding it. I am deeply entrenched in helping brands get into the social media fray with my agency The Big Fat Mouth, but I also believe they need to do it the right way. They cannot just jump in and make a ton of noise and believe they are “doing social media.” In fact, if there is one thing that I say brands are guilty of in social media, it is that they are creating more Brand Noise. Isn’t that a good thing? NO!

Noise is defined as “a nonharmonious or discordant group of sounds,” and when we talk about Brand Noise we are basically saying a nonharmonious or discordant group of sounds as it relates to a brand or product. Isn’t that counterproductive? Many brands think they can go out there and use social media to increase their profile when the truth is they are simply clouding their message. At The Big Fat Mouth, we counsel our client on Brand Noise Reduction through social media. Basically, what that means is we show brands how to use social media to deliver high quality brand messages as instead of creating Brand Noise.

Brand Noise Reduction is all about trying to deliver the highest quality messages that are on strategy, versus just being out there and just making noise. Think of it as the right message, in the right place, at the right time, using the right approach. Sounds simple doesn’t it? It is astounding how many brands can not seem to get this right. They might deliver the right message at the wrong time or in the wrong place. Imagine of you had just signed a deal with Tiger Woods (which would have been exciting for any brand a month ago) and went out and announced that in the past two weeks. You would be shooting yourself in the foot. Regardless of how long Tiger disappears for, he is still a a marketing juggernaut and will be one of the most marketable athletes of all time. Just not this month! Of course that is an extreme example but you can see how important it is to get all four of those things right.

1. Right Message
2. Right Time
3. Right Place
4. Right Approach

If, and only if, you can say that your communication in social media meets those 4 criteria, are you practicing Brand Noise Reduction. I believe that as consumers find more and more places to get information, only those brands that practice Brand Noise Reduction will benefit fully from the power of social media.

Look for our white paper on Brand Noise Reduction right after the New Year.

TIGER AND HIS PRIVACY

I have been following the Tiger Woods story closely now since it broke earlier this week and I have to say that I am surprised by his lack of response, but to some extent understand it. I have read hundreds of articles talking about how he should come out and make a statement or hold a press conference or something else. There have also been plenty of article talking about how he OWES it to the public to do so. I agree he should have said something sooner, but he owes it to the public? You mean to tell me that just because he is successful at his chosen profession that he has to give up his privacy? Just because he put his face/name/brand on a bunch of products that people snapped up and continue to buy and made him a billionaire... he has to give up his privacy? That is where I completely disagree.

Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and arguably one of the greatest athletes in the world. So what? Because his chosen profession happens to be on a world stage he is not entitled to privacy when he is not working? That is the most ridiculous argument I have ever heard. He has a work life and a private life and he is entitled to privacy in his private life if that is what he desires. Just because he is successful does not mean that he does not have all of the faults and weaknesses that any other human being has. He is entitled to make mistakes behind closed doors and we have absolutely no right to know about them. It is no different than if you or I make a mistake other than the fact that the paparazzi are not following me around or trying everything they can to get photos of my wife and kids. By the way this is not just about Tiger, but about celebrities in general.

When the kid who takes the tickets at the movie theater gets a DUI driving home from a party, nobody cares, but when a celebrity gets one it is big news. Same crime, same possible outcomes and same penalties, but different proportions. Now I understand if some primadonna storms off a movie set or off of a playing field...that's news. You know why? Because they are at work and their work is on a public stage. Imagine if some corporate executive stormed out of the office because they were unhappy with the way the CEO was treating them...oh wait... that happens all the time. We just don't read about it because the person is not a public figure. Public figures should be held accountable for the way they act when they are working. What goes on at home is none of your business.

Now I get the fact that we live in a world where there is a record of everything. In fact, I will go one step further and say that this next generation has no expectation of privacy the way we do. They put it all out there on social media for everyone to see. They want people to know what they do, who they are doing it with and where they are doing it. But for those who value their privacy and want to keep some things to themselves they can do so. Tiger deserves the same treatment. He didn't post "TTLY my wife is hitting me with a golf club" on his Facebook page. That clearly happened behind closed doors and that is where it should have stayed.

I guess you could say that I am old fashioned or maybe I don't get the whole celebrity thing, but I believe that Tiger and other celebrities deserve to have privacy in their lives when they are not on the public stage. If you don't like the way he is acting or what he is doing then here is an idea...stop buying his products. That is the best way to show your displeasure, not by dragging him over the coals in the media.

Hey that is just my opnion...I could be wrong.

Top 10 Social Media Excuses

1. I Am Not a Technology Person - Sorry…this is no longer a valid excuse. Social media is here and it is here to stay. It is a whole new communications medium that is growing exponentially. You don’t have to be a “techie” to use social media as it is not only simple, but there are tons of free training opportunities out there. Just talk to your kids!

2. Just sign up and think you are “on social media”- Social media is a two-way street. Just planting a flag in the social media world and thinking you are “on social media” is not nearly enough. It definitely requires some thinking and effort.

3. Doesn’t Require a Plan or Strategy- Just like any other marketing effort, social media needs to have a strategy and plan on how to execute against it. What does success look like? What are the metrics we want to use? How are we going to communicate on these different platforms? It all takes thinking and strategy to deliver results. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right!

4. I Do Not Have Time- If you want to maintain, increase and insulate your business, you better MAKE time. Social media is here to stay. It is changing the way people communicate and the speed at which messages are delivered. If you are not talking to your customers/audience, I can guarantee you that your competition will!

5. I Do Not Have Anything Interesting to Say- Everyone has something to add to the conversation. Unless you sit quietly all day at work and then go home and live in complete silence, you have something to say. What issues do your customers think about? What is interesting to you in the industry you are in? Social media is all about the rapid sharing of a wide variety of ideas. Find articles, share information and offer insights at the very least. On the other hand I also hear people say, “Why do I care what kind of food someone is eating?” The truth is some people don’t get social media. The key is to add value to the conversation. You can always look at a tweet as an opportunity to start a conversation about a topic you know the person cares about. “That is great that you love Ethiopian food, I do too, I know the best Ethiopian restaurant in the city, how does your calendar look next Wednesday for me to take you…”


6. It is about you, your products & company- This is probably the biggest myth and mistake in social media. It should not be all about you or your products all the time. The more you make it a commercial the less relevant you become. Think about always adding value. Get involved in the CONVERSATION, not a monologue.

7. You will not have control- Really? What makes you think you ever had control? People were always talking about your brand in different ways since you started. The conversation is happening with or without you, so you might as well get engaged.


8. I am just one person and cannot compete with big companies- Social media completely levels the playing field. There are hundreds, if not thousands of examples of small companies or efforts taking on massive proportion through social media. They engage and involve the audience and enjoy the momentum. There is nothing better than other people talking about your product/brand/ organization for you.

9. Why would I want to hear about bad things people are saying about me- This one amazes me. Like I said, they are talking about you whether you like it or not. Why not take this opportunity to turn detractors in to fans? They expect you to do nothing and ignore them, so when you engage they are surprised and delighted and often times become your most loyal fans.

10. This is a fad and doesn’t work- This is just downright silly. This medium is here to stay and it will continue to evolve and become more influential over time. Figure out how to use it to your advantage.

INSPIRATION IN ROUGH TIMES

A friend of mine recently wrote this letter to his employees in his monthly address. This is so well written and so timely that I felt I had to post it here for all to read. I do not want to spoil it by saying any more.


CEO Message – July


In difficult times our character is tested, whether personally or with regard to our business or our career. Some of us show the depth of our will to survive, to overcome – to persevere. One of the most moving examples of this – one that touched me in a personal way, was the recent passing of actress Farrah Fawcett – after a long and arduous fight with cancer.

I had the occasion to meet and spend a few hours with Farrah Fawcett in the late 1980’s in New York. We met at a famous designer shoe store – Susan Bennis-Warren Edwards – where they designed and sold interesting - and frankly, expensive - men’s and women’s shoes. It was the kind of place where you went and hung around – looking – sipping wine or champagne and feeling like you were pretty special to be able to pay usurious amounts of money for shoes.

In any event, Farrah was in the store one day when I went in to look around for boots. Men’s was on one side – Ladies on the other – separated by plush couches and chairs. As she was looking for shoes she turned around and noticed I was looking at her (who could blame me) and she smiled that famous smile – and said – ‘what do ya think of these’? - holding up a pair of impossibly high heeled sandals…

I was temporarily awestruck and unable to speak – but after a second or so – I told her what I thought – probably giving her more information than she wanted – but surprisingly she thought I was funny and said – ‘come on you’re gonna help me find some shoes.’ Of course, I said – ‘absolutely!’

We spent the next two hours drinking a couple of glasses of wine, watching her try on shoe after shoe – kidding around with the staff – and just having a tremendous amount of fun. She was so beautiful; she shined – and she was as nice as you could ever hope anyone to be. When she was finished looking and had bought about 8 pair (these shoes in 1988 where about $675 a pair), she thanked me for helping her and spending the afternoon – and gave me a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. What a day.

I decided that such luck deserved a pair of boots for myself – I picked out the ones I wanted and when I handed over my credit card the clerk said there was no charge – Farrah had told them that she would buy me which ever shoes I picked. And she did. I hated getting rid of those boots a few years later..

Everyone knows how sick Farrah Fawcett had become in the last few years, fighting metastatic cancer. The recent documentary of her fight made by her friend Alana Stewart was on television a few weeks ago, and I was so incredibly moved by the courage and strength that Farrah exhibited in the face of such tremendous obstacles.

Farrah’s message of fighting as hard as she could to survive, to cling on to life -was stellar; her unwillingness to not, according to her friends and Doctors, succumb to fear – was inspiring.

She lost her battle with cancer the other day, but she leaves a legacy in my mind much more important than her 30 years of fame and notoriety. She showed us all that no one, no matter how rich or beautiful or famous can escape the horror of cancer if it touches their lives – and she showed us that you don’t have to give up – you don’t have to give in – that life is worth fighting the good fight for– especially for the people and the things that you love.

In our own lives we’d all do well to follow her lead. Not only in relation to sickness – but in our business lives as well.

2009 is a year of obstacles – it’s a year where we need to resolve to fight to survive and overcome. We don’t quit. We don’t walk away. We face our enemy – we stare it down – we find a way. We improvise. We don’t live in fear – fear is our very worst enemy.

We fight for something - or we fight for nothing.

As you think about your own lives; what you care about, what you love, what you want to accomplish – think about how what we fight for in our lives helps define and give meaning to the life we lead.

Ask yourself, as Farrah challenged her audience in her final weeks……what are YOU fighting for?

RALEIGH FINALLY HITS THE BIG TIME

In case you have been hiding under a rock...which you might once you see this if you live n Raleigh, you undoubtedly have heard about the Sewer Monster living in Raleigh. It is living in the pipes under a nice shopping area called Cameron Village, I am not sure what it has done to sales for the shop owners, but it has certainly put the area on the map. Check out this video and don't do it before you eat. This and other related videos have been viewed more than 5 million times in the past week, so obviously Susan Boyle had better watch her back! You know what... I would like to see Fred's (the most subscribed to YouTube channel) reponse to this!

THIS IS BEING PREPARED - KUDOS TO NET JETS

This commercial ran right after Roger Federer won the Singles title yesterday at Wimbledon. Not that these things don't happen after the Super Bowl, but in tennis? Nice job NetJets!

HELLO. I AM JONATHAN RESSLER AND MY TITLE IS....

We set up an online title contest, encouraging anyone who was interested to submit title ideas and vote for a favorite. We harnessed the power of social media, using Twitter and Facebook to spread the word. We made a brief YouTube video and contacted bloggers. And for good measure, we threw in the promise of a $250 gift card to the participant who submitted the winning title.

The end result? Hundreds of submissions and thousands of votes — from the ridiculous to the sublime. Among them: “Smartest Guy in the Room,” “Director of Everything Nobody Else Wants to Do,” and “For Three Easy Payments of $19.99.” (Then there was my personal favorite: “I’m Jonathan Ressler, I’ll Be Your Server Today.”) In the end, “The Mouth That Roared” narrowly beat out the second-place entry, “Company Mascot.” It was so much fun, we might just make it an annual contest.

Jerry Shengulette submitted he winning title earning the $250 gift card. He plans to donate the money to Apex Sports Authority, a local volunteer organization that sponsors sports.

"The Mouth That Roared wasn't even my favorite suggestion," said Shengulette, who submitted numerous suggestions when he heard about the contest. "However, somebody out there in the ether started voting for it. Once that happened I mobilized my newly-made Facebook connections and my coworkers to my benefit."



Check out the video below to see me thinking about my titles and them the big reveal!