If The Grammys Were an Online Popularity Contest
Last night marked the greatest night in music, The 2013 Grammy Awards. In recent years the Grammys have moved away from the traditional award show format of “let’s sit here and talk about how great the music is,” to “HERE, let’s SHOW you how amazing the people releasing music are;” more like the best concert you will ever attend – period.
In the age of social media and online communities, some of the other music award shows have changed their voting processes to include digital downloads and online popularity but The Grammy Awards remain a process where eventual winners are nominated and eventually determined by members of the Recording Academy, the music industry equivalent of SAG. Semantics aside, Activ8Social has created the winners list for the big awards of the night based on online presence and popularity.
Image via Msn
Best New Artist
- Actual Winner: fun.
- Social Media Winner: Frank Ocean
Song Of The Year:
- Actual Winner: “We Are Young” – fun.
- Social Media Winner: “Gangnam Style”
Record Of The Year:
- Actual Winner: “Somebody That I Used To Know” – Goyte
- Social Media Winner: On YouTube plays, Gotye; followers, TSwift
Album Of The Year:
- Actual Winner: “Babel” – Mumford & Sons
- Social Media Winner: Again, online following got this one ‘right’ too!
Fumble Friday: City Of Vaughan Tweets Snow Day Profanity
Once again, we’re all able to witness the fumbles of twitter management (as-they-happen)! Unfortunately for The City Of Vaughan, today they’ve become yet another cautionary tale. This morning, we were directed to a tweet from the City of Vaughan by one of our favourite ‘tweeple’, Elissa Freeman.
It looks as though the person managing The City Of Vaughan’s twitter account wasn’t so happy about a certain individual’s parking skills (Image via @_melissaashley).
Sadly, it doesn’t end there – it looks like the community manager showed signs of going rogue earlier last night:
The reaction on twitter seemed a bit mixed:
The @City_of_Vaughan Twitter just tells it like it is. Don't like it? Move to Markham where they have a safe twitter feed.
— Jon Sinden (@JonSinden) February 8, 2013
So the @City_of_Vaughan response is to delete all tweets and followers/followees #sigh… #smfail
— Stéphanie Montreuil (@Steph_Montreuil) February 8, 2013
City Of Vaughan, @city_of_vaughan is now trending in Canada http://t.co/lVOMreiu
— Trendsmap Canada (@TrendsmapCanada) February 8, 2013
The worst part of it all is that the city decided to delete their twitter account full stop. We hope that they decide to come back to social, address the situation – and admit to mistake. After all, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened.
Reality is, goof-ups and fumbles are inevitable in this space – and we all know that. Here’s hoping the person responsible for this doesn’t get terminated, because they’ve most certainly learned their lesson. City Of Vaughan, if you’re listening: get back on twitter and acknowledge your mistake, you’ll be surprised how forgiving we all are. Silence is never a good thing, come back to the conversation!
UPDATE
The City of Vaughan has re-activated their twitter to say the following:
The City of Vaughan apologizes for the inappropriate tweet that came earlier today from its corporate Twitter account.
— City of Vaughan (@City_of_Vaughan) February 8, 2013
The City will temporarily suspended the account & look into the cause of this tweet, including the possibility of the account being hacked.
— City of Vaughan (@City_of_Vaughan) February 8, 2013
The City has determined the inappropriate tweet from our account earlier today was from an unauthorized user.
— City of Vaughan (@City_of_Vaughan) February 8, 2013
We are implementing procedures to prevent such an event from occurring again in the future.
— City of Vaughan (@City_of_Vaughan) February 8, 2013
We have to say, this response is good – but should’ve happened soon after the incident, instead of 6 hours later. Reality is, all the news coverage that has generated today could have reflected a more professional conduct if the city was on their game. Ah well, lesson learned – the Internet will move on to something new tomorrow!
The Most Amazing Resume We’ve Ever Seen: Phil Dub Edition
We love the Internet, if only for finds like today’s. A creative guy by the name of Phil Dubost created this AMAZING mock-Amazon.com resume, and published it online. It’s cheeky, it’s fun, and it has a lot of the content employers are looking for in a comfortable and recognizable format. Check out some screen shots below:
This guy has literally thought of everything from highlighting references to outlining skill sets. We do have to wonder why he gave himself 37 one-star ratings, but perhaps that’s just some angry exes?
What do you think of Phil’s resume? Would you hire him?
Behind Neuromarketing: Why Your Mind Is Already Made Up
A couple of weeks ago we stumbled across an article on neuromarketing, and found it absolutely fascinating. After doing a bit of research on the topic, we thought we’d share some learnings:
Simply put, Neuromarketing uses neuroscience to understand the ‘secrets’ of the human brain so that marketers can tap into the minds of the consumers to better market their products to them. In fact, 95% of a person’s thoughts, emotions and learning occur before we are aware they are happening. (Source: Neuroscience Marketing, Fast Company)
So the truth is, before that celebrity even opens their mouth to tell you why their weight loss program is working for them, or how their new shampoo is, chances are your brain has already formed opinions on the celebrity, the brand and the products. The real question is, how do you combat something that is seemingly out of your control?
A study conducted by Neurolabs at Neurofocus offers the following insights:
- People prefer images with rounded edges to those with sharp edges.
- People don’t seem to like human images without a head so PLEASE find those mannequin heads and reattach them!
- Men are more apt to listen to the features a product offers, women want a deal (they are more sensitive to price changes)
People may seem like they’re into something but their brain tells a different story. They often don’t emotionally connect with ads even if they find them funny at the time; meaning the ad won’t be remembered after a short amount of time.
Fast Company recently published an article with their tips for better neuromarketing:
- Speak more to how a product will better a consumer’s life, then just why it is a good product
- K.I.S.S. Method – the tried and true method of ‘keeping it simple’ applies here. Short meaningful statements are better than pages of copy any day
- Visualize – people subconsciously connect with pictures and other visually appealing aspects of products/marketing before they read the words to go along with them. Make those visuals as appealing as possible.
- Start Strong, Finish Strong – Our brains pays the most attention to what happens at the beginning and at the end of a pitch, make those your strong points.
- Play on Emotions – tap into how consumers feel, that way any connections created will be more meaningful and deep as opposed to just a surface conversation.
So there you have it, some tips and tricks to make the most of neuromarketing for your business!
PR Lessons: The Applebee’s Receipt Edition
We’ve been closely monitoring the entire Applebee’s dilemma that developed late last week. If you’re not familliar with the situation, here’s the deets (image and description via PRDaily):
Last Friday, the pastor of St. Louis-based church Truth in the World Deliverance Ministries took her congregation to an Applebee’s after an evening service. The receipt for the meal added an 18 percent gratuity, which is restaurant policy for parties of eight or more.
However, Pastor Alois Bell crossed out the 18 percent and left the server a note that said: “I give God 10% why do you get 18.”
An employee at the Applebee’s took a picture of the receipt and this week posted it to Reddit, where it went viral. The employee was swiftly fired from Applebee’s.
Applebee’s released a public statement that you can read here. The gist of it is:
“Our franchisees are committed to acting in the best interests of guests and team members. This is a regrettable situation and we wish it had never happened. However, the disregard for an important policy left the franchisee no choice but to take the action they did.” - Applebee’s President Mike Archer
Today, Pr 2.0 Chat had a full discussion on the issue via. Twitter. We thought we’d share some of the notable tweets from the conversation:
Q1: Do you think Applebee's did the right thing by firing the waitress? What role does Legal play in a situation like this? #pr20chat
— PR 2.0 Chat (@pr20chat) February 5, 2013
A1 For those who feel firing was wrong – how would your employer react if you posted something neg about a client on Reddit #pr20chat?
— Rachel Kay (@rachelakay) February 5, 2013
Is the backlash of firing the person more expensive than the liability issue stemming from lawsuits? #pr20chat. Does this drive the bus?
— Dan Farkas (@danfarkas) February 5, 2013
Q2: How about working with Legal on a case like this? As communicators, how should we handle that? #pr20chat
— PR 2.0 Chat (@pr20chat) February 5, 2013
Legal must become your best friend and you theirs to be successful in PR. Collaborate on the SoMe policy #pr20chat A2
— Lois Martin (@LoisMarketing) February 5, 2013
@jspepper @prtini Great pt. Biggest lesson from a situation like this can be how to work together better internally. #pr20chat
— Justin Goldsborough (@JGoldsborough) February 5, 2013
Q4: If you work at Applebee's right now, what are your suggesting they do to at this point? Next time? #pr20chat
— PR 2.0 Chat (@pr20chat) February 5, 2013
@pr20chat Applebees, and all companies, must accept social media can give a small individual (even if not #GenY) great power. #pr20chat
— Tim (@echoboombomb) February 5, 2013
What are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think it should’ve been handled differently? Discuss!
Check, Please! Why A Restaurant Needs PR
The tables are set, the servers are trained, and the food is to die for: but what good is all that, if no one knows about the restaurant? In a competitive landscape like Toronto, where new hotspots seem to pop up each week – there’s one thing that can make the difference between a full house and an empty one. The answer? PR.
Any restaurant professional knows that empty seats are like idle dollars waiting to be made – and it’s important to operate as efficiently as possible. PR can make those empty seats full in a matter of ‘media hits’ by effectively positioning the restaurant into public view.
How, you ask?
There’s several tactics to making sure the restaurant in question gets favourably placed in the media. Any PR pro worth their salt will work with the GM, the executive chef, and perhaps the concierge to ensure they get a full grasp of the restaurant’s offerings.
PR pros have even been known to conduct ‘secret shopper’ visits to see exactly what the ‘secret sauce’ (media angle) of the restaurant really is – and build on it.
From showcasing the establishment’s chef on a popular breakfast show, to facilitating special promotional events, to getting a respected reviewer into your restaurant – a PR pro’s skills can make the desirable happen!
What else, you ask?
Well, coverage is great – but it’s important to get the right coverage. PR pros can sift through their extensive contact lists and cater pitches to target the right people and the right outlets for your delicious restaurants to start making delicious profits.
That’s not all though, social media should also be high on your PR person’s list as a fantastic way to generate some organic buzz around the restaurant. Skilled pros will have tactics to create content for the standard Twitter & Facebook, along with Instagram, Pinterest, and even Tumblr!
Remember: innovation is of the utmost importance. If you work with an agency that has a focus on doing things ‘differently’ – you’ll most definitely see the results you desire.
We know the restaurant industry is insanely competitive, and guess what? So are we.
Film Friday: The ‘Big Game’ 2013 Television Ads
Because the ‘Big Game’ (we feared using the ‘real name’ for liability reasons) will most likely dominate much of the conversation over the coming weekend, we wanted to provide you with some of the ads (airing this coming Sunday) that stood out to us. Have a look and enjoy the sassy (sometime blatant) advertising that’s costing corporations MILLIONS to air:
Samsung:
Volkswagen:
Mercedes-Benz:
Coca-Cola
Go Daddy:
North American Brands Take Twitter’s Vine App By Storm
This post originally appears on Views from 590, and is written by EDPR founder, Cory Stewart
A few times a year, the Internet is taken by storm with news of a new and flashy mobile app – promising to change the life of it’s users (presumably) for the better. This is the case with Twitter’s new Vine app, which allows it’s users to record 6 seconds of video and publish it for their social followers to consume.
Brands and users have adapted to the app virally, if only to secure their all important ‘handle name’. Afterall, no one wants to be stuck with a handle like ‘JohnDoe56237126′, do they?
Because there’s been some really fantastic creativity from North American brands, we thought we’d do a little digest for you of some notable posts.
Dove uses the popular ‘stop-start’ functionality to play a quick bowling game with some of their top products.
Trident employs it’s consumers to ‘chew like you chew’.
General Electric shows off their bright idea.
Gap outlines details on their 1969 denim.
Urban Outfitters challenges Comedy Central to a bear off. Tempting, no?
Wheat Thins spells out their campaign in product.
It’s clear Vine is the beginning of something, and they’re certainly boding well in terms of user acquisition. Only time will tell if this app is the next big thing (Instagram, anyone?), or just another fad like DrawSomething – remember that?!
50 Things Technology Has Killed, (INFO)Graphically
Thanks to technological advances, the way we carry out some of the simplest tasks has been changed. Sometimes more than once in our life times. Recently the people at Mozy put together an INFOGRAPHIC of the things that are (nearly) ancient history thanks to innovation. Here’s a few that brought out some emotions for us.
- Telephone Information Services: whether it’s calling 411 or the movie theatre, the Internet has made it pretty unnecessary to call anyone on the phone for information. A simple Google search could unearth your info in seconds.
- Payphones: Sorry Adam Levine, that payphone is no longer in service thanks to this little invention called the cellular phone; perhaps someone can buy you one?
- Old School Mediums: Be it VHS tapes recording TV, a Walkman, a dictionary or the Yellow Pages, it seems that no one is using these portable, yet bulky items anymore. When was the last time you saw someone carting around Encyclopaedia Britannica anyway? Surprisingly, vinyl records are as popular as ever.
Check out all these and more in the INFOGRAPHIC below:
Client News: Toys”R”Us Canada Returns As Diamond Sponsor for 18th Annual Starlight Gala
TORONTO, ON (January 29, 2013) – Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada is pleased to announce Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us Canada are returning as Diamond Sponsors for their 18th annual Fundraising Gala on April 6, 2013 at The Fairmont Royal York.
Since 1998, Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us have supported Starlight through annual in-store sales of Starlight Stars and the annual Starlight Gala. “We are pleased and proud to be the lead sponsor for Starlight Children’s Gala” said Kevin Macnab, President, Toys”R”Us Canada “Children have always been the focus of our charity work and we are thrilled to have donated over $10.2 million to Starlight to date. We look forward to partnering with Starlight and other Starlight Gala sponsors to help even more children and their families in 2013.”
Christopher Barry, President of Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada said, “Our community outreach and in-hospital programs have been greatly enhanced with the help of Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us Canada. We are pleased to have the generous support of such a fantastic organization, and look forward to a successful fundraising event.”
Starlight is also welcoming several other sponsors to support their gala such as sparkAV, Cineplex, The Brettler/Mintz Foundation, DST Output Canada Inc., and media sponsor Metroland Media Group.
The Starlight gala remains one of the foundation’s largest sources for fundraising, with $300,000 in donations collected at last year’s event. Tickets to this year’s event can be purchased online by visiting http://www.starlightmatters.com/gala.
About The Starlight Children’s Foundation of Canada:
Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada is a charitable organization that brings smiles, laughter and joy back into the lives of children with serious illness or life-altering injury through in- hospital distractive entertainment and out-of-hospital fun family events.
Website: http://www.starlightmatters.com
Twitter: @StarlightCanada
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StarlightCanada
About Toys“R”Us, Canada:
Toys“R”Us (Canada) Ltd., is part of Toys“R”Us, Inc., the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer. Toys“R”Us, Canada operates 74 stores across the country. For store locations and convenient online shopping visit www.toysrus.ca or http://www.babiesrus.ca
About Metroland Media:
With more than 100 trusted community and daily newspapers both in print and online, as well as innovative websites including flyerland.ca, save.ca and gottarent.com; Metroland Media is dedicated to delivering relevant and quality communication vehicles that reflect the local voice and connect its readers to their community.
For media or interview requests, please contact:
Cory Stewart
Embrace Disruption PR
647.638.1586
cory@embracedisruption.com
