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I'm a PC, continued...

Posted by Jason Swartz on September 30, 2008 at 2:28 PM

If you read my last post you know I tried submitting a video to Microsoft's "I'm a PC" microsite, where I stated that I disliked (hated) PC's and that I was using the built-in webcam on my Mac to create my video. Before submitting, Microsoft had to remain in control by reviewing my video and make sure it fit their standards. However, I didn't break any of their rules. Here's the generic email they sent back to me:

"Thanks for your submission. We'd love to show it, but there's a legal issue holding us back. There could be someone else in the frame who is not identified, or it looks like someone is under age. You might be doing something illegal or close enough to illegal that we can't show it. Or maybe trademarked material is onscreen without permission. Most likely you should just re-submit a new file, being mindful of these issues. We'll check it quickly and if it's legal, we will show the world what kind of PC you are."

I love the last line. Did they even watch my video? If so, they'd know that the kind of PC I am is an invisible one. Furthermore, I didn't have anyone else in the frame, I quit hanging out with underage people a long time ago, I didn't do anything illegal or close to illegal and did not have any trademarked material on the screen. Yet, I was still denied.

OK, I did say I hated PC's as well as took a shot at them by saying I was creating my video using the built-in webcam on my Mac (which PC's don't typically offer). However, I reached out to them. I engaged in the conversation they created. Don't I deserve more than a generic email, which boldly asks me to use more of my free time to submit another video? If they were smart, they would have sent me a personal email that read something like this:

"Jason, thanks for your submission. We understand your frustration with PC's. The goal of our campaign is to show that we don't fit the stereotype our competitor makes us out to be. We'd like to give you a free trial of (insert product name here). Once you've used it, let us know what you think and how it compares with your Mac. Even if we don't convert you to a PC user, your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help us continue building the most effective products possible. Email us at this address and we'll get you all set up."

Don't you think a message like this is going to change my perspective a bit? Could it evoke some positive word-of-mouth from me, a Mac user, the next time I'm in a discussion with other consumers about PC's vs. Mac's?

I know, I know. They can't send everyone a free product trial. But in some cases they should - or at least provide something worth talking about. Their goal is to change their stodgy image, take customers away from their biggest competitor (Apple) and ultimately, convert people to PC users in order to increase their bottom line. Generic, impersonal auto-response emails and consumer-generated videos expressing love for your products is just a weak execution of a very cool social media idea that had a lot of potential.

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I'm a PC, and I'm Still a Nerd.

Posted by Jason Swartz on September 19, 2008 at 2:59 PM

Microsoft recently launched a new campaign, defending themselves against the "PC stereotype" created by those clever Apple commercials. As part of the campaign, they've created this microsite, which allows you to upload a picture or video of yourself and claim that, "you're a PC."

Hmmm.

I'll begin by saying I'm a Mac user, and that I'm really not trying to be biased in my social media observations of this campaign. That said, here are a few things I find interesting:

• They're starting a conversation and engaging PC users.
  
• They're providing a unique incentive for people to become involved - streaming user videos on two gigantic screens in Times Square. Very cool.

• Users get two options to inject themselves into the campaign; upload a photo or use a Web cam. In case PC's forgot, most of their products don't have Web cams. My Mac Book, however, has one built-in. This made it very easy for me to record my anti-PC video to their site. Which brings me to my next point...
  
• They're starting a conversation, but one that exclusively kisses their own technological rear-ends. User videos need to be approved before going live, which I understand. However, they also don't want people saying anything bad about PC's. Why not let everyone (excluding the potty-mouths) chime in? Letting PC and Mac users join the conversation would generate more buzz for the campaign, drive more traffic to their site and probably give Microsoft's marketing brains more fuel for future campaigns. Instead, they fall short, like many companies in social media, by trying to remain in control. We always tell clients that the conversation will go on with or without you, which I'm proving right now.
  
• Some statements make fun of PC's without trying. One lady claims, "I'm a PC, and I have a cold." She probably meant "virus."

The Funny:
They're trying to break away from the "PC-nerd" stereotype, yet half the videos I watched involve nerds - at least by general definition.

Case-in-Point:
One guy is a PC. He "loves to game."
Another guys is a PC. He "likes Batman."
My personal favorite..."I'm a PC. And that's the most exciting thing about me."

I'm anxious to see where they take this from here. Until then, "I'm a Mac, and, nice try PC's."

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Minneapolis I-35W bridge opens and brings us back and forward

Posted by Bob Brin on September 18, 2008 at 7:17 AM

The Interstate 35W bridge, in view from our windows here in Minneapolis, opened again this morning. Here's a webcam view. As someone who was on it ten minutes before it collapsed a little over a year ago, it's at once eerie and encouraging to see the sleek new structure open again. Best wishes and continued prayers for the families of those who didn't make it over the bridge that day. With the financial and physical world shuddering around us, we're hopeful the new span is symbolic of a solid future and our ability to rebuild, move on and still remember.

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Hubspot's Mike Volpe -- A guy who gets it and gives it...

Posted by Matt Kucharski on September 16, 2008 at 1:41 PM

Last week at the Worldcom Public Relations Group's regional meeting in Montreal (lovely city, by the way), had the pleasure of listening/seeing a presentation by Mike Volpe, VP/Marketing at HubSpot, on how public relations professionals need to embrace social media.

I know. Most of you stopped right there. We've all heard a bunch of these -- usually by people who are so enamored of what's possible that they fairly wet themselves. Very few of these tinklers, though, have an iota of understanding of the true nature of public relations, and as a result talk only in terms of how much noise they generated (views on YouTube, clicks on their Web site, etc.).

Volpe gets it -- and does so in a very practical manner. Not only does he talk about the role of social media in public relations in a cogent manner, but he also talks about the steps every PR professional should take to really harness social media in a way that's practical and meaningful. You can find a copy of his presentation at www.slideshare.com/hubspot

Oh, and by the way, if you're a small company and want to improve your social media presence, Hubspot's got some pretty interesting tools. May want to check them out.

Bravo, Mike.

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The Palin Bump

Posted by Matt Kucharski on September 16, 2008 at 12:57 PM

No, it's not a new dance (though can't you just see Thompson and Lieberman getting down with their bad selves?). Nor is it a reference to the surprise pregnancy of her daughter. It's actually the topic from a recent podcast by fellow PRSA Counselors Academy member Steve Cody on his RepMan blog. Cody's firm also is a fellow member of the Lumin Collaborative (and some time competitor), and he was nice enough to invite me to a fun little discussion on the "Sarah Palin Factor," and what impact the RNC had on St. Paul and Minneapolis. Here's the link if you want to give it a listen...

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Iconoculture shares eight consumer trends in '08

Posted by Bob Brin on September 10, 2008 at 7:33 AM

Heard a great presentation here at our shop last night on "8 Trends in '08" from Hans Eisenbeis. Hans is a cultural demographer for Iconoculture  a research company of "trend explainers." One trend that I dug: "Experts 2.0," is about consumers returning to trusting and depending on professionals and experts, which Hans related to the "old guys rule" phenomenon (and brand). The dichotomy, of course, is that we're all uncertain who to trust with this decade's corporate crimes and sub prime slime. But Experts 2.0 is about a backlash to "everybody's an expert" (read social media mania). Consumers want to eliminate noise and focus on a "sequestered group of experts, trusted friends and, even, brands." In fact, the consistent theme in all eight trends was trust or Web 2.0 as it was meant to be.

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Was that your leg? Whoops, Sorry!

Posted by Matt Kucharski on September 2, 2008 at 1:35 PM

Interesting article forwarded from Janet Stacey, the head of Padilla's Health Care practice, on how hospitals are embracing the idea of actually apologizing for their errors rather than hiding from them. It's an interesting example of how public relations professionals and lawyers sometimes take different approaches to protecting the client's reputation...and how the old ways of "saying absolutely nothing to anyone" may not work any more.

That said, apologizing before you know what you're apologizing for can get you into trouble too. The same rules still apply, no matter the crisis. Gather the facts, determine who was affected, identify your corrective action, and then communicate. Easy, right? Yeah, just ask Dick Cheney...

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