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Crisis Management Wins and Sins

Posted by Matt Kucharski on July 22, 2010 at 4:42 PM

Not since 9/11 have we seen this much interest among clients and prospects in crisis preparedness and management. As a direct result of BP (Exxon owes you a big thank-you, by the way), it only seems natural that boards and senior leadership teams are asking the "what if it were us" question.

While the BP situation is in many ways unprecedented, a lot of the "lessons learned" so far are really not new at all, but simply variations on the errors and best practices that should already be in place at progressive companies.

Here's a summary of what we've been using to help educate our clients on common errors and best practices:

Oh, and by the way, here's one I saw coming a mile away -- a bumper sticker on the back of a car that said "BP -- Beyond Pathetic"

Can't think of a more poignant example of a brand irrevocably damaged by a crisis...

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Cruising Toward Social Media Success with a Customer Advocacy Program

Posted by Michelle (Haschka) Wright on July 15, 2010 at 10:38 AM

I had the opportunity to sail on the inaugural cruise of the NCL Epic last week with a travel agent friend. (The ship's first sailing is reserved for travel agents and their guests, who all travel free). It's a smart influencer relations and awareness building strategy - wine and dine the people that are going to sell your stuff. Show them first-hand what a wonderful experience they'll be selling their customers.

Before we set sail, I overheard someone mention they were planning on meeting up with some Twitter friends. Ever the curious social media nerd, I logged in on my phone and discovered someone set up a hashtag for the ship and was organizing a Tweet-up on board. People were tweeting about the meeting, taking photos and making general observations and conversation about the ship.

The fact that people are making the effort to form communities in this way fascinates me, but it also got me thinking about what Norwegian Cruise Line could be doing to engage with these folks and tap into their excitement about the brand. They're basically being handed a plate full of social-media savvy influencers eager to talk about them in a positive light. It doesn't get much better than that!

How would we advise our clients to get started? We'd recommend they tune in via social media monitoring and identify the people talking about NCL. Then they could sponsor the planned tweet-up and create a social media ambassador club (with a cute name, of course ... The Social Skippers, Cruise Crew, NCL Socialites, etc) for attendees to join. While cruising, offer this group some exclusive perks that will encourage them to share information about the ship after they've landed. From there, elevate their experience and help them get social:

• Give club members a badge to add to their name tag so they can identify each other throughout the trip.
• Reserve special tables in the dining rooms/bars so the group has a place to congregate.
• Offer member giveaway drawings such as a Flip video camera or digital camera to record their trip.
• Provide behind-the-scenes access to cruise ship amenities (interviews and photo opps with ship entertainment and cruise staff, room tours, etc).
• Organize a photo scavenger hunt that requires people to explore the ship and take photos along the way.

After the cruise, NCL could create a LinkedIn, Facebook or customized community to keep connected with this group. Perhaps they offer this type of experience on every cruise (not just the ones for travel agents) and then all of these folks are invited to join the community to stay connected with the brand and receive exclusive discounts and information.

By incorporating social media into a pretty traditional influencer program NCL could take its game to a whole new level.

What else would you suggest they do?

Photo credit Ell Brown

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How LeBron James Twissed* His Fans... And How Businesses Can Do Better

Posted by Stephanie Woodstrom on July 14, 2010 at 6:26 AM

*An admittedly lame attempt at creating a Twitter term. In case it wasn't clear (which is likely), I was going for "Twitter Dissed."

I'm not much of an NBA fan, so I don't really care which jersey LeBron James will wear next season. But like so many others, I waited anxiously to see what would happen on July 8. Not on ESPN, however. On Twitter.

James created Twitter handle @kingjames just two days before his overhyped much-anticipated "Decision." Though I wasn't watching myself, I'm told that he gained some 300,000 followers in one day. With that sort of momentum, one would think James' PR team would jump on the opportunity to engage the fans who were eagerly looking to be engaged.

Yet on the night of the Decision, no tweets. Just a wasted opportunity.

LeBron James fans did what almost any company wishes their customers would do - they congregated in one place and tuned in to hear what he had to say. And he left them hanging.

And worse yet, he didn't deliver on a promise. Just a few hours before the "Decision," King James tweeted: "Good Morning! It's your chance to ask me a question about my decision, use #lebrondecision to submit and I'll answer them tonight."

Many tweets were posted using the designated hashtag, but King James' camp never responded. His next tweet didn't come until the next day when fans finally received the following: "What's up yall. Just landed in my new home. Thanks to all the fans and Miami organization who greeted me. The Road to History starts now!"

By then, old news.

When fans (or customers, as the case may be) meet you in a social media space, don't leave them hanging. Engage them. They appreciate the feeling that they are somehow part of your decisions and activities. And the interaction can lead to invaluable opportunities to hear what customer think, answer questions, fix problems, and change negative opinions.

Padilla's client, Rockwell Automation, is a great example of successfully executing a new Twitter handle. The company wanted to better reach manufacturers and trade media unable to attend its annual Automation Fair event in 2009 due to tightened travel budgets. Rockwell Automation created a Twitter handle for the event to increase the real-time coverage of the event. In the months before the event, the marketing and public relations team developed a detailed execution plan, and commissioned a team to see it through. By the end of the week-long event, the Twitter handle had 122 followers, and achieved nearly 1,000 click-throughs on posted links.

Some planning and execution tips that helped Rockwell Automation succeed include:

1. Starting early - Create your profile and begin building a following before the event, so that you have a following AT the event. Build interest by giving attendees a peek into what's going to happen at the event. Consider pre-event interviews with speakers. Also, be sure to communicate the event hashtag in the weeks prior, so that everyone knows to use it.

2. Planning a schedule - Many people find it hard enough to Tweet during a regular day at the office, let alone when they need to run across a trade show floor from appointment to appointment. Plan a schedule of what you'd like to Tweet and when. Rockwell Automation's list included things like "9:45 a.m. - Reminder about customer forum start time and location," "10 a.m. - Quotes from customer presentation," and "1 p.m. - Interesting new products showcased in partner booths."

3. Designating a team - Once you have a plan of everything you need to Tweet, you probably will realize there isn't one single person available on site who can schedule enough time to cover it all. Delegate to others as appropriate (but be transparent, i.e., don't pretend to be someone you're not). Rockwell Automation delegated the posting schedule to approved company Tweeters. These individuals were able to ensure all postings were made, as well as monitor Tweets from others that mentioned the company or event and work with approved spokespeople to respond.

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Be careful what you (don't) tweet

Posted by Antoine LaFromboise on July 12, 2010 at 8:52 AM

CNN fired a 20-year veteran of the network last week over a controversial tweet she posted, according to The New York Times.

Read the article for all the details, but the issue started with a tweet posted by the editor, Octavia Nasr:
Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah ... One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot.

Critics were quick to point out Ayatollah Fadlallah's writings and preachings inspired the Dawa Party of Iraq and a generation of militants, including the founders of Hezbollah.

CNN responded to the issuing saying the tweet did not meet CNN's editorial standards. Nasr said people were misinterpreting her tweet.

Her explanation:
"I used the words "respect" and "sad" because to me, as a Middle Eastern woman, Fadlallah took a contrarian and pioneering stand among Shia clerics on woman's rights. ... This does not mean I respected him for what else he did or said. Far from it."

Either way, there were real world consequences that may be a direct result out of Twitter's 140-character limit.

The lesson? Be sure your tweet tells the whole story. And if it can't, be sure the tweet includes a link to a page that unpacks what a 140-character tweet cannot.

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Be there or be foursquare - localized marketing

Posted by Sarah Pierce on July 9, 2010 at 6:52 AM

Last week, shortly after I "checked in" at a Minneapolis restaurant (while celebrating my brother's 21st birthday), I received a text from a friend who was at a restaurant just a few blocks away. Announcing my physical whereabouts via foursquare, Twitter and Facebook paid off - not only did I get to see a friend later in the evening, but the restaurant she texted from was running a special: a free drink for everyone who "checked-in" using foursquare. Works for me!

Thanks to GPS technology in our smart phones, location-based social networks have become increasingly popular. Websites such as foursquare, Gowalla, Google Latitude and others make it simple to post your location to the web and even earn rewards (besides badges).

In April, foursquare announced it will allow businesses to claim their venue by clicking here. Why? Much like Twitter's verified accounts, claiming a venue provides the owner with access to venue control features. Providing a business with data surrounding their customers, statistics about people who check in and the opportunity to create special offers, allows for customization to meet the needs of their customers.

So where's the marketing opportunity for businesses?

For services businesses, it's a no-brainer: they can engage with their customers no matter where they are and can target them without significant investments of time or media. If their customers aren't on yet, chances are they will be soon, with an estimated 100,000 new users every week on foursquare. And foursquare's promotional tactics, such as digital punch cards and specials for the "mayor", are paying off.

Customers are discovering that "checking-in" may be just as good for their social life as it is for their wallet.
As seen in my experience last week, I took advantage of one of foursquare's "first time check-in specials" when I moved the birthday party from our original location, to the restaurant serving up the special. While "checking-in" afforded me a free drink, I was inadvertently fulfilling a major goal behind this restaurant's motive to use location based marketing-- increasing traffic to their venue.

So, what's next?

Competition, if we're lucky. Other social media companies are rolling out their own versions. Google now shares foursquare tips and check-ins on Google maps, and social media giants Twitter and Facebook recently unveiled location-based features. How could you envision using foursquare in your marketing program to engage your business customers or consumers?

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