There are a LOT of companies that have created Facebook pages. Most of them just haphazardly throw themselves up on a page with their brand splashed all over everything and then once the page is complete, they simply let it hang out in cyberspace all on its own with little to no interaction with other Facebookers. And then they wonder why they don't have any friends or fans.
Umm, isn't Facebook a SOCIAL platform? I don't know about you, but I don't really enjoy one-sided relationships in real-life, so why is it any different online? Bottom line, these companies are commiting a Facebook FAIL.*
It's all about engagement. The best social media brands know that and they focus their efforts on the tactics that will provide authentic, exciting, even remarkable engagement. Anne Brannon, over at Ignite Social Media, wrote a great blog post about four major brands that are using Facebook extremely well: Mountain Dew, RedBull, Southwest Airlines, and Dunkin Donuts.
If your company wants to build a loyal tribe of customers, there are ways to make it happen through social networking. The challenge is in choosing the right methods and executing them properly. And hey, we'd love to help you create that Facebook WIN for your brand.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Life on the Tube
I’ve been in the advertising industry for over 35 years (although I look like I’m only 48). For 34 of those years I’ve been dealing with the media as either a media buyer, seller or media director. And I have to tell you… during that time things have really changed.
I remember when most markets only had three TV stations (ABC, NBC CBS). Back then a good prime time TV show did a 24 household rating. Then “Laverne and Shirley” and “Happy Days” arrived on the scene. And all of us in the industry were WOWed by household ratings averaging 35. Back in those days no network TV show was kept on the air if it wasn’t doing at least a 20 rating.
Then someone had a great idea… why couldn’t there be “independent” stations. These stations stripped out old mostly black and white shows that they could get cheaply. Most of these stations got excited if one of their shows did a 1 or 2 rating in early fringe. Then they realized they needed to bump up to TV shows in color. Wow, “Sanford and Son”, “All in the Family” and “MASH” worked the ratings up to a whopping 3. This is where things stayed for years. Eventually these independent stations got together to form their own networks in order to be able to afford better shows.
Now let’s fast forward to the current numbers. Today, 76% of households can receive hundreds of channels if they are willing to shell out the cash. Although none of these channels pulls a great rating, added together they eat up a huge amount of ratings. Now a major network is happy if one of their shows can do a 7 or better rating. And often you see major networks keep a 4-rated show on the air. Because that’s all the show can pull, and the network has already paid for 13 episodes.
What's has happened to those old independent stations that formed their own networks? Well, many of their shows still do 2s or 3s. But some, like “House”, “American Idol”, and “24” have amazed the industry, outpacing the original networks with ratings of 12 or more.
So what does this all mean? Well, if you’re thinking of purchasing television time to run your ads, you really need to think about having an expert (let’s say…maybe someone with 35 years of experience… hint hint) help you. Someone who subscribes to Nielsen data, and has the software that can help maximize your reach and frequency while minimizing your expenditure.
Don’t be led on by media buyers that can’t back up their numbers with reasoning and strategy, or your media spend might just be a shot in the dark. Trust your advertising to more than just a lucky dartboard.
I remember when most markets only had three TV stations (ABC, NBC CBS). Back then a good prime time TV show did a 24 household rating. Then “Laverne and Shirley” and “Happy Days” arrived on the scene. And all of us in the industry were WOWed by household ratings averaging 35. Back in those days no network TV show was kept on the air if it wasn’t doing at least a 20 rating.
Then someone had a great idea… why couldn’t there be “independent” stations. These stations stripped out old mostly black and white shows that they could get cheaply. Most of these stations got excited if one of their shows did a 1 or 2 rating in early fringe. Then they realized they needed to bump up to TV shows in color. Wow, “Sanford and Son”, “All in the Family” and “MASH” worked the ratings up to a whopping 3. This is where things stayed for years. Eventually these independent stations got together to form their own networks in order to be able to afford better shows.
Now let’s fast forward to the current numbers. Today, 76% of households can receive hundreds of channels if they are willing to shell out the cash. Although none of these channels pulls a great rating, added together they eat up a huge amount of ratings. Now a major network is happy if one of their shows can do a 7 or better rating. And often you see major networks keep a 4-rated show on the air. Because that’s all the show can pull, and the network has already paid for 13 episodes.
What's has happened to those old independent stations that formed their own networks? Well, many of their shows still do 2s or 3s. But some, like “House”, “American Idol”, and “24” have amazed the industry, outpacing the original networks with ratings of 12 or more.
So what does this all mean? Well, if you’re thinking of purchasing television time to run your ads, you really need to think about having an expert (let’s say…maybe someone with 35 years of experience… hint hint) help you. Someone who subscribes to Nielsen data, and has the software that can help maximize your reach and frequency while minimizing your expenditure.
Don’t be led on by media buyers that can’t back up their numbers with reasoning and strategy, or your media spend might just be a shot in the dark. Trust your advertising to more than just a lucky dartboard.
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