News
Contest vs. Free Labour
Apr 19th
What is the line between “Fan-Based Contest” and just getting your fans to do work for you?
I’m all for viral marketing, letting fans have a piece of the “invention” pie and so on. When I read the title of this article, I thought it was a cool idea and was interested to see how it was done and how its panning out. While popularity for the contest seems to be working, the promo work done for the contest by the fans is less than stellar to say the least.
Its seems Mountain Dew didn’t even allow the fans to help create the flavours. It started with 7 sample flavours. Narrowed down to 3 from there. Fans were then divided into “Nations” that were given the task to do everything to promote thse flavours including working with Mountain Dew’s existing agencies to create online promos. They were also tasked to go on a cross-country road trip to promote their given flavour. I wonder if these people were paid for their time and if, creatively, these are the ads that Mountain Dew would have wanted had this been done as an internal campaign rather than a “contest”.
Bears the ugly head of Spec Work…
Check it out: Mountain Dew Releases 3 Fan-Created Flavors
Facebook Becoming a Virtual E-Mall
Apr 19th
Facebook to become the next Ebay??
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Now anyone can have a store on Facebook. But that’s not really the news. A new functionality that allows storefronts to offer special pricing to users who become fans of the page or “Like” the page will add a whole new online incentive to having a Facebook storefront. Is this a premature step for Facebook? Will legalities start to come full-force on them? It took Ebay years to perfect their method, but still, there are sites like Craig’s List and Kijiji that leave the responsibility to those using it. Some have already started using this offering from Facebook. Seeing how well things like Virtual Gifting and using real funds with some Facebook games, perhaps they are right on track with where they need to be!
Check it out: Facebook E-Commerce App Payvment Allows Retailers To Use Coupons To Attract Fans
The Last Advertising Agency on Earth
Mar 22nd
- A look into the future by Saatchi & Saatchi
A very humorous (true?) look into the future of advertising coming from one of the big wigs in advertising themselves. It seems like it should be funny, but its a little sad and true all at the same time…
Check it out: The Last Advertising Agency on Earth
Do Facebook Moderators Need PR Lessons?
Mar 19th
Nestle has become a target of the moment — but does it make us wonder now if Facebook Moderators need PR lessons???
It just makes me wonder if “Facebook Moderator” will soon become an actually trained position in a company rather than just seeing who has time to respond and keep an eye on the company’s Facebook Fan page? I’ve seen downhill incidents like this now with Nestle as well as Zip Car which both ended up needing damage control because of what someone at the given company posted or responded on the social networking site. While this was a defensive tactic that even the PR rep agreed with (upholding the brand standards and keeping the company out of a negative light), she did say that it was worded very poorly and in bad taste. Companies that decide to have a Facebook page should carefully select who moderates it and make sure that it would be the same person that they would happily present to a room full of millions of potential buyers, because essentially that’s what the individual is doing.
Check it out: Nestle to Facebook Fans: Consider Yourself Embraced
SunChips® New Bags are 100% Compostable!
Mar 2nd
Made from plants, SunChips® new bags are 100% compostable — and not over 100 years!
Check it out: SunChips®Healthier Planet