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This Week in Digital 4.13.12
04/16/2012
From a startup looking to make magazines social to Facebook’s billion-dollar acquisition of Instagram to events enhancing a brand’s online presence, this edition of This Week in Digital underscores the importance of integrating online and offline communication. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Netizine Turns Magazines Into Social Networks
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A startup is looking to take magazines social this summer, connecting readers, bloggers and journalists with their favorite magazine content on a single platform. Netizine, an HTML-5 based application for tablets, will operate outside of the Apple store and offer a personalized experience through profiles, live chats, groups, location check-ins, seamless Facebook and Twitter integration on magazine pages, and more. The app will use social metrics to influence an article’s visibility, allowing readers to view the “most shared” or “most commented” articles with the push of a button. Netizine is already speaking with seven of the top publishers worldwide, including three in the U.S. Social media continues to reshape journalism and the media, exemplified through Netizine, where visibilty, readership and influence are driven by its social network.
The Turning Point for Mobile Apps
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Facebook’s billion-dollar acquisition of photo app Instagram this week demonstrates the shift in Internet start-ups’ business models as they build services for mobile first and web second. As brands realize that consumers want to share content immediately wherever they are, mobile technology is becoming increasingly important to the larger brand strategy. Other recent app-first successes include Draw Something, which was recently acquired for $200 million, and Angry Birds. Brands can capitalize on this switch by imagining their brand messaging and online experiences with a mobile consumer in mind, and rethinking methods of communication to reach their audience on the go.
How Events Can Enhance Your Brand’s Online Presence
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Whether celebrating the launch of a product or providing a special brand experience, events can be a successful way to build brand awareness and exposure. How can that awareness transfer to a brand’s online presence? Photobooths, although not a new element in event production, can be optimized for social media, allowing attendees to post photos directly to their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Social scavenger hunts create an online world where users can engage in the game together, build buzz and receive virtual and physical prizes relating to the brand. Livestreaming allows a single event to reach and engage consumers globally. As brands include events as part of their PR or marketing strategy, consideration should be given to highly sharable elements that connect the offline and online world, as well as content or experiences that attendees would want to share with their friends and followers through social media platforms.
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This Week in Digital 4.6.12
04/06/2012
From a “Pinterest for men” to a platform that pays influencers to share video to the release of Instagram for Android, this edition of This Week in Digital underscores the importance of targeting consumers in the communities where they are interacting. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Instagram for Android App Downloaded More Than 1 Million Times in First 24 Hours
Instagram, the popular photography app, has finally been released on the Android platform. Within the first 24 hours, it was downloaded more than one million times, including 430,000 people who had signed up for the app before its release. Despite the iPhone’s seeming ubiquity, the Android mobile operating system has more than 50 percent market share, making it an important channel for brands to consider as they develop apps to communicate with consumers.
A New Platform Pays Influencers to Share Video
Most brands dream of one of their videos going viral and spreading their message organically. A new platform called Wingsplay helps connect brands with influencers to pay them by the views they generate to distribute the video. In its first two campaigns—with NBC and Oxygen—each paid view generated approximately 3.2 free views. Although a pay-for-play service, Wingsplay provides influencers an opportunity to become more invested in a campaign’s success, in addition to a relationship with the brand.
Pinterest for Men: Will Dart It Up Catch On?
A new interest-based social media platform, Dart It Up, launched this week and is being labeled by media as the “Pinterest for men.” For a look into the platform, check out the website which offers mottos such as “A guy’s night out but completely online” and “Share and save cool sh*t” (asterisk included). Instead of Pinterest’s boards that cover fashion and wedding ideas, Dart It Up boards offer challenges like “Things a Man Can’t Live Without.” Its launch offers up an interesting debate: should social media be segmented by gender, and do women and men need separate platforms to share ideas? Either way, as more digital opportunities are being created, it’s now more important than ever to assess brand demographics before including social media platforms in PR campaigns and initiatives.
This Week in Digital 3.16.12
03/19/2012
From lessons in crisis PR from Kony to studies highlighting what men and women want through social media, this edition of This Week in Digital shows the importance of optimizing a message for the audience. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Five Crisis PR Lessons from the ‘Kony 2012’ Initiative
Invisible Children’s ‘Kony 2012’ social media campaign focused on spreading the word about Joseph Kony, who is responsible for kidnapping children for his growing army in Uganda for the past 30 years. While successfully going viral on social media platforms, the campaign opened itself up for criticism regarding its core messaging and spending. As social media has empowered users to speak their minds on brands and initiatives, it also creates a platform for messaging to spiral out of control in a matter of seconds. The main lesson to take away from the Kony 2012 crisis challenge is to communicate through social media quickly and openly, addressing specific concerns and encouraging advocates to voice their support as soon as possible. Using social media effectively can help avoid unwanted crisis situations.
Shoppers Prefer Using Mobile Web Over Apps
Over the 2011 holiday season, 60% of smartphone-using shoppers made purchases through mobile websites instead of branded applications. The Nielsen study reports that men are slightly more likely to try retail apps, but overall, the preference for both men and women remains with mobile websites. It is important to note that shoppers who did use retail apps spent more time on them than those using the mobile web. While this research doesn’t necessarily suggest avoiding the implementation of retail apps, it is important to take users’ preferences into consideration to ensure an effective and successful mobile campaign.
What Men and Women Really Want (via Social Media)
What do men and women really want? Brands can listen through social media to find out. Social media monitoring brand NetBase compiled 27 billion online conversations, and separated their findings into top 10 lists for each gender. The number one ask by women in social media was for ice cream,
while men specifically discussed the look, smell, and sound system of cars. While the findings are entertaining, the study really exemplifies social media’s role not just as a way to communicate a brand’s message, but as a listening tool to better understand a brand’s consumers and what’s important to them.
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This Week In Digital 3.9.12
03/09/2012
From the new iPad, to Yahoo! Screen bringing us fresh new web video content, to viral videos, this edition of This Week in Digital underscores the importance of high-value visual content as a means of reaching a target audience. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Demonstrating the company’s ability to turn anything into a major media event, Apple announced the new iPad this week. Despite making only minor updates, such as a higher-resolution screen and allowing users to dictate e-mail, the company proved its ability to create unmistakable buzz both before and after the event. With the updates, the device is expected to continue to dominate the tablet market.
Video Portals Turn to Premium Content
In the past few months, Yahoo!, Hulu, YouTube and Netflix have all launched premium original videos—in part to differentiate themselves, but also to attract marketers. For example, Yahoo! Screen’s original programming now includes its first season of comedy series—Sketchy, a series which relies heavily on satire, and Funny or Die Presents: First Dates with Toby Harris, from Will Ferrell’s popular comedy web brand. Video is a crucial form of digital communication for brands to use to connect with consumers because of the richness of experience.
American Express Introduces Hashtag Deals
Traditionally, hashtags on Twitter have been utilized to track events, conversations around popular topics in the news, or even to make a joke, but a new campaign by American Express is encouraging users to tweet with hashtags like #amexfedex to get discounts applied on their American Express credit cards. Hashtag deals present another opportunity for brands to creatively engage target audiences and amplify the reach of consumer brand advocates.
Sharp Wit Helps Video Go Viral
This week’s latest viral video is a commercial for a new start-up called Dollar Shave Club. In its first three days, the video was viewed more than 500,000 times. Similar to the Old Spice viral video campaign of 2010, the video’s popularity comes from its simplicity and the direct, deadpan delivery from the main character, underscoring the importance of a brand communicating a simple message to its target audience.
Introducing This Week In Digital
03/06/2012
At DKC Connect, part of our job includes staying on top of digital trends on behalf of our clients. Each week, we’ll be using this space to share with you the highlights of what’s happening in the digital world. We hope you enjoy this round-up of digital news and how it relates to communications between brand and consumer.
Facebook Timeline for Brands to Debut on March 30th
It was announced that Facebook Timeline for brands is launching March 30th. The change is very exciting for brands as Facebook Timeline’s chronological platform enhances the art of engaging storytelling, complete with increased visuals and interaction options. As buzz about Facebook’s Timeline is growing on news sites, blogs and social media, important consideration should be given to each brand’s story before the Facebook changes go live. Are there historical milestones that can be portrayed or fascinating brand stories that can be told through images or multimedia? Most brands can say yes, and these milestones and significant events can now be featured with more prominence when the Timeline rolls out this spring.
MTV Europe Mobile Launches Social TV
MTV is launching “Social TV,” a mobile app that allows users to watch MTV’s content, share it with others, and watch it with friends who are also on the go. It is currently available in Europe with no set plans to launch in the U.S., but it is a great model to watch as brands increasingly rely on digital video content to distribute their messages and engage with audiences on the move. Whether a brand is looking to bolster its video presence online or reach new audiences, the mobile app for social TV is an exciting media development to watch this year and could potentially become a future component of communications campaigns.
Facebook announced a suite of new advertising products, including ads that can reach users in their newsfeed, on their mobile devices, and even when they are offline. Another new tool brands can purchase is the Reach Generator, which guarantees that brands can reach 75 percent of its fans trough advertising each month. Due to its highly targeted nature and ability to reach mass audiences quickly and effectively with key messages, online advertising is continuing to move from traditional advertising into the public relations realm as a tool for impactful communication.
It seems like everyone’s talking about Pinterest right now—but who’s really using it? Pinterest’s demographics are shifting every day, and now consist of more than 11 million users, 68% being women. Of these women, 28% have a household income of $100,000+, which makes them a key audience for brands to reach. It’s particularly appealing for retail brands, which have seen a 289% rise in referral traffic since July. Like any PR or marketing campaign, an understanding of the target audience and the most effective channels to reach them will result in telling the brand’s story seamlessly. For some brands, Pinterest may be a natural extension for heightened communication and brand awareness with consumers.
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Pinterest: Who’s This New Kid on the Block?
02/21/2012
Maybe you’ve heard of the hot new kid on the social block—Pinterest? The online equivalent of an old-school inspiration board, the two-year old site has caught on like wildfire recently. Users can “pin” photos from their favorite websites and blogs to “pinboards” that they can sort by category—such as home, recipes and crafts.
The visual nature of the site appeals predominantly to women, enabling them to pin photos of of home décor, fashion, art, and even wedding-related images in one place, and, as such, women account for 58% of the site’s traffic, according to Experian Hitwise.
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So why should you care? One reason is because users on Pinterest are sticky. They spend a lot of time there, and the amount of time they spend on the site is only growing. In the month of January, users spent an average 97.8 minutes on site, compared to July’s average of 37.8 minutes per user.
Why else should you care? The user base has doubled since November, according to ComScore. In January, more than 11 million unique visitors visited the site; the site had 4.9 unique visitors in November.
And retailers and brands have caught on. High-end retailer Bergdorf Goodman has its own boards on Pinterest to attract a following, and a recent Wall Street Journal piece says that online eyewear retailer Warby Parker’s traffic to its site from Pinterest has quadrupled over the past four months, while retail deal site Ideeli’s traffic from Pinterest has seen a 446 percent increase in traffic from Pinterest—and the sales from those visits have increased 500 percent, according to Entrepreneur.com
For the right brand, Pinterest can help extend the brand story and inspire a brand’s target audience by capturing the essence or lifestyle at the core of a brand’s identity – which in turn creates heightened brand awareness and engagement. Its staggering growth, ability to drive traffic and engagement, and keep users on site makes this a social media platform that’s hard to ignore.
By Theodora Blanchfield, Account Executive
Internet Week Offers Lesson for Advertisers… and Publicists
07/07/2011
During last month’s Internet Week, creative minds and prominent voices in the digital world descended upon New York, and with it, I had the opportunity to hear the perspectives of a number of individuals who are helping to shape the way we use the Web. One of those people was Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) President Randall Rothenberg, who, in his opening remarks during the two-day Innovation Days conference, made a point about the structure of creative teams at advertising agencies that seemed to be as applicable to the field of public relations as it was to digital advertising.
One of the slides he presented (pictured) emphasized how advertising agencies’ creative teams ought to now include technologists alongside writers and designers. It’s a regularly debated issue in that industry, but it’s an important point equally applicable to account teams in public relations.
Publicists focused on digital and traditional media need to coordinate their efforts – not work in silos – for similar reasons:
– The influence of mainstream media extends to Twitter: While a reporter might not decide to cover a client in the print or online edition of their publication, they may decide to tweet about it to their followers. A tweet by an influential journalist could just as easily ricochet around the Web and generate interest in a client.
– Blogs are a catalyst for conversations in mainstream media: Good reporters are always on the lookout for story ideas, and it’s important to know what they’re reading online. Often, these outlets are niche blogs published via Blogger, Tumblr, or Wordpress. And while they may have a smaller audience, they can also drive conversations among influencers in that particular space, and that might also include members of the media. A mention on such a site could lead to tweets by an influential journalist (see above) or depending on how quickly word catches on, coverage in a more widely-read (or viewed), general-interest outlet.
– Online video drives the news cycle: When the trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo surfaced online this spring, it drove conversations and buzz for the film (and questions about the source of the leak), which is not due out until December. Understanding how video might be used to generate attention for your client is an important part of PR, especially given the number of outlets that now seek to supplement their coverage with it.
While these are only a few examples, you can see in them how the skills of traditional PR blended with the opportunities presented by digital can benefit a client. And, with the pace of technological change only increasing, having your traditional and digital teams working hand-in-hand on a complementary strategy will help a client take advantage of the best means out there to generate attention for them.
Posted by: Matt Caldecutt, Account Supervisor
An Intern Perspective
08/26/2009
Just a few months ago, I thought a PR person was the stereotypical short-blonde-go-getter-party-thrower. It was easy to confuse publicist with public relations and assume any publicity was good publicity.
Despite those negative stereotypes, I decided to intern at a top PR firm this summer – DKC. And with the summer coming to an end, all prior misconceptions have been thrown out the window. I am finishing my internship at DKC and I am hungry for more.
One of the reasons I decided to intern at DKC was my curiosity and desire to learn and work at an innovative firm. My past internships have ranged from translating Hebrew Holocaust survivor testimony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage to editing and updating programming at the Center of Women and Enterprise. Though they range in industry and field, the internships were challenging and demanded my commitment and creativity. DKC is no different.
I have sat in on several new client meetings and pitch presentations, several brainstorming sessions, and helped with a press conference for the launch of Climate Week NYC headlined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
As technology continues to evolve, today’s media requires more attention. A key point that I’ve learned in my time here has been that firms can’t ignore bloggers, Twitterers, Facebook users, and rely solely on traditional media to market their products and services. PR is vital in navigating through the onslaught of communication outlets.
One of the tasks I have, as other interns can attest, is to compile media lists. For example, I searched through green bloggers and reporters to find appropriate contacts to pitch the USTA’s major green initiative at this year’s US Open. While the task is not as grand as attending the Open, I know I am a part of one of the most basic – yet important – details of a successful campaign. And I gained a better understanding of just how significant it is to connect clients to consumers.
In my mind, PR is no longer exemplified by a publicist trailing Lindsay Lohan’s escapades, but a powerhouse who networks, pitches stories, and navigates media coverage.
And while I may not be blonde, I have learned that PR holds a place for me.
Intern – Aviya Slutzky, Tufts University, Class of 2010