You may know actor Ed Norton from films like Rounders, Red Dragon and American History X. What you may not know is that Ed Norton is also one of many celebrities who’ve embraced the power of social media to create real, tangible change among real people, from America to Africa.
And it just so happens that one of Norton’s ventures is directly benefiting one of our clients, the Children’s Aid Society, all because one person decided to make a difference.
For example, one Crowdrise member is currently raising money for the Children’s Aid Society. Her goal is to raise $1000 and, at the time of this writing, she’s more than halfway there. And while the Children’s Aid Society certainly stands to benefit from any funds raised on their behalf, the knowledge and experience that the donors and organizers glean from taking part in the effort can’t be overstated, either.
In other words, if your supporters are using their own crowdfunding initiatives to raise awareness of all the wonderful things your organization does, aren’t those the kinds of supporters you want to empower?
And if helping your favorite charity raise money becomes an experience that helps you understand the true value of a cause, doesn’t everybody win?
Our client, Bigelow Tea, recently announced a new business partnership with Bruegger’s, the Vermont-based chain of bagel bakeries who’ve agreed to carry Bigelow’s line of organic teas. To help celebrate this nifty news, Bigelow asked Creative Concepts (that’s us) to film a video featuring Cindi Bigelow and Jim Greco, the CEO of Bruegger’s. We said sure.
In theory, we knew the focus of the video was supposed to be Bigelow’s organic teas, but as we’re well aware after having filmed dozens of videos for our clients, live video shoots are unpredictable and you never know what the real story might be, so we kept our options open.
As it turns out, the story behind this shoot turned out to be the remarkable similarities between Bigelow and Bruegger’s, both of whom pride themselves on seeing their employees and their customers not as numbers but as family. Whether it’s a friendly glimpse of Cindi Bigelow scrambling to make a bagel sandwich for a Bruegger’s customer or Jim Greco’s tale of how his mother first intoduced him to tea, it’s these wonderfully human moments that remind viewers and employees alike that the companies they work for (and buy from) are, ultimately, comprised of people.
And, as we’ve said before (and we’ll say again), people like doing business with people, not brands.
How is your brand reminding its customers and its employees that it is refreshingly, endearingly human?
For tips on humanizing your brand, follow us on Twitter or Facebook!
It’s Columbus Day here in the US, and that means some people are taking a moment to reflect on our country’s history. Whether or not Columbus truly “discovered” America is debatable, but one thing’s for sure: he must have been thrilled when he found it for the first time! Wouldn’t you be? A whole new world, filled with new opportunities… which other people outside his social circle just happened to have known about for years.
This got us thinking about celebrating a different discovery…
Last week, Arik Hanson cited the blog of our client, Bigelow Tea, as one of 4 examples of corporate blogs that set the bar high for branded communications. We were thrilled for Bigelow Tea’s blog to have been “discovered,” because we invest a lot of time and effort into helping Bigelow produce a blog that they — and we — can truly be proud of.
And even if others have known about the blog long before Arik did, that doesn’t change the way Arik must have felt when he discovered a great blog that was “new” to him.
The web is filled with new information every day, but it’s also filled with endless archives of content that might not be knew to its creators or its intended audience, but which feels new every time it’s discovered by someone else.
Are you creating content that people will be thrilled to discover?
If you need help with that, come find us on Twitter or Facebook!
You just spent weeks — maybe even months — crafting a social media campaign that’s guaranteed to amaze your customers, awe your competitors and endear your most loyal fans to you for life.
And then you blew it.
How?
Because you didn’t pay attention to the details.
The following three tips are so obvious, they should almost go without saying. Yet we see these same mistakes being made time and time again — sometimes, even by us. (Yes, we’re human too — which is why, like you, we sometimes need to remind ourselves of the basics.)
1. Proofread. Nothing hurts the impact of a message like a spelling, grammar or punctuation error. Whether it’s due to haste, laziness or simply lack of knowledge, these mistakes happen. The trick is to catch them before your audience does. Some of the blog posts we help craft for our client Bigelow Tea are reviewed by half a dozen people before they’re published, and the last person in line still catches the occasional gaffe.
2. Watch the clock. If you’re using an ancillary tool like HootSuite or CoTweet to schedule your messages in advance, you need to be aware of two extremely common hiccups:
Scheduling a tweet or status update to post at the time you’re writing it, rather than at the time you intend for it to publish.
Scheduling an update for AM instead of PM (or vice versa).
Because nothing hurts the ROI of your message like publishing it at 4 AM…
3. Recycle. You have a killer piece of content… but you only post it to one of your channels? Why waste it? For example, our client Ouidad may have great photos from New York Fashion Week, but if they were only posted to Facebook, they’d never be searchable on Flickr. Likewise, just because you’ve tweeted, blogged or otherwise discussed a topic once, that doesn’t mean everyone in your audience saw that individual message. Repeat the important stuff often, so your busy fans and customers can have multiple opportunities to connect with your big news.
Want more tips? You should follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Here at Creative Concepts, we’re often asked to help our clients create interesting videos on location — maybe at work, in a restaurant, during a photo shoot or on the street. And while these on-location videos can be tightly controlled or spontaneously energetic, the locations themselves always present the same batch of speed bumps, roadblocks and complications.
If you want to film a branded video on location, here are 7 tips we’ve learned — some of them the hard way — to help filming and post-production go as smoothly as possible.
1. Befriend and respect the location’s manager or owner.
If you’re filming in a business or office, track down the manager, owner or supervisor. Be friendly. Explain what you’re doing, and what your goals for the video are. Ask them if they know of any obvious stumbling blocks to avoid, any shortcuts, or any particularly photogenic angles. (After all, it’s their building.)
2. When you’re outside, roll with the punches.
If you’re outdoors, be mindful of the public, the nearby property owners and the police. What you’re filming probably looks interesting, and you may attract a crowd. If you’re not controlling the crowd with barriers and security, they may linger. This is good, because it increases the exposure for your shoot — but it also increases your opportunities for unwanted noise and distractions.
Does the location play music on a PA system? Is the heat or air conditioning on? Are the walls thin enough to let nearby conversations come through? Does the floor vibrate when cars or equipment move past?
If you can hear it in the room, you can hear it on the video. Make sure the audio that’s in your video is supposed to be there. And if you can’t turn the noise off, be prepared to work around it (and hope you can reduce it in post).
4. Shoot more than you think you’ll need.
Maybe your script only calls for 10 shots, and you’ve wrapped ahead of schedule. Be proactive. Get an extra introduction or conclusion. Ask the interview subject a few unscripted questions. Pitch some alternate ways that a product could be shown, or that a topic could be discussed.
It’s these unexpected additions to the script that may well turn a stiff, boring video into a human story with actual character.
5. Stay loose.
No matter how comfortable someone seems in person, putting them in front of a camera is like sending them into battle. People freeze when that red light comes on. They panic. They become acutely aware that the next words out of their mouths will be seen by numerous strangers, possibly for years to come, and that’s a lot of pressure.
Be personable. Help the subject loosen up. Make them laugh. Get them comfortable. Change the subject. Ask them a question. Change the lighting. Move them to a new room. Make a mistake, then fix it, so they see that mistakes can be corrected and recovered from.
Above all, do whatever it takes to ensure that the personality seen by the viewers is the same personality you saw on your subject’s face before the red light went on. (And if all else fails, film them when they think they’re not being filmed. It’s funny what some black tape over that red light can accomplish.)
6. B-roll will save your life.
Get ample footage of the location, inside and out. Get shots of every participant, even when they’re not looking. Shoot labels, packaging and displays. Shoot products, in all stages of assembly and execution.
If you’re filming a conversation between two people, get reaction shots from both of them. Get shots of the table. Get shots of the audience. Get shots of their hands.
There will always be at least one place in the final edit where you’ll wish you had just one relevant clip to cut away to, over an emergency edit you had to make. If you don’t have something to use, you can’t make that cut. Never, ever shoot yourself into a corner.
7. Always carry release forms.
You’re shooting on the street outside a business and you’ve only planned to get once scene with the company’s owner. Suddenly, her favorite customer, or a longtime vendor, or her family members arrive unannounced. What a wonderful opportunity to film a meaningful exchange with your client and the people who matter most to the success of her business!
Now, if only you had a release form that person could sign, so you could legally use their image…
For more business tips, connect with us on Twitter or Facebook!
The web is crowded and filled with distractions. A successful business finds ways to break through the clutter and deliver compelling messages to the people most likely to act upon them.
But how well can you articulate who your target audience is?
“Whole Foods is actually a psychographic, not a demographic,” said Paul Rossi, The Economist’s managing director and executive vice president for the Americas. “One of the things people say is, ‘You go after an affluent audience.’ But we don’t define our audience by their demographic. We define our audience based on what they think.”
That’s a bold move — and, at least for now, one that’s paying off on The Economist’s bottom line. But, to do this, a company must understand what its core audience thinks, wants and needs, and be able to deliver those solutions in a manner that resonates.
If you can do that… why stop there?
How Creative Concepts Helps Its Clients Expand Their Core Audience
When a client asks us to help them deliver a message, they often already know what they want to say and to whom they’d like to say it. What they initially expect us to do is help them find that audience online. And we do.
But we also help them tailor their original message to the tastes of multiple audiences, each of which combines to form different aspects of their extended customer base.
For example, Ecover is a multinational company that manufactures sustainable cleaning products. Their obvious core audience is “green” moms in search of healthier alternatives to chemical cleaners.
But the list of customers who are, could, or should be motivated by Ecover’s solutions is much broader, including:
Journalists
Scientists
Teachers
Fathers
Kids
Grandparents
Gardeners
Cleaning staffs
Corporate buyers
… and so on.
Likewise, tea might not seem like an obvious conversational topic for sports fans, traveling salesmen or history buffs, but our work with Bigelow Tea has helped expand brand awareness among these unlikely audiences.
And while Ouidad may be the “Queen of Curl,” the interested audience for her products extends far beyond the walls of her New York City salon. As we helped Ouidad track inbound web traffic and blog comments, we found passionate customers from around the world — many of whom speak Spanish or Portuguese. This prompted us to begin translating Ouidad’s content, in order to better serve her growing multilingual audience.
Understanding your core audience is a key to driving your business forward. But finding different ways to deliver one message to multiple audiences is one way Creative Concepts helps our clients expand beyond their core customers.
As we’ve mentioned, getting a brand to talk about something other than itself can be difficult. But creating lasting relationships involves finding a common ground — and no matter how wonderful your brand is, no one wants to talk about you 24/7. (Even you.)
So where’s the overlap between your goals (profit) and your customers’ goals (solving their problems)?
One Tip: Find a Common Enemy
Ecover (our client) creates ecological cleaning products. As such, they’re naturally passionate about the environment. They stress the need for sustainability in everything they do, from their product ingredients to their factories to their supply chain.
Ecover also knows that their core customers are informed and passionate (and, at times, frustrated) about environmental issues. And that’s one reason they’ve asked us at Creative Concepts to help them build their Ecover Facebook page and Ecover Twitter account as forums for broader ecological discussions that go beyond the limits of buying and selling.
Obviously, Ecover wants to sell their household cleaning products. That’s how they stay in business. But if they didn’t occasionally shift their focus to the big picture (i.e., the real world), they wouldn’t be true to their ethics as a company. And by giving their customers a platform to discuss the issues they feel strongly about, Ecover provides a secondary service to their audience: a community that’s actively engaged in improving the world we live in.
In Ecover’s case, finding a “common enemy” with their customers is easy: pollution, erosion, waste, ecological misinformation… the list goes on. Each of those issues makes it harder for Ecover to do its job (cleaning without further burdening the environment), and each of those issues also makes it harder for Ecover’s customers to live a happy, healthy life.
Thus, spreading the word about global ecological problems — and, ideally, sharing practical solutions — is in everyone’s best interests.
So… where do you and your customers have a common enemy? (Hint: It’s not your competition; it’s what you and your competition each exist to prevent.)
We may not have common enemies, but we can still be friends on Twitter or Facebook!
Most companies consider Facebook, Twitter and blogs to be the cornerstones of their social media strategy. If they invest in a fourth channel, it’s usually YouTube, because video is often a high-impact media asset.
While most of Flickr’s massive userbase are amateur or professional photographers, Flickr’s actual audience is as large as the web itself. This makes Flickr increasingly attractive to brands seeking to capitalize on its unexplored traffic-driving possibilities.
Surely your company has dozens of product shots, photo spreads, news articles, in-house designs and personal candids that tell your brand’s story. And those images might be interesting to long-time fans and potential customers alike.
As a family business (for 65 years and counting), Bigelow’s history is a family photo album, and they wanted to share their memories with their customers. But they also wanted to ensure that curious tea drinkers could easily find their way to the Bigelow website, so we at Creative Concepts embedded links to any relevant Bigelow products within the text descriptions of each photo. (Because if that photo of a vintage 1960s Constant Comment canister looks good now, why not order a box today?)
2. Promote your fans.
Ouidad (also a client) is known as “the queen of curl.” Her delighted customers often post photos of their amazing post-Ouidad hairstyles on Ouidad’s Facebook page. But why stop there?
With our help, Ouidad has begun cross-posting fan photos (along with product shots and “before-and-after” images) to Flickr. And, as with Bigelow, each Ouidad photo includes a text description with links inviting viewers to further explore the Ouidad product line or join Ouidad on Facebook. (Because if their hair looks this good, shouldn’t yours?)
3. Use Pictures to Solve a Problem.
The Redwood Rollers (not a client, but we still like their moxie) are a roller derby league in Humboldt County, California. While Flickr provides them with a home for their photos — over 2,000 uploads so far! — it also provides them with a means to overcome a possible business pitfall: audience perception.
The sport of roller derby is increasingly popular, but it still takes a few extra nudges to get a skeptical viewer to attend his first live event. What better way to convey the thrills of a fast-paced sport than with visuals? Being able to see the competitors’ personalities and camaraderie up close can provide potential fans with the emotional fuel they need to get involved and start cheering. (Plus, you can’t get this personal at the major leagues.)
So… still on the fence about Flickr?
Don’t just take our word for it — check out what these other worldwide brands are doing, from 7-11 to Urban Outfitters. And then think about all the ways your company can make use of those overlooked images.
And while you’re at it, check us out on Twitter or Facebook!
Social media is about people. Companies are about profit. Finding ways to bridge that gap can sometimes seem tricky.
But there’s one commonality that’s always worth discussing: charity.
Most companies have at least one charitable cause that they feel passionate about, usually for personal reasons. And whenever your company invests their time and effort in a cause other than direct profit, that’s a potential feel-good story that your employees and your customers can get behind.
Ouidad and her family have been personally affected by breast cancer. In response, Ouidad founded her own charity to help raise funds for cancer research.
Why do we mention our clients’ non-profit endeavors?
Because they’re the kinds of stories that remind customers how the products they purchase are, ultimately, created by human beings. These are the conversations that help the people on both sides of the storefront find a common ground, and remove the barriers that make us think of all businesses as impersonal moneymaking machines.
Ultimately, social media and business are about people.
Your company is people.
Don’t forget to remind your customers — and yourselves.
Want to connect with us more personally? Follow us on Twitter or Facebook!
If you’re just beginning to use social media, Twitter and Facebook may seem very similar.
And while it’s true that both services…
Are built around publicly shared “status updates”
Enable users to “follow” or “friend” each other
Can be simultaneously updated through third party services like HootSuite
… you’ll soon realize that the audience for each service has very different goals and expectations.
Broadly speaking, Twitter is good for…
Connecting with peers and industry professionals
“Water cooler” discussions of breaking news & pop culture
Real-time information-sharing, research, Q&As, etc.
Technology-focused and business-driven discussions
One-way broadcasts, with occasional commentary
… while Facebook is good for…
Connecting with people you already know “in real life”
Threaded discusssions (where all comments are collected)
Personal opinions
Photo albums
Videos
Twitter, while offering less robust features than Facebook, is also (paradoxically) considered to be the more professional and business-oriented platform. Meanwhile, Facebook (like MySpace before it) is the more visually-driven sharing platform among friends, family and acquaintances.
This means that the users of each service have different expectations for their experience on each platform. And if you’re piloting a brand across both channels, you need to be aware of those differences. (Dan Zarella writes frequently, and well, about how to do this.)
For example, in December of 2009, we at Creative Concepts were helping The Children’s Aid Society promote their annual Miracle on Madison fundraiser. Most of the news about that particular event — celebrity sightings, fashion updates and high-end sales — differed from the vast majority of The Children’s Aid Society’s traditional topics (children’s health, education, foster care and family services).
We quickly learned that the charity’s followers on Twitter remained open to the Miracle on Madison messaging, but their fans on Facebook chilled to the idea. While they may be interested in the actual work being done by The Children’s Aid Society, that must seem at odds with more “commercial” updates about a high society Manhattan fundraising event.
So they made their voices heard – some abandoned The Children’s Aid Society Facebook page.
When we noticed a drop in Facebook numbers that coincided with an increase in Miracle messaging, we followed our instincts and dialed down the Miracle mentions on Facebook. And when their fans’ behavior subsequently returned to normal, we chalked that up as a lesson learned — and one we believe is worth sharing:
Facebook is not Twitter is not MySpace is not a blog. You may have one message, but you have multiple audiences.
Listen, and then adjust your pitch.
Want to hear our various voices? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
