Man vs. Technology vs. Viral Marketing

"Technology is shifting so quickly, chasing it is like trying to jump on a speeding merry-go-round" 

- Groundswell, p. 67

As I was reading Groundswell, this was a statement that caught my eye and although it doesn't pertain to viral marketing, in my mind it still ties into the idea of what viral marketing is and how it's becoming a more popular tool in media campaigns. 

To me, this form of social media seems to be taking the world -- if not just companies and the PR people who work for them -- by storm and is soon enough going to be that "next big thing." Everyone wants their campaign to go viral these days and in a way, it reminds me of the "new phone craze," as we'll call it. This includes myself, without a doubt. I like to describe the "new phone craze" as needing to equip oneself with the newest and best mobile technology as soon as it's made available, despite the fact the cell phone one may have now is already perfectly capable for calling, texting and Internet access. The need is based solely on the fact this new phone is shiny and maybe faster and "everyone" is doing it. For example, everyone wants an iPhone and those who already have one want an iPhone 4. However, Apple is more than likely releasing the iPhone 5, which will start the craze all over all and those who can will switch and those who can't because they just got their new iPhone, will stay one step behind the cell phone times.

What's the point of the comparison? It's simple. Just like the quote says at the beginning of this post, technology constantly changes and while everyone wants the newest and the best of the best, we can't always have it. In the same way, social media is constantly changing and while we try to keep up with the improvements to the best of our abilities, some will always be left behind. I think, the same can be said about viral marketing. Everyone wants to do it, but not everyone can. Like New Influencers and New Styles for Marketing and PR both pointed out, you can't make a campaign go viral. You can create something with the intent for that to happen, but the chances lie within how well said campaign reaches the targeted audience and if it takes off from there. The companies that understand this will mostly likely be successful and continue to follow the ever-changing path of social media, but the ones who continue to try forcing viral campaigns will ultimately be left behind in technology's dust.

The Underdog Appreciation Post

As I mentioned briefly last week, I think I can safely say that soccer successfully takes up a considerable amount of my time and in a sense, has become part of who I am. Or at least, how I identify myself, I suppose. A fanatic, if you will, and from what I've noticed while it is in fact the most popular sport around the world, soccer is still essentially the underdog of well-known sports in our country. And even more so,  the USA men's national team is also viewed in this way around the world but to me, I like to call them our unsung heroes. This weekend marked yet another epic event of Euro 2012 qualifier matches, as well as various International Friendly matches. As a fan of club teams such as Real Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal, it was only natural that I'd watch Spain and England play their way to victory in their respective qualifier matches, and USA tie the favored Argentina in a "friendly."

Because I boil down to being a college student with limited time and resources, obviously my only means of supporting our men in red, white and blue was thankfully through ESPN2, but even then watching any of my favorite teams and players play was exciting and somewhat emotional. I'm what one might call, an overly passionate fan of the sport but to me, it was mostly about the support our side saw from our fellow Americans soccer fans. There aren't many of us in comparison to NFL, NBA and MLB fans, but there are certainly enough to fill the majority of a stadium and sing our national anthem in unison -- loudly enough to overpower the poor man who was asked to perform in front of thousands. By the end, the crowd was clearly three beats behind the music and the performer but no one cared, all they wanted to do was be proud of their team and cheer them on to victory. It was awesome to say the least. But even then, ESPN's commentator (one who was a former player on our national team) didn't seem too confident that USA could overpower Argentina and the "international superstar" known as Lionel Messi, who also plays for the rival of my favorite team. The funny thing is, Messi didn't score for his team and Argentina didn't win, it was a well-played, well-earned tie and I think it's about time our national team was taken more seriously. But of course until we pull more people over to the dark side, we just have to keep proving ourselves and that we deserve to be playing against the likes of Spain, the current World Cup Champions and another team who seemed to be pegged as underdogs themselves.

Until 2008 when Spain won the Euro Cup, Spain's national team hadn't won anything significant since the 1960s. It would seem this team was cursed with disappointment and year after year, they too (like our fellow USA national team) couldn't seem to catch a break. Going into the World Cup in South Africa this past summer, they were the team picked to win it all, but even then no one really expected them to. However, they kept proving to fans and critics that they could go all the way and that there was no way to stop them. They were right, facing the Netherlands in the WC finals where it looked as though the match would come down to penalty kicks until Barcelona player, Andres Iniesta scored the goal for Spain in the 116th minutes and ultimately changed the fate of the game. For me, I had never been so excited for a team in my entire life. England turned out to be a disappointment, USA made an emotional and bitter exit after a 2-1 loss to Ghana in extra time, again. I'll be honest when I say I may have cried a little once the final whistle was blown and Spain won it all, because who would have thought that a team who has been the rising underdog for years could have finally won the World Cup?

To be honest it's become the number one thing to do on my bucket list, having the opportunity to attend a World Cup and more importantly seeing one of my three national teams play. Spain and USA play each other in June but of course I'll continue to dream and in the mean time, I'll continue to focus my attention on the month of "el clásico" (the name for matches for BIG rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona) and hope that los blancos can finally put an end to being the underdog to Barca and take back their title in La Liga. What can I say? I guess I'm a proud fan of winners and fighters.

Video Contest - A Broadband-less Date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTGUMK9e2lg

BIG, BIG thank you to my roommate and her boyfriend for being my video victims

When a "Groundswell" isn't so swell after all

Once again, I find myself relatively impressed with the material we are assigned to read for class. I guess it all helps when you're interested in the subject. But I really like the idea behind what a groundswell is and how it might look like something detrimental to a company, but if utilized in the right way, can do just the opposite for the business and the marketers. However in this particular case, the concept might be less than desirable.

To me, the idea of a groundswell reminded me of the effects of a viral video or campaign, in that both tend to gain momentum once the right group of people grab hold and let it take off from there. Usually, any media content that becomes viral does so unintentionally but gains popularity through a number of various publics and outlets. Likewise, the driving force behind a groundswell are social networking sites. I suppose, simply because everyone else has been talking about it ask well, Rebecca Black's "Friday" music video can be an example of how the groundswell works. Although, in my opinion, this song gain all of it's popularity for all the wrong reasons, which is also something practitioners need to worry about in the field. However, when uploaded to an SNS such a YouTube, someone noteworthy is bound to discover the video which will then cause said "discoverer" to show others whether it's through a blog of their own, friends and family who then pass it on to their friends, or possibly a TV show on Comedy Central.

Just days after the video hit the YouTube scene, comedian Daniel Tosh introduced it during one of the segments on his show, Tosh.0, and as a general rule, if it's been shown there then it's most likely to become viral. Since "Friday"s initial appearance on  Tosh.0 the number of views has reached the millions and Tosh even has a Rebecca Black tag on his blog so viewers can continue to follow up with this new, unfortunate Internet sensation. In a similar way, our social media class is contributing to the groundswell created through this video. Those of us who have blogged about it in some way, myself included now, are only being added to the number of bloggers like Daniel Tosh who have kept this thirteen-year-old girl and this song in circulation. The effects of a groundswell has proven to be tremendous. Her song started out as something shared from one avid YouTuber to another, then passed down to forums and blogs, and is now being broadcast on the radio and even mentioned on various morning talk shows.

Procrastination is my number one public enemy

Although it's only the end of the second week of class, I feel like my to-do list is NEVER-ENDING. At least I know by the time I'm finished with this, I'll be able to check one more thing off it. As much as I do my best to utilize the two days off the weekend gives me, I wish that time could be extended into an extra day; a day that I could use to catch up on what I didn't do in a timely manner because football (or as we know it, soccer) consumes a good portion of my weekend. Am I complaining? Not at all.

I'd say, though, that the biggest no-no I've been committing lately is procrastinating on the dreaded job search. A lot of that is because I map out days when I'm going to sit down and tweak my resumé then start applying, but then I realize I still have about a million different school related obligations to finish. Who has the time to breathe when video projects and case studies are due and there are chapters to be read in every class, meetings to attend and tests to study for? I know that sounds like a normal week for just about everyone I talk to.

However it's time to buckle down and find myself one of those big scary real world jobs. I realized sometime this past week, though, that for as daunting as being thrust into the work force day in and day out sounds, I'm more excited and more ready than I expected myself to be. Is that because even two weeks into spring quarter I'm already tired of school and I know graduation is only a couple of months away? Probably. But a lot of that I know is because I know I'll finally be able to join the other big kids of the world and use what I've learned and experienced in my four years at ONU. At least, that's the hope. But My e-mails upon e-mails of possible job opportunities have been filed away for safe keeping and my bookmarks in Firefox are in order so that as soon as I find even a moment to spare, the hunt for a job in the PR jungle begins. Better late than never, right?

Central Ohio PRSA goes to White Castle

Today was yet another PRSA luncheon in Columbus, OH in which myself, Kelsey Giesler, Courtney O'Banion and Dr. I attended. Our guest speaker was Jamie Richardson who is the vice president of corporate and government relations for White Castle. He spoke to us on the PR risks and reputation management when dealing with a large brand on the big and small screen, for example "Undercover Boss" and "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle."

I was skeptical about this luncheon for two reasons: one, corporate PR is definitely not an area of interest or even something I could see myself doing and two, I attended the luncheon last quarter when Jim Tressel was a speaker and found myself largely disappointed. However, the fact this was the guy who had a hand in helping a somewhat controversial movie like "Harold & Kumar" become a blockbuster hit in 2004, kept me interested. Richardson gave a list of 10 "tips" he has learned over the years working with White Castle including one that suggested the only thing to fear is fear itself. While I don't remember all ten from his list off the top of my head (a delicious piece of cake will sometimes do that to a person), I was still completely engaged in everything he had to say and when I really sit down and think about it, know I can find at least three things I took away from his presentation.

What I found so interesting about him was the way he told his anecdotes regarding his job and how passionate he is to make sure White Castle's audience knows they are a privately owned corporation who cares about its customers and the community, just as much as they do about itself and its employees. One thing that really stuck out to me was when he was talking about his work with CBS and "Undercover Boss" and told the story of one of the cashiers who said "the suits come in and all they do is find something wrong with what we're doing" and wished that for someone who has a visually impaired child to support, the "suits" would instead see all that these employees do right and focus on their hard work. That moment alone made him start thinking about what White Castle could do to make a situation better for those who do put time and effort into making the corporation successful.

And of course, my favorite part of the luncheon was the mention of "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle." As a fan of fun facts, the story of how White Castle actually got involved might be one of my favorite anecdotes. Richardson told the group that he expected the movie's producer to give him the run down of the movie's plot then pitch their involvement with the film. However, it turned out that rather than a movie pitch, the phone call was a "love letter" to White Castle, which essentially is what the movie boils down to as well. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it for an hour and a half of mindless humor and entertainment. Anyway, I may have been reading into this a little too much but just then I made a connection that New Line Cinema loved the company enough to want to make a movie (including sequels) as an ode to White Castle, which was an overall reflection of how passionately Jamie Richardson and the owners of the big white hamburger palace felt about their reputation. They could have said no, this is an awful idea, but they took a leap of faith with New Line, director Danny Leiner and actors John Cho and Kal Penn, and as a result White Castle's brand was able to reach an even larger audience than ever before.

What all of this says to me, ultimately, is that good PR is about taking risks that you believe in and making mistakes to learn from and improve on for not only yourself and who you work for, but the people who work for you and the audiences (or consumers in this case) you're trying to reach on a daily basis. Likewise, compassion and overall passion for the job are key players in future successes.

Knock, knock? Who's there? Not the people behind Charlie Sheen

Buenos dias!

I have to say that this post probably took me the longest to figure out based solely on the fact there are so many different areas of public relations to choose from, which makes the indecisive person go a little crazy. But after really thinking about it, this was easier than I thought. Regardless of if you pay attention or care about pop culture and/or celebrity gossip, how can anyone have not at least have heard about the train wreck that Charlie Sheen has left behind him as he moves on from one interview to the next and possibly making Tom Cruise's couch-jumping interview with Oprah look slightly more sane.

Now I'm not the type of person who sits around all day watching E! news or Hollywood Access, or the many, many other shows dedicated to who's famous and what they're up to; nor do I go out of my way to read article upon article. However, I admit to taking the occasional interest in people who are thrown into the spotlight and honestly, when Charlie Sheen and his tiger blood and apparent Adonis genes are the topic of discussion everywhere, it's difficult to miss.

But this isn't about the actor himself and his clear fall off the wagon, it's about something interesting I learned shortly after the whole thing began: Stan Rosenfeld, the man in charge of Sheen's public image, resigned right in the middle of Sheen's radio and TV interview extravaganza. At first I thought, I honestly don't blame him, there was no way to bounce back from something like what was happening, and though it might have seemed like an easy out, I can't say I wouldn't do the same. But after our guest speaker in Case Studies with Dr. I, I saw Rosenfeld's move from a different perspective. She asked the class if we would be able to continue working for a company, or in this case a person, if we didn't believe in their cause or ideals? The majority of us said no way, myself included, but a couple said it would depend on the situation. A point was also brought up about being able to separate your own image and reputation from work and how the public image of who you work for doesn't necessarily reflect on you. However, I believe that it is and I fully believe that if you don't agree or believe in the cause, you cannot properly perform your tasks as a PR practitioner.

In some ways, I can see how Rosenfeld's resignation as Sheen's publicist could be seen as a face-saving move, which in a sense it was. When your client goes on public radio and clearly negates a statement you have put out clarifying recent allegations (for example last October when it was suspected Sheen was taken to the hospital after a reported drunken tirade through a Plaza Hotel in New York), it threatens your own image and reputation as well as that of your client, even if said client cares less and less about his own image as the incident continues. It was reported as well that Rosenfeld handed in his resignation after Sheen slammed him for the way he seemingly covered up what really happened in October, by saying he would have come up with something better than Rosenfeld. Shortly before this was when Sheen publicly attacked Chuck Lorre, the producer of Two and a Half Men, which ultimately gave cancellation to production of the current season.

Once everything is said and done and the public only occasionally reminisces about the last month or so by going "Remember when Charlie Sheen went crazy on national TV?" I think that the thing that will stick with me the most was that his publicist quit. I also think that had Stan Rosenfeld stuck by Sheen and tried to create something positive out of something so clearly disastrous, he would have later been seen as "the public relations guy who failed to make Sheen's situation better" and ultimately label himself, which could potentially ruin his reputation as a respectable person.

So I ask, when faced with an ethical dilemma similar to this or any situation where you no longer feel comfortable or believe in someone's cause, what would you do? Do you stick it out until the end and see if the payoff is worth it? Do you stick to your guns and leave because to you it isn't right?

Even "Newer" Influencers

As someone who is an avid reader and would choose fiction over non-fiction in a heartbeat, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how interesting New Influencers was, even just the introduction and first chapter. Not to mention, I finished the chapters relatively quickly and actually feel like I gained something from it, if not a simple refresher. But isn't that what they say, time flies when you're having fun? While blogs are probably my least favorite form of social media, I found myself completely engaged in the way the author kept an "easy-going" but straight forward and informative tone, but without managing to be too dry or bland. Which, when he discusses the importance of tone, creates a great example.

Mostly I was more interested in the anecdotes the author shared throughout the chapter. For example, the AOL customer service phone call recorded and posted by Vincent Ferrari in 2006, as well as the one known as "Dell Hell." Oddly enough, I remember hearing about both of those incidents, if only by passing by the TV when my mom has the news on and unintentionally eavesdropping on an adult conversation, that at the time was incredibly boring. Because let's be real, in 2006 the last thing I wanted to do was watch the news or spend my time online searching CNN.com for the latest headlines. However, the fact that someone who was a high school sophomore still remembers -- even vaguely -- those events shows what an impact those moments had on our society at the time, all because of an overzealous AOL representative and a little blog that took off like a rocket. Or maybe that's just how I see it. Thoughts?

I think my favorite part of the first chapter, however, was the section that touched on voice. Voice, of course, is a key component in public relations, and communications as a whole. Not only the literal sense of the word, but also in terms of a message or the "voice" of a campaign i.e. what vibe (for lack of a better word) do you want to give your audience? Regardless of the purpose behind your voice, it's always important to establish a voice, because it defines who you are. That can be who you are as an overall person, a PR practitioner, the company you're working for, the message of a campaign or in this case, the type of Blogger you want to be seen as. The whole point is to stand out above the rest and make yourself be heard by a specific group of people, especially in PR, so I think Gillin does a great job of emphasizing the importance of voice and what types of voices can be appropriate for what kinds of blogs.

One thing I noticed was that the book was published in 2007, which doesn't feel like that long ago (trust me four years ago still feels like two) but in a world and field that is constantly changing and updating to the next best thing, 2007 was a lifetime ago. However, I like that this book from what I have read so far, still has a lot of relevance to social media, as well as compare the differences between how social media has changed from 2003 as Gillin talked about in the beginning, to '06/'07 and to right now. Since then Twitter has become one of the most popular social media tools, parents, grandparents and even pets now have a Facebook account, MySpace is virtually irrelevant and Foursquare is supposedly the next big thing...but honestly I still don't understand it.  And really, it's this comparison between then and now in my mind that also brought about this post's title.

Happy Spring...hopefully

Hola amigos

Sadly spring break is over (though the weather would argue about the "spring" part) and now it's time to start my final quarter at ONU. Scary. The last three days have been complete with text messages and phone calls about graduation arrangements and I am definitely not ready to start dealing with that. Week one isn't even over yet!

Speaking of which, I was hoping to ease back into the daily grind, but of course not when you're a busy PR major. This week and weekend will "happily" be dedicated to finishing up Bateman, so here's to hoping everything goes smoothly.


buenas noches