With our world in a constant state of turmoil between wars, natural disasters and a recession, it’s difficult to find hope or focus on the positive. Oftentimes, however, it’s in the face of tragedy, we are given a unique opportunity to set our businesses apart; fortunately, for the victims of Japan’s recent devastation, I’m seeing companies across industries do just this.

It is this kind of self-effacing PR that presents a win-win situation to the company and community alike. So as not to make light of the circumstances, I would first like to say, my heart goes out to all the victims in Japan, New Zealand, Libya and the rest of the country, who are facing hard-times and loss. I also commend the companies stepping up and offering donations or proceeds to various charities helping to support the victims in crisis.

PR is on the rise according to this article in The Nation and is playing a more important role than ever. Now is the time to assess your public relations offering as it relates to your marketing strategy and make sure your team has what it takes.  So when the worst does happen, you can take the opportunity to make it better, for everyone.

Last night I walked into Ralphs. I originally stopped at said Ralphs for a simple salad from their salad bar. But then I realized, while waiting in the checkout line, I could earn credits towards free Shell gasoline the more I purchased (and with gas prices teetering on $4/gallon – who doesn’t want free gas?!)

So I stepped out of line but before I could return to the aisles, I saw a Redbox kiosk and thought – hmmmm, a movie sure sounds good! But then I wouldn’t have enough cash for my salad… That’s when I spotted the Bank of America ATM, next to the Coinstar machine! So now, movie, salad, and a couple of snacks (towards my free gas) I start heading back to the line – only to be sidetracked again by a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf kiosk (my favorite!) It was then I realized, Toto, we’re not JUST in Ralphs anymore…

Cross-promotional marketing is everywhere it seems and it’s not just supermarkets. Establishments such as McDonald’s and several convenience store chains have started incorporating multiple kiosks to create the ultimate shopping experience. This type of strategy is taking the marketing world by storm, especially as we continue to experience repercussions from our economic downturn. It’s also an excellent way for a newer product to leverage the success of an existing brand. In this Advantage article they outline the 3 steps to great cross promotion:

1. Understand your customers
2. Identify businesses that target similar customers
3. Find benefits for everyone involved

Properly executing a cross-promotional program is a win-win for everyone and although it prolongs a simple shopping trip for yours truly, it did end up saving me a whole lot in gasoline;-)

What other successful cross promotions can you identify?

When looking for blog inspiration, I turn to other marketing sites for relevant topics (naturally;-) In doing so, I stumbled upon this: Blog Commenting as a Powerful Marketing Strategy. What some bloggers may not realize is that writing a post is only part of the equation; The Golden Rule of Blogging, “Do unto others [blogs] as you would have others do unto you[r blog].”

After posting my first entry, I couldn’t WAIT to read all the insightful comments from my droves of adoring fans (alas, all I heard were crickets…) But what I didn’t realize then was how important it is to be an active participant in the blogging community as a whole, rather than just posting to my own site. As David explains (he’s actually a guest blogger on this site, ironically – another great way to generate interest in your own blog!) “Engaging in blog commenting is one of the best ways in [which to] increase your visibility to online readers interested in your niche.” He also outlines some very helpful hints to get people to comment on your blog as well as creating comments yourself. The full post is definitely worth a read but here are some highlights:

1. Find five or six blogs in which to post valuable comments rather than trying to remark on every industry-related blog you discover.
2. The content of your comment is more important than the act itself.
3. Elaborate on your reasons for commenting rather than a one-dimensional reply (great post, thanks for this, etc..)
4. Post first (if possible.)
5. Always respond to comments and do so promptly.

Furthermore, comments can actually be the best part of a post (or at least the most entertaining;-) So go ahead and speak your mind, your blog is sure to thank you!

(And so will I, please post a comment below:-)

St. Patrick’s Day (or any holiday) is a great opportunity for marketers.  It’s the perfect chance to check in with your clients and ask what YOU can do for THEM.  Like me, your inbox may have been flooded with emails, e-cards and e-blasts, all centering around this Irish holiday.  Marketing is primarily about building relationships and what better way to show you care than with some soda bread, cabbage or even a green beer (if you can stomach it;-) and reconnect with your network…

Wishing you a safe and happy St. Paddy’s day (and all the luck of the Irish;-)

~The Motor Creative Team

“If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!” ~Irish Saying

We promised you Traditional Marketing Is NOT Dead; furthermore, the fusion of traditional advertising and social media into one integrated or hybrid marketing campaign, is the key to success.  One company doing just that (and doing it extremely well) according to this NY TImes article, is Chobani Greek Yogurt.  In the booming Greek yogurt business, Chobani is already #1 in sales; in fact, sales are up 225.9 % from the same period a year ago and nearly double that of their closest competitor, Fage.

So how did Chobani get where they are today? By using the consumers they’ve gained via social media in their traditional advertising of course! According to Peter McGuiness, chairman and chief executive of Gotham – the company responsible for the ad campaign, “We did not want a ‘corporate-out’ campaign, we wanted a ‘consumer-up’ campaign, to tap into and extend the ‘Chobani love’ that is rapidly spreading across the country.”  By advertising their tweeps on billboards and TV ads, as well as their website, Chobani makes “spreading the love” easy.

Personally, I love this campaign almost as much as I love Greek yogurt (though, admittedly I was a YoGreek fan until recently;-)  The price tag on this campaign is a hefty $13 million but with Greek culture popping up on grocery shelves across the nation, I have a feeling it’s a small price to pay!

What do you think about Chobani’s blend?

Gap, like most retailers in the midst of our great recession, held tight to its marketing dollars.  Now, with the worst behind us and the economy picking up steam, Gap is looking to shift its marketing strategy to lure new customers.  In this MarketWatch article by Andria Cheng, we examine their past pitfalls and new strategy as they position themselves for a Q2 comeback.

I am a huge fan of the Gap, always have been…  In fact, when I was in Europe and lost my luggage, Gap basically saved my life!  So it pained me, when they had The Gap Mishap, to address what I saw as a major flaw in their communication strategy.  However, I commend Gap on this effort and am interested to see if focusing on acquisition will pay off.

It seems they have all the pieces of the puzzle, target marketing, social media and budget allocation, in place.  They’ve also diversified their brand, not only into different price-point retailers but different apparel offerings as well (athletic-wear, footwear, etc.) All in all, I see a promising future for the Gap. I just hope they’ll continue with a slew of new commercial messages featuring brightly-colored tweens, dancing around in their latest styles!

What do you think… Can Gap make a comeback?

I recently attended a webinar, Social Media for Business Marketers in which Quora was described as gaining strength in B2B markets. So… I joined (here’s my profile) But it’s been quite sometime and I’m still questioning it! I took to Twitter to see if anyone shared my woes; as it turns out, I’m not alone…

Taken directly from their website, “Quora is a continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it. The most important thing is to have each question page become the best possible resource for someone who wants to know about the question.”

In theory, this is a great concept and hopefully, it just takes time or – as they say – practice makes perfect… I have used it to research blog topics and it’s been a useful tool in that respect. I also think, for field experts, it’s a great place to showcase your knowledge. But it’s otherwise complex in nature and therefore, intimidating to use. In fact, the very first question is a laundry list of things necessary to set it up correctly! Moreover, it seems most of the social media tools out there (perhaps in conjunction but nevertheless) cover most of Quora’s capabilities.

I’ll be interested to see the evolution of Quora but as it stands, I’m still confused… No matter how many answers I get;-)

Is Quora the Q or the A?

Well, just ask Charlie Sheen – in the midst of his highly publicized downward spiral, he has accrued over a million followers on twitter, after signing up only yesterday… He’s also been on every talk show and broadcast imaginable.  I wouldn’t even be surprised if, by the end of this, he’s approached for his own reality TV show AND a movie deal!  ‘Intervention’ starring Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen anyone?!  When it comes to Hollywood, one thing is certain – there’s no such thing as bad press.  But is the same true for business?  Moreover, can bad publicity actually be good?

On the one hand, no one wants to hear a negative review.  Automatically we assume the worst, bad press equals bad business…  We don’t want to visit a restaurant where Yelpers claim inedible food and slow service.  Then again, this is just one person’s opinion and social media gives EVERYONE the chance to be a critic.

Alternatively, a negative review, if responded to correctly, can be an opportunity to show a positive image of your brand.  Furthermore, leveraging social media can be the perfect channel to quickly react and respond to damaging feedback.  Good or bad your brand is buzz and, as in Hollywood, people are interested in redemption.  If you take to heart what your customers are saying and appropriately review, react and reassess, if necessary, bad publicity can actually be good.

So, monitor the media and when you do get a bad review, reverse it!  Turn crisis into opportunity by responding appropriately and using customer criticism as free PR.  Hooray for Hollywood!!!

It’s the same old song – the New Year started off with a bang… You updated your facebook business page, attended a few social media workshops and webinars, wrote several blog posts and even tweeted them! Well, now we’re three months in and already your blog has cobwebs, you haven’t tweeted in weeks and the last place you checked in on foursquare was New Year’s Day brunch!

You keep asking yourself, who has the time for this?! The answer is, even social media junkies hit a wall at some point. It’s information overload (even for the experts;-) So how do you get back on track and furthermore, how do you maintain a consistent social media program so you’re not constantly falling off the wagon?

First and foremost, make sure you’re using the best tools for your business as well as a social media management tool. Then, create an action plan. I found equating this concept to an exercise regimen seemed like a “fitting” analogy;-) By applying the same principles you would to get in shape, I made a checklist for getting your social media strategy toned in no time!

Here’s the skinny:

• Set a realistic goal – as with exercise, too much too soon is just setting yourself up for failure. Decide on a weekly schedule and stick to it, no excuses.
• Write it down – by putting things in writing you are making yourself accountable. Like counting calories, become aware of what it takes to reach your goal and keep track of it.
• Don’t punish yourself – we all make mistakes but there’s always tomorrow. So if you miss a post, don’t stress. Just make sure to get back on track as soon as possible.
• Reward yourself – when you DO stick to your program, give yourself a just reward (and since you’re NOT on a diet – chocolate is completely acceptable in this case;-)
• Everything in moderation – extreme exercise can derail even the toughest athlete. Make sure you’re doing social media in moderation and you’re sure to be a winner!
• Buddy up – in the case of social media, don’t take it all on yourself. Ask for blog topics from friends and co-workers, schedule tweets, use lists and, if possible, divide and conquer. If that’s not an option, use your online pals as inspiration to keep going – they love to help each other out!

What are some other tips to keep your social media program up and running?