Diet Coke Intro to UGC world/Viral Marketing

Coca Cola’s introduction to the world of UGC/Viral marketing advertising was a rocky one. In June of 2006, a pair of performance artists scored a bona fide hit with a video featuring a series of geysers they created by dropping Mentos in bottles of Diet Coke. They were not the first to discover the chemical reaction that comes from dropping the mints into the soft drink, but they took the stunt to another, rather spectacular level using music, choreography, and well-timed explosions. Originally posted on Eepybird.com, the video became a major hit on YouTube.

When the media started taking notice, the two brands had very different reactions. Mentos embraced the spirit of the video, and held a popular contest asking to see consumers’ best Mentos/ Diet Coke geyser videos.  Meanwhile, a Coke spokesperson dismissively told the Wall Street Journal that the “craziness with Mentos…doesn’t fi t with [our] brand personality.” Coke quickly came to understand consumer’s enthusiasm for the performance and embraced it by helping to drive viral distribution of the video and securing major media coverage on late night TV and elsewhere. In addition to generating high value/low cost media coverage, Coke was also able to identify a positive impact on sales.

As Brand week magazine later wrote, “For those looking to separate brands that understood the UGC movement from those who don’t, it was a watershed moment. Consumers were shaping the brand personality independently of Coke. This video really works and people’s were experimenting differently with the Diet Coke.

 

Challenges for Marketers/Social Media

Today’s big enterprises and marketers are targeting their segment through social media. Increase in the users of social networks attract marketers as an easy way to reach the potential customers, the marketers they enter in the social networking to target the customer but in my point of view most of them getting fail to achieve the desire goals.

Advertising in User Generated Content/ social networks environment requires radically different mindset and techniques compare to traditional advertising. Instead of controlling the environment where marketers control the environment and users they just see the adds which the marketers wants them to show, but advertisers must now become a part of it, the  UGC sites are by nature is constant flux, a free wheeling where every one free to give their opinions and point of view. And where the marketers are expected to be just the voice/give their opinions. Advertisers on UGC must prepared to talk with the people what they say debate on them, convince them, clear them about your opinion instead of just their target audience, which means surrendering the degree of control over their brand. Which in the traditional media the advertiser they control the image of their brand, but in UGC is different, I will talk about this in my next post.

Do you think that the advertisers are getting in the UGC/Social networks without having the basic knowledge about how to use it for their brand advertising? Don’t you think that marketers must have to prepare their self before interacting with the people’s directly?  Surrendering the control over the brand is’nt dangereous for company?

 

Different Category of Social Media

             

This post is about the different type of social interaction, the name is ‘Second Life’ most of us know about this, it is the online computer game, but is perhaps better understood as an online virtual world. It’s completely different kind of social network, how it works you just have to download the software and register yourself, then you enter in the game world and create your own avatar which is an in game representation of yourself.  In 2006 marketers begin to experiment with the game world, like ‘Toyot’ has launched in-game models to promote its ‘Scion’ range, while Peugeot has invited gamers to try a recent model on a virtual racetrack, built to coincide with the Frankfurt Motor Show. During its 2006 Big Weekend festival, BBC Radio 1 had a stage in Second Life with avatars of presenters and bands performing – anyone visiting the concert received a virtual digital radio that they could listen to Radio 1 on in the virtual world. Doubtless a large part of the marketing benefit from these in-game presences really comes from the publicity in the non-virtual world that these generate, but these are intriguing precedents for marketers. 

In summarising the Second Life encourages community and social interaction; some consider it to be form of social media. If we compare it with the new form of online media it shows the different category in itself. What you think about it?

 

Micro Blogging ” Twitter ”

   

I  have read about the twitter on different sources, especially I found on my many friends blogs they have given the comparison of twitter with other social network by degrading twitter, compare to other social network twitter might have some low features but the thing to understand here is the true application of twitter?

I would like to share with the readers, social media students and professional the term Micro-blogging that is the tool that combines elements of blogging with instant messaging and social networking. The clear leader in the micro-blogging field is Twitter with over 1 million users. Other notable micro-blogging players include Pownce and Jaiku, which offer various different features. Twitter users can send messages of up to 140 characters instantly to multiple platforms. 90% of Twitter interactions are not made via the Twitter website, but via mobile text message, Instant Messaging, or a desktop application such as Twitterific. Its flexibility is further enhanced by the ability to subscribe to updates via RSS.

Twitter’s features and its simple use not just this but its suitability as the vehicle for the breaking news has encouraged BBC and CNN to introduce Twitter feeds. And even President Obama has taken to Twitter. The most important feature is that Twitter can be indexed with google.       

So all these features makes the Twitter different from other social networks, we can’t send the message via mobile to other networks but on Twitter you can, you have to logged in to the LinkedIn site to use but on Twitter you don’t need. In my point of view twitter is more than just chatting with the friends, what’s your opinion is?

 

LinkedIn Vs Facebook

Taking further to my previous post about the applicability of  LnkedIn,  now I try to differentiate between LinkedIn and Facebook, Perhaps the most growing up, popular network is LinkedIn, which allow users build their business and professional contact into an online network as I have given an example in my previous post. But it has been criticised for not being open enough mean not for everyone use, the another criticism is that LinkedIn they do charge for many of their services, that gives the advantage to the Facebook but next to the Facebook, LinkedIn is still the popular online social network among people of age 25 and over.  

We can say that big attraction of the Facebook ‘opening up’, is because of the close approach of the LinkedIn. As the Facebook which was launched in 2007 and became available for the public, and in this short time it become so popular in short period of time, it is believe to be that Facebook success is because of its creator strategy ‘open up’ and allow every one to develop their own application and use on Facebook with any changing.

 

So if LinkedIn change its strategy by not to charge from the customers then it can be more popular than Facebook, what you believe about this can LinkedIn be able to reduce the Facebook popularity?

 

Linkedin Business Application

Linkedin a purely business oriented social network, there are numbers of other networks like twitter, facebook, orkut and many more, Linkedin the network ehich is widely used by the business professionals, although every network today have its own importance in term of its application, same as Linked in has the business application. Linkedin was founded in the year 2002 and launch in 2003, due to its features and application become popular not among the business professionals but others kinds of people’s as well, in this post I would like to talk about one of its  feature.

The profile made by the user for his or her account needs the complete detail about the background qualification, job experience and current profession that contains so much information about the person, that one can easily judge about the knid of personality he/she in connect. The most important feature is that the register users can connect easily with the number of people’s of his/her field, like I have read about the entrepreneur thinking to start the business and needs the finance/sponser for his business, by using the network he presented the idea to the persons related to the field, and found the sponser waaooo, seems to be easy but in reality not too much, the only thing is how you utilise the resources thats important?

 

Negitive Use of Socail Networks

Given the increased use of the internet, social networks have helped people make new friends & communicate with existing contacts. Typically a user creates a profile containing information, photos & details of their associates. Social networks have become such a success story they have quickly become more popular than many established household names’ websites. That’s some word said by some professionals regarding social network and its importance, social networks are becoming helpful for people to get close to each others share feelings, thoughts, happiness and reduces sadness. But at the same time many people’s using it negatively waaahhooo, you surprised but its happening few days before I got strange mail on my one of my network, I think it to better to share that mail with everyone, here below is the mail read it……

‘’GREETINGS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD I AM ………….  A WIDOW TO ……….. .I AM 56 YEARS OLD, I AM NOW A NEW CHRISTIAN CONVERT,SUFFERING FROM LONGTIME CANCER OF THE BREAST, FROM ALL INDICATION MY CONDITIONS IS REALLY DETERIORATING AND IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT I WONT LIVE MORE THAN SIX MONTHS,ACCORDING TO MY DOCTORS,THIS IS BECAUSE THE CANCER STAGE HAS GOTTEN TO A VERY BAD STAGE.

MY LATE HUSBAND KILLED DURING THE U.S. RAID AGAINST TERRORISM AFGHANISTAN,AND DURING THE PERIOD OF OUR MARRIAGE WE COULDN’T PRODUCE ANY CHILD. MY LATE HUSBAND WAS VERY WEALTHY AND AFTER HIS DEATH,I INHERITED ALL HIS BUSINESS AND WEALTH.  THE DOCTORS HAS ADVISED ME THAT I MAY NOT LIVE FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS, SO I NOW DECIDED TO DIVIDE THE PART OF THIS WEALTH, TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHURCH IN AFRICA, AMERICA ASIA,AND EUROPE. I PRAYED OVER IT.

I AM WILLING TO DONATE THE SUM OF $5,000.000.00 MD U.S DOLLARS, TO THE LESS PRIVILEGED. PLEASE I WANT YOU TO NOTE THAT FUND IS LYING IN A BANK IN SWISS AND UPON MY INSTRUCTION, MY ATTORNEY, WHO PRESENTLY IS IN AFRICA DISTRIBUTING RELIEF MATERIALS , WILL FILE IN AND APPLICATION FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE MONEY IN YOUR NAME.  LASTLY,I HONESTLY PRAY THAT THIS MONEY WHEN TRANSFERRED! WILL BE SURE FOR THE SAID PURPOSE,BECAUSE I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT WEALTH ACQUISITION
WITHOUT CHRIST IS VANITY. 

MAY THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS THE LOVE OF GOD AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF GOD BE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY’’

What you think about this mail, does it make sense, such mails purpose are just to  get your details and make frauds, people’s take’s the name of religion wrong use of religious matters. Near to me where Social Networks have so many advantages and use of this media increasing day by day in different sectors and part of life, but at the same time negative use of it increasing day by day, so what’s your thinking/judgement about this mail purpose?

 

 

Blog status equal to Tv & Newspapers during G20

Blogs gets an equal status as of  TV and Newspaper, good newz obviously for the bloggers to gain the official status during G20 summit.  Leaders of twenty biggest economy gathered in London to find the solution for the global current economic recession, all the leader are determine to fight against the economic crisis but its not easy to  impliment in short time or to overcome immidiately. According to president Obama the only way out the global crsis is the globally coordination.

For the coverage of the worlds strong and powerful men, many journalists (Tv & Print media) were there to give the coverage to this hostorical event, at the same time many bloggers were there also waooo, the Obama welcome the bloggers there, he said that blog is the emarging way and working with the same spirit as the other medias are doing.  Point to bear in mind here that Obama run its political campaign through blog as well. Obama praise the famous bloggers efforts and gives them the status that equal to other medias like tv and newspapers, this make the bloggers happy to get official status. But at the same time many people critic on it by not to accept it.  What you think this decision importance, In my point of view its very good as the blogs are operating on 24/7 base, when everyone sleeps the bloggers remain awake?

 

How to Increase Website Traffic

Link to my previous post in this post I will try to put some light on how to increase the customer visits on websites. Obviously it’s an important if the person visit the site the chances to get the sale increases. To get their contact details you need to GIVE them something. Something of real value. That could be a newsletter, but it’s not enough just to offer a basic newsletter. Be crystal clear that in the newsletter they’re going to get information on your core subject that has a real value to them. Ideally, go beyond a newsletter. Newsletters used to be great but now they’re regarded as boring. Offer people a free report with some precious information. Or a CD. Or a sample of what you offer. Remember, you need to make an offer so compelling, the casual surfer is persuaded to stop and give you their contact details and start a mutually beneficial relationship with you.

The system for capturing email addresses and sending information is very simple and can all be automated. Your website design people will help. And don’t panic! This does not mean that you have to stop selling things or promoting yourself on your site. You may want to follow the example of many successful businesses that have two sites – one for new visitors and one for existing customers and people who know you well. If your site is currently a pure Ecommerce site, remember that you can still incorporate this powerful strategy. Keep selling your products – but add as many options as you can to ALSO capture the contact information of people who are not going to buy from you first time.

Once you begin an ongoing communication with people visiting your site, you can use email to both send useful information AND promote services that you have that can dramatically impact the lives of the people reading it. Some people hesitate about doing this because they think that people will just read the free information and never become customers. The truth is, some will, but they’re the ones that are losing out. It’s like standing outside the world’s finest restaurant and eating the food that’s thrown out at the end of the day. It’s actually great food – but dining at the restaurant is an altogether far superior experience, isn’t it?

 

Why Many Websites Are So Boring

It’s a funny old world. Most of the business owners that I hear from would love to be more successful. But most of their websites are disaster zones. Did you know that the less than 1% of people who visit the typical website purchase from that site or make contact with the business. Less than 1%!.

In other words, if your website is typical (and I really hope it isn’t) then 99% of people who visit are going to leave – and will never come back. Imagine owning a shop where 99 out of 100 people who come in, walk out again without buying from you. How depressing would that be?

Nice idea  only trouble is, for 9 out of 10 businesses, it doesn’t work. Why? Because as we know, people ‘surf’ the web. People don’t visit websites, stopping each time to make a purchase or make contact and then move on to the next one. They ‘surf’ the web. That’s why it’s called surfing. How many times have you seen a website that might be of interest to you. You promise yourself you’ll come back to it – and within seconds of you moving on to the next site, you’ve forgotten about it forever.There has been a quiet revolution among the world’s great internet marketers in recent years. That revolution has been a shift from websites where the prime purpose is to sell products and services, to websites whose prime purpose is to BEGIN A RELATIONSHIP with people visiting.

Think of it like this. Your biggest challenge when people visit your site isn’t necessarily to clinch the sale. Your biggest challenge is to begin a relationship with them before they move on to the next site. So how do you apply this principle to your website? Some experts like (Chris Cardel) strongly suggest that you test making the prime purpose of your website to get the contact details of visitors so that you can begin a relationship with them. Once you have their email address and permission to contact them you can send them great information in a series of emails that will almost certainly lead to many of them becoming customers.

Well here’s the good news. There’s a simple step you can take to ensure that 10%, 20% or more of the people who visit your site become either customers or potential customers. And it’s a simple change that will ensure your website is never boring. This method also takes advantage of the most important shift in Internet Marketing this decade. Read on – your website may never be the same again…. The secret to having a successful website today is – Do not make selling your products or services the prime purpose of your website.

Sounds strange? Well here’s what you need to know.

In the early days of the internet, we all thought that the purpose of a business web site was to sell stuff. The idea was –people would come to our site and then either order online or contact us by phone or email to become customers. Of course there are rare exceptions (Amazon etc) and we can all get SOME online sales and contacts – but if 99% are leaving your shop without buying, you’re losing out big time. So, if you’re not going to use your website primarily to sell stuff, what are you going to use it for? Instead of using it to SELL people stuff. Use it to GIVE people stuff. Let me repeat that. Because if you really get this ….your internet strategy can be transformed.  Instead of using your website to SELL people stuff. Use it to GIVE people stuff.