The emergence of a new Pope, however, is a completely different story.  And people pay close attention when he comes into a church that at a higher level has its own brand challenges…..

And really before we start talking about the Pope, we must first start with the church behind the Pope.   Quick:  when you think of the Catholic Church, what words come to mind?

A quick Google search pulls up the words “sex abuse,” “abortion,” “controversy” – all on the first page of the news. With powerful word associations such as these, the Catholic Church has been losing its credibility and has been in need of a rebranding strategy, and stat.

Enter Pope Francis – the first Latin American Pope in history – to save the day.  (Perhaps.) 

Once the white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel in March of this year, Pope Francis took his branding into his own hands and clearly indicated he wanted to be marked as a man of the people, by the people, and for the people. Public reports in the early days were abound with news of the Pope engaging in every day behavior and untraditional acts that were unheard of to traditional Catholic Popes (he fetches his own luggage; he is a big soccer fan).  His humility and simplicity immediately struck people as a down-to-earth curveball to people’s perceptions of a Pope’s lavish lifestyle.

And this perception continues - in a recent article about the Pope’s image in Italy, we learn that at least Italian Catholics have been won over by Francis’ humility.  Humility seems to be an important part of the new Pope’s brand.  And it resonates with people.

We also see in this same article that in the U.S., Pope Francis has as many as 84 percent of U.S. Catholics viewing him “favorably” as of the end of March.  (Compare this to just 67 percent of American Catholics who viewed his predecessor Pope Benedict favorably about three months into his papacy.)

Pope Francis is widely known to be a traditionalist on social issues and Church doctrine, but it certainly seems clear that his appointment has many hoping that he will do more than his predecessors to be more “relatable” to the general public, and to work to modernize the Catholic Church.

This is a great case study and communciations lesson – Pope Francis catapulted into the public eye and wasted no time by changing the papal formula in a turnaround branding effort for the Catholic Church. The Pope broke the mold and created an authentic figurehead to which the masses could relate – someone humble and down-to-earth.

Through his compassion for the poor and desire to reach out to other religions and those different than him, Pope Francis gained positive publicity from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It is refreshing to see the Pope, as a major religious leader, take on a role that was relatable to the public.

As one Catholic interviewed stated, “He said he is infinitely small, just like Saint Francis called himself. It’s a nice break for the Catholic Church, which in recent years rose above the people.”

The Pope’s unprecedented actions quickly established a new face for the Catholic Church, and that’s what the institution really needs right now. Looking into the future, hopefully Pope Francis can maintain his humble brand image to the benefit of the Catholic Church.

P.S. Do you want to stay up to date with the new Pope via social media?  His Twitter handle is @Pontifex - check it out!

P.P.S. Be sure to stay in touch with MMC as well – our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/MadisonMarketing and Laurel’s Twitter handle is @LaurelinMadison

This post was written by Laurel Cavalluzzo, Founder and President of MMC, and Amy Hildebrand, MMC’s fabulous intern.

“But can’t so many things go wrong? Why take the risk?”

And the answer is, YES, many things can (and will go wrong).  Truly, what does go perfectly according to plan?  And with social media, it happens A LOT and VERY QUICKLY.   But the rewards of being able to better connect and communicate with customers and other target audiences makes social media a very important communications channel.

Recently I saw an example of a marketing firm make a BIG mistake but fess up, apologize and move on.  And they looked good in the process, at least in my eyes.

I love the articles and blog posts on www.socialmediaexaminer.com (check them out if you never have – “your guide to the social media jungle”).  And they recently posted an article on Facebook promotions, and how to be more creative with the use of them.  (You can go to the post and see all the comments for yourself.  Very interesting.)

Unfortunately, the original article (i.e. the version that was first posted before it was edited) contained ideas that are NOT in compliance with Facebook rules and policies.  Whoops.  Somehow the blogger wrote the article, and the editors at Social Media Examiner didn’t catch the errors.  Not good.

So after the article went live, the comments BLASTED the blog author and the website for its errors.  That is to be expected – these guys are supposed to be experts when it comes to all things social media!  So while the error is not impressive, I find the response by Social Media Examiner VERY impressive.  A la, yes, we majorly goofed.  We admit it.  We will really try to do everything to be sure this doesn’t happen again.  (And, the website took action SUPER quickly by editing the article.)

Here is what the Social Media Examiner staff/editors (Cindy and Michael, below) posted in the comments, in response to the “blasts” they got thrown at them:

And an appreciate commenter rightly paid a compliment to the Social Media Examiner team for taking the correct action, and responding quickly:

I love this example as a way to point out yes, major mistakes can be made via social media, but there are really good ways to recover from these errors and preserve your brand and look good in the process.  This is a great case study, to be sure.

And I pass on my own kudos to Social Media Examiner for setting a great example for all of us trekking along in the social media jungle.

Recently, the billboards have shown up again and we were inspired to post a blog that reflects some of the discussions we had internally a while ago.  What does Amy think?  What does Laurel think? Read on…

Amy’s take on the campaign – the view from MMC’s intern, a recent marketing and communications graduate from the UW-Madison:
The campaign is meant to get chuckles from viewers who can relate to the misfortunes of those featured in the ads.

After viewing several of these ads, I think they’re pretty humorous, creative, and most importantly, effective. The snapshot pictures of the disgruntled individuals make the ad campaign comical and grab the attention of viewers. My personal favorite is the ad shown on a bus with the caption, “Fell asleep 12 stops ago” with an arrow pointing to a seat. It struck a chord with me because I can relate and would have enjoyed a decent sandwich at that frustrating moment! (Sadly, we couldn’t find this particular ad online to share the visual with you.)

The content resonates with viewers and that’s exactly why these ads are so effective. In the saturated quick-service sub industry, Milio’s does a good job of differentiating themselves from the “Five Dollar Footlongs” by reminding potential customers that quality sandwiches can help them get through life’s challenges.

Laurel’s take on the campaign – the view from MMC’s founder, also a mom with inquisitive and observant young kids:
I truly appreciate the humor and creativity behind the campaign. I do. I can only imagine the fun the creative department had while brainstorming and coming up with the ideas.

But when a saw a couple of the ads I outwardly cringed. I do think there is an opportunity to be both clever and not to cross the line and go too far. For me, when my kids asked questions about one in particular I started to feel not-so-good about some of the messages.

The first one that was been troublesome for me is the “I failed Algebra 1 – twice” - this is NOT the type of value I want my kids to be exposed to. They have seen the teen boy with the goofy smile on billboards, and when my 10 year old was trying to figure it out in her own mind and couldn’t, she asked questions. I had to scramble, because I sure didn’t want to explain to her that after you do poorly in school you deserve a great meal.  What parent in their right mind wants their child to take in message? I similarly have a hard time with the “I could have married an astronaut” piece – the whole idea of major, lifelong regret is not the type of exposure appropriate for my children.  And don’t think that a parent can explain the irony behind these ads – that is not happening with my kids.  They won’t get it.

I also don’t like the ones that wish good things wouldn’t happen to other people (such as the one where the man is upset that his ex-wife won the lottery).  Come on.  That is not a good value to share with anyone, let alone our kids.  You can make these funny without crossing the line.
But yes, there are some clever ones that I think do the job brilliantly.  This “worst haircut” version is terrific – something we all can likely relate to in some way, shape or form. And I think there are a ton of other similar variations that would have been super for Milio’s to use – but the ads that touch morals or the deeper meanings should be off limits.  They don’t send the right message.

What do you think? Is Laurel too much of a prude? (it’s ok, she can take it!)
Join the discussion here or on MMC’s Facebook page – we want to know what you think!

2012, oh where did yee go? Since the year is officially past, it is a perfect time for some marketing observations…

First the obvious statement of the day: time moves so quickly in the marketing industry – basically everything is on warp speed. Based on everything we’ve observed in the past year, we are taking a stab at a top 10 list of what really stands out in our minds as we look at 2013 and think about where things are headed in 2013.  Please jump in and join the discussion; you likely have some different observations that should be a part of the discussion.

So here it goes:
1. Facebook isn’t going away – but it will continue to change. Yes, we likely all agree the sponsored posts are annoying, advertising is becoming more prevalent, and we know that Facebook users are not seeing all of the posts in their feeds (there are many algorhthms that we can only guess what they are…).  But Facebook is still very widely used.  And will be through 2013.
2. FourSquare – my interest has really plummeted. And I don’t see many of my peers checking into locations like they used to. That said, I love to use it for travel to keep track of my trip, but day to day, what is the point??
3. Twitter – still important, still relevant.  Great way to connect with people virtually, and then move the connection to in-person if appropriate.
4. Pinterest – love it, but have to admit that it is harder to find time for it.  When it first came out and I came on board, I spent plenty of time there.  Now…..it still is very relevant but because time is limited I have to work hard to remember to visit.
5. Google+ – wait…..what is that one again??  (This is a channel with a limited audience.  I have to admid I don’t spend much time here at all.)
6. Video – certainly a medium growing and growing in relevance. There is no better way to tell a story.  YouTube is king – will Vimeo grow and start to catch up?
7. Tablets and mobile devices – even those decades older than me are jumping on the bandwagon and getting these new technologies. They are crucial to reaching target audiences.
8. Blogs – still important, and for so many clients, blogs are a great way to tap into new ways to partake in PR activities.  It’s not just about blogging on a regular basis – it is about connecting with other bloggers who you can connect with and who can help tell your story.  Yes, that is simplifying it a great deal, but hopefully you start to get the picture.
9. Email marketing – still vitally important. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – a database is one of an organization’s best assets.  You need to think through how you use it.  But if you can figure that out, and can reach people’s inboxes with relevant, interesting content, you can go places.
10. Branding – one can NEVER underestimate the importance of preserving a brand, following the brand consistency rule, and ensuring everyone on the team is true to it in every which way possible.

These are MMC’s top 10 points.  There are certainly many things that could easily make a top 10 list.  What do you have add?  Do you disagree with any of the observations here?

And, since Facebook isn’t going anywhere, we invite you to join the discussion with MMC on Facebook  - we talk about a lot of interesting topics!

It’s not just the way that we now know what’s going on “behind the scenes” or “in the minds of” athletes – although that is a big part of how it is used. We also see that there are,

sadly, Olympic athletes using Twitter in very harmful and hurtful ways and getting in trouble/being banned from the Games for doing so.

Some are calling these London Olympics the first Twitter Games, though thinking back 2 years ago to the 2010 Winter Olympics, those were also deemed the first time that social media was heavily used during a Games, and showcased the way that collaboration can take place via social media during a global sporting event.

Social media is so ever-present in many athlete’s lives, some competitors have stated they are going ‘cold turkey’ and are turning off all channels until after the Games. Their goal is to get rid of all distractions. (Good luck.)

But let’s return to the present – or at least nine days ago – and look at one young athlete’s arguably strategic use of Twitter. A week ago Sunday night (July 29th) , Jordyn Weiber, current World Champion, found herself in the unexpected position of not qualifying for the women’s All-Around final. Team USA found itself in the unexpected position of the team’s tried and true, rock-solid Weiber not moving on as expected.

Weiber, only 16 years old, was crushed. Absolutely crushed. (And we will interject, absolutely understandably so.) And thrust in the national spotlight, with camera and reporters everywhere, she was in a position no one had fathomed could happen.
It was an awful, uncomfortable position to watch as a viewer, and unthinkable as to what it must have felt like to Weiber. Yes, a bit of time has passed since the event, but if you watched it or saw/read the highlights of the evening afterward, we’ll bet you have an image of a very, very upset Weiber in your mind.

Reports that came out the next day containing comments of Marta Karoli, one of the leaders of US women’s gymnastics and a key selector of the US women’s team. She, like many, criticized the current Olympic system that allows only 2 gymnasts per country to advance to the All-Around final. Karoli’s husband Bela, also a force in women’s gymnastics, publicly stated he was concerned that Weiber’s not advancing to the finals could have a negative effect on Team USA’s chances for the team gold – “if Wieber [was not able to] psychologically respond from the disappointment.” Wow. It’s not too often one hears the mental state of an athlete questioned during the Olympics.

A mere 2 days after the world crashed around her, Weiber needed to compete again for the US, as they competed for the team gold medal.

Weiber could not speak much at all at the competition venue on Tuesday. She did release a written statement that stated she was disappointed to not move on as an individual, but she was excited for her 2 teammates (Gabby Douglas and Aly Reisman, unbelievably talented women in their own rights) to move ahead to compete for the coveted All-Around crown.

Then we saw the strategic use of Twitter. This tweet came later the same day Weiber did not qualify to advance to the All Around finals [@jordyn_wieber]:

Here, we sense an optimistic gymnast showing the world – and Team USA coaches – she was ready to put Sunday night behind her and move on to the next big event – the team competition.

Did Weiber send this tweet out realizing it could work on many levels – (1) for her own psyche, (2) to demonstrate to the world she is ready to get tough and strong and take on competition again (and to assure the American public not to be worried), and (3) to show the US coaches she is ready and mentally ready?

It seemed to us this was perhaps a very strategic way to use social media – did this young, talented and very able gymnast think about her communications strategy in between the events of Sunday and Tuesday?

Weiber later indicated she was pumped and ready to go on the Tuesday of team finals:

And the results? Was Weiber mentally ready to go? Well, as we all know, Weiber – and the entire US Team – stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with a 12 for 12 performance to run away with the gold.

All MMC can say is bravo, and excellent work on many fronts – from the communications to the breathtakingly good gymnastics, it was all, as the British would say, bloody brilliant.Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + B)Italic (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + I)Strikethrough (Alt+Shift+D)Unordered list (Alt+Shift+U)Ordered list (Alt+Shift+O)Blockquote (Alt+Shift+Q)Align Left (Alt+Shift+L)Align Center (Alt+Shift+C)Align Right (Alt+Shift+R)Insert/edit link (Alt+Shift+A)Unlink (Alt+Shift+S)Insert More Tag (Alt+Shift+T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt+Shift+N)▼
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Social media is immensely important to these Olympic Games.
It’s not just the way that we now know what’s going on “behind the scenes” or “in the minds of” athletes – although that is a big part of how it is used. We also see that there are, sadly, Olympic athletes using Twitter in very harmful and hurtful ways and getting in trouble/being banned from the Games for doing so.
Some are calling these London Olympics the first Twitter Games, though thinking back 2 years ago to the 2010 Winter Olympics, those were also deemed the first time that social media was heavily used during a Games, and showcased the way that collaboration can take place via social media during a global sporting event.
Social media is so ever-present in many athlete’s lives, some competitors have stated they are going ‘cold turkey’ and are turning off all channels until after the Games. Their goal is to get rid of all distractions. (Good luck.)
But let’s return to the present – or at least nine days ago – and look at one young athlete’s arguably strategic use of Twitter. A week ago Sunday night (July 29th) , Jordyn Weiber, current World Champion, found herself in the unexpected position of not qualifying for the women’s All-Around final. Team USA found itself in the unexpected position of the team’s tried and true, rock-solid Weiber not moving on as expected.
Weiber, only 16 years old, was crushed. Absolutely crushed. (And we will interject, absolutely understandably so.) And thrust in the national spotlight, with camera and reporters everywhere, she was in a position no one had fathomed could happen.
It was an awful, uncomfortable position to watch as a viewer, and unthinkable as to what it must have felt like to Weiber. Yes, a bit of time has passed since the event, but if you watched it or saw/read the highlights of the evening afterward, we’ll bet you have an image of a very, very upset Weiber in your mind.
Reports that came out the next day containing comments of Marta Karoli, one of the leaders of US women’s gymnastics and a key selector of the US women’s team. She, like many, criticized the current Olympic system that allows only 2 gymnasts per country to advance to the All-Around final. Karoli’s husband Bela, also a force in women’s gymnastics, publicly stated he was concerned that Weiber’s not advancing to the finals could have a negative effect on Team USA’s chances for the team gold – “if Wieber [was not able to] psychologically respond from the disappointment.” Wow. It’s not too often one hears the mental state of an athlete questioned during the Olympics.
A mere 2 days after the world crashed around her, Weiber needed to compete again for the US, as they competed for the team gold medal.
Weiber could not speak much at all at the competition venue on Tuesday. She did release a written statement that stated she was disappointed to not move on as an individual, but she was excited for her 2 teammates (Gabby Douglas and Aly Reisman, unbelievably talented women in their own rights) to move ahead to compete for the coveted All-Around crown.
Then we saw the strategic use of Twitter. This tweet came later the same day Weiber did not qualify to advance to the All Around finals [@jordyn_wieber]:

Here, we sense an optimistic gymnast showing the world – and Team USA coaches – she was ready to put Sunday night behind her and move on to the next big event – the team competition.
Did Weiber send this tweet out realizing it could work on many levels – (1) for her own psyche, (2) to demonstrate to the world she is ready to get tough and strong and take on competition again (and to assure the American public not to be worried), and (3) to show the US coaches she is ready and mentally ready?
It seemed to us this was perhaps a very strategic way to use social media – did this young, talented and very able gymnast think about her communications strategy in between the events of Sunday and Tuesday?
Weiber later indicated she was pumped and ready to go on the Tuesday of team finals:

And the results? Was Weiber mentally ready to go? Well, as we all know, Weiber – and the entire US Team – stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with a 12 for 12 performance to run away with the gold.
All MMC can say is bravo, and excellent work on many fronts – from the communications to the breathtakingly good gymnastics, it was all, as the British would say, bloody brilliant.
Path:Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + B)Italic (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + I)Strikethrough (Alt+Shift+D)Unordered list (Alt+Shift+U)Ordered list (Alt+Shift+O)Blockquote (Alt+Shift+Q)Align Left (Alt+Shift+L)Align Center (Alt+Shift+C)Align Right (Alt+Shift+R)Insert/edit link (Alt+Shift+A)Unlink (Alt+Shift+S)Insert More Tag (Alt+Shift+T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt+Shift+N)▼
Toggle fullscreen mode (Alt+Shift+G)Show/Hide Kitchen Sink (Alt+Shift+Z)Insert Subscribe2 Token
FormatFormat▼
UnderlineAlign Full (Alt+Shift+J)Select text color▼
Paste as Plain TextPaste from WordRemove formattingInsert custom characterOutdentIndentUndo (Ctrl+Z)Redo (Ctrl+Y)Help (Alt+Shift+H)

Social media is immensely important to these Olympic Games.
It’s not just the way that we now know what’s going on “behind the scenes” or “in the minds of” athletes – although that is a big part of how it is used. We also see that there are,
buy cialis discount
sadly, Olympic athletes using Twitter in very harmful and hurtful ways and getting in trouble/being banned from the Games for doing so.
Some are calling these London Olympics the first Twitter Games, though thinking back 2 years ago to the 2010 Winter Olympics, those were also deemed the first time that social media was heavily used during a Games, and showcased the way that collaboration can take place via social media during a global sporting event.
Social media is so ever-present in many athlete’s lives, some competitors have stated they are going ‘cold turkey’ and are turning off all channels until after the Games. Their goal is to get rid of all distractions. (Good luck.)
But let’s return to the present – or at least nine days ago – and look at one young athlete’s arguably strategic use of Twitter. A week ago Sunday night (July 29th) , Jordyn Weiber, current World Champion, found herself in the unexpected position of not qualifying for the women’s All-Around final. Team USA found itself in the unexpected position of the team’s tried and true, rock-solid Weiber not moving on as expected.
Weiber, only 16 years old, was crushed. Absolutely crushed. (And we will interject, absolutely understandably so.) And thrust in the national spotlight, with camera and reporters everywhere, she was in a position no one had fathomed could happen.
It was an awful, uncomfortable position to watch as a viewer, and unthinkable as to what it must have felt like to Weiber. Yes, a bit of time has passed since the event, but if you watched it or saw/read the highlights of the evening afterward, we’ll bet you have an image of a very, very upset Weiber in your mind.
Reports that came out the next day containing comments of Marta Karoli, one of the leaders of US women’s gymnastics and a key selector of the US women’s team. She, like many, criticized the current Olympic system that allows only 2 gymnasts per country to advance to the All-Around final. Karoli’s husband Bela, also a force in women’s gymnastics, publicly stated he was concerned that Weiber’s not advancing to the finals could have a negative effect on Team USA’s chances for the team gold – “if Wieber [was not able to] psychologically respond from the disappointment.” Wow. It’s not too often one hears the mental state of an athlete questioned during the Olympics.
A mere 2 days after the world crashed around her, Weiber needed to compete again for the US, as they competed for the team gold medal.
Weiber could not speak much at all at the competition venue on Tuesday. She did release a written statement that stated she was disappointed to not move on as an individual, but she was excited for her 2 teammates (Gabby Douglas and Aly Reisman, unbelievably talented women in their own rights) to move ahead to compete for the coveted All-Around crown.
Then we saw the strategic use of Twitter. This tweet came later the same day Weiber did not qualify to advance to the All Around finals [@jordyn_wieber]:

Here, we sense an optimistic gymnast showing the world – and Team USA coaches – she was ready to put Sunday night behind her and move on to the next big event – the team competition.
Did Weiber send this tweet out realizing it could work on many levels – (1) for her own psyche, (2) to demonstrate to the world she is ready to get tough and strong and take on competition again (and to assure the American public not to be worried), and (3) to show the US coaches she is ready and mentally ready?
It seemed to us this was perhaps a very strategic way to use social media – did this young, talented and very able gymnast think about her communications strategy in between the events of Sunday and Tuesday?
Weiber later indicated she was pumped and ready to go on the Tuesday of team finals:

And the results? Was Weiber mentally ready to go? Well, as we all know, Weiber – and the entire US Team – stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with a 12 for 12 performance to run away with the gold.
All MMC can say is bravo, and excellent work on many fronts – from the communications to the breathtakingly good gymnastics, it was all, as the British would say, bloody brilliant.Rich Text AreaToolbarBold (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + B)Italic (Ctrl / Alt+Shift + I)Strikethrough (Alt+Shift+D)Unordered list (Alt+Shift+U)Ordered list (Alt+Shift+O)Blockquote (Alt+Shift+Q)Align Left (Alt+Shift+L)Align Center (Alt+Shift+C)Align Right (Alt+Shift+R)Insert/edit link (Alt+Shift+A)Unlink (Alt+Shift+S)Insert More Tag (Alt+Shift+T)Toggle spellchecker (Alt+Shift+N)▼
Toggle fullscreen mode (Alt+Shift+G)Show/Hide Kitchen Sink (Alt+Shift+Z)Insert Subscribe2 Token
FormatFormat▼
UnderlineAlign Full (Alt+Shift+J)Select text color▼
Paste as Plain TextPaste from WordRemove formattingInsert custom characterOutdentIndentUndo (Ctrl+Z)Redo (Ctrl+Y)Help (Alt+Shift+H)
Social media is immensely important to these Olympic Games.
It’s not just the way that we now know what’s going on “behind the scenes” or “in the minds of” athletes – although that is a big part of how it is used. We also see that there are, sadly, Olympic athletes using Twitter in very harmful and hurtful ways and getting in trouble/being banned from the Games for doing so.
Some are calling these London Olympics the first Twitter Games, though thinking back 2 years ago to the 2010 Winter Olympics, those were also deemed the first time that social media was heavily used during a Games, and showcased the way that collaboration can take place via social media during a global sporting event.
Social media is so ever-present in many athlete’s lives, some competitors have stated they are going ‘cold turkey’ and are turning off all channels until after the Games. Their goal is to get rid of all distractions. (Good luck.)
But let’s return to the present – or at least nine days ago – and look at one young athlete’s arguably strategic use of Twitter. A week ago Sunday night (July 29th) , Jordyn Weiber, current World Champion, found herself in the unexpected position of not qualifying for the women’s All-Around final. Team USA found itself in the unexpected position of the team’s tried and true, rock-solid Weiber not moving on as expected.
Weiber, only 16 years old, was crushed. Absolutely crushed. (And we will interject, absolutely understandably so.) And thrust in the national spotlight, with camera and reporters everywhere, she was in a position no one had fathomed could happen.
It was an awful, uncomfortable position to watch as a viewer, and unthinkable as to what it must have felt like to Weiber. Yes, a bit of time has passed since the event, but if you watched it or saw/read the highlights of the evening afterward, we’ll bet you have an image of a very, very upset Weiber in your mind.
Reports that came out the next day containing comments of Marta Karoli, one of the leaders of US women’s gymnastics and a key selector of the US women’s team. She, like many, criticized the current Olympic system that allows only 2 gymnasts per country to advance to the All-Around final. Karoli’s husband Bela, also a force in women’s gymnastics, publicly stated he was concerned that Weiber’s not advancing to the finals could have a negative effect on Team USA’s chances for the team gold – “if Wieber [was not able to] psychologically respond from the disappointment.” Wow. It’s not too often one hears the mental state of an athlete questioned during the Olympics.
A mere 2 days after the world crashed around her, Weiber needed to compete again for the US, as they competed for the team gold medal.
Weiber could not speak much at all at the competition venue on Tuesday. She did release a written statement that stated she was disappointed to not move on as an individual, but she was excited for her 2 teammates (Gabby Douglas and Aly Reisman, unbelievably talented women in their own rights) to move ahead to compete for the coveted All-Around crown.
Then we saw the strategic use of Twitter. This tweet came later the same day Weiber did not qualify to advance to the All Around finals [@jordyn_wieber]:
Here, we sense an optimistic gymnast showing the world – and Team USA coaches – she was ready to put Sunday night behind her and move on to the next big event – the team competition.
Did Weiber send this tweet out realizing it could work on many levels – (1) for her own psyche, (2) to demonstrate to the world she is ready to get tough and strong and take on competition again (and to assure the American public not to be worried), and (3) to show the US coaches she is ready and mentally ready?
It seemed to us this was perhaps a very strategic way to use social media – did this young, talented and very able gymnast think about her communications strategy in between the events of Sunday and Tuesday?
Weiber later indicated she was pumped and ready to go on the Tuesday of team finals:
And the results? Was Weiber mentally ready to go? Well, as we all know, Weiber – and the entire US Team – stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun with a 12 for 12 performance to run away with the gold.
All MMC can say is bravo, and excellent work on many fronts – from the communications to the breathtakingly good gymnastics, it was all, as the British would say, bloody brilliant.
Path:
Path:

And they shouldn’t have to. They don’t need to.

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edium wp-image-798″ style=”margin: 4px;” title=”IMG_2223[1]” src=”http://blog.madisonmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_22231-300×225.jpg” alt=”" width=”300″ height=”225″ />Their motto / tagline?

“No Slices”.

That’s it.

From that you can guess what they do – and in this case – what they don’t sell.

They sell whole pizzas. Only whole pizzas. Don’t think about asking for a slice (or two, or three).

This is such an important – but often overlooked – element of figuring out a business. Define what you are. What you provide.

Don’t try to be all things to all people – that will never work well.

Yes, in this case we don’t know from a glance at this card what value John’s provides its customers (a fabulous, unique, different type of pizza, perhaps?), but based on the visits I’ve had to their Times Square location, and from the reviews of many others and the way their locations attract crowds, I can assure you they deliver a great product.

So remember this as you work to not only communicate your business, but also to define what you do. A former manager of mine once told me a phrase that has stuck with me over the years – you may have heard this as well:

“If you try to be all things to all people, you’ll just wind up being nothing to nobody.”

Sound, simple advice.

Know who you are, stick to it, and communicate it to your target audiences in a memorable way.

A side note:

This is perhaps the first time after writing a blog post – even a short one – that I am noticeably more hungry.

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listen to him/her.” Or, alternatively, “no, no, the client is right – we need to ensure we do whatever he/she says.”

When people talk about customer service, often times the phrase is, “the customer is always right.” This may, or may not be true. It is not always a clear cut issue.

[SIDE NOTE: But certainly, in every case, the customer or client and his or her needs and concerns must be listened to and taken into full consideration.]

I have to say, it is not everyday that I hear, “it is ok (and in fact can be good) to disagree.” And I agree, it can be healthy and enlightening, and can create even better solutions in the end.

Check out this great image:

I love this: “Through our differences, we create harmony.” And I would add that through our differences, our various ideas, insights and experiences, we can together come up with opportunitities and solutions that can really make a difference in what we do going forward.

Exciting to think of the possiblities, isn’t it? I have to say it is one of the more exciting things about the world of marketing – things are not necessarily clear cut. They almost never are.

The collaboration of clients and professionals together can do amazing things.

We would love your comments on this post. Please join in the conversation here, or on our Facebook page. We love to hear differing ideas and insights – it makes for great learning and interesting conversation!

rketing.)

Yes, cleaning your marketing – or more specifically, your social media strategy.

So here is MMC’s take on social media channels as of early April 2012 to give you some ideas on how to “clean house” – agree or disagree, we thought we’d put it out there and let you weigh in as you wish.

1. Facebook – important and still a powerful way of carrying on conversations with people. BUT, make sure you have updated your page to reflect the new timeline and graphic requirements…..otherwise your page is looking so 2011.

2. Twitter – still love it. Love it. A great way to engage in one-to-one conversations and build a network. The power of Twitter is not diminished.

3. LinkedIn – still not going anywhere, and a fabulous way to keep your online “Rolodex” up to date and current. Are you using LinkedIn for your business or brand? For many businesses, this is also an important tool. No matter how you use it, don’t forget some of the basics like ensuring your profile is up-to-date, and posting status updates.

4. YouTube – video is growing. It can tell a great story, it can be a great way to engage with people, and, despite popular opinion, it doesn’t have to be expensive to produce. YouTube is an excellent repository for all your videos that you can then use on other marketing channels.

5. Blogs – still important for SEO and for sharing thoughts and ideas so that you (and your company) are portrayed as idea-generators, content contributors, and hopefully as experts in your field. In addition to more traditional blogs (like the one you are reading right now), Tumblr is also a way to curate content and generate blogs (and is growing in popularity).

6. Google+ – this is a tricky one. It is good for SEO – a very important part of online marketing – but in other ways I am not convinced it will do a good job of reaching many target audiences. It seems that there are very select audiences who G+ can reach – many of which are business people themselves. Some have had good experiences with G+ reaching a B2C market, while others have not. Analyze this channel carefully before jumping in.

7. Pinterest – this is the channel I am so excited about. Its use for business – both B2C and B2B – is amazing and has enormous potential. It’s not for everyone – BUT if you don’t look at it carefully to see if there are potential ways it can work for your business, you might be missing a key marketing opportunity.

These are the key social media channels I’ll focus on for today – but keep in mind much depends on who your target audience is and where you can best reach them. That is one of the most overlooked areas when business people execute social media – they don’t stop to figure out where they can best reach their targets. (And this really is perhaps the first thing to do…..)

Now is a great time to look at the social media channels you are using – and assess if you are using them “because everyone is using them,” or because they will help you connect with your target audiences. Use social media strategically – take some time right now to ensure your channels are helping reach your business goals. “Clean out” those that are not. Add in those that will be effective for your business.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic as well. Which social media channels are key ones to focus on? Are there any you feel are growing in importance, or diminishing in the value they provide?

MMC approached me about writing a guest blog post about my social media topic of choice. The answer was simple: memes.

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disonmc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Memes-blog-post-pic-1.jpg”>Memes (pronounced meems) are a series of preset images with designated text formats and personalities that are representative of what’s popular in today’s culture. Individuals can create their own memes on sites such as quickmeme.com using these specific characters. For example, meet the “Condescending Wonka” meme. Backed by an image of Willy Wonka, the text appearing on the meme is always meant to be condescending. Without knowing Willy Wonka is being condescending, someone may not understand the humor behind the meme, or heaven forbid they may create a misused “Condescending Wonka” meme and face ridicule from other meme creators. Sound nerdy enough for you yet?

So, what does all this meme (pun intended)? From my point of view this means several things. First, one more distraction during lecture. Second, a concept originally meant for visual enjoyment is now driving conversations on social media platforms. Third, a potential marketing opportunity to reach college students, if executed very carefully.

One does not simply look at one UW meme. These witty, humorous, and often crude images are blowing up around college campuses nationwide and are gaining a strong presence on mainstream social media sites such as Facebook. On February 7th, meme pandemonium hit UW-Madison’s campus as the first official University of Wisconsin Memes Facebook page was created (before Minnesota’s page). Memes instantly became a sensation consuming the lives of 9,400 student body followers. Walking down State Street you can hear people conversing in meme phrases. Looking around a large lecture hall, you can see one third of the students looking and quietly laughing at the most recent meme posts.

Students are creating memes relevant to our every day student lives, which only adds to their humor. Whether the content is about dorm food, bad TA’s, or how much better UW is than other schools, students are expressing themselves to one another through memes. In an essence, the Facebook page creates a space of inside jokes only UW-Madison students can truly understand and appreciate. And in true Facebook fashion, students who may not even know one another, are connecting, discussing, and liking the memes posted on the page. Many memes already have over 1,000 “likes,” which is pretty impressive.

Businesses on campus are noting the trend and are trying to get their name out in front of this massive market of students. Ian’s Pizza was one of the first adopters. This popular pizza restaurant made a meme competition for students and challenged them to create the best Ian’s-related meme. The winner received a free 20-inch pizza and Ian’s received free marketing to their target customers. The winning meme Ian’s selected had over 85 “likes” in a matter of hours.

However, marketers beware. Due to the influx in meme usage on campus, many new creators are improperly using memes. Because of this, many memes are receiving negative commentary from meme experts via Facebook. Also, it’s important to be careful of how you promote your product through memes. Like Facebook, memes are a way for people to connect with one another. Companies may face backlash if memes users feel they are trying to capitalize through memes.

In the end, much like Charlie Sheen’s #winning tweets, memes are probably just a fad that will fade out pretty quickly on campuses. As a student who has admittedly been frequenting the University of Wisconsin Memes Facebook page, it’s pretty clear the quality and uniqueness of the memes is getting worse as more and more uneducated creators post incorrect memes. But, that’s the power and the beauty of social media. It moves fast and timing can be just as important as the content you post.