Why Brands are Still Afraid of the Social Web by Kevin Dwinnell

Skittles made a daring move a couple weeks back and illustrated beautifully why, despite a strong willingness, brands can’t open themselves up from a social web standpoint. Brands are built on trust, and consumers and fans have an expectation of how that brand will treat them. It’s no different than personal relationships.

The web is an accelerator of information, sharing, connecting and lends itself to relationship building. With the rise of social media, why can’t brands insert themselves or leverage the discussions that are occurring? They can, but it has to be restrained because there’s a fundamental piece that remains unsolved about how communication occurs on the web – and communication is key to relationship building.

The anonymity and the lack of physical queues on the web create a significant break in the norms of communication. You don’t see someone’s feelings getting hurt if you write a flaming comment. You don’t have to take personal responsibility because no one knows it’s you (in many cases). This makes it too easy for communication to deteriorate. You’re no longer in a place of trust but somewhere that feels unsafe – a breach of trust.

There are ways to minimize this risk, and that’s why you see moderated discussions, the ability to report “inappropriate” behavior and so on. Some level of oversight can help guide community behavior, but usually aren’t real time so you’ll see inappropriate comments or events surface. That’s why it’s not a good idea to put an open, unmoderated discussion on your homepage if you’re a family friendly brand.

As a result, brands need to manage when and where dialogue occurs. And that’s why we tout we’re the “official” Boom (branded browser). The look, the tone, the message is all sanctioned and controlled by the brand. This doesn’t mean it’s a mechanism to talk “at” the consumer. It’s just a more controlled environment.

Controlled can also be very valuable. The real-time, communication news and content integrated into the browser is a powerful tool. There’s an honor to be on the “first-to-know” list, and brands that make an effort to get the latest news (emphasis intended) to their audience can create a stronger bond and a more engaged fan.

There’s never a single solution that’s right for everyone. The trust/relationship structure will change with brand and audience. But, there’s usually a sweet spot where the odds are in your favor. And when it comes to finding an engaging means to communicate with your consumer, we can deliver a very sweet Boom.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand, brand thunder, Branded Browser, communication, custom browser, Social media, Social network, Social web | No Comments »

Press Relations and 3 Tips for Editing Emails by Kevin Dwinnell

If you want to clarify your message, tell it to someone and have them repeat it back to you. Hold that image, then think about email.

It’s hard enough to convey a concept and have it understood when you’re looking at someone and have the full communication arsenal at hand (body language, intonation, rephrasing). When it’s just the words, you see the inherent difficulty in email communication.

And there lies the big obstacle with modern press relations and getting your story conveyed correctly. There’s a lot of room for error when the only means of communicating with a journalist or blogger is through email.

When Brand Thunder received coverage in Handshake 2.0 this week, Anne Clelland had enough cushion in her deadline to allow a couple of exchanges by email, seeking clarification and detail. You don’t always receive that luxury.

So, when you’re responding to a press inquiry or writing any important email, here are a few quick tips to improve the chances that your message captures the meaning you want, the first time.

1. Read it out loud.

If it’s important, take the extra step to read it aloud. Your ear will hear things your eyes didn’t. This is probably the most effective thing you can do.

2. Step away and then read it again.

A short break can give you a fresh view to what you just wrote, and help you catch confusing or misstated items. Even if it’s just a walk to get a drink of water – step away.

3. Reread it emphasizing different words.

Email doesn’t carry the tone you have in your head. Subtlety is lost on the reader, so you can’t take for granted that what you wrote will be read in the same manner.

Posted in Commentary | Tags: blogger, brand thunder, Branded Browser, communication, custom browser, Email, Journalist, press relations | 1 Comment »

Eat Your Own Dog Food by Ryan D Miller

In my years of being in a customer focused business I have learned a very important phrase and philosophy: eat your own dog food.

Most of what I have to say this week is stepping back to the basics.  But that’s where successful business processes have to begin so these points can never be over emphasized.

I was fortunate enough to teach a high school economics class this week through Junior Achievement, that’s where I found the inspiration for this blog (thank you to Ms. Campbell’s first period class at Olentangy Orange High School.)  The class is selling t-shirts for a project that gives them the experience of running a business.  One obstacle the class has seen so far, was selling a t-shirt they couldn’t show off.  The shirts have not yet been shipped so they don’t yet have the product in hand.  Out of a muffle of conversation identifying reasons sales were low, I heard one student say “If I could actually wear the shirt, I could sell it easier.”  Ah ha!  Eat your own dog food.

The ability to communicate your product or solution to your client is the key to making a deal.  A part of that communication is knowing your product and being able to spread the importance of what you have to offer.  By using your product or solution internally you not only better understand your offering, but you can better understand the needs of the client.

In my situation, we build customized browsers, so I personally use one of our customized browser on all of my computers (currently using our Christmas theme for those of you wondering).  The client has to trust that what you have to offer is the best there is, and if it’s not good enough for you, than how is it good enough for them?  One of the strongest tools you can bring to the sales table is being a client yourself.  We have all see the commercial “not only am I president, but I’m also a client.”

It’s easier to communicate the quality of dog food if you feed it to your beloved pup at home.  It’s easier to express the wow of a t-shirt if you can wear it yourself.  It’s easier to show off our customized browsers if I surf the web with them daily.  Practice what you preach, eat your own dog food.

Happy Holidays Everyone

Posted in Commentary | Tags: brand thunder, business development, client, communication, desired results, game plan, ryan miller, sales, strategic plan, strategy, success | No Comments »