Author: Catherine Seeds

Social Media Scores as an Effective Marketing Tool

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds
super-bowl-social-media
Image courtesy of Branding Magazine

Super Bowl XLVII Shines in the Dark: Social Media Scores as an Effective Marketing Tool

Here is a statistic that will blow you away: According to a study from the Mobile Marketing Association and Session M, during the Super Bowl, a whopping 91% of viewers used their mobile devices during the commercial breaks!

After hearing this, one thing is for sure – we love our mobile phones as much as, or even more, than my three-year old son loves his special security “blankie.” Speaking from personal experience, when it comes to any highly-anticipated sporting event or celebrity-fueled telecast (such as the upcoming Academy Awards), my iPhone is never too far away. My need for instant gratification and social connection leads me to constantly check out what my friends are saying on Facebook and to make my own witty comments about the details of the event.

We all know that the Super Bowl commercials have become just as important to the overall event experience as the game itself, especially now with the saturation of mobile devices and social media. Brand marketers and advertisers have certainly stepped up their digital media game in recent years, and last Sunday was no exception. A few highlights:

Instant Advertising through Social Media
After the Super Dome lost power at the beginning of the third quarter, the quick-thinking team at digital ad agency, 360i, posted a picture of an Oreo cookie on Twitter with the tagline “You can still dunk in the dark,” moving from concept to posting in five minutes. Raise your hand if you were craving some Oreos and milk after seeing that posting! The ad became a viral hit, retweeted more than 15,000 times in the first 14 hours. Other brands tried to take advantage of the 34-minute game delay through Twitter, including Calvin Klein, Tide and Volkswagen – but none of them seemed to have the same affect that the Oreo ad did.

Online Contests and Customer Interactions: A New Focus on Online Integrated Marketing
While watching the commercials, I noticed that many brands developed advertisements that directed viewers to their websites for a more interactive experience. Coca-Cola held an online poll to vote for the ending of its commercial, asking viewers to select which one of the three groups in the ad (cowboys, showgirls and badlanders) would win a race across the desert to reach a bottle of Coke.  Oreo again received rave reviews for their commercial that asked viewers to vote, via Instagram, whether they preferred the cookie or the cream part of the Oreo. After the cookie vs. cream campaign, Oreo gained more than 50,000 followers on Instagram.

The TV spot for CBS’ new show, Under the Dome, directed its viewers to visit www.UndertheDome.com

and enter your address to see what your home would look like under an actual dome. I did this and saw my house under a dome similar to what was shown on the commercial. I really don’t know what the show is all about, but the TV spot left an impression on me so I will probably check out the first episode.

Overall, the notion of online integrated marketing seemed to resonate with Super Bowl viewers. According to social marketing solutions provider, SocialCode, brands that advertised during the big game saw Facebook fan increases 2.7 times higher than non-advertisers, when compared with previous fan growth.

The Second Screen Super Bowl Wins
Super Bowl XLVII has been deemed the “Second Screen Super Bowl” meaning that CBSSports.com, for the first in Super Bowl history, provided a digital live stream of the game, as well as all of the TV ads and the halftime performance. This second screen experience gave fans new ways to interact with the big game and generate as much as $10 to $12 million for CBS.

What were some of your highlights from Super Bowl XLVII? Any forecasts for how NBC might try to checkmate CBS on the digital media front during the 2014 Winter Games? 

Originally posted on Digby’s blog, The Mobile Retail Blog by Catherine Seeds

State of the Millennial Union

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

Reposted from Digby’s Mobile Retail Blog

At the risk of being considered a traitor by my fellow Generation X’ers, I am not ashamed to admit that I have a fascination with the Millennial Generation.  In a recent blog, I bragged about how this group of young men and women born roughly between 1980 and 2000 have completely changed the way we live, shop and communicate. I work with Millennials, and I have learned as much (if not more) from them as they have learned from me.

So much has been written about this “tribe” of techno-savvy, confident, determined and goal-oriented young adults – it almost seems as though Millennials have that magical Midas touch – especially when it comes to their significant contributions to the success of mobile and social media technologies.  Check out these recent stats:

Which brings me to my next point – while doing research for this blog, another trend that I noticed within the Millennial generation is that they seem to be growing up, and maturing. In a recent Forbes article by Barry Salzberg, global CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limite says, “…many millennials are not driven by money or success in quite the way their parents were. This generation wants to know what your organization stands for in improving society, what it stands for in action, as opposed to blowing smoke. Millennials want to know how they will make a positive difference in the world if they join your business, not by wearing a colorful T-shirt on a special project once a year but in their actual work.” 

In the recent presidential election, the Millennial Generation made its mark yet again. According to The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 23 million, or 50% of, young people voted in this election. According to The Hill, “This rate of turnout can now be considered ‘the new normal’ for young Americans. This is the third presidential election in a row with turnout around 50%.” Bottom line – Millennials want their voices heard.

Millennials are eating out less, perhaps a trend to live healthier lifestyles and save their hard-earned dollars for exciting trips to Europe or down payments for modest homes and cars.

Whatever your opinion of Milliennials, you can’t deny this group of savvy individuals are a force to be reckoned with.  What do you think will be the hottest millennial trends in 2013?

Catherine Seeds is the Vide President of Ketner Group, a PR and marketing communications agency headquartered in Austin, TX.

Photo Credit: Study Breaks College Media

The Mobile (Presidential) Election of 2012

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

mobile-pres-election-blog-imageAs originally posted on The Mobile Retail Blog http://www.themobileretailblog.com/social-media/the-mobile-presidential-election-of-2012/

It’s hard to imagine that in a little over two weeks, our country will have elected (or re-elected) a new president. What a difference four years makes. For example, just here at the Ketner Group, the team has definitely gone through its share of changes and life-changing moments – we’ve had one new baby, two marriages, two cross-country moves to California and Texas, and have bought seven new cars!

Other things have changed, too, especially on the technology front. Thinking back to the 2008 election, or what is known as “The Social Media” election, Facebook and Twitter were a key factor into President Obama’s election win.  In fact, it was his campaign team who pioneered the use of social media for organizing, fundraising, and communicating his 2008 White House bid. And boy did it work! Continue reading →

Halloween: In Need of Good PR?

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds | 3 Comments on Halloween: In Need of Good PR?

madeleine-halloweenIs it just me, or is the Halloween industry in need of a branding facelift?  When I was a kid, it never occurred to me that this “holiday of sorts” was the cause for so much controversy between differing religious groups, let alone the fact that Halloween’s roots come from ancient pagans who believed that October 31 was the day that the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops. (Thus ancient Celtics would wear masks to scare away any spirits.) I come from a Christian family, but my parents were not the ultra-conservative type, and so my brother and I always dressed up for Halloween, participated in Halloween parties at school and always went trick or treating in our safe suburban neighborhood in Lubbock, Texas.

Nowadays, however, Halloween as a “holiday” has a much different look and the industry has literally exploded right before our eyes.  In doing research for this blog, I found a stat from BIGResearch that in 2005 (the year my daughter was born) consumers spent almost $3.30 billion.  For 2012, figures are estimated to top $8 billion– spending of course on costumes, decorations, and candy. So, if you look at the Halloween from a figures standpoint, the industry has done, well, pretty dang amazing! Continue reading →

Social Media Dominates London 2012, Launches New Olympic Era

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

Blog originally published on Digby’sThe Mobile Retail Blog.

The 2012 Summer Games, hosted by the good people of London, has already been dubbed the “First Social Media Games”. As we start the second week of the XXX Olympiad, the world has already seen what a huge impact social media has had on the games – and the numbers are staggering! Twitter has already reported that the opening ceremonies sparked 9.66 million mentions, topping the total number of Twitter posts during the entire 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. According to iProspect, a large British digital marketing agency, and Carat, a media agency, Twitter was by far the favorite social media site, accounting for 97% of all online conversations about the opening ceremony.

Social Media Goes for Gold in London
For those of us who are Twitter users, we know there are good and bad sides to this social media platform.  For this year’s athletes, it is a unique way to communicate “directly” to their fans, families back home, and other athletes. “Twitter and social media are how we can get our word out, and fans kind of want to see what things look like from behind the scenes,” says U.S. swimmer Ricky Berens in a recent Mashable article. “TV portrays things the way it wants to and we can give a lot more than that.”

The dark side of social media, however, can be downright mean and pressure-packed, as we have already seen during the first week of the games. After becoming the first African-American woman to win the individual all-around women’s gymnastics competition, America’s newest sweetheart, Gabby Douglas, became victim to social media bullies who made fun of her hair. When Aussie swimmer Emily Seebohm failed to take gold in the 100-meter backstroke final, she told reporters that she believed the pressure put on her via social media to win gold caused her to lose the race.  “…Maybe I just started believing that I’d already won by the time I had swum…I just felt like I didn’t get off (social media) and get into my own mind,” said Seebohm.
Continue reading →

A Gold Medal Summer

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds | 1 Comment on A Gold Medal Summer

A Gold Medal Summer

Everyone at KG knows that I’m a huge sports fan, and of course, every two years I cannot wait for the arrival of the Olympics. I love everything about the Olympics, even Bob Costas. Nothing beats watching an underdog team beat the incumbent gold medal winner or an individual athlete overcoming incredible odds to win the race.  In my opinion, the Olympics have provided some of the most historic and inspirational athletic feats in recent history.

In a little over a month, the best athletes from all over the world will descend upon London for the 2012 Summer Olympics. (As an interesting aside, our very own Brittany Johnson and her husband have been lucky enough to score tickets to a few of the events!) As the world prepares to watch more record-breaking races and nail-biting gymnastic routines – I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane on some of the top Olympic moments.  After all, so many of these were great PR stories for their time!

Jesse Owens – Conquering the World Though Racial and Physical Obstacles
During the 1936 Olympics against the back drop of Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Olympic track star Jesse Owens, won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and the long jump. He broke or equaled nine Olympic records and set three world records. Adolf Hitler hoped that the Berlin Games would prove his theory of Aryan racial superiority; however, Jesse Owen’s achievements led the people of Berlin to hail him as a hero. One of the most memorable moments of the games was when a 19-year old Germany athlete congratulated Owens after a qualifying round, in full view of Hitler.

The Holy Trinity of Gymnastics – Comaneci, Retton, Strug
You can’t call yourself a woman’s gymnastics fan unless you know about these three ladies, who all made historic achievements during three different summer Olympics:

  • Nadia Comaneci – During the 1976 Olympics, Nadia scored what is now known as “The” Perfect Ten.  She was the first gymnast to ever score a perfect “10” – and went on in her career to repeat this feat six times at Olympic competitions.
  • Mary Lou Retton – In the 1984 Olympics, she was the first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the Olympic all-around title. Retton scored perfect 10s on floor exercise and vault to win the all-around title by 0.05 points.
  • Kerri Strug – During the 1996 Olympics, Kerri (a part of the Magnificent Seven U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team) fought through injury and enormous expectations to land a vault on one leg, guaranteeing her team gold.  The Magnificent Seven remain the only U.S. women’s gymnastics team to claim Olympic gold.

Miracle On Ice – A Defining Moment in Olympic History
The “Miracle on Ice” is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men’s ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22. The United States team, made up of amateur and collegiate players and led by coach Herb Brooks, defeated the Soviet team, who had won nearly every world championship and Olympic tournament since 1954. Team USA went on to win the gold medal by winning its last match over Finland. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the “Miracle on Ice” the Top Sports Moment of the 20th Century.

Tell us your favorite Olympic moments!

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho – It’s Off to Work We Go!

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

Let’s face it, there are some days where we just don’t want to get up and go to work – you are lying if you say otherwise. Other than those few days a year, I will say that I genuinely enjoy coming to work at our funky little offices. Why? I love the people that I work with! We are like a family here. We look out for each other, and support each other at and outside the office.  In fact, compared with the company culture at other small businesses (and corporate organizations) we almost live in a protective bubble.

At Ketner Group, we also have a stellar track-record of employee retention and we are very loyal to the business.  This is not the industry norm.  According to a recent WebProNews article, gone are the days when we started a job after college and worked our way up the ladder until we retire at age 65. According to the article, “Not only do we have more jobs in our lifetime than any other generation before us, but we also plan to not stay in our positions.” A recent MetLife report found that only 44% of employees feel a strong sense of loyalty towards their employers and that over one-third of employees just flat-out want a different job.

If only all companies had the same protective bubble as we do at Ketner Group. Still, after reading these reports, I became intrigued.  How can people “job hop” like that?  I always thought having job after job listed on a resume was a negative thing – but is it really becoming the norm and acceptable? Check out these stats I found from Jobvite.com:

  • Today’s average college graduate will hold 9.8 jobs, working until age 65. In California, that same graduate will hold 14.3 jobs.
  • The median number of years that an average U.S. worker has been at their job – 4.4.
  • Average jobs in a lifetime for men – 11.4.
  • Average jobs in a lifetime for women – 10.7.
  • 61% of employed workers are open to or are looking for a new job. Continue reading →

It’s the Most Wonderful (and Stressful) Time of the Year!

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

Hands down, Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.  And it is just around the corner – the holiday lights, the Christmas carols, the yummy smells of apple cider, Christmas pine, and peppermint! My 6-year old daughter is already giddy with excitement wondering what Santa will leave for her under the tree (she’s hoping for a surfboard and an Apple iTouch) and I’m teaching my 2-year old how to sing Jingle Bells. This weekend, I will be decorating my house from top to bottom in green, red, and gold, and my husband will be up on the rooftop hanging up the Christmas lights.  I’m so excited!

And then, there is the Christmas shopping. Cue the dramatic sound effect – Dun, dun, dun!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas shopping and I really don’t mind the crowds like my husband does. But sometimes it can be a very overwhelming process because I am, for the most part, the lone shopper for my little family of four. (And before you judge me, I realize my little “problem” qualifies for #firstworldproblems.) This year is proving to be even more stressful – and here’s why:

  • This year we will be celebrating Christmas in Dallas, so my husband and I will need to plan carefully which presents to bring in the car with us and which ones (i.e. Santa’s gifts) to have shipped to Dallas.
  • My 6-year old daughter has already given me her Christmas list of about 30+ items on it, plus all of the items that she has circled in the Toys R Us, Target, and Walmart circulars. I’ve been able to whittle it down to about 10.
  • One more thing about my daughter – she’s discovered the American Girl Dolls.  Lord help me.
  • My budget: My husband is a big-time penny pincher and really “encourages” me to stay within our allotted budget.  The problem is that I’m really bad about sticking to a budget.
  • And finally, as a working mommy of two, my time is limited. Looking at the calendar, I see that I have less than four weekends to complete my holiday shopping. Can I have a glass of spiked apple cider now? Continue reading →

When I Grow Up I Want To Be…

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

I’m not going to lie.  Sometimes my job is hard. In fact, it can be downright frustrating and still causes me to shed a few tears now and then. Twelve years working in public relations has taught me to have thick skin and to keep pushing forward when things get tough, but I still have days when I can’t wait to get home and pour myself a tall glass (or two) of my favorite white wine. And I’m not the only one who feels this way, either. According to The Huffington Post, public relations is ranked one of the top ten most stressful jobs in America, right alongside our friends in advertising, commercial pilots, architects and EMTs. PR executives must consistently prove our worth to clients, for fear if we don’t, we’ll get the boot. (We must also be perfect spokespersons and pitchers for the media, for fear of being “that PR person” – but that is another topic all together!)

We must educate clients who don’t understand that it is not always about how many clips you get, but also includes the importance of developing and nurturing relationships with media, analysts and industry though leaders. We must be all things to our clients: spokespersons, advisors, cheerleaders, editors, trainers, devil’s advocates, educators, writers, lead generators, pitchers, networkers, brand ambassadors, sometimes psychologists, travel companions, and dare I say, friends.

So, imagine my surprise when I read a CNBC report about the Top 10 Hated Jobs in America (as surveyed by CareerBliss). Public relations was nowhere to be found on the list, instead, it was marketing managers and VPs of sales and marketing. According to the survey, directors of sales and marketing (who typically manages the company budget, public relations and employee training) reported the second-highest level of job dissatisfaction due to “lack of direction from upper management and an absence of room for growth.”

I’ve been working in the PR agency world for my entire career, so I am not naïve to think that marketing managers and directors have it easy. I know they don’t.

Continue reading →

North Carolina Bound

Posted on | by Catherine Seeds

Howdy friends – please excuse the short post, but it has been a bit hectic around here lately. The past few months have been very busy for all of us here at Ketner Group—in a good way!

The summer months have traditionally been slower for us in years past—mostly because there are very few large industry tradeshows, which means our clients typically won’t make significant announcements or implement large, integrated marketing/PR campaigns.

North Carolina

But that has not been the case for us this year! KG clients have had a very busy summer thus far with significant customer and product announcements, as well as good traction in the social media arena. Most recently, we helped our newest consumer client, Booqoos, with the national PR launch of its new deals site. Since the launch a few weeks ago, Booqoos has been featured on local Austin TV, covered in various retail technology, business, and social commerce publications, and hailed in the blogosphere.

We have also been very fortunate to come across several new business opportunities—always a plus! In fact, KG’er Valerie Kusler and I are heading up to North Carolina tomorrow to meet with a new business prospect. Unless we are pitching a local Austin client, we do not always get the opportunity to meet with potential clients face-to-face, so we are looking forward to the opportunity! Selecting a PR agency is more than making a financial investment, its an investment in a long-term partnership that will ensure the company’s PR/marketing success. So, if you were going to ‘take the plunge’ with a PR agency, wouldn’t you want to meet the team in person to measure their relevant experience and knowledge and, just as important, gauge their chemistry with your team? Could switching to Geico really save you 15 percent or more on car insurance? (Ok, bad joke, but I’m a little punch drunk at the moment!)

I hope that you all have had a fun, healthy and prosperous summer so far. Here’s to cooler temps in the U.S. and of course—football season being than a month away!