Monthly Archives: April 2009

We’ve come a long way, baby

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My husband and I visited his parents last weekend and ended up discovering a stack of old photography magazines his mom had saved. The following gem is an excerpt from the American Photo March/April 1996 issue and was written as a computer review for readers looking to “buy a new machine designed for the online age.” Enjoy:

We chose the [IBM] Aptiva M71 ($2,999 list) for our Net-crusing system because its 133-megahertz Pentium processor took us to warp speed. Then we paired it with IBM’s nearly glare-free 17-inch G70 monitor ($879), souped it up with an extra 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM ($600) for a total of 32 MB (expansion is possible up to 128 MB), and plugged in Storm Technology’s EasyPhoto Reader, an inexpensive ($249) and ingenious print scanner. Everything else we could dream up– a fast 28,800-baud modem, a quadruple speed CD-Rom drive, a huge 1.6-gigabyte hard drive, stereo speakers, a microphone, and dozens of software titles, and of course a keyboard and mouse– came with the Aptiva M71…

…When combined with IBM’s G70 monitor, the Aptiva (which comes loaded with Windows 95) displays 16.7 million colors at 640×480 pixel screen resolution. That’s a treat for visiting Websites and a necessity for accurate digital retouching of photographs. (If you want a higher 1024×768 resolution, you get a still-impressive 64,000 colors).

So in 1996 you could drop about $4,700 for the machine described above, which would take you to “warp speed” with its 28.8 modem.

Last month, I bought a Dell Inspiron laptop for $550. It came with a 160 gigabyte (that would be GB) hard drive, 2.0 gigahertz processor,1.0 GB of RAM, a 1280×800 resolution screen that displays 16.7 million colors, and an 8x DVD-RW drive.

I like the future.

Social Media Smackdown: Mountain Hardwear vs. The North Face

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It’s time for the second installment of Social Media Smackdown, and this time, I’m putting two Northern California-based purveyors of fine outdoor performance clothing to the test: Mountain Hardwear and The North Face. As an owner of several pieces of gear from these two brands, I can attest that I wouldn’t be as comfortable skiing or hiking without them. But how are they engaging with their fans online through social media? Let’s find out:

s_mhw-logothe_north_face_logo

Round 1: Twitter

It looks like both brands are just starting out on Twitter: @hardwear and @TheNorthFace. Each has a modest number of fans and not too many tweets. Here’s the breakdown:

Mountain Hardwear: Following 476, Followers 1,121, Tweets 72
Mountain Hardwear started Tweeting at the end of 2008. Even though the account doesn’t identify who is tweeting on behalf of the company, the account really seems to have a personal voice and it’s more than just pushing out product news. There’s a good mix of replies and retweets in the stream, and Mountain Hardwear does a good job of sharing a variety of content: links to gear reviews, videos and blog posts from outdoor/adventure bloggers. They also highlight awards and accolades not only for their products but also for their company (named one of America’s Best Places to Work). Mountain Hardwear also tried to start a Backcountry Cookbook and asked fans to DM them with recipes. However, since it doesn’t appear to be following back most of its fans, followers wouldn’t be able to send  a DM to the account. Mountain Hardwear’s stats from Twitter Friends show that Mountain Hardwear earns a CQ (conversation quotient) score of 50 percent and relatively high LQ (link quotient) and RQ (retweet quotient) scores of 16.4 percent and 44.4 percent, respectively. A new account, but one that shows good promise in actively and authentically engaging with fans, and it’s very focused on conversation and not necessarily marketing.

The North Face: Following 327, Followers 1,839, Tweets 91
The North Face has been on Twitter since October 2007, so the fact that they’ve only posted 91 tweets in that time immediately indicated to me that maybe the brand wasn’t too engaged with Twitter. It seems as though the account’s activity has picked up lately, however. And the tweetstream also has a personal voice to it. @replies to followers clarify differences between products, give instructions on how to return a product for repair, and even help a potential intern with where to send a resume. Tweets include alerts on new store openings and coupons, product announcements, and events. Overall, the marketing is kept minimal and a lot of time is spent replying to and engaging with followers. Twitter Friends shows a CQ of 58.9 percent, LQ of  46.4 percent, and no retweets.

Point: I’d say this one’s a draw. Both brands are doing a good job of being personable and accessible through Twitter and connecting with fans while not merely trying to push out their own content.

Round 2: Facebook

Mountain Hardwear’s Facebook page currently has more than 3,800 fans. They have 12 photo albums with some fantastic shots of “Mountain Hardwear Athletes in Action” but there are also photos of staffers at events at the company headquarters– really giving a personal feel to the company. The discussion area of the page shows good engagement from fans. Mountain Hardwear posts questions like, “What’s your favorite climb?” and “What’s your favorite recovery food?” They’ve integrated their blog’s RSS feed to post notes to their Facebook page and posted more than 100 links to climbing news, articles about outdoor adventure travel, and blog posts on conservation events. Fans are very engaged on the page, asking questions, posting product line suggestions, and uploading pictures of themselves in MHW gear.

The North Face has ten times as many fans, at 37,000+ (although The North Face is much more widely distributed and sells a greater variety of attire, including less-technical gear). Five photo albums on the page showcase The North Face-sponsored outdoor events and fans have uploaded close to 100 of their own pictures. Some sponsored events are posted, including an Endurance Challenge.They also have an RSS feed of their blog so that posts appear as notes on its fan page, and The North Face uses notes to push out sales promotions such as free gifts and discounts at its outlet stores exclusively for Facebook fans who print out the note and bring it to the store. Additionally, some of The North Face’s Outlet Stores have just started their own individual Facebook fan pages (The North Face Store Minneapolis, for example).

Point: Ever so slightly, The North Face gets the point here. Both brands have a solid Facebook presence, but The North Face’s innovative use of exclusive coupons and deals for its Facebook fans via the notes feature gives them the edge.

mhwRound 3: Web site

Both brands’ Web sites start with landing pages that ask you to select your country/language. Both sites are aesthetically pleasing. The major difference is that The North Face sells gear directly through its Web site, so it is set up as more of an eCommerce site. Mountain Hardwear’s products are sold through distribution and so there’s a prominent “Where to Buy” link at the top that directs customers to dealer Web sites.

The Mountain Hardwear site includes a link to “The Expedition Republic” social community, but the site takes an interminably long time to load. BUT, if you can hang with it, it’s a truly awesome landing page. It almost comes across looking like a 3D video game, where you can click different parts of a landscape to zoom in and get a glimpse into an online community of hikers, climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. Once you’re in the community (it’s built on the Ning platform), each member has a profile page and can post photos, videos, discussion questions, or join groups. There are currently more than 1,200 members.  Additionally, the Mountain Hard Wear site links to a company blog, Hardwear Sessions, which is more of an outdoor adventure blog than a company or product blog. It features posts from Adventure Journalists and information about rock climbing clinics, mixed in with a few product posts (“Mountain Hardwear Gear Featured on the Amazing Race”, e.g.).

The North Face site is designed to sell, and most of it is devoted to products. Customers can submit product reviews on the site. There’s a brief “Explore” menu with links to Expeditions, Videos, Downloads and Feeds. The North Face has several blogs and a podcast, and RSS feeds are available for all of them. One blog follows The North Face climbing team around the globe, another focuses on endurance challenges, a third dedicated to The North Face gear. Feeds to various “Expedition Dispatches” blogs follow specific athletes on their adventures. You can also sign-up for e-mail updates on the site. There are dozens of videos on The North Face site, grouped by type of activity. Overall, while there’s a lot of content, it is very dispersed and fractured. You have to leave the site to visit all of The North Face’s blogs–which are at different domains–and that’s if you can find the links to the blogs, which are buried on the site. There’s nothing on the site that engenders a sense of community among customers or fans, and there are no obvious links to find The North Face at their other online properties like Twitter or Facebook.

Point: This one goes to Mountain Hardwear, for building a focused blog and an incredible Ning community for its fans to connect and share – and making all of these features easily located from the home page.

Round 4: Other Social Sites (Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, etc.)

The North Face has a branded YouTube channel with 63 videos and the most viewed video has more than 9,000 hits. Mountain Hardwear also has a YouTube channel, with 26 videos (most-viewed has 5,000+ hits). The North Face didn’t have a Flickr page that I could find, but Mountain Hardwear had both a Flickr profile and group. They invite people to post pictures showing creative use of their gear to the group photo pool. More than 130 pictures are posted to the group, and over 1,100 images are on the company’s profile. I did not detect a Myspace presence for either company (and honestly, I don’t think that many in their target audience frequent that site).

Point: I’ll go with Mountain Hardwear here, although it’s close. The North Face essentially loses out due to their lack of presence on Flickr, where Mountain Hardwear has come up with some creative ways to get its customers/fans involved by photographing their use of MHW products.

The Final Verdict: It looks like the tally favors Mountain Hardwear, by a smidgen. Both brands are to be commended for embracing social media and engaging with fans on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and YouTube. The North Face has a more diverse customer base, while Mountain Hardwear caters to more technical and focused outdoor enthusiasts, so a dedicated Ning community devoted to mountaineering expeditions may work for them but not for The North Face. Regardless, these two brands aren’t afraid to use emerging social media tools to find and connect with fans.

I think I’ll throw on my Mountain Hardwear base layer and The North Face waterproof shell and head to… the grocery store. Sometimes everyday is not an adventure.

Previous Smackdown: Magic Hat vs. Bell’s Beer

Image via Flickr user Domingo Sandoval

Capital Region Communications Pros on Twitter

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Looking to connect with communications pros in the Albany/Schenectady/Troy/Saratoga Springs area? I’ve compiled a list of communications, marketing and public relations professionals from New York’s Capital Region who are on Twitter. Some of these folks are relatively new to Twitter, so follow ‘em and say hello!

I’ll update this list every few months, so please comment or e-mail me and let me know who’s missing:

Name of Person (Company)

Andrea Colby (e3 Communications)
AngelosTzelepis (LinguaLinx)
Amanda Dolan (Freelance PR Professional)
Amanda Magee (Trampoline Design Studio
Amy Mengel (Latham International/Freelance)
Brian DeFrees (Potratz Partners Advertising)
Christine Powers (Red Cross of NENY)
Christy Potratz (Potratz Partners Advertising)
Colleen Pierre (SCA Tissue)
D.C. Hannay (Independent Media Producer)
Dan Allen (Potratz Partners Advertising)
Danielle Valenti (Cotton Hill Studios)
Edward Parham (Rueckert Advertising & Public Relations)
Janet Hiser (Media Logic)
Janet Ann Smith (Multilogue Consulting)
Janie Goewey (Change Round Up)
Jason Gorss (Global Foundries)
John Jordan (Media Logic)
John Nicholas (Independent Marketing Professional)
Justin Cresswell (WSG)
Kathy Wren (Shorey PR)
Kristin Campbell (Mazzone Management Group)
Kyle Kotary (Empire Public Affairs)
Leslie Horn Trosset (BizTechLink)
Lisa Barone (Outspoken Media)
Lizzie Sorensen (32 Flavors PR)
Luke Meyers (McMurry)
Mannix Marketing
Margherita Krug (Cotton Hill Studios)
Mark Grimm (Mark Grimm Communications)
Mark Shipley (Wanderlust)
Matt Doscher (Potratz Partners Advertising)
Media Logic
Meghan Butler (LinguaLinx)
Michael Mullaney (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
Michelle Bennett (Knolls Atomic Power Lab)
Millie Rossman Kidd (MRK Design)
Mossey Group
Nichole Ringer (Six Flags Great Escape)
Nicole Messier (Freelance PR)
NewCom
Outspoken Media
Overit Media
Palio Communications
Patrick Boegel (Media Logic)
Paul Potratz (Potratz Partners Advertising)
Ray Rettig (Cotton Hill Studios)
Rhea Drysdale (Outspoken Media)
Rebecca Murtagh (Karner Blue Marketing)
Seth Buckwalter (Shorey PR)
Shannon Cherry (The Power Publicist)
Sheila Faith (Media Logic)
Silvy Lang (Media Logic)
Siobhan Kent (Red Cross of NENY)
Stacey Nooney (Working Pictures)
Tom Nardacci (Gramercy Communications)
Trampoline Design Studios
Vic Cipolla (NewCom)

Additional local resources:
Capital Region PRSA Chapter
Capital Region AMA Chapter
Capital Alliance of Young Professionals
Albany Ad Club

What other communications or public relations professionals am I missing? Leave a comment below.

Tight on resources? Deputize your brand’s fans

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Sometimes you just need more people. In January, Washington, D.C. deputized out-of-town security and police forces during the Obama inauguration. The city gave them the tools and authority to manage the massive crowds that had descended for the weekend. The size of the actual D.C. police force didn’t grow permanently, but it had the resources it needed to get through the event. Brands can achieve the same effect – a simulated growth in the size of its marketing resources – by deputizing their fans.

penzeysI am a huge fan of Penzey’s Spices. The company is based in Wisconsin and has a few dozen stores throughout the US and a mail-order catalog. Their products are amazing. Their cinnamon (all four varieties) is the best I’ve ever tasted. Penzey’s rubs and spice blends for meats and vegetables can make a good cook out of just about anyone. They offer adorable spice gift packages that I’ve often given at wedding showers and as holiday gifts. A few of my favorite recipes were discovered in their spice catalogs. I don’t ever plan on buying grocery-store spices again.

I will gladly sing Penzey’s praises to anyone who will listen (see above paragraph). But here’s the problem – I have very little at my disposal to aid in my Penzey’s evangelization. It doesn’t appear that the company has even dipped its toes into the social media waters yet. No Facebook fan page, no Twitter account, no company blog. That leaves me with only their Web site to direct people to after I tell them how absolutely delicious the Florida Seasoned Pepper or Northwoods Fire blend is.

But Penzey’s Web site is relatively bland – it’s set up essentially as a no-frills eCommerce site. There’s no way for me to interact with the brand and share it with my friends. Bill Penzey, the company founder, writes a folksy customer letter in each catalog and it’s posted on the penzeys.com Web site. But I can’t share it via Facebook, Delicious or Twitter. The catalog is essentially on the site in .pdf format – making it difficult to share. The recipes from the catalog are also posted to the Web site. But again, I can’t bookmark them, post them to a profile, or even “e-mail this page to a friend.”

What Penzey’s perhaps doesn’t realize is that I, and I’m sure many of their other fans, would do a heck of a lot of free marketing for them if we only had tools and content at our disposal. People are already talking about the brand online: a Google blog search for Penzey’s returns more than 14,000 results. On Facebook, a loyal Penzey’s fan created a group that has almost 400 members and there are three others with a couple dozen members. It doesn’t appear that anyone from Penzey’s participates in these groups.

If Penzey’s fans were deputized – armed and equipped with social tools to take to our friends and networks – we could spread our love for Penzey’s at an exponential rate. Imagine if Penzey’s had a Facebook fan page that featured recipes, images, coupons, gift ideas or cooking tips. Or if they created a YouTube channel or Flickr account where their fans could post photos or videos of the meals they created using Penzey’s spices. Penzey’s doesn’t necessarily need to dive in to a full-fledged social media campaign, but creating some social outposts could go a long way toward allowing their fans to interact with the brand (and with each other) and easily share Penzey’s information with their social networks.

Many smaller businesses are afraid of moving into social media because they think it will take too much time. But if your customers like your brand enough and you give them the necessary tools, they will spend their own time to tout your brand among their friends. So give ‘em a badge.

Image via Flickr user amymengel (yeah, I took that one)

No to Carrots, Yes to Pomegranates

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Shannon Paul, at her excellent and Very Official Blog, wrote earlier this week about a situation where a company tried to pitch her via a comment on one of her blog posts. The product had nothing to do with the topic she’d written about (using her grandma’s carrot cake recipe as a metaphor for sharing great content) and the pitch itself, for skincare products from a company called Yes-to-Carrots, came off as a “free billboard” advertisement. The story has somewhat of a happy ending, as the offending commenter later called Shannon to apologize. But trying to pitch via public comments shows a pretty incomplete understanding of effective blogger relations on the part of Yes-to-Carrots.

Pomegranates, however, are a different story. A few weeks ago, in my post about the changes to US Airway’s inflight magazine, I mentioned that part of the magazine included an excerpt from the new book Rubies in the Orchard, which is Lynda Resnick’s story of the founding and marketing of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. I said I had read the chapter excerpt in the magazine and was likely to read the whole book at some point. It was merely a mention in a post that wasn’t really about the book at all, but two days later I received the following e-mail:

Amy,

I enjoyed your post, Blogs on Paper at 35,000 feet. Did you pick up the Rubies in the Orchard book yet? I’d be happy to send you some POM juice to enjoy while you’re reading.

Send me your contact info and I’ll get you some juice within a week or so.

Cheers,
Jeff

I sent them my address, more to see what happened than anything else. Today, I received a package in the mail with a case of POM Wonderful juice, a personalized letter, and a fact sheet about pomegranates and their health benefits. I didn’t intend to blog about their outreach, as it’s really nothing new and bloggers are frequently targeted and pitched. But POM Wonderful’s efforts were in such stark contrast to what I read about on Shannon’s blog that in the end, I did end up writing about them again (although I’m sure they’re sad to learn that my blog’s audience is about 15 readers, including my dad). Perhaps most importantly for them, however, is that they’ve gained a customer: I really did like the juice and will probably buy it.

I’m sure Yes-to-Carrots and POM Wonderful both ended up at Shannon’s and my blogs, respectively, via a Google alert on a certain keyword (although Shannon’s follow-up post seems to indicate that her commenter may have been a regular reader). But what separates the carrots from the pomegranates was what they did with that info. POM Wonderful used it as an opportunity to send me a private e-mail. Yes-to-Carrots inappropriately posted a public comment to Shannon’s blog. As Shannon noted in her own comment, “I can’t think of an example where it would be a good idea to pitch someone in the comments.”

Even though Yes-to-Carrots did the right thing by calling Shannon to offer an apology and trying to start a dialogue with her, she stated that she might now be hesitant to buy a product that she already knew of and liked. Yes-to-Carrots potentially lost a customer because of botched blogger outreach. POM Wonderful gained a customer because they did a good job. Sometimes being a little seedy is a good thing.

Update: Jeremy Epstein, who posted the original Yes-to-Carrots pitch on Shannon’s blog, posted a “learn from my mistake” post at his own blog. Check it out - very impressive and goes a long way toward undoing the “damage” from the initial comment, in my opinion. Kudos to Jeremy!