Unless you’ve been ignoring all forms of media for the past week, you already know that NBA’s Lebron James announced where he will be playing next season last night. LeBron’s event, dubbed “The Decision” was broadcast live on ESPN’s television channel and website for all the world to see. Some were saying it was not just the biggest decision in NBA history; but the biggest decision in all of sports history.
Wondering where your users are spending their social time online? Check out this great infographic from Ethan Bloch of Flowtown. It breaks out traffic to the most popular social media sites based on income level, sex, education level, and age.
It used to be so simple. You used all your communication channels to expose customers to a meticulously researched, consistently reinforced brand message that defined who your company was, what it did, and how. The customers accepted your carefully crafted message and understood your corporate identity. You had complete control, and we all lived brandedly ever after.
Then came social media. And with it, an enormous shift in control. Your brand is now undeniably owned by your audience: your customers, your vendors, the people you work with, and anyone else who has an impression of you. Your brand is other people’s perception of what it’s like to do business with you, work with you, or be with you. Suddenly there are no secrets. The audience knows as much or more than the companies themselves about their own products and services. And whether the news is good or bad, they’re telling everyone.
Companies need to recognize that people are discussing their brands with or without their permission. If you aren’t participating in the social landscape, then you’re effectively releasing control over your marketing message. Maybe you’re hesitant to engage on social media channels because you’re afraid someone will criticize you? Guess what; they’re doing it anyway. You know what’s scarier? Having no ability to influence the perceptions they’re shaping because you’re not a part of the conversation.
Here’s my advice: If you want to be afraid of something, fear doing nothing. Social media is not a fad. It’s no longer a novelty. It’s business – YOUR business. Get over the analysis paralysis and get started with a well-reasoned strategy, a commitment to participate, and a willingness to listen and respond. Instead of standing frozen in fear, leverage the new opportunities social media presents, like its unprecedented access to powerful audience information and insight. Get online and engage so you can continue to build, protect, and represent your brand.
Seventy-five years ago last week a rock ’n’ roll icon was born, and thereafter one of the most recognizable brands on the planet: Elvis Presley. It’s hard to believe that a humble shotgun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi would become the launching pad for a wildly successful brand empire, but the numbers don’t lie. In 2009, Elvis Presley Enterprises earned $55 million, his Graceland shrine attracts 600,000 visitors annually, and he’s sold more than one billion record units worldwide. While Elvis the man is dead, Elvis the brand continues to thrive.
So how did we get to this point, where Elvis’ mug gets plastered on everything from t-shirts to lamps to golf balls to… err… mugs? To some extent, we have his manager – the man Elvis fans love to hate – Colonel Tom Parker to thank (blame?). With his background in the carnival world, Parker never lost his appetite for promotion, tasteless or otherwise, and he treated his star as the ultimate sideshow. As early as 1956, Parker cashed in on Elvis’ undeniable charisma, brokering a deal with toy manufacturer Hank Saperstein to merchandise 72 different Elvis-themed products. The combination of Elvis’ raw appeal, post-WW II prosperity, and the emerging teen culture provided the ideal marketplace; in six months these trinkets accounted for $22 million in sales. In that sense, the template of Elvis-as-commodity was established almost from the beginning of his career.
