Oscars and All-Stars: Twitter Takes Over

Between All-Star Weekend in our city of Orlando, Florida, and the 82^nd Annual Academy Awards Sunday evening, it was a hectic 48 hours in the social media stratosphere. On-site updates were rolling in at breakneck speed; so much so that my thumb is sore from repeatedly tapping the ‘refresh’ button in a feeble attempt to keep up. In this week’s blog, we attempt to roundup the top Twitter trends and highlights from an electrifying weekend.

Jolie’s Leg Blows up the Internet

Award shows always dominate the Internet, and last night’s Oscars were no different. The main trend, however, was regarding the awkward pose Angelina Jolie struck while presenting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Showing off her right leg via the extremely high slit in her dress proved online-gold, as #angiesleg immediately topped the trends on Twitter, going as far as spawning the spoof-account @AngiesRightLeg (which garnered nearly 13,000 followers overnight.) Tweets about the starlet’s stance came in at the staggering speed of nearly 3,500 a minute.

All-Star Weekend Invades Orlando; Dunk Contest Social Media Savvy

Orlando was the focus of the sports nation over the weekend, playing host to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Reports of celebrities mingling with common folk and grabbing drinks at local watering holes were rampant; the town was truly abuzz with basketball fever and enjoying national exposure.

For the first time ever, the NBA dunk contest utilized Twitter to tally the votes for the evening’s winner. By tweeting ‘#SpriteSlam’ with the name of who they felt won, the fans decided the winner in the judgeless competition. Incorporating social media allowed for an unprecedented level of fan-interaction and boosted ratings for the annual contest.

Norm Macdonald’s Real-Time Twitter Commentary

Norm Macdonald has normally been regarded as the anti-Hollywood. His deadpan, oft confused and mumbling delivery are not always well received, but his snarky real-time narration and mockery of the Oscars was terrific. His Twitter handle, @NormMacdonald, provided up to the second one-liners regarding the awards show, gracing the Internet with gems like, “I think it would be cool if an actor changed his name to Oscar Buzzworthy,” and “I was hoping another movie I’ve never heard of would win.”

Twitter gives creative minds like Norm an outlet and arena to deliver an entertaining take on events such as the Oscars, often making the actual affair appear mundane in comparison.

It was a watershed weekend for Twitter interaction, from the Academy Awards to All-Stars, alley-oops to acceptance speeches. Social media made Angelina Jolie’s extremities famous, gave fans an online voice and made Norm Macdonald relevant. We are just beginning to see the benefits of using this medium, and every new national event is another possibility to break new ground.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

Twitter: Your Customer Service Renaissance

Outstanding customer service recruits and retains business.  There’s nothing like walking into a convenience store and an associate greeting you by name; your regular purchases already at the counter waiting for you.  In the interpersonal disconnect that exists in the world of emails and text messages, a sterling level of customer service may be difficult to come by as opposed to years past.  Thankfully, the realm of social media – specifically the Twittersphere – has allowed for one-on-one interaction, creating a channel where companies can reach their clients and customers instantly and efficiently, ushering in a new era of corporate-consumer relations.

In her new book, Thumbonomics, PR/PR client Heather Lutze describes the evolution of Comcast Cable’s customer service, which was perennially viewed as one of the worst in the business before it implemented a social media component.  ‘Comcast Bill,’ as he is colloquially known, maintains Comcast’s Twitter account: @comcastcares, and interacts with customers and addresses cable problems in real-time.  Utilizing a social media vehicle for client relations has allowed users to put a face to a name, and ensure customers that their issues are being handled by a real person, not some autonomous robot on a phone system.  Comcast, previously a customer service pariah, has now garnered over 50,000 followers on Twitter, all eager to join in on the conversation.

Blogger and social media extraordinaire, former PR/PR client Peter Shankman was the recipient of one of the best examples of sparkling customer service derived from Twitter, as he jokingly tweeted at Morton’s Steakhouse that he would like a porterhouse waiting for him upon arrival at the Newark airport.  Much to his surprise, a server from Morton’s was waiting for him at the arrivals gate, porterhouse in hand.  The move provided a boost of publicity for the steak restaurant, as Peter dedicated an entire blog post to their inventive use of social media to make someone’s day.  Experiences like Peter’s build life-long customers, and the opportunities for these experiences have increased exponentially since companies jumped online. 

Twitter is a powerful tool when used correctly, and can be a sinister one when used against you.  Separate yourself from your contemporaries by engaging in person-to-person conversations; assist your clients in rectifying their problems and answering their questions.  The Halcyon days of superior customer service have not gone the way of the buffalo; they are alive and well with one click of a button. 

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

  

Sloth: The Deadliest Technological Sin

Our own in-house grammar-guru Lindsay Durfee made reference earlier this week to a recent USATODAY.com article that was littered with misspellings and various errors.  Although corrected, the post was met with a litany of user comments as to the carelessness of the media outlet releasing something without a simple proofread.  Their solution: disable the comment functionality, correct the errors, and enter damage control mode.  Was this occurrence a mere aberration or the symptom of a greater problem sweeping the business world?

The Internet Age tore across the globe like a bullet-train through Grand Central Station.  Many adapted to its advent, and many unlucky individuals let it pass them by.  Those who got on board early are reaping the benefits of its capabilities, and those who remained stagnant are trying to retain a firm grasp on their professional lives in this exciting and unfamiliar time.  There’s no doubt the Web has revolutionized all that we do, but in instances as described above, it may prove a hindrance as opposed to an advantage.

One glaring observation is the infiltration of “Internet shorthand” into the business sector.  While appropriate for your Twitter account or a quick text message, “LOL’s” and “U’s” have no place in the email subject line to your CFO.  A lackadaisical approach to the simple matters in business will simply cause your constituents to doubt your abilities and cast you in a negative light.

Our most recent blog post outlined the importance of using social media to craft your brand notoriety and maximize your Internet presence.  There is one other critical facet to this: use your brain!  Smart social media trumps a flood of nonsensical, inaccurate Twitter blasts and Facebook status updates.  Aside from providing a public forum for your potential clients to view your mistakes, it denigrates your message and broadcasts an image of inattentiveness to your affairs. 

With the world at your fingertips, it’s entirely too easy to drift into autopilot and allow technology to do all the work.  As USA Today learned the hard way this week, spellcheck is no substitute for attention to detail and a copy editor with a keen eye.  Rein in every aspect of your corporation that is visible to the public: from pitches and press releases to blog posts and business emails.  The Internet is a magnificent tool; allow it to work for you and not against you.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations

The Key to Social Media: Thinking Outside the Box

Amid allegations of fraud and misuse, on August 14^th Starbucks put the kibosh on Johnathan’s Card, the latest social-phenomenon to ignite the Internet.  Working on the long-held, but woefully infrequent practice of ‘paying it forward,’ Johnathan’s Card allowed folks across the country to utilize Jonathan Stark’s Starbucks card to buy each other a cup of coffee.  As drinks were purchased, the account was drained and replenished by its users and the available funds updated in real-time via Johnathan’s Twitter handle: @JohnathansCard.  The coffee conglomerate was silently rooting for the endeavor to succeed, but unfortunate circumstances forced their hand in canceling the account.  Albeit short-lived, this thought-provoking experiment was a testament to the global impact of social networking, and how far-reaching the Internet’s information-rich tentacles can truly be.

By far, the best example of viral Internet marketing is Old Spice’s ‘Mano A Mano in El Baño’ campaign.  The ‘Old Spice Guy’ answering Twitter users’ random questions in the form of a personalized commercial on YouTube cemented Old Spice as ahead of the curve in employing the web for marketing and brand recognition.  Personally, I found myself ignoring all other products on the deodorant aisle and heading straight for the Old Spice.  When an ad campaign compels you to purchase a product simply because you appreciate the commercials, someone in the PR department is doing it right. 

The fact of the matter is that the game has changed.  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media websites have turned the advertising game on its head and shifted the way we all conduct business.  Gone are the days of supermarket circulars and cold-calling.  Obsolete and arbitrary are many of the practices once considered the standard in the world of sales and marketing.  Your prime objective should be widespread visibility, and in terms of crafting your brand and name-notoriety, the old way of doing things simply doesn’t suffice. 

Focus on your social-media footprint and maximizing your online presence.  Make a mental note that you are the artisan of your own future successes and profitability, and take advantage of every possible avenue for enhancing exposure.  We are waist-deep in previously uncharted waters in terms of publicity, and the possibilities are virtually endless.  Don’t wait for the ship to sail: take a cue from Jonathan Stark and Old Spice and dive right in.

-Carter Breazeale

PR/PR Public Relations