Who’s up for a Good Parable?

An old man, a child and a mule enter town. The child rides the mule as the old man holds the reins.

As they enter town, they overhear talk of “What an awful child! How can he let that old man walk in the heat?”

The child decides to switch with the old man, and let him ride the mule.

They venture further into town, only to overhear the townspeople say, “What an awful old man! How can he let that child break his back while he rides the mule?”

The distraught old man and the child decide to put their bags on the mule, and to both hold the reins. As they do this, they overhear, “How can those two pile all those bags on that poor mule?”

Finally, the old man and the child decide to carry their bags and walk the mule through town.

A man approaches them and says, “You guys are idiots, why are you wasting a perfectly good mule?”

 

Marketing and subsequently social media is a world where you can not please everyone. Hone in and connect with your key stakeholders.

Social Media as The Jerry Springer show

 

I remember when I was young staying up super late to watch Jerry Springer with my brother…

Why would I ever do this? I admit Jerry Springer was one of only two shows I ever defied my parents to stay up late and watch (the other being Siskel & Ebert). There was something about the show I thought was fascinating. I just didn’t know there were people like that in the world, and it always opened my eyes for better or worse. Oh, and it was totally hilarious as well.

Sometimes, when I am delving deep into a social media project or campaign I’m reminded of the Jerry, Steve and their weird, eclectic guests. I also get a tinge of nostalgia of how off-putting and involving the show was. Every time, I click on a link it’s as if I am entering a new world or culture that I had no idea existed.

Social Media for Business: THE NEW PR

The digital landscape may not have replaced PR & marketing, but it is radically changing it. Social media has re-written the rule book when it comes to communciating with your audience(s).

In the new world of social media, communication is instantaneous; one click of a button can turn into thousands of reactions that can be positive or negative. Discussions that starts online can turn into tomorrow’s news.

You need to engage your audience, listen, and understand them. Everyone has a voice and it will be heard either through traditional news outlets, blogs, Facebook, Youtube, or Twitter. You need to kick PR into high gear and be ready to respond.

Traditional marketing methods are dying!  As a marketing company that specializes in social media and online branding, we are connectors that build the bridge between audiences and clients. The marketing/PR landscape is not the same. Public Relations is morphing into something that is more strategic, creative, and is offering greater value to consumers and brands. It is truly give and take.

For example: The New PR is allowing companies to start using different channels to engage their audience. Online contests are a popular way to drive traffic to a site or  micro-site using blogs, Youtube, Twitter, etc… Online initiatives compound the offline and make for greater success.

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