davidkamerer.com

Tag: social media

  • PRSA International Conference – downloads

    Here are some files I’m sharing at the PRSA International Conference:

    Analytics and campaign development – Analytics and campaign development

    Research summary – PDF; PR at the micro level summary

    Teaching poster – PDF; media relations for the digital age

    Detailed notes – PDF; creating the digital press release

  • United’s nightmare not over by a longshot

    On July 17, 2009, Dave Carroll’s video was the number three search result for “United Airlines.”unitedbreaks.gif

  • These times call for … radical transparency

    In a world of communication-empowered customers, businesses are starting to figure out that treating customers well is … well, good business. They may also be treating customers well because they’re scared to death of the consequences of not doing so (see: Vincent Ferrari tries to cancel AOL). And that’s OK, too.

    But many businesses have just put lipstick on the pig, hoping to fool their customers with the appearance of good customer care. Their business model is: up front, we cherish you and your money. In the back, not so much.
    Here are some examples from my daily life of this “partial transparency”:
    • I subscribed to a new magazine, and received the first issue yesterday (March 12). It was the February issue, which probably was on new stands around Christmas. Also in my mailbox: the March issue. So here’s my question to Rodale Press, which publishes the magazine: am I your customer, or just a convenient way to monetize your excess back inventory? I called Rodale, and they agreed to extend my subscription for one issue. No apology though, though I did get a “not a problem.” I might still cancel the magazine.
    • I flew United Airlines to Chicago, and on the way home thought I should join the frequent flyer club. It’s easy to do so before you fly. After you’re safely home, however, it’s another matter. I endured a long-time tactic of an organization that wants to discourage a certain customer behavior: information buried deep in the website so no one can find it (hint: search for “retro credits”). When I finally found the right page, I was told I had to wait 72 hours after the last flight (translation: come back later, we’re confident you’ll forget). 
    • How many other organizations “talk the talk” of customer service, but absolutely fail to deliver it? Have you ever tried to call amazon.com? One customer who has had it even created a website full of codes that bypass the computerized voicemail hell that so many companies erect to keep customers out.
    That’s why it’s so refreshing to see when companies get it right. When they’re on Twitter, answering questions and acting like human beings. When there’s a live chat option, so you can interact with a customer service agent. And when someone, anyone, says “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” Or, “I’m sorry; how can I make that right?”
    Social media is about media, for sure, but it’s first and foremost social. We now have the tools to be social in a computer-mediated environment. And the spoils go to those who welcome their customers and treat them like the royalty they are.

  • Skittles “tastes a rainbow” of sites

    Visit Skittles.com for a bold experiment. The candy company has temporarily taken down its normal website. In its place is a dashboard that directs you to its portfolio of social media sites. Click on “chatter” and it redirects you to a Twitter search of “skittles.” Click on “friends” and it takes you to Facebook. Brilliant, bold move. We’ll discuss it later, but for now, just check it out.skittles.gif

  • Obama takes change online

    changegov.png

    I call on president-elect Obama to create a community of committed Americans to discuss the solutions to the problems that face us. I call on him to designate a US Community Manager, with a small staff, to moderate and harvest those discussions to solve the country’s problems. Forget polls. With a few million people in my.america.gov, Obama will be able to tap into the world’s largest focus group. Communities are cheap, compared to most of what the government does. Create a space for the brightest people you know; use them to attract the best ideas. And better yet, use this energized community to sell those ideas to America.
    A day later, Obama answered the challenge with change.gov, a social media site,  to create engagement in the transition process. 
    On the site, you can read Obama’s transition blog, upload your vision for the future (with images), apply for a job and learn more about Obama’s policies and transition team.
    A hint of things to come? You can join the site by providing your email address and zip code. No doubt Obama will take direct engagement to the people to a new level. That’s one of the hallmarks of the social media campaign that propelled him into office.
    Yet another way that our President-elect is using social media to tell his story: Obama put his election photos on Flickr under Creative Commons license. 
    Read more about the creation of change.gov at Mashable and ReadWriteWeb.

  • How Obama did it

    Barack Obama climbed almost insurmountable odds in his bid to become our next president. As candidates go, he was inexperienced. He had to face down a powerful opponent – Hillary Clinton – and then maintain momentum against the Republican machine and John McCain. His race was undoubtably a negative for some voters.

    To be sure, Obama is a gifted and charismatic speaker. And Bush’s dismal failures made America ready for change.
    But Obama won because he ran an expert campaign. I think it’s the largest and most successful social media campaign ever. Through it, he engaged voters and raised an unprecedented amount of money. 
    I attended an Obama event in March, and my name and email address entered the campaign system. After that, I received timely – almost daily – messages from the campaign. They were personalized, relevant, and tactically addressed issues as they arose. Each missive included an easy way to donate, and encouraged even modest contributions. Multiply that by the millions who engaged with Obama, and you’ve got a genuine groundswell of social equity.
    Make note of these names: David Axelrod, chief strategist. And David Plouffe, campaign manager. These are the geniuses who led Obama to victory. 
    Posts like these will have to hold you until someone writes a book documenting the strategy and tactics that elected Obama. That will be THE book about the 2008 presidential election.