The best way to show our readers that a serious, planned approach to social media as a key marketing channel can lead to success (when integrated with offline channels), is to provide case studies or corporate examples of triumph and prosperity.

Today’s post is going to do just that. In 2008, Starbucks (YES, I am one of their devotees ) found themselves in some serious hot water. Sales were down, there were major corporate management changes (which included Starbucks former CEO Howard Shultz returning and some management being let go), store closings, and some of the rapid rate expansion was slowed so that the company could go back to basics. The challenge? “How do they get back their relationship with their customer — the one they had when they first began?” Shultz claimed that, “Starbucks had lost its soul.”
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Haiti had another aftershock, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, that resulted in no immediate damage. But this poor country is still in need of so much support. The Red Cross has raised more than $25 million with its text message campaign I wrote about on Jan. 13, 10. I just received a text from Rogers Wireless for those in Canada: you can text HELP to donate $5.00 and Rogers will pass through 100% of the proceeds. This is not the focus of today’s post, but we here at SHARE do want to SHARE our blog to support the people of HAITI. Thanks for all your help!

There was much talk at the end of 2008 of the Barak Obama Presidential Campaign and how he used social media to build a movement for change. It has been a marketing study for many. The power that was leveraged by sweeping a country one person at a time and using individuals as community organizers to build what became a global movement was cutting edge.
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I was at lunch last week with a new friend and he asked me what is social media? I said to him it is a form of networking that is leveraged using social media tools online such at Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linkedin and so on. Yes—all things that most of us know!
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We have been in many client meetings over the last few weeks as everyone now needs to be using social media and is furiously finalizing their budgets and marketing plans for 2010. In one of the discussions with a team member, we talked about how many large businesses still have no understanding of how to leverage social media, but have decided to get engaged. Further to that, they have decided (in many cases) that they are going to apply a minimal budget, hire some interns and run it internally. The other option is to use the agency that manages their traditional work and have them manage their social media marketing. What is the outcome? Just ask Toyota about the response to their recent Yaris campaign.
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Social media is no longer a phenomenon for most businesses. Many have yet to jump into the mix, but we no longer need to spell it out for them. That’s progress people! As for where social media is going, we’re looking at web video and mobile, from my perspective. I love videos. They are funny, you get to see someone in real-time, and you can connect with and share them so easily. Many videos are funny or inspiring—and can’t we all use some humour or inspiration now and then?
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I know I promised I was going to use Fridays and Mondays to post more thoughts that were strictly mine—without sharing the posts of others—but this is just too good. In the digital creative agency business, our best asset is   to be able to show how technology innovation works. The idea is about finding ways to get people to SHARE your brand and make it theirs—to sell products and services. THAT is what our goal and commitment is for our clients and partners.

This Youtube video from Ikea shows you a viral campaign that leverages Facebook and how they were able to build friends, engage people in a contest and promote Ikea product. A perfect trinity! We love when this happens and love having the opportunity to do this for our clients.

Enjoy the video. Time for you to kick it out of the park!

Best Nicole

It is no secret or surprise to our readers that I am a fan of Josh Bernoff. He made social media for me. Really made it make sense in a context that I could use for our clients in order to provide them with a social way to engage and connect with their consumers—no matter the type of business, size, service, industry or country.
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These days, for most companies this question is their biggest fear. Marketers grapple with the assumption that as soon as we enter the world of social media, we are opening ourselves up to the brand bashing bad-vocates.
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Many months back I wrote about the Korean BBQ street vendor: a guy who had an idea for tacos—that featured Korean BBQ. He parked outside of the clubs late at night for weeks with no action. He  then went to the famed Robinson Blvd. where the famous Ivey restaurant resides and the paparazzi shoot the lunching celebrities……still no action. Next up was Twitter and Facebook…and before he knew it, the line ups were around the block.
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Tranparent is a word that has been floating around for a while. The dictionary definition: easily seen through, recognized, or detected. The media and the internet have helped to provide a forum where people can now have direct and immediate relationships with information products and services. The benefit of social media is that you can now talk directly to the customer about who you are as a brand, share your values and share your story while targeting (globally) those whose values match yours. In turn, your customers and fans can pass your story on.
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