In April 2010, I wrote a post about a Facebook challenge run by Method, the home cleaning products purveyor. They rewarded their fans with a 50 percent discount for reaching their 10,000 fan milestone. Unfortunately, they faced a number of logistical challenges, too, and their wall lit up with complaints.

Last week they ran a similar promotion when they hit 50,000 “likes.” That’s a lot of growth in 16 months.

Unfortunately, it seems Method didn’t learn from its mistakes. While there are plenty of posts of gratitude, there are arguably as many of complaint. The promotion code didn’t work for some. The people in customer service couldn’t help. The list goes on. People are even complaining about why Method isn’t responding to the complaints.

I don’t think any brand should feel obligated to respond to each and every complaint on a Facebook wall. As Jonathan Salem Baskin pointed out in his comment to my last post, people who “like” Method on Facebook may have never spent one cent on their products. But I do think a post to the community that acknowledges the issues people faced and explains the limitations of the promotion is in order.

I also think it wasn’t the most thoughtful approach to issue the promotion on the eve of Hurricane Irene. Method may be based in California, but many of its East Coast customers (myself included) weren’t able to log on to even know about the promotion. Couldn’t they have said they’d make the announcement about the promotion once the hurricane subsided?

Maybe the third time will be the charm.

All too often, a company’s social media strategy and execution are placed in the hands of an intern or entry-level employee. The idea that young people “get it” more readily than their superiors makes some sense. But seasoned communicators they are not. Their efforts need to be directed by people who can ensure the strategy is in line with the brand and buy-in has to come from the top.

Similarly, social media should not be a small part of someone’s job or handed off to a part timer. While doing a competitive audit for a new client, we saw the following on a company’s Facebook page:

“This is the US page for fan and company interaction, but is not an outlet to customer service. This page is manned M-F 9-5 EDT. If you have a question or a issue with an order, please call … ”

We think it’s smart to clearly articulate what an individual should expect from a Facebook page. And most people would be willing to wait until the next business day to hear a response to something they posted on a company’s wall. However, to come right out and say that the page is only “manned” M-F 9-5 EDT demonstrates this brand is not committed to realizing the full potential of social media. That’s not engaging in conversation. That’s saying, “We’ll talk to you on our terms.”

One aspect of social media that makes many clients nervous is the degree to which their customer service issues will play out publicly. Of course, for most high-profile companies, online conversation about their brand will happen whether they launch and maintain a Facebook page or Twitter account.

A while back, I was asked to speak to the American Bankers Association on how to “create buzz” online and off. In preparing my remarks, I looked to see what bank brands were doing via social media. While many had launched both Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, it appeared as though their customers were more likely to follow them on Twitter. It makes sense: You may not want to profess your “like” for your bank on your Facebook page, but Twitter presents a great way to keep up to date on new services and address any customer service issues.

The other day, when my bank – @TDBank_US – Tweeted something that appeared in my feed, I realized that the people in my branch had yet to resolve an issue for me. I opened a savings account for my newborn son and they were supposed to connect it to my online banking profile. Rather than asking a third time in the branch (yes, I still go into the branch for my business transactions), I decided to send them a direct message on Twitter. Within a couple of minutes, they responded that I should call a particular toll-free number and to let them know when the issue was resolved.

When I called, the person who answered the phone told me I needed to start a brand new online banking profile in order to add the savings account. I agreed to this, but then realized after we hung up that I lost all my bill pay info in the transition. I sent another direct message via Twitter reflecting my disappointment and the person on Twitter duty asked if they could have someone call me. Within a few minutes of receiving my phone number, someone from customer service called me and resolved the problem immediately. Apparently, I didn’t need to start a new profile, after all. The representative was extremely apologetic that the first person I spoke to was misinformed, which led me to the assumption that TD Bank takes it social media strategy very seriously and even puts its best and brightest on the case when a problem arises via Twitter.

I didn’t take my issue public (although I guess I am now), but I see consumers do it all the time. It’s part of the transparent world in which we all do business now. Preserving your brand’s reputation is not about trying to obscure customer complaints. It’s about demonstrating that you’re listening and resolving problems.

Next time I have an issue with a company, Twitter will be my first stop.

BlogHer’s influence has exploded since I last attended in 2006. We went to BlogHer ‘06 in San Jose when our client Weight Watchers Online agreed to be an event sponsor. That year, there were 750 attendees and the sponsors sat at small, skirted tables under a pavilion smaller than my apartment. Other than General Motors, we were really the only major consumer brand represented. This year,  there were more than 2,400 attendees and the sponsor “expo” comprised two large rooms filled with brands like Jimmy Dean, P&G, Walmart, Pepsi, McDonalds, Stride Rite and Earth’s Best, among dozens of others.

Recent BlogHer research shows blogs are growing faster than traditional websites as online destinations. Three quarters of the population are active (once a week or more) social media users vs. half of the population in 2009. Three quarters of the population are active (once a week or more) social media users vs. half of the population in 2009. Facebook is #1 among the top then media destinations, but Twitter didn’t make the cut. Twenty seven percent rely on blogs when making a purchasing decision and 34 percent rely on social media channels. Here’s a link to the full survey.

Female bloggers are making a major impact on people’s lives and even influencing legislation. Sure there are a lot of mommy bloggers out there talking about playgroups, the carpool and kid products they love (all issues that matter to me, btw). But the blogosphere is about way more than that. I went to a panel about how to build a community for a cause. The room was filled with women who are dealing with tremendous challenges and engaging with and helping others though their blogs. The panelists included voices from www.gimpgirl.com and www.violenceunsilenced.com. A few members of the audience received applause when they introduced themselves. It’s quite moving when a previously anonymous blogger introduces herself and realizes how many fans she has – like Anita Jackson from www.momsrising.com.

The jury is out on whether bloggers should criticize products or companies. I went to a panel on fashion blogging and much of the conversation was about how to work with sponsors. Interestingly, all three bloggers talked about how they sometimes approach potential sponsors with ideas, much like a traditional publication would do with advertisers. They also encouraged sponsors to approach bloggers with an open-ended conversation (i.e. “I would love to connect with you to figure out how we might work together.”) But they weren’t in agreement about how honest they should be when they don’t like a particular brand. Two felt it was better to focus on the positive so they didn’t alienate would-be sponsors. The other clearly felt her honesty is what makes her audience keep coming back. They did all agree, though, that criticizing with a diplomatic and professional voice was the only way to go.

Bloggers will consider giving editorial exposure for free products they receive, but they want to get paid by their sponsors. If a brand “mandates” the inclusion of links or a specific number of Tweets, they’d better be ready pay for it. One audience member in a brand session I attended asked the blogger panel how she could encourage bloggers to participate in a video project she was hosting. They asked if she offered to pay them. You can imagine the reaction of the room when she answered, “It’s a journalistic opportunity.” Don’t forget journalists do get paid a salary that’s funded, in part, by advertising.

Every so often, you learn about a new product and wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that?” A former client contacted me a few weeks ago to tell me about a brilliant new product she had invented. It’s called PoopPac. That’s right, I said “poop” on our blog. Any dog lover knows what it’s like to carry their pet’s poo while looking for a trashcan. If you’re hiking, walking on the beach or strolling through a suburban neighborhood, it’s even more of an issue as trashcans are few and far between.

Susan, who lives in sunny Santa Barbara, California, was sitting on the beach one day watching dog owners awkwardly tote around bags of poo while they drank coffee, talked on cell phones, jogged and led otherwise normal lives. She wondered why there wasn’t some type of product available in which they could place the goods until they found a proper receptacle. And PoopPac was born.

PoopPac is, in essence, the industry’s first portable pet waste carrier. It is large enough to contain dog waste until the pet’s owner can find a trash can, yet small enough to carry comfortably. The carrier also has additional space to hold plastic bags for scooping and other essentials. 

Susan had introduced her product at a pet show a couple of weeks prior and was building quite the following on Facebook. I immediately agreed to write and issue her launch press release. Now I enjoy what I do for a living, but I will admit I’ve never had so much fun writing a press release. The stories, the jokes, the puns … they’re endless. And the media seem to agree. We immediately received a dozen requests for samples and photos. PoopPac was included in a blog on the Los Angeles Times website and received a positive review from a major radio station in California. While she can’t yet announce it, her product received an Editors’ Choice award from one of the top pet industry publications. She’s also booked on Warren Eckstein’s nationally syndicated radio program, “The Pet Show” next week. 

While I wish I’d thought of PoopPac, I sure am glad Susan thought of us to help her spread the word.

Back in the 70s, my friends used to come over and watch in awe as I played games on our family’s little Mac with the cute multi-colored apple logo on the monitor.

My father was a successful computer scientist and programmer with NASA and NOAA, and so we were the first ones in our neighborhood to have a home computer.

Dad died more than 27 years ago. He had always advised me never to socialize with the people I work with; he believed people should keep their private life separate from their professional life. So I often wonder what this early adopter of computer technology would think about the cultural phenomenon that is social networking.

Many people thrive on putting their daily activities and innermost thoughts out there for the world (or at least their friends or followers) to see. Chances are good that a friend-of-a-friend is the friend of a co-worker, so it’s common sense to think twice before posting pictures of yourself getting your drink on or tweeting about how much you cannot stand your job.

Those of us in the public relations profession have always had rules about separating one’s personal and professional lives, especially when counseling C-level execs. We advise clients to think carefully before firing off a letter to the editor that’s based on personal opinion, since their position may be taken as representative of their company’s stance on a particular issue. Sometimes the two don’t match up, and that could be problematic.

Is that limiting free speech? To some degree, I suppose it is. But it’s worth the time to thoughtfully consider ways to express personal views that don’t cross the boundaries between home life and work life.

Now that the means to communicate quickly, easily and broadly have increased so dramatically, it’s more important than ever to think twice before posting your answer to the question: “What’s on your mind?”

When we pitched Method, we thought about what "product" we'd be...

Last week, Method home and personal care products announced a special offer for their Facebook fans: 50 percent off all online orders for 24 hours. The promotion celebrated the page reaching the 10,000 fan milestone. I logged on immediately and bought way more cleaning products than my two-bedroom apartment needs. And I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t resist.

Method’s fans started thanking the company immediately through their comments. However, the tone of the conversation turned quickly when people started running into issues related to hefty shipping charges. Others were complaining that the offer wasn’t valid in their home countries. Apparently, some people tried to call customer service and the folks answering the phones weren’t aware of the promotion. In all, there were 80 “likes” and 80 comments to the original post.

To their credit, Method responded quickly to people’s complaints and resolved most of the issues by asking them to email customer service directly for help. Thirty people commented once Method posted that information. Several people crafted original wall posts – largely expressing their gratitude. When I noticed that Method posted the offer, they were at 10,021 fans. Today, they’re up to 10,278. It seems the offer motivated fans to tell their friends.

Despite the hiccups, Method’s offer seems to have paid off in the form of social media cred. Perhaps others can learn from their challenges. Rose Communications issued a similar challenge to fans of the GearWrench fan page. We launched the page in November and asked for help getting to 2009 fans by the end of the year. When we fell just short of the goal, we decided it was important to offer something to express our appreciation to the early fans. We considered a number of different options, including a discount on GearWrench-branded merchandise. After anticipating some of the challenges Method faced last week, we decided to give away free ratcheting wrench key chains (they may not sound exciting, but they are mini-wrenches that are actually quite coveted!) to our fans. We had a nearly 100 percent response rate and GearWrench’s fan base increased as a result.

If you’re considering a Facebook fan challenge, we’d suggest the following tips:

1. Consider audiences outside the United States because they’re also your fans online
2. Don’t forget to alert customer service so they are prepared for calls
3. Post the rules online like you would for any other promotion
4. Prepare for fans to ask if the contest can be extended; some will miss it
5. Monitor fan feedback and respond; most fans will forgive almost any mistake if the response is thoughtful and timely
6. Review Facebook’s promotion rules to make sure you’re in compliance

Clients and prospects often ask us how to create a viral campaign. It’s a tough question to answer because as soon as you start “trying” to be viral you’ve likely done just the opposite. Some of the best viral videos were never intended to be as big as they became. Think about the wedding entrance that made its way into the storyline of The Office or the Mentos and Diet Coke “experiments.”

There’s a new video making its way around the Web today from a company called Grasshopper, which markets virtual phone systems for entrepreneurs. I found out about it when a friend of mine (who’s also a reporter at Fast Company) posted it on Facebook. I subsequently saw that it’s been featured on The Huffington Post.

In one day, the video has garnered nearly 200,000 views on YouTube. It seems well on its way to going viral. Why does it work? A spoof of Jay-Z and Alicia Key’s wildly popular “Empire State of Mind,” it pays tribute to the New Dork instead of New York. It’s well produced, clever and speaks directly to what makes entrepreneurs tick (in this case, I am their target audience).

This is the kind of “advertising” that people are responding to in 2010 – Grasshopper has shown through this video that they get the world I’m living in and they want to entertain me as much as they want to inform me. I may just give them a call.

What happens when one of the world’s biggest – and arguably best – brand marketers loses control?

I recently read a fascinating case of a product launch gone wrong. Or rather, more accurately, not gone at all. Here’s the story:

According to P&G, the new Dry Max diapers represent the most substantial product improvement for Pampers — the consumer packaged goods giant’s biggest global brand — in 25 years. Company executives thought Dry Max would be lauded as the iPod (or should I now say iPad?) of baby care due to its improved performance, thinner profile, and reduced environmental impact, among other attributes. Instead, the diapers got slammed by a group of critics who treated it more like the new Coke.

What happened?

Due to the complexities of roll-out logistics, the company put the new Dry Max diapers into the old diaper packaging in some markets over the summer without alerting customers to the change. This was two months before the Dry Max launch, which was slated to be P&G’s biggest marketing campaign EVER. Consumers in the early markets who felt blindsided by the change reacted strongly – complaining the new version felt stiff, papery and cheaper, and caused more leaks and rash – and they spread the negative word online to markets that had yet to receive the diapers. There were hundreds of posts on both pampersvillage.com and on diapers.com, among other places. As a communications exec and a mother-to-be, I have both a professional and a personal understanding of the sway online consumer opinion can have, especially when it comes to kids’ products. Parents trust other mothers and fathers and make buying decisions accordingly.

Some of the Dry Max critics were incredibly active. For example, one dad posted on 75 sites and wrote more than 50 posts on pampersvillage.com alone. Pampers proceeded to remove the reviews on its site as it switched to new ratings system. Predictably this caused a significant outcry, so they reinstated the posts and P&G is now addressing consumers who’ve complained on an individual basis.

A woman who started a “Bring Back the Old Cruisers” fan page on Facebook said, “We could move on and just buy the Target [Up & Up] diaper [which she said is now better]. But the principle is that they’ve slipped this inferior diaper into the existing packaging without notifying the consumer.” Several consumers who hadn’t even tried the diapers joined the Facebook page because they felt P&G was being deceptive by making the change without announcing it.

The communications and marketing lessons here all come down to a simple truth: It’s a new world. Evangelists can morph into detractors overnight if they’re not properly educated and nurtured. If you don’t actively engage in conversation, the consumer can and will take control and you might not be so happy with the outcome. We’ll never know how the marketplace would have responded to the innovation if P&G had actually educated consumers about the changes and their many benefits before slipping the new product into old packaging.

P&G believes the tone of the discussion will change when it turns on marketing support starting this month, and it very well may, but there’s no question that they’re starting with an unnecessary deficit. article

I am not alone. The end of a year compels many people to reflect on the passage of time and consider or even predict what will happen in the coming 12 months. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: 2009 presented a number of challenges for our industry as it did elsewhere.

Not only did we face the worst economic crisis in recent history, but journalism — the very profession upon which so much of what we do depends — continued its downward spiral. According to a story earlier this week in the Los Angeles Times, the presses stopped at nearly 150 newspapers this year alone. But, as the cliché goes, challenges are opportunities in disguise. We believe the field of public relations is well positioned in this new era of anyone-can-influence, authentic, two-way, direct-to-customer communication. Those principles have guided those in our profession since its inception.

To that end, we have lots of ideas about what’s coming in 2010. Our three top PR predictions for 2010:

1) Testing, testing: Media executives will stop talking about the downside of making most Web content free and analyzing the few paid subscription models that work (WSJ.com, ConsumerReports.org, et al.), and start testing new business models to see if and how much they can charge. Consumers will begin to face the reality that they either have to pay for content or consume the advertising that supports it. Publishers and advertisers will get smarter about how to reach consumers in a way the target audience won’t immediately reject. When real solutions are explored and not just discussed, we can get to the task of preserving quality journalism.

2) Taming the social media beast: The Wild, Wild West will become less wild as social media sites, professional organizations and corporations create rules and ethical guidelines. Facebook has already developed new, relatively restrictive rules about fan page promotions. The Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) plans to publish a new Guide to Social Media Disclosurein early 2010. It reflects new regulations created by the Federal Trade Commission that require any online influencer to reveal if they received sponsorship money or free products from companies about which they write. (Disclosure: We’re card-carrying members of WOMMA.) Expect several more social media blunders (ala Domino’s and Motrin) as all this gets sorted out.

3) Keeping it real: American consumers will continue to live a more grounded existence as a result of the recession. This coupled with the green movement creates the perfect storm for consumer change. Reusing is not only good for the bottom line; it’s better for the environment. Handmade gifts, home-cooked meals and swap meets will remain popular. And brands will work hard to stay relevant in this context while also attempting to preserve their margins. At the beginning of the decade, the casual dining concept took off because people wanted the convenience of eating out without the guilt of fast food. Just this week, Kraft announced it’s introducing a line of restaurant-inspired foods because people now want to create the dining-out experience at home. Stay tuned for more product introductions and marketing campaigns like Kraft’s.

We’d love to hear your predictions. Best wishes for a joyous, prosperous 2010!