Numbers = Knowing (and Knowing Matters)

By: Brad Mays, Senior Vice President, Digital, Edelman Austin

Numbers are everywhere. The swipe of your credit card at the airport coffee shop. That phone call you just made. The diagnostics from your engine when your car is in the shop. The Tweet you posted about your weekend on the coast. For every action, there are more ways to capture that activity. And, increasingly, we're finding ways to turn that activity into data and that data into insight.

The River of Data

The numbers we're focused on through our analytics practice in the Southwest are the bits and bytes found in online conversations. These conversations happen not only in the seemingly endless posts in social media but also in the blog post comments, forum discussions, news coverage, photo uploads and anything else that people and machines push to the places where people and machines can find them online.

Currently, in the Southwest region, across the Edelman network and throughout our industry, much of what we're measuring is historical data – what happened (two seconds, hours, days, months ago) as a result of the programs we implemented for our clients. Or, how that new business prospect we're pitching has elevated their message, improved their search rank or inspired conversation around their brand – in the past tense. We make a considerable and growing profit in mining and conveying this information to clients. But, in the end, what we have is a rear-view of success. While we'll continue to conduct this type of analysis, we're measuring the success of a program, campaign or strategy that has been executed.

What we need is a windshield view of what will be successful. Which road ahead will lead to the most efficient form of success? How can we predict who to engage, where to engage them and which words will be most successful in conveying our brand's message? Beyond our media list, who else should be on our list? Where does the brand sit on that list of influencers for the category, and what, specifically, can we do to impact that? It's this level of knowledge that we're focused on in our efforts to build an Edelman insights algorithm.

This effort is under way right now, and it’s really exciting. Working with a cross-functional team that includes mathematicians in New York, analysts in San Francisco and Chicago and developers in the UK, the Southwest digital team is leading a new era of knowing for Edelman that promises to be a sustainable and defensible position in the category of analytics that will secure our position in the industry as those who not only measure but know.

Because knowing matters. More to come.

It’s All About the Numbers

By: Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest

As we get ready to close out our fiscal year at Edelman, my colleagues and I are spending countless hours looking at excel spreadsheets and peering into that crystal ball as we try to foresee what the future holds in the coming months. Not so easy. But this exercise is also a reminder of the importance of data and how we should use information to inform decisions in new and different ways. Accordingly, this eVolution is all about the numbers. Now, more than ever, data wonks are living the life as the rest of us take what they provide us, analyze it and use it to be more strategic, creative and productive.

No matter your area of expertise, numbers can guide us as we deliberate how to tackle opportunities and challenges. For example, take education, one of my favorite topics:

·         Since 1990 the cost of attending a four-year college has risen at four times the rate of inflation

·         The average salary of college graduates in America has fallen 5 percent since 2008

·         Federal student loans are up 60 percent in the last five years to more than $900 million

·         Nearly 50 percent of four year college graduates now work at jobs that don’t require a college degree

Get the picture?

Any one of these points should get our attention, but combined, the numbers don’t add up to a brighter future for American workers. The key is taking data such as this, no matter the topic, and seriously analyzing the information to develop actionable plans. I’m on a campaign to use numbers for good. Can I count anyone else in?  

The Bloggerville that is BlissDom

By: Natalie Wilson, Assistant Account Executive, Edelman Dallas, and Mattie Walker, Senior Account Executive, Edelman Dallas

In late March, several members of Edelman Southwest had the privilege of attending BlissDom, a premier blogger conference for women. This annual meeting usually takes place in Nashville, but in 2013, the conference was right in Edelman Dallas’s own backyard-- the Gaylord Texan!

Numerous companies took advantage of the unique opportunity to place their brand in front of key influencers, and  a group of more than 800 women gathered at the resort in Grapevine, Texas.

The Edelman Team took away a few key lessons related to social media, the legalities of blogging and storytelling:

Bringing Social Together

·         Companies and Social:

o   Every disaster isn’t a PR opportunity: In the opening keynote, Scott Stratten touched on how every natural disaster isn’t an opportunity for companies to take a stance. Offer condolences, offer help or be quiet. When people are hurting, it’s not an opportunity to profit.

o   Be good on and off social: Companies that have a 90-minute customer service call wait time but respond immediately to a tweet won’t be well received.

o   Be human: In responding to consumers via brand social channels, “Please accept MY apology" - versus "our" - humanizes the response. We all just want to be heard.

·         The YouTube Trifecta:

o   YouTube isn’t a stand-alone: In a session on “Demystifying YouTube,” Mindy McKnight  stressed the point that YouTube isn’t a stand-alone medium. It’s part of a trifecta. Social channels, a blog and a YouTube channel must work together to tell a cohesive story.

o   Treat your YouTube channel as a TV show: Pick a date / time to upload a new video on a weekly basis to encourage viewers to tune in to watch the content.

·         Legal Bliss:

o   There is an expectation for bloggers and PR pros to know the laws, related to offering promotions, giveaways, and product reviews.  A few topics to be aware of:

§  FTC Disclosure

·         It’s the law. FTC Disclosure has to be done by the blogger(s) you are providing with inventory for giveaways, sweepstakes, contests, etc.

§  Definitions

Legally, all promotions fit into one of these three categories:

1.       Sweepstakes are prize giveaways where the winners are chosen by the luck of the draw. Prizes can be almost anything you can think of, from handmade cards to an all-expense-paid trip.

2.       Contests choose a winner based on some merit. The winner is chosen based on some criterion, such as best photo, most votes on a video, or best recipe.

3.       A lottery is a prize drawing where people must pay money to buy a chance to win. Lotteries are highly regulated and should not be run without consulting legal counsel.

Everyone Is a Storyteller

·         Big Picture to Tiny Details: Pictures bring stories to life, and readers become more invested.   

·         Good Enough or Great: In his session, Jeff Goins  discussed the significance of putting your best foot forward and being relevant. What are you saying and why does it matter? Why should people care?

It’s hard to share everything we learned, but these are some of highlights! BlissDom was a great learning experience, and Edelman suggests attending, if you have the chance. 

Stopping to Smell the Roses Delivers Great Stories

By Katie Wittenburg, Vice President, Consumer, Edelman Dallas

Recently, the Edelman Dallas Consumer Team was tasked with promoting the launch of the new Travelocity ad campaign, appropriately titled “Go and Smell the Roses.” The TV campaign is more than a tagline; it embodies the Travelocity way of life. The theme is deeply rooted in the idea that the world is a magical place. It encourages travelers to “Go and Smell the Roses,” see the world and never look back.

The campaign features Travelocity’s own Roaming Gnome, because no one embodies the “Go and Smell the Roses” spirit more than he does.  In the new TV spots, the Roaming Gnome left the mundane behind to experience the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, the joyful Holi Festival in India and other amazing travel destinations – reinforcing the idea that meaningful experiences through travel are there waiting for you.

The integrated strategic Travelocity media relations push targeted business and travel writers, as well as advertising trades.  The Edelman Consumer Team secured nine media interviews and 33 earned press mentions, totaling more than 16 million media impressions and garnering an earned media ad value of more than $89,000. In addition, both analysts and reporters reviewed the Travelocity campaign with positive feedback and support.

In terms of online measurement, Google Analytics was quite positive. Travelocity realized double-digit growth in overall traffic, as well as direct and mobile traffic, following the campaign launch.

Spring Brings Growth of New Vines

By Heather Stephenson, Senior Account Executive, Digital, Edelman Austin

As visual storytelling continues to be an important aspect of your full communications strategy, it is important to think beyond the standard product shot and minute-long video.

Earlier this year, Twitter launched a short-form video application for iPhone/iOS called Vine that allows users to record and share video in an active and growing “in-app” community. The videos are limited to 6.0 seconds, providing a “gif-like” effect. Vine offers an opportunity to capture timely events, showcase an atmosphere, or simply develop video art. The Vine platform emphasizes the significant role video will continue to play in content strategy and brand messaging through social media.

How Can Brands Use Vine?

Since the platform is still in its infancy, brands are experimenting with the best ways to leverage short-form video. As outlined on the Edelman Digital blog, Dominic Kirkwood highlighted how Urban Outfitters and General Electric (an Edelman client) have used Vine.

Urban Outfitters

An edgy high-street retailer focusing on trendy and cutting- edge fashion, Urban Outfitters (UO) is one of the most enthusiastic early adopters of Vine – 17,494 followers at the time of writing. If my illuminating Casio wristwatch from Urban Outfitters has taught me anything, it pays to be both cool and clever. Combining product demonstrations with a witty and playful context in the “Girls Gone Mild” video (http://seenive.com/v/923004362291294208),UO projects a cool corporate culture while creating engaging content that sells shirts.

However, it’s not all catwalk and product shots. Curating content around popular and trending in-app hashtags, UO owes much of the account success and community growth to the copious amounts of humor  and dog related videos that both humanize the brand and spotlight employees – I mean, who wouldn’t buy clothes from a brand that high-fives bulldogs?

General Electric

So, your brand or client doesn’t high-five bulldogs? Tough break, but don’t lose all hope just yet. 

General Electric, the sixth largest firm in the US (by gross revenue), is probably near the bottom of the list of brands you would expect to be flexing their creative muscle on the Vine platform. 

Publishing clever and interactive stop-motion content around their popular Twitter hashtags, GE creatively engages with the Vine and Twitter communities. GE also frequents a series of surprisingly cool “garage-science How-To’s” that appeal to pockets of users otherwise disengaged from the organization’s day-to-day operations.

Moving Forward

Upcoming platforms such as Vine provide an opportunity for brands to creatively tell their story, without the heavy price tag typically associated with traditional videography. The video also reaches consumers through a different medium, adjusting the way they consume information.

Engage Small Businesses to Reap Big Rewards

By Angela Griffey, Senior Account Executive, Corporate, Edelman Atlanta, and Marisa Puthoff, Group Head, Corporate, Edelman Atlanta

How to reach one of the most powerful target audiences in America

Time-starved. Vastly diverse in size and demographic. Craving interaction with their peers and experts. These are just a few characteristics of the 27.9 million small-to-medium business (SMB) owners in the U.S.¹ Don’t let the ‘small’ fool you, though – SMBs are the driving force behind the U.S. economy. U.S. SMBs employ nearly 68 million workers – approximately half of all private-sector jobs. Additionally, this sector has generated between 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs annually over the past decade, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Clearly, given their reach, SMBs are an audience that should not be ignored. While no two small businesses have the same needs, there are some basic rules of engagement that companies would be wise to follow to reach this target audience.

1. Get social. SMBs are increasingly using social media to strengthen their customer relationships. Recent data shows that 73 percent are engaging with customers on Facebook, 61 percent on LinkedIn, 55 percent on Twitter, 47 percent on YouTube and 44 percent on Google+. To reach this audience on line, companies should have a team dedicated to digital outreach and search for related conversations on social networks. Be forewarned: Businesses that engage with SMB owners should be prepared for dialogue versus a one-way conversation. They must provide valuable content, instead of marketing or sales materials.
2. Provide value and insights to help them grow.  Any company outreach should be relevant to the individual SMB, its business evolution and its bottom line. At UPS, for example, the company provides an online resource center for SMBs to help them go global. One tool is the Snapshot for Small Business, a series of guides designed to help tap emerging markets by providing general knowledge, fresh insight and links to additional resources. To get started, consider housing a similar SMB resource center on your website. 
3. Leverage ‘peer-influencers’ to get your message out. SMB owners thrive on interaction with peers and industry experts. Large companies should consider partnering with ”peer-influencers,” SMB advocates with high visibility on traditional and social media, to reach this target audience. Individuals including Mike Michalowicz of Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Melinda Emerson (aka Small Biz Lady) or Carol Roth have a massive SMB following and will partner with brands to spread the word about a product or initiative of value to the community.

With so many entities fighting for a share of voice with this target market, businesses would be wise to spend the time and resources needed to best engage with the SMB audience; otherwise, they will be left behind by the competition, and shut out by the customer. 

1.        U.S. Census Bureau, SUSB and Nonemployer Statistics.

Mirror, Mirror

By Helen Vollmer, President, Edelman Southwest

Where do good ideas come from?  I admit that I’m a bit obsessed with, not only the genesis of good ideas, but how to translate good ideas into brilliant innovations that succeed in transforming a company, a product, an institution or a campaign.

As a young pup in PR, I would charge into Sam Keeper’s office (my first PR boss and guru) at Ruder Finn to tell him about the great idea I had for Kinney Shoes, Borden’s Milk or Pentel Pens.  He would stop me and say, “Great ideas are a dime a dozen.  What’s so special about this one?”

To this day, I have to rein in my enthusiasm periodically, and force myself to ask whether a good idea will get the results I’m looking for and, if the answer is no, accept that potential failure can be the mirror side of creativity.  When you step back and think about limits, typically ideas become sharper, more focused, and more original and inspired.  Restraint forces ingenuity.  You have to know where the walls of the room are before you can figure out what to do inside them.

These thoughts are reinforced in Tina Seelig’s new book, InGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity, a must-read for those who believe that we are all naturally creative and that creativity can be taught.  Seelig, a Stanford professor, cites three factors that can spark creativity: 1) attitude; 2) knowledge; and, 3) imagination.  The three overlap in fueling innovation and are assisted by external forces—culture, habitat and resources—creating an interdependence between the individual and his or her environment.  Combined, Seelig calls this her “Innovation Engine.”

The more you know, according to Seelig, the more you can unlock resources, so knowledge is paramount to creativity.  Hear, hear!  At Edelman, we believe that great ideas must come from informed insights.  Creativity and strategy go hand-in-hand.  To that end, we’ve formed the Strategic  + Creative Guild at Edelman, a group of focused experts that help our clients build pioneering frameworks and platforms that yield success.

We all have good ideas.  And, I believe we all have the capacity to turn many of these sparks of thought into engines that drive innovation.  Where’s the next best thing come from?  Look in the mirror.  Then let knowledge be your guide.