Posted in Youth Culture Research on March 1st, 2009
Filed Under: blogging, brand communication, Facebook, Gen Y, Generation Y, Millenials, Razorfish, RSS feed, Social Media, Social Networking, the future of brands, the future of marketing, Youth Marketing
This happens to me every so often, and when it does, I’m always a little awestruck. It goes like this: It’s nearly noon, I’m trolling the web, hitting my usual list of blogs, sifting through my RSS reader and sending the occasional email while finishing lunch (a superb salad from Chop’t, if anyone’s curious). I consume a lot of content during these casual strolls across the web, and most of it barely registers. I glance over a few lines of text, I smile or furrow my brow, and I move on. In these moments, the fact that 99.99999 percent of the content I take in is free makes perfect sense to me.
But sometimes, like today, I cross something so clear and cogent, that I have to stop and give thanks for the awesome power of the internet. And all of it for free! Oh, world wide web, how did we exist without you?
Without further hyping, I give you the above mentioned clear-and-cogent-thinking-that-made-me-stop-and-think. It’s a short presentation from Shiv Singh, VP of Global Social Media at Razorfish. It’s a genuinely worthwhile look at the evolution of the social networking universe — and what is means for the future of brands. The major take-away may not come as a shock to most. Essentially, Singh echoes what many of us in the marketing universe have been saying of late: that social networking means that communication has to be a two-way street between brands and consumers. It may be an old-news message, but the context Singh provides is really valuable. So read it, and then take its message to heart and start interacting in an authentic way with your consumers.
Posted in Campus Marketing (On & Off), Spring Break Marketing, Youth Culture Research on February 16th, 2009
Filed Under: blog, blogging, college admissions, college marketing, demographic data, Fortune 500, Generation Y, Millenials, Social Networking, Spring Break Marketing, video blog, youth culture data, Youth Culture Research, Youth Marketing, youth marketing connection, ypulse
Before we begin in earnest, a quick note about the weather: if you’re an East Coaster, you know that this weekend was a godsend — a brief and otherworldly reprieve from winter. Those of us at the Washington, DC, office enjoyed weather in the low 60s, and this week promises to bring highs near 70. (Those stuck in YMC’s Boston headquarters have been less lucky. Sorry guys.) All of this is a reminder that Spring Break is fast approaching. It’s probably time to cut back on the calories and start shopping for those new swim trunks. (And if you’ll allow me a brief and shameless plug, I might add that if you’re a brand, and you’re interested in a Spring Break experiential marketing campaign, the time to act is now. We’re only weeks away from kicking off the Spring Break season, and these campaigns don’t build themselves!)
In non-weather news, our friends at YPulse share some hard data on the growing trends towards social media marketing for major American brands. While this shift towards social media marketing has been well documented, it doesn’t make the numbers any less striking. Consider how far social media has come: just a handful of years ago, blogs were seen as the preserve of political obsessives, tech fanatics and live-journaling teens. Fast forward to 2009, and 39 percent of 500 Inc. companies and 13 percent of Fortune 500 companies have an officially sanctioned and regularly updated corporate blog. (What I haven’t found, thus far, is a complete list which corporations are blogging. If anyone out there has a definitive list, I’d surely be interested in seeing it!)
More interestingly, though, for those of us who spend our time marketing to Millenials: American colleges are leading the way in social media communication. This likely doesn’t come as a huge shock to most of you. According to a recent survey, 41 percent of colleges have a blog, and 48 percent of colleges are maintaining a video blog. In total, 86 percent of college admission programs are using some form of social media. Scan through the whole study, found here, to see changes that have taken place in social media usage between 2007 and 2008 alone. For those who get turned off by charts and graphs and terse academic prose, the main take-away is simple: more school are using more forms of social media to reach out to students than ever before. And, more and more, they’re doing it in a way that’s true to YMC’s model of “engaging and authentic”: unlike in years past, more schools are allowing comments on their blogs. In short, they’re seeking to begin a conversation with students and potential students — they’re not just talking at them. And that, after all, is the magic ingredient in effective youth marketing. If you can create an interactive experience — be it physical or digital — that allows Millenials to engage with a brand in an authentic fashion, you’re going to be successful.
Posted in Brand Ambassador Programs, Spring Break Marketing, Youth Culture Research on December 19th, 2008
Filed Under: authentic brand interactions, college students, data, effective marketing, email marketing, Experiential Marketing, Facebook, Generation Y, MySpace, Social Networking, spring break, survery, Youth Marketing
First off, I would like to report on the very surreal nature of our work right now. Despite the thin (and supremely hazardous) layer of ice that has covered much of the East Coast this week, there’s only one thought on everyone’s mind: Spring Break. Each and every day, for the past month, we’ve been taking calls, scouting venues and inventing campaigns for this year’s Spring Break. Our collective heads are awash in sun, sand, and engaging brand experiences. We’re spending so much time talking about Spring Break in YMC’s offices, you practically need sunscreen. And then you walk outside for lunch and it’s 18 degrees…
In all seriousness, though, I think this is going to be an exceptional Spring Break season. We’re in midst of planning some genuinely innovative campaigns, and I can’t wait to see those visions realized. (With that said, there’s still plenty of time to roll out a top-flight campaign for Spring Break, so don’t hesitate to give us a call if you’re a brand in need.)
In non-spring break news, I was just this morning reminded of the importance of using a peer-driven approach when marketing to this generation of students. A recent student survey conducted by eROI, contains a few insights worth sharing. First, as we’ve all heard many times over, the majority of students list “text messaging” as their preferred means of contact. Second, a whopping 83 percent of college students use Facebook habitually, with MySpace capturing 65 percent of the same pool of students. A majority of students also reported “rarely to never” reading marketing emails. At the same time, the report finds that a significant 60 percent of students “take action” on a marketing email when it pertains to an issue they’re genuinely interested in.
What do these seemingly contradictory findings tell us? To begin, digital campaigns that employ social networking systems have the potential to reach the vast majority of students. Second, email marketing remains a viable tool — but it requires a peer-driven approach to be most effective. When students receive emails from their peers — other students — the likelihood of conversion is increased exponentially. As we all have seen, time and time again, this generation responds to authentic interactions from their peers.
In my eyes, the data above underlines the importance of taking a holistic approach to youth marketing. Email pushes alone are not enough — all of the tools of youth marketing need to be employed in concert to really make an impact. Our campaigns include hands-on, real-world experiential marketing paired with email pushes and custom-built social networking applications, thereby ensuring that we’re reaching our target across multiple platforms. But no matter the number of “touches,” there’s one crucial ingredient that is an absolute must when marketing to today’s youth: peers. All of our marketing — whether its an on-campus experiential marketing campaign or an email push — centers on students talking to other students. This peer-to-peer marketing is the engine that drives our company. Because when you allow students an opportunity to talk to one another about a product or brand they believe in, it’s not marketing or sales, it’s an authentic brand connection with lasting impact.
Posted in Uncategorized, Youth Culture Research on November 3rd, 2008
Filed Under: Digital Influencers, McCain, New Media, Obama, Social Media, Social Networking, Youth Marketing
There’s one constant in presidential politics: every four years, a newer, bigger, better election strategy is unleashed on the voting public. In the 90s we saw a youngish, hip, saxophone-wielding Democrat hit the late-night talk show circuit to acquaint himself with America’s budding new crop of 18-to-24 year olds. And it worked. In 2008, we’re witnessing a new first. The use of social media to galvanize support for presidential candidates.
In the past few years, sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube have changed the way people communicate with each other. So it’s no surprise that they are also changing the face of the 2008 presidential race. With instant and easy access to millions of potential voters, each of the major players in this election has quickly jumped on the social networking bandwagon. With the click of a button you can see McCain’s official campaign on his YouTube channel ‘Country First.’ Or read about Obama’s background and positions on his MySpace page. There’s no more digging around, or riffling through (gasp!) newspapers to find out about each candidate’s position on key issues. Because they’ve already done the work for you.
In fact, two of the country’s leading news organizations, CNN and ABC News, saw the value that social media brought forth. They respectively partnered with YouTube and Facebook to bring two rounds of election debates to us. And in the process redefined America’s town meeting.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the social media phenomenon in this election year – especially to those of us in the business of marketing to today’s youth – is that the voters themselves are doing much of the legwork on their own. And today’s “legwork” is much more effective than yesterday’s pamphlet-distributing, sign-toting, bumper sticker-sticking, protesting kind of legwork. It’s the viral kind. The kind that can infiltrate hundreds of mailboxes in a minute and influence thousands of “friends” with the click of a button.
Take for instance the soldier who posted ‘Dear Mr. Obama’ in support of McCain. At 9.8 million views as of 9/29/08, this amateur 1 minute 55 second video has reached more people than CBS’s broadcast of ‘Two and a Half Men’ the week of 9/15/08. What it’s worth in media dollars is something that anyone with a calculator can quickly figure out. What it’s worth qualitatively, well, that’s what we’ll all be waiting to see. Because this is just one guy in a military uniform with a simple message. Multiply that by all the Gen Y-ers looking to make a difference this election year, and we’re talking something else entirely.
So, will social media define the 2008 election as Florida did in 2000? That remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the rules of communication have changed in this brave new world. Messaging, whether it’s about a candidate or a brand, isn’t just coming from the top these days. The millions of web-savvy youth that make up Generation Y are armed with a digital bullhorn, and they’re using it each and every day to express themselves and influence their peers. While it may not decide the election this time around, its obvious that brands (and candidates) ignore social medias power at their own peril.
