Skittles Brightens the Facebook

There are some brands you fan for utilitarian purposes - coupons, event invites, product news and then there are some you fan because they make you laugh, make you think, perhaps just brighten your day. Skittles is one of those brands for me.  With ridiculous posts like

If flamingos are so shy, why do they paint themselves pink? or Told Ma Rainbow I wanted a pet dinosaur and she gave me a thesaurus.

They simply make me happy.  And sure they don't have much to do with the candy itself, but I would argue they have a much greater impact than the ordinary event invite, coupon, etc. They create a positive association between the brand and the consumer. They give the brand a personality. In short, they make me like Skittles in a way that I don't have a connection with Milk Duds or even the brightly wrapped Starburst.

It's quite easy to do the obvious. It's harder to create a connection. Pick a personality that is interesting, uplifting or intriguing and stick with it. Watch to see what happens.

Geico Mobile Effort - The Perfect Storm

I admit it. I check my horoscope every day via a horoscope app. It's silly but it has become part of my daily routine. There must be others out there checking because the app is always heavily advertised on.Today I noticed an ad from Geico telling me the fun little  lizard could help give advice on romance, family, life. The ad led to a mobile site where you could spin a wheel of advice, and as you clicked there were subtle mentions about Geico and how they could save you money. Pretty smart ad placement considering people who check horoscopes are seeking advice of some sorts. Chalk one up for Geico. If you navigate further into the app it also allows you to download ringtones that tie back to their commercials. Super smart, considering I probably won't return to the app anytime soon, but now I have a piece of Geico that I'll carry with me on my phone.

I have to tell you that I wouldn't normally interact with an insurance company unless I needed insurance, but Geico has made it fun, has targeted me at a good moment with a relevant topic and has given me a reason to give them a permanent space on my phone. They also incorporated Facebook Connect so I can see how many other people have liked the little lizard's advice.

Which got me thinking about how they are represented on Facebook. If you visit Geico on Facebook you'll see they have pages for all their characters - the caveman, the gecko and even that creepy little wad of cash with googly eyes. And people eat it up. They actually go out of their way to visit the page and write things like - "u are the most adorable on the planet. Keep up the great work and stay cute and handsome" or "yer company just wrote me the BEST insurance policy ever! thanks little buddy!"

As adults we have given up stuffed animals, early morning cartoons and so often opportunities to be imaginative. So when little talking lizards are thrown in our path and we get to have a chance to play, to be silly, to laugh we tend to latch on to them.  We even take the time to seek them out on Facebook and tell them how cute they look. How can you infuse a little fun into your business and your social efforts? If an insurance company can do it and sustain it for years, I'm thinking anyone can.

Give a Reason to Fan on Facebook

A few years ago putting the symbolic blue F on your point of sale or ad was pretty cool. Telling people you were on Facebook made you look hip, with it, cutting edge. The game has since changed and well, pretty much everyone is on Facebook.So boys and girls it is now time to step up your game and tell me why I should "like" you. Sure there are going to be some brands that are cool enough that I just want to be a part of their page, but for the most part I need to know what's in it for me. This doesn't have to be rocket science and it doesn't have to be something that costs you a lot of money, it most likely will be repurposing content that you already have. When strolling down the aisles of my local grocery store, a voice on the speaker encourages shoppers to fan ValuMarket on Facebook to learn about great deals and coupons before they get to the store.

How smart. Because ordinarily I wouldn't feel the need to seek them out on Facebook, but now I have a reason, because I know what's in it for me. We know you're out there...now tell us why we should care.

Bing! Social Search is here.

Bing and Facebook announced a partnership yesterday that I found pretty exciting. When you search your results will include things your Facebook friends have liked. What does that mean? If your friend liked Texas Roadhouse and you search restaurants using Bing, Texas Roadhouse will appear in the results saying - Johnny D. likes Texas Roadhouse.It's all part of Facebook's grand plan for you to surf the web with your network of friends. Now when you navigate the internet you can take your friends with you. It is already happening on brand sites like Levi's - take your friends jeans shopping, and hundreds of thousands more sites. Some may say - what if my friends have bad tastes? Well it is possible, but really would all of your friends have bad tastes? I'm going to make the assumption that a lot of your friends have things in common, that's why you are friends. And for those friends with really bad tastes - a la Johnny and Texas Roadhouse, well it is a good warning sign to steer clear. Nothing against Texas Roadhouse, I just have a peanut allergy and can't stand the deadly shells strewn about the floor.

So what? If this catches on, this is going to force companies to include the "like" button on their sites. The more likes, the better chances for the search results. This will also allow companies who have done a good job pleasing customers to rise to the top - you are more likely to "like" a product or place that you are happy with than unhappy.

It is personalizing the web in a way that I find both exciting and useful. Are you on board?

I wanna be popular - Facebook Ads

It's every marketer's dream to have 1 million Facebook fans waiting to hear your messages and even better waiting to give you real time feedback. Finally, you have a place tucked neatly between family and friends in a newsfeed. But of course you have to respect that space. A recent study by Opinionway shows 36% of people stop "liking" a company on Facebook mainly because they don't care for the content or the frequency of posts are too intense.Which got me thinking about some recent Facebook ads I've seen that could be construed as a little misleading. An ad by Casa Dragones Tequila shows Eva Longoria and promises other celeb pics. Another ad from Corona Light promises to put my face on a billboard in Times Square if I like it. Now if I'm a Desperate Housewives fan I may click that ad but it really doesn't mean I like the tequila, and if the thought of seeing myself in Times Square seems exciting...which it does...I may click Corona Light, but it doesn't mean I like the beer...which I happen to like very much actually.

The point is you may get a million fans this way but are they going to stay? Do they really really like you, because if not, they aren't going to keep you in their ever-growing newsfeed. Perhaps its better to just tell them the truth. "Hello, my name is Casa Dragones, I paid Eva Longoria twenty grand to show up at this party and take a quick picture. You probably won't see her very often on the page. In fact what you'll really get are some recipes. That's who I really am. P.S. Hope we can still be friends."

Babies on Facebook?

A recent study showed that 5% of kids under the age of two have social network profiles. Parents cite wanting to share photos and updates with families as the main reason.  Not to be outdone by fetuses - 23% of fetuses have their photo online before they are out of the womb.I get the kid thing. I actually enjoy seeing cute pictures and updates from my friends' kids and even get a chuckle when their picture shows up for a friend request. Fetus photos I'm not quite on board with. It is a bit too personal and well, "internal" for my tastes, but to each his own.

What's important to note is having an online identity will be second nature to these children. I could see managing  online reputations becoming a field of its own, just as an image consultant is a profession today. I can also see this generation using online as the first step to connecting socially versus the social connection you make after you've connected in the offline world.

What do you think?

DM Fail: Accidents Happen

Yesterday ESPN Sportswriter Bill Simmons made a mistake, but let's be honest we've all been there. Updating his status from his mobile phone Bill accidentally tweeted his message - "Randy Moss Vikings" - instead of direct messaging it on Twitter. He was merely trying to figure out if this trade was a rumor or not, but within minutes Twitter was a Twittering and it was over. Did I mention he has 1.2 million followers?What was unusual was a few hours later ESPN had a news ticker scroll saying Fox Sports had reported the Randy Moss potential trade. It was almost as if they were washing their hands of the matter.

No matter who is right or wrong, accidents happen in the online world whether it is "replying all" to a good old-fashioned email, letting a Direct Message turn into a Top Trending Topic or posting something as a Wall Post instead of an Inbox Message.Remember social is meant to be social which means messages are easily spread and amplified among a group of people.  I once received some wise advice that has caused me to delete a message of two - if you wouldn't want it printed on the front page of the New York Times don't put it in writing. Guess I will have to pick up the phone every now and then after all.

Augmented Reality in My Contacts?

Normally I don't view National Geographic as a source for breaking tech news but they recently had an interesting article on Augmented Reality.  Augmented Reality is often used to put a layer of virtual information over the real world. For example, if you hold your phone up to the street you could see information about a nearby restaurant - price point and reviews, details about a landmark, and even directions to what's around the corner. National Geographic suggested that in 2009 Augmented Reality was viewed through your phone, in 2010 it will be viewed through a pair of special glasses (apparently already available for $600) and in 2015 they guessed it would move on to contacts.As a contact lens wearer and probably one of the last hard contact lens wearers (shout out to gas permeables), I found this idea intriguing. Sure it may be information overload at times, but think about how much smarter our decisions may be if we literally had the knowledge of the web before us as we made daily decisions. Social actions like writing a review on Yelp! or tips on Foursquare then become that much more useful.

Would you want a pair?

It’s all about character

I've been spending more time on Twitter as of late and noticed how people are drawn to characters. Let me explain. The Chicago Tribune has 34K followers but the Colonel Tribune, described as a more gentlemanly version of @ChicagoTribune, has 800K. What's the difference between the two? Well the Colonel still links to news but does so with some commentary. His rants and raves have attracted the likes of other popular tweeters like Southwest and Zappos and has even spawned the FakeColonelTribune.I have to admit I'd rather take my news with a smidge of snarky then just take my news straight. It's tastier you could say.

What 3 lessons can we learn from the Colonel?

1. People want personality and opinions in the social space.

2. Don't be afraid of fun. There's enough dry news out there.

3. People like to talk to people, even if they are "characters."

Is Your Cable Box the New Landline?

There's been a lot of TV buzz going on in the tech world, from Apple TV to the demise of Blockbuster. It had me thinking about how I consume TV and what I actually must watch - the newest episode of True Blood is a must, the latest episode of Pawn Stars is a nice-to-have. Having recently acquired an iPad I've found myself watching a lot more on YouTube in terms of online video but still haven't made Hulu a regular habit. Although I suspect it's coming.I also suspect that we'll be severing our ties to our cable box soon. Mortgage and cell phones aside, cable is our next highest bill in our house so it will actually be a relief to cut the cord. I just hooked up our Wii to Netflix and with instant movies and access to TV shows, I am just that much closer to getting rid of cable. Plus, there's something depressing about having 600 channels and still finding nothing to watch. Not to complain, but there are now five different versions of each of my movie channels but yet I feel the movie selection has gotten worse.

Going the Netflix route there is no need to DVR because everything is instant.  We can also get rid of the DVD player and I can delay visiting my mailbox longer as Netflix DVDs were pretty much the one thing I looked forward to the mailman bringing. Well that and letters from grandma. Think you'll make the jump?

Player or Marketer? Seems like both.

I'm not a sports fan, boo hiss on me, I know. But I am a fan of smart and creative ideas, so I took note of Indiana Pacer Roy Hibbert's latest Area 55 effort. Roy, who wears number 55 on the court, bought 55 season tickets and is creating his own section of the craziest hardcore Pacers fans in the stadium. To enter, he asked fans to submit a 30- second video stating why you should be a part of Area 55. Roy and his teammates will then judge the fans in person.  Roy's been touting the contest on Twitter @Hoya2aPacer and has the contestants upload their videos on YouTube gaining even more exposure.What a great way to get fans involved and pumped up pre-season, and what a great marketing effort by Roy Hibbert. You better believe the networks will be panning Area 55 to see the excitement and you can't talk Area 55 without mentioning number 55 - Roy Hibbert. Great PR for him even if he isn't having a good game. Sometimes the best ideas don't always come from the marketing departments, but those in the trenches, even if Roy's trench involves a pretty sweet paycheck.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw1G1TToPlk]

YouTube Sensations Cashing In

Let's be honest, we love to laugh at people's misfortunes - take Fail Blog - or just laugh at odd things in general - take Double Rainbow guy or talking dog who says "Batman." But so often the subjects of this laughter have to sit back and just watch the comments and views rack up without having much power. (Unless they are lucky enough to get a Tosh.0 web redemption, but what are the chances of that?)So I say here's to you Double Rainbow guy for making some money with your new Double Rainbow iPhone app. I'm willing to pay you $.99 for the good chuckle you gave me. And here's to you Antoine Dodson for inspiring the very catchy "Bed Intruder" song. I'm willing to drop cash on iTunes to support you as well.

I think it is great these YouTubers are taking back some power and turning their 15 minutes of fame into something lucrative. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more of the norm.

Match.com has Nothing on Mafia Wars

Recent stats show that 17 percent of people meet their spouse online, so I suppose it isn't totally shocking these two connected on Zynga's popular social game Mafia Wars. Who needs to spout about your favorite movie or long walks on the beach? Let's get to the real story - how are you going to help me build my mafia, otherwise you're no good for me."We would deal with our war issues and then find excuses to talk up a storm about other things...We were like two teenagers in love," said hubby John.

Good for them. Anytime people are devoting hours to an interest and have something in common, love could spark. Just goes to prove that some of these gaming communities go beyond the game and have the potential to build real relationships...providing they remain faithful allies, of course.

Social Shut Out

A college professor has declared war on social media at a college  in Pennsylvania. All access to Facebook and Twitter will be blocked for a week. The reason? It’s not a punishment, the professor just wants students to think critically about the role social media plays in their lives.I find this a bit odd. For one thing students will still be able to access social networks via mobile apps, which is probably how they are checking and updating their statuses naturally. The other thing is just the idea of digressing. You don’t see people  shutting down ATM’s for a week to remember the good old days when you had to talk to a teller. Or  removing all laptops in exchange for an old-fashioned #2 pencil and a lined piece of paper.

It is good to think critically but I wonder if this is a case of the professor not quite understanding the benefit of social media and instead pulling one of those “back in my day” routines to teach the kiddies a lesson. What do you think?

Social Reading

There's a new dotted line I spotted while using my Kindle the other day. It shows how many people have "highlighted" a certain passage. Perhaps it was a particularly inspirational passage, a nugget to talk about during book club or a clue in a murder mystery plot.Either way, this highlighted sentence has made reading more social. I now know that 83 people before me found a passage interesting and it gives me cause to rethink and reread.

That's the thing about going social. Acts that at one time were personal, made in a silo, have immediate context from people around the globe.