There are plenty of fake and phony Twitter handles out there today that rip on the brands they are associated with. And, ‘Brand jacking’ has become an increasing crisis management issue for PR folks, with faux handles like @BPGlobalPR propagating humor at the expense of a company’s misconduct. By the same token, used creatively, faux-handles can help create buzz and prove to be a creative PR tactic.

As bogus as they may be, they are certainly funny and have caught on as memes individuals spread across the Internet and via other mediums. Brands can leverage this humor to influence change or even shed light upon industry issues that may otherwise go ignored.

For example, I recently read an article in PR Tactics that talked about @FakeAPStylebook a satire on the AP Style Guide, a writing, usage and guide used by newspapers and the media and PR industry in the United States.

@FakeApStylebook is a handle co-founded by @Ken Lowry and is run by a group of journalists, librarians, graphic designers, writers and English professors giving readers “style tips for proper writing”, but with their own twist. A few
tweets for your sampling:

• There is no need to report on European news. It’s already past their bedtime there,
  and nobody else cares.
• It is wrong to just copy and paste a press release to create a staff report. Add
  some extra “according tos” in there
• When putting an allusion in your story, always be sure to warn your readers not to
  try it at  home.
• Is an American involved in the international event? If not, it’s hardly “news”,
  now is it?

The twitter handle has gained many followers and is being talked about in the industry widely for its humor. It was a simple concept and well executed, something anyone can really pull off for their own brand if they have a smart idea.

FakeAPStylebook suggests that there are a few ways to develop creative and humorous accounts by adhering
to a few guidelines:

• Keep it PG-13, though the occasional sharp veer into R-rated is always welcome for
  shock value
• Don’t get too political
• Don’t deliberately antagonize people

The article also suggests staying within the same tone with all your tweets, for @FakeApStylebook this remains dusty, authoritative, always using editorial “we”.

Need more inspiration? Last year PC World posted a list of 15 phwetters (phony Tweeters). The list includes the likes of @CNNBreaking; @StephenTColbert; and even fictional characters like @DarthVader and the cast of AMC’s Mad Men for example @Peggy_Olsen. Check them out.

Ever wonder if you’re being boastful online and whether that is okay? With so many self-affirmations accessible in the form of comments, thumbs up or re-tweets, have our egos grown larger than the Internet itself?

To read complete post: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=109

Why the shiny new Plasma at the coffee shop means more than just ads

I stopped by Tully’s coffee this morning to grab my morning “cup of Joe” when the 32” LCD display screen above my barista’s head caught my attention. I was entertained by New York Times headlines, horoscopes, weather updates and ads for local attractions, all brought to me by Ripple TV. The technology itself wasn’t novel or fascinating to me; it was exactly the opposite. I had seen these screens just about everywhere – from the hotel I stayed in last week to the hole in the wall pizza joint I went to for lunch yesterday. One actually projected real-time tweets and “shout outs” for birthdays, anniversaries and local happenings, creating a real social experience. It was such a simple concept – why on earth is it only becoming mainstream now?

For full article: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=123

Being on the inside of the PR industry you hear a lot of buzz about new marketing initiatives – in the press and among brand managers. Last year, it was all about Twitter and this year I feel like everyone is talking about Facebook, again. Brand managers everywhere are looking to join the Facebook caravan. And, every day I see a new article or blog post about Facebook becoming a monster and brands that can’t get enough of the action.  

Today, I came across an article in Wired about how the social media giant Facebook has no regard for privacy in its flight to become the “epicenter” of the Internet. This comes as no surprise to me.  However, what does surprise me is how many brands are relying solely on Facebook to drive brand awareness – to the extent that they are redirecting their corporate domains to their fan page directly – for example, www.vitaminwater.com. The company has experienced great success leveraging social media, but there’s one problem; I’m not sure how their latest move to a Facebook-based website will impact them in the long haul. Time will tell. 

This strategy has sparked a lot of debate and discussion in the industry with regard to its impact on SEO, privacy, legal and now even ownership. A recent blog post by Michael Gray talks about the negative impact of “Putting All Your Eggs in the Facebook Basket.” One of the many really good points he raises that specifically struck me is how brands who do this inherently relinquish the success or failure of their social brand platform to one common denominator – Facebook. 

While nobody can deny the success Facebook brought to marketers as a tool, we certainly don’t think it should be the only method of spreading your messages to brand communities. At the end of the day Facebook is a company that offers a service, and like any other media business they are bound to go through their own set of ups and downs, from a regulatory, operational and growth standpoint. 

We’ve stood witness to some of these over the past several years and even in the present. One of the top issues being discussed today is Facebook’s privacy and how much information is given away to third party sites without explicit permission. This is so much of a concern that tech geeks within companies like Facebook and Google are abandoning ship and shutting down their Facebook pages. This includes Matt Cutts, head of the webspam team at Google who has not technically left, but has deactivated his Facebook account.

The point is Facebook cannot be taken for face value and brands that rely solely on Facebook’s community run a dire risk. Basic logic to managing risk is to diversify. When building a social media platform, it’s best to take a multi-pronged approach with a variety of tools and assets working together – whether that be your website, a blog, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook. Also, developing a plan for overall social engagement online in the form of thought leadership and contributing to conversations that already exist, so you can take your messages out to places where people are already talking about them. All of this will help create a social sphere and active brand presence online that isn’t reliant upon the success or failure of one company. (Original post: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=131)

Tweaks that are simple to do, but often left neglected

The concept of SMO (Social Media Optimization) spawns from traditional online marketing where SEO and PPC tactics work to enhance a site’s visibility and drive more traffic. Similarly here are a few tweaks social media strategists may consider to gain better ROI on their own social sites – making them more “spreadable.”

 Spring cleaning is in the air. This is the time of year when people try to organize important yet often forgotten spaces within their home –  whether it is a shelf, under the bed or even the sofa cushions. What about tidying up your social space online? 

Over the past couple years you may have started a blog and/or opened a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn account. You most likely use these tools every day, occasionally or have all-together forgotten about them. Regardless of how often you use these social tools, why not apply the “spring cleaning fever” toward reducing cyber clutter and optimizing your online world.  Here are some basics to get you started:

To read full article: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=146

10 tips to share with your workplace

According to a report that was commissioned by Microsoft, fewer than 15% of consumers surveyed in the U.S. and the U.K believe that information found about them online would have an impact on their getting a job, yet 70% of U.S. recruiters and HR professionals surveyed claim they have rejected candidates based on information they found online. 

A survey conducted by Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project (featured on Mashable) suggests 56% of Americans think it’s “irresponsible” to friend your boss on Facebook, while 62% of bosses agree it’s wrong to friend an employee.

It is clear that there is a lot of confusion. What is and is not appropriate online has been a continuing debate among businesses from both an employee and employer perspective. We’ve all read articles and seen scandals unfold between employees and their employers over social media. As more and more consumers take part in social gaming, virtual worlds and participate openly in online forums and chat rooms, there is an immediate need (if companies haven’t done so already) to implement a social media policy at the workplace. 

The other day a friend of mine, and also owner of a small IT firm posed the question to me regarding what his role was in chaperoning his employees online. He came to learn a current employee was posting enthusiastic Facebook updates regarding business activities and was uncomfortable with the idea of this type of activity taking place under supervision, even though they were good updates. On the other hand, he was concerned that dictating what employees do in their personal space (on or offline) was counter to the corporate culture they had set for themselves.

My response was that if one employee is doing it, chances are others are too – or will – and it might be time for them as an organization to implement some agreed-upon company guidelines for social media, whether that is communicating via a blog, or on social networking sites. Because, as we can clearly see from the study, there is a disparity between what consumers and employers see as proper conduct online, and the  lines between personal and professional can quickly blur, especially in a small business environment. But no matter how large or small your company is, getting ahead of the potential problem and implementing rules that help clearly delineate what is and is not deemed appropriate by the organization can be critical. 

While it is important to tailor guidelines based on your own corporate culture and in your own language, here are a few examples of rules that we at PepperDigital abide by and often share with our clients:

For full article: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=151

Obama’s YouTube press conference following the State of the Union address has left members of the press, citizens and those following U.S. politics globally realizing a paradigm has shifted in the way the White House will communicate with the public moving forward. By leveraging YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms, Obama continues to shorten the gap between the administration and the public. Using social tools, he has built an emotional connection with the public in an unprecedented way.

To read full article: http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=172

By Sahana Jayaraman, PepperDigital

As the media landscape changes and ad revenue begins to free up for many large companies, the likes of Pepsi, GM, and Anheuser-Busch are reevaluating their marketing spend, including pouring millions of dollars into a 30 second spot around Super Bowl or spending that same money across the span of a year on a social network. 

According to FOX Business News, who interviewed Laura Martin, director and senior analyst at Needham and Company about Pepsi’s decision to pull out of the Super Bowl ads this year, the “ad recession” is over with 95% of Super Bowl ad spots sold to date. In spite of the most anticipated backing out, Super Bowl has no concerns about the last two spots of the 32 spots available being grabbed before the big day.

Link to full article:

http://pepperdigitalblog.com/?p=176