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September 30th, 2009
Orange22 in partnership with The Groop just launched our first iPhone app called i-Freek. The app coined “The Ultimate Prankster App” allows you to sequence, play and record scary sound effects to scare your pets and family. Just in time for Halloween.
September 22nd, 2009
As with all things digital I am obliged to experiment with the latest. I began using Twitter on February 9th 2007. (I found this date using MyFirstTweet.com) About 6 months after Twitter was founded. I will admit that I did it because it was “new” and our resident entrepreneur the CEO of MetBlogs, Sean Bonner, was raving about it. Over the two years that followed I experimented with Twitter in many ways and I wanted to share my experiences with you and what worked and how.
So, does Twitter matter? Does it work? If so how and why? What was my experience over the last two years?
To answer the first question, yes, Twitter does matter. To me personally it matters because it allows me to reach a wide audience with valuable bits of information, Groop updates and the occasional personal update.
If you are in advertising it should matter because it is on everyone of your customers minds. If you don’t personally use it, how can you talk to your clients about it? Even if it is to poo poo it.
If you are a media company it matters because it allows you to broadcast small bits of information on an ongoing basis. The news now breaks on Twitter, your next film will gain buzz on Twitter, your readers will hear about the latest article on your blog on Twitter.
Does it matter less If you are a lifestyle brand? That depends on the lifestyle of your customers.
Does it work? It works both as passive ambient awareness of what is going on around you and also as a discovery tool for things that you might not be looking but catch’s your eye. I know that I have personally discovered products, events and people that I was not looking for by just seeing what people are talking about.
To give a few concrete examples here are some experiments I tried over the last two years:
1. How many friends in New York (I live in LA) could I get to a bar if I notify them the same day?
The answer? A lot. Using Twitter, Facebook, our blog and our Email list(s) and mounting a campaign from my hotel room. Here are the pictures to prove it:
2. How many attendees can you get to a free seminar? A lot. Again, using a combination of Twitter, Facebook, our blog & our email list(s) we where able to get 300 people into a room.
3. How can you help a client, for us Opportunity Green attract an audience of 500 people to attend their conference? I don’t have to repeat it again.
As you can see, it is never Twitter by itself, it’s an eco-system of social tools that help create tangible impact and movement within our sphere of influence. It also does not have to be just for events. In my experiments using Twitter to send out interesting blog post we find, send out our newsletter after we have sent it via email, retweeting interesting articles we find on important topics of the day, have great response. I have found that the consistent low-level messaging that occurs helps create a conversation and a story about who The Groop is.
So that’s great Jose, but how does this relate to my business and how do I do it?
First and foremost it’s less about “your business” and more about you. Note that for the most part all of what I have described has been done from a Twitter account for – JoseCaballer. A person is easier to relate to on Twitter than a brand. That said, it does not mean that they are mutually exclusive. We also have a Groop twitter account. But overall my preference is to use an account that is from me. Not just a company. It makes it more personal, more human.
In summary, Twitter, like any other communications medium has it’s pro’s and con’s, but it is undeniable that the power of passive ambient awareness is here to stay. Whether as Twitter or as something else.
I want you to ignore all the commentary from the peanut gallery and get started experimenting with Twitter.
To get started I would like you to join us for “Church of Twitter” on October 17th. You will be able to bring your laptop and start with the basics of getting set up and growing your followers. “The Reverend” Casey Eberhart will share with us the secrets to using Twitter and Facebook as marketing tools.
September 22nd, 2009
Join us for Church of Twitter: Using Twitter & Facebook to Market Yourself & Your Clients
Save-The-Date: Saturday October 17th From 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Featuring the worlds first 140 character hymn Choir or “Twire” as we call it.
West side location still to be announced.
$125.00 Early Bird – $175.00 Regular – $195.00 At the Door
What You Will Learn:
How Twitter works & getting started
Adding and growing followers
Do’s & Don’ts
Measuring impact
Using Twitter together with Facebook
Planning and executing Campaigns
And much more!
Who Should Attend:
Advertising Professionals
Media Planners
Account Executives
Creative Directors
Art Directors
Media Executives
Writers
Producers
Actors
Consultants
Musicians
Artists
Graphic Designers
Illustrators
Fashion Designers
Photographers
Architects
And More!
A percentage of our revenue goes to support individual art & design students through the Legacy Circle scholarships.
Legacy Circle is an Art Center Alumni led fundraising effort that aims to help young creatives afford a professional arts education by providing scholarships from Alumni to current students.
For more information visit: http://www.artcenter.edu/legacycircle/
September 21st, 2009
Tom Davenport writes that twitter is a fad. He got some nice responses on his comments.
Good blog post to read.
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A few months ago I was speaking at a marketing conference, and after I spoke on marketing analytics, there was a panel on social media. Larry Weber, who started and then sold a very successful PR firm (and who is on Babson’s Board of Trustees), was asked whether there was a role for analytics in social media.
“Frankly, I’m tired of analytics,” he said. “I got into social media in part to get away from analytics.” Well, honesty is good, but I didn’t see then — and don’t now — how you can do serious marketing through any medium without metrics and analysis. Twitter and other social media may be fun, but are they really serious marketing tools?
September 21st, 2009
Can Beginners Guide Get More Brands On Board?
Let’s face it — the value of Twitter is not easy for newbies to grasp. About 60% of folks who go to Twitter.com don’t return the following month, according to an April Nielsen report, and the Twitterspehere is home to more than a few corpses of brands that jumped on the service only to abandon it a few months later.
September 21st, 2009
Good Article from Chief Marketer on why Twitter matters and the good and bad of Twitter.
What is Twitter? Is it an effective marketing tool? How do you measure its ROI? All of these are questions worth addressing.
Basically, Twitter is a next generation instant messaging tool. But how does it add value from a marketing perspective, instead of just a personal communications standpoint? The answer lies in attracting enough of the right followers and creating dialogue among the group you develop.
September 20th, 2009
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm / 30 Sep 2009
Downtown Independent Theater
251 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Two Blocks from The Groop offices
Wish you could get the coolest event tickets in town? Ever wonder what graphic designers from the U.K. are doing to revolutionize the graphics and media world? What happens when you combine art, media and music? Join us for “An Evening with Tomato,” presented by Michael Horsham, Dylan Kendle, and John Warwicker. Tomato members Horsham, Kendle, and Warwicker will cross a continent and an ocean to share their secrets on all aspects of art ranging from commercial print to music and sound to architectural design. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and gain insight from an amazing group with valuable experience with cross-platform art. Horsham will present a general selection of work, Kendle will present film work and Warwicker will discuss process – Tomato’s philosophy and approach to making work.
Time
7-8pm Cocktail reception
8-9:30pm Presentation
Tickets
Members $20
Non-members $30
Student members $10
Student non-members $15
Tickets will be an additional $10.00 extra when purchased at the door.
(no cancellations or refunds)
Parking
Paid parking lot for $9 north of the theater is available as well as street parking.
About Tomato
Tomato, formed in 1991, also includes members such as Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, dance music idols of Underworld. While Tomato members are from various arenas, many collaborations and blending have resulted from such creative diversity. Recent works of Michael Horsham includes branding work for a new art museum in Italy, rebranding of the UK government body design for London, and a campaign for Chevrolet with Simon Taylor. Kendle, designer/film director, has directed numerous commercials, music videos, and film title sequences including Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. His recent print work includes campaigns for Ford and the French act Nouvelle Vague. Warwicker, one of the original founders, has directed several film projects and consulted for the governments of Britain and Sapporo on creative industries. He has also written and designed two books with Underworld’s Hyde. Warwicker is the first foreign member of the Tokyo Type Directors Club and adjunct professor of Architecture & Design at UTS Sydney.
September 19th, 2009
First and foremost this is a well done video. I like the interface design and like the overall intent. That said I still have issues with how complex the interface solutions seem to be. Understanding that a lot of data is being manipulated I still think the interfaces could be simplified.
September 18th, 2009
Great post from our friends at iMedia Connection.
To the casual user, Twitter looks like a simple bulletin board of often useless status reports. Yet, smart marketers are starting to find Twitter feedback quite essential to their overall social marketing plans. Filtering and organizing Twitter feedback is one area where the right application is crucial to success.
“Twitter is all about listening, understanding, and participating as a marketer,” says Art Sindlinger, vice president/activation director at Starcom USA. “We try to help our clients use Twitter with a real intent in mind. This is much more than just purchasing media.”
