Forge Ahead

Ford Explorer Boasts 140,000 Facebook Fans and Skyrocketing Sales

The new Ford Explorer has been out for a little over a year, but it hasn’t been until now that Ford has pulled out all of the stops to engage its very spirited base. With 140,000 Facebook fans, Explorer is already ahead of its SUV competitors in engaging consumers (and future consumers) through social media [...]

Netflix Edges Away from Its Iconic Red Envelope DVDs, Toward Streaming Video

The announcement recently that Netflix has changed the functionality of its Website to, in essence, encourage users to select streaming video options for their movie viewing rather than receive DVDs through the mail did not come without its detractors. In fact, judging from this article, the move (even if it came on MLK day) was [...]

Yes, Your Logo is That Important

Strong corporate design can never be understated. It represents consumers’ visual associate with the company, gets seated in their memory and translates into value every time they make a brand association. And for companies that can succeed in creating a direct and strong connection between their corporate identity and their name, their brand experience or [...]

Who You “Like” on Facebook Matters

So the results are in – and just in time for the New Year. MSNBC gives us a guide of the top brand names on Facebook. So who are the winners? Well, the #1 makes sense, but the rest of the field may surprise you. The top brands in terms of annual advertising spending don’t [...]

You Could Learn a Lot From a Pizza Chain

Just read a fascinating article that answered a question I brought up during a cocktail party not a month ago: whatever happened to Little Caesars? While the article brings up a number of noteworthy points, its main thrust is that in marketing, less is more. Little Caesars sat second behind only Pizza Hut in ’94. [...]

Domino’s: Reviving Sales by Reinventing Pizza

Posted by BPMangus on October 27th, 2011

You probably remember Domino’s huge barnstorm of an ad campaign in 2010, Build a Better Pizza. The company was struggling with sagging sales and after conducting extensive market research management found that the issue wasn’t one of the usual suspects: cheaper competition, long delivery times or poor customer service. The problem was their pizza. Simply put, customers didn’t like it.

For a pizza chain as large as Domino’s, this was a big problem. The company, I’m sure, considered many options – putting a band-aid on the problem, offering new gourmet pizza options or diversifying its menu. But in the end, the company looked their problem straight in the eye and decided to meet it head on. And it committed to building a better pizza.

Oh, and it also took one of the biggest marketing gambles in ad history – it acknowledged that it’s pizza needed improvement and called itself out on the need for improvement. Domino’s tapped creative savants CP+B and put it all on the line, baring its corporate soul for the world to see. And the ads weren’t just honest – they were BRUTALLY honest – highlighting real life negative customer complaints and showing greasy, unappetizing Domino’s pizzas. Their CEO served as the central spokesperson for the new campaign and he promised a major change.

Almost two years down the line, the gamble paid off.

From a low of $2.83 a share in November 2008, the stock has skyrocketed to $32.40. Now that’s an uptick in sales.

To see a closer look of the inner workings of the campaign, check out this great video by Wired.

But as much as this success story is about “Building a Better Pizza,” it’s also a tutorial on how to relate better with customers. And Domino’s did this in large part through a commitment to social media.

In conjunction with its national ad push, Domino’s established a website in July 2010 where diners could upload pictures and pledged to show only real photos of its food, without any touch-ups or enhancements. Customers submitted more than 40,000 pictures. Engaging customers in quality control and offering money-back guarantees further established a two-way dialogue. These and other social media tactics helped attract and engage younger pizza lovers, further cementing its brand for the next generation.

Following the conventional path is safe and certainly won’t hurt any business with a solid, satisfied market share. But if you really want to make an impact (or need to), take a chance. If you take risks with good intentions in mind your message will shine through.

Now more than ever transparency is the key to success in business. Engage and be honest with your customers and you’ll win. Ignore them and take the 80s and 90s “business as usual” approach and you’re in for a long ride.

Sure, Tech Changes. So Why Doesn’t Your Marketing?

Posted by BPMangus on October 19th, 2011

Just read a great article highlighting the top consumer tech items that are here today, but will be gone tomorrow.

Most of the devices are obvious. CDs, check. Stand-alone nav systems (that are already on your smart phone), check. Low-end digital cameras – yes, the ones that are already obsolete compared to the hardware on your phone camera – check. You can read the full article here for more.

Nice article, but not for its statements of the obvious.

What I took from the article was the idea that consumer tech changes with the season. Fashion changes with the season. Most things in life are constantly changing. Yet when it comes to most business’ marketing and PR strategy, the more things change the more they stay the same.

True, marketing and PR has evolved. And the principles that have always guided PR planning remain true even when applied to more sophisticated new media strategies. But too often PR and marketing folks stick with their comfort zone and take change slow. But they should take a page out of the consumer tech book and change with the times.

It’s a brave new world out there for marketing communications professionals.

Change is good! And at Forge, we’re here to help.

Banks Using Social Media to Evaluate Credit Risks. Consumer Beware.

Posted by BPMangus on October 7th, 2011

The dawn of the social media age has meant many things to many people. And now we’re seeing what Facebook and Twitter mean to banks: valuable data to mine for consumers’ credit risks.

It shouldn’t come as a big surprise. What you post online is a record that will stay with you long into the future. But information is power. See the below tips for how to better protect your online reputation and ensure that conversations made online are as sanitary as possible (while still being fun!):

Happy Facebooking!!

What Banks and Lenders Will Be Looking For

Anything indicative of changes in your financial circumstances. These may include phrases or keywords that you use on social media platforms, such as walkaway, laid off, fired, broke, moving to your parents house, etc. Banks will examine the correlation between these tweets and actual financial behaviors.
What your social media connections are doing financially. The idea here is that your friends have similar habits and characteristics as you. If one of them tweets about financial hardship, to banks that could mean you might also have trouble later on. UCSD professor James Fowler explores a similar concept in a study about divorce: Being friends with someone who gets divorced makes that person 147% more likely to get divorced themselves.
Upcoming life changes. Similar to financial changes, the idea here is that banks want to know when you’re approaching major life events, such as getting married or buying a safe car to transport your new child. This information allows banks to tailor certain products and services toward you.

Advice for Consumers

Know your privacy settings. Always remember that anything you say in the public domain is never truly anonymous. To lessen the number of people who can view your posts, be sure to set all of your privacy settings appropriately.
Think before you post. Even though you may be excited about getting married or upset over losing a job, remember that it could come back to haunt you.
Keep in mind that everything can be traced back to you. One of the most overlooked aspects about posting on social media platforms is that the Internet has made it easier than ever before to trace things to the source. That means pictures, wall posts, status updates, and even “anonymous” blog comments.

Hire a Better PR Consultant

Posted by BPMangus on October 3rd, 2011

Business consultants have to be smart. But as much as it is important to be smart, it is important to translate those smarts into thinking and actions that build trust with clients. It’s not an easy task. But helping clients better understand the PR process helps us do our job better.

Below are some great tips from Mashable about how to improve your relationship with your consultant. Some great food for thought…

Seek a PR partner … not just another vendor. Think of a PR consultant as an extension of your company. The team assigned to your account should be fully ingrained in your business and industry. With any new consultant, there will be a learning curve — you need to be a willing teacher, and the consultant needs to be an eager student. The reverse is also true. As a client, you need to be open to listen to the consultant’s counsel and fresh ideas.
Think strategy before tactics. As you’re interviewing potential consultants, be wary of the ones who think Facebook and Twitter are the answer. Those two sites may be part of the solution, but what’s the plan? How do they fit into a broader communication program? There are plenty of consultants out there who can string together some buzzwords to sound tactically smart. The real value is in a consultant who can develop and implement communication strategies that feed into your company’s overall business goals.
If you’re not quick, you’re not relevant. Thanks to the immediacy of social media and the breakneck pace of news, response times are critical. You need a PR person who is equipped to navigate today’s communication landscape and the expectation of immediacy. Waiting a few days — or in some cases a few hours — to respond isn’t smart business.
PR pros need to be trend spotters. You rely on the PR pro to be on the lookout to identify new trends that your company can leverage. For example, can you provide a local or industry-specific example to illustrate a national trend? Additionally, trend spotting can take the form of “storytelling” — what new tools or technology should you be employing to effectively disseminate your company’s message? It’s the PR person’s responsibility to be on the lookout and to present you with new ideas and opportunities.