Social Media Blogger Campaigns: Proof Positive

There is a healthy skepticism among brand and shopper marketers on the effectiveness of social media campaigns.  Marketers ask, rightly, is budget spent on blogger campaigns well placed?  Will the campaigns generate meaningful results?  Are the “impressions” which are self-reported by the social media companies real?

Having been deeply engaged in the blogger campaign world for several years now, I have seen consistently good, even great content generated by bloggers.  The creativity of the content, fresh ideas, stunning photography, and engaging stories set this format apart from any other advertising; indeed, these campaigns stimulate conversation and engagement around fresh and actionable ideas.

But is it worth the spend?  Do these campaigns move the needle on sales?

At last, proof positive.  A client recently ran an account specific campaign, in a very challenging category, which generated the “hat trick” of results, results which are demonstrably immediate, significant and sustainable.

First, a little about the campaign.  The campaign was around a new mass market cigarillo brand launched at Walmart.  There was absolutely nothing else going on from a marketing perspective with the brand, either at the account or nationally.  The content generated by the bloggers was mind-blowingly positive, creative, and engaging.  There was nothing in the blogs that even hinted at bringing new users into an admittedly controversial category, but focused on creative ideas targeted to current smokers.  As for results, the campaign generated 16 million impressions, and at a cost of less than $30,000!

But that’s not the big news. The big news is the around the irrefutable sales results at the retailer, results which were immediate, significant and sustained.

The sales impact was immediate, as the brand began to see sales lifts the very week the campaign broke, with around 30 bloggers generating stories.  These results we also significant, as an immediate 15% sales increase was clearly significant to the brand.  Finally, the results are sustaining.  As of this writing, five months post-campaign, the content is still generating views, and brand sales are on a continuing upward trend.

For my business at least, the issue of “do social media blogging campaigns work?” is settled.  What I have suspected all along: that fresh content that drive conversations with the consumer generate results that are more impactful than simply “telling” the consumer through traditional advertising, is proven true.  And by choosing carefully which service provider is deployed, the medium can be exceedingly cost effective.

Role Model

Last week we said farewell to my father-in-law, Bob O’Brien.  Bob was, without question, one of the most generous, genuine, and humble individuals I ever met.  Damned Lucky Strikes.

There is a certain kind of person, personality type, that, if you have a problem with that person you can be nearly assured that YOU are the problem.  (I am not one of those people.  If you have a problem with me, there is a pretty good chance I did something).  Bob was one of those people.  If you had a problem with Bob O’Brien, I can tell you with almost 100% certainty:  You are the problem.

When preparing to stand up for Bob at his graveside to say a few words last week, I started looking around the Bible for some applicable passages that came to mind.  It was tough.  Whatever else one might think about the Holy Bible, it undeniably has a great deal of practical wisdom.  Everywhere I looked, I thought, “there’s Bob” and “there’s Bob”.  Like many, even most folks, I know just enough Bible to be dangerous, and I landed on these passages.

Galatians 5 outlines the fruit of the spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Who can argue against these traits? Bob exhibited all (not some) of these traits, and (in my experience) about all the time. 

So then Philippians 2:3-4 came to mind.  Aspirational for me, it is one of the few Bible verses I can quote by heart: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others”.  I have never met a more selfless and deferential person than Bob O’Brien, as he always put the needs and desires of others before himself.

Finally, Bob did the right things for the right reasons.  In Matthew 6, Jesus said “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding”.  Bob didn’t live the fruits of the spirit, didn’t put others first, for show.  Nobody could keep that up for the 32 years I knew him.  He did the right things for the right reasons.  Not for the applause of men, but because it was his character.

It would be a boring world if everyone was the same, for sure.  But would the world be a better place if everyone were a little more like me?  Ya, maybe a little. I'd like to hope.  Would the world be a better place if everyone were more like Bob O’Brien?

Yes.  A helluvalot better.

What's Important About Youth Baseball

Another season of youth baseball is gearing up across the land.  There is a lot to like about this most basic of American pastimes.  Several years of coaching youth sports and serving on the Little League board of directors have made the following concepts emerge with increasing clarity.

First, there is a very short list of matters of less lasting importance than the final score of a little league baseball game. 

I’m not in the “don’t keep score” camp, but think about it.  The group of little kids in the blue shirts beats the group of little kids in the red shirts 8-2.  Are the parents of the kids in red going to be denied Friday’s paycheck?  Is anyone’s physical or emotional health going to be impaired because of the score?  Is the sun still going to rise in the morning?  Probably.

However, there are some matters of lasting importance related to the contest:

Was good character shown and built by and in every player, coach, official and parent?  How each individual reacts to the events and outcome of the game reflects maturity and perspective as individuals and as a community.

Did every participant (player, coach, official) put forth their very best effort, mentally and physically? If so, important traits for success and values of lasting importance are being developed and demonstrated.

Did everybody have fun?  This is a key outcome of the game that contributes to the overall well-being of each participant and to the health of the community.

Secondly, something “bad” is going to happen at some point in today’s game.  Billy may bothc a routine grounder, Sally may give up a home run, Tommy may strike out.  Worse, the team the team will suffer because of an individual’s failure in a given situation.

Worse still, something unfair is probably going to happen.  Count on it:  the umpire WILL make a bad call (bad call is defined as one you don’t agree with or goes against your kid or team).  That “bad call” may even cost your team the game!

Something “bad” is going to happen in the game.  Will we respond with grace, understanding, and character?  We should demand it, of ourselves and our kids.

We have all seen bad behavior at recreational ball parks, and it should be squashed, individually and institutionally.  The vast majority of players, coaches, officials and parents reflect positive values and have a good sense of competitive balance.  That’s appropriate, because five minutes after the end of the game, most kids could care less about (and maybe don’t remember) the final score.

Rules and regulations help, but controlling non-productive behavior in youth baseball (and youth sports generally) is up to each individual.  Good sportsmanship, starting with fundamental respect of self, officials, coaches, and opponents, should be demanded absolutely as the minimum standard of acceptable behavior.

Let’s all remember that when it comes to the final score of a youth baseball game, the “stakes” are low.  And that there are very few matters of less lasting importance than the final score of a little league baseball game. 

True Blue...and Seeing Red

As True Blue MTSU Blue Raider football fans, we were all happy campers with the positive national press the Blue Raiders got from Stephen Rhodes' story this past fall. Recall, Rhodes is the US Marine combat veteran who walked on to play for the Blue Raiders following some roadblocks placed, then removed, by the NCAA.  However, this one player's story, while an awesome positive reflection on our team, doesn't define our school and/or the Blue Raiders.

Likewise, we now have to live with the story of one player, Roderic Blunt, who according to those who know him best, behaved out of character with over-the-top unsportsmanlike behavior in the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl against the Naval Academy. Most observers would agree that his actions did reflect poorly on the Blue Raiders and on MTSU,  As a fan and long time BRAA supporter, I hate to realize the black eye taken by the program.   That, and it's hard enough being True Blue in Hog country.

It's one GAME, and one kid who has expressed his apology and genuine contrition, which has been accepted by those he directly offended.  Coach Rick Stockstill also offered apologies and has taken withering criticism from people who know nothing about him.  The question is not "is it enough?", but facing into the fact that it has to be enough. There will likely be other consequences relative to this player's future, fair or unfair. What else can be done?

What's over-the-top too is the eye-bulging, vein-popping hyperbolic outrage.  Message boards are abuzz with suggested penalties as harsh as removal from the team (Rod's a senior and played his last game) to expulsion from school. Ridiculous.  I reckon a lot of us in the cheap seats are glad the missteps we made at 22 weren't "caught on tape" and dissected on national TV. 

The otherwise great defensive effort would have been tremendous exposure for the Blue Raider program.  It's a shame that is not the focus of the post-game discussion.  Also, keep in mind that 40-some other Blue Raiders competed with class and sportsmanship.

This too shall pass. Black eyes heal and fade.  Move along, nothing to see here.