“As You Like It”

YouTube will have an enormous impact on the upcoming presidential elections next year. Viral video, positive and negative, will influence voters and allow their voices to be heard louder and more frequently.

The Nixon-Kennedy debates were the first broadcasted. Mass audiences invited the politicians into their living rooms to view the live political conversation for the first time. That was huge! TV influenced the outcome of that election.

YouTube will influence the outcome of next year’s. Grassroots candidates have a far better chance to garner more votes from the audience they’ve targeted for years (young adults), but never been able to reach at high volumes. YouTube provides a virtually free advertising campaign that can reach mutitudes of Generation X and Yers. The Libertarians actually have a shot at victory this year!

Following his racially unacceptable remark about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team on air recently, Don Imus was put on suspension by CBS and MSNBC. Procter & Gamble was the first to pull their ad spots from his radio show, “Imus in the Morning.” Many other sponsors, including Sprint and Verizon, quickly pulled their ad dollars too.

Yes, Imus apologized on Rev. Al Sharpton’s radio show, but that doesn’t excuse his comment or give peace of mind to his sponsors. Following the $2 million ad loss, the networks suspended Imus for two weeks. Several days later, NBC Universal cancelled the simulcast to support the values of its corporation and its constituents. CBS stuck with the suspension until the following day, when they fired Imus.

Both networks cite the outcry of their listeners and outrage of several pressure groups as their reason for cancelling the radio show.

I find it hard to believe if the $2 million wasn’t pulled from the program, “Imus in the Morning” would still be heard across the country. The networks would have cited his apology as genuine and sincere and continue to profit from the broadcast. This situation demonstrates the power of a few advertisers, and the influence of public demand for socially responsible companies.

Many flock to the news stands to read the latest about Britney’s shaved head or Angelina’s new adoption- harmless fodder to distract us from the surrounding world at war.  But this celebrity fascination has spilled over into the political arena. 

I was watching journalist Alexandra Pelosi’s documentary Journeys with George last night, thinking how many people voted for Bush based on his bumbling frat boy charm.

Americans are incredibly apathetic these days; we’re quick to judge based on media commentary, instead of taking the time to find out the facts for ourselves, from a number of sources.

Politicians should certainly be held responsible for their past criminal records, but our vote should be cast based on the politics of the politician- not their tabloid schmear. As a nation, we must demand strategies and solutions from our political leaders, not good looks and blind optimism. We get that from our celebrities. But media has created this obsession with digging into the private lives of public figures. Our politicians are not saints by any means, but we know that. What we need to know is their position on issues that matter.

iPods for the TV? Apple says yes. Apple released the iTV this week and customers are excited to start playing with the new gizmo.

The iTV downloads movies/TV shows/podcasts from iTunes, then synchs to the television set. You don’t have to crowd around the computer screen to watch movies anymore, worrying about moving the mouse around every few minutes.

The iTV gives facility to niche marketing. Consumers can be targeted based on their personal movie preferences. This also allows advertisers to more accurately monitor their ads and manage their audience more accutely.

A recent Brandweek article, Good Things Come to Brands That Give, provides evidence that consumers are more loyal to a company that positively impacts society. Lifestyles of Health & Sustainability (LOHAS) conducted a survey citing  ”more than a third [of respondents], (38%), said they’d be willing to pay extra for products produced by socially responsible companies and 35% said they were more likely to buy stock in such corporations.”

At the expense of sounding like a broken record, it is imperative for companies to engage in society and give back to the communities in which they sell.

Coca-Cola goes a step further and provides education about clean drinking water to children in Kenya. Water purification systems are also offered to some of the most poverty stricken areas of Africa, thanks to Coke.

These humanitarian efforts not only benefit those receiving goodwill, but Coca-Cola’s bottom line reaps positive gains. Corporate philanthropy creates win-win situations for everyone.

Red CEO Bobby Shriver responded to an Advertising Age article that documented (RED)’s $18 million contribution to the Global Fund.

Shriver corrected that figure March 12, 2007 in another AdAge article, entitled CEO: Red’s Raised Lot’s of Green. He stated the Red campaign has donated $25 million directly to the Global Fund, and the number of lives impacted continues to grow!

Driving home from work yesterday, I noticed a little boy outside ‘enjoying’ his jumbo sized trampoline. He wasn’t jumping; he was seated dead center with his laptop, probably surfing the internet.

After recovering from my initial disbelief, I started thinking . . . I had a huge trampoline growing up, but my sister and I made up dance routines to the GREASE soundtrack and actually jumped around! 

I feel very old talking about ‘kids these days,’ but it caught me offguard to see a 10-year-old boy not being hyperactive and wild, but calm and subdued, glued to his laptop. It really demonstrates society’s increasing dependence on technology that each subsequent generation feeds.

I recently discovered a backlash of Bono and Shriver’s Go (RED) campaign. A San Francisco based organization started a Buy (LESS) Give More initiative, conveying the message that ’shopping is not a reasonable response to human suffering.’

The (RED) campaign generates public awareness of the Global Fund- a non-profit organization that provides medicine to African communities afflicted with HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. Several corporations, including the GAP and Motorola, offer (RED) products and donate a portion of their proceeds to the Global Fund.

This cause marketing campaign allows benefits all around, including an $18 million donation to the Global Fund to date. Advertising Age stated this campaign is a failure, based on the meager earnings donated compared to its expenditures. Product (RED) execs state the costs are heavy upfront, but the goal is sustainability.

Bottom line, the Global Fund has $18 million more in funding since the (RED) campaign began raising money. Consumerism is an American ideal- why not profit from an existing societal norm. The BuyLessCrap message does not target the same audience as the (RED) campaign. Consumers will continue to consume; shouldn’t marketers create a benefit for non-profit organizations when possible? They are not buying things to donate to Africa, they are buying things because they need/want them; if part of the proceeds go to charity, even better.

This backlash of cause marketing changes the playing field, so to speak. People will become increasingly skeptical, while companies become more wary of associating themselves with such a campaign. It’s sad to live in a society that measures an $18 million donation and concludes the campaign is unsuccessful. We should not measure success by the ratio of marketing expenditures to donation dollars; rather, our accomplishment should depend upon how many lives we impacted. Product (RED) provides a sustained initiative that addresses suffering around the world. Its healthcare recipients aren’t giving much thought to ROI.

I recently attended the NonProfit Resource Center of Alabama’s Summit Communications conference in Birmingham. About 500 people were in attendance, representing various non-profit organizations across the state- a wonderful networking opportunity for college students looking for a job!

‘Telling our Stories; Communicating our Missions’ served as the conference theme. We tell stories everyday, we communicate through our stories, and we should constantly strive to improve our storytelling abilities.  Nationwide nonprofit leaders spoke, and each had a unique and compelling story to impart.

Founder and CEO of (Washington) DC Central Kitchen Robert Egger inspired audiences to stand together as a nonprofit sector and demand a political voice in the upcoming presidential election. His ‘Primary Project’ serves as a vehicle for extraordinary societal change. Over 400 non-profit leaders gathered for the first meeting of the Nonprofit Congress in October 2006 to establish their goals.

The undeniable strength of the nationwide nonprofit sector will benefit the future of nonprofit organizations and everyone impacted by them. I feel extremely lucky to be involved in nonprofit efforts during this apparent political revolution. Egger charismatically compelled his audience to raise public awareness and demand governmental authority.

Another speaker shed light on the social media aspect of marketing for non-profits on a shoestring budget. Katya Andresen, author of Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes, spoke about the importance of an organization’s Web site and how to make it more effective. The most important aspect of any Web site is knowing the targeted audience’s values and addressing them, while keeping the site simple and clear of noise/clutter.

Reaching people depends on fulfilling needs. If an organization is trying to appeal to several different demographics, Andresen says several strategic messages must be aimed at specific target groups. Upfront demographic and psychographic research is necessary to carry out an effective marketing campaign.

On a side note, Kayta studied for a semester in Florence, Italy (I’m still going through Italian wine withdrawals from my study abroad experience last spring). We both agreed the gelato takes time to get over too- Viva la Vivoli!

Julie Peeler also led a fantastic workshop emphasizing the importance of an effective marketing plan and the steps of its creation. Peeler serves as the Vice President of Arts & Business Programs for Americans for the Arts in Washington D.C., the largest art advocacy organization in the world.

Her statement, ’customers should be partners in the long term, not necessary evils,’ impacted me. Clients can often create more obstacles than we might like, but their input is essential to their happiness; and by extension, to the success of any organization. We should work together to create a stonger product, rather than work against each other to merely complete a project.

My time at the NRCA Summit was certainly well spent. I was inspired to achieve greatness by each non-profit leader, and I left the Summit empowered, believing I will. I’ve added another short chapter to my story, and I learned how to more effectively communicate it. (Thank you Mr. Elliott!)

“It was an isolated event”- the default crisis management explanation. Yum Brands recently reverted to default mode following their rat crisis in a Greenwich Village KFC/Taco Bell.

After the local news station aired footage of a dozen rats scurrying across the restaurant, the video was uploaded to the Web and shared around the world. Everyone had access to see the rat infestation firsthand. Once posted to the Internet, the repulsive footage remains available to all– forever.

KFC/Taco Bell must realize the gravity that video sharing carries. Print media doesn’t have as great an impact as watching live video. Video is also more powerful than photography. A picture is worth a thousand words, but video speaks for itself. Yum brand must address this new video sharing audience, since it disseminates a powerfully harmful message that reaches millions around the world.

Rather than responding to the viral video, Yum brand issued an online statement buried in the press release portion of their Web site. No comment or discussion was offered beyond that small bit of information.

A much bigger response is necessary to properly address the rodent crisis. Yum must recognize the impact of a viral Internet message. Proactivity is required and major damage control must take place. More than 1,000 blogs commented on the rat fiasco, but not one Yum response exists. Yum must ensure their positive message circulates the Web and reinforces their desire to build back any lost credibility and consumer trust. Sitting back and letting word-of-mouth take over is the worst move Yum could make. The last thing Taco Bell needs right now is yet another health related scandal.

Isolated events are now re-lived by millions through the click of a mouse. Yum must adapt to the evolving technology resources and establish a strategic plan that properly addresses viral video viewership and negative blog comments. It is no longer acceptable practice to issue a press release and call it a day.