Blueworld Communities
Red Bull Street Style
61 countries descend on the Grand Parade for football World Final
Red Bull Street Style World Final 2010 takes place today, Wednesday, 28 April and for those unlucky ones who cannot make it to the super-structure arena on Cape Town’s Grand Parade, where ballers from around the globe will be battling it out for the World Champion title, you can now watch it via live webcast.
Among the freestyle football battles will be performances from local acts including Trevor Noah, Ready D, Red Zebra and Gazelle.
But while the ballers are practicing juggling a soccer ball for tonight’s grand finale, we juggle the figures…
61...
Freestylers from 61 countries will be at this year’s Red Bull Street Style world finals, from all five continents of the globe, an increase on the 45 nations who participated in the last finals of the freestyle football competition.
5,000...
More than 5,000 aspiring tricksters took part in the 200 or so qualifying events in the respective 61 countries involved in Red Bull Street Style. Events have been going on for many months – Latvia, for example, chose their winner Romāns Berezovskis some eight months back, whereas Michael Keishing from India booked his place just two months ago. But they’ll both be in Cape Town this week to find out who’ll be number one.
2008...
The last Red Bull Street Style World Finals were in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2008. Back then, the winner was Frenchman Arnaud ‘Séan’ Garnier, who hails from Malakoff, a south-western suburb in the Île de France some 5km from Paris city centre. The 25-year-old is in South Africa this week to defend his crown.
3, 2, 1...
The catchphrase of Red Bull Street Style is ‘Three minutes, two players, one ball’. The battling duo take turns at least every 20 seconds to wow the crowd and the three judges on the panel with their skills before passing the ball back to their opponent. They must pack as much as possible into the 180 seconds, and will be judged on three elements: style, creativity and control.
386...
Head judge will be Dutch soccer legend Edgar Davids, who made 386 senior league appearances for six top European clubs – Ajax (over two spells), Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Internazionale and Tottenham Hotspur – scoring 31 goals. He also played 68 European games (three goals) and appeared 74 times for his country. One of his six international goals was a crucial last-minute winner over Yugoslavia in the 1998 World Cup where the Netherlands eventually finished fourth and Davids was named in the World Cup All-Star XI. Davids also features in the FIFA 100 list of the world’s greatest living footballers, selected by Pelé, no less.
16...
Initially, a group stage of the finals will narrow the competition down to the last 16 freestylers, who all live to fight another day. The second phase of the contest whittles competitors down in a series of head-to-heads to the last eight, then the last four, then the final, with a play-off for third and fourth spots.
4.5...
A specific uniform MONTA soccer ball will be used at all times during the finals. The ball is a FISFA size 4.5 with a circumference of no less than 64cm and no more than 67cm, which is between official FIFA size 4 and 5. The ball is heavier than that used in the national qualifying rounds for better control, and weighs in at around 430-490g. The ball is also slightly rounder than previous balls.
Article posted on Chew the Magazine.com
Socially Proactive
Quick and sticky, on-line communication reaches people 'as it happens' says practitioner and PR Catherine Luckhoff. Nancy Richards finds out more about the power of social media.
Catherine Lückhoff
Catherine Lückhoff is orchestrating a quiet revolution in the South African PR industry. Taking tried and tested methods, adding new ways of reaching an audience, and unconventional concepts, Catherine creates exceptional strategies to meet defined business communication and publicity requirements.
Catherine’s entrepreneurial spirit saw her founding MANGO-OMC soon after graduating. Using print, broadcast media, social media, mobile and the web, Catherine fashions together exactly the right ingredients for effective brand activation and communication strategies.
Her business savvy and ability to get under the skin of a company is matched by her skill at pulling together a best-of-breed tactical team and collaboration partners to successfully implement a cutting edge communications plan.
MANGO-OMC was founded in 2004, and in 2006 Nicole Capper joined Catherine as her business partner. The boutique communications agency offers companies truly integrated public relations, media relations, branding and communications services. The team’s depth of experience and industry relations means it can harness the correct media, in the right way, for maximum impact.
MANGO-OMC has, amongst others, worked with Rocking the Daisies Music Festival and Redbull RADAR, for whom it ran one of South Africa’s largest integrated outreach campaigns; The Foschini Group CSI; Cape Town Routes Unlimited; getclosure!; Woolworths Financial Services; and Shake Interactive.
Aardklop
MK MVP
MANGO-OMC recycles
See our recycling review below for the month of April.Catherine Luckhoff addresses the importance of corporate communication in an interview by Martin Slabbert on RSG, Rand en Sent.
Agencies, eat your own dog food
By: Catherine LuckhoffPhew, the digital, mobile and social media space is certainly hotting up recently. There have been more announcements and moves in this space than you can shake a stick at. And, while this is all very exciting and it´s great to see such buoyancy after 2009´s doom and gloom, as a PR and communications consultant, I am feeling a touch of unease.
Primarily, I am concerned about unrealistic expectations being set up with clients by agencies, often followed by poor implementation by people who haven´t truly engaged in the space for a significant period of time. I fear this disjoint will ultimately lead to the PR and communications industry being given a bad name - as it was by the champagne-and-stilettos brigade in the 1990s.
Not only that, though, if South African companies don´t get this social, mobile and digital media thing right, they will lose the biggest opportunity they have to grow their businesses and be successful.
Things that have made me raise a sceptical eyebrow recently include:
- What´s with the silo approach?
Certainly, the announcement of a new division gets an agency attention, but just how does it work to have all your social media “rock stars” sitting at one end of the agency when it comes to running integrated communication campaigns?
Social media, online and mobile needs to be considered at strategy and conceptualisation stage, and then implemented coherently across the board. At MANGO-OMC we´re seeing more and more that we are required to take both a strategic and project manager role on behalf of our clients, bringing together different communication channels and technologies, overseeing an integrated campaign and serving as chief gatekeeper for brand messages. - Huh? A community manager that sits outside the company they represent?
It is highly, highly unlikely that an agency will know your company as well as you do. And, given that one of the key requirements for a successful social media engagement is authenticity, you´re stumbling before you are even out the box if your agency convinces you that it can look after this function.
What your agency can do, however, is work with you on strategy, set in place the foundations of effective social media engagement with the customers in your target market, and guide and coach you on maintaining an effective and successful conversation. - Social media experts with 25 Twitter followers and 10 tweets?
Imagine walking into a Hell´s Angels convention wearing a pink pleather jacket and carrying a scooter helmet with the price tag still attached. And expecting to be taken seriously. Not going to happen.
It´s the same thing with social media; you only truly understand the space and engage authentically if you are genuinely part of it in your own capacity. Else at best you are going to get ignored, but more likely laughed at and then ignored. - Over-emphasising the impact of social and digital media in South Africa.
Get real. Yes, it´s a rapidly growing wave, and, yes, you almost definitely need to get on it. But throw out everything else you are doing? Probably not.
Let´s take a look at some numbers: 2.3 million South Africans are active Facebook users every month; 467 500 South Africans have a Twitter account; and 5.3 Million South Africans have Internet access. But amongst our population of more than 47 million, traditional media blows these stats out the water.
Umhlobo Wenene FM has 4.3 million listeners a week, and The Sowetan, a regional newspaper, has more than 2 million readers a day. So, decide whom you want to reach, and find out where they are actively engaging, rather than jumping on the latest and most edgy fad.
What is key, though, is to maximise all your communications and PR efforts by integrating and amplifying them across the various channels you have chosen. - Don´t forget about mobile.
And I don´t mean mobile Internet only: according to Arthur Goldstuck from World Wide Worx there are 50 million mobile phone connections in South Africa, and about 36 million individual subscribers.
There are heaps of cool, interactive things you can do with a bog standard mobile phone. Just tread carefully, as South Africans have been bitten one too many times by unscrupulous subscription offers.
And make sure that what is happening on the mobile phone is aligned with what is happening in the rest of the campaign.
This is too important an opportunity to get things wrong. Agencies, start eating your own dog food.
And South African companies, notch up the scepticism a few levels the next time you are speaking to the latest social media rock star.
For more:
* Bizcommunity Search: PR & social media
OUR 2010
With less than a 100 days to go until the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the Green Point (GP) and Orange-Kloof (OK) City Improvement Districts (CIDs) are launching OUR 2010 Campaign to motivate businesses to invest in the sustainable development of our communities through football.Says GP CID CEO Marc Truss, "Our mission is to engage in the hype and excitement surrounding the World Cup tournament and launch a community orientated project that will benefit ordinary South Africans in the long run."
The GP and OK CIDs are working in collaboration with two main partners to make this initiative a success: African Brothers Football Academy and former Bafana Bafana striker George Dearnaley.
Each business within the GP and OK CID districts will have the opportunity to contribute towards membership fees for thirty underprivileged children to attend African Brothers Football Academy.
Membership will enable these children to play football in a safe environment, develop their skills under the guidance of experienced coaches, play in matches and tournaments, and interact with children from different cultures and backgrounds.
To kick off the campaign, the GP and OK CIDs have donated R6 000 to cover the membership fees for all thirty children for one month. George Dearnaley will be involved in coaching these children over the next few weeks. Donations from businesses will be used to sustain these children going forward.
Says African Brothers Football Academy founder and Coach Craig Hepburn, "Our mission is to harness South Africa's love of football in order to create opportunities and effect meaningful change. We want to promote a sense of belonging, identity and self-worth through our Academy, and believe that funding raised through OUR 2010 Campaign will make a significant contribution to this."
SuperSport.com
What PR Pros can learn from YouTube
I’m sure by now you’ve learned or heard that YouTube is currently the third largest search engine with 85 million unique visitors in November alone…
Compared to Google and Yahoo, YouTube is growing three times as fast with a yearly growth rate of 35% compared to 11% (Google) and 6% (Yahoo). I’d say Google has a lot to be thankful for here in 2009 as reported by the WSJ yesterday.
As PR and media relations professionals, I believe we have a lot to learn from this reality – people (including the media) crave video.
We’ve been incorporating video into our Awareness Campaigns for clients for well over a year now. One way has been creating vlogs which are part of an online library of video content for their websites and even “vitches”…yes, you heard me right a vitch, a video pitch:).
Learning from YouTube’s popularity, we’ve come up with 3 reasons you and others should strongly consider doing vitches:
1 – Direct Contact to the Resource - The media’s needs continue to evolve and change. Traditional press releases are more for SEO today than for influencing a reporter to write about your company or client. An email pitch gives you limited time and words to make an impression. You might have great success picking up the phone…but time is even more of a crunch as newsrooms get cut and beats begin to pile up. Try capturing your next pitch on a Flip Video of your resource (not you), send the link to the video quickly outlining what the media contact will see in the video and see what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
2 – Entertain Don’t Educate – Don’t get me wrong, it’s valuable and necessary to educate the media, but in today’s environment you might consider taking more of a lighthearted approach to convincing them of your story or resource. You don’t need to be “funny” but just by doing a video vs. written pitch you will allow them to sit back in their cubicle and give them a fresh change of pace to trying to figure out where their story is in your pitch or release.
3 – Broadcast Requires Video Footage – The vitch is especially influential when pitching broadcast including TV and radio. If they’re going to have your resource on as a guest they need to be sure they have someone who is going to be of value and is ready for a “live” interview. If they see your resource can carry the conversation for 60-90 seconds (the longest these should be) they’ll certainly feel much better about booking them as a guest.
Curious to hear if you’re vitching. If so, how’s it going? If not, why?! Looking forward to this conversation!
Article from: http://storyassistant.com
Supersport.com interview on Classic FM
12 February 2010
Interview with Ray Moore of Supersport.com - Reuben Goldberg from Classic FM interviews Ray Moore about Supersport.com´s top mobi-site ranking. Listen by clicking on the MP3 file below.
Interview with Sheena Gates
Nancy Richards from SAFM interviews Sheena Gates about "Stop abuse against children"... Have a listen by clicking on the MP3 file below.
Afterworld / VUZU
Cape Times - Jigsaw websites for the work shy.
Foschini Group CSI - 16 Days of Activism
Stop abuse against children
The Foschini Group CSI – 16 Days of Activism with MXit
Media release
64% of SA young adults admit to abuse
A survey conducted by MXit, the popular mobile social network, shows that 64% of close to 50 000 South African youth have themselves, or know someone close to them who has been a victim of abuse.
The survey was aimed at highlighting the level of abuse against women, children and men in South Africa as part of the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, which ends tomorrow (10 December).
MXit will be handing over the results of the survey, to the National Youth Parliament, as supporting documentation to highlight youth issues when they meet with Parliament next year.
“The result is very disturbing because it highlights the level of abuse prevalent in South Africa. A more alarming statistic is that 55% of the youth surveyed have not taken steps to get help or to report the crime. The free-form questionnaire enabled users to respond frankly with their own accounts of abuse, or knowing someone close to them who has been victim of abuse. From their responses, it is clear that they feel disenfranchised, and do not know where to turn for help or they are too afraid to do so. ” says Juan du Toit, international marketing manager for MXit.
In order to combat the fear and isolation associated with abuse, MXit hosted a special ’16 Days of Activism’ chatroom and recruited a local celebrity to use this platform for young people to open up in a non-threatening environment, to realize that they are not alone – and as an educational on how to seeking help. For this reason, Childline SA was invited to be on-hand to assist with sensitive queries. Childline National Office, already conduct one-on-one counseling sessions on MXit via dedicated chatrooms – and have over 69,000 MXit users who have downloaded the Childline contact to seek assistance.
DJ Suga, one of the first female DJs to secure a primetime radio presenting slot and who has an enormous following of teens and young adults who listen to her on GoodHope FM, hosted the MXit 16 Days of Activism celebrity chat to talk to her fans yesterday. Her message was clear: if you, or someone close to you has been a victim of abuse, you don’t need to go through this alone – talk to someone that can help, such as the Childline counselors on MXit.
“While young people constitute around 40% of South Africa’s population, their voices remain unheard, especially where issues of abuse are concerned. The fight against the abuse of women, children and men needs to be led by both young and old. Abuse is not the norm, nor is it accepted – and young adults deserve to know this. We need to work together to cultivate a culture of openness when dealing with abuse; especially in South Africa where one in four women are likely to be abused and a quarter of children will be abused before they are 18 years old,” says Suga.
“Getting young people talking is a necessity. While MXit is a mobile social networking tool, we are also the voice of over 15 million South African youth, and we plan to make sure that they are heard. The survey allowed us to highlight the level of abuse in South Africa, but was only the first step. The second was to enlist the help of a celebrity that understands and connects with the youth, to deliver the message that it’s ok to ask for help. Suga has a real talent for engaging the youth and was a perfect fit because they see her as both an educator and entertainer. The final step is take the information to parliament so that a real effort is made to help the youth, and this is where the National Youth Parliament comes in,” says Du Toit.
16 Days of Activism:
The 16 Days of Activism against the Abuse of Women, Children and Men is an international campaign which runs annually from 25 November to 10 December and is aimed at raising awareness about the prevalence of abuse around the world. The campaign has been nationally supported by The Foschini Group CSI in their bid to raise awareness and stop all forms of abuse. Including MXit, they’ve used numerous platforms to reach the SA public to drive home their message.
Childline on MXit:
MXit has created a chat room where users can chat directly, and confidentially, to Childline counselors who offer professional counseling services to young people on their mobile phones. Childline South Africa currently receives around 100 000 calls a month from children who require counselling on matters related to physical and emotional abuse, neglect and family problems.
-ENDS-
FD Beachhead
For further information please contact:
FD Beachhead
Sandra Sampayo 021 487 9000 /079 1676863 sandra.sampayo@fd.com
Stacy Lee Son 021 487 9000 /082 6828752 stacy.leeson@fd.com
DStv ONLINE
Professor Gadget
Professor Justus Apffelstaedt's
inventive approach to a large problem
Professor Justus Apffelstaedt is
German, but when he is in the
United States, apparently, he tells
people that he is from South Africa. He
has, after all, been living here for 22 years.
Still, when asked about the significance of his
award-winning invention, the MammaSphere,
being lauded as a South African innovation,
he says, "I'm more of a global citizen.
Rocking the Daisies
Date: 9 – 11 October 2009
Venue: CLOOF WINE ESTATE, Darling
Gates open: 10am on Friday
Ticket sales: see below
Now in its fourth year, Rocking the Daisies is the fastest growing eco-friendly music and lifestyle festival in South Africa, and will once again offer the best in live entertainment, lifestyle exhibitions and gourmet food.
With over 10 000 people attending last year, Rocking the Daisies 2009 will be full of cutting edge, quality music, interactive art fields and facilities aimed to cater for everyone from child care to comedic relief.
Being South Africa’s premier eco-friendly music and lifestyle festival, Rocking the Daisies raises the bar every year, incorporating innovative environmentally conscious products into the festival and spreading the message of ‘play hard, tread lightly’.
Rocking the Daisies has made it its mission not only to educate others on greener lifestyles but also how to take it home and incorporate it into their own lives.
From transport initiatives, solar and wind powered electricity, bio-diesel generators and LED lighting to complimentary bio-degradable soaps and shampoos, recycling and tree planting initiatives. Rocking the Daisies explores every avenue to make this the most carbon neutral green event possible.
Ticket sales:
- Ticket sales at the door are only available on Sunday, 11 October for that day only.
- Children: Free for children under 12. No under 18’s (no children aged 12-17 allowed regardless of adult supervision).
Full weekend - Pre-sale online – R430
- Pre-sale in store outlets – R410
Saturday & Sunday - Pre-sale online – R350
- Pre-sale in store outlets – R330
Sunday - Pre-sale online, in store outlets and at the door – R150
- Buy your tickets at www.rockingthedaisies.com or in store from 9 September you can purchase your tickets at the following participating outlets:
- All Levis® stores, Western Cape
- Hemporium store (114 Constantia Main Rd, Wynberg)
- Rafiki’s Restaurant (Kloofnek Road, Cape Town)
MANGO-OMC recycling
No Standing has always been about making the simple changes in everyday life that would be for the better of the natural environment. Simple. Simplicity aids change. Change in mind set. Change in habit.
We made recycling easy for you and now its a part of everyday day office-life, possibly without realizing
the massive, essential, positive effect that your efforts are having on the natural environment. This month, your contribution was part of No Standing recycling 2.4 tons of waste. Each month No Standing is diverting more and more perfectly usable materials from landfill. I you are interested, No Standing has diverted (to date) abut 16.7 tons of waste material from landfill for recycling.
For me, recycling has become a positive habit which means I am minimizing the amount of waste i send to landfill sites, also preserving the precious natural environment and the reducing the energy (carbon emissions) it takes to produce a new product/packaging.
As my understanding towards the threat of ‘Global Warming’ has grown I have begun too notice how much waste there actually is and what ‘waste’ truly means. This planet is in dire need of a global
conscious shift and it’s only going to start (on a big enough scale) with the simple solutions.
It will really be a catastrophe if we lose this entire planet to ignorance and lack of effort.
Rocking the Gardens
Date: 3 October 2009
Venue: Emmarentia Dam, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
Gates open: 12:00
Ticket sales R100 online before the event: www.tunegum.com
R130 at the gate
Free for children under 13.
Complete Events, in partnership with Oppikoppi Productions, is bringing Rocking the Daisies to Johannesburg. By popular demand, Rocking the Gardens will be a one day event hosted on 3 October 2009 as part of the Old Mutual Encounters Series at Emmarentia Dam.
Boasting some of SA’s hottest bands including Freshlyground, aKING, 340ml, Gang of Instrumentals and even more exciting up and coming bands. Rocking the Gardens will offer Johannesburg the best in live entertainment, lifestyle exhibitions and gourmet food.
Taking a leaf from Rocking the Daisies, South Africa’s premier eco-friendly music and lifestyle festival, Rocking the Gardens too will be ‘green’. By partnering with Food and Trees for Africa, and other leading NGO’s, the event will continue to spread the ‘play hard, tread lightly’ message in the Northern regions of South Africa.
Visit the website to find out more.
MANGO-OMC has been appointed by TEAMtalk Media.
MANGO-OMC has been appointed by TEAMtalk Media to manage their communication portfolio. As a premier content agency, TEAMtalk Media focusses on sports content for radio, print, online, TV and mobile delivering to amongst others Skysports.com, Skynews.com, Skynewsradio.com, Skytext.sky.com/holidays, Sportinglife.com, Sport365.com, Football365.com, Golf365.com, Cricket365.com, Extreme365.com, Rivals.net, Oddschecker.com, PlanetRugby.com, Planetf1.com, and their local football offering: Football365.co.za.
Why wait? Ten PR skills of tomorrow that are needed today
.July 13th, 2009, by Al Krueger
Over the last couple weeks there have been several blog posts and stories written about the skills that PR pros of tomorrow will need. Here is one by Arik Hanson. I agree with many of the points that were raised in Arik’s and others’ posts. If you have perused posts here in the past or listened to the Comet Branding Radio show, it’s no secret that we advocate for the evolution of PR.
crystal_ballWe need to be pushing this conversation about an improved skill set forward so it is heard at the highest levels of the PR industry and in the universities and colleges who are teaching our future PR pros.
I am not writing this post to be a “me too” blogger. I am writing this post because the skills outlined in many of the “skills of tomorrow’s PR pros” posts are needed TODAY. We should not be waiting for tomorrow or for younger pros to figure these things out.
If we don’t all start employing these skills today, we will continue to read blog posts that PR is dead.
Social media and other forms of the read-write-web are creating significant opportunities (not challenges) for PR that weren’t possible a few short years ago. But, for us to leverage all of these new opportunities there are a few skills that will always be needed:
1. Strong journalistic writing and storytelling - We must always be able to tell a strong story with all of the relevant information beyond the what, when, who and where. Craft an engaging and relevant story. We have to work hard to determine and then tell the story of the why, how and the why does it matter. For full credit we should be figuring out different angles to the “why does it matter” question for different audiences and publics. As the opportunity grows for companies to connect directly with customers these skills will continue to increase in value. Developing strong journalistic content will be paramount.
2. Relationship development - PR is so much more than media relations and pitching. We need to be able to develop relationships on multiple levels of an organization, with the media/bloggers, with customers and with people who have opposing views.
3. Business acumen - Access to C-Suite level discussions and decision making is only possible if we can offer well-rounded and strategic business recommendations. This ability can only come from experience and practical knowledge. If we can look at a business and figure out what it needs to grow business and sales and help make that happen through PR/communications/social media - that’s when all of us will have a seat at that table. If we are only seen as flacks or a media relations vendor, then that journey is going to be seriously difficult.
4. Curiosity and restlessness - Within every industry, there are people who are constantly curious and restless about what they do. They lead the pack. These people are always keeping tabs on new developments and trying to find new ways to do things. The moment we become comfortable and satisfied with the current state of things, that’s the exact moment to be significantly concerned. We, the PR industry, should always be thinking about what comes next and progressing what we do.
As the current forms of media continue to fade, and social forms continue to evolve, PR pros have the opportunity to help their company (or clients) connect more directly with their customers/publics TODAY - not just tomorrow. But, to do this, we need another set of skills that we haven’t needed before:
5. Programming and design - We all need an understanding of web programming so we can communicate with programmers to get what we need to build a web site and contribute/edit and customize content. It would be ideal to know some coding ourselves, but a lot can be said about having someone who is truly skilled take the lead. As blog platforms continue to evolve and become easier to use, we still need to have an understanding to communicate changes or the ability to make tweaks and changes on our own.
6. Working knowledge of social media distribution platforms - For all of the great elements of social media, one drawback is that the social web has many gather places. I am sure you could name 10 sites right off the top of your head. It has become burdensome to push content onto so many sites. Thankfully, applications for social media publishing continue to evolve and distribution platforms like Shoutlet are coming to the forefront to help communications pros distribute content across many channels (email, Twitter, Facebook, widgets, etc.) instantaneously. We all need to know how to use these tools because they put the true power of the social web at our fingertips.
7. Video creative direction, writing and production - The social web is fueled by engaging and relevant content. One of the most attractive forms of that content is video. The caveat within this element that is interesting is that video for the social web needs to be very good, but it does not have to be great. Frankly, the slicker the video looks the less authentic it feels and the less accepted it will be in the social web. Because of this, we don’t need to be super-duper Grade-A class video producers, but we need to be pretty good. There are many programs out there that make video production relatively easy. You might want to look into these, because it’s more likely than not that you will need to produce a web video before the end of the year.
8. Community gardening - Many people refer to this as community management, but a friend of mine recently shared with me that he doesn’t think we can fully “manage” a community. I liked what he had to say. If you think about it, the masses probably don’t want to be managed. In this, a PR pro needs to be able to help grow a community and foster activity and conversation within it.
9. Walking the talk - There are many lessons that can only be learned within the art of social public relations by doing it for yourself. There is no better teacher than personal experience. If we aren’t out there writing blogs, doing podcast/videocasts and growing a community for ourselves or our own agencies/companies, all we can do is talk. And how far will that get us? If we are doing all of these things, we are learning every day and those learnings can then be used to drive strategy for our clients and others.
10. Proving Return on Investment - This is an area that I will leave for Sara Meaney to handle as the Left Brain of Comet Branding. All though I’m not fully a numbers person, I do understand and value how important they are. If we can’t prove to our clients that the programs we are running for them are worth it, then it’s not worth a heck of a lot. We have to show proof, proof, proof and more proof.
While this isn’t exhaustive, this is a list of the things that I feel are important and relevant today. Not tomorrow. We all need to be evolving and progressing every day or our industry will die and the only people we will have to blame is ourselves.
Clients we are proud to be associated with:
- House of Tracy Gold
- Balkanology
- 20FourLabs
- Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management
- Autism Western Cape
- Aleit
- Blowfish Entertainment
- Cape Town Routes Unlimited
- Frogfoot Networks
- Greater Vision (Actinic)
- Hennie Bosman
- Inwele SA - Jessica Simpson Clip-in Hair Extensions
- iKineo
- Infinite Woman
- Lynn Witten Consulting
- McNabs and Savvy Kids Organic Foods
- Mellows Fortuin & De Swardt Attorneys
- Nature’s Colours – Herbatint
- Nik Rabinowitz
- Organic Freedom Project
- Phyto Nova (Pty) Ltd
- PlayUKLottery.com
- Raptakos, Brett SA
- SE Show and Events
- Shake Interactive
- South African Journal of Natural Medicine
- Springleap.com
- The Department of Economic Development and Tourism
- Top Billing Magazine/Tswelopele Productions
- Verity
- Woolworths Financial Services
- BPM magazine
- Muse magazine
MANGO-OMC IS RECRUITING FOR A NEW PR ACCOUNT MANAGER
What we are looking for:
A full time PR account manager with both online and offline PR experience. Someone who has the willingness to identify and pursue new opportunities within both these environments and who has a genuine interest in the integration between online and offline channels.
Someone who can conduct environmental scanning to identify key issues, platforms and players in the online environment and pro-actively identify and create campaigns that allow for online and offline integration to maximize publicity and brand interaction.
Someone who is willing to participate in the development and implementation of communication strategies and ensure recommended campaigns and activities to meet the client’s goals.
Someone who will consider and propose relevant solutions to the challenges faced, leveraging off both the agency and the clients’ strengths, and will apply new methodologies and industry practices within the dynamic operating environment.
Someone that possesses the ability to take ownership of projects and follow them through to the desired result.
Requirements
Excellent communication and organisational skills.
Strong writing ability.
Attention to detail.
Research skills.
Analytical skills.
Good interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage budgets / financial accountability.
The person must be able to make decisions independently, use processes effectively and be involved in the overall management of the business.
He/she will be responsible for identifying new opportunities and implementing campaigns.
He/she must have a minimum of 3 - 5 years PR experience with references and should have a degree in PR or journalism.
He/she must be able to interact with multiple parties and diverse personality types and understand the concept of brand development and reputation management.
He/she must be able to develop and implement both online and offline PR strategies.
Experience and reliable contacts with media and industry are imperative.
Personal Skills/Attributes
The ideal candidate is a team player who is dedicated, creative, a lateral and strategic thinker and has a genuine love for working with, and understanding people, communities and brands.
Details
Remuneration package/consulting fee: TBD
Benefits: TBD
Province: Western Cape
City: Cape Town
Job level: Mid
Type: Full time position
Start date: ASAP
Please send your CV and a covering letter marked for the attention of Catherine Lückhoff to chrizanda@mango-omc.com.
Episode 16: The Mobile Tech Edition
28 April 2009Listen to the podcastListen (24 min, 41 seconds)
Listen to the podcastDownload (24 min, 41 seconds)
This weeks episode is part one of a two part series where we take a look at the humble cellphone. First up we look at the technology and processes required to create a mobile service. We debate the difference between a mobile application over a mobile site as well as try to understand the commercial model and the marketing behind these applications.
Our first guest this week is Vincent Maher from Vodacom's "The Grid", a location based social network. Next we have Oliver Krantz from Pocit, a mobile payment service. Finally we round off the show with Stefano Sessa of 24.com as well Colin Daniels of The Times. Stefano tells us about the 24.com iPhone App while Colin talks about The Times mobile site.
We are also joined, as always, by Kerry-Anne Gilowey in our news segment. Our Agency of the week is Mango-Omc and we are joined by Catherine Luckhoff. Finally our Top 10 this week is the "ten most annoying ringtones" available to download. Finally Cambrient's very own Antonio Petra joins us with his tip for online measurement.
Guests:
Vincent Maher:
Vincent Maher is the portfolio manager for social media at Vodacom, South Africa's largest mobile telecommunications company. His flagship product is The Grid, a location-based social network and instant messaging platform. Previously he was the strategist at the Mail & Guardian Online and co-founder of Amatomu.com, the South African blog aggregator and analytics system
Stefano Sessa:
Stefano works within the Naspers group, for a subsidiary company called 24.com (www.24.com). He works in the mobile department, where he is the Product Marketing specialist. His roles include the following: market research, product research, strategy, product development, usability, analytics and marketing. Stefano was instrumental in putting together the 24.com iPhone application.
Oliver Krantz:
Oliver is the Chief Operating Office at Pocit. His responsibilities include managing the operations of the company, development of the mobile payment platform, set up of data centres, disaster recovery and security.
Colin Daniels:
Colin is currently the Publisher of Times Online which is an online brand that incorporates established South African titles such as The Times and Sunday Times that fall under the Avusa Media (formerly Johncom) stable of publications. In addition, he is also responsible for establishing and overseeing the group’s first digital innovation unit (iLab) which focuses on developing cutting-edge mobile & web applications for the South African internet. In 2007, he was involved in the successful launch of The Times and the conceptualization and management of its various digital assets.
Catherine Luckhoff:
Catherine Lückhoff, founder of MANGO-OMC, is adept at pinpointing and communicating a good concept. Catherine´s drive may stem from her academic excellence while reading for her degree in public relations management, but her spunk and business savvy is what landed her an A-list of clients within a year of operating MANGO-OMC. Catherine´s strengths include her ability to tailor an integrated communications strategy for implementation, execute a brand activation campaign and conceptualise bespoke solutions that meet client objectives.
Links:
The Grid: http://www.thegrid.co.za/
Stefano Sessa: http://www.sessa.co.za/
Pocit: http://www.pocit.co.za/
The Times: http://www.thetimes.co.za/
Mango OMC: http://www.mango-omc.com
Cambrient:
Cape Town Daily Photo: http://www.capetowndailyphoto.com/
Jarred Cinman: http://jarredcinman.com
Saul Kropman: http://saulk.co.za
Digital Media and Traditional Media: Will it Blend?
May 19, 2009 4:46 PM, By Dave Friedman
Digital media and traditional media are at a crossroads -- and when it comes to research and measurement, marketers are having difficulty knowing which way to turn. Since the dawn of the TV-era, countless dollars have been spent developing data-capture and analytics tools. But, the TV-centric model of measurement is obsolete. Media channel crossover is becoming more complex: television ads are linked to product Web sites, product Web sites lead to social media sites, and social media sites connect users with other users who are talking to each other about the product. Consumers are engaged with multiple channels simultaneously.
The old marketing and research models that assume media channels are independent of one another are simply no longer working. Without good models and tools, marketers risk making bad allocation decisions potentially sending millions of dollars into less productive channels.
As more digital channels develop, marketers must be able to account for crossover, interaction, mixing and the overall complexity of media in the digital age. Research must also take into account the influence peers have on each other and the marketing ramifications of social influence. This is easier said than done, of course. But let's take a look at how we can bring media mix models and measurement into the digital and social media age.
Marketing Mixology
Traditional media mix models tend to fail when digital is factored in. In fact, at many companies digital still isn't part of their core models. When digital is included, inputs simply don't match outputs. For example, a CPG company spending $50 million on TV and $2 million on digital advertising has a model that says digital is responsible for 40% of sales with TV responsible for only 3%. These results for digital are " too good to be true." Digital advertising alone is clearly not responsible for driving 40% of sales when its budget is barely a blip compared to TV. Conversely, there are models where results are " too bad to be true." So, why the variable? The traditional model treats each medium as independent, which doesn't work when digital crossover blurs the media lines.
The root of the problem is that consumers are receiving messages through numerous media touch-points but research models aren't accounting for this, and are only giving conversion credit to one medium. That is, an ad on TV may drive a person to that product's Web site or to search for that product online. Once he does a search or lands on the site, he is more likely to be targeted with digital display ads for that product or related products because the way he interacts with media determines how advertisers reach him.
This kind of crossover creates a real headache for marketers trying to measure the effectiveness of each media channel. Take the Super Bowl ads for example. Some advertisers look at the increase in number of online searches to show that a TV spot was effective. Here, search behavior is the output of the model. So, which is it? Is digital media one of the inputs (as a paid media channel), one of the outputs (as a response to other media) or both?
To bring old research and measurement models into the digital era, they are going to need a major makeover--but what does this new model look like? How do the various digital channels interact with each other, with traditional media channels, and with consumers?
Moreover, a huge part of digital media is now social, where consumers are taking social influence online, which creates a whole new layer for marketers.
A Model Based on Social Influence
One key element that the old methods of research do not take into account is consumer influence. That is, how consumers are affecting each other -- and through what channels. To fix this issue, it is important that modelers take into account a person's " social graph" as part of the model of measurement in order to be relevant in today's more social society. A social graph represents a person's social network -- those whom they influence, and those who they are influenced by (ranging from personal contacts to product reviewers online).
To bring the models up to speed, marketers must take into consideration that consumers are influencing each other in totally new and different ways -- through digital -- and these interactions are not only causing flaws in media mix measurement, but also flaws in conclusions about consumer behavior. Modelers must develop new models that incorporate all causal relationships of digital media. And after delivery of the model, it should be standard procedure to validate the model.
The Measure of a Plan
In order to better understand consumer behavior, researchers must account for a consumer's social graph and look at both digital and non-digital social networks.
Agencies must continue to innovate to develop more powerful measurement tools, whether that is a tag that can track a single consumer's behavior across channels or a holistic solution that displays all marketing in one place, along with easy-to-understand graphics and actionable insights.
This will allow for a better understanding of where your consumers fit into your marketing programs. The more research that agencies do to better understand how consumers interact with each other and with media, the better they will be at incorporating digital into the media mix model.
Dave Friedman (dave.friedman@razorfish.com) is president of the Americas for Razorfish and a monthly contributor to Chief Marketer.
Marketing with New Technology
May 15, 2009
As part of our goal to keep our readers informed about the latest developments in new marketing technologies, we are always on the search for examples which showcase these technologies being put to use in ways our readers can replicate. Therefore we wanted to make you aware of some exciting new mobile marketing strategies being utilized by national brands you’ll know. As you review these mobile marketing strategies, consider how they might be adapted to market your business. Examples as follows:
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts goes mobile Catering to travelers on-the-go
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts has launched its Hyatt Mobile Web site for travelers on-the-go, anywhere in the world.
The new mobile site lets guests locate and book a hotel, access reservations and check in or out through any Web-enabled mobile device.
Mastercard
Art Kranzley, chief emerging technology officer foMasterCard launches mobile payments
MasterCard has launched a fully integrated on-demand person-to-person mobile payments platform for issuers in the United States, set to go live later this month.
With this new platform, MasterCard’s participating bank customers will be able to offer mobile P2P payments to their customers via MoneySend. The consumer payments platform provides a way to send and receive funds via SMS, mobile browser, mobile applet or an Internet-connected PC.
Reebok lets consumers customize, buy shoes via mob Customize shoes from anywhere
Reebok has launched the very first shoe customization application, allowing users to customize and buy their uniquely designed trainers right from their mobile phones.
Kraft Foods relies on banner ads to drive traffic Kraft’s new mobile site
Kraft Foods is expanding its reach of consumers through the launch of a new mobile Web site, which will be promoted via mobile search and banner ads on Yahoo’s Web portal.
Kraft Foods relies on banner ads to drive traffic Recipes on the go
With just a few clicks, users can create shopping lists, search their favorite recipes by ingredient or meal category, all by utilizing Kraft’s extensive database of recipes.
Upon choosing a recipe, the consumer immediately accesses the meal’s full ingredient list, preparation and cooking times, as well as the detailed cooking instructions.
Arby´s uses mobile coupons to generate buzz for neThe Arby’s Roastburger
Fast food chain Arby’s ran a mobile campaign to promote its new sandwich, the Roastburger.
Alabama consumers were asked to text the word ROASTED to short code 74642 to get a coupon for a free Roastburger.
1-800-Flowers launches multichanel effort targetin Mobile’s key to a rosy future
The world’s largest florist and gift shop, 1-800-Flowers.com, is leading the charge this Mother’s Day to ensure that no mom gets left behind.
“The strategy here is to reach consumers who are busy and on the go who otherwise may have not had the time to go online and make a flower purchase this Mother’s Day,” said Kevin Ranford, director of Web marketing at 1800-Flowers.com, New York.
1-800-Flowers asks consumers to text the word SPOTAMOM to short code 356937 (Flower) to get 20 percent off of their Mother’s Day flowers.
1-800-Flowers launches multichannel effort targeti The text message promo
Consumers who double opt-in are added to a database of names that will be marketed to in the future.
Jiffy Lube launches a geo-targeted mobile ad campa The Jiffy Lube mobile coupon
Targeting young car owners with fickle loyalty, Jiffy Lube in Los Angeles has launched a geo-targeted mobile ad campaign offering coupons for oil changes.
“Instead of waiting for a customer to find Jiffy Lube through the Yellow Pages, or in their neighborhood, they hope to proactively deliver an appealing money-saving offer to an audience that might not be easily reached another way.”
Jiffy Lube launches a geo-targeted mobile ad campa Coupons to your phone
The campaign is designed to reach the 18-24 audience in a new way that speaks to their interests via mobile.
Greasing palms
The text message ad copy is appended to user-requested text message content and messages such as “20 percent off Jiffy Lube Oil Change! Reply JIFFY” or “Save $7 on a Jiffy Lube Oil Change! Reply JL.”
Jiffy Lube taps LCW Wireless’ Cricket Perks mobiFollow the Oregon Trail to Jiffy Lube
Customers who reply to the ad will receive a text message with a coupon code for redemption, and an invitation to find their nearest Jiffy Lube location by replying via text message with their ZIP code.
Nike takes NikeWomen Training Club mobile Train, train, train
Sportswear maker Nike has extended its Nike Training Club program to mobile to target active women on the go.
The idea of the new app is to get consumers to train like an athlete with the Nike Training Club. Essentially, app users have access to a personalized training program.
Retail giant Target enters mobile commerce Target’s mobile app
Target Corp., the No. 2 mass merchandiser after Walmart Stores Inc., has made its debut on the iPhone with the launch of the Target Gift Finder application.
Users can search for gifts by personality, price, gender and age. The application allows users to buy any of the merchandise found on http://www.target.com using their credit card.
Fast-food chain Subway launches mobile ordering sy Subway is known for its subs
Subway is letting its customers place orders via their mobile phone, before they even get to one of the fast food chain’s locations.
The service lets customers order ahead via the Web or through a text message to skip the line at quick-serve restaurants. Diners get a text back confirming when their order will be ready.
Cold Stone Creamery enters mobile A Cold Stone mobile coupon
Cold Stone Creamery ran a mobile coupon program during the holidays to get consumers in-store and ultimately drive sales.
“The strategy for this client’s campaign was to enable the measurement of responses to a spot, track redemption and utilize a new medium which had never been used by the brand to promote their products before,” said Shira Simmonds, president of Ping Mobile, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Viewers that texted in recieved a message that said, “Show this msg @Cold Stone Creamery & get a FREE Love-It ‘Create Your Own’ when buy 1! Use Code: PLU#17. valid@participating locations. Hurry, expires 1/31/09!”
Also, participants were sent a message with an option to opt-in for future promotions. It said, “Reply YES 2 get more Xclusives from Cold Stone Creamery+Cox! Mx4msgs/mo. std txt rts aply. Reply YES Now!”
American Airlines Upwardly mobile
American Airlines is targeting mostly mobile customers with a new service that recognizes callers inquiring about upcoming journeys.
The service, called “Remember Me,” is based on caller ID technology to help American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program customers when they call in for information such as departure gate and flight times. The technology will cut down the response times to calls made.
With Remember Me, the response time is reduced to between 25 seconds and 30 seconds, according to AA.
We hope the many and varied national brand mobile marketing ideas showcased here have given you the start of an idea for how mobile marketing can benefit your business. Should you be interested in learning more about mobile marketing strategies for your business, please contact us at info@strategicgrowthconcepts.com or via our website at http://www.strategicgrowthconcepts.com/contact/home.html to schedule a FREE consultation and a mobile marketing demonstration.
Cause Marketing Meets Social Media
May 18, 2009
-By Brian Morrissey, Adweek
Target is no stranger to cause marketing. The retailer is unusual in that it dedicates 5 percent of its income to charity. It's also no stranger to social marketing, having more than 260,000 fans on Facebook.
Last week, it brought the two together by kicking off "Bullseye Gives," a campaign that invites users to choose from a list of 10 charities to which Target will donate $3 million. The social twist: After voting for a charity, users are invited to broadcast their selection to their Facebook friends via their news feeds, the running summary of updates that is central to the Facebook experience. In less than a week, Target tallied 40,000 votes, which translated into tens of thousands of peer-to-peer impressions.
The effort is one of several undertaken by companies recently that use charities to give people a reason to share brand messages. In the social world, the central front for brands is what's been called "the stream," the real-time feed of updates, links and bits of content that has become the defining characteristic of Facebook and Twitter. Entry to the stream is coveted by brands desperate for the word-of-mouth appeal that comes close to a personal recommendation to friends.
"What we've learned is it's not the cause but it's the idea of a brand truly doing good that has a significant impact through social media," said Joe Marchese, CEO of SocialVibe, a Los Angeles-based startup that runs cause-related social campaigns for brands like Kraft, Sprint and PowerBar. "When you do something good, it used to be that you had to buy a bunch of media and tell people or do PR. Now, the potential is for people to tell each other that you do good."
For brands, particularly those in low-consideration categories like consumer goods, charities can become a cheap way to get access to the megaphones everyone has in social media. Take Colgate. It created a Facebook application called Smiles that languished for months, with just a few hundred people sharing it. Then it hooked up with SocialVibe to recast the tool to tap into the do-good vibe. The brand offered charitable donations each time users shared Smiles. The result: The widget was shared 500,000 times in five weeks.
Kraft is in the midst of a "Share a Little Comfort" campaign that offers to donate 1 million boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese to needy families based on the number of messages people share via Facebook and Twitter. The added bonus of such programs, according to Marchese, is that brands can simply redirect some of their media budgets to cover the donations. It can turn out to be cheaper to offer donations in exchange for people-powered media than buying ad space for promotion. So far, more than 23,000 messages have been posted in response to Kraft's effort.
There is a downside, of course. Efforts can cross the line into social-media spam. Giving people an incentive to pass along messages from brands could come to be seen, reasonably, as an alternative way for brands to buy their way into conversations.
"If it's viewed as a front and that you don't really care, then it can be a setback," said Steve Rubel, svp and director of insights at Edelman. "If it's viewed as a tactic to build buzz, not as a tactic to solve problems or effect change, then you're going to lose all credibility."
This has caused Procter & Gamble, for instance, to shy away from incentivizing sharing with its Tide "Loads of Hope" program, which donates clothing to disaster-stricken areas. It dabbled in the tactic during its "Digital Hack Night," when social-media experts tapped their networks to sell "Loads of Hope" T-shirts. But P&G has not chosen to promote the program the same way with consumers. "There's always a balance of inspiring authentic conversation and being too promotional," said Kash Shaikh, a Tide rep. "We don't want to be too promotional."
To get over that, and to give the marketing programs legs, SocialVibe in some cases sends participants evidence of what their pass-along did. For instance, charity: water, a cause devoted to providing clean drinking water in impoverished areas, takes pictures of the wells dug and sends them to participants a few months later. "People think back to the brands supported over the months and connect it with a specific action," Marchese said. To date, SocialVibe has raised $500,000 for three-dozen charities.
Charities are also a handy way to ensure that "viral" efforts don't completely fail. Sun Products brand All Small & Mighty used the lure of charities to goose distribution of YouTube videos it created last month. It linked up with NBC's Celebrity Apprentice to drive viewers to an All Web site to see videos created by Joan and Melissa Rivers. Each time a video is forwarded, All donates 50 cents to charity. The gambit fits with the Apprentice construct of awarding a winning team with a donation to the charity of its choice.
"We wanted to test how big of a role this would play," said Shiv Singh, social-media lead at Razorfish, the agency that created the program. "You can only create so much passion around a detergent."
The charity game has even gone in an unusual direction. Unemployed copywriter Chris Kahle is trying the approach in the hopes of getting his dream job with Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Last week he posted an offer to donate $1 to charity for the first 200 people who sent Twitter messages to Crispin co-chairman Alex Bogusky and interactive creative director Jeff Benjamin, urging them to hire him. That part of the gambit worked: Dozens of people sent messages to the execs. Bogusky was impressed, calling the idea "really smart," although he didn't commit to interviewing Kahle.
Source: Adweek.com
Do Startups Need Professional PR Help?
10 Things High-Tech Founders Should ConsiderBy Chip Griffin
November 7, 2008
At the risk of alienating all of my remaining friends in the public relations industry, I thought I might share some of my running commentary during today's For Immediate Release broadcast on Blog Talk Radio. The subject was startup PR and the jumping off point was Jason Calacanis' blog post from a few months ago in which he argued essentially that the startup CEO should head PR, not an outside agency.
1. The Startup CEO Should Be an Evangelist. This goes well beyond public relations and media. The startup CEO needs to be an ambassador and advocate with disparate audiences, including investors, clients, prospects, employees, journalists, commentators, potential business partners and more.
2. You Cannot Outsource Evangelism. A tech startup needs an evangelist, preferably the CEO. Other employees may also fill that role (business development and marketing people often come to mind here), but it is not wise or effective to pass that role off to a consultant or agency. To be an effective evangelist, one must be identified with a company as a founder or employee. Hired guns don't have the credibility, nor can they craft the requisite personal brand to be successful. It is hard to evangelize for more than one company at a time -- precisely what outsiders must do to be successful in their own right.
3. Startup Public Relations is First and Foremost Networking. Most people (including many agency types) view public relations as media relations. Whether or not that's accurate, it isn't what most startups need when defined that narrowly. Hits in newspapers or on TV may be great, but not likely what a startup needs most. Instead, it is vital to get out and get in front of the people that the company needs relationships with. That means lots of networking at conferences, dinners, one-on-one meetings, and more. And very little of that should be with members of the working press.
4. Not Every Startup CEO Should Be a Startup CEO. The old mantra of "lead, follow, or get out of the way" applies quite clearly to startup founders. Many are not suited to leading a company. Just because you started the company with your own sweat and tears doesn't mean you should be CEO. If you would rather stare at code than talk to strangers, step aside. Find a partner to serve as your co-founder. If all else fails, hire a CEO. But don't put yourself at the top of the org chart just because you started the place.
5. Companies Can Get PR Too Early. It is tired but true to say that "you only get one chance to make a first impression." Many startups grow too quickly for their own good and get crushed by their own inertia. If you are not ready for media attention, then pulling in all sorts of users or prospects may be a mistake. Your systems need to be ready to handle the influx -- everything from keeping servers up and running to having enough people to deliver quality customer care.
6. A Startup Needs a PR Agency When It Can't Meet Goals on Its Own. There's no cut-and-dried formula for when a startup should engage public relations counsel. A company ought to set its goals and attempt to meet them internally. At some point, this may no longer be possible. That's when it is time to find an outside firm to help.
7. Everything in a Startup is a Trade-Off. Startups have finite resources in terms of money, time, and employees. When weighing the "PR Decision," a startup must evaluate its needs in all areas and determine if dollars spent on PR make more sense than directing those resources to an additional customer service representative, engineer, or salesperson. That may mean that there are fewer dollars to spend on a PR solution, leading to a cheaper outside firm, fewer hours contracted, or passing on PR duties part-time to an individual within the company. These can all be rational outcomes.
8. You Must Measure PR ROI. Don't be snookered into thinking that all media is good media. As someone said on the FIR broadcast, you may get a great mention in the Wall Street Journal, but if none of your customers read it, it may as well have not happened. You need to work with whoever handles your PR -- internally or externally -- to establish clear measures of success that are individual to your business.
9. Not All Companies Need PR Agencies. I'll probably get kicked out of the Public Relations Society of America for saying this, but there are some startups that will do just fine without professional PR help. Some startups seek to interface with just a handful of business partners rather than with large numbers of customers. If a company is focused on behind-the-scenes white label arrangements or has technology that they are grooming for use by a small but lucrative market, they may not need PR. In some cases even if they need to appeal to a larger audience, there may not be many -- if any -- attractive media targets to reach out to. In those cases, direct mail, salespeople, or other non-public approaches may serve best.
10. Many Agencies Tell You They Do More Than Media, But Few Really Do. Really good agencies do more for you than simply get media hits for your company. They can help you with internal communications, presentation training, perfecting your elevator pitch, improving investor relations, and more. Many claim this, but few do it well. And, of course, you get what you pay for. The more that a PR agency becomes a "strategic partner," the more it will likely cost. With everyone from your lawyer to your accountant wanting to be strategic partners also, it is important for startups to avoid getting bogged down with too much professional advice and remain nimble and responsive.
I'm not by any means arguing against startups employing public relations firms. They can provide truly useful service for many, but it is vital that every startup evaluate the question individually and with a critical view to ensure that the right firm is being hired for the right reasons.
Measuring the Value of Search Optimized PR
10 Comments | Posted by Lee Odden on May 13th, 2009 in Online Marketing, Online PR, SEO, Web AnalyticsMeasuring SEO & Public RelationsMeasuring the effect of online marketing and PR efforts is essential for both understanding the return on investment but also for feedback that will improve subsequent efforts.
Measuring the effect of SEO for Public Relations benefits should start with well defined outcomes. To get a good handle on SEO effectiveness, it’s important to match the purpose for the effort with specific metrics. For example, if improving brand visibility is a goal, then documenting brand mentions in connection with news & PR content at regular intervals can demonstrate the effect of content promotion and link building.
Online PR metrics and tools often include:
* News wire service metrics (see screen capture below)
* Web analytics for landing pages and web site
* Google and Yahoo alerts
* Monitor blog search engines (via RSS)
* Press release landing page conversion tracking
* Social media monitoring
* Inbound links
* Pickups on blogs
* Pickups on other web sites & online publications
* News and Standard Search Engine Rankings
* Conversions: Less likely sales, more likely white paper downloads, webinar signups, newsletter subscriptions, demos, etc
prweb stats
As I’ve mentioned, the specific metrics and tools to use should match the news content being optimized and it’s purpose. For example, a press release that is keyword optimized and announcing a promotional offer of some kind, should have tracking codes added to the links embedded in the release. Those links should point to landing pages designed to convert visitors from the press release to the desired outcome. Ranking is not a worthwhile metric in this case but conversions are.
Capturing various measures and key performance indicators isn’t enough to gain support for optimizing news content in many organizations. These efforts belong within the Public Relations effort and should emphasize goals consistent with PR objectives. Sometimes it takes a little creative packaging of analytics to help other departments or upstream executives “get” the value of optimizing PR content for search.
Here are a few tactics to use in order to sell the value of SEO within a PR effort:
* Show competitor social search visibility vs client/company
* Show competitor’s optimized news content ranking in various types of search engines where the company/client is not (and probably should be)
* Research a keyword glossary and run a ranking report on those phrases. Show the lack of search visibility for what search audiences are actually looking for, relevant to the business
* Run a test of a few news items, whether they be blog posts, press releases or a digital asset like video. Take a benchmark measurement first and then show progress.
* Set keyword ranking goals for news content and estimate the cost to achieve the same goals with PPC advertising over time. Demonstrate the cost of organic search traffic vs PPC traffic.
If you can’t get budget approval for an overall search campaign as part of specific PR efforts, then using a competitive example or a small scale test might be enough to demonstrate the value of incorporating SEO with Public Relations.
That wraps up our series of posts on Top Ten SEO Tips for News and PR where you can find an index of all 10 posts as well as the PowerPoint deck that inspired it.
Please share your opinions on the series. Not just the content and whether it’s useful, but the the format of posting a themed series. Did you like the series? Was 10 posts too many? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Twitter to the people
By: Herman MansonBrands are venturing onto micro-blogging platform Twitter - with mixed results.
Twitter has a funny side - though you might not think so, considering the current media and PR push (into Google´s arms, if reports are correct) surrounding this very useful microblogging service.
Take this one-word piece of advice that comes as part of the lowdown on how corporates can use Twitter for marketing and PR purposes at http://howtousetwitterformarketingandpr.com. The one-word piece of advice is, of course, DON´T. Luckily, on Twitter, you get another 135 characters to discuss.
Just a quick note for the uninitiated: Twitter is a rather nifty broadcast service that allows users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters. You follow people, brands or news channels, and they have the option of following you.
Great resource
Marketers should embrace Twitter in a personal capacity, because it is a great resource for gathering news, picking up on industry gossip and networking across your industry. For media workers, Twitter is a tool to interact with their audience and provides another platform from which to disseminate their content.
Brands also have a role to play on Twitter, but brand owners should not expect it to happen on their own terms. Advertising is losing its edge as consumers increasingly demand two-way communication. Twitter is about communication, and people, which also means it´s complicated: not the technology itself, but the psychology, the interaction and the sense of humour and flexibility required to work with people in a fairly anonymous space.
Yet a number of brands are successfully using Twitter to answer questions, dispel misconceptions and engage directly with users.
Vida e Caffé (@vidaecaffe) has quite a vibrant Twitter community following. It addresses all sorts of questions relevant to Vida e fans, including the lack of credit card facilities at two of the shops, and discussions about the closure of three others. Or it´s used to announce special deals. It doesn´t do corporate speak here, that´s for sure.
Ian Jepson is the guy behind the Vida e account and he says the group initially joined Twitter after noticing there were numerous comments coming from Twitter users about the company.
“Quickly snowballed”
"Our plan was to simply join, get in contact with those people, and sort them out with a free coffee or two," says Jepson. "This quickly snowballed (as things do on Twitter) and before we knew it there were 30 - 50 messages in our inbox from Vida-fans enquiring about the giveaway and all asking the same thing, ‘Can I have some too?´"
Vida e Caffé was now officially ‘on Twitter´.
"It´s an amazing platform, especially because of how easy it is to see what the average person thinks about your brand and products," says Jepson. "We´ve had amazing compliments, polite criticisms and many, many mentions since we´ve joined. Twitter allows customers to instantly ask a question. We´ve gotten everything from business requests to ‘what time does your _____ store open?´ and we reply to every single one of them. Our account isn´t overtly active - we make about two or three posts a day - but we are constantly watching and listening to our customers to see what they have to say next."
Not everybody is successful
Not everybody is successful. I find the @SteersFastFood Twitter feed, um, cheesy. Is cheesy really the Steers brand image? I always thought Spur had first dibs on cheese.
@Nedbank has only one post on its feed, which reads: "Need more info on Nedbank service? Want to complain? Want to compliment? Follow us, or DM us to tell us what´s on your mind."
What, no news on how to ride out the financial crisis? No “Good news, folks, interest rates are dropping”? “Make things happen”, indeed...
Media brands are doing better, especially @MyNews24, which could be a case study in the successful use of Twitter by a media organisation. It has a human being posting breaking news updates, replying to reader queries and following followers. It has recognised that Twitter is about more than simply dumping headlines. [For a listing of SA news brands on Twitter, see MyNews24 shows how media can use Twitter; SA Newspapers sees growth in followers on Twitter; 5 steps to a successful Twitter feed for your content company; and SA Newspapers and their no sense approach to Twitter.]
Key point
A key point to remember when venturing onto Twitter is that it is about people, not brands. Actually, that is also true about business, a point many managers have conveniently forgotten, but which is once again being brought home by the big noise that 140 characters can make.
Oranje-Kloof/Green Point City Improvement Districts - Die Burger 2009.05.14 Page14
What we value
- Our clients and our people.
- Expertise, knowledge and an open-minded approach.
- Honesty, integrity and ethical practices.
- Creativity, initiative and innovation.
- Credibility, responsiveness and accountability.
- Relationships built on trust and collaboration.
What we believe in
- Making a difference through affecting and effecting change.
- Delivering outstanding client service.
- Seamless execution and impeccable results.
- Our responsibility to deliver a high return on our clients´ investment in us.
- That experience matters and that senior counsel should drive every account.
People`s Post - City 28 April 2009 Page 5
Business Day 28.01.09 (page 3)
SUPPORTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN
Did you know that more women and children are abused in SA than
anywhere else in the world? For each of the 16 days of Activism
Against Abuse, the Foschini Group will donate R20 000 to an NGO that
supports victims of abuse. In addition, SAfm will conduct interviews with
each of the organisations to highlight their work in the fight against
abuse. Tune in to SAfm (104-107) at 1:05 pm each weekday between
25 November and 10 December and listen to 'Otherwise' with Nancy
Richards to find out more about the organisations being sponsored
and how you can make a difference. Wear a white ribbon and visit
www.foschinigroup.co.za/csi for more info.
Copyright © 2010 Mango-omc
By PHILLIP VAN STADEN
December 2, 2008
“How would you define public relations?” Ask anybody that question -including captains of industry - and I´m willing to bet that the answer will either be something about ‘publicity´, or no answer at all, just a furrowed brow and an inaudible mutter. Then ask a PR practitioner to define PR - clearly, plainly and simply.
Bandwidth blog
Bandwidth blog continues their series of office photos and take you inside the clean white offices of MANGO-OMC.
Global Breakthrough
Wees deel van ´n club-deurbraak met Channel O
Kaapse Son, 28 November 2008, page 31JADE ALLEN JOINS MANGO-OMC
On Monday the 17th November 2008, MANGO-OMC welcomed Jade Allen to the team in the position of Account Manager.
Previously Jade worked as an Acount Manager at Wired Communications, on accounts that included Perdeberg Winery, BenRiach single malt whisky, Clan Murray whisky, Blowfish Entertainment, and Asoka bar in Kloof street, Cape Town.
Prior to this Jade filled the position as Group Communications Manager for Gatsby International Hotels, representing The Lanzerac Hotel and Spa, The St James of Knysna, The Plettenberg Bay Penthouse, Diaz Strand Hotel and Resort, Sibuya Game Reserve, Thula Manzi Guest Lodge, Swans rest Boutique Hotel, Buhala Game Lodge, Bay Haven Luxury Guest Apartments, and Vicky’s B&B. She also fulfilled the role of presenter for the Ultimate World Luxury Hotels show filmed by Gatsby International Productions (a Brandon Lourens initiative).
Preceding this, Jade’s employment locale was at Japan Tobacco International (JTI), as a Brand Ambassador and Assistant Brand Manager to Yves Saint Laurent; and as Recruitment Manageress for the Universal Group the year before.
Her studies commenced at the University of Cape Town, majoring in English and the Performing Arts, for a three year duration, followed by a course in Events Management through INTEC college.
From 2003 to 2004 Jade resided in NYC and Aspen Colorado, and further extended her travels through Greece, Amsterdam, England, the States, India, Quartar and Mauritius.
Green Point,Oranje-Kloof CIDs on crime busting beat
The Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts (GP and OK CIDs) have been instrumental in five arrests since the beginning of October. These arrests include offenses for a house break-in and theft, possession of illegal substances, malicious damage to property and theft out of motor vehicle, as well as possession of stolen property.
Atlantic Sun, 13 November 2008, page 3
Knowledge becomes power when you know your genetic background
THEY are some of the most dreadful words a woman will never hear: "Your test for breast cancer is positive." The good news is that increasingly sophisticated genetic tests are being developed throughout the world, almost daily, to determine the ssibility of someone developing the disease in the future. Some tests, after diagnosis, can help a medical team decide on treatment tailored specifically for individuals.Business day, 29 October 2008, page 3
CIDs appoint new security service provider
The Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts (CIDs) are proud to announce that Vetus Schola Protection Services are on board as their new security service provider.Atlantic Sun, 23 October 2008, page 3
SynthaSite has won the Industry Standard 100 Awards in the category - community & social. Read more
CRIME CONTROL
In response to an Increase In reported Incidents of theft out of motor cars in the Green Point area, the police, in partnership with the Green Point City Improvement District, implemented a "security leaflet drop" on Friday 10 October in De Waterkant.People´s Post - City Edition, 21 October 08, page 4
Rocking the Daisies draws more than 10 000
South Africa´s only carbon neutral music festival doubles in size from 5 000 in 2007, to over 10 000 festival goers this year. Cape Argus reports that the festival was definitely worth the long queues.Cape Argus, Tonight, 8 October, page 3
Get ready for a rocking time!
Sixty40 Bodyboarding Magazine excites its readers by highlighting what they can look forward to at the most natural music festival in the Western Cape. Oct/Nov/Dec issue, page 13.
Breast cancer - a fighting chance
Experts agree that early detection of breast cancer is key to survival. This is one woman´s remarkable story.According to Professor Justus Apffelstaedt, associate professor at the University of Stellenbosch and head of the Breast Clinic at Tygerberg Hospital, ´today, breast cancer is often curable if detected early and treated by a multidisciplinary team´.
Fair Lady, October 2008, page 136 - 140
Borskanker, twee vroue, een man en een deurbraak
Die maand fokus ons op borskanker, die hoofoorsaak van sterftes onder vroue jonger as vyftig. Dit wil sse die hoofrede vir sterfte onder ons tipiese lesers...ek, jy ons buurvrou.
Rooi Rose, October 2008, page 150-154
CIDs provides security tips to restaurant owners
The Green Point and Oranje-Kloof City Improvement Districts are committed to crime prevention. After a recent increase in criminal attacks on restaurants in Cape Town, targeted security tips were released to assist restaurant owners in protecting there property and staff.Atlantic Sun, 19 September, page 3.
The end of Jail4Bail
ETV News Coverage - Gerhard Pieterse, Executive Director of Autism Western Cape is released. ETV News-28.08.2008
GP CID celebrates seven years of service excellence
Point CID celebrated its seventh Birthday together with key partners and friends on Wednesday, 20 August 08. Atlantic Sun, 28 August 08, page 10.
Rocking is a Big Issue
Rocking the Daisies 2008 - The Big Issue - September 2008
Green Point and Oranjekloof CID's
getclosure! saves you time and money
getclosure! is a discrete and time-effective way of solving consumer related queries with service providers.Woman&Home Magazine, August issue
WHAT WE DO:
Public Relations and Communication
- Integrated online, offline and mobile communication strategies
- Public relations and publicity campaigns
- Communication audits
- Crisis communication plans
Brand Management
- Brand building and conceptualization
- Reputation and image management
- Brand bibles and style guides
- Brand awareness and activation campaigns
Media
- Publicity
- Liaison and brokering
- Monitoring and tracking
- Training
- Environmental scanning
Online
- Website design and development
- Social media campaigns
- Online PR
- Conceptualization and creation of rich media content
Production and Editorial
- Design and publication of in-house and corporate publications including: newsletters and annual reports
- Writing: advertorials, columns, features, press releases, communiqués, radio advertisements, advertising copy, annual reports, newsletters, brochures, search engine optimized website content, speeches and quotes
- Editing: line edits (structural and substantive editing), copy editing, proof reading
- Research
- Fact checking
Design
- Brand and corporate identity development
- Marketing collateral
- Print design
- Website design
Mission
MANGO-OMC is committed to delivering informed, converged communication, marketing, branding and creative services based on in depth industry knowledge, a real understanding of the issues that affect both our client´s and their target markets, and a genuine enthusiasm for what we do. Our aim is to act as a trusted extension of our client´s brand, producing results that directly and positively impact on our clients business objectives.MANGO-OMC is also committed to providing an open minded yet professional working environment that encourages and rewards creativity, insight, teamwork and enthusiasm. Our culture and philosophy is based on a "no nonsense" approach to communication that values clarity of thought and deliverable results above empty promises and meaningless jargon.
Vision
To be great.To be South Africa´s number 1 communication agency of choice.
To be respected by ourselves, our clients, our partners and our peers.
Contact us
Cape Town Office72 Maynard Street
Gardens
Cape Town
8001
Nicole Capper
Tel: +27 21 461 3729 / 9244
Fax: +27 86 512 2194
Johannesburg Office
Catherine Luckhoff
Tel: +27 82 440 7116
Fax: +27 86 512 2194
Please email
admin@mango-omc.com for all invoicing and account enquiries.
contactus@mango-omc.com for all general enquiries.
jobs@mango-omc.com should you wish to submit CV or portfolio details. Please note that unsolicited submissions may not receive a response.
Nicole Capper
Nicole Capper believes in the utilization of communications to affect and effect change.. Her razor-sharp strategic mind allows her to get to the heart of an issue quickly and succinctly; while her innate understanding of the traditional and new media landscape has resulted in a strong network of long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.She cut her teeth in branding and marketing, and successfully navigated the early days of complementary healthcare communications in South Africa. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, Nicole has the ability to shift seamlessly from high level strategic thinking, to grass-roots PR implementation, and back again.
Sustainability and collaboration are what make her tick. Attention to detail and excellent organizational abilities are how she gets things done. Nicole has successfully conceptualised and forged some of the most creative third party joint marketing alliances for MANGO-OMC’s clients.
Tamryn Waters
Tamryn joined MANGO-OMC in March 2009 as an Account Manager. She graduated cum laude in Public Relations Management at The Cape Peninsula University of Technology and has since been working in the UK with an array of clients from multi-national fashion houses and airlines to energy companies.As a graduate Tamryn assisted on accounts such as Nokia, Gulf Air and Noddy at Four Communications Ltd and Redhouse Lane Communications Ltd in London and went onto a management position at Blue Ink Agency Ltd specialising in Brand Management, Online Marketing and PR. She is keen traveller who has lived and worked in New York, Thailand and the United Kingdom. With four years international experience and a keen eye for detail, Tamryn can conceptualise and implement a successful campaign from start to end.
getclosure! passionate about consumer rights and remedies
Table Talk Community Newspaper, 11 June 2008
Vanessa Clark
Vanessa joined the MANGO -OMC team in May 2008. A journalist by training, she has over 10 years experience in a variety of marketing roles spanning PR, communications, branding, social media and sales support. She loves telling the story of interesting companies, and because she has spent the bulk of her career in the tech industry, she is adept at translating techno-geek speak into something interesting and accessible. She has worked in Cape Town and London, dealing with businesses as far afield as Mumbai, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo and San Francisco, building brands in new territories.
getclosure! - complaining made easy
getclosure! - an online complaints, compliment and consumer affairs portal - enables consumers to solve their consumer-related issues by simply lodging a complaint online. Now, consumers can also compliment excellent service deliver and learn about their rights as consumers.O Magazine, March 2008, page 52
MANGO-OMC
is a boutique public relations and communications consultancy with offices based in Cape Town and Johannesburg.Our dynamic and cutting edge team ensure an integrated skill base that encompasses web, mobile and conventional offline PR.
We prefer to think of ourselves as a boutique PR agency that combines tried and tested methods with unconventional concepts to create exceptional strategies. Why? Because you have everything to gain by us taking a fresh approach to your goal: to deliver results that exceed your expectations.
You Come First
A communications campaign should not be an isolated project utilising only one communication platform. It´s a detailed process that dovetails multiple communication modalities to create a bespoke strategy that works. After all, when you hire a communications consultancy, that´s what you expect.With more than 22 years of combined international and local public relations, brand management, media and design expertise and established web and mobile collaborations, the
MANGO-OMC
team offers a fund of specialised knowledge and technical skills. Our team has the rare combination to succeed in making a difference in your company, and to your bottom-line. Our relationship with our clients is paramount and our commitment is clear: under promise, over deliver. We know the difference lies in the details.In a nutshell,
MANGO-OMC
understands that effective and engaging communication is what sustains business today.Whatever Your Needs
In today’s ever-changing world, your communication needs are likely to be diverse. Your audience may be internal or external, national, regional or global. You may be focussing on improving sales, ensuring consistent brand delivery, effectively communicating with stakeholders, changing perceptions, motivating and training employees or building and sustaining relationships with your customers. For most, it’s a combination of all of the above and more.Whatever the challenge, we promise to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your communication and deliver results that exceed your expectations.
Emma Donovan
Emma joined the MANGO-OMC team in May 2009, bringing her writing and editing skills to the party. She is responsible for online and offline content generation on a number of the MANGO-OMC accounts.Emma graduated from the University of Cape Town with a degree in Media and Politics and then spent 18 months working and traveling in Europe, Asia and Australia. She returned to Cape Town in 2008 to take up the position of Content Manager for getclosure.co.za where she developed and refined her writing and editing skills and joined the world of online media.
Chrizanda Van Wyk
Chrizanda joined the MANGO-OMC team in April 2009 to fulfil her third year internship programme. A student of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Chrizanda aims to complete her BTech in PR part-time in 2010.With a passion for working with people and an interest in human diversity, Chrizanda has also extensively travelled in both the USA and Europe and finds the world of communications “inspiring and motivating”.
Nicki de Beer
Nicki joined the MANGO-OMC team in April 2010 to fulfil her 3rd year internship programme. A student of Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Nicki aims to complete her BTech in PR part time and continue working thereby combining theory and practice.
Nicki finds the world of communication fascinating and would love to travel and learn the various communication methods used worldwide.
Stefanie Elliott
Stefanie joined MANGO-OMC as an Account Manager in June 2010. Stefanie has a B-Tech in Public Relations and is currently completing her MTech in PR Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She thrives on teamwork and believes communications is essential for any organisation in fostering excellent relationships with all its stakeholders. Learning to understand and communicate with each one and planning campaigns to suit them is what she loves about PR. Previously,
Stefanie has worked on accounts such as ADT Security, Rape Crisis Cape Town Trust and the Groote Schuur Community Improvement District.
Lebogang Mawelela
Lebogang joined MANGO-OMC in May 2010 as an Account Assistant. With a diploma in public relations and communication from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), she completed an internship at the University’s Division of Institutional Advancement for Corporate Communication.
Highlights of her career include participation in cultural diversity forums, focusing on knowledge and information exchange and being selected as one of the first Nedbank brand ambassadors.
Lebogang intends to continue her studies in communication science and to expand on her marketing and branding experience.
Tenacious and creative, Lebogang believes PR and communication is “an important communication platform to effect positive behavioural change in society.”
getclosure!
In line with our commitment to exceptional service - WE SUPPORT getclosure! – the online complaints resolution portal.
www.getclosure.co.za enables consumers to bring their complaints and compliments to the attention of South African suppliers. This independent service is fast, effective and free for consumers.
Business forum to tackle Oranje-Kloof crime
Due to an increased concern around shopliftings and theft among smaller businesses in the area, the Oranje-Kloof City Improvement District (OK CID), together with local businesses and the South Africa Police Service (SAPS), established the Kloof Street Business Forum in September this year.
Atlantic Sun, 11 December 2008, page 6
Business forum to tackle Oranje-Kloof crime, Altantic Sun 11.12.08, pg 6
Atlantic Sun 12 April 2009 page 3
Our affiliations
The MANGO-OMC team believe strongly in collaboration. Our affiliations form part of who MANGO-OMC is and what we stand for.
Affiliates include:
- No Standing - waste recycling management services
- Pure Publishing and Design
- Michael Dei Cont Freelance Designer
- LightSpeed Wiki & Social Network Specialists
tags http://beta.mnet.co.za/kyknet/,
file under: our clients
tags http://beta.mnet.co.za/kyknet/,
file under: our clients