Exhibiting at Trade Shows --- How Many Audiences do you Really Have?

There is more than one audience to consider when participating in a trade show.  We often think about sales as the true measurement of a trade show’s success, but there are other benefits too.  Trade shows also provide a dynamic environment that’s conducive to making new business contacts.  “Being at the right place at the right time,” is never truer than at a trade show.

Another important audience that attends trade shows is the media, who are always looking for the next innovative product or business solution.  You might not feel comfortable contacting them yourself or you might think that your product doesn’t merit media attention.  That’s a shame because the media can give your brand a lot of valuable exposure.

Articles, blog posts, TV and radio interviews help build credibility for your brand because a third party endorsement is believable.  Being talked about by the media makes you and your product stand out from the crowded trade show floor in a memorable way.  

While the direct ROI of a trade show is sales, it’s important to think about the other audiences you encounter and the roles they can play in building your brand’s visibility.  All three audiences: customers, business contacts and the media should be part of your next trade show strategy.  Remember, trade shows don’t just offer short term benefits but also long term too.

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Has Instagram Really Betrayed Its Users?

“You agree that a business may pay Instagram to display your photos in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions without any compensation to you.” 

This short sentence caused a wave of outrage from many users.  It was now understood that Instagram (owned by Facebook) could sell users’ photos, without consent if their account wasn’t deleted by January 19th 2013, when the new privacy settings would come into effect.  

In December AppData reported a significant drop in Instagram users. Although in Instagram’s case the drop may be partly due to the proposed policy change, many social medias witnessed a decline in users during the Christmas season. Either way, Instagram’s reputation has been tarnished since the policy changes have been exposed. Many believe that if the media hadn’t intervened, the policy changes would have gone unnoticed due to the holidays. 

The real question is, what were Instagram’s true intentions?   

While its privacy settings now state that Instagram can’t sell your photo, it can use it without your consent.    Think about it, do you want your personal photos used without your knowledge?   

This controversy has damaged Instagram’s reputation and trust is now a big question.   What will the consequences be?    Only the future will tell; however, it is clear that the media’s role is crucial in the public’s perception of a brand. 

What are your thoughts on the new policy? Will you be deleting your Instagram account? 

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What's for Dinner ?

It’s always a dilemma when you’re working, and at the end of the day you’re tired, and the question arises “what’s for dinner?”  You walk in the kitchen and open the fridge hoping for an inspiration.  So as that seldom works for me when I’m mentally drained, I thought I’d share my inspiration -- great recipe sites where all you have to do is enter the ingredients you have on hand and you have dinner options. 

So, why not check out sites like SuperCook, Recipe Matcher, Recipe Key and Yummly.  SuperCook is also a great resource because you can store the staples you keep in your kitchen—butter, salt, tomato paste etc. – so you don’t need to re-enter them every time. There’s also an “Exclusions” list so you can select individual ingredients or whole categories, like all gluten, all nuts or all meat.

So, here’s to delicious dinners in 2013!

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What is PR?

Last year, the Public Relations Society of America asked its members and the public for a clear definition of PR.  The result … 

“Public relations is a strategic communication process

that builds mutually beneficial relations between

organizations and their publics.”

Some found it unclear, so PR Newswire decided to ask its followers on Facebook to fill in the blank, “PR is _____.”

PR Newswire compiled the more than 100 responses it received into an infographic; they range from simple, one-word answers to some resembling that of the PRSA definition.

What's your definition of PR?

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Disney Voted One of the Top Facebook Posts of the Past Week

An insightful blog post by Nick Cicero of Social Fresh prompted us at Schrenk PR to discuss  one of the most engaging Facebook posts from last week. 

Facebook released its third quarter results last week, with news that they had reached 1 Billion users.  The research also showed nearly 58% of Facebook users are women and 18% post daily status updates. This means that there are more than 500 Million women active on Facebook every day.

“The consumer isn’t a moron. She is your wife.” ― David Ogilvy

 

So, how do you break through the clutter of Facebook?  As David Ogilvy said, (and he was talking about advertising – way before social media was even heard of), it takes more to persuade someone to buy something than a quick promotion, contest or  paid ads.  It’s the combination of creativity, information, and audience desire that make great content work or poor content look outdated and boring.  This holds true today with social media, and it’s still all about developing relationships.

Disney did it well this past week when they posted a photo of Thumper along with the modified maxim “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”  There wasn’t a cute caption, nor a mention of what movie it came from, yet they racked up more than a quarter of a million likes and 80,000 shares in three days.

Disney knows the power of emotion and nostalgia in storytelling; it is what drives the stories they create for millions each year. Simply, they’re introducing a cherished character with a universally good message.  The visual emphasis is not about driving sales, rather they want their fans to align themselves with quality attributes that their favorite character (Disney brand) also shares.

It’s not difficult to see why it was voted one of the top posts of last week.  So, what can you do for your fans on Facebook to create this exclusivity within a status update?  Get creative and  break down those barriers.  Open up to your customers and share real value on your Facebook page.

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