wondering

Wondering why the hell Apple isn't joining conversations on Twitter.

Have you noticed that you're getting more and more responses from brands on Twitter lately? Comcast set the pace early on with Frank @comcastcares. Now Twitter teems with brands. The automakers are listening. I tweeted about the automaker bailout, @scottmonty from Ford writes me back. @Zappos, aka Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, is all over Twitter - not in a customer care capacity, but simply adding value by letting people get to know the person behind the brand. (Check out the great blog post he wrote on how Twitter can make you a better and happier person.) Airlines are on board (@delta, @jetblue and more). CNN, Home Depot, Whole Foods and Starbucks, and the list goes on and on. (For more specifics, see the Mashable post on 40 of the best Twitter brands.

But it's not just big brands jumping on board, the smaller players watching and responding to posts. I recently tweeted about using a space heater, and @vornado responded me asking me what kind. No offense Vornado, but I thought that was pretty funny! When I responded to @dogster post regarding my pet insurance, I got an immediate follow from @VPI. I bet most of you have never heard of VPI. (Trust me, when you have a dog like @elguapito, you need pet insurance!)

So let's see. My space heater and doggie insurance are paying attention. But all the gazillions of times I've written about my MacBook Pro or my iPhone (which is pretty often), or my iTouch -- there has been a deafening echo bouncing of the walls of cyberspace. Apple's absence is so prominent, it is starting to create an actual black hole. Can you feel it's pull?

I've asked questions. I've raved and raved about products. Ok, I've complained about a couple of things. I also wrote a lot about my switch from PC to Mac. Nothing. Hmm, I haven't tried "Dear Apple" -- but I'm pretty sure how that will go. 

So why the hell isn't Apple listening & responding on Twitter (or anywhere online outside of their own site). It's APPLE. A brand that is the very definition of early adopter. A brand that does an excellent job of customer service in traditional channels.

The two Apple tweet accounts I found are about broadcast, not having conversations. @appleinc tweeted for one whole day on January 6th at MacWorld (self-promotion). And @applenews (more self-promotion). Do they think they checked the box because those accounts exist?

Dear Apple, I love you, but need to know this:  when are you going to get with the program?...............................<giant sucking noise>.......................

crap!

Wondering how Axe pulled off the 100 Girls "live" site?

Axe lets guys upload their photo at the Axe 100 Girls site -- and women respond "live" on camera by moving to the "yes" or "no" side of the room. The result -- whether your hair is "girl-approved." A cute blonde moderates and comments on the hair of submitted photos -- and then recommends product that will up the score.

If you upload a picture of a chick or, well, a dog, your picture is rejected. You have three shots to get your picture in the loop. Then after 5 to 7 minutes, a timer comes up and your pic is displayed. My sister, cousin and I submitted my cousin Ian. He scored 75%. NICE! They commented that his hair was tussled, but not that it was red. Something that seems might be an obvious thing to comment on. Hmm.

If you keep the site up for a while, many phrases repeat themselves, and ultimately, the guys repeat too. As you watch the guys appear and be judged, the women move back and forth to vote. There are no cuts, so it feels like it must be live. But when your timer comes up -- it blocks the scene -- so the background can refresh.

Our best guess -- the running approval of photos is a loop. Your photo must somehow be tagged live. First, if it's a guy. Second, a few qualities of the hair "frizzy, unkempt, blond, 65% approval" Then that calls video from a series of canned videos -- combining your pic with the voting sequence, the commentary, and the recommended product.

Very impressive. Maybe not as "live" as it seems, but there must be a live component. Which, for any creative working in the digital space knows is a really tough sell to any client. "Live" is scary. Dynamically drawing from pre-recorded videos is scary. In order to it right, you need a lot of variations. Ca-ching.

But this experience shows that it can be pretty damn effective if you do it right. We found the sight delightful and captivating, even if they wouldn't review my dog @elguapito. It goes to show that while social media is at the top of every brand's agenda right now -- a smart, entertaining brand experience can grab hold of your audience and reel them right in. When the idea is right, it can be huge win for those gutsy enough to take the risk. My guess is that this Axe site will be on everone's radar in no time flat.

I wonder what it cost them to build it?

Wondering how many careers have been ruined by Twitter misfires

So this morning I see a Twitter from @joemarchese linking to Peter Shankman's latest blog about a VP from Ketchum catching hell from client FedEx after sending a Twitter post. When I started reading (letter pasted in below), I thought, man -- he must have sent some Tweet saying that his clients were idiots and didn't pick the right concept. But it turns out, he basically just said something negative about Memphis. Ok, *really* negative. But he didn't even mention Memphis by name.

I mean, it's not a great thing to have clients read. But sheesh, the response letter FedEx sent was little overkill. I used to work with FedEx clients, and they were nice people. The first time I met them, I asked them how the weather was in Nashville. They didn't take me out back and beat me up. They paused for a few seconds too long, I realized my error, and we all had a good laugh about it. 

I'm *really* surprised they even gave this another tought. If I were the client, I might have given him some crap for dissing my city. But c'mon, this letter could have gotten the guy fired.

Mr. Andrews,

If I interpret your post correctly, these are your comments about Memphis a few hours after arriving in the global headquarters city of one of your key and lucrative clients, and the home of arguably one of the most important entrepreneurs in the history of business, FedEx founder Fred Smith.

Many of my peers and I feel this is inappropriate. We do not know the total millions of dollars FedEx Corporation pays Ketchum annually for the valuable and important work your company does for us around the globe. We are confident however, it is enough to expect a greater level of respect and awareness from someone in your position as a vice president at a major global player in your industry. A hazard of social networking is people will read what you write.

Not knowing exactly what prompted your comments, I will admit the area around our airport is a bit of an eyesore, not without crime, prostitution, commercial decay, and a few potholes. But there is a major political, community, religious, and business effort underway, that includes FedEx, to transform that area. We’re hopeful that over time, our city will have a better “face” to present to visitors.

James, everyone participating in today’s event, including those in the auditorium with you this morning, just received their first paycheck of 2009 containing a 5% pay cut… which we wholeheartedly support because it continued the tradition established by Mr. Smith of doing whatever it takes to protect jobs.

Considering that we just entered the second year of a U.S. recession, and we are experiencing significant business loss due to the global economic downturn, many of my peers and I question the expense of paying Ketchum to produce the video open for today’s event; work that could have been achieved by internal, award-winning professionals with decades of experience in television production.

Additionally Mr. Andrews, with all due respect, to continue the context of your post; true confession: many of my peers and I don’t see much relevance between your presentation this morning and the work we do in Employee Communications.

My final thoughts are this: FedEx, cut the guy some slack. And Mr. Andrews, hook up with Pacheco and let him give you the barbecue tour of Memphis, which is sure to turn your opinion around. And maybe, just maybe, if you're feeling forgiving, you'll Twitter about that side of the city.

Yes, is a good lesson for all of us. We need to assume anything we write on Twitter, or any other social networking medium could be read by clients, employees, friends, significant others, and lawyers. But it is a form of self-expression. If we need to censor to least common denominator so as not to offend a flea, it ceases to be any fun.

Wondering if mobile spy apps make little brother the new big brother

Apps like Griffin iTalk let you record voice notes to yourself. They could also let you record people saying things that you may want use against them later. In this day and age, ya gotta watch what you say, do, type. You think no one is watching, but most have a digital camera/video recorder on their phone. You send an e-mail to employees or a customer, it’s on a blog the next day. And now, let your paranoia run rampant. Forget about the government, every move on your cell phone could be monitored by your significant other, boss, business partner, or <shudder> your arch nemesis.

Spy phone apps like FlexiSPY or Mobile Spy let you install something on an iPhone, and see all activity that happens on it. SMS usage, photos, e-mail. It all gets recorded to a remote service where you can monitor. Even things that are immediately deleted.

But no fears, soon there will no doubt be an app to tell you whether or not someone has installed a spy phone app on your phone. And then, before you try to spy on someone, there will be an app that lets you detect whether that person has installed the app that detects the spy app. And so on.

Between the one-upmanship of spying technologies, plus actual discovery off all sorts of stuff people probably really don’t want to know – I’m thinking big increase in  lawsuits, divorce rates, and general paranoia/anxiety.

Those people who wear tinfoil helmets to avoid alien mind penetration now have yet another thing to worry about. No, life is not fair. But on the other hand, if you get a hold of one of the alien's cell phones, you could end up with the advantage.

Wondering about the fine line between rewarding advocacy and paying for it.

SPINNING ADVOCACY INTO GOLD
So brands are beginning to understand the immense value of the online contributions of their online influencers. They want to harness these conversations to help grow their brands. Makes sense. After all, 78% of people view recommendations from consumers as the most credible source of product information (Nielsen Global Survey, "Trust in Advertising," a global Nielsen consumer report.)

A MARKETER'S DILEMMA
As marketers, we’re trained to feel the need to offer incentives to encourage a certain kind of behavior. Yet you don't want to taint your credibility and theirs by giving them something that feels like a bribe. Snuggle gave bloggers free tickets to the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour, in which Snuggle's latest product was heavily promoted. Most bloggers will write what they think despite a gift-like-object. But some (especially newbie bloggers) may feel obligated to return the favor. Where is the line?

SOME IDEAS
Here are some starter thoughts on ways to reward our contributors without "paying them off":

1. Prioritize their opinions over yours. Replace marketing copy with their words without editing or screening. It will keep you honest. And they will share more if they know you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. Dell wanted to get the word out about their sustainability initiatives, so  invited Treehugger.com to guest blog on direct2dell.com at a trade show. Dell asked them to be totally honest, and say whatever they thought, good or bad. It made Dell vulnerable, yes. But it introduced them to a whole new audience.


2. Thank them. That’s right, a simple thank you is very satisfying. Unless it's in the first sentence of a form letter trying to get you to by something. When was the last time you sent a thank you solely for the sake of letting your advocates know you appreciate something they've done for you?


3. Help them grow their networks -- let them find and connect with others like them who love your brand or category. It gives them more social capital, and also generates more talk. 


4. Give them product samples. Sending someone an early sample packet of moisturizer and asking for their thoughts is a great way to get folks talking, and feels less like a bribe because it's actual monetary value is small. Giving someone a an iPhone or a laptop, well – that may cross the line. Though how else can they review it?  Hmm. That one is a little fuzzy.


5. Reward them with an exclusive brand experience. Saab cars invited buyers of their performance vehicles to "flight academy," a hands-on course taught by race car drivers. People left buzzing about this incredible experience. Saab used this as a purchase incentive, but what if we translated it into something simpler like an annual fan convention. You'd be surprised how many people will fork out some cash to fly to another city to bond with fellow fans. (Well, this may depend on the brand. I'm not seeing a Preparation H annual conference happening, but it your brand is one that has a lot of vocal loyalists, this could be for you).


6. Reward them with publicity. Forbes invited bloggers to write for their financial blog network – their posts would are published on Forbes.com (meaning tons of publicity and exposure for them). They get an official badge to show off on their blog, and even share ad revenue. Oh, and Forbes gets free content. Your advocates would probably love to have you publicly recognize them as an expert in the space your brand plays in. Who doesn't like to be recognized?


7. Make them famous. Go a step further, use their video for your TV. We did this for Tide to Go last year. Tide was going to air just one winning submission, but ultimately loved the content and aired three. Doritos did the same a couple years back and put the winning spot on the Superbowl. It doesn't have to be TV. How about using their Flickr uploads as your print campaign. Or putting their brand-related art on display in Times Square. There are lots of ways to make them famous.


8. Give them exclusive access. If you have a celebrity spokesperson, maybe the people who have contributed the most could get invited to a live chat with that person. Though if you tell people they will get something like this, will they write nicer ideas for your brand? Could it instead be a surprise, and so ok because it's a thank you, a promised reward? Is it my eyes, or is that one a little blurry too? 

So yes, this is a tricky one. But it’s a good place for some healthy conversation and debate. So you tell me – where do you draw the line? What is the difference between reward and bribe? And what innovative ways have you found to encourage and reward  influencers for talkig about your brand.

Wondering if I should have called this post "Twondering"

 So there have always been ancillary Twitter apps and tools to help you get more from Twitter. But lately, their coming out like wildfire. People love mashing Twitter, and the abundance of fun names for these new tools is wowing. And definitely hard to keep straight. So I'm attempting to put a slew (probably more like a fraction) of them in one place. 

I'm sure there are not just some, but HUNDREDS I am missing. But here's a start:  

• TweetVolume: cool little site that lets you see what is twittered most often. E.g., dog 328,000 vs. cat 84,000 or puppy 20,300 vs. kitten 7,130. Twitter is a dog's world. Though @sockington the cat kicks @elguapito the chiahuahua in followers. Damn you @sockington!
• Stocktwits: Follows what stocks people are talking about - gives you lots of ways to customize. This is smart. Love it.Twitter Grader: find out how you rate in the twittershere. gives you a percentage rating score. is good for competitive types who see someone they find to be boring is ranked higher than them. Or just to strive for that illusive 100% rank.
• TwitSnip: browser "bookmarklet" that let's you grab a bit of text from a site and Tweet it as a quote.
• TwitPic: Place to find pics being posted everywhere. And, if you posted pics on Twitter, say, through an iPhone app -- they are collected for you on TwitPic.
• Twiddeo: Ditto but with videos
• TweetCube: Ditto but file formats.
• SnapTwit: let's you send Flickr photos to Twitter
• Twibler: integrates Twitter & Ebay.
• Qwitter: is like the mindreading abilities that you've been dying for. No one can leave you without your knowledge, but then when they leave, you overanalyze the Twitter you sent just before they left, and then beat yourself up b/c maybe you lowered your twitter standards for that post. Qwitter is a must, and it's awesome. But Qwitter also sucks.
• Tweet Beep: a service that will alert you when people are Twittering about whatever keywords you assign.
• Twilert: same thing. has a little more flexibility with how to customize searches and how often to read reports. www.twilert.com 
• Tweader: lets you isolate and follow any particular Twitter thread. Just don't get carried away and think it's text. lest you private-tweet the public timeline.
• Twitter Search: enough said.
• Tweet Scan: Same as Twitter Search, just non-owned by Twitter. Search twitters to find out who's talking about whatever topic you like. Can view dashboard with multiple terms too, and ask for alerts.
• OutTwit: integrates Twitter with Outlook, so you get & updates Twitters from your e-mail. I don't get this. But to each his own.
• Tweet Sixteen: Find the first 16 Twitters of anyone with a Twitter account
• Twittfriends: Let's you see if and how you are connected to  your Twitter followers. Seems a little buggy though.
• Twittervision: the grand-daddy of Twitter apps -- shows real-time twitters on a globe interface.
• TweetLater: lots of stuff for busy "Tweeple" -- like scheduling Tweets in advance, auto-following new followers, creating a personal tweet feed, and setting up keyword alerts. Though by the time I got there, I was pretty Tweeted out. 
• SecretTweet: the Twitter version of postsecret.com -- only in text. A place Twitter anonymously.

Apps for your browser, iPhone or SmartPhone or BlackBerry:

• Twittelator Pro, TwitterFox, TwitterShare, Snitter, Twhirl, Twitteroo, Twitterific, Twitterfon, iTweets, Twinkel, Tweetsville, TwitterBerry, the list goes on.

For the record, my favorite for iPhone is Twittelator Pro. I'm liking Tweetie, but somehow, Twittelator seems to be simpler to manage views.

Twitter Terms (thank you Mashable for some great ones on this list that I wasn't yet familiar with):

• Retweeting: taking a tweet from someone you follow, and retweeting it to your network.
• Tweeple: no explanation needed
• Tweet-up: a meeting of peeps in your tweet network
• Twaffic: Twitter traffic
• Mistweet: a twitter you later forget
• Twalking: twittering while walking
• Twittosphere: ditto
• Twittermob: see Motrin-gate
• Twitterpated: to be overwhelmed with twitter messages
• Twitterrhea: no explanation needed

I have nothing else to say. So sayonara, tweetheart.

Wondering when Facebook will fall...

Ok, so I've been meaning to start this blog thing for awhile. I'm a creative director with a passion everything digital marketing. There's SO MUCH going on out there, but I figure it's good to start simple. For me, here's what's simple: Twitter.

Granted, I get 200 e-mails a day, and no less than 5 meetings a day, and so I don't have a lot of time to go to Facebook and wade through it all. YES, you can get Facebook on the iPhone. But i still have to see all the stupid crap everyone is doing, and learn who threw a snowball or did well on the movie quiz, plus get to see what bad photos of me that have been tagged. To do list: untag Facebook photos.

From the moment I joined Twitter (@shweri), I knew it was brilliant. So simple, yet so engaging.

There is no bullshit surrounding it. It has one purpose. Characters are limited to 140, saving all of us from any long-windedness (even saving ourselves from ourselves). And Twitter comes to you. I never go to Twitter.com. I text from my Blackjack and use Twittelator Pro on my iPhone.

You can turn off individuals you follow remotely (e.g., those always Tweeting about drinking coffee or working late again). It's your time. You shouldn't have to be bored. And people can turn you off too. Good motivation for you to raise the bar too. It's beautiful. 

True, if you don't have an unlimited data plan, you're screwed. But c'mon. It's time to get a data plan!

So I'm a Twitter faithful. My creative team is on board. We brought Twitter extensions to campaigns for P&G clients when it was still fairly new (thanking @biz and his crew for their help). Yes, it's a small audience. But as Motrin will tell you, it's an important audience. And as the world gets more overloaded with the onslaught of input, Twitter will go more mainstream and will have an advantage over the Facebooks of the world. Sort of like when Google showed up on the scene and was such a relief from Yahoo. It was simple and focused.

Beyond the simplicity, Twitter gives you a break from the uncomfortable forced social networking niceties that haunt you on Facebook. Your long-lost high school acquaintances can't friend you on Twitter. They can follow you, but you don't need to confirm or follow them back. Each time I'm guilted into confirming people I haven't seen in decades on Facebook, I know I'll continue to shrink (run, hide) from this platform.

The world is going bite-sized, baby, and I'm all over it.

Which is funny given the length of this post! So I will make this a two-parter. So stay tuned to the about Twitter topic that sparked me to start here with my blog before Facebook sidetracked me.

And do tell me if you think I'm smoking crack here. Most people seem to love Facebook. (I thought it was fun for about 3 or 4 weeks.) Maybe I'm just less tolerant of clutter because I have so much of it.