Fact One: It’s common for brands to offer incentives to Facebookers to gain “Likes.”
Fact Two: It’s common for Facebookers to “Like” a brand only for access to those incentives (coupons, deals, offers, etc).

MarketingProfs’ Ekaterina Walker made an interesting point regarding the above trends, asking, “Do you want more ‘Likes’ or do you want more advocates in your community who would have ‘Liked’ you no matter what monetary incentives you are trying to offer?”

Walker explains that “Like-gathering” does not necessarily mean that brands are building relationships with those who “Like” them. In fact, the “Unlike” rate averages about 50% when short-term incentives and promotions end. While these Facebook incentives may build business during promotions, they are not quite effective in building a community around a brand. According to a report from the IBM Institute for Business Value, there is a perception gap between consumers and brands on social media: consumers typically want deals and incentives, but brands still think they want to be part of the brand community.

However, new beverage brand MiO seems to understand what consumers want – its recent incentive for a free sample stated, “In order for us to shower you with free gifts, you must fake an interest in going steady with us on Facebook. ‘Like’ us above.” Boldly honest, consumers probably appreciate the brand’s ability to have a sense of humor and not take the Facebook “Like” as a serious commitment. But, will it build engagement and form relationships?…

Does it matter?

Have you seen our AshWorthy microsite and videos for HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley?

Our campaign for HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley focuses on the recent changes made at the Kingston Hospital Emergency Department, featuring true testimonial stories from locals who had positive experiences. Our commercial “Frank & Michelle” is currently airing locally, as well as a radio spot, featuring a testimonial story from Kingston Hospital patient Mary. Local billboard advertisements also incorporate the tagline we created for the campaign: Time Matters, and So Do You.

See “Frank & Michelle” here:

HAHV Cares : Michelle & Frank from Ashworth Creative on Vimeo.

Customer experience management and customer relationship management are nearly as significant in marketing as your price, product, placement, and promotion. A good marketing campaign will not succeed if your customer’s experience is poor. As Adam Helweh of Social Media Explorer wrote, “Customers typically don’t care as much about the price of your product as they do about being treated well, having a positive buying experience and some semblance of peace of mind throughout the process… The entire experience counts.”

Helweh provides an incredible list of suggestions for how to “honor” your customers and improve their experiences. Here are just some:

• “Hire employees that are passionate about helping your customers and not just making a buck.”
• “Provide an easy way for your customers to submit feedback and suggestions.”
• “Share the successes of your customers even when they are not related to your product or service.”
• “When you make a mistake, provide a sincere apology and an effective solution … as quickly as possible.”
• “Host an event for your customers so they can meet each other face-to-face.”
• “Feature your customers in a blog post. They might just share it with their friends and family.”
• “Give whenever possible with no strings attached. Hidden fees and agendas rarely make for loyal customers.”
• “Let your customers get to know your employees. Their passion for your brand is infectious.”

How do you honor your customers?

According to an analysis by Formstack, only 45% of small businesses have websites. While this is still less than half of all small business, it is an increase of 12% since 2007.

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So, why do more than half of small businesses not have a website? According to the study, the most common reason given is that it is unneeded (41% of respondents). In addition, 19% feel it costs too much, and 16% feel it is too time-consuming. Still, 13% of new small business responded that they plan to create a website.

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Of the 45% that do have websites, how do they use them? According to the research, a resounding 80% use their websites for providing general information about their business. After that, 45% use their websites for customer service, 35% for lead generation, and only 30% actually utilize e-commerce. Fifteen percent use their websites for taking appointments or reservations, and a mere 13% responded that they post a blog.

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As people who love making websites for small businesses, this research is particularly interesting. Why don’t you have a website for your small business?

Kate Spade recently launched an new, updated version of its website, with special attention paid to promoting branded content and enhancing the e-commerce experience for its users.

Kate Spade Digital Marketing Manager Cecilia Liu shared that the previous site only included about 10-15% branded content, while the new one spotlights both e-commerce and 50% original content.

Content

As we quoted Lee Odden in our post last month, “Consumers expect content from brands… Content fuels customer engagement at all stages of the customer life cycle.”

The new Kate Spade site now includes sections dedicated to original branded content, as well as prominent links to additional off-site content. Links to branded content are included directly on shopping pages, “encouraging visitors to hold their shopping for a moment to watch a video, learn about a new collaboration, or browse a relevant lookbook.” Content and merchandise are also easily shareable, with “Like” and “Tweet” buttons appearing throughout the site. This content-driven shift in emphasis makes sense considering the brand’s increased use and focus on social media and content creation. As Liu explained, “The idea is that allowing people to connect more with the brand at a much more intimate level will organically drive business.”

E-Commerce

Not only has content become a major part of the new Kate Spade website, but its e-commerce function has been improved upon, including a streamlined checkout process, enhanced search capabilities, updated product photography, and a mobile version of the site.

With the combination of great e-commerce functionality and engaging content, the new Kate Spade website should provide a better experience for its users.

Digital marketing blog CMO.com and SEO firm 97th Floor teamed up to develop this extremely informative and valuable infographic guide to using social media for marketing. This 2011 version is an update to their previous 2010 version because, as CMO points out, “what worked this time last year might not work today, for this is a rapidly shifting landscape that must be mapped out regularly”. Rather than just present the spectrum of social media sites one can use (and there are a lot), CMO’s guide shows and explains which social media sites are best for which types of marketing tactics, such as customer communication, brand exposure, website traffic, and SEO. The result is brilliant. Of course, keep in mind what Mashable points out: “this chart gives you the tip of the iceburg when it comes to making the right choice for your own company’s or clients’ campaigns.” Still, this graphic is a helpful tool when considering or analyzing a social media campaign.

Click here or on the image for the full-size PDF!

As swissmiss said, “A shame this letterpress print by Joe Newton is sold out.” I would love one for the office!

As an update to our earlier post on Charlie Sheen’s branding/PR chaos, it turns out – as AdFreak pointed out – that Sheen’s main reason for joining Twitter is to make money through endorsements.

As you may already know, ad.ly is a company that specializes in celebrity endorsements in social media. According to GQ, ad.ly helped Sheen start on Twitter after discussions with his “people.” Ad.ly spokesperson Krista Thomas said, “It was ad.ly that got Charlie Sheen up on Twitter… Based on trusted relationships with our executives, Charlie’s management team reached out to us. Right off the bat, we realized that Charlie’s voice has no contemporary. We knew he had one speed: go.”

Sheen confirmed this, adding, “I’m unemployed!”

This adds yet another dimension to Sheen’s re-branding episode. Who will Sheen endorse? A better question, what brands would pay thousands of dollars for Sheen to tweet about them? Will consumers have a reaction to Sheen’s endorsements? Will his image affect the image of the brands he endorses?

Is all press good press? Even bad press?

For Charlie Sheen, all the recent negative news surrounding his personal life means nothing – he’s winning. Of course, he is an entertainer, and it’s become fairly mainstream for Hollywood types to be “wild” – the occasional (or frequent) drug bust, overdose, hospitalization, rehab stint, or arrest doesn’t seem to diminish a star’s reputation. Sheen is everywhere and seems to be bigger than ever… but his children were taken out of his custody, his sitcom was canceled, and his publicist has quit. Yes, people are paying attention, obsessively following Sheen’s debacle, but a canceled show can’t be good for business.

Britney Spears got back into working after her chaotic breakdown. On the other hand, Lindsay Lohan is having trouble getting and keeping work in the midst of her issues. Another example is Robert Downey, Jr. – he cleaned up and is as successful as ever. Angelina Jolie changed her image from rebellious bad girl to loving and socially-aware mother, practically an ambassador of the underprivileged worldwide.

Yes, Sheen’s successful long-running sitcom was canceled, but as the New York Post points out, “Sheen’s interviews [on "Good Morning America" and "Today"] made for startling television that overshadowed morning-after Oscars coverage.” Sheen-related hashtags #winning and #tigerblood have been dominating Twitter’s Trending Topics, especially since he joined Twitter himself this week. But is all this attention good for his brand? Wendy Pierce of Goldstein Pierce Public Relations shared her insight with NECN, explaining that Sheen has maintained a good reputation because (unlike in cases like Lohan’s) he “goes to work and gets the job done.” However, she advises that Sheen should step away from spotlight at this time because “audiences can be very forgiving, unless you’re a parent and there are children involved.” Of course, with Sheen’s young children, there are more important things to worry about than cultivating an image.

As Andrew Davis of Beneath the Brand points out, “Thanks to his latest shenanigans, Sheen owns the ‘Hollywood rock star’ image… As long as he continues to show up for work, hit his marks, and not kill anybody, his brand as a Hollywood rock star will continue to gain strength, and offers will pour in. Of course, this is all easier said than done.” Only time will show how the Charlie Sheen saga continues. If it wasn’t so tragic of a situation, it would certainly be one hell of an interesting branding/PR case study.