The QR Code

What are they?

You may have seen these around somewhere. They’re basically just a pixilated barcode that you can scan with your smart phone, webcam, or actual barcode scanner (should you have one) and lead you to some sort of new media destination. For instance, if you saw a poster for a new film that looks really interesting and there is a QR code in the corner you could scan the code with your phone and it could lead you to that film’s official webpage or even a trailer for it.

Why they’re important for advertisers…

What’s fascinating about these is how many different levels of functionality they provide to those who use them. For advertisers, it provides (among many other things) the ability to track responses to an ad which allows for an easier return on investment.

…Consumers…

For consumers it provides a simpler way with which to access something that interests them, it’s as simple as holding up your phone and taking a picture.

…And even corporations

Some companies are even using the barcodes to go paperless thus making them more efficient. For example, ticket providers can allow a concert ticket barcode to be downloaded to a phone, which can then be scanned at the event.

The future of QR codes

Though they originated in Japan, and they've been around for a number of years, they’re still relatively new in the United States. The way in which people use them is evolving, and it’s exciting that we’ll be able to see how people start using these to brand, advertise, and share with consumers.

Have you used a QR code in some way? Share your story with us!

Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users | Video on TED.com

Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users | Video on TED.com

Thought this was neat. If you have eight minutes, take some time to watch this. Twitter co-founder Evan Williams talks about how Twitter came to be, and how listening to users and allowing interaction between them helped shape his product.

My favorite part--learning how the social media guru uses his creation to listen to feedback and change the product. In such a well-connected society, it isn't hard to understand why this is such a successful business model.  You can use Twitter to do the same, as the gentleman at the end demonstrates, it is quite possibly the world's most useful tool to find immediate feedback on current events and happenings.

The Unofficially Official Kearley Superbowl Ad Awards

Here in the office, we talked a little about the Superbowl ads. The ones we liked, and maybe the ones we didn't. After this informal poll, I put together a list of highly coveted Kearley Ad Awards. Enjoy!

Most Memorable--Volkswagon 'Darth Vader'

This cute 30-second spot made quite an impression on most Superbowl viewers. For any Star Wars fan, or anyone who knows imaginative kids (or is still one at heart), it earned a laugh and also highlighted the 2012 VW Passat's pushbutton start feature. The commercial itself has already gotten over 25 million views on Youtube less than a week after its debut. Watch it again here.

Biggest Laugh--Bridgestone 'Reply all'

This not as talked about ad came to mind for me and at least one other person in the office as the funniest commercial to debut on Superbowl Sunday. The main personality's dramatic overreaction to an office blunder draws a somewhat strange connection to the durability of Bridgestone tires, but all the same got a good chuckle from me even after watching it here for the third time.

Most Shocking--GoDaddy.co 'New GoDaddy Girl'

I wasn't so sure about this ad myself, but after seeing the reaction of people around me at the game I had to agree with Elisa that this ad deserved a nod. So for most shocking, I nominate GoDaddy's racy commercial with an unexpected spokesperson for their .co domains. If you don't yet know who it is, you can find that out for yourself here.

Most 'Warm and Fuzzy'--NFL 'Best Fans Ever'

Where I watched the Superbowl, when this ad came on the room went quiet. People exchanged smiles and laughed at some of their favorite TV moments. This spot reminds us how the Superbowl permeates American culture--and brings generations together as we remember our favorite TV personalities from the Brady Bunch to Southpark. Remember the good times here if you haven't gotten a chance to enjoy it.

Least likely to succeed--Skechers 'Break Up' featuring Kim Kardashian

It's hard to deny that Ms. Kardashian has become a cultural icon, whose endorsement could be quite valuable. But with all the hype this commercial had leading up to the big day (reportedly having been cut down because of moments 'too hot for family TV'), it didn't quite live up to it. It was sexy, but it wasn't much of anything else--likely appealing to a limited audience of dedicated Kardashian fans. You can watch this ad here.

Which ads were your favorites?

Social Media and Gender

As the media landscape changes, so does the way we approach age and gender groups in our media planning. People no longer fit into neat categories by age and gender (not that they ever really did!), so we must approach our goals and strategy differently as a result.

This recent post on TED.com further discusses the implications of these changes.



Johanna Blakley is the Deputy Director of the Norman Lear Center (a media-focused think tank at the University of Southern California). She studies the impact of mass media and entertainment on our world.

A blog about blogging: Part 1

NOTE: I'm turning over the reins a bit here. As we work through our list of social media topics, we're going to be covering over the next few weeks, I'm letting Sara (our assistant writer and PR specialist) weigh in on the topic of "blogging" for this particular post. Please feel free to leave comments for both of us here!

Blogging is perhaps one of the oldest forms of social media. A blog can be a great tool for sharing knowledge and building relationships with family, friends, consumers and other businesses.

This entry is part I of a series about blogging that I will be linking to various articles/blogs on the subject.

What is a blog?

Blogging is writing a few paragraphs every few days or so and posting them online and hoping that someone will stumble upon it, read it, and find themselves interested in your business, or at least your expertise, right?

WRONG! There's a lot to blogging that a lot of beginning bloggers (and some veterans) don't consider. Some of it is technical--they don't know how to use the tools that their blogging platform provides for them to reach out to new readers. That, I will cover later. Right now we are going to consider the most basic blogging blunder, which in addition to terrible alliteration, is publishing unfocused content.

The articles you publish on your blog are what your readers come to read. But it is important to recognize that you want to attract a faithful audience that will return to your blog frequently to read and comment on posts. To do that, you need to focus on a specific audience that you want to attract the attention of, and gear your content toward their interests and needs.

What questions are they asking on Twitter? What topics are they most interested in? Write about it. Even if you are hoping to attract a broad and diverse audience, you need to start small. If you get a group of followers that are regularly reading your blog, rely on them to spread the word and link to your posts.

Also, remember that blogging is as much, if not more, of a learning process for the blogger than the reader. Constantly be looking for new information to share. The more you read, the more of an expert you will become on a topic and the easier it will be to establish yourself as one.

Thirdly, create boundaries. These boundaries will keep you from publishing articles outside your area of expertise, and keep your blogs short and reader-friendly. One rule I like to follow: The mini-skirt rule. Make sure your blog entries are long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to keep it interesting.

For more info, check out this blog from buildabetterblog.com:
http://www.buildabetterblog.com/2010/09/3-secrets-of-great-content-creation.html

You can contact Sara and Elisa at: bigideas@kearley.com for more information.

Social Media Policies - Getting Started

Before you to get in the game of social media, my suggestion is to spend some time as an organization discussing strategy and policy behind these initiatives.

Here's a good starter list I found on mashable.com that will give you some ideas as you begin the process of defining a social media policy for your particular organization.

1. Introduce the purpose of social media
"...All policies need to address what’s in it for the reader/user — what should the reader take away after reading the policy?"

2. Be responsible for what you write
"... Your organization and its representatives need to take responsibility for what they write, and exercise good judgment and common sense."

3. Be authentic
"...Consumers buy from people that they know and trust, so let people know who you are."

4. Consider your audience

5. Exercise good judgment

6. Understand the concept of community

7. Respect copyrights and fair use

8. Remember to protect confidential & proprietary info

9. Bring value

10. Productivity matters

I've condensed the list for this post, but click here to read entire article.

Start by defining your purpose, then take steps to set up a social media policy for the organization. Because social media is a relatively new arena for some industry sectors, I think a good approach is to have some stuff defined and clearly articulated, but to recognize that your policy is subject to develop organically in reaction to situations.

I mentioned mashable.com previously - it's a great resource for web and social media news and info. You can also do a quick search on "Social Media Policy" and find a number of resources as well as view a variety of organizations' policies.

Lastly, try and establish a policy that echoes your brand. Tom's TOMS shoes would probably approach differently than an American Airlines. So you want to ensure your policy, and therefore your social media efforts, are in-line with your brand and your brand messaging.

A Look at Social Media from Two Different Perspectives

A friend of mine sent this to me. I actually hear comments along these lines from people not too much older or younger than myself, so I'm not sure it's generational as much as personal preference. I think a number of people share this view.




The flip-side of that view: I thought this video was a cool way to explain the role that social media plays for consumers.






A couple thoughts on social media for those looking to enter this area. When choosing what social media you want to use, consider how you would use it. Only use as many as you have the resources to keep updated, and only use the ones that best serve your purposes. Are you looking to network with other businesses or business people? Try LinkedIn. Are you looking to interact with consumers? Try Facebook. Are you looking to share knowledge or keep consumers aware of what's going on within your company? Try blogging or Twitter. But you want to appear active and involved no matter what social media outlet(s) you choose, so do not overextend yourself.

Tell us - How are you using social media for yourself or for your organization?