Balcom Agency

If you know me, you know I like to change it up. Today was no different. After a couple of days in “da funk,” I woke up bright and Chipper at 5 a.m., not my usual wake up time. Instead of groaning and trying to go back to sleep, I decided to change it up. I read some blogs and took the dogs out for a nice run.

All of this got me thinking about how much companies need to change it up. When was the last time you thought about something differently?

Changing things forces you to think differently, consider different views, possibilities and ask a lot of questions. Here are a couple of things I do on a regular basis to change things up:

• Take a different route to work.
• Dress differently. If you usually dress down, dress up.
• Listen to different music.
• Try a different drink at Starbucks.
• Say “hi” to someone new.
• Ask someone “why?”
• Ask someone "is there a better way to do this?"
• Give out high-fives.
• Eat somewhere new for lunch.
• Don’t check your email until after lunch.
• Challenge yourself on your “daily routine.”

These might seem rather benign, but you’ll be amazed at how refreshed you feel in doing something different.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the saying, “We’ve always done it this way!” Tradition has it’s place, but real change doesn't come without innovation. Innovation doesn’t come until someone decides to change it up.

In the words of one of my favorite companies, “Think Different.”

When is a tweet just 140 characters? Well, never.

The picture above (from ReadWriteWeb) is a photo of the code of a single tweet. Obviously, it's more than 140 characters. What you might not know is that Twitter sends a bunch of other information along with each tweet (location, profile picture, etc.).

This picture is a perfect depiction of today's marketing world. One the surface if may look like a handful of words, but underneath - it's never simple.

A lot of marketers want to knock it out the park - they want the next iPad or iPhone or iWhatever. But most aren’t willing to do what it takes to get there. After being an Apple fanboy (even appearing on CNN after the iPad launch), I decided to put together a list of things Apple does better than anyone else:

Make Great Products
This may seem very obvious, but Apple makes the best products. Notice how I didn’t say they are the most feature-rich — they aren’t. But they are the best. Apple products are just as amazing for the things they don’t include, than the features they do include.

These exciting products get millions in free media placement, including a recent episode of Modern Family. Apple created the buzz with the iPad, Modern Family wrote a whole episode around it. 

Launch with a bang
At the iPad launch, the Fort Worth Apple Store felt like Times Square on New Years Eve. They had store cheerleaders, free refreshments, and a giant countdown. The excitement was contagious and made the sticker-shock less shocking.

They keep a good secret
The unknown is always more exciting. The build-up gets customers guessing and the media talking. All of this equals a giant win for Apple.

It’s all about the experience
Have you ever been to an Apple store? If not, drive to one now. You’ll notice many difference than a Best Buy, for example. No cash registers, no security and tons of smiling employees eager (not desperate) to help. Even the unboxing of an Apple product can be a religious experience.

Treat your customers like a King (or Queen)
Have you ever had a problem with an Apple product? Their customer support is incredible. I’ve gone through over 10 iPhones due to different reasons, and they’ve replaced them free-of-charge. 

They own the web
Apple has always had one of the best websites on the net. Their site is a lot like their products - extremely useful and intuitive. It isn’t flashy, but gives you the information you want as quick as possible. Apple.com has continued to be tweaked, but has never deviated far from its roots. 

This year more than 14,000 self-proclaimed “nerds” descended upon Austin to learn what’s next in the online world at the SXSW Interactive Conference.

“Location, location, location” became the mantra for many of the participants. Start-ups Foursquare and Gowalla are the clear leaders in the so-called location-wars – the battle between the companies that have developed new social tools that allow users to “check-in” at places and events using their smart phones equipped with GPS. The way it works: You load the Foursquare or Gowalla application on your phone. As soon as you do, you are automatically given a list of businesses within a few blocks of where you are at that moment. Then, you click to select your business location and simply check in.

What sounds like the nerd version of Marco Polo actually offers powerful insights for businesses in-the-know. Imagine knowing who is inside or near your establishment at any given moment – or even knowing who your best customers are. It’s possible by simply checking these applications. Businesses also get free advertising from these tools, because anytime a user checks in and shares his or her location with friends, the business gains visibility.

Just last weekend I visited Fort Worth bar 8.0’s, and my friends were amazed that I could bypass the cover charge by simply telling the doorman I followed 8.0’s on Twitter. Earlier in the night, 8.0’s tweeted to let people know that if they followed the bar on Twitter, they could get in for free that evening. While many businesses still struggle in the new, social world, location-based social platforms add yet another dimension to the myriad of new possibilities for customer engagement.

It’s possible that reward systems could be replaced with social check-in’s, with even more incentives given to those who share their locations with friends. Tennessee-based frozen yogurt chain Tasti D-Lite designed its entire rewards program around people sharing their experiences on location-based services (Foursquare) and other social services like Facebook and Twitter. The more you share, the more points you earn. The more points you earn, the more free frozen yogurt you can enjoy on a hot afternoon.

While most SXSW’ers are the earliest adopters, the digital conference gave this new technology the opportunity to show its worth. Gowalla or Foursquare users could immediately see which parties and panel discussions were the most popular. Users could easily click on any location and see comments, the identities of people attending the event and photos. These services were so popular that Gowalla had more than 135,000 total check-ins during the SXSW Digital Conference alone.

While most people won’t ever care to “check in” at the gas station or dentist office, if they have the opportunity to get something in return – they probably will start using these location-based applications. Just as most people were slow to use Facebook, these location-based apps may take a while to gain traction. But if businesses and customers truly embrace the technology, it will only be a matter of time until people are “checking in” everywhere they go.

Obviously, businesses that offer face-to-face social experiences, such as bars and restaurants, have much to gain from these location-based services. But the possibilities are nearly limitless. Trade show exhibitors can use these applications to drive traffic to their booths with special offers. Attendees can find out which booths or sessions are the most popular at any given moment. These services also provide yet another channel for instant customer feedback. If this technology gains widespread adoption, businesses will need to keep an even closer eye on what their customers are saying. With services like Foursquare and Gowalla, customers can complain in real-time and their complaints could have an immediate impact. On the other hand, customers can also praise your business in real-time.  If a band is awesome at your venue - a customer can share this with his or friends and encourage them to stop by.

Anyone can register their business on Gowalla or Foursquare by using their smart phone. So, what are you waiting for? Download these applications, create a spot and see who checks in. You might be surprised.

There has been a lot of talk about the Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien battle, so I thought I'd throw my digital marketing gloves into the ring. For the record, I'm Team Conan.

Conan's target is younger males (probably around 18 - 35). Most young males don't watch NBC or care about Jay Leno. I'd jump ship to a network willing to take a chance. The FOX crowd (with the likes of The Simpsons, Family Guy) would be a perfect fit. FOX would be happy to give him the 10:35 spot. However, I wouldn't depend on TV to build his personal brand. Instead, I'd recommend Conan investigate these opportunities:

• Offer his show on iTunes - both as a full show and bite-size pieces. Do it for free. Get some big-name sponsors to do funny product placement bits (à la Stephen Colbert).
• Conan has always been more interactive with his fans. Imagine the best-executed Facebook page, where fans could submit jokes, videos, comments and ideas. 
• Conan is great off-the-cuff. He would be great personality for live Q&As with his fans.
• Jimmy Fallon has 2.4 million followers on Twitter. Imagine insight into Conan's life on Twitter. It could be incredibly funny.
• Equip him with a phone to broadcast live video. Similar what we did to Justin Bent Rail, his never-before-seen moments could be more popular than the (sometimes) well-rehearsed show.
• Give each of his popular characters a chance to have their own presence. Fake twitter accounts have attracted millions of followers, I'm sure some of his characters could do the same.
• If Apple's much-rumored tablet comes out to fruition, knock down Apple's door to be one of the founding content providers.
• Create a robust, mobile-friendly site with video formatted to work on many devices (Blackberry, Windows, Android, etc.). Encourage visitors to get text-message updates when new videos are posted.
• Offer free stand-up shows to those following Conan on social media or text-message.

As you've probably heard, Domino's recently re-invented their pizza. While a lot of branding pundits criticized Domino's for tarnishing their image, I think they did it right. Here's why:

• In the new world of social media that bleeds transparency - they lived it. They were 100% transparent about what people were saying about their pizza (plus the world already knew the pizza wasn't great).
• In saying how bad their pizza was, it gave them a chance to explain why that hurt them, how passionate they are and how they were going to change.
• They started the whole campaign online. Online/social media people are habitual early adopters. They want to tell others about their experience.
• They encourage the videos to be shared/tweeted/etc. to build excitement about the new pizza.
• They even encouraged Steven Colbert to poke fun of the new pizza. That hit one of Domino's target audiences on the head.

It's been an especially crazy couple of weeks at the Balcom Agency. And that's a good thing. We've completed a bunch of new projects, been pitching a lot of new business and, of course, keeping our current clients happy. Being crazy busy is a recipe for (at least for me) to neglect something very important - working out. The more I thought about it, I realized social media is a lot like a workout. It's fun when you have the time, but for the stay fit, you need to keep at it.

Start

Every good workout program (and social media initiative) begins with good intentions. Just as you look in the mirror and see something that needs to change, you may need to hold your company up to a mirror and see where they need to change. After that realization is there, you have to start. Like any beginner in a yoga class, you'll have a large learning curve in social media. It also help to have a plan with goals and objectives. Just like you wouldn't attempt to attack every weight room in the gym, you need to focus on things that will give you the biggest result. 

Commit

You never go to one or two workout classes and expect big results. You shouldn't expect the same from social media. No pain, no gain. 40% of Twitter users have not tweeted since their first day on Twitter (source). Sounds a lot like a new years resolution.

Enjoy the results

If you've been working out for several months, you'll notice a lot of little changes - your pants fit better, people look at you differently, you don't have to huff and puff your way up the stairs. The same will be true in social media - your communication arsenal will fit you better, people will look at your company or organization differently and you'll be fit enough to beat your competition to the top.

As people, companies and brands dive into social media, one thing becomes increasingly clear: social media will force you to answer the tough questions.

• Does your product have a defect? Social media will making clear.
• Afraid of an employee tweeting, even personally? Maybe you should examine their employment.
• Don’t trust your employees to use social media responsibly? Examine the freedom you give your employees.
• Is your product too expensive? People will tell you.
• Is your product the wrong color? You’ll know.
• Are paid surveys giving you different results than a service like Yelp? Go with the social media review - it will usually be the most accurate.
• Is your competitor dominating the social media marketplace? Time to step it up.
• As we’ve worked with clients, all of these questions have come up. They aren’t easy, but they are critical to address.

 Ultimately, social media will create a better experience for everyone - employees, employers, producers and consumers - it just might be a bumpy ride.