Author: Brian Lee

How to spot fake social media ‘experts’

Posted on by Brian Lee

Groucho-maskUnfortunately in the field of social media consulting, the barrier to entry is low. People with little experience and expertise can claim to be a social media guru/expert/wizard/ninja/etc.

The other day, I received an email from an obvious pretender. He claims he is able to “grow and manage social media communities for PR/media relations and marketing companies” and “(partner) with PR and marketing companies to build social media communities for their customers.”

Even more laughable, he cites as a case study, “my team currently is launching a network of what we call hyper, hyper local Facebook-based community news sites. It took only 28 days to gather 1,000 page likes in a relatively small market.”

One thing I talk about in the social media class that I teach is that followers, fans, etc. are vanity stats. Higher numbers do NOT matter on their own. What matters is what your followers, fans, etc. are doing for your business. Are they buying your products? Are they attending your events? Are they signing a petition? Are they referring new customers?

Thus, promises of higher web traffic, more Facebook Page fans, more Twitter followers, more Instagram followers, more YouTube Channel subscribers, etc., are a sure sign of a fake “expert.”

Sadly, these amateurs continue to trick clients, which is an unethical business practice. I forwarded this email to several of my colleagues, who shared my concern that these pretenders continue to exist.

In case you’re wondering, this pretender is a journalist who is launching a “social media marketing firm.” I shudder when thinking about what damage this firm will do to the credibility of this profession.

Super Bowl ads 2016: staff opinions

Posted on by Brian Lee

BRIAN:

Once upon a time, Super Bowl commercials generated buzz by being funny, eliciting emotions or creating a “wow” factor. Nowadays, creativity is rarer to find, and 2016 was no different (see Persil laundry detergent ad for an example of zero creativity). This year, I’ll pick the Toyota Prius car chase as my favorite. Although the first spot was a bit long (1:30), I liked the montage of clips (e.g. news programs, game shows, fans, etc.), which help to drive home (no pun intended) the messages of new features, safety, quiet and fuel-efficient. The follow-up commercial in which the police get a Prius was a nice touch.

TAYLOR:

I had seen most of the advertisements posted throughout the week leading up to the Super Bowl, so I was interested in seeing the ads that weren’t released early. To be honest, I was pretty disappointed in the Super bowl ads this year; however, the one that did make me laugh the most was Hyundai’s “First Date.” It was clear that laughter was the theme of the advertisements this year, and this ad hit the nail on the head. Every dad with a daughter could relate to this video as the hilarious Kevin Hart played the over-protective father who strategically lets his daughter’s date take his new Genesis car for their night out. Using the car’s new technology, Kevin could spy on his daughter throughout the night. Hyundai also produced other clever commercials during the Super Bowl, including the Elantra ad “Ryanville,” which starred Ryan Reynolds.

ALLISON:

Super Bowl commercials are hyped up to be the most comical, witty and creative commercials of the year; however, this year I was once again disappointed. Overall the commercials were nothing special in my eyes, but there were a few that stood out. I mostly enjoyed Taco Bell’s “Bigger Than” commercial. It was funny and relatable by incorporating, and almost poking fun at, today’s pop culture and trends. Taco Bell described its new Quesalupa as being bigger than drones, man buns, Tinder, hoverboard scooters, and so on. Taco Bell is targeting the late-night, grab-and-go millennials. It is a creative and relatable way to portray the Quesalupa as the next big thing.

JESSICA:

I really enjoyed the Doritos Dog commercial. Three dogs attempt to enter a grocery store to get Doritos through various methods (like riding on the bottom of a grocery cart) as the stingy store manager clearly points to the “No Dogs Allowed” sign in the store window. Finally, the dogs stack on top of one another underneath a trench coat to achieve a human-like appearance, managing to enter the store and purchase Doritos. Interestingly, this commercial was created by Jacob Chase, a participant in the PepsiCo Frito-Lay’s Crash the Super Bowl campaign.

The Power of PR

Posted on by Brian Lee

I’ve always known that public relations can be used to positively affect our society. For me, that notion was reinforced after I listened to U.S. Congressman John Lewis speak at the 2015 PRSA International Conference in Atlanta.

1963_march_on_washingtonCongressman Lewis has spent most of his life fighting for civil rights, and he is the only living “Big Six” leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, according to Wikipedia.

His anecdotes about activism and fighting for causes were a reminder to the audience that PR’s ability to educate and influence is powerful. In fact, think of these campaigns and their impact on society:

  • Running public service announcements about wearing a seat belt when driving.
  • Rallying a community to stand up against police violence.
  • Passing a local referendum to fund dual-language immersion classes at an elementary school.
  • Defeating proposed legislation that would ban a certain type of research at a university.

“Get in the way,” Congressman Lewis said to the attendees. “Find a way … to educate, to inform and to inspire another generation to stand up for what is right and what is necessary. That is your calling.”

Smart folks like Congressman Lewis know that public relations is not about “spin” or event planning or endless pitching. PR practitioners should be proud that our profession can protect our rights, our health, our safety, our education, our children and our livelihoods.

I know I am.