Recently I was asked by a European news media group to comment on the success of Sarah Palin in the United States as a marketing brand. Politics aside, you have to admire how fast she has expanded her marketing presence and the value she brings to her followers or in this case, her consumers. When examining the Sarah Palin brand it is clear she has done two things very well in order to create greater success around her name, messaging and overall business. The following points work well for any brand, not just Sarah Palin or politicians.

First, Sarah Palin has done an outstanding job of building a virtual community online where she can express her points of view, allow her followers to interact with her brand, and exploit hot topics to her benefit by commenting on current affairs. Over the past year Sarah Palin has built a community of over 150,000 followers on Twitter and over 1.5 million on Facebook. This steady attention to her online community has positioned the Sarah Palin brand front and center on the topics her followers care about and want an outlet for their self expression. She is capitalizing on a consumer passion for a political point of view through her online community.

Next, Sarah Palin has successfully extended her online brand into the tangible world of speaking events, book tours and television appearances. Consumers enjoy all the benefits of an online community but they also want to touch the brand or experience it in a way that makes it come alive. Sarah Palin’s non-stop tour of live event promotions fulfills that requirement and has helped accelerate the popularity of her brand among her followers.

Again putting aside her politics, the success of the Sarah Palin brand indicates the value of building an online community but it also shows the importance of making sure your brand has some tangible outlet into the world where consumers can “touch and feel it.” Combining these two elements will enhance the value of proposition to consumers.

At Red Bricks Media we guide clients through the right digital strategy for their business but we also know that marketing is a 360 degree experience which includes offline communication channels. We are firm believers that digital thinking needs to be integrated within the entire media plan and we help facilitate this integration wherever necessary. We are starting to see more and more examples where the digital strategy leads the overall communication framework for advertisers and Sarah Palin is just one small example of how this can be successful for advertisers.

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By Kate Anderson, Associate Account Manager (and Hong Kong transplant)

When I first arrived in Hong Kong for a month long rotation in the Red Bricks Media Asia office, I was struck by the newness of many things.  I was amazed by the sheer number and size of Hong Kong shopping malls and it still seems to me as though there is one on every corner – much like the ubiquitous coffee shops of San Francisco.

Digital marketing, and particularly digital performance marketing is itself fairly new in Asia.  There has been a substantial reliance on outdoor media and creative campaigns whether in the form of print or email. However, with the expansion of broadband in areas like China, it seems that everything is going digital. 

With all this change and innovation, I have taken comfort in the things which remain the same.  I am still surrounded by smart, funny and dedicated people in our Hong Kong office.  Little did we know that my one month sojourn would become a six month Tour de Hong Kong.  Another constant is the reception of companies here to Red Bricks Media’s take on embracing new media.  Much as in the US, social media is the buzz word on everyone’s lips. 

In the US, this fixation has been focused primarily on Facebook and Twitter.  However, I have found the landscape in Asia Pacific is much more fractured and in some sense more exhilarating.  Before coming to Asia, I was unfamiliar with Cyworld, Mixi, Sina, or Douban. But much like language is a window into culture, so too are these distinct platforms a gateway into the cultural and political influences of a nation. 

In internet and mobile savvy Japan, ‘new’ happens quickly.  Morgan Stanley recently found that 72% of page views on social networking site Mixi were from mobile devices; mobile contributed just 17% three years ago.  Mobile will also likely play an increasingly large role in China where US social media giants Facebook and Twitter are blocked. 

Although some foreign companies have embraced Chinese social media platforms such as Sina microblog (Dell for example), there is the constant knowledge that posts deemed “inappropriate” can be expunged at will.  It will be extremely exciting to see how global companies interact with the social landscape in Asia.  What will be new and different about the way they reach customers and interact?  What elements of their communication must remain the same? 

I believe Red Bricks Media is poised to help companies find the answers to these questions and many more.  Working in the Hong Kong office has given me the opportunity to experience many new things – new malls being built, new search engines, new friends and new cuisine.  Just don’t ask me to give up the comfort of a good old American cheeseburger.

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By Min Poh, Senior Account Manager

As of June 2010 Facebook has over 400 million active users, the average user spending more than 55 minutes on the site per day. Having run many successful Facebook campaigns for our clients, we have provided some quick tips to tweak your campaigns and get your ads up and performing!

The Top 10 List

1.    Define Your Goals

As with all advertising campaigns, the first step is deciding what you want to achieve. It is also important to remember that not all goals can be met through this channel. For example, we found Facebook to be less effective for direct sales. The site is however very effective for branding & engagement, building product awareness, lead generation, promoting offers & sweepstakes, and building a community around your brand.

2.    Choose the Right Ad Format

In addition to the basic image and text ad format, other ad formats are available through Facebook.  For example, event ads with a RSVP button can be easily created through the ad self-serve ad interface. Video and polling ads are available to larger advertisers as well as for placement on the users’ home page.

3.    Leverage the Power of Your Network

Ads on Facebook are social. If someone likes an ad, it will show up on the pages of his or her friends. Facebook also uses this to gauge the effectiveness of the ads served. Get your company involved, have co-workers like your ads or become a fan on Facebook to help spread the word through their networks!

4.    Update Your Ads Frequently

Facebook ads are unlike search engine ads.  Depending on the size of your target audience, ads may be served fairly often to each individual. Keeping your ads fresh will help improve click through rates and provide you with another chance to remarket to the user with a different message. We recommend updating ads at least once every 2 weeks. Try a different image and refresh ad copy to see what works.

Figure 1: This chart shows click-through-rates over a 2 week period for a Facebook campaign. Click-through-rates are highest immediately following launch but plateau at the end of week 1. 

5.    Segment and Target Your Ads

The beauty of Facebook is the ability to target users based on their interests, location, age, gender, education level, workplace, relationship status and language.  Once you know the group you would like to target, segment your campaigns by age group, gender or interest to determine effectiveness. For example, does my product resonate better with males or females? One key point to remember is that ads should be custom to the audience you are reaching. By speaking to the interests of the target audience, we were able to increase click-through-rates by more than 200%.

Figure 2: Sample ads targeted at users with golfing or photography as an interest.

6.    Report & Analyze – Responder Profiles

Facebook provides the usual reports for ad campaigns (impressions, clicks etc.).  However, what really stands out with Facebook reporting is the responder profiles report. This report shows the top interests, books, movies and TV shows, of people who have clicked on your ads. Interesting information can be gleaned to help shape audience profiles and determine targeting for future campaigns. 

7.    Select The Right Landing Page

Landing pages can go to a Facebook product/company page or go off the site to your company’s home page. Select your landing page destination based on your goals. If you are trying to build a community and fan base on Facebook, keep your respondents on the site. Sending respondents to your home page works better if driving direct traffic is a goal.

8.    Get Creative with Branding! 

Facebook is an excellent platform for branding and generating product awareness. You can create quizzes, post videos, share images and product information on your company’s page. These features should be complimented with Facebook advertising.

9.    Work the Incentives

There is nothing like a contest or giveaway to generate product interest. Papa John’s added 125,000 fans in a day through a combination of Facebook ads and a free pizza offer.

10.  Build a Community

Finally, Facebook is also a great place to build a community. The barrier to entry is low since users already have a profile and do not have to register again to join.  You can start your Facebook community by growing your company’s fan base. This can be done through Facebook ads. Think of fans as an enhanced mailing list. Every time an update is made to your company’s status, fans will be notified.  Remember to also continually engage with fans as your community grows. Exchange comments, photos, links. Nobody likes a fan site with little activity!

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We are happy to announce our latest panel discussion and networking event: “St@te of the Feeds”, a review of the social media landscape—where it started, where it stands today, and where it is headed in the future.

This evening of drinks, appetizers and insights will take place during AdTech SF, on Wednesday, April 21st, from 6-9PM at Roe, 651 Howard St, San Francisco.

We have secured a fabulous team of panelists, all of whom are experts in the social media space. They come from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences, and will come together at St@te of the Feeds on April 21st.

Paul Ollinger, VP of Western Region Sales for Facebook, had extensive knowledge of the monetization and benefits of using social media in one’s marketing efforts.

Sean Blankenship of CODA Automotive knows the potential of social media first-hand. As VP of Digital and Social Media Experiences, he is using social media to bolster his marketing efforts for CODA’s new evolution of the electric car.

Diana Cartwright, now the VP of Corporate Marketing at Kaleidescape, was most recently a social media thought leader at SanDisk.  SanDisk’s social media strategy has been very fruitful, and Cartwright is now bringing her knowledge into a new environment.

The panel will be moderated by Sandy Grushow, a veritable social media rockstar.  His current company MediaLink is at the forefront of the social media space, and Grushow’s knowledge and expertise make him the perfect moderator for this in-depth discussion.

You are welcome to attend! Please RSVP at: www.redbricksmedia.com/party

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By Elliott Easterling, CEO

Many marketers are missing the point with Facebook and social networks. The complexity of managing company profiles, the risks of user-generated content, and the lack of control keep many marketers away from creating a robust social network presence.

Social media represents a sea change in the way that brands project and broadcast themselves. Traditional models of web advertising start from a website that is broadcast out to the public. Historically, advertising was placed to bring people back to this channel.

With the advent of social networks, blogs, and micro-blogging (Twitter), brands have had a whole new spectrum to broadcast their brands through, and in most cases, these are not contained within the safe and controlled confines of their site. These new advancements have required that marketers reinvent their digital marketing efforts to consider the nuances of these new media. Creating and managing a presence on Facebook involves a unique set of considerations that are not native to traditional web publishing.

One of the most interesting considerations is that marketers must not just “project” their brand through their website, but rather must make their brands “converse” through these new forms of media. The way that brands are now fragmented through these new channels and must now become animated and have a voice is completely changing the ground rules for digital marketing. Silent films now have sound, and the brands that do not have a voice in this new media will not reap its vast rewards.

I wrote last month on the opportunities that exist for acquisition marketing in Facebook. Now I’ll address retention marketing on Facebook, which warrants its own discussion (and a lot more beyond this).

The benefits to building a fan base in Facebook are akin to developing an electronic direct mail (EDM) list. Unlike EDM lists, on Facebook you can not only market to your customers but they can interact among themselves and do the marketing for you.

Marketers need to start to treat their social network fan bases as marketing assets and need to measure their effect on their sales. So when a promotion is dropped to an EDM list, a similar message should be dropped to Facebook fans. Ultimately the revenue generated from a Facebook fan base should be uniquely tracked within web analytics systems and reported back to senior marketing management just like every other key marketing channel.

What is amazing about Facebook is that it is an incredible value for the associated costs. Marketers spend significant amounts managing their EDM campaigns, and get much of the similar messaging capabilities and the benefits of an integrated social network “free” from Facebook. Facebook is in essence a Hosted Social Network for corporations, with very low marginal cost to touch consumers. Eventually Facebook may find new ways to charge corporations, and the risk of having your fan base hijacked with high marketing fees are very valid and need to be considered as you make your investments.

Let’s take a quick look at Starbucks. At last check they have over 5MM fans on Facebook. That base of evangelists can be activated through promotion and coupons to drive retail sales, which is likely having a very healthy effect on Starbucks’ bottom line.  Starbucks has a concerted and active paid Facebook fan recruiting program. It has yielded a base of fans that has nearly doubled in the last 4 months.

So when our clients ask us whether they should be advertising on Facebook to build up a fan base or to drive traffic to their site, my answer is usually “try both.” To successfully manage a Facebook fan base and a social media profile, you do need to have a concerted investment of resources within your organization — so that is a prerequisite to a fan building program. Facebook is not for all brands, but it is for more than have given it a real chance to play an integrated role in their digital communications.

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by Elliott Easterling, CEO

I recall the first day I opened up AdWords almost 6 years ago to test out the self service functions. That feeling of bliss came to me again when I explored Facebook’s self service tool for the first time last December.

Joy came to me with AdWords because I encountered the tool as a data driven marketer. I spent 3.5 years at Digital Impact (now Axciom Digital) learning the ins and outs of database marketing before I started Red Bricks Media. At the time, we were working with algorithms to process large amounts of user behavior and self-profile data to predict the best products to put into individual emails. This behavioral targeting experience is what got me excited about AdWords. I quickly realized that search queries were in fact behaviors that could be used to present targeted ads to potential consumers. I was amazed that I could tap directly into the flow of demand. The combination of powerful targeting and scale is what made Google such a useful tool for marketers.

Excitement came to me with Facebook because I recognized the same opportunity to build marketing programs with amazing targeting capabilities supported by significant scale. Facebook allows marketers to target users based on the content of their profiles. Rather than being fueled by behavioral data, Facebook campaigns are fueled by profile data. This data is incredibly clean and accurate because, in general, people do not lie about their interests on Facebook. They might exaggerate but they won’t likely lie because peer pressure from Facebook friends creates a system of accountability. The profile data in Facebook is especially powerful because it represents the brand of Facebook users. The things you put in your profile represent the things that are most important to you and also the way you see yourself and want to represent yourself to the world. Facebook profiles are the sum of passions, interests, and make up the brand of one. Facebook also provides a separate targeting axis - one that surrounds demographic data. Where you live, where you went to school, and every piece of data collected in the registration process is targetable on Facebook. This matrix of interest data and demographic data make for great user segmentation and targeting. See chart below.

Since users are not actively seeking out information on Facebook as they are doing on search engines, the click-through rates (CTR) tend to be lower. This limitation can be overcome using the sheer scale of available inventory on Facebook, which can yield great click volume even with low CTRs. From our experience, Facebook campaigns can realize good conversion rates because our campaigns heavily segment users into tight interest groups and then present compelling messages to those users. Our background in database marketing has given us an edge in developing and designing successful Facebook campaigns.

Is Facebook right for your business? It is, to the degree to which interests in Facebook correlate to an interest in your product or services. If, for example, you are in the business of selling tissues online, you may not get much out of Facebook’s targeting capabilities. No one is likely to wax poetic on the virtues on a clean nose on their profile. Alternately, if you sell tours of India, you will have access to the more than 2.8MM 18 and older Americans that that show “travel” as an interest in Facebook. Matched with demographic data, a campaign could even target users in San Francisco with customized messaging – “Explore our tours to majestic India, flights leaving from San Francisco daily.”

As performance marketers, we tend to focus more on media that drives conversions. Facebook also has the amazing ability to drive great branding, so let’s not rule out the campaign for the tissue company quite yet. Facebook branding and fan development warrant a separate discussion, which is forthcoming next month.

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