360DigitalInfluence

I came to Ogilvy 360 DI — and social media strategy — via a slightly different route than most of my colleagues. In short, I was a longtime blogger (and journo) who’d become frustrated at how poorly blog outreach was being handled by brands that, under any other circumstance, would’ve been impeccable with their approach. They’d finessed relationships with the press and customers, but when it came to bloggers, they ended up botching it completely (clunky outreach, poor planning, uneven execution) — and as a result, not capitalizing on all that blogs and social media could offer. Ogilvy was the first place I saw that truly got that blogger relationships were not a one-size-fits-all kind of endeavor. I signed on for the job.

Even though I’m now at Ogilvy, I’m still a blogger — my fashion blog, FashionisSpinach.com, has been tapped for a wide number of influencer campaigns for brands like Chanel and Gucci — and I’m still the target for many brands stepping into the social media sphere. Not a day goes by when I’m not completely amazed at how companies try to use clunky PR methods to reach out to bloggers like me.

Here are three of my most frequently seen pitfalls.

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We’ve all heard the messages…exercise…eat healthy…quit smoking…talk to your doctor about your heart health. But what does it take to foster real behavior change? Empowerment efforts like the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign? Engagement initiatives like the truth campaign? Does it take a change in social norms?

Today, I’m happy to announce the newest addition to the Ogilvy blog network…Social Marketing exCHANGE. Authored by members of the Ogilvy’s Social Marketing team, the exCHANGE will focus on any and all topics related to the application of social marketing and behavior change communications to address public health and social issues.

What is Social Marketing? How do you promote behavior change? How can social media support awareness for social issues? Does it require a change in policy to real make a change in public health and safety? These are some of the issues we will be discussing on the exCHANGE.

Our work has addressed some of the most important issues of our time, ranging from health, safety, and risk communications to environmental stewardship and community development. Specific areas of focus have included HIV/AIDS, heart disease and stroke, pandemic influenza, global health, nutrition, cancer prevention and treatment, homeland security, emergency preparedness, driving and transportation safety, dating and youth violence, and community conservation.

Here are a couple of our first posts…

Let the dialogue begin! – What we hope to accomplish with Social Marketing exCHANGE
An Identity Crisis for Social Marketing – Distinguishing Social Marketing from Social Media
Getting Smart on Gov2.0…Fast! – A Collection of useful sites to stay sharp on Gov2.0

So stop by the exCHANGE. Wonder out loud.  Take issue.  Raise questions.  Advance ideas. Share experiences and perspective.  Voice your opinions. We look forward to creating a space where all of these important issues can be discussed.

2009, defined by the deep recession, forced consumer brands to do more with much less.  However, this stressful environment drove  marketers to try non-traditional and less expensive channels, fostering the development of some unique engagement programs in social media.  In this series of posts, I’ll revisit a few of the more interesting campaigns from the past year and explain how these programs can guide our 2010 engagement strategies.

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Along with a group of 11 diverse consumer tech influencers, Ogilvy PR worked with our client Intel recently to host a day-long visit to the company’s Santa Clara headquarters that included conversations about the digital divide, the latest in mobile technology, eco-computing, and more. The “Upgrade Your Life” event participants, who are prolific gadget and performance content creators, talked with Intel’s executive leadership about ways that technology is improving the lives of women and girls globally.

Photo by Intel’s Ken Kaplan.

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Bloggers as well as mainstream news media have been closely following the story of Nadya Suleman, the mother who gave birth to octuplets last week. Following ethics questions about the doctors who gave her fertility treatments, people began to question why Suleman was looking for a larger family in the first place since she already had six kids at home. Even baby product manufacturers are staying at arm’s length and haven’t offered any of the donations or support that usually follows famous multiples. In social media, moms are getting nasty about their feelings towards Suleman- a reminder of the dynamic nature of the online parenting network. continue reading