Loyal friend and social media enthusiast Randy Johnson utilized Twitter, tapping into national sentiment on a level he never expected – exposure to 18,199,953 people – to be exact. Here he describes the experience:

Why did you choose social media as the outlet for your personal contribution?

“Social media has made professional athletes and celebrities more accessible than ever. I chose Twitter because it seems to be the preferred social media outlet for athletes/celebrities to interact with each other and a great deal of their fans. A retweet or mention by an athlete or celebrity is like the ‘autograph 2.0′, especially if you can get someone to personalize their message.”

How do you feel about the process and outcome?

“I’m absolutely thrilled with the overall support I received for Tony with messages thanking him for his service and welcoming him home. I’ll admit this 7-day project spun out of control rather quickly, to the point where I actually had a hard time keeping up with the tweets and retweets coming in. I never imagined I’d have a list of 88 athletes/celebrities from all over the world by the time all was said and done. I couldn’t be happier with the result and the huge response I received from the “twittiverse”. I can’t wait for Tony to get back and see the overwhelming support that too few soldiers receive.”

Maybe you Tweet, maybe not, but I encourage you to view Randy’s Twitter Tribute in its entirety and challenge you to utilize social media in an unexpected way – what do you have to lose?

-Stephanie C.

I am aware of the facts about how blogging drives traffic to websites and how large companies have advanced with the utilization of social media and I know how many people are on Twitter (175 million). Despite this, I still have trouble giving advice as to the implementation of social media as a form of marketing that has direct benefit.

I have found that when I put social media in the context of public relations, I have an easier time conceptualizing results.  Companies believe in the value of having a public relations team that pushes stories, maintains relationships and is well connected within the community.  Social media platforms are the outlet for public relations and public relationships.

Two bloggers who I cross paths with regularly have very different views on this topic.  To learn more about why social media is NOT public relations click here, and to learn about why social media IS public relations, click here.  I would strongly encourage you to check out their opinions and see where it falls within your organization’s conversation.

-Kelly

photo source: designbeep.com

In competitive environments where marketers and leaders are perpetually thinking about their competitors, it’s easy to fall into the differentiation trap of highlighted features and benefits. But do consumers buy based on well-crafted bullet points that “wow” people with your myriad of value propositions, or, do consumers buy primarily based on emotion?

Instead of digressing into the science of consumer behavior and lulling you into a deep sleep, I think it best to illustrate an example of a company that leads with the why rather than the what.

It is hard to dispute that Apple is well-respected in a broad range of electronics. Forbes listed Apple as the most valuable brand in the world in 2010.

Simon Sinek beautifully restates Apple’s messaging: “everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently….. we just happen to make computers.”

Apple has reached such a point where the public does not question their product extensions. Sinek claims this is because people have bought into Apple’s “why” which has had more marketing power than their “what.”

Does your organization have a “why” behind their existence? Does the “why” influence overall marketing and serve as a motivator for employees and stakeholders?

* Image compliments of cult-branding.com

____

JP Anderson serves as Director of Admissions at Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY. He is currently completing a Master of Science in Strategic Marketing at Roberts Wesleyan College.