The Web provides users with the ability to research brands, companies and people. Social media enables users to interact with these brands, companies and people. For companies, it makes sense to use social media, because it’s an easy way to observe and interact with your audience. It’s effective too. Many companies have discovered the value of social media, and there are plenty of success stories out there.

For companies, the real “win” here is that social media is a relatively inexpensive way to make this connection with an audience. I won’t be the first to remind you about the state of the economy in 2009. To stay afloat in these tough economic times, many companies cut back their advertising budgets, keeping them out of traditional mainstream media. And compared to traditional media, the price of social media is really attractive.

Now, more than ever is the time to get started on social media. Not just because the competition is doing it, but because it is an effective and economical marketing tool.

What’s the point of Twitter? Ask Dell.

Apparently, Dell has earned $3 million dollars in revenue directly through Twitter since 2007.

Here’s how they did it:

-         Used Twitter to send out coupons, some exclusive to Twitter followers
-         Announces company and product news
-         Responds to complaints
-         Asks for feedback

More importantly, Dell took into account what they heard on the Twittersphere. “Dell heard on Twitter that customers thought the apostrophe and return keys were too close together on the Dell Mini 9 laptop and fixed the problem on the Dell Mini 10. Now, the Dell Mini product development team is asking around on Twitter for new ideas for the next generation of the computer.”

Twitter is essential for listening to your audience. We also use Twitter for our clients to build relationships with their audiences, and position them as experts in their field. Twitter gives our client’s an online personality, and open a dialogue with their customers. In many cases it can be a great vehicle for promotions or special web-only offers.

We applaud Dell’s progressive thinking, and we’re willing to bet that the net benefit of Dell’s Twitter usage is higher than just $3 million. We suggest you “follow” their lead, and start to interact on Twitter. You don’t want to read a story in 6 months about one of your competitors making millions because they are the only ones in your industry interacting on social networks.

We recently launched a new site for Strayer University at www.strayeru.com. This site focuses on Strayer University campuses in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Strayer focuses on working adults seeking to continue their education with a certificate or degree program. They offer flexible programs that are online or on campus that fit the busy schedules of working adults.

Visitors to the site can read stories about continuing education such as learning which degrees are most financially rewarding in 2009 by reading the blog section of the site. The site allows visitors to interact by leaving comments or filling out a form to request more information about Strayer’s programs. Here is an excerpt from a recent post:

“The recent economic recession has put a squeeze on the national job market, forcing employment hopefuls to reach back into their skill set to seek out jobs they may not have been prepared to go after. FastCompany recently posted a list of the top employment opportunities for 2009. These are the top ten areas to seek employment this year:

1) Nursing and Medical Services….”

Link to their site in your reader and keep up-to-date on continuing education.

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a letter to General Mills warning of “serious violations” regarding the cholestorol-reduction claims used in Cheerios advertising over the last couple of years. This raises some very important issues for advertisers:

FDA “sending a message”

Is the FDA simply taking action to send a message? The FDA has recently been more aggressive in its enforcement of advertising, and this may be a strong message to brands that the ad police are here to stay. But if sending a message was the purpose, it raises ethical questions about how these targets are chosen.  Enforcement targets should not be targeted based on which will send the loudest message, but rather the most appropriate and deserving targets should be sought after.

Enforcement Delay

Why did the FDA wait two years to enforce the validity of Cheerios claim? The FDA can hardly claim that the campaign flew under the radar. The Cheerios cholesterol-lowering ad campaign has been one of the most high-profile and long-term campaigns of the last few years. Of course the obvious explanation is the change in administration – maybe General Mills should have paid closer attention. On the other hand, the FDA shouldn’t be able to renege on past decisions just because the people running the ship have a different interperetation of the regulations. If the FDA approved a claim, there should be accountability on their side as well.

Cheerios Claims – true or false?

Whether or not the FDA is sending a message, the main issue is the actual facts behind Cheerios claims. Even though the facts may be true, (that Cheerios may help reduce your risk of heart disease) General Mills did not adhere to the regulations that strictly govern how such statements are made. In laymans terms, advertisers cant associate just whole grains with a reduction in risk for disease. Rather, they must include the entire context of how good nutrition can reduce your risk for heart disease. For example, Cheerios would have to include fruits and vegetables and high fiber foods along with whole grains when stating a diet that can help prevent heart-disease.

So, where do we go from here?

Essentially, the Cheerios claims didn’t adhere to FDA regulations, but the FDA apparently had better things to do over the past two years. Now the FDA has wisened up and is cracking the whip. Businesses (and their advertising agencies) would be smart to re-evaluate their advertising claims. There’s a new sheriff in town. Cheerio for now, I’ve got some reading to do.

I initially learned about this from the Advertising Age article.

This question is answered on a new micro site we launched for Warman Homecare. Visit www.warmanfuzzy.com and watch the video and read about how you can enter to win an iPod by uploading a video or photo that explains what “Warm and Fuzzy” means to you.

We also launched a new website for Warman Homecare. They provide skilled home care for seniors and others who need help to stay in their homes. You can watch a video of actual Warman clients who praise the care they receive at home. Warman Homecare serves Maryland, Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, Philadelphia and Surrounding Counties in Pennsylvania.

Usually we like to use our blog to comment on industry trends, or significant campaigns in the advertising world. Today though, I’d like to keep it personal, and show you one of my favorite advertisements of all time. And I encourage you to do the same; please post your favorite ads in the comments section.

Hopefully you agree that this ad gives the viewer an incredibly intense emotional connection with the brand. The ending literally makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Here’s why I think this ad is so great:

• Music – The music is an excellent choice, one of those songs that perfectly matches the visual portion. If I ever am driving really fast in the rain to break up a wedding, that’s definitely going to be the song I listen to. The song is named “One Million Miles Away” by J. Ralph.
• Filming – The production value of this piece is obvious. Volkswagon put money into the ad, and it paid off with quality that rivals major motion pictures.
• Meaning – Volkswagon is saying that their owners are passionate and unafraid to rock the status quo (or disrupt a wedding). The life of a VW owner is intense and exciting, sometimes scary. They geniously use a tagline (”fasten your seatbelts”) that holds two meanings. First of all, they want you to fasten your seatbelt. But the second meaning is more evocative: when you get a VW, things get so intense that it’s a good idea to fasten your metaphorical seatbelt. Of course some don’t necessarily think that is a good image to portray, but those aren’t the people that Volkswagon is targeting.

So what are your favorite ads and why?

When it comes to entertainment, consumers are always seeking what’s newer, cooler, faster, and now, more interactive. You may have seen an interactive game at the mall where kids can kick a virtual soccer ball on the ground or stomp on cars. This type of interaction is relatively new to gaming, and even more new to entertainment.

It used to be that you buy a movie ticket, watch your movie, and go home. Now, some theaters are introducing an added entertainment value in the form of interactive games. Here’s a video of one interactive theater game in which moviegoers participate in a game where they control an on-screen vehicle by altering their movements.

Pretty cool huh? Did you notice the Volvo insignia? We did, and so did the people in the theater. The game provided something memorable for the audience to connect with the Volvo brand. Volvo isn’t the only ones moving into the interaction, or as I like to call, IRLPP (In Real Life Product Placement).

There are many examples popping up all over the place. One is the NBA All-Star Skills Competition game of G-E-I-C-O, a branded variation of the popular game, HORSE. Then there’s the Inside the NBA Wolverine integration just in time for the new “X-Men” movie, which features Charles Barkley developing claws.

I, for one, am a fan of this sort of integration, so long as it’s tasteful and actually adds some sort of entertainment value. What do you think? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below.

We’re breaking out the champagne and celebrating our one year anniversary at our beautiful new office space here in Annapolis today! We are all happy to be here at 53 Old Solomon’s Island Road. Everyone is reminiscing about our old office space. Here are a few favorite memories:

“Personally I liked the faulty bathroom locks and the insanely loud fan in the back room…but maybe that’s just me.”

“I miss Smitty. I hope his health is improving.”

“I have fond memories of being rear-ended by a bunch of Zips (one of our old neighbors) employees driving without a license…what was up with that?!?!”

“I loved the strong icy wind that used to blow in through the cracks around the windows every winter.”

“The takeout window on Danielle’s office was great!”

Visit our website and see pics of our new space under “a closer look”. Call 888.412.7469 to contact the best ad agency in Annapolis, Maryland and possibly the world!

A flaw in a diamond is called an inclusion, and if there’s an inclusion in the diamond you gave your significant other, she’ll find it. Like the diamond analogy, if there’s a flaw in your ad, consumers will find it. Such is the case with the recent “Laptop Hunters” Microsoft ad, in which a random person in the market for a new laptop is given $1,000 to find what they are looking for and if they find it, they can have it.

This ad, however, has become a testament to how important it is to be transparent and honest in today’s digital world. Shortly after the spot came out, tech-savvy fanboys started to dissect it, discovering that, Lauren, the “random person” selected to participate in the gimmick was actually a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild.

The fanboys smelled an imposter, so they took to analyzing the commercial frame by frame. They noticed that the random person walking by when she walks into the Apple store (about 14 seconds in) is the same “random” person walking by when she walks out of the store, and not just that, but that same person is in just about the same spot when she walks out. This observation combined with the information that the girl in the ad is a SAG member spurred talks of whether the event was staged.

What can we learn? While it is important to keep your message consistent across all platforms, simply posting your ad on the web and trying to pass it off as user-generated just wont work.

At The Cyphers Agency, we embrace unique opportunities to show the value of your brand in honest and transparent ways. If you’d like to talk about how you can get people talking about your brand in a positive light, give us a call, we’d love to hear from you.

The marketing environment has changed a lot since we started working with the National Chicken Council in 2001, to promote the consumption of chicken and get consumers excited about September as National Chicken Month. Over the past nine years Cyphers has helped promote the brand with everything from national campaigns, to retail promotions, to updating and maximizing their web presence.

Each year we take a fresh look at the brand and the emerging marketing techniques and trends available to us. This year, with the creation of the new Push-n-Pull division we’ve had plenty of new, unique and effective word of mouth options to propose to the National Chicken Council.

Nine years ago we were organizing massive direct mail projects. Today, we’re organizing features on foodie blogs, making twitter friends, and creating a very non-traditional approach to promoting September as National Chicken Month. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to create some buzz and make some waves for the National Chicken Council using the power of our Push-n-Pull division. To stay updated on all the fun things happening for the NCC this year, log on to Twitter and follow @ChickenFTW and check out www.eatchicken.com in the coming months.