It’s not the first time, and certainly won’t be the last. This egregious lack of professionalism is confounding social media’s quest for the one thing that the industry and those we serve are reluctant to give: credibility.

So I’m offering three pieces of advice to those involved in social media, based upon these well-publicized, and very costly, social media screw-ups.

If you’re mad at someone, don’t NUKEM in social media.

In the latest gaffe, The Rednor Group angrily posted a tweet in response to negative reviews its client, 2K (publishers of the Duke Nukem Forever video game) was receiving. It said “too many went too far with their reviews. We r reviewing who gets games next time and who doesn’t based on today’s venom.” (The Rednor Group screw-up was quickly made public in Advertising Age.

Although the tweet was deleted, Wired had a screen shot of it. 2K immediately fired the agency, even though The Rednor Group apologized early and often.

The take-away: Social media is forever. Someone will see it. Someone will take a screen shot of it. Someone will let others know that you’re upset and airing it publicly.

Don’t take work home. And don’t take home to work.

Back in March, an employee for New Media Strategies tweeted something about the traffic in Detroit. New Media Strategies handles… er, handled… social media for Chrysler. The tweet in question came from the ChryslerAutos handle on Twitter and contained not only a negative opinion of Detroit, but an f-bomb as well.

Although the staffer was trying to tweet from her personal account, she accidentally posted on the client’s. Oops. NMS immediately fired her. Chrysler fired New Media Strategies almost as quickly. This came at a time when Chrysler began its homage to the city through its “Imported from Detroit” campaign.

The takeaway: Business is business. People in social media should know better and take steps to ensure this never happens. The easiest way is not to post from personal accounts during business hours. I’ll take it a step further… Don’t post on personal accounts from business devices, whether it’s a work computer or Smart Phone.

I’ll go even further: Don’t tweet about business at all. Not your company, your work, your client, or your client’s brand. Many try to cover they posteriors by stating in their profiles “Opinions are my own.” That simply doesn’t cut it.

If you state in your profile that you work for XYZ agency, then like it or not, you’re representing the company in your tweets, whether you post about your work day, politics, sports, or preferred brand of vodka. So don’t mention your employer in your personal account.

If your client has a history of saying stupid things, don’t let him near Twitter.

Fashion designer Kenneth Cole has had a history of making light of social issues and current events in order to sell clothes, including AIDS, the homeless and national debt to promote his product. In February, during protests and riots in Egypt, fashion designer he posted this on Twitter:

Unfortunately, there was no one to fire over this fiasco, since it was the boss himself who did it. Of course, Cole wouldn’t fire himself.

The takeaway: If you ARE the brand, act like it. Just because you’ve built the company around yourself doesn’t mean you know how to promote it. Creative managers and marketing strategists need to know when to take the reins from the boss and how to use them in branding. They need to have the spine to tell the boss what to do when it comes to the brand, and have the balls to walk away. Ultimately, it’s your reputation on the line when everyone knows that you presided over a public meltdown.

- – -

These gaffes were avoidable. Yes, it happens. Not very often, but it happens. When it does, it happens publicly because social media is nothing if not public. The long and short of it is that if social media professionals do not start acting and performing like part of the marketing department, the desired respect will be a long time coming.

By the way, if you’re working in social media and have ever thought, “I can’t believe they pay me to mess around on Twitter and Facebook all day,” you’re not a professional. You’ll never move up and you sure don’t understand the strategy involved in using social media in branding. It’s time to put on your big boy pants and think big picture or find something else to do.

There are some misconceptions about Twitter. Some companies still don’t see the value in it. No, it’s not just for kids. No, it’s not just for celebrities. And no, it’s not just for companies looking for another place to advertise.

While those three statements are partially true to some extent, there’s some relevant and timely information on Twitter, if you exercise some judgment about who you follow and why. By the same token, your experience on this social media giant, and the goals you set and accomplish while using it, will be greatly increased if you develop a quality Twitter following.

1. Write a good bio.
Show some personality, but be factual. Put your best foot forward. This is your first chance to make a great impression. People actually read them, and users actually use them to search for other people with whom to connect.  Writing a good Twitter bio lets people know what you’re all about.

2. Choose a good profile picture.
There are several schools of thought. If you’re using this for a business, a company logo or some sort of visual representation of your product makes sense. Be professional, though. For an individual, go with unique. Creating a good Twitter avatar lets people know you’re serious about the value of the medium and getting something worthwhile from it.

3. Let Twitter do some of the work for you.
When you first joined, Twitter suggested some upper echelon accounts and celebrities for you to follow. That gets you started and that’s fine; but use the “Who to follow” feature and Twitter will suggest people and organizations based upon what you tweet about, as well as the information in your bio. Use the “Lists” function to gather other tweeters who are interested in the same things as you are. Use “Direct Message” sparingly, though; just in cases where you want to communicate with someone outside of the public eye. The “Search” tool is the most basic on Twitter and provides real time results about the things that you’re interested in. Using Twitter search can also help you to find people to follow based upon what they post about.

4. Comment on other people’s posts.
When I was part of an improvisation troupe, we worked on the “Yes… and” principle. Take what the person has given you and adding to it keeps the scene going. Saying “No” pretty much ends the scene. The same is true for Twitter. Don’t expect someone that you disagree with to follow you. Find people that you agree with on the subject and add to the conversation. And when they respond to you, follow them.

5. Retweet other people’s posts.
Twitter allows you to directly retweet a post to your followers. But it doesn’t allow you to make a comment on the tweet. You can comment if you do a manual RT by simply copy-pasting the tweet, along with “RT @UserName” in front. Some people use “MT” to signify a modified tweet if they’re forced to abbreviate or remove phrases. To identify the comment, use / or – or << to separate your comment from the original. Whether you put your comment before or after the original Tweet is up to you; just make sure to give credit for others’ thoughts. And when you RT someone, follow them.

6. Participate in chats on Twitter.
This is probably one of the best, and most overlooked, ways to find quality followers on Twitter. Tweetchats generally use a unique hashtag, which is a # followed by the term (#brandchat or #prchat, for example). Many people will use a third-party app such as TweetChat or TweetGrid in order to participate. It makes the conversation easier to follow and automatically uses the hashtag so you don’t constantly have to type it in. When you find people by participating in Twitter chats who add something of value to the conversation, follow them.

7. Learn and use the shortcuts and abbreviations.
Twitter only gives you 140 characters to get your point across. Many times, you’ll be using non-traditional abbreviations to get in under the limit. Also, find a URL shortener in order to share links to content. Hootsuite and TweetDeck have their own. Tiny URL Generator is also a good one and Firefox offers a plug-in to create shortened URLs.

8. Try to be found by people who may be looking for you.
You can do this by posting content in a consistent manner. Make sure you’re using hashtags to direct people to your posts. Using Twitter to make contacts will take some time and effort, but it’s worth it in order to help your brand. This includes making contact with people and businesses in the area where you do business. Make sure to set aside time to make quality local contacts as well.

9. Be part of the conversations.
Listen and respond. This is a chance to interact with people all over the country and all over the world. Tweet for people; not at them. It’s a conversation, not a lecture. Aggressively seek out people to connect with in your specific areas of interest.  Just like in real life, in social media, you can either introduce yourself to people who interest you, or you can wait for them to approach you. And how many times have you missed on an opportunity to meet someone you wanted to meet by waiting for them to approach you?

10. Provide good content.
In social media, you have to find a balance between quality and quantity. There are people on both sides of the fence, but I’m firmly on the quality side. Don’t just post in order to post something. If you’re retweeting a link to an article, make sure you’ve read it and agree with it. Most of all, make it real and relevant. No matter how often you post, quality content always does better on Twitter.

—

Social media is in its adolescence, but from a business standpoint, Twitter is still in its infancy. Businesses will eventually find ways to include Twitter in their overall marketing plan. The key is to constantly evolve with it, and not being forced to catch up when the competition is using it and increasing the bottom line down the road.

The problem is that it’s our love, but it’s the client’s money.

We love doing anything “creative.” We love a pretty ad, great typography, a clever turn of phrase, cool visual effects in a commercial, and the challenge of doing something no one has ever done.

The client wants to do something that makes the cash register open and close. He doesn’t care at all about winning an Addy, mentions in AdWeek or getting something for his book. It’s an investment in his business. He’s concerned with the bottom line. He is trying to put food on the table, keep the lights on, and product moving out the door.

So who wins? No one, like The Great Gatsby? Everyone, like Pretty in Pink? (Yes, I just made that analogy.)

Great creative sells. That’s what we tell clients. But the truth of the matter is, uncreative ads sell, too. Often not as well… sometimes better. But you’ll never hear us admitting as much to a client. After all, we’re in the creativity business. That’s what we tell ourselves, right?.

The truth is, we’re in the business of advocating for our client. We find the best way to get the client’s message to their consumer. Awards are nice, but they don’t pay the bills. We are in business to sell. And if we get to do something creative and great, so much the better.

Is creativity a sign of great advertising?

No, not really. It’s a sign that the copywriter and designer were thinking, but it doesn’t guarantee success. For one thing, the target audience has to “get it.” If they don’t, it’s a failure. There have been many debates about the necessity of creativity in advertising. But what does it do, really?

• It differentiates the product from the competition.
• It positions the product in the mind of the consumer.
• It helps the customer’s memory.
• It helps to build the brand.

The opportunity to be creative and the need for ROI, for some reason, don’t always cross paths. But we’re the matchmakers. We’re the ones who help creative and ROI get together because we know they will be great together. I’m just glad I’m in the room when they meet, because I’ve got a good feeling about those two crazy kids…

Kansas City viewed from the Keeper of the Plains perspective

Kansas City still views itself as a cowtown in many ways. It may be because that’s how outsiders view the city. Maybe Kansas Citians revel in that image just a bit.

Everyone in Kansas City for a visit knows about The Plaza. It’s a destination, really, and the surrounding amenities have a certain appeal. A day might include shopping at The Plaza, looking at Egyptian art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum and dining at Plaza III. The Missouri Repertory Theater and Starlight are regionally well-known as fine theaters.

But Kansas City has a culture which many, locals and non-locals alike, may miss out on.  It tends toward to be more laid back. Kansas City supports a hipper, more local, contemporary art scene in The Crossroads, with artist lofts and galleries. You can grab a sandwich at Grinder’s, then visit the history museum of your choice; The Negro Leagues, Steamboat Arabia and World War I Museums are all 10 minutes away.

If you’re a sports fan, Kansas City is incredible. In September, you can watch a Major League Baseball and NFL game on the same day. Seeing a Royals game at Kauffman is a treat because it is quite possibly the most beautiful stadium in the major leagues.  Just tailgating outside Arrowhead Stadium before a Chiefs game is worth the price of parking… almost. The Chiefs have arguably the best fans in what is probably the loudest venue in the NFL.

Kansas City has also embraced NASCAR as well. So quickly, in fact, that KC was seriously considered for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The area is also home to a professional soccer team, the recently renamed and rebranded Sporting KC, which is in the middle of building a fantastic stadium near the racetrack.

You can’t talk KC without mentioning the BBQ. It’s a law. The area is a mecca for fanatics, hosting one of the country’s biggest BBQ competitions every fall at the American Royal. Almost everyone knows the story of Arthur Bryant’s and probably Gates BBQ. Kansas City has a sauce named after it, for Pete’s sake; albeit one homers tend to ignore. Locals tend to steer visitors toward Jack’s Stack, but Anthony Bourdain cited Oklahoma Joe’s as one of the “13 Places to Eat before You Die.” Or, ask a local; he can probably name four places he likes better. (Smokin’ Guns, The Woodyard, LC’s and Smokehouse are ours.) Locals are fairly adamant about knowing the difference between barbecue and grilling.

Quite possibly, the best thing about Kansas City is there’s always a different place with a different vibe or a different flavor just waiting to be discovered.  The people here are almost always willing to share information about their home town. They’re nice. They’re fun. They’re helpful.

Ask a local, he’ll tell you where to go. And not in a New York Way.

Can bad advertising (or “badvertising” as we coined it back in college) be a good strategy? After all, if people are talking about the brand, if a bad jingle is memorable, if I’m including a link to one of the worst ads in recent memory in this blog, does it ultimately prove that badvertising works?

The commercial that sparked the debate played repeatedly during early round NCAA tournament games. It’s overdone. It’s poorly acted. Though the song is terrible, it is infectious.

Kinda like the plague, but without all the death.

If you haven’t figured out which spot it is, you don’t watch much basketball. If you do, I don’t know how you missed it.

During our discussion, not one person said they liked it. In fact, the level of hatred spewed by everyone involved in the conversation led me to believe it was money badly spent. A quick cruise around Twitter proved it.

I mean, someone had to green-light the spot without thinking, “This is the best spot that we could produce.” Someone had to go out of their way to produce a memorably bad spot. That had to be the goal. It had to be strategy. Right?

I think no one would purposefully do a commercial badly, with a horrible song. (I certainly wouldn’t.) It just isn’t effective. Or so I thought until a few admitted to having the song stuck in their heads.

Which leads to my conundrum: If you remember the jingle, and more importantly, the brand, does that mean the ad is effective?

I don’t think so. But I think that’s the risk when your goal is to create badvertising: losing customers. Will someone avoid a brand simply because the commercials are bad?

Or just me?

In the old west, the "F" might denote a cattleman's name or something similar. In a recent experience, F stands for "FAIL."

brand·ing noun \ˈbran-diŋ\: the promoting of a product or service by identifying it with a certain image and key characteristics

In the old days, branding was done to save grace. In the old west, it was done so ranchers could save money. Today, branding involves making money.

The question is: Which is more permanent… the identifying mark burned onto a sign or a cow… or the opinion the public has of your company or product?

I’m talking about branding because yesterday, I read an excellent explanation about branding article by Marc Brownstein in Advertising Age. He talked about a grocery store called Wegman’s who makes grocery shopping fun, and quite simply, far exceeds the customer service of other grocery stores to the point that he drives 18 miles to shop there, when a competitor with roughly the same prices is just around the corner.

I posted some quick thoughts about it on the Powerhouse Facebook page. Now I’m only showing you my remarks because he admonished companies to “be amazing at what you do.”

That struck a cord with me yesterday. But the strategy mentioned in the article most important is the one about customer service.  No matter my job, I’ve always made it a point to listen to and respect the customer. You’ll never catch me quoting the cliche, “The customer is always right” because I’ve never believed that. But the customer always deserves respect.

It really hit home with me when I got home yesterday evening and spent two hours on the phone with a company whose name I will not mention. For the first hour, I was talked over, called a liar and treated in a very condescending way when I caught them lying to cover their butts. Oh… and one hung up on me when I pointed out her lies!

Then I called to cancel my contract; the third customer service agent took care of what I needed, went out of her way to make things right and apologized profusely for the company dropping the ball and for the failed customer service.

So what does it mean with regards to my user experience? I’m a “forgive, but not forget” kind of guy. The company is at square one, but it’s on notice that not only will I pull my business, I’ve made it known that I will make it known. And in the future, if the company makes my experience a good one, I’ll use its name.

An example: In ‘Friends,’ Chandler leaves the high pressure world of corporate data and ends up in advertising because he was looking for a job where there was no pressure and one that would allow him a creative outlet.  In fairness, they never really showed him at work after he got the job when he’s up against a deadline, with no sleep and caffeine shakes. In probably what amounted to the series’ jump the shark moment (for me, anyway) he beats out a dozen freshly-minted interns to get the one entry-level job they were all trying for.

Many characters bounced from (liberal arts) major to (liberal arts) major, like the daughter in ‘Coach.’ Kelly gets a job in account service after receiving a degree in modern dance with a minor in Russian poetry.

Maybe they quit college because it just wasn’t for them, or better yet, didn’t go in the first place. Remember the scene in ‘Cocktail’ when the HR person says to Tom Cruise “You have no marketable skills. Have you considered a career in advertising?”

Ouch.

Still others want to write the great American novel and just “need a job,” similar to Kevin Bacon in ‘She’s Having a Baby.’ My favorite line is during one of his interviews is, “How do you feel about working with alcoholics?” His response: “I… like… working with alcoholics?”

In the 1990 movie ‘Crazy People,’ Dudley Moore and Darryl Hannah transform mental health patients into a successful creative team.

Some would make the argument that could actually happen.

Now we’ve got ‘Mad Men,’ one of the most popular shows on TV.  Don Draper is a Korean War army deserter who sold furs before basically blackmailing Roger Sterling for a job. Sterling, by the way, was born into the trade; his father owned the agency. Peggy Olson was a secretary who becomes a copywriter. One prospect shows a portfolio with clippings of ads he likes and one original. In a drunken presentation, Draper uses the guy’s headline in a pitch and the client loves it. Draper has no choice but to hire him.

Which leads to the question:  Would anyone get hired on one good idea?

The thing is, I know any of these examples could happen, but most of the people I know in the business set out with the idea they wanted to work in advertising. More advertising majors end up working in other industries simply because the market is so competitive, they found it difficult to get a position. It’s not as if the industry denied them entry; it’s just there was no room for them in a highly competitive field.

But what’s the truth of it? Where did you come from to work in advertising?

What exactly does that mean? For Kansas City, it means money. Tourism. Hotels are full. Downtown restaurants are full. Bars are full.

Walk around downtown and you’re likely to see someone sporting Iowa State gear as you are KU or Mizzou. We need to make them feel welcome.

Grab anyone from the four Texas schools by the hand. Buy them a beer. K-State? Thanks for coming. Oklahoma folks? You bet. Always welcome. If you see Colorado or Nebraska, don’t bother; they won’t be here next year. And they cost Kansas City the tournament by vacating the conference.

But latch on to those from Iowa State. Those folks travel well, in packs, and they have a good time. They spread it around, too. I love to see the Red and Yellow in KC during the Big 12 tournament. They’re good people.

For the people I work with at a small Kansas City advertising agency, we view it as prime people watching time. But we also know that it’s good for our town. We also know it’s good public relations time. Sure the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce are responsible for attracting the Big 12 tournament. They crunch numbers, draw up the contracts and close the deal.

They don’t show the travelers a good time. They don’t interact with these folks for the five days they’re in town. They get them here, but they don’t make them feel welcome here.

That’s our job.

Suggest places to go. Help them get around. Buy them the best beer produced in Missouri, Boulevard Irish Ale. Or steer them towards the best bar-b-que. Maybe one that’s not so well known, but should be… like Smokin’ Guns in North Kansas City.

And if we help them have a good time, they’ll post… and tweet… and blog about it. They’ll share their experiences. They’ll tell everyone what a great time they’re having.

Trust me. We know a thing or two about social media, advertising and branding. It’s what we do.

Since the Big 12 will not have a tournament (Thanks Colorado and Nebraska) we need to take advantage of it and advertise Kansas City and what is has to offer. In turn, our visitors will help advertise Kansas City. They’ll come back without the Big 12 if they have a great time.

What can we as individuals do?

Easy.

Tell them “Thanks.”