By Robert Sharp | July 6, 2010

Lately marketing blogs have been abuzz with tips for advertising to both ends of the age spectrum – how to craft messages for aging Baby Boomers and technology-obsessed tweens. But as research churns out study after study on messaging for these two groups, we have to wonder: is the now-middle-aged Generation X getting lost in the shuffle?

Encompassing those born from 1965-1976, Gen Xers make up nearly 20 percent of the American population. Compared to previous generations, they are better educated and more technologically savvy, individualistic, ethnically diverse, and environmentally conscious. Now mostly married with young families and a mortgage, Gen Xers have significant spending power that shouldn’t be ignored – as much as $125 billion annually.

However, reaching this population isn’t easy. Gen Xers have grown up with personal computers, cell phones, and the Internet. Along the way, they have learned to be cynical of traditional marketing messages; they buck trendy products and rail against media hype.

So how can marketers reach the elusive Generation?

Value and affordability
Research shows that Gen Xers place high importance on quality and affordability. They are interested in products and services that fill a void or solve a problem, so messaging should clearly state your value. Explain exactly what you do and how you measure up against competitors.

Shoot straight
Gen Xers know hype when they see it, so forget the fluff and stick to the facts. Gen Xers aren’t interested in car commercials that spin visions of long lazy drives in the country; instead they want to know about fuel efficiency and extended warranties. Honesty and transparency are key to earning their trust – and their business.

Take a social approach
Gen Xers have a strong attachment to traditional family values, and turn to friends and family for trusted feedback and advice. They research products and look for second opinions before purchasing, and increasingly turn to the Internet to share their experiences. Give them an outlet to talk about your product, and they will. The majority of this group uses social networking sites, so take advantage of the opportunity to start conversations and engage Gen Xers online.

Try it!
Gen Xers love to try new things without taking a financial risk. Free samples, coupons, and giveaways are all great ways to build brand awareness and show that your product works as promised. And if they have a great experience, you can bet they will use it again (or talk about it – see above).

Once stereotyped as the ‘slacker generation,’ Gen Xers are finally all grown up. While many advertisers have put Generation X on the backburner, smart marketers have an opportunity speak directly to this widely ignored group. Use straightforward, value-based messages, and Gen Xers will thank you for it.

By Kyle McCabe | July 1, 2010

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The Black Hills Home Builders Association recently help a seminar for its members and invited RSA to come speak to them about social media for business. It was a great time with a small, intimate group, and we fielded quite a few questions. Here are a few of those questions, including our answers.

What is Twitter?
I’ve written about Twitter here a couple times. In short, it’s a networking tool, a way to engage in conversation with people around the globe. It may be new technology, but it’s still just people talking. Sign up for an account and post, 140 characters at a time, about things that matter to you and the people you wish to interact with, whether they be customers, prospects, colleagues or friends.

Try using Twitter’s search feature to find people talking about topics of interest, and begin to engage them. Keep in mind every “tweet” is an invitation to engage – people want to hear from you!

How much time should I spend on social media?
As much or as little as you want to. And like most things in life, you get out of it what you put into it. Some have called social media a big waste of time, others have thrived in the space and seen tremendous business success. I won’t lie to you – becoming adept at social communication for your business takes a lot of time. What that time is worth, and how much of it you spend on this kind of investment, will be up to you.

I spend most of the workday on Twitter, but it’s actually a passive presence: I let TweetDeck run on my desktop, updating me every so often about new tweets and conversations. I can then choose to ignore them and continue working, take a moment to read them, or take a few minutes to respond (though this last one can turn into hours of sporadic conversation if you want it to).

Which platforms are good to use?
This will differ (perhaps only slightly) for each business. There are literally hundreds of social networking platforms, though many of them are competing “clones” of the same concept. In any case it can be difficult to know which ones to use.

First, keep in mind you’ll never use them all, and if you try, you will spread yourself too thin and become overwhelmed. Second, decide which tools to focus on (this will depend largely on your overall goals, objectives for web, and the strategic approach you’ve developed).

In general I think many businesses could benefit from having a Facebook page, Twitter account, or Youtube channel, though that is not true in all cases. There are also “bookmarking” sites like Digg and StumbleUpon, and review sites like Yelp.

Another are that should get some attention as well is that group of tools created for monitoring the social web for mentions of your business, brand, competitors, or persons or topics of interest. This is a great way to supplement your market research and keep tabs on competitors, customers and prospects. In fact, if you don’t do anything else, do this. Some places to start include Google Alerts, Socialmention, or Trackur.

What kinds of things do you recommend posting?
If you’ve done the proper research and defined your goals and intended audience, this question will be much easier to answer. Though it will be somewhat different for every business, I’m confident that everyone can follow this guiding principle: be helpful, be interesting, or be gone.

If you’re not helping people out or posting something that is actually interesting to them, they are simply not going to care about what you have to say (I should know…)

How do I know what my audience wants?
Try asking them. You can make all kinds of assumptions, but the best way to find out what your audience wants from you is to ask. The next best way is to just dive in and see what engages that audience and what doesn’t.

Should I remove negative comments?
Any social platform worth using offers a way for people to comment on your content. The whole point of the social web is interactivity, and this is why people use it. If you’re removing user content, you are hampering that interaction.

That being said, there may be cases in which it is just better to remove a comment, if possible, and that decision is yours alone. In general, however, it can reflect well on you to let a negative comment stand, or even better, to respond to it in a constructive way.

That covers some of the bigger questions asked, and that we commonly get from clients. Are there other questions you might ask on this topic? Or would you have answered any of these differently? Please leave a comment!

By Tarah Heupel | June 28, 2010

We are excited to announce the winners of our first Good Ad, Bad Ad Facebook contest! Congrats to Jackie and Gina, who posted ads deemed the best and worst of the bunch by our esteemed panel of judges (our Search Engine Marketing department, clearly).

Good Ad: Jackie won the prize with the latest commercial in the “Search Overload” campaign from Bing:

We can relate – and now our office is jamming out to Freak Nasty’s “Da Dip.”

Bad Ad: Gina caught our attention with something very, very bad to win the Bad Ad prize:

Okay, it’s not exactly an ad, but close enough. Read more about this British Airways faux pas,  which appeared in an internal staff magazine with an article about mobile boarding. Whether it was a mistake or a prank gone awry, that’s one heck of a PR mess.

Congrats again to our winners, and thanks to everyone for playing. Be on the lookout for more contests in the future!

By Nancy Marshall | June 10, 2010

Gen Y can't get enough of their social media, cell phones and iPods

[This is a guest post by by Nancy Marshall of Nancy Marshall Communications in Augusta, Maine. It was originally posted on the Alliance of Marketing Communications Agencies blog.]

Recently my 17 year old son Craig attended a meeting of the Alliance of Marketing Communications Agencies with me and gave a presentation on “Marketing to Gen Y”  to our group of advertising and PR agency owners from across the country.  Since Craig’s generation is larger than the Baby Boomer generation (Generation Y is estimated at 77 million people—several million more than the Boomer generation), marketers need to start focusing on this generation. The consumer clout they wield is extremely powerful. In order to market to them effectively, I thought I would share some of his points with you.

First, some facts about his generation:

1. Born from approximately 1982 to 2001
2. Grew up in a technological revolution
3. To reach them, new creative strategies will be required
4. With more technology, they will be able to easily avoid advertisements
5. With new media comes new ways to advertise
6. They trust information from each other, not from traditional sources
7. They are addicted to cell phones, smart phones, or whatever type of mobile devices they can get their hands on

Craig’s thoughts on traditional advertising and marketing:

1. Television commercials are no longer as effective
2. Advertisements on websites need to be flashy to get their attention, yet convincing to be believable
3. With all the new news sources, it will be tougher than ever to cut through the clutter with press releases
4. Lies will be detected easier than ever and won’t be ignored

Other ways to reach Gen Y:

1. Identify your market and search them out by interest: there are more niche groups of Gen Y’ers than any generation before as their interests are splintered and diverse
2. Be active with social media but don’t be annoying
3. Crack the market with street teams, focus groups, and work from the inside
4. Hide your product in the media: example of Lady Gaga using an iPhone 4 with a Virgin Atlantic logo on the screen in one of her music videos
5. Make advertisements interactive, fun and authentic
6. Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), or texts, are effective – gathering cell phone numbers will be a priority for companies

Craig did a fantastic job, although he just scratched the surface about Gen Y. Other research has found that Gen Y influences 81% of their families’ apparel purchases and 52% of car choices. Banks are also scrambling to upgrade their technology to capture Gen Y customers since they use technology to manage their finances and they are still on their way to reaching their peak earning potential (www.firstdata.com:  “Tapping into Generation Y: Nine Ways Community Financial Institutions Can Use Technology to Capture Young Customers,” April 2010).

Authenticity is a highly valued quality: Gen Y’ers see right through advertising hyperbole and shut it out. It’s a good idea to pay attention to the brands that are doing well with this generation to learn from them.

t’s also important to keep up to date on the latest trends in social media like Foursquare and the newest features on Facebook. Participating in social media is the best way to gain an understanding of how it works, and what doesn’t. This generation doesn’t read newspapers like Boomers; if you rely exclusively on press releases for news distribution, you won’t reach them. They are on the Internet. Getting online is key.

By Vincent Tyson | June 10, 2010

Toyota, apparently one of the most popular brands in America, and indeed one of the largest car makers in the world, seems to have a little PR problem. KOTA TV recently interviewed our CEO, Robert Sharp, asking him what his opinion on the whole debacle was. Robert has been quite open with all of us here about his view of the saga which has devastated the car maker’s finances, after having to recall millions of its cars and SUVs as well as its luxury brand Lexus which shares the parts bin with its bigger brother.

So what was Robert’s take? Well let’s start with honesty – it’s clear Toyota knew there was a problem early on, and with such a stronghold in the car market they should have reacted far sooner, leaving owners and potential customers in no doubt that their interests would be protected by this giant of manufacturing. Instead, it hesitated, confusing the media with mixed messages, many being perceived as dishonest, misleading and unprofessional. It seems that even those at the top of Toyota were not sure of how to react, and after several deaths, insurance industry investigations and lawsuit filings, they finally (kind of) admitted liability.

Unfortunately for Toyota, this episode in its long and successful history has left a sour taste in the mouths of many – and it’s still not over as we’ve yet to see the results of many claims against the company. Though in the longer term they are likely to recover, senior management of the company must be reeling at their own mishandling of the situation. It’s a lesson that many can learn from, indeed, I am sure many have. Domestic car makers in the US and Europe have no doubt capitalized on these recent events, as well they should.

The lesson here: don’t repeat Toyota’s mistakes – be honest with your customers, adapt quickly, and react in a constructive way. It may be embarrassing, but far less so than being found out and having to admit not only the mistake, but also the deception.

What is this, 3rd grade? Tell the truth, kids. Not only will your customers thank you, but you will also avoid giving your competitors an opening.

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Photo from automoblog

By Vincent Tyson | June 8, 2010

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The last time I wrote a blog for RSA I discussed the joys and pitfalls of the customer service experience, and promised to return with an update on the window issue. Well I am pleased to say the glass was finally replaced and they did it on time! Wow – some good news.

Now I have another story that addresses customer service and its huge importance in today’s world.

Customer Service Failure

This customer service story involves Sears. The situation has angered me so much that I was forced to employ measures that I had never used before. Sears – a company with outlets in towns and cities across the US- was responsible for the manufacture of many of the appliances in my home. Unfortunately for me one of those appliances, the Range, has slowly developed a fault.

The root cause of the problem was the oven door hinges – they had warped due to the heat. When I called Sears, they said that my particular unit was not covered. I was furious! I was certain the model was covered but this particular range apparently was not. After asking for a call back from the manager and waiting several days without a returned call, I turned to Facebook. I went to the Sears page and selected “I like” (the old “become a fan” button – why oh why?). Anyway – back to my point – this is what I wrote, word-for-word, on their Facebook wall:

“Sears service is diabolical – I have a range that clearly has a fault. The oven door will not close and the heat is escaping and the light stays on – it seems that the heat has affected the hinges. Online forums tell me that there has been a service flash for this model. When I called Sears and after several attempts to get through – because their phone system is so bad and anti-customer, I was told that my particular model (based on the serial number) is not covered. This is sickening – it is clear that all of the model range is affected and yet I am not covered. This is a FAULT Sears; the item is defective and I am now going to have to pay to fix it. The service I am receiving will make me never to want to buy a product from this company again. Steer clear.”

After a few minutes I received an email from Carla Furca, the Social Media Moderator at Sears Holdings Corp. She told me that she’d pass my complaint to the Sears Cares team to get this problem resolved.

“That’s not how it works at Sears”

It doesn’t stop there though. After I receive a call from Robert, a member of the Sears Cares team, it seems that Sears doesn’t care at all. The nice chap told me that although there was a problem, I would have to foot the bill for parts and labor, and Sears would happily reimburse me for the service charge. Now I am not an unfair person; if this fault had occurred due to wear and tear, I would happily pay both charges.

...

But an oven should last more than four years – and parts should not buckle under heat. This is, after all, an oven! Surely its components would have been tested for their suitability in a hot environment?

After arguing for a few minutes, Robert eventually checked the recall notice and determined that my range was indeed covered after all. What? Why, then, did I have to go through this entirely futile process only to be told that I was covered all along? The basic truth of the matter is that Sears will cover you, but only if you shout the loudest – it’s an outrage.

As I write this, I am awaiting the service engineer who said he’d arrive between 8 a.m. and noon. It’s 11:05 and I am still waiting.

Robert, the Sears agent who has been assigned to my case, told me the engineer doesn’t routinely carry any parts and that I will most likely have to wait for the part before they can fix the range at a later date. I argued that surely you know what the problem is, as it is a recall – why not have the part with the engineer? Robert’s response was “that’s not how it works at Sears.” It seems that Sears likes to be inefficient and distrust the word of its customers. Soon after this appointment, a second appointment was arranged and the appliance was suitably fixed.

Social Media Win

So what’s the moral of this story? Well I believe that Sears needs to invest the same amount of money in its service department as it does in its marketing department. It’s all too common these days for companies to scrimp on one of the most important areas of their operation. There are companies out there doing this who are successful – they work: TigerDirect, Virgin, even the IRS (I was overwhelmed to receive a call from them this morning just letting me know that it was processing my tax return and that it had everything it needed – shocking!). If the IRS can get it right, why can’t commercial enterprise?

This story also proves the power of social media – Facebook really can help. Anyone in the services industry should really consider how a social media strategy could not only strengthen their business, but grow it too. I hope Sears improves its basic level of service; I know it’s had difficulties in recent years, but it needs to get it right so that next time I’ll be writing a glowing review.

Share your good or bad customer service story in the comments!

By Tarah Heupel | June 3, 2010

Summer usually brings a few of our favorite things – like sunshine, days at the lake, hiking and grilling. This summer also brings the RSA office a few jackrabbits. Not the little fluffy ones that munch on your garden (put down the BB gun!), but rather three lovely summer interns from South Dakota State University.

Kandi Moulder – Account Management, SEM

Kandi

“I may not believe in myself, but I believe in what I’m doing.” – Jimmy Page

Kandi is a senior at SDSU in Brookings majoring in advertising with a minor in art. She originally hails from Jeffers, a small town in Southern Minnesota. She’s not kidding when she says small; there were more people living in her dorm hall at SDSU than in her hometown.

Kandi is a bit of an art addict. Spending the summer without her art supplies – or her cat, Kitty – is going to be tough. She made her first trip to Art Alley a few weeks ago and fell in love. She plans to make it down there a few more times this summer.

When she isn’t at RSA you can find Kandi roaming the Hills. Living West River is a whole new experience for her and she’s excited to take advantage of the great weather and do some sightseeing.

Kim Hartman – Graphic Design

Kim

“If you can’t convince them, confuse them!” – Harry Truman

Kim is a senior at SDSU majoring in graphic design with a minor in art. Albany, Oregon (pronounced Or-e-gun) is where Kim grew up and she has no intention of returning after graduation. Why? “There’s too much rain!”

In a job interview Kim was once asked to describe herself in one word.  Her answer: “Kim is the bomb-diggity! Wait. Is bomb-diggity considered two words? If so, I’m using it as one. If that doesn’t work, I can make up another word.”

One of Kim’s goals in life is to be happy no matter where she ends up. She considers moving to South Dakota one of her best decisions, and she finds Rapid City to be a great town for networking.

Tiffany Oliver – Account Management

Tiffany

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan

Tiffany was born and raised in western South Dakota and left to study advertising (and boys) on the other side of the river. In December she will graduate with a degree in Journalism from SDSU.

Tiffany grew up a tomboy with G.I. Joes and toy race cars. Her poor Barbies had their heads shaved right before they disappeared under the bed. Today she still loves the outdoors and playing in the mud.

Tiffany is obsessed with eating healthy and staying fit, and sports are a big part of that. She loves sports of all kinds and would rather be in the action than watch it on TV; however, she’s hoping to make it to her very first Rockies baseball game this summer.

Welcome to the team ladies!

By Tarah Heupel | June 1, 2010

By now you’ve probably heard that RSA is holding a contest this month. It’s ridiculously easy to play and come June 30, you could walk away with $50 in your pocket. Interested? Yeah, we thought so. Read on for all the official rules/details, then head over to our Facebook page to enter.

For years we’ve been playing a little game we like to call Good Ad, Bad Ad. Each month we get together and look through a plethora of fantastic and horrible ads. Some make us laugh, some make us cry, some make us literally spit out our coffee. It’s a great time – and starting today, you can play along.

Just Like us on Facebook, then post a link to an ad or upload a photo/video you find great or terrible – and give us a quick reason why. The winner in each category (good ad/bad ad) at the end of the month will each receive a cool $50.

We know that ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are subjective. That’s why we’re asking you to tell us (briefly please) why it’s good or bad. Want examples? Take a peek.

Heinekin’s Men with Talent: This is a Good Ad. It’s memorable and there’s no question as to what/who the commercial is for. Oh yeah – did we mention it’s hilarious?

Car Dealership Billboard: This is a Bad Ad. Too much copy? Check. Too many fonts? Check. Egregious spelling errors? Check. Contradicting directions? Check!

Fun, right?

Read the rules – then head over to Facebook to post your ad!

• Contest runs from Tuesday, June 1 to Friday, June 25.
• To be eligible to win, you need to Like us on Facebook and submit an ad. Also, you can’t be an immediate family member of any RSA staff (sorry).
• You can enter one ad in each category (Good Ad or Bad Ad) during the duration of the contest.
• Acceptable ads include commercials, print ads, outdoor (photos of billboards, buses, etc) or web banners.
• To enter, post a link to the ad or upload a photo on our Facebook page.
• Each week, RSA staff will choose the best ad and worst ad to move on to the final judging. For the purposes of this contest, entries for the week will be accepted until Friday morning at 8 a.m. MT. After that time, they count toward the following week.
• Contest officially ends at 8 a.m. (MT) on Friday, June 25.
• We’ll announce the winners (one for Good Ad and one for Bad Ad) by June 30. The winner in each category will receive $50.
• No adult content. You know better.

By Aubrey Watts | May 28, 2010

What’s better than playing Pacman on Google during the work day? Playing our Facebook contest of course! And guess what, there’s even a prize (a good one, we swear)!

OM NOM NOM NOM

What’s this I hear about a contest?

Throughout the month of June RSA will be hosting an exciting new contest on Facebook. Anyone can enter and anyone can win. Although we can’t tell you all the details right now, stay tuned and watch for the big announcement on June 1.

Like us…or we will hunt you down

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get details on how to participate.

By Kyle McCabe | May 27, 2010

...since sliced bread.

Q: I get a lot of clients asking me a number of variations of this question: “What’s the Next Big Thing?”

This is good! They’re interested, they’re anxious – they observed the boom of social media and they want to get in on the ground floor of whatever new craze comes along.

A: So here is the answer: it doesn’t matter. The corollary is that no one really knows for sure. Yes, you can speculate all day long – and people have – but the reality is no one knew Twitter was the Next Big Thing until it was.

Well I can tell you the Next Big Thing is data and communication implants, but it’s nothing more than wild speculation. Also, scary.

Among people who are reluctant to get involved in the web, social media, SEM, and mobile marketing, I get the sense they think they’ve already missed the boat, and so they ignore it. They’re waiting around for the Next Big Thing, instead.

Well yeah, you’re missing the boat. But guess what: Das Boot is a ferry – there’s always another chance to hop on and join the party on the other side. Stop waiting around for the Next Big Thing, because if you’re not already involved in This Big Thing, chances are you’ll completely miss the next one.

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Photo courtesy of cogdog