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The Purple Lounge

Our blog is an extension of The Purple Couch's mojo. Through this blog, we share ideas, thoughts and trends related to PR, marketing, digital media, communications and branding with a larger community (hence a lounge instead of a sofa).


 

What’s up with Vine?

 

We’re in the age of digital innovation, and no one (brands included) wants to be the last to join the latest platform. Take Vine for example. With all of the hype surrounding the new app, familiarizing ourselves with it, and all of its six seconds of glory, to understand how its use can be maximized and best leveraged, is no longer an option, but a necessity.

Thanks to personal exploration and a bit of reading, here is a “best practices” outline to employ when using Vine:

Be Creative: The best Vines are the ones that are fun and unique!

Avoid Straight Six-Second Videos: who REALLY wants to watch something for six seconds? It’s just not long enough!

Embrace The Start/Stop Function: Although it might feel weird at first, just go with it and learn how it can truly make a Vine. Sure, minute details will be lost, but the viewer is going to get the picture.

Make a How-to: This is one of the greatest and easiest Vines to make. People love feeling involved and connected, and what better way to do that than to give them a glimpse of how something is made or done?

Go Behind-the-Scenes: Vine received a ton of attention during Fashion Week. All of a sudden snippets of designer shows, from the coveted first row seats, were instantly available to the masses.

Go Crazy: In a good way! Combine a how-to with a sneak-peak and have a famous chef make a Vine about his most popular dish. Or, depending upon your brand, perhaps you challenge someone to a Bear-Off just like Comedy Central and Urban Outfitters.

Make sense? Seem simple? The only way to know is to try it out! The point is, like all social media, these are simply guidelines. Yes, certain things work and others don’t based on the case and client. However, if you understand your audience and the medium you’re using, you can create interesting and strategic content that resonates with your target audience

And, if you’re in need of some inspiration, Digiday has a smattering of Vine-related content, and here is one of my very own creations: http://bit.ly/11oU1Dc – don’t be too harsh ;)

Happy Vining!

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3 Reasons Memes are a Major Part of Social Media

 

PR Daily recently detailed the history of memes explained why we quickly became hooked on this communication phenomenon. The post got me thinking: “Why are memes a great part of social media?”

Let me count the ways!

Happy Dog Meme

1. Memes convey a message that describes a feeling or thought and they’re easy to digest.

Winning Meme

2. Memes can be shared on all social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Tumbler, Pinterest, Instagram and more.  This allows us to share our message with an even larger audience.

Corgi Meme

3. Memes brighten our day and put a smile on our face!

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iPhone Camera Apps for Marketers

 

Facebook’s recent newsfeed update to enlarge images supports the rapid growth of visual marketing on social media.  But with every brand jumping on Instagram to take advantage of these initiatives (which they should be whenever they can), how does one stand out in the heavily saturated world of visual marketing on social media?

My biggest tip of advice is to step away from the computer!  Your iPhone puts a plethora of apps (free or cheaper than a pack of gum) right at your fingertips for easy photo customization, well before you even open Instagram. #NoFilter is so 2011…

If you really want your photos to stand out, try using one (or many) of these apps from the iTunes Store:

Camera+ ($0.99): Several features the standard camera app doesn’t include: touch exposure & focus, shooting modes, digital zoom, editing capabilities and more.

Pic Stitch (Free) & Diptic ($0.99): Create photo collages by stitching several photos together.

Phonto (Free) & Over ($1.99): Add text to images.

Lens Light ($1.99): Add lighting effects to your photos including orbs, light rays, sparkles and more.

Once you’re a pro, you can utilize all the apps for one photo, such as the picture below of our HSMAI awards, which was customized and featured in a recent Mashable article.

After HSMAI awards photo
Apps used: Camera +, Diptic, LensLight and Instagram
Time spent: Less than 10 minutes
Results: Attention-getting transformation from the below photo into the above!

Before HSMAI awards photo
(Before)

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Two Steps that are Vital in Creating a Social Media Win

 

A recent experience, reminded me of two simple steps needed to create a social media win resulting in loyal customers.

Step one: Track mentions of your brand and competitors.

It’s 1:45 p.m., and my stomach is doing somersaults from starvation.  I find five minutes to quickly order tacos from Baja Fresh via Seamless, having full faith it will arrive within the 30-45 minute time frame allotted.

At 3:45 p.m., my stomach is doing a full floor routine and is not impressed.  I call Baja Fresh first, and am told to wait longer.  I call back 20 minutes later, and am told that they didn’t have my order.

At 4:15 p.m., I take to Twitter with my frustrations (which should only be used as a last resort):

BFresh

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Step two: Have personality.

At 4:20 p.m. the food arrives and my stomach settled in to its cool down.  However my mood improves greatly courtesy of witty banter with Baja Fresh competitor Blockheads Burrito:

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See you there on Thursday!

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5 Lessons Public Relations Professionals Can Learn from Mom

 

Q&C'er Liz Weeden

It’s a hard pill to swallow when you realize, well, mom was right all along. With Mother’s Day coming up, I started thinking that all of those mom-isms actually apply to my real-world experience in public relations.

“Put on a jacket before you catch a cold!”
It’s warm 85 degrees and sunny, yet Mom still forced me to bring a jacket when I left the house. “Just in case,” she would say. In PR, we have to prepare for the “just in case” and have a plan for any situation.  We’ve seen plenty of mishaps where companies just didn’t seem prepared for a crisis. (I’m looking at you Carnival). Even if you think your client could do no wrong, it pays to have a crisis communication plan in place.

“Pick your battles.”
This is Mom’s favorite and usually uttered while I was fighting with my brother.  It’s important for us to “pick” the important pitches with the right contacts and realize one may not work for every journalist. Pick your story angles like you pick your battles.  Use convincing details with a journalist to garner their interest in your story.

“Don’t sit too close to the television; it’ll ruin your eyes!”
When we’re too focused, we forget to think outside the box.   Stepping back from the task at hand allows us to see the big picture. In the same vein, stepping out of our PR shoes and into the shoes of a broker, traveler or journalist gives us a greater perspective. At Quinn, we’re continuously figuring out how to make the consumers happy.  The best way to do that is to “be” the consumer.

“Why don’t you ever call me?”
Don’t you remember this from college?  Every Sunday night we had to call Mom.  When pitching, it’s always important to follow up.  This helps create a relationship with the contact, in addition to keeping the lines of communication open.

“Do you think I’m made of money?”
Unfortunately, not every client will have a million dollar budget. Get creative and find ways to garner publicity without doling out the cash. As PR pros, it’s our job is to get the coverage without paying for the advertising and an interesting pitch which lands you a front page story can is worth more than a full-page ad.

“How can you have nothing to wear? Your closet is full of clothes!”
Yes, there’s always going to be something new to try but it’s worthwhile to go back to basics.  That old jean jacket in your closet? I bet you’re glad you saved it now.  In PR the big idea doesn’t always have to be the newest, fastest, or largest. It needs to fit the client goal, solve a problem and be creative to garner attention.

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