Bridging the Virtual and Spiritual Worlds

By: Kirsten Stubbs

The world gasped when @jkrums tweeted a photo of the plane in the Hudson River in 2009, sat awe-struck when @Astro_TJ sent the first tweet from Space in 2010 and rejoiced when victorious tweets began pouring out of Egypt earlier this year. Yesterday, another historic message was tweeted by none other than Pope Benedict XVI. Yep, the Pope is on Twitter.

After a cardinal explained how to scroll on an iPad, the pope tweeted the announcement of news.va, a hub for Vatican news. And just like that, thousands of years of Catholic history and tradition met the social media revolution that, in only a few years, has revolutionized the way we connect globally.

While the announcement itself is a sign of the times, the polar meeting of tradition and innovation gets more groundbreaking after viewing the website. A modern, clean design, the website is available in Italian and English and features a live Twitter feed as well as links to official Facebook, YouTube and Flickr accounts of Vatican News. After yesterday’s launch, it’s safe to say the Vatican is more forward thinking than many engineering firms, corner delis and retail stores. I never thought I’d say that.

Some applaud the Vatican for bridging the gap between what some see as a stagnant and outdated entity and an increasingly technology-based, rapidly changing  world of Catholics. Others suspect the Vatican will use technology to condemn the very social media that deliver their message for being dehumanizing and a source of dependency to humanity.

Whatever your opinion, you cannot deny that this is smart marketing and here’s why:

1)   The pope (and the Vatican) are participating: Positive or negative, everyone has something to say about the Catholic Church and with the prevalence of social media, those messages spread more rapidly and with farther reach. The only way to control your brand is to not only show up in the space, but also participate and subsequently help shape the conversation surrounding the brand. As of yesterday, the Vatican is increasingly present and participatory in shaping their online brand. They’ve become their own news source.

2) They’re delivering value where believers want it and non-believers can find it: The Catholic Church has a pretty vast target audience – all of humanity. The Internet has very few geographic, demographic or psychographic limitations. A few years ago, social media could be categorized as something “young people” were doing, but in an age where you get Facebook friend requests from your grandma and @mentions from your 1st grade teacher, it’s safe to say the Internet is a pretty unifying global hub. The Catholic Church can bypass traditional media outlets and directly deliver news to their current audience where, when and how they want it with a focus on garnering awareness in an audience outside of their traditional following.

3) The website’s launch was about the human, not the entity: Although laced with thousands of years of history, spirituality and intense passion, the Vatican is still a brand. At Digital Royalty, we always preach (no pun intended) the power of humanizing a brand, as people connect with people, not logos. Although many people connect with the Catholic Church spiritually, the tradition, formality and glory tied to it can be intimidating. Yesterday, as Pope Benedict XVI timidly maneuvered his iPad, affably greeting Catholics around the world as “friends,” he was not only the leader of the Catholic world; he was transparent, accessible and above all, human.

The pope obviously won’t be managing Vatican social media full-time, but the personal gesture of taking part in technology that in the past has been shunned by the Vatican was significant. In the day since the pope tweeted, @news_va_en has garnered more than 20,000 new followers.

While I don’t think we’ll be seeing the pope playing Angry Birds or sending Facebook invites for papal events anytime soon, I do think this historic moment marks a paradigm shift in global communication. Only time will tell how the Vatican uses this tool to influence and connect with the masses.

The Humanity of Brands

By: Kirsten Stubbs

In the same way advertising titan Leo Burnett found success humanizing brands with mascots like Tony the Tiger, The Pillsbury Doughboy and the Jolly Green Giant, the new generation of social media marketing invites consumers to glimpse behind a logo and to the humans behind a brand. While many companies shy away from this idea in fear of losing control of their brand, some take a more daring approach.

Monte Carlo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas has virtually developed its social media voice around key players in its brand. Among them, President Anton Nikodemus,Vice President of Marketing Jessica Cipolla-Tario, and Executive Director of Casino Marketing Johnny Quinn use Twitter not only to tout their brand and offer value to consumers, but also to show off the personality behind the hotel through banter with followers as well as each other.

Earlier this week, the three executives launched a groundbreaking Twitter competition in which each executive created a Monte Carlo package deal of their favorite indulgences based off of their Twitter namesakes: A battle royale to be promoted solely via social media.

While the deals speak for themselves (with perks ranging from room specials to discounted dinners, show tickets to spa packages), the real fun comes from the personality behind each package.  Do you see yourself as a member of #TeamJohnny,  hanging with the Jabbawockeez and buying rounds of drinks for friends, a player for #TeamPrez, indulging in steak dinners and a lavish VIP status, or the star of #TeamDiva, treating yourself to the ultimate spa experiences? There’s something relatable for everyone. And once you’ve heard about the Twitter rivalry, it’s hard not to root for a team. The friendly competition between executives has been non-stop.

All trash talking, name-calling and dance battling aside,  it all comes down to one superseding lesson in marketing: Humans connect with humans, not logos. Since implementing personality strategies while working with Digital Royalty, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino has nearly doubled it’s revenue per available fan and follower (Rev/PAF). The money doesn’t lie.

In addition, Monte Carlo is conveying that a stay at their property is not a purchase, it’s an experience. Executives are not looking to take your money and run – they want you to enjoy every moment from check-in to checkout. This type of experiential hospitality based on trust and consistency is what makes visitors stay longer and more often and spend more money. With trust being a human virtue, it all circles back to people connecting to the personality behind the brand. As seen with the Executive Packages, social media is the ideal vehicle to put a face to the brand and subsequently nurture a connection and trust, which in turn encourages people to act, and when they realize the experiential perks of staying at the property, that trust is solidified. A perpetual cycle of a medium supporting an idea that is carried through upon arrival.

Your company may not have a Tony the Tiger or Jolly Green Giant, but your brand’s CEO may follow after charismatic social media powerhouses like Tony Hsieh and Richard Branson, who have become pillars of brand recognition and customer relations. Whether you show up to the social media space or not, people are going to talk about your brand. You might as well show up with a plan, a purpose and a personality and put a face on your social media presence. We’re tracking revenue for each executive package and while we won’t reveal which personality is in the lead, we can confidentially say that in the end, Monte Carlo is the real winner.

Interested in learning more underlying values that power effective social media campaigns? Learn more about our educational division, Digital Royalty University, by emailing Info@TheDigitalRoyalty.com.

Social Media Finals: The Heat vs. The Mavericks

By: Kirsten Stubbs

As the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat, two teams with intensely loyal fans and standout players, play game 5 of the 2011 NBA Finals, it seems like the perfect time to evaluate their respective performances on a different court: social media. Here are our picks for the inaugural 2011 NBA Social Media Finals:

First Round: Audience

If this were a pure game of numbers, the Miami Heat would win in a blowout. With their 3 million Facebook “likes” and 216,000 Twitter followers dwarfing the Mavs’ 770,000 and 79,000, respectively, there’s not much competition.  The Heat also emerge victorious in a hashtag battle: In the last week, #LetsGoHeat has been used 7,949 times in comparison to #LetsGoMavs being used 1,952 times. But at Digital Royalty, we know that cold metrics (likes and follows) are only a part of the equation.

Winner: Miami Heat, plain and simple.

Second Round: Engagement

Like most Facebook Pages with large numbers of subscribers, there is little engagement in the form of comments and post “likes” from the Mavs and Heat. The Heat has instead taken advantage of Facebook polls to stimulate conversation.

However, on Twitter, conversing with fans through retweets, replies and mentions is much easier for both teams. While the Dallas Mavericks mainly retweet accounts associated with their team, The Heat reply to fans’ questions and comments and retweet followers’ content frequently. The Heat also use hashtags more effectively, using #HEATPlayoffs to track conversations on Twitter. The Mavs have dabbled in several different hashtags, making the buzz less trackable.

Winner: Miami Heat

Conference Finals: Content/Value Offering

When it comes to content and delivering value to fans, The Mavs and Heat excel in different areas.

Live Tweeting: Those stuck at work or without access to a television can easily keep up with the game by following The Heat’s Twitter stream. The tweets are not only fast-paced and informative, but portray the excitement of the game. The tweets are categorized with easily identifiable hashtags.

Contests and Offers: If you are observant and participatory enough, you could probably win a free Mavericks-themed wardrobe and free tickets to just about any game through their social media. The team is constantly featuring deals for Mavericks fans at restaurants and businesses as well as contests to win tickets and merchandise. It pays to be a Mavs fan online.

The Heat offer periodic discounts on merchandise and tickets, but nothing as robust as The Mavericks.

Exclusive Content: Both teams offer exclusive content on Facebook and Twitter, with The Heat featuring behind-the-scenes videos and quotes and The Mavs posting podcasts recapping the game.

Commerce: Each team has an iframe-based store on Facebook. While they are both convenient and functional, The Heat’s serves as the Facebook landing page and includes a social stream of tweets, a “Like” button and even addresses you by name. Kind of creepy, kind of awesome. The overall design is cleaner and more user-friendly.

Winner: Tie. The Mavericks would have taken it if it weren’t for the avatar generator I just came across on The Heat’s Facebook page.

Finals: Social MVP’s

To fans, players are the team brand. Being able to connect with a favorite athlete increases fan affinity as well as desire to attend games, buy merchandise and become a brand loyalist.

The standout social media players on The Heat and The Mavs, respectively, are Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion. Their tweet styles are as distinct as they are different. Wade is a Twitter professional – an eloquent tweeter, UberSocial user and fervent believer in hashtags. It’s not surprising he has more than 1.2 million followers. His tweets are often exclusive and always chockfull of interesting content.

Marion, in contrast, is a spur-of-the-moment tweeter, consistently tweeting personal thoughts from “Step Brothers” quotes to daily good morning tweets and sock TwitPics, conversing with his 75,000 fans, and shunning common English mechanics to create a personal, unrefined voice all his own.

Winner: Shawn Marion (Dallas Mavericks). His breezy style and endearing potpourri of personal content gives him a slight edge over Wade’s quality, yet sometimes ‘salesy’ tweets.

Bonus points also go to the Mavs for a stellar performance from owner Mark Cuban. The social media savvy Cuban is a frequent tweeter, blogger and commentator of all media. His authenticity is undeniable and refreshing. Plus, he has his own Facebook game called “BattleBall.” Cool.

Champion: Miami Heat

Both teams have well-executed social media campaigns, but overall, the Heat edge out the Mavs by going above and beyond standard online presence and community engagement. From their comprehensive e-commerce Facebook tab to captivating live tweeting of games, The Heat has improved since last year. In a league that stands out in the social media world, teams and players have to actually engage in order to stand out themselves. The Heat have prevailed during their moment in the spotlight.

R.I.P. Websites?

By: Alana Golob

In February, Facebook announced iFrame functionality, giving marketers and brands the ability to create CSS tabs or embed websites into a Facebook tab with the ability to track analytics and page views.

The benefits of utilizing iFrames on Facebook tabs are pretty obvious. According to recent reports, the average Facebook user spends 15 hours and 33 minutes per month on the platform and visits the site an average of 40 times per month. Chances are your company’s website traffic is notably less. Embedding a website in an iFrame tab allows you to apply the same key branding elements and functionality, while generating significant website views from a broader audience that your traditional website wouldn’t typically receive.

Additional benefits of Facebook tabs:

  • Users can actively participate with your content or campaign by using Facebook plugins within the app, such as comments, live stream capabilities, Twitter widgets, and “Tweet” and “Share” functionalities
  • The ability to create newsfeed stories from within the tab, driving new “Likes” and increased visibility
  • Utilizing Facebook allows brands to deliver value where consumers can find it most conveniently
  • Facebook tabs are more cost effective than building a microsite or adding depth/functionality to an existing site

CASE STUDY:

Recently, DoubleTree by Hilton kicked off a national Cookie CAREavan Tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their signature chocolate chip cookie. Rather than develop an entire website to host information about the tour, Digital Royalty built an interactive Facebook tab within the DoubleTree by Hilton Facebook page. The tab serves as the hub for all tour-centric information, including an interactive tour map showing upcoming stops, DoubleTree by Hilton Twitter feed, YouTube and Flickr streams and a weekly sweepstakes poll and photo upload, where people can enter to win free stays, Hilton HHonors points and other prizes. In order to access the tab and its contents, users must enter through a “Like” gate. This low barrier increases awareness for the brand and adds a bit of enticement for users without requiring too much. After the tab launched, DoubleTree by Hilton saw a 16% increase in new “Likes” over the previous month.

Will traditional websites soon be irrelevant? Facebook allows businesses to create a social, interactive experience for consumers (where they want it) with the potential of reaching an audience of more than 700 million. Additionally, the new eCommerce Facebook model allows for businesses to create online storefronts within their Facebook page. Users can purchase products or book hotel rooms and airfare in any currency, seamlessly through Facebook. According to eCommerce research, users are 18 times more likely to buy directly in their Facebook than when they are redirected to another website. Why not keep your consumers and fans where you have them . . . on your Facebook page?

Shaquille O’Neal Retires… Social Style

Digital Royalty has worked closely with Shaquille O’Neal for more than two years to develop his online brand and media network comprised of 6 million friends. Over the course of Shaquille’s historic career in the NBA spanning nearly two decades, he’s had plenty of BIG nicknames:  Big Diesel, The Big Shaqtus and The Big Shamrock. But like many of his fans, Digital Royalty has always seen him as The Big Social Media Center.

As the most-followed American athlete and first verified celebrity on Twitter, Shaquille has used social media to deliver value directly to his fans when, where and how they wanted to receive the value. He did this before it was the popular thing to do. Few celebrities “got it” early on. From performing Random Acts of Shaqness and bantering with fans to posting hilarious videos and inspirational quotes, he has an innate ability to make his millions of Facebook fans and Twitter followers feel like close friends. He has allowed his friends to see the person behind the personality.

Shaquille naturally wanted to deliver the biggest announcement of his career  – his retirement – directly to his fans, the people who have made the past 19 years possible. Digital Royalty Founder and CEO, Amy Jo Martin, was with Shaquille to help him activate the announcement and engage with fans afterward. In case you missed it, view Shaquille’s retirement announcement is here.

A letter written in 1993 from Shaquille’s long time mentor, Coach Dale Brown, was posted to Shaquille’s Facebook fan page for his fans to read along with his retirement announcement. Digital Royalty is launching Shaquille’s Social Media Museum and allowing fans to take a trip down memory lane in the coming days. He will be touring his fans around his home via www.Tout.com/shaq videos and sharing memories, memorabilia and Shaqisms.

Within five minutes of the announcement, #ShaqRetires was the number one worldwide trending topic on Twitter. With more than 175 million users on Twitter who send 150 million+ tweets per day, that speaks for itself. The world was watching and helping him celebrate virtually. Digital Royalty’s Founder and CEO, Amy Jo Martin, was quoted on SportsCenter, ”Shaquille is the media. He didn’t need a press release so the media could tell the world he’s retiring in their words. He told his millions of friends directly, in his own words. The social influence he has built has given him the freedom to leapfrog the middleman.”

So what’s next for Shaquille? A hunt for a new nickname and maybe Kazaam 2? A rejuvenated rap career? Backup dancing for his buddy Justin Bieber or another stint with the Jabbawockeez? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Shaquille’s fans will be the first to know.

It’s been an honor to work with someone who truly understands the power of being human and rising above a brand to deliver value how, when and where fans want it. Digital Royalty is excited to play a part in the next chapter of Shaquille’s career. “I’ve had the honor to join Shaquille in his journey over the past few years. His number one goal is to make people smile and laugh. Lucky for us, he will now have even more time to entertain all of his friends.” says AmyJo Martin.

You can follow all of the retirement announcement Shaqtion here: #ShaqRetires


© Digital Royalty Inc.