Scott Monty

Twitter Business Guide

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/clevercupcakes/3920802507/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes by clevercupcakes, on Flickr"><img alt="Montreal Twestival 2009 Cupcakes" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2477/3920802507_30c7a336c9_m.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I was recently introduced to a compact guidebook for businesses trying to get a sense of Twitter. The microblogging site that allows you to update in no more than 140 characters at at time is deceptively complex and nuanced - especially for a newcomer.<br />
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This short guide, entitled <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/67972411/Twitter-Business-Guide">Twitter Business Guide: Communication and Marketing</a></b> was written by Jean-Christophe Barré and Dr. Andreas Schroeter and in just 32 pages covers some of the things that may be keeping you and your business away from this platform. [<b><i>Update February 22, 2012</i></b>: new version has been embedded below and <a href="http://blog.bab.la/2012/02/22/twitter-business-guide-marketing-and-communication-2012-edition/">is available here</a>.]<br />
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 For someone who is new to Twitter, this e-book will prove a helpful compass as you begin to explore Twitter. Everything from setting up an account to understanding the vernacular, the difference between communications and marketing with Twitter, and some of the tools you'll need to use to make it effective.<br />
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Please feel free to download and share this e-book, and by all means, if you have additional suggestions, please leave a comment.

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As with any tool or platform, this should be seen as just that. Twitter itself is not a strategy. You should be thinking in terms of how it integrates with the rest of your communications and marketing strategies and how it will help you attain your business goals.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12803689@N02/3920802507/">clevercupcakes (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
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Twitter Business Guide

I was recently introduced to a compact guidebook for businesses trying to get a sense of Twitter. The microblogging site that allows you t...

iLife

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5Q6Prbbvao/TozvpqymIPI/AAAAAAAACtM/scUoWQbYjVM/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q5Q6Prbbvao/TozvpqymIPI/AAAAAAAACtM/scUoWQbYjVM/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. His life's work at Apple literally changed the face of the earth. Undoubtedly, he'll go down in history alongside the likes of Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.<br />
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Let's remember Steve in his own words, "<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UF8uR6Z6KLc">How to live before you die</a></b>," in his Stanford Commencement speech of 2005:<br />
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</div>R.I.P. Steve Jobs. We thank you for the innovation you brought to this world. May we all live such a life.<br />
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<div>-- </div><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004W2UBYW" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>    <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1451648537" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5" rel="nofollow">http://cmp.ly/5</a>)</i></span></div><div><br />
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iLife

Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. His life's work at Apple literally changed the face of the earth. Undoubtedly, he'll go down ...

When Humor Isn't Funny

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwalsh_/2254588908/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_4047 by jwalsh, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_4047" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2254588908_db61a893d0_m.jpg" width="180" /></a>Often times, we use humor to find common ground. An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld">observational comic</a> can take the everyday mundane things and makes make them seem funny with a unique spin. Or<a href="http://threestooges.com/"> slapstick teams</a> use physical gaffes to go for the primeval notion that when someone <i>else</i> gets hurt, we laugh. <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/09/03/140150115/irony-in-the-post-9-11-age-comedy-and-tragedy-as-very-strange-roommates">Comedy on the heels of tragedy</a> helps forge a bond for those who have suffered together, in an effort to pull them through.<br />
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But in attempting to use humor, it's important to realize that it's all based on perspective. When a brand or a cause attempts to use humor - especially in the age of social media, where information, rumors and outrage fly fast and furious - it has to be used carefully.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Now <i>that's</i> funny</span></b><br />
There are plenty of positive examples out there. One of the most prominent examples in the past year or so has been the <b><a href="http://www.scottmonty.com/2010/07/now-thats-viral-man.html">Old Spice Man efforts</a></b>. By using video and going almost for the absurd, "the man your man could smell like" leaves us wondering "I wonder what they'll do next?"<br />
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Super Bowl ads tend to be laced with humor, and this year was no exception. But the one that stood out for most, especially with its early airing on YouTube was the Volkswagen commercial <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R55e-uHQna0">The Force</a></b>. The familiar "Imperial March" from <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>, combined with the ridiculously large Darth Vader helmet on the boy's tiny frame, along with the universal frustration we've all felt at trying to bring to life our make-believe dreams all come together to create one of the most memorable and funny ads in recent memory.<br />
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Ford (my employer) has attempted something this year that has been successful in its own right as well: the <b><a href="http://youtube.com/focusdoug">Focus Doug campaign</a></b>, featuring a wise-cracking orange spokespuppet that is anything but politically correct. Directed by Paul Fieg from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009VBTP0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0009VBTP0">The Office</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001EQHXO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0001EQHXO">Freaks and Geeks</a></i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JJ3Y78/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000JJ3Y78" style="font-style: italic;">Arrested Development</a> (disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5" rel="nofollow">http://cmp.ly/5</a>) and starring John Ross Bowie and Paul F. Thompkins, the videos were aimed at a particular audience that appreciates the improv style and straight-man vs. envelope pusher. The series was designed to showcase product features using humor and situations, rather than simply highlighting product features. As an example, here's how Ford demonstrated the <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/focusdoug#p/c/6C23C8AFD62D3324/2/pCq0MD6A22Q">text-to-voice functionality in the 2012 Ford Focus</a></b>:<br />
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Even the recent <b><a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/roast-charlie-sheen/index.jhtml">Roast of Charlie Sheen</a></b>, hosted on Comedy Central, was successful in its use of humor. You might ask "Why? All people did was cut each other down with their remarks." Well, the point of a roast is that you're supposed to say funny and insulting things about the people there, but everyone is in on it; they understand that being roasted is partly about being able to be the butt of a joke for the sake of entertainment.<br />
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<center><div style="background-color: black; width: 480px;"><div style="padding: 4px;"><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" base="." flashvars="" height="244" src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:comedycentral.com:396291" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="470"></embed><br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 4px; padding: 4px; text-align: left;"><b>Roast of Charlie Sheen</b> </div></div></div></center><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This? Not so much.</span></b><br />
When a brand or a cause tries to use humor at the expense of others - especially when the others aren't part of the creative process - it can be harmful. Here are a few cases in point:<br />
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<b>Ragu</b><br />
Earlier this week, Unilever brand Ragu reached out to a number of dads and moms online to get their opinions on cooking. C.C. Chapman saw <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXoFKt-5j6o&feature=player_embedded"><b>the video</b></a> and wondered if <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/ragu-hates-dads/"><b>Ragu Hates Dads</b></a>, following it up with <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/the-secret-sauce-free-advice-for-ragu/"><b>some free advice</b></a> and finally <a href="http://www.cc-chapman.com/2011/my-final-word-on-ragu/"><b>recounting his interaction</b></a> with the brand manager. There was lots of discussion about Ragu's approach, with some not seeing any harm in it. The thing is, C.C. is a dad who cooks for his kids and he didn't take the stereotyping lightly. Opinions fell on both sides, but it was clear that brands need to <b><a href="http://blog.customscoop.com/mb/2011/09/ragu-dads-and-lessons-learned-for-communicators-and-bloggers.html#comment-322005625">consider how they're using humor</a></b> if they're concerned about their reputation.<br />
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<b>The Onion</b><br />
When is it okay to joke about matters of national security? Never, apparently. Even if you're a news satire site like <a href="http://theonion.com/"><b>The Onion</b></a>. This week, the parody outfit tweeted that there was an emergency in Washington, DC:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsmxaN9IOXE/TodSv13V8WI/AAAAAAAACsc/S6V5biqyJTo/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsmxaN9IOXE/TodSv13V8WI/AAAAAAAACsc/S6V5biqyJTo/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div>Needless to say, this <b><a href="http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html">wasn't taken lightly</a></b>. From news organizations to the Capitol police themselves, people were upset - probably not only at their level of gullibility but of the insensitivity of The Onion to stoop to using humor around a scary topic in this post-9/11 world.<br />
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<b>The Next Web</b><br />
Today, as I was on my treadmill, I shared a link with <a href="http://invisiblepeople.tv/"><b>Mark Horvath</b></a>, an advocate for bringing attention to the problem of homelessness. The link was to <b><a href="http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/09/30/homeless-guy-makes-more-money-using-square-and-mobile-payments">a story on The Next Web</a></b> about a homeless man who is using Square to accept credit card payments. At first, it sounded like someone in Mark's circles, who like Mark, was innovating in this age of advanced technology. Then I actually took a closer look at the article and watched the video, and it was clearly a fake.<br />
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Whether the fake video was designed to bring more awareness to homelessness or simply exploited the homeless issue to be funny, it clearly did more harm than good, as noted in a tweet by a follower:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tba41wL3Vuk/ToezHeCOfGI/AAAAAAAACsg/OFOtIu_5Ogc/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tba41wL3Vuk/ToezHeCOfGI/AAAAAAAACsg/OFOtIu_5Ogc/s400/Capture.PNG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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If you're responsible for a brand or a campaign, the next time you think about humor and its spread online, it may be helpful to think about the subject of the joke. Humor should not be done at the expense of others or in a way that can be misinterpreted. It may turn out to be something that isn't so funny for your brand after all.<br />
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<i>Do you have any similar examples? Please consider sharing them.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/22882695@N00/2254588908/">jwalsh (Flickr)</a></i></span><br />
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When Humor Isn't Funny

Often times, we use humor to find common ground. An observational comic can take the everyday mundane things and makes make them seem funny...

Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

Twitter Business Guide

iLife

When Humor Isn't Funny

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