Seth Priebatsch: The game layer on top of the world

This is an insightful TEDx video on using game mechanics. Seth Priebatsch, SCVNGR, discusses the range of uses from marketing of products and services to helping patients take their medicine on time to improving society. Take 12 minutes and listen to his perspective on this topic.

How and When to Incorporate Social Media Into Your Next PR Program

I was part of a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) (@PRSA) webinar today, June 9, 2009 from 3PM to 4PM EST - How and When to Incorporate Social Media into your next PR Program.

The webinar panel included the following industry experts:

• Moderator - Peter Himler is an award winning public relations industry veteran. He is also the founder/principal of Flatiron Communications LLC, a PR/media consulting firm. (@PeterHimler)
  

• Rob Key, CEO, founded Converseon in 2001 to provide new, innovative communication solutions designed to help companies meet their business objectives in a digital environment. Previously, he was head of the Innovations Group at a division of Young & Rubicam and member of the WPP.com board. His twenty years of experience spans public relations, reputation management, search marketing, affiliate marketing and online media/advertising. (@robkey)
  

• David Bradfield, partner, Fleishman-Hillard, manages the FH Digital team, which combines industry-leading strategic counsel in interactive, digital and social media with full-service design and development capabilities to help clients navigate the evolving world of communication, conversation and community. He is also a practice group leader, which includes more than 120 digital communication consultants, and creative and technical development professionals. (@dbradfield)
  

• And me -

  Bert DuMars, vice president, E-Business and Interactive Marketing for Newell Rubbermaid, is responsible for directing and coordinating e-marketing, interactive marketing, social media marketing and e-commerce initiatives for Newell Rubbermaid’s externally-facing Web sites, overseeing a new e-business shared services model with standard processes, enterprise services, technologies and metrics across the company’s brand sites. (@bwdumars)
  

We discussed several topics including

• How to engage with your target customer segments through social media efforts.
• How to start - Listening - and how tools like Converseon Conversation Miner can help.
• The value of Twitter and how to begin using it to engage with consumers.
• How to handle bloggers who are unhappy with your brand.
• How to find and engage with influential bloggers.
• How to manage your social media efforts.
• How to use the way consumers talk about your brands and products in your communications

I want to send a big thank you out to PRSA and Peter Himler for including me as a panelist.

Newell Rubbermaid Social Web Ecosystem Update

It has been a very busy past couple of weeks. Below is an update on Newell Rubbermaid interactive and social web marketing efforts:

• Sharpie launched a new community microsite on June 1, 2009 - sharpieuncapped.com - that focuses on bringing creative Sharpie fans, content, creativity, art work, and innovative uses together in one place. USA Today ran a nice article on the effort: Ad Track: Signing On To Social Media; An Alluring Reader Inquiry. The Sharpie brand also received a lot of attention in a recent Investors Business Daily article: Corporate Marketers Blogging, Tweeting As Part Of Their Job. Also, check out the Sharpie Facebook Fan Page and @SharpieSusan on Twitter.
  

• Rubbermaid launched a new branded microsite on June 1, 2009 - easyfindlids.com - with several social web capabilities including a button for consumers to share Rubbermaid food storage Easy Find Lids on Facebook. The microsite also displays links to the Rubbermaid Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account.

• Graco also launched a Facebook Fan Page during the past few weeks. This is another component to the social web marketing strategy and engaging with the community where it lives. You can also engage with Graco through the Graco Baby Blog and Graco Baby Twitter Account. Finally, check out the Graco Baby microsites: My SweatPeace and Ready For The Road Ahead.

I also wanted to provide an update on the various places where you can find out more about Newell Rubbermaid brands in the social web ecosystem.

Newell Rubbermaid Brands on YouTube:

Bernzomatic Fat Boy

Graco Baby Products

Lenox Tools

Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid Commercial

Sharpie

uni-ball

Newell Rubbermaid Brands on Facebook:

Newell Rubbermaid Corporate Fan Page - Corporate Communications and Recruiting

BernzOmatic MAPP Propane and Butane powered Torches and Lighters

Graco Baby Fan Page

Irwin Industrial Tools UK Ultimate Tradesman Challenge

Irwin Vise Grip Appreciation Society

Lenox Tools Fan Page

Mimio Fan Page

Paper Mate Fan Page

Parker Gentleman's Club Fan Page

Prismacolor Fan Page

Prismacolor Group

Rubbermaid Fan Page

Sharpie Permanent Markers

Sharpie Fan Club

uni-ball Fan Page

Newell Rubbermaid Blogs:

Graco Baby - From The Heart

Rubbermaid - Adventures In Organization

Sharpie - Uncap What's Inside

Newell Rubbermaid Twitter Accounts:

@CoolJobsAtNWL

@DYMOtechnology

@Endicia

@endicia_a

@ExpoMarkers

@LenoxTools

@mimioTechnology

@NWLRubbermaidTA

@Prismacolor_

@rubbermaid

@RubbermaidTwo

@SalesJobsAtNWL

@SharpieSally

@SharpieSheryl

@SharpieSusan

@stampedapproval

@UniBall_USA

@UniBall_Pen_Gal

I will make updates to this list as we increase our presence in the social web ecosystem.

June 9, 2009 Update:

Sharpie "Uncap What's Inside" integrated marketing campaign additional articles:

• PRNewswire: Sharpie Challenges Consumers to "Uncap What's Inside" with New Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign

• Chicago Sun-Times: Sharpie Uncaps Its Creativity

Bernaise Source Story on Sharpie Blog

I find myself catching up on another excellent post by Dan Greenfield, an Atlanta, GA focused communications, PR and Technology blogger. Dan writes the Bernaise Source blog.

Dan and I were on a Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) panel together discussing "Consulting 2.0 is...All About The Customer."

Dan also moderated an online panel on "Global Brands: Social Media Pays Off" that included myself, Adam Brown of Coca Cola, Jennifer Martin of CNN and Debbie Curtis-Magley of UPS.

Dan also wrote a blog post on the Newell Rubbermaid Sharpie blog based on an interview with me. He discussed our goals of creating a place that highlighted the fun, creative, artistic and innovative ways people use Sharpie pens. The post is titled: Sharpie Blog Puts Newell Rubbermaid's Social Media Strategy Into "Sharper" Focus.

Dan is a great resource on Atlanta based company, social media marketing activities and success stories. If you are exploring social media marketing and technologies like me, please reach out to Dan to connect with others in the Atlanta region and make sure to keep up with his Bernaise Source blog. There is much we can learn from each other in the ever changing and evolving social media ecosystem.

BusinessWeek Article on Corporations use of Twitter

It has been a while since I posted anything, but today I am posting two articles that I was interviewed for. The most recent is in BusinessWeek today: How Companies Use Twitter to Bolster Their Brands written by Rachael King. I was quoted as follows:

But social media sensations are like quicksilver. Today companies may need to pay attention to Twitter. Tomorrow, they may have to join Pownce, Jaiku, FriendFeed, or Plurk, especially if outages keep hobbling Twitter. Newell Rubbermaid (NWL), owner of more than 30 brands including Rubbermaid, Graco, and Sharpie, is hedging its bets by trying several different microblogging sites, including Twitter, FriendFeed, and Pownce. "Eventually we'll determine which ones work," says Bert DuMars, Newell Rubbermaid's vice-president for e-business and interactive marketing. Dumars cautions that brands can't expect instant results. "It's a long-term commitment," he says.

Jim Deitzel's efforts on behalf of Rubbermaid were also mentioned as part of the slide show portion of the BusinessWeek article.

The second article was in the Atlanta Constitution Journal where I was interviewed but not quoted. A co-worker and good friend, Lindsay Lebresco, was quoted and deserves the credit for the article coming out so well. The article is titled: Look Where Customers Are Talking Now written by Peralte C. Paul.

And yes, Lindsay, Jim and I all work for Newell Rubbermaid. I work in Corporate and Lindsay works in our Graco brand and runs the Graco blog; Jim works in our Rubbermaid brand and runs the Rubbermaid blog.

Google Advertising Strategy Developed on the Back of a Napkin

This is a very compelling way to think about the consumer, understand the environment and ecosystem and develop a visual way to explain the strategy and business model. Tim Armstrong, Google Advertising Executive, explains his methodology and advertising strategy.