A Face Lift of Sorts for Got Gabs!

Thanks Mashable for this tweet today: Google Gives Blogger a Dynamic New Look

Check out what Google has done to "Got Gabs!":

Don't like the way it's set up now? Try these 5 views instead:

Flipcard: available at http://gotgabs.blogspot.com/view/flipcard

Mosaic: available at http://gotgabs.blogspot.com/view/mosaic

Sidebar: available at http://gotgabs.blogspot.com/view/sidebar

Snapshot: available at http://gotgabs.blogspot.com/view/snapshot

Timeslide: available at http://gotgabs.blogspot.com/view/timeslide

Snapshot View:

Mosaic View:

Which one do you like best?

How SoMe is Killing Real Music

First of all, I’d like to apologize for providing yet another opportunity in your day to be exposed to the “FRIDAY” phenomenon.

Since February 10th, when ARK Music Factory inflicted the social world with Rebecca Black’s musical debut “Friday” on YouTube, we’ve been stuck with FRIIIDAAAAY FRIIIDAAAY playing as the inescapable soundtrack to our lives. And by “we,” I mean the 60,997,359 of us - as of today - that have watched her YouTube video describing the days of the week.

Black, 13 years old, has quickly found her 15 minutes of fame via social media. Unlike the arguably talented Justin Bieber, who was also discovered on YouTube, Black isthe one we love to hate. Or as a Charlie Sheen Twitter impersonatortweeted famously: “Rebecca Black, we don’t hate you because you’re famous. You’re famous because we hate you.” This can be evidenced by the 1,078,915 dislikes compared to 129,515 likes on her music video on YouTube.

Some of those likes come from people like Lady Gaga, who proclaimed, via Twitter, that Black is a “genius.” The majority of viewers, however, are part of the viral crowd flocking to what everyone is buzzing about, and leaving disappointed.

CelebrityCafe.com posed the question I’ve been asking, “Why is she a viral phenomenon?” Their answer: “Because everyone has an opinion. From ABC to MTV interviews, the young teen is now a viral sensation bigger than that of the daily Justin Bieber news cycle.”

Rebecca Black is striking gold (over $62,000 so far) because of our social media criticism; our likes, dislikes, tweets and retweets are making her Jay Leno-worthy; SoMe Sharing is making her a “thousandaire.” (YouTube grants artists 68% of the proceeds earned from advertising on the site to artists and iTunes is selling her single.)

If Black’s insta-fame isn’t a testament to the power of social media, I don’t know what is. For all marketers that aspire to make something truly viral, there’s a lesson hiding within this “fried egg” sounding “Friday” video.

Her only redeeming quality may be that she’s donating her profits to Japan relief and to her school. So, maybe we ignore the sad fact that social media may enable talentless fame, and consider this phenomenon more of a fundraiser…

Group Chat is for SXSWers

For those of us not at South by Southwest this year, we waited with bated breath for new blog posts to appear and secrets to be revealed from the geek-culturefest. For the last couple of years, following #sxsw on Twitter would have provided the ultimate insider access but this year, the overwhelming 20,000+ attendees inundated the thread with hundreds of tweets per minute, making it impossible for us eavesdroppers to learn anything vicariously through their tweets (seriously, check out the video!).

The overworked #sxsw hashtag proved to be the most unhelpful for attendees searching for events, parties and conversations at South By. But have no fear, at a tech-filled festival (or what one described as ”the new CES…sort of a mix of testing, launch, marketing, business development, boondoggle, socializing, etc.”), there is bound to be someone in the bunch to solve the communication saturation problem.

Did I say someone? I meant multiple companies. The theme at SXSW seemed to be mobile group messaging applications. These apps were popular among attendees who were able to use the platforms to navigate the thickly-scheduled waters in Austin. Eight apps loved by Advertising Age include:

1. GroupMe: I am already using this with my bi-coastal family. The app lets you chat, conference call and search the locations of members in groups of up to 25 people that you set up. The best part: it’s free and much easier to manage than a Facebookthread or event.
2. Beluga: Newly owned by Facebook, this app is the self-proclaimed BBM for iPhones and Droids, allowing for group messaging without texting fees.
3. Bump: This is the Facebook for cars — upload insurance info, receive AAA discounts and receive offers on the go. Register your plate today.
4. Whrrl: Like Foursquare meets MeetUp, this location-based app introduces you to people and activities you’ll love, acting as an “ecosystem of inspiration.” Whrrlers - as Whrrl users are called - can also gain “influence” and discounts with the app.
5. NeighborGoods: This local resource-sharing app brings the old “borrow a cup of sugar” routine into the modern mobile world. If you’re borrowing or taking more than a cup of sugar, monetary transactions can be made.
6. Chomp: Don’t trust Apple’s app suggestions? Just heart and un-heart apps with Chomp, in real time.
7. Crowdtap: Mr. Youth’s new gamified crowdsourcing application rewards consumers for playing guinea pig for marketers with parties, money and more.
8. Wantlet: Ad Age chose this as their underdog to watch (I wasn’t there, so who knows!). The application does seem like an up-and-comer, allowing consumers to post a “want” and get feedback and suggestions from friends. It’s only a matter of time before brands figure out how to become an active part of that conversation. If not, it makes for a great digital birthday list.

SXSW is over-saturated to some, its the party of the year for others, and for game-changers, it’s the launchpad for the future. Let’s see what type of event it turns out to be for these buzzed-about apps mentioned above. Until then, I’ll just keep dreaming about actually attending one day.

No, Bieber Did Not Win a Grammy

When Lady Gaga rolled up to the red carpet of the Grammy’s last Sunday in an egg, none of the 26.7 million viewers, the biggest television audience for the music awards since 2000, could have predicted that something more shocking would happen. No, I’m not referring to Niki Minaj’s leopard print…hair, or Christina Aguilera falling over during the Aretha Franklin tribute, or even Ricky Martin’s tin soldier pants.

What I’m talking about are the winners of the coveted, prestigious music awards. Many were shocked to see non-Pop artists taking home trophies, with Arcade Fire, Lady Antebellum, and Miranda Lambert recognized many times; however, the big shocker came with the Best New Artist category was announced. No, Bieber did not win the Grammy; Esperanza Spalding did. The reaction is appalling.

According to the Academy, the Best New Artist category awards “a new artist who releases, during the eligibility year, the first recording that establishes the public identity of that artist.” While Spalding’s first album was released in 2006, she was the chosen one in a category populated by Spalding, Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence & The Machine, and Mumford & Sons.

Apparently fans were not only shocked that their luscious locks Bieber didn’t nab the prize, they were brutally outraged as well. Before looking at how crazed fans got, let’s analyze that Bieber, no matter how many 11 year old girls are obsessed with him, wasn’t the best bet for the award. A look at history shows Nsync, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and the Jonas Brothers never won this award either.

The Washington Post gathered videos of Bieber fans expressing their despair and these are only the icing on the hate cake Beieber fans cooked up for Spalding.

#esparanzaspalding quickly claimed the twittersphere with enough material to cook up a Top 10 Death Threat List for Spalding and two tweets, each retweeted over 1000 times, including one from @DudeItsTrue account: "That awkward moment when Esperanza Spalding wins 'Best New Artist' and NOBODY knows who the heck she is. #dudeitstrue" and one that references “Mean Girls” @BieberDigits: and the best new artist award goes to .... Esperanza Spalding" *awkward silence* "SHE DOESN'T EVEN GO HERE!” I don’t think Spalding has much to worry about from these broken hearted 11 year old girls though considering they “cruelly” changed her middle name to "Quesadilla" and one tweeter misspelled her threat demanding she "Go die in a whole."

The Biebs was politically correct about it all and said, “I’m not going to lie — I was disappointed. But, you know, I’m gonna come back [next year] and we’ll take a few home.”

I’m no Recording Academy, but, in my humble opinion, if Esperanza Spalding didn’t win, someone else, other than Bieber, would have. Hype and good PR will never buy a Grammy.

Now, how will Gaga get the spotlight back?

Getting Real in the Virtual World

In our industry, new buzzwords pop up constantly, and lately it has been “authentic.”

Last month, I attended AdweekMedia’s Social Media Strategies conference in New York and its What Teens Want conference in L.A. In normal conference manner, professionals described how they have managed to garner enviable results within their unique market. The lesson learned for the jealous and zealous in the audience: Find an authentic brand voice and never stray from it.

In social media, Twitter handles and Facebook fan pages should be run the way you would run your own: Make frequent updates (don’t appear as though you slept all day), answer and interact with your friends and followers, and make statements that reflect your voice and are interesting to more than just you and your colleagues. From PepsiCo’s Shiv Singh to H&R Block’s Zena Weist to Threadless’s Cam Balzer, they all said the keys to success are to never underestimate the consumer’s genuine-content radar or stray from a brand’s personality. Plus, tweets, posts and viral content should never seem commercial.

Let’s talk teens. They can sense a lack of authenticity from a mile away. To this demographic, social media allows for an additional outlet of growth, one where they can experiment with their identity and find groups where they fit in best. They have hundreds of friends on Facebook and won’t waste their time “liking” a brand that doesn’t behave in a personal manner.

Musicians who spoke at each of the conferences preached this message the loudest. Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, a keynote speaker at Social Media Strategies, credited MySpace with some of his celebrity success and said transparency is the key. Fans must know you, he said, the musician or musical brand communicating with them. At What Teens Want, Troy Carter, manager for Lady Gaga and up-and-comer tween Grayson Chance, said his stars are the only ones with the passwords to their very active Twitter accounts. The teen sensation band Honor Society further cemented this fact when commenting on their online brand presence; @WhatTeensWant tweeted, “HS: We are who u see. We talk 2 our fans the way we normally speak. So our fans just add 2 our social presence. We’re out there on display.”

As Nick Bilton of The New York Times said at Social Media Strategies, the future of media across all platforms is conversation. So when planning how to communicate a brand’s voice, remember that authentic conversation is what will prevail in the world of social media.

*Originally posted here on 11-10-10.

The New Moveable Feast/Branding Oppportunity

You’d have to live under a rock to not have been swept up by, or at least heard of, the latest culinary craze: food trucks. California has always had its taco trucks, but now you can find gourmet crepes, sophisticated meatball sandwiches and even schnitzel on a corner or curb near you. L.A., Austin and New York have legitimized the mobile food business; The New York Times even called food trucks “a staple of New York dining.” According to Zagat’s 2011 New York City Restaurant Survey, 26 percent of respondents reported eating from gourmet food trucks at least occasionally, and 11 percent said they follow food trucks on social networks such as Twitter.

When food trucks themselves figured out social media—getting involved in a space that reached more eyes than just their parking spot—that’s when they gained popularity and attention. Social media links consumers with the brands they love in a way that feels more personal than a traditional advertisement. Through social media, food trucks—brands that are local by nature—break through the cyberwall, becoming tangible to their followers. Fans read a Facebook post or tweet and are able to visit the truck in minutes, depending on its current location.

But it’s not just the novelty of better moveable feasts that’s worth talking about; it’s also what the communications industry is doing with them. Brands unrelated to these mobile restaurants are taking notice of the fan bases they have and jumping on the bandwagon to reach consumers. Advertisers are starting to see trucks as a vehicle for delivering their message directly to consumers, hoping to capitalize on the trend. Food trucks are, in essence, the new celebrity endorsement: Being paid to attend events, they deliver messages directly to an audience and were even called “a mobile billboard on steroids” by Michael Chamberlin, executive vice president and director of client services at BBDO San Francisco, which created a ski-pass promotion campaign for the Heavenly resort in Lake Tahoe that included a truck filled with snow cones. Heinz is currently on a road trip across the United States, attracting the food truck audience to its brand with free fries and ketchup.

Judging by food fests across the U.S. this summer, it seems evident that the only problem food trucks have is keeping up with the consumer demand for what they cart around. I’d say this new medium is going to be around for a while. The race is on to see which non-edible brands will cook up campaigns that consumers find the tastiest first!

*Originally posted here.

Why I am Gabs

As a PR Pro, I get requests from reporters throughout the day. A recent one was titled, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!" I was immediately intrigued. I responded with the story of my name and thought I'd share it here too:

My name is Gabrielle. My mom taught me, from day one, that I should NOT, under any circumstance let anyone call me "Gabby." She HATES that name but named me Gabrielle anyway because she loved its multi-lingual ability. She named my sister Victoria, for the same reasons, with the same rule that we should never be called "Vicky." Before I could defend myself, my mom would caution others to use my full name. When I started speaking, I would quickly jump at the chance to correct people that my name was, in fact, Gabrielle and not Gabby.

This name was tough for other little kids to pronounce, but they eventually figured it out. Sometime when I was little, my dad started calling me "Gabs," then, when I was 8 I made a new friend who gave me the same nickname. My mom didn't protest and I started liking it's soft quality and uniqueness. However, this was a name reserved for my daddy and best friend and my same instinct that kept others from calling me Gabby jumped at the opportunity to let others know that they still needed to call me Gabrielle.

In high school, more people started hearing me being called "Gabs" and took the name on for me. It was either let them call me that, or take on "Schaefer" (my last name) that my history teacher insisted on. Gabs was much more feminine and personal. And who doesn't want to feel connected in high school, the way a nick name allows?

By high school graduation I was Gabs -- my mom and grandma had even transitioned. And, for my new little brother, 15 years my junior, the name Gabs was much easier to teach than Gabrielle was to teach to my sister who grew up in California with a mysterious Brooklyn accent.

So, as I entered the intern world and minimum wage world, and took off for college, I was "Gabs." Now, I had a nickname that can't stand as a name on its own and had to teach people, once again, what to call me. I was at a point where my whole world knew me as Gabs and I hardly responded to Gabrielle, except when substitute teachers were calling roll (although they normally called out "Gabriel" instead and were shocked when a girl said "here.)" I quickly had to tell people to please call me Gabs, to avoid the Gabby debacle all over again.

By the end of college, I was Gabs again, called "Gabrielle" by my best friend and college roommate who wanted to call me something "special." Then, I entered the work force. This time, Gabs clicked quickly. I have no idea why, but I'm thankful. I took on a first job out of school while I searched for my 'real job.' The day I went to interview for that job, he told me "Remember to make them call you Gabrielle, not Gabs." That shocked me a little but reminded me that the name I call my own is not, in fact, a real name.

However, people wanted my nickname again and now I even sign emails to the President of our company as "Gabs," but have to remember, when emailing clients and vendors to spell out my full name so they don't think I'm a freak with a half name.

There are a few stragglers who still call me "Gabby" but for some reason, from certain people, it's tolerable. Although, I hope those people never get caught saying it in front of my mother!

So, after 23 years, I've become my nickname, "Gabs," and don't think I'll ever be Gabrielle, and will definitely never be "Gabby" again.

So please remember, I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!

xoxo

Gabs