Marina Maher Communications

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Was this ecard in your Facebook feed yesterday?

Today, John Lennon’s 1970s song “Power to The People” has meaning again.  The People created an avalanche of social media protest when The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation (SGK) cut funds for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood earlier this week.  No matter where you stood on the issue, it was The People who painted a picture of SGK as a polarizing charity and made many supporters re-assess their continued sponsorship.  It was The People who contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Planned Parenthood – funds it wouldn’t otherwise have received.  And it was The People (more women than men, but you gotta love Michael Bloomberg), powered by social media, who incentivized SGK earlier today to reverse its funding decision.

And the best part?  Because of the speed and reach of social media this all happened in two days.

Have people used social media to effect change before?  They sure have.  There was that little thing called the Arab Spring.  And last summer, women in Saudi Arabia mobilized on social networking sites to demand their right to drive.  This sparked worldwide media coverage and support from female politicians and diplomats in the U.S. and Europe.

The enormous power of social media still thrills me.  Maybe because I remember the laboriously slow pace and even threat of danger of the old fashioned protests. How would social media have affected other well-known protests such as the Vietnam War in the 1960s or the HIV/AIDS protests in the 1980s?

Looking forward, there’s one thing of which I’m certain: we are past the time when social issues that large groups of people are passionate about can be swept under the rug or put on hold until next month’s board meeting.  Everything happens in real time.  And as public relations people, we need to be prepared to react in real time.

Image courtesy of  Digital Trends

MMC was at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week and, as had been predicted, heard a lot of news about tablets and e-readers.

To compete against the dominance of the iPad, many companies are introducing tablets running on Android or Windows 8, and at a variety of price points. Even traditional e-readers (such as Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes & Noble’s Nook) are evolving to include tablet-like functionality. According to recent statistics, 65% of Americans are expected to own a tablet or smartphone by 2015. With a user base topping 82 million, the consumption of media through these devices will only increase.

Women purchase the majority of tablets.  Nielsen said in August that 61% of all eReader owners are now female, compared to a mere 46 percent in Q3 2010. Tablet owners are also using other forms of media less: 39% of tablet users say they use their laptop less frequently, while 20% admit to not reading print magazines as often.

This quickly growing phenomenon gives marketers many exciting opportunities to spread the word about their brands and tie advertising and PR more closely to sales.  Via their tablets, readers can share products and brands they love through Social Media, increasing word-of-mouth about the publication and the product. Tablet-only newspapers and magazines can enable direct links to purchase or provide geo-specific links that guide consumers to the nearest point of purchase. And there are probably endless opportunities to partner with retailers to offer promotions through location-based check-in.

MMC is embracing this trend with gusto.  What about you?

 Image Courtesy of Carlos Latuff

The Huffington Post published a photo essay today on what they deemed The 50 Best Moments for Women in 2011. Turns out there were a lot of reasons to celebrate women’s progress in many areas, including politics, media, the arts, athletics and more.

I encourage you to click through all of it.  But if you don’t have time, here are a few highlights about women’s progress in media that I thought were particularly noteworthy. 

• Social networking scores a victory in Saudi Arabia.  No, this wasn’t another Arab Spring – it was a campaign for women’s rights in the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  Women2Drive was created to demand women’s right to drive after a 32-year-old female engineer was arrested for driving.  The campaign demonstrated the dramatic impact of social networking sites, as it sparked worldwide media coverage and support from female politicians and diplomats in the U.S. and Europe.  While women have not won the right to drive, Saudi’s King Abdullah did grant them the right to vote in elections for the first time, moving women’s progress one small step forward.    
• Despite widely available information online, generations of women still turn to the same women’s health reference book.  In 2011, “Our Bodies, Ourselves” (OBOS), the iconic and widely-circulated women’s health reference book, celebrated its 40th birthday. Published by the Boston Women’s Health Collective in 1971, when health information was hard to come by, this book helped launch the women’s health movement.  Forty years later, despite the surfeit of online information, OBOS remains a go-to resource for women of all ages – from Boomers to Millennials and Generation Z.
• The first ad featuring lesbians airs on national TV.  Kudos to KY, the personal lubricant brand, which aired a commercial featuring a lesbian couple sitting on their bed talking about using KY Intense, a new product designed for women because “they say it makes sex more satisfying.”  Add this breakthrough to 2011’s passage of New York’s Same Sex Marriage Act and the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act signed in December of 2010 and I’d say the LGBT community had a pretty good year!
• Social Media may thwart another “Oprah Effect.”  HuffPo notes that while Oprah single-handedly influenced how millions of women thought and talked about their lives, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have so democratized media that “it’s nearly impossible for any one person to have that much control over any conversation again.”

There’s a lot more great stuff in this article, including not one, but two mentions of Ryan Gosling, who was the subject of more buzz than he probably wanted in 2011.  You’ll have to go to the site to find out why.  Or just check out this blog to find out more about his, um, feminist side. 

Happy New Year!

Image courtesy of http://beautysweetspot.com

The annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airs tonight in more than 90 countries and not only are my girlfriends and I excited to watch… but my guy friends are too. I think I can speak on for everyone in my inner circle when I say that having both genders readily agree on a television show is usually close to impossible! So why are we all looking forward to an evening of gorgeous “angels,” sparkling wings, great musical talent and of course, lingerie?

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is a magical marketing event that successfully captivates both men and women. Last year, the show attracted 9 million viewers; 40% were men.  Women are Victoria’s Secret’s main customer, but this retailer knows how – and why – it should lure men into its store.  While men may watch the fashion show for entertainment value, lingerie from Victoria’s Secret will likely be more top of mind on their holiday gift list.  A recent “Marketing to Men” survey by Jacobs Media found that men – and single men in particular – offer marketers and retailers that traditionally target women significant growth opportunities.

Here’s why I think the show works for both men and women:

• It’s entertaining. Victoria’s Secret knows how to put on a show to capture men’s attention – from the sparkling runway and uniquely over-the-top fashion creations, to dynamic performances from the music world’s top talent. This year’s show features performances from Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Maroon 5.
• It has something for everyone. Men tune-in to see gorgeous models walk the runway; women scope out the latest Victoria’s Secret fashions (and hello, the $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra!).  Teenagers and suburban housewives alike fantasize about showing off one or two of the 69 looks featured in the show in their own boudoirs.
• It draws new and loyal customers and fans. Whether you’re interested in purchasing new lingerie, own a Victoria’s Secret credit card or are just in the mood to listen to good music, an event like this has the ability to attract a very wide audience.
• It’s made for the consumer. The show targets real people; not industry insiders.  And it has remarkable benefits for the brand, burnishing its image with glitz and glamour while also making it a household name.

We’ve already seen a few sneak peeks from the show (pre-taped on November 9^th) on our favorite beauty and fashion blogs. Will you be tuning-in? And if so, what does the show have to offer you?

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of Five for Friday!

In honor of WOMMA‘s Summit 2011, we thought we’d take a closer look at the five priciples of effective word of mouth marketing (WOM) and tie them to the amazing honors we (along with our digital partner, Organic, Inc. and client, Kimberly-Clark), received for our work on U by Kotex*: a gold WOMMY Award (given for the best WOM program that introduced a new product or service) and Grand Prix (given to recognize best in show):

Principle 1: Effective WOM is credible.

To successfully launch U by Kotex*, we had to take on an entire category by being culturally disruptive and consistently innovative. We had to make our target consumers – millennial women – understand that this was not their mother’s menstrual protection by driving an authentic, educational and credible dialogue about women’s health.

Principle 2: Effective WOM is respectful.

All of the research conducted prior to the planning phase proved that our target wanted to talk and know more about their periods and changing bodies, but felt the topic was too taboo to discuss openly. They wanted someone to stop talking about vaginas and menstruation in euphemisms and metaphors that provoke women’s disconnection, embarrassment and shame. They wanted to lift the unspoken ban on saying the word vagina. In short, they wanted someone who respected them. This presented an opportunity for U by Kotex* to become a champion for women and torch-bearer for a momentous cultural shift designed to remove the shame from being a woman.

Principle 3: Effective WOM is social.

To launch U by Kotex*, we created a social movement that empowered millennials to change the conversation about vaginal health and menstruation. We helped these women understand and be comfortable with their femininity – in the places and with the people they trust most. Our comprehensive social strategy ensured that our messages reached and were shared by our target on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, each of which played a strategic role in our integrated plan.

Principle 4: Effective WOM is repeatable.

To ensure that our key messages were repeatable, we turned to the media that mattered most to our target. An integration with the Tyra Banks Show saw the popular hostess ask her audience to say “vagina” out loud and, in doing so, reclaim the word; a NYC-media event saw reality star Khloé Kardashian break down a graffiti-covered wall filled with fem-care euphemisms; and lastly, partnerships with popular long-lead .coms (like Cosmopolitan.com), wellness sites (like Healthline.com), blogs (like Yahoo! Shine) and personal care sites (like Glam.com) ensured the delivery of clear information that could easily be “liked,” commented upon and shared.

Principle 5: Effective WOM is measurable.

In recognition of our efforts, hundreds of women thanked U by Kotex* for igniting a long overdue conversation about vaginal health. The program has been a remarkable success story, earning the brand 6.5 times the number of online conversations as its closest competitor.

Our target recognized the issue and joined in the conversation; they created video responses, posted comments, shared, blogged and re-tweeted about the advertisements and social experiment videos. Close to 3 million visited the U by Kotex* website, where more than 850,000 requested samples. They viewed YouTube videos more than 2.5 million times and streamed an additional 265,585 views on the website. They pushed more than 25,500 tweets and generated 86,500 social discussions, securing over 100 million impressions. 18,252 signed the brand’s “Declaration of Real Talk” and nearly 25,000 liked U by Kotex* on Facebook.

For our part, more than 640 million media impressions were garnered, with highlights including The New York Times, The Today Show, TMZ, People.com, OK! Magazine, Seventeen, Teen Vogue, The Huffington Post and AdAge.

Most importantly, this successful word-of-mouth campaign has yielded impressive business results. Now that’s effective WOM!

Have an exciting WOM program to share? Leave us a comment and let’s discuss!

 Image courtesy of womma.org

Marina Maher Communications (MMC) and its digital partner Organic won the Grand Prix award for best overall program and the Gold Introduction Award yesterday afternoon at the Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s (WOMMA) 2011 WOMMY Awards for their U by Kotex* program with Kimberly-Clark. The WOMMYs celebrate the people, agencies, and brands behind the most innovative and effective word of mouth marketing campaigns implemented within the past year and the ceremony was held yesterday at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.

U by Kotex* won the Gold “Introduction Award” for its innovative use of media to spread word-of- mouth buzz. They were later awarded the Grand Prix Award after being voted by attendees as the best WOM program of the year. MMC partnered with U by Kotex* and Organic to create a social movement that empowered millennial women to change the way they think, talk and act about vaginal health. The program yielded impressive business results and garnered over 640 million media impressions and over 2.7 million website visits since the program launch in March 2010.  

The U by Kotex* program has also won MMC and its client Kimberly-Clark a 2011 SABRE Award, 2011 Big Apple Award and 2011 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence as well as a nomination for a 2011 PRWeek Award.

Image courtesy of suescheffblog.com

For more than three weeks, we’ve seen the ubiquitous icon of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month – the pink ribbon – pop up in advertising, at football stadiums and across the Web. As the 26^th anniversary of the movement comes to a close, we thought we’d take a look at three campaigns that grabbed our attention for their clever marriage of Social Media and cause marketing.

The first, announced by Estée Lauder on September 27^th, celebrates the company’s 19^th year as an partner. On October 1^st, Senior Corporate Vice President Evelyn H. Lauder and brand spokeswoman Elizabeth Hurley brought the newest iteration of Estée Lauder’s Shine a Light on Breast Cancer Campaign to life by illuminating more than 40 international landmarks – including New York’s Empire State Building – in pink. On the Web, Lauder launched a new Facebook app, a dedicated website and integrated branded outposts on Foursquare, YouTube and Tumblr, services already popular among targets. Their goal? To “light the whole world pink” by collecting consumer-generated messages of awareness and hope; messages that they knew would travel farther and wider than the brand. According to Marisa Thalberg, Estée Lauder’s Vice President, Corporate Digital Marketing, Lauder chose Facebook as the center of activation because of its reach. Extensions into other channels were simply created to amplify conversations – and it’s paying off. By adopting a best practice and putting their consumers at the center of their social media efforts, they’ve quickly and cost effectively attracted thousands of new fans.  Many have already submitted stories or pledged their support by commenting on the experiences of others; it’s their actions that are driving engagement and helping Estée Lauder grow the vital connection between social media and a shared passion of their targets.

The second pairs American Airlines with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This year, the airline pledged to raise $1 million annually for eight years to fund the American Airlines Susan G. Komen for the Cure Promise Grant. Their Fly for the Cure program took off on October 14^th when travelers at airports in Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami and New York were greeted at pink gates by employees wearing pink ribbons, pink ties and pink scarves. Each received pink #tweetthecure t-shirts along with pink cookies to take on their flights. At select Admiral’s Club lounges, VIPs were given an easy way to participate: 10% of their pink-drink bar tabs were applied directly to American’s fundraising goal – smart. For the remainder of the month, the airline will fly eight Komen-branded pink-ribbon planes, each meant to represent the statistic that one in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. On Facebook, their efforts are supported with a pinkboard that tracks the company’s progress and encourages fans to honor their loved ones by pinning pink ribbons and making a donations. On Twitter, participants can do the same by adding the hashtag #flyforthecure to their tweets. It’s all part of what American is calling a “global, system-wide Pink Out.”

The third comes to us by way of P&G Beauty, whose multi-Brand initiative features several of MMC’s clients. Their “Do Something Beautiful” campaign leverages the celebrity of The View’s Elisabeth Hasselbeck to help spread the word about the importance of early detection. The issue is near and dear to Hasselbeck’s heart: her mother is a breast cancer survivor. Among the program’s other assets is a specially-created Facebook page, where for every “Like,” P&G Beauty will donate 10 cents to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. In addition, proceeds from the sales of various P&G products – from Brands like COVERGIRL, Head & Shoulders for Women, Secret and more – will also benefit the campaign. Talk about making it easy to participate!

In reviewing this year’s crop of “pink” campaigns, we saw a number of definite commonalities. Followed are just three takeaways:

1. Your most-effective, most-discussed and most-shared marketing messages come from your fans and followers – put them at center of your program.
2. If your company’s goal is to raise funds for a cause, make it easy for your fans and followers to contribute.
3. Consumers are more likely to join Brand Communities that share their passions for a cause – nearly every brand that’s participated in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has seen its community grow.