The Success of Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches Campaign Makes Me Wonder: Can Business Save the World?

The Dove Real Beauty Sketches Campaign recently became the most watched ad—ever.

It beat out the Evian Roller Babies. Which means it’s been watched more times than adorably chubby half-naked babies street skating and kickin’ it ol’ skool.

That says something.

I recently stumbled—quite literally—into a library shelf containing the book The Seven Lost Secrets of Success by Joe Vitale. It explains the ideas of an ad man who was a household name the ‘20s and ‘30s and is now, largely forgotten.

His name was Bruce Barton. He’s the second “B” in Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborn, an advertising agency that still operates today. There, Barton helped unknowns such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford succeed by using advertising to promote their goods.

So what did Barton “know” that others did not?

Barton believed business would save the world.

Funny, right? In a world where corporate corruption dominates, it’s much easier to buy into the idea that business could "save" the world. Or that business would change the world. But "would save"?

Well, the success of Dove’s campaign may be a good example of his theory at work. Barton encouraged clients to “reveal the business nobody knows.” Americans know what Dove sells. So the company aligned itself with a “universal” need it could help us meet: Dove helped us feel beautiful.

I feel a compulsive need to instill in my daughter the truth of her own beauty. She’s almost three. Beautiful inside and out. And she already pretends to put on makeup so she can be “pretty.”

She watches mama put foundation on her “blotchy complexion,” mascara on her “squinty eyes,” and blush on her “ghostly-white skin.”

What kind of hideous monster would my sketch artist draw? Worse, what will the little girl who looks a lot like mama see in the mirror at age 13?

Whether the campaign’s success will encourage us to buy more of Dove’s products, I don’t know and won’t attempt to speculate. But I do know this: Dove’s campaign changed my thinking--personally and professionally. Maybe it changed yours, too.

Like Barton said, “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things . . . I am tempted to think . . . there are no little things.”

How can your business “save” the world?  

Why don't I blog more? It's all my mom's fault.

Me and my pretty mama, circa 1989

What's the number one thing I tell my clients to do before launching a social media campaign or other like
project?

Create an editorial calendar.

Number two?

Develop a few "evergreen" posts for those days/weeks you are too busy or you have a nasty case of the Writer's Block.

What does Carie Sherman do 90 percent of the time?

I wing it.

And it gives me a tummy ache. So, why don't I stop?

I suspect it's because of my mother.

Yep, two days shy of Mother's Day, and I'm telling the world how it's all her fault.

See, my mom is crazy-skilled in the organizational realm. With three kids running amuck, a husband who worked from home, and a farm to manage--it was necessary.

Apparently I felt stifled by her rigid* schedules.

Which is exactly why I haven't found time to create my editorial calendar and write those posts. I'm far to busy re-washing the load of laundry I started on Sunday, digging through stored flower pots to find my rain boots, and tearing every room of my house apart looking for my dog's vaccination papers (which were conveniently located in my bedroom closet tucked in the purse I carried last summer).

Systems. Who needs 'em? Not me, I tell ya. Not me. Now, where did I put our water bill...

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing how-does-she-do-it-all Mom. If I do half as good raising my daughter as she did with me...well, we may actually lose her under a pile of toys and clothes for a few years, but I'm sure she'll emerge a confident, creative, and loving human being. Thanks, ma. 

*She had certain days that she did laundry--and she folded and put each load away within minutes of the dryer beep. She had a grocery day, where she would purchase enough food to feed us for a week, which she knew because she PLANNED A MENU. She picks up the house each night and makes her bed every morning. Every. Morning. Madness, I tell you! Pure madness.

The “WIIFM” Approach: Should This Rule Ever Be Broken in Business Marketing?

“Thou shalt not talk about thyself in marketing messages. Thou’s customers only care about what’s in it for thy own self.”

Or so says the gospel according to Mark (-eting experts, that is).

I’m a fan of this approach. But a recent client experience has shown me just how wrong assumptions can be.

I have had the pleasure helping a client express itself using a unique voice. The voice emerged after the client completed an extensive look at its brand.

During this brand exploration, the team also determined that said client’s customers wanted to know more about the company. More specifically, customers wanted to know who the people they worked with daily were. Personally.

Okay, I thought. But when asked to help with their newsletter, I decided that I knew best. No one could possibly care about the people at the company. After all, the gospel says they only care about what’s in it for them…right?

Wrong. We’ve included customer-focused stories about products. Customer-centric service articles. Links to articles that customers are sure to like. A whole lot of information about “what’s in it for me.”

And…nothing. But the newsletter gets opened. And it gets plenty of unique clicks. So what do the customers link to?

Employee profiles. Links to pics of the receptionist’s new baby. Links to the CEO’s own blog. Stories about employee participating in charity runs and golf tournaments. And the most clicked on link ever? A picture of the dog that an employee had just adopted from the Denver Dumb Friends League.

Branding expert Anastasia Toomey of Agency Zero says it’s time that brands start knowing their customers.

“Don't assume! Everyone thinks that in today's world, consumers are more fickle than ever and they don't really care about you. Ask them!” she says. “When you talk to your customers on a regular basis and decide to become a learning organization, you will learn a whole new world about your brand its relevance.” 

So what’s the takeaway? Says Anastasia: “Engage with your customers and you will learn what they love, why they stay with you, what more they want from you, and how you can help them spread the word about you.”

My advice? Know the rules (a quick google search with supply you with, oh, about a billion). But get on with your bad self, and know when to break them.

Three Steps that Can Help You Become a Freelance Marketing/Communications Writer

Getting started as a freelance writer isn’t as difficult as you might think. You just need to break the steps down into manageable chunks.

I’ve been a full-time freelancer since 2011. It didn’t happen overnight. I prepared for this role for three years before coming out of the corporate closet.

So I’ll assume that 1) you’re a decent writer; 2) you enjoy writing for someone other than yourself; and 3) you’re willing to work hard.* If you’re nodding your head yes, then consider these tips.

1. Read The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. Bowerman says he can take you to “financial self-sufficiency as a freelance commercial writer in six months or less.” Bowerman covers everything: From deciding if it’s a good fit to setting up your office to how much to charge—hell, he even covers lifestyle, attitude, ego, and more.
   
   Bowerman doesn’t teach you how to write, so depend on the classics and their contemporaries (think Zinnser’s On Writing Well, anything by copywriter Bob Bly, Ann Wylie, Ragan’s PR Daily, the entire CopyBlogger website…to name a few.)
   
2. Dedicate yourself to freelancing. Once you’ve decided to do it, make yourself legit. This might mean setting up an LLC, opening a dedicated bank account, and naming your business. Business cards can be helpful, as can having a business email address (clients will balk at your "sugarmama01 at aol.com" address).
   
   At the very least, you need a portfolio of your best writing samples. It’s easy and cheap to put your portfolio online or create a website (I’ve used free resources like WordPress and Wix). If you have the funds, find a great web designer** who focuses on function and form.
   
3. Tell everyone that you’re a freelancer. Think of all of your contacts as being sources for potential clients. I’m talking co-workers, aunts, in-laws, colleagues from 15 years ago, college buddies, college professors, high school friends, friends of friends, neighbors, your favorite barista, your podiatrist—you get the picture.
   
   And yes, this also means…networking. If you’re like me, and your networking strategy is finding the one person you know and talking to him or her as long as they can stand you, try getting involved. My role as Membership Co-Chair at the Colorado Healthcare Communicators has forced helped me meet some great people. And some of those people need freelancer writers.

There you have it. Three things that helped me launch my career. I hope they help you as well.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Please share.

 *Freelancing is hard work. Writing well is even harder.

**I can refer you to some great designers. An added bonus? Designers often need writers. Just the kind of people you’ll want to know.

It's Saturday. Fart around.

Inspiration comes in the strangest forms.

Which is exactly why we all must take time to fart around.

Happy Saturday, blog-o-sphere. Do what makes you uniquely you. Your writing is sure to benefit.

Kurt Vonnegut can't be wrong.

Please. Do Not Write Like You Talk

A Case for NOT Writing Like You Talk 

People enjoy and retain good conversation and renounce boring, corporate cliché and jargon. That’s why some experts advise you to write like you talk.

Yikes. Have you ever listened to yourself talk?

Unless you’ve spent the last five years getting your speech on at Toastmasters, please, please—do not write like you talk.

A little credit

Okay, I know you don’t take this “write like you talk” advice literally. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this post from your company-issued desktop.

In business writing, an informal and conversational tone can help you connect with your reader. But writing like you talk can be difficult to do well.

The dangers of writing like you talk (beyond the overuse of like, um, and other such offenders)

1. You bury your point. Or don’t even have one (see Exhibit A below). Your best friend will forgive you for a lack of objective. Your captive readers will not. No point = no reader.
   
2. You ramble. Saying “to make a long story short” in conversation might pass, but readers prefer you start with “the short.”
   
3. You don’t edit yourself. Verbally, you can rewind and revisit what you’re trying to communicate until you get it right. There are no such mulligans in writing. 

Writing like you talk—done well

1. What you wrote sounds like something you’d actually say. Minus the big words meant to impress. Minus fillers like “at the end of the day” and “with all due respect.” Minus redundancies like “end result” and “free gift.”
   
2. You use simple language and keep it brief. This doesn’t come naturally to me. Edit yourself or find someone else who can.
   
3. You speak to your audience. Whether you need to communicate a new procedure or you want to bond with a potential client, consider your reader to find the right tone. When I write for doctors, my attempts at cleverness are whacked like a mole. But other clients prefer a bit of wackiness.
   
4. You connect by showing personality. Read the last thing you wrote. In ten years, would you recognize it as your voice? Even if you ghost-write like me, kill the robotics. A human voice keeps readers interested. 

Business writing doesn't need to be stiff, formal, and boring. Use your conversational skills to capture your reader’s attention. Don’t ramble, always edit, and for God’s sake—don’t write like you talk.
.........................

Exhibit A: A recent conversation with my best friend.

Me: Hey dude.
Her: What’s up?
Me: Nothing. Oh wait, that’s not true. I totally had something to tell you. But I forget what that was.
Her: Dude, hate it when that happens.

Granted, we’ve known each other since 7th grade. So our conversations can lean towards juvenile.

Yet, imagine the nonsense that would emerge if we all wrote like we talk.

Social Media Lessons from a Psych-O

I am a Psych-o. And I crave delicious flavor.

Today I ate breakfast with Colorado’s best health care communicators and learned about award-winning social media strategies.

It got me thinking about—wait for it!—the USA Network and its fan-favorite show, Psych.  

I already admitted to being a Psych-O (something all good Shawn Spencer lovers routinely do). However, Psych is an excellent example of ridiculously awesome social media campaigns that support and engage brand enthusiasts.

Never heard of Psych? I’ll catch you up. It’s a quick-witted “dramedy” about a police consultant who, along with his reluctant sidekick and lifelong best friend, solve crimes using acute observation that leads the Santa Barbara police department to think he’s psychic.

Yep, just like The Mentalist. Only first. And better.

Psych is pop culture + humor + friendship + mystery + snark. Anyone coming of age in the 80s and 90s is sure to fall in love. But it’s what happens off-screen, in the realm of social media, that makes us Psych-Os transition from fan to raving evangelist.

Here are a few examples—and thoughts on how you can adapt these ideas to your own brand.

PARTY. Remember first: social media is social. No duh, you say, but think for a second about what that means. What do we do when we’re being social? We have fun. We let loose. Share. Laugh. Get drunk. Dance on the tables.

To build excitement about Psych Season 7, they threw a party. Psych-Os stayed up all night to watch and tweet about the Psych Slumber Party, in which seven fan-selected favorite episodes (chosen by the fans who voted a whopping 280,000 times) were replayed from midnight to 6 a.m. The network streamed #PsychSlumberParty tweets all Friday night, including those of Psych’s actors.

They got great results.

• Psych was Saturday's #1 entertainment show on TV for social media mentions.

•  #PsychSlumberParty drove 157,000 Twitter mentions reaching 22.4 million people with 12 trending hashtags.

•  Psych’s Character Chatter earned 122K page views and 6K uniques.

Any brand can have fun with its audience if it knows what gets ‘em excited.

At the aforementioned breakfast meeting, 9HealthFair talked about its strategies and challenges. Their lesson was this: connect first, then engage. Psych resonated to people as a program; it’s social media strategies engage. 9HealthFair fans were at first reluctant to share their stories. So 9HealthFair developed a strategy to connect with its fans about topics of interest to any Coloradoan: the Broncos, the crazy weather, ski season, etc. The results? Once they established the connection, their audience began engaging on the personal level they were looking for.

SWEEPSTAKES. I’ve lost count of the number of sweepstakes that I’ve entered for Psych. Everything from winning some pineapple slippers to visiting the set to the most recent—a SuperFan Adventure to Universal Studios.

Whether you’re looking to increase the number of “likes” or get more comments on your blog, giveaways encourage action. 9HealthFair further engaged its audience by creating a contest to name its blog. The winner? Just for the health of it.

YOU TUBE. Today’s speakers affirmed that video, while a great tool, isn’t always viewed on Facebook and Twitter. That’s why, according to our speakers, brands are creating videos with a longer shelf life. But don’t count video out. Psych’s You Tube channel gets tons of views, and offers previews, character-based clips, actor interviews, and more, giving Psych-Os another way to connect with their favorite characters.

Think about the stories in your organization and how you can tell them. Or, open it up to your audience. Oreo is rocking it right now with its “Cookie vs Creme” campaign. In the next two weeks, Oreo will be boosting its You Tube following by showing videos of four super fans. The first video follows a physicist who created a machine that removes the creme from his cookie.
How can your brand use video to entertain and enlighten your audience?

CHARACTERS. USA Network’s slogan is Characters Welcome. Most of the network’s original programming is based on unique and crazy characters that fans adore. They are quirky, smart, and flawed—just like the rest of us.

How can you put this to use? Consider using characters to drive your social media program. Colorado and Donor Alliance use social media to promote “Guy Vroom,” an 80s-loving, mullet-wearing dude who reminds us to “Save Time, Renew Online” and to be an organ and tissue donor.

No matter what, your social media presence should have a voice that reflects your brand. The more human that voice, the better.

HASHTAG. Killer, that is. In 2011, Psych debuted The Hashtag Killer, a social media game where loyal Psychos helped Shawn and Gus solve a crime on social media. Round two is “The S#cial Sector” where, for the next eight weeks, fans can solve the mystery that plays out online using games, prizes, and on Twitter under hashtag #SocialSector.

Yes, it’s unrealistic for most of us to create something so complex. But consider the lesson. USA took something from TV to an entirely different screen by using some creative thinking and by knowing its audience. You know your brand best. What strategies would make you engage with it?

Thanks for indulging me as I publicly profess my Psych-O-ness. If you take anything out of this post, it’s this: There is no limit on the creative approaches your brand can use to engage audiences on social media.

And if you’ve never seen Psych, call in sick, order a pineapple pizza, and Netflix  seasons 1-6 in rapid succession.

You know that’s right…*virtual fist bump*