Exploring My New Dawn in Digital Marketing, PR, CPG and More

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Modern marketing conceptIt’s been a really interesting couple of months for me.

Back in April, I was laid off from my former employer, which has since sold or traded about 1/3 of its media properties. So let’s just say I consider myself lucky to have been put out to pasture before the biggest — and most unexpected — axes fell.

Up until April, I had always worked in media — local newspapers, national magazines and local TV. But having worked in a digital role since 2006, I had been immersed in content marketing tactics and social media for many years, leading the charge at past jobs for things like a cloud-based social media dashboard and engaging directly with the community.

So, my switch to digital marketing for a specialty foods company was a no-brainer, and a great fit for me, as I love to eat as well. (Who doesn’t?)

Over the last two months, since starting my new position, I’ve been researching marketing tactics and software. Here is what I’m most excited about for marketing tactics.

Inbound, or Permission Marketing: The first term, popularized by Hubspot; the second, by marketing god Seth Godin. This is essentially marketing to people who want to be marketed to for your product or service, whether that be through opt-in emails or through searching on Google or Bing.

Relationship Marketing: Somewhat tied to inbound marketing, relationship marketing is a focus on customer retention and satisfaction. In digital channels, this is done through a combination of social media, public relations, SEO, content development, and app development.

Content Marketing: Pretty simple — the creation and sharing of media content in order to acquire customers. I’m excited about this one, to say the least. Content marketing inspires business and advocacy from customers. This dovetails pretty nicely into…

Social Media Marketing: The process of getting attention and website traffic through social media channels. A big part of my strategy.

Influencer Marketing: Identifying and marketing to influencers, be it journalists, bloggers, or other trendsetters with an audience of their own. I’m excited about launching some initiatives along these lines, and already got started by supplying samples to a recent blogger conference.

Loyalty Marketing: Growing and retaining customers through incentives. For a specialty foods company, this means mainly loyalty cards, and having our coupons available on these, as well as having our consumers come back for our brand again and again.

I’ll next cover some of the SaaS (software as a service) providers I’ve been exploring as I decide on tools for my digital marketing strategies.

Enchanted with Oreo’s “Wonderfilled”

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Now that I’m working as a digital marketing manager in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, I’ve taken a renewed interest in digital and advertising campaigns for grocery items.

Mad Men is one of my favorite shows, but I hardly ever watch it when it airs on Sunday nights, opting instead to watch a recorded version on my DVR a night or two later. And I always fast forward through the commercials, unless something catches my eye as I progress forward 30 seconds at a time.

Well, something caught my eye this time.

Maybe I’m just the right demo for this campaign, but I was enchanted with this commercial, and with what Oreo did for their 100-year anniversary. The New York Times covered both campaigns this week.

Oreo opted to kick off this campaign during Sunday’s Mad Men — a nice choice, I think, because we all know that only smart, savvy people such as myself watch Mad Men, right? (:

What do you think of this commercial featuring an original song by Owl City? Did Oreo follow up their 100 years campaign well with this original choice?

Social Commerce: My Experiences with BzzAgent, Influenster and More

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Social Commerce is a somewhat new idea, and there are a number of things that fall under this category. (This article from Mashable lays it out well)

Number 4 on Mashable’s list — Peer Recommendation — is something I’ve been participating in for a while now — namely, the sites that reward individuals for sharing products and purchases with friends through social networks.

The sites I participate in:

BzzAgent

Swaggable

Influenster

In addition, I’ve also been rewarded with items and special offers through Klout Perks.

My BzzAgent score

My BzzAgent score

I’ve been with BzzAgent the longest — since 2009. In that time, I’ve participated in 16 campaigns, most focused around cosmetics. Just this year alone, I received free COVERGIRL foundation, a great sampling of new Neutrogena cosmetics, and new Got2B volumizing hair powder.

Also this year, from Klout: A free full-size Carol’s Daughter Monoi Serum for hair, and a free Norton security app for my iPhone.

Swaggable and Influenster are new additions for me this year. I have a sample of wasabi dressing headed my way from Swaggable, and as for Influenster, I’ve recieved Aveeno night cream, and I have my first “VoxBox” headed my way!

Of the 4, BzzAgent and Influenster are the two who employ gamification, or rewards, badges, etc. to motivate users to complete tasks, like filling out surveys and completing social media activities. And I’ll admit — it’s addicting! I love seeing my scores rise!

My Influenster Badge Score

My Influenster Badge Score

Currently, I have campaigns ongoing for Got2B and COVERGIRL on BzzAgent, and Aveeno on Influenster. And though I haven’t loved every single product I’ve received as a part of campaigns over the years, I have to say I love all three! Here’s some more thoughts on each:

1) Schwarzkopf Got2B POWDER’ful Volumizing Styling Powder (BzzAgent): This stuff is awesome, and so convnient. It’s just a tiny, light little shaker container. Pour a little bit out, rub in your hands, and apply to the roots. BAM! It’s really that simple, and you can re-apply as needed for even more volume. I think this product pairs really well with a dry shampoo for second-day styling, or can help get that teased look if you have clean hair. I can picture it working really well this summer in Florida, too. (Can you picture the humidity! Yuck!) It’s available at Walgreens for just $3.99 a pop!

2) COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation (BzzAgent): This is another product that I’ve road-tested to beat the Florida heat. With this campaign, I received a coupon for a free full-size foundation, and was able to go pick out my shade — 110, Classic Ivory, their second-lightest shade. I was a little hesitant on this foundation at first. I’ve been using mainly Bareminerals and drugstore versions of Bareminerals powder foundation for the past few years, especially since I have a combination-to-oily complexion that’s somewhat acne-prone.  So it had really been quite some time since I had tried a liquid foundation that I liked. But Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 really took the cake. Exactly 1 pump is what I need for my daily application. It glides on smoothly, helps to conceal blemishes and scars, and blends very well. It also has staying power, and I can tell the primer in the foundation formula works, but it works especially well when combined with another product I’ve fallen in love with this spring: Neutrogena Shine Control Primer. COVERGIRL Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation is really affordable too — around the $9 mark at Target.

Sidenote: I have to say that COVERGIRL has done an excellent job of improving their product formulations, packaging and overall branding over the last couple of years. I love their LashBlast mascaras and COVERGIRL+ Olay eye concealer!

3) Aveeno Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream (Influenster): OK, so I’m at this weird time in my life when I’m still fighting oil, blemishes, and my skin in many ways is still acting like a teenager. I’ve been able to get it under control for the most part with a prescription regimen from my dermatologist. But, I’m also facing a new battle: aging. I’ve been using eye cream twice daily for the past 4 years or so. But I’m starting to see that my skin need a little more, especially overnight, so I’m glad that this landed on my doorstep when it did. I’ve always liked Aveeno, and how gentle their products are. I’ve used this oil-free night cream a few times and noticed that my skin seemed plumper and firmer upon waking. I’m still trying to figure out if a product like this is the best fit for my acne-prone skin, but I haven’t noticed any major breakouts as a result of using. Overall, I like the product and would recommend to anyone with combination, normal, or dry skin! It’s $16.99 at CVS.

I hope you’ve found my overview of these social commerce programs helpful — do you participate in any? What has your experience been like?

The Switch: My Journey from Digital Media to Digital Marketing

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I posted this little missive on my Facebook account today. I think it boils down what I’m feeling quite nicely. Image

On April 3, I was laid off from my former job. And on April 22, I started a new career in digital marketing for consumer packaged goods. Talk about a quick turnaround! And I could not be more thrilled about what lies ahead.

The most interesting aspect of being laid off, and of being able to be open about job-seeking, was the questions I got from those curious about my journey. I received several messages along the lines of “I’m intrigued to see where you end up.” (And I had a lot of cheerleaders, too! You know who you are!)

And so, digital marketing is where I ended up. I don’t know if everyone really finds that intriguing, but I will say that I believe digital marketing is a great career path for digitally-savvy journalists bound to traditional media, but hungry to move beyond the focus on and subsequent constant “shipping” to traditional print and broadcast channels.

Some things I’ll be tackling: Inbound/permission marketing, digital content strategy and execution, social media strategy and execution, influencer and blogger outreach, email marketing, mobile strategies, project management, etc. etc. etc.

A few tips for those wanting to make the switch from media (or any other industry) to marketing:

1) Read, read, read! There is a bounty of books and websites devoted to digital marketing. Learn as much as you can. I’m still a novice in many regards — especially all the marketing jargon! I’m a huge fan of thought leaders Chris Brogan, Kristina Halvorson and Melissa Rach, Seth Godin, and Guy Kawasaki, just to name a few. I also have books from Mack Collier and Jackie Huba on my reading list.

2) Network, network, network! Attend local meetings of the Social Media Club or other marketing-focused groups in your area. Reach out to professionals you admire in your town and ask for 30 minutes of their time over coffee or lunch. I’ve had several chats over the past year or so with folks here in the Orlando area who I (wrongly) assumed might not even give me the time of day! And I’ve had others reach out to me in turn. Give some, take some!

3) Sign up with talent agencies. I hooked up with Aquent and Vitamin T a little more than a year ago. It took some time, but my second interview through Aquent worked out with my current placement, made through their Vitamin T network. Did I mention that Aquent also placed a former report of mine in a position in New York City? They’re the real deal! Digital talent agencies like this are a great way to jumpstart the job hunt while still employed.

4) Brand yo’self! As a journalist, your skill-set may be reporting, editing and/or photography — but it’s all relevant. Beyond those skills, think about the digital skills you’ve learned and make sure they’re prominent on your LinkedIn profile. Don’t have a LinkedIn page? Then you’re probably not a fit for digital marketing — at least, not yet.

I’m excited to see where my future is headed. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, I may be changing the world soon enough!

Putting it all in Perspective

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breast-cancer-ribbonI recently wrote about the great outcome of my husband’s employment journey, but I neglected to mention that I’m currently undergoing one of my own.

Laid off from work. Yep, that’s me. A few weeks of severance, then I’ll begin navigating the world of unemployment. It happened just last week. I was going about my day, then — BAM. It was all over, as the brands I worked with were absorbed into other groups. Such is the plight of the publishing industry.

Feelings of anxiety, sadness, anger. Then — freedom, hope and confidence. Even a tad bit of exhilaration. I think I’ll be coming out the other end of the tunnel soon, and making the transition I’ve craved — from online media to digital marketing and social media.

Still grappling with these feelings, I woke up last night, and during this little bout of insomnia — being the social media addict that I am — I began scrolling though my Instagram feed.

And then I gasped.

A blogger friend, and sorority sister from another college, had been diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant, at age 29. I reeled, and suddenly my problems seemed so, so small.

Kirsten is chronicling her journey at her blog, A Bump and a Lump. I urge you to check it out and leave encouraging messages and prayers for her and her family.  Because at the end of the day, despite whatever problems our careers are throwing at us, what’s most important is faith, health and family.

My Husband’s Career at Walt Disney World All Started With a Tweet

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I believe that social media can be a powerful force for good. Sure, some of us are definitely addicted to our social media-tethered devices, constantly checking for email and Facebook and Twitter notifications (guilty!). We bury our faces in them at social events, when what we really should be doing is making eye contact and engaging with those around us.

But, despite our vices, the magical part of social media is when a virtual connection can become a real one.

I’ve been wanting to share this story for a while now. It’s about how my husband Brian’s career began at Walt Disney World. And it all started with a tweet.

Back in February of 2012, I was job-searching myself, and my husband was looking for a change as well. He’s a chef, and I work in digital. We had been living in Orlando for just 6 months, but we had both landed into very demanding jobs with long hours and plenty of stress — me, at a local TV station managing its website, and he, at an upscale resort working the overnight shift. We barely saw each other. When we did, one of us was awake and the other asleep. We certainly couldn’t make plans often, making living in a fun place like central Florida very frustrating.

Fortunately, my job search was going well. I would land, within a month, a great job as a digital content manager at a magazine publisher. Brian, meanwhile, was finding a lot of barriers to entry to where he really wanted to work: Walt Disney World.

Walt Disney World is the largest single-site employer in Florida, with more than 66,000 on its payroll. Getting an “in” at WDW Casting can be tough. Brian had previously been offered a part-time position with Disney in fall 2011, but turned it down because he needed full-time work. Unfortunately, when that happened, he then had to wait another 6 months to apply again to the same position, even though what he was offered was only part-time.

So, it was during his 6-month waiting period that I began to explore some other possible “ins” for Brian. And I happened upon a guy who was tweeting up a storm: @DisneyExecChef. I followed him as he chatted about menu planning, special events and cool happenings at WDW. And on Feb. 11, 2012, I got courageous, and tweeted this:

Screen Shot 2013-04-09 at 7.31.21 PM

To my surprise, @DisneyExecChef, also known as Chef Robert Gilbert, answered. He first directed us to the Disney Careers website, but I then explained our situation some more. He then offered to meet my husband, in person, the following morning. I was floored!

When my husband got home from work the next morning, I shared the news. Let’s just say he was skeptical. He wasn’t sure that this guy could help him at all, or who he was. But, he went. The two of them met at Coronado Springs Resort, and Chef Robert explained the hierarchy of the chefs and cooks in the special events and catering operation of Walt Disney World. And Brian realized that Chef Robert was the real deal and one of only a handful of executive chefs at WDW.

The conversation between Brian, Chef Robert, and myself continued, and by June 2012, Brian was on board in catering operations at the Contemporary Resort. He’s working hard, and has had the opportunity to cook for conventions of thousands, for intimate chef’s tables, and for many other restaurants and special events all around Walt Disney World, including Party of the Senses during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival, special events at the Richard Petty Driving Experience, breakfast at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort, and even counter service work at Columbia Harbour House at the Magic Kingdom. It’s been a well-rounded experience for him, to say the least.

And for this, we have social media, and specifically the open nature of Twitter, to thank. Thank you, Twitter, and especially — thank you, Chef Robert, for all you have given us.
Screen Shot 2013-04-09 at 7.32.17 PM

30 Before 30: Fail. But Ongoing.

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In 2011, I came up with a list of 30 things I wanted to do by the time I turned 30. It was a lofty list, for me, at least. But at the time, I thought I had more than 2 years to complete it, and back then, I didn’t think I would be moving out of state to Florida, either.

Well, I turned 30 last month, my friends, and here’s what’s been completed and what remains. I made a few edits in 2012 to add a few Florida-centric things I wanted to do….

My 30 before 30 list

1. Learn how to dive into a pool.

2. Learn how to turn a cartwheel.

3. Learn the basics of sewing.

4. Learn how to scuba dive. [almost done!]

5. Learn how to drive stick.

6. Learn how to bake my mom’s cheesecake recipe from scratch.

7. Learn how to keep a houseplant alive, and keep one alive, the way my mom can!  

8. Find THE purse. [Completed 10/10. Found it and bought it! The J.Crew Brompton hobo in espresso.]

9. Then, sell or donate a bunch of other purses.

10. Lose 55 lbs., or fit into a size 8, whichever comes first.

11. Run a Disney 5K.

12. Donate all my old “fat girl” clothes.

13. Get debt/finances under control.

14. Visit the NASA VAB at Kennedy Space Center.

15. Drive with my husband in his Jeep on Daytona Beach.

16. Stay overnight at a Disney deluxe resort for first time since honeymoon.

17. Find a signature wine. [Goats do Roam red and white varieties. Thanks Epcot Food & Wine 2010!]

18. Figure out my signature cocktail, and how to make it. [My go-to: a vodka tonic or gin & tonic. Simple. easy.]

19. Network with 30 people in Orlando.

20. Visit Disney World again in 2011 …[Moved to Orlando Aug. 2011]

21. …and in 2012/13, after the Fantasyland expansion is complete or at least partially opened.

22. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios.[Visited Sept. 2011]

23. Volunteer for an organization. [Alabama Social Media Association executive director, 2011; Gamma Phi Beta regional coordinator, 2013]

24. Go on an overnight camping/kayak trip.

25. Tour a winery.

26. Get a stamp on my unused passport.

27. Go horseback riding.

28. Go deep sea fishing.

29. Unpack every box after Aug. 2012 move, and get rid of/donate everything not being used.

30. Embrace turning 30!

So, I’m 18 items away from being done. But these are all still things I want to do or learn to do. We’ll see how long it really takes for me to complete! Bets, anyone?