You’ve already heard about the Coke logo snafu, but the 2014 Academy Awards provided other useful social media lessons for those of us in the branding, marketing, or recruiting fields. From the meticulously planned to the completely unexpected, a few Oscar moments had enormous effects on Twitter, driven by brands and the public. Planned Product… Continue reading Social Media Lessons from the Oscars
Author: Jody Ordioni
“Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.”
How to Avoid a Social Media PR Disaster
Since 2011, I’ve covered social media PR disasters. It’s surprising how many big brands, with decades of competent public relations, have stumbled in the new world of two-way online communications — whether it’s allowing customers to make their own satirical commercials or driving a musician to write three songs of revenge. In each case, I’ve… Continue reading How to Avoid a Social Media PR Disaster
New Social Media Channels: How Can Your Brand Use Them?
Just when you think the world has enough social networks, another emerges that changes the entire landscape: Facebook supplanted MySpace. Google launched Google Plus. Foursquare became more like Yelp. And visual sharing evolved from Instagram to Pinterest to Snapchat. More social channels are on the horizon. While they all aim to be fun and useful,… Continue reading New Social Media Channels: How Can Your Brand Use Them?
How Augmented Reality Will Change Mobile Marketing and Recruiting
I’ve written a lot about the future of marketing and recruiting, from gamification to short-form videos. But there’s one development that I think will truly revolutionize communication: augmented reality. Many mobile devices now have apps, made by various third parties, that “augment” reality by superimposing images, animations, or data on top of a “normal” view.… Continue reading How Augmented Reality Will Change Mobile Marketing and Recruiting
Social Recruiting: Too Important for Interns
Earlier this month, I advised organizations on adding social media to their 2014 talent acquisition efforts. Since then, I’ve heard from many organizations who told me, “We’ve assigned our intern to handle that.” I think that’s a mistake. Here’s why. Social media is “social” because of the interaction between the poster and the audience. In… Continue reading Social Recruiting: Too Important for Interns
Winning the Competition for Content Marketing
According to a study by KPCB, the amount of content that people are sharing globally is around two trillion gigabytes. So, whether you’re a content marketer or a social media recruiter, you’re up against a lot of competition. What sort of content should you create? And where should you post it to have the best… Continue reading Winning the Competition for Content Marketing
How to Conduct A Social Media Competitive Analysis – For Free
It’s important for every business to conduct a competitive analysis to find their niche in the marketplace. But how do you analyze your competition on social media? How can you compare a big brand on Facebook to a small brand on Twitter? The good news is that you can conduct a fairly thorough competitive analysis… Continue reading How to Conduct A Social Media Competitive Analysis – For Free
Employer Branding: Telling The Right Story
Right now, the biggest trend in recruiting is employer branding, crafting the promise your company makes to its employees. And the biggest trend in marketing is brand storytelling, using content, examples, and experiences to bring your brand to life in the mind of consumers. Combining these trends can bring a powerful presence to your talent… Continue reading Employer Branding: Telling The Right Story
Busting Employer Branding Myths
Considering how important employer branding is, I still encounter a lot of confusion and misinformation about it. So, as a public service, I thought I’d bust some of the myths about employer branding. Myth #1: Employer branding is unnecessary Some clients tell me, “We’re an employer of choice; great candidates will find us.” And yet… Continue reading Busting Employer Branding Myths
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Internal Communications Best Practices from Thomas Cook
Jason Ginsburg, Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix, show how organizations can use Thomas Cook’s philosophy in engaging employees during a re-branding. To learn how Brandemix can help you with employee engagement and internal communications, visit our website.
Five Things You Can Learn About Internal Communications from the Thomas Cook Re-Branding
Thomas Cook is the world’s oldest travel agency. But after surviving wars and natural disasters for 150 years, the company was in real financial trouble in 2011. Marketing magazine listed the problems: “Emergency loans, travel-agency closures, job cuts and profit warnings,” and about $786 million in losses in 2012. The company closed 200 of its… Continue reading Five Things You Can Learn About Internal Communications from the Thomas Cook Re-Branding
One Brand: Part 1. Extending Your Brand Through Internal Communications
Does internal communications matter to consumer branding? You bet it does. Are you a retailer rolling out a brand positioning about knowledgeable salespeople helping customers navigate a myriad of product choices? Better make sure your knowledgeable salespeople stay that way. Branding for financial services? A Forrest research report reveals that mergers and acquisitions have hurt… Continue reading One Brand: Part 1. Extending Your Brand Through Internal Communications
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Recruiting With Gamification
Jason Ginsburg, our Director of Interactive Branding, shows how companies can use game mechanics to find more, better-performing, and longer-staying employees.
Brandemix Bonus Reel: A Sneak Peek at Employer Branding Boot Camp
Jason Ginsburg, Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix, reveals some of the lessons and insights from the upcoming free webinar, “Employer Branding Boot Camp.” The presentation will be Wednesday, September 25, at 2 pm Eastern/11 am Pacific. Space is still available for this fun, educational event! Register for free here.
Employer Branding Boot Camp: A Sneak Peek
As many of you know, I’m presenting the free webinar Employing Branding Boot Camp on September 25. It’s a fun, insightful look at the power and value of a strong employer brand, filled with fun facts, case studies, and useful tips. But I just can’t wait until the 25th! I want to share a few… Continue reading Employer Branding Boot Camp: A Sneak Peek
When Employees Create Personal Connections, Both Customers and Retailers Win
Recently, I demonstrated how small retailers can improve and emphasize their competitive advantages over national chain stores. This week, I came across an interesting research project that took this philosophy to the next level. Ashley Verrill, a CRM analyst and managing editor of Software Advice’s Customer Service Investigator, launched a research exercise in Austin that… Continue reading When Employees Create Personal Connections, Both Customers and Retailers Win
Social Media PR Disasters: The “Lean In” Intern
Earlier this year, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg published the book Lean In – Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. While controversial, the book’s success allowed Sandberg to found Lean In, a non-profit that offers women “the ongoing inspiration and support to help them achieve their goals.” The organization’s site features inspirational stories, lectures on… Continue reading Social Media PR Disasters: The “Lean In” Intern
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Improving Customer Service
Jason Ginsburg, Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix, shows how smaller retailers and independent boutiques can create personal connections with customers — increasing both loyalty and sales. Thanks again to Software Advice for sharing this research with us.
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Improving the Customer Experience
How can retailers improve the customer experience — before and after the customer visits the store? Jason Ginsburg explains.
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Recruiting with Google Glass
Jason Ginsburg, Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix, shows how Google Glass offers exciting ways for recruiters to connect with job-seekers.
Creating a Competitive Advantage in the Retail Space
No retailer wants to be “just another [your product] store.” But how can you stand out? Every business has at least competitive advantage, some positive quality that sets it apart in the marketplace. For example: McDonald’s competitive advantage is convenience; a restaurant location is never far away and the food is inexpensive. Keens Steakhouse’s competitive… Continue reading Creating a Competitive Advantage in the Retail Space
Recruiting with Google Glass
I don’t say this very often, but it’s possible that recruiting is going to change forever, thanks to the “wearable visual technology” known as Google Glass. Why? Because, as the economy improves and the competition for talent increases, Google Glass will allow organizations to show a job listing and a corporate culture instead of telling.… Continue reading Recruiting with Google Glass
How to Recruit IT Professionals in a Competitive Environment
As the economy improves, the competition for talent is increasing. That goes double for IT professionals, who are always in demand and who often look to the Googles and Microsofts as their ideal workplace. How can less flashy tech companies hire tech workers in such a competitive environment? I’ve found the answer in some recent… Continue reading How to Recruit IT Professionals in a Competitive Environment
How to Build an Employer Brand
Many organizations pay attention to branding but overlook the importance of an employer brand, which defines who you are as an employer. Just as your consumer brand tells the public what your brand stands for, an employer brand speaks to your employees – from the newest hire to the CEO – and to your potential… Continue reading How to Build an Employer Brand
How to Become an Employer of Choice
A recent Gallup study found that only 47% of American workers are completely satisfied with their jobs. A MarketTools study found that 21% of employees had applied to another job in the past six months. Clearly, many employees are ready to look elsewhere for the next step in their careers. How do you make them… Continue reading How to Become an Employer of Choice
The Most Popular BrandeBlog Articles of All Time
This blog recently celebrated its eighth birthday. That’s a lot of blog posts. I’d thought I’d go through the archives to find the most popular, shared, and retweeted articles. The winners include two Social Media Superstars, one Social Media PR Disaster, basic principles for good social media marketing, and important employer branding statistics to share… Continue reading The Most Popular BrandeBlog Articles of All Time
How Retailers Can Connect the Online and In-Store Experience
The great overlap has started. In the last few months, the worlds have physical shopping and online shopping have collided. Walmart, the country’s biggest retailer, has increased its massive e-commerce effort, using its thousands of US locations as distribution points for same-day delivery. At the same time, Amazon, the country’s biggest online retailer, now ships… Continue reading How Retailers Can Connect the Online and In-Store Experience
Social Media PR Disasters: World Nutella Day
It’s not often that social media PR disasters have happy endings. The Kansas City Chiefs fired the person behind their insulting tweet. McDonald’s may never be able to use the Twitter hashtag #McDStories again. Songs about United Airlines’ obstinance are still racking up views on YouTube. But this time a brand finally backed down and… Continue reading Social Media PR Disasters: World Nutella Day
The Social Recruitment Monitor Revolutionizes Recruiting Metrics
I’ve mentioned it in the past, but now it’s out of beta and ready for the spotlight: It’s the Social Recruitment MonitorTM, the first online tool that measures the engagement, reach, and success of brands’ social media recruiting efforts. Along with rankings of comments, retweets, video views, and the like, the SRM also includes two… Continue reading The Social Recruitment Monitor Revolutionizes Recruiting Metrics
Employee Engagement: Important Yet Elusive
A recent article in Fast Company has once again shown how important employee engagement is to any organization. The more engaged the employees, the lower the turnover, the lower the shrinkage, the higher the customer service, and the higher the profits. And yet, despite the preponderance of engagement surveys, software, and programs, true employee engagement… Continue reading Employee Engagement: Important Yet Elusive
Brandemix Bonus Reel: What is a Brand Plan?
Jason Ginsburg, the Director of Interactive Branding at Brandemix, explains why a brand plan is so important to any branding or re-branding effort. To learn how Brandemix can help your branding or employer branding campaign, visit www.brandemix.com.
The 6 Essential Steps to an Effective Brand Plan
The Brand Plan. The first step in any successful branding or rebranding effort is the creation of the brand plan. The brand plan provides a roadmap for creating, marketing, launching and promoting your brand, and is relevant for both your internal and external activations. How do you create a brand plan? It can take months… Continue reading The 6 Essential Steps to an Effective Brand Plan
Brandemix Bonus Reel: Gamification for Recruiting
Director of Interactive Branding Jason Ginsburg explains what gamification is and how HR professionals can use it for recruiting, onboarding, training, and employee referral programs. Register for Jason’s FREE webinar, Socialize Your Talent Strategy, presented Monday, April 29, at HR.com.
Game On for Employee Gamification
While speaking at a recent HR conference in Vegas, I had occasion to meet Jane McGonigal, game designer, speaker, author, and probably the world’s biggest advocate for gamification, the idea of adding game incentives like points and prizes to non-game activities. While within the HR community gamification is still catching on (I find a number… Continue reading Game On for Employee Gamification
No headcount for social recruiting? How to get the funds you need.
It appears that Social Recruiting is here to stay. The social recruiting site options are growing in number (I pity the person managing a global social recruiting campaign) and the expectations for a great candidate experience are mounting. While most of the, surveys, statistics and comments I’ve read from Jobvite, and ERE (there are already… Continue reading No headcount for social recruiting? How to get the funds you need.
How to Avoid the 3 Biggest Employer Branding Pitfalls
I travel around the country giving presentations on employer branding and building and promoting an employer value proposition. I usually highlight employer brand success stories. But as major brands like Goldman Sachs and Zynga stumble into PR crises, I thought it might be useful to help your company avoid the most common employer branding mistakes.… Continue reading How to Avoid the 3 Biggest Employer Branding Pitfalls
Thanks to my Curators and Creators – From Your #1 LinkedIn Voyeur
Last summer, Pew Internet Researchreported that 46% of adult internet users were Creators; that is, they have shared photos and videos that they’ve created. 41% are Curators; they’ve reposted, retweeted or repackaged information that they’ve found online. 32% are Creators/Curators. I presume it also implies that 54% are Internet Voyeurs — neither posters nor creators.… Continue reading Thanks to my Curators and Creators – From Your #1 LinkedIn Voyeur
Dollars to Donuts: It’s Time to Update the Internet’s Most Famous List
We’re all familiar with the funny image that goes by various names, but is basically “Social media explained with donuts.” As a reminder, here’s the full list: Companies, including my own, use the “Donut List” to simplify the major social sites to novices. But as these sites add features and move to our mobile devices,… Continue reading Dollars to Donuts: It’s Time to Update the Internet’s Most Famous List
Why Bridgepoint Education Careers is a Social Media Superstar
I recently discovered Bridgepoint Education’s clever use of Twitter and Pinterest to hire for its campuses and offices in San Diego, Denver, and Clinton, Iowa. I then had the chance to speak with Christina Hastings, Director of Talent Acquisition and Development, about her philosophy, her strategy, and her success. Christina runs a personal Twitter, @aRecruitersPOV,… Continue reading Why Bridgepoint Education Careers is a Social Media Superstar
Create Goodwill for Your Small Business with Community Involvement
For any small business to succeed, whether it’s a single location or a few franchises, it must build goodwill with the surrounding community. You can have Facebook fans or catalogue customers all over the world, placing orders by phone and email, but if locals aren’t walking in the door, you’re doomed. Branding your business as… Continue reading Create Goodwill for Your Small Business with Community Involvement
Boasting from Brandeland!
What a week for Brandemix! Our Director of Interactive Branding and I have shared our thoughts on employer branding, social media, and recruiting in four fantastic publications. On top of that, we presented our popular webinar, Socialize Your Talent Strategy, to more than 70 participants around the country and across the Atlantic. We were even… Continue reading Boasting from Brandeland!
Social Media PR Disasters: Applebee’s Wild Night
You probably know about the Applebee’s waitress who was fired for posting a customer’s receipt that had a derogatory statement on it. You may not be aware of the aftermath, which took place in the wee hours of Saturday, February 2. It’s virtually a textbook example of what not to do in a PR crisis.… Continue reading Social Media PR Disasters: Applebee’s Wild Night
Are Twitter and Vine Shrinking Our Attention Spans?
Since the beginning, Twitter users, including me, have at times been stymied and frustrated by Twitter’s seemingly arbitrary character limit, which redefined social media. Now Twitter aims to shift the paradigm for visual sharing as well with Vine, an app for sharing six-second videos. Is it the perfect balance between Instagram’s single images and YouTube’s… Continue reading Are Twitter and Vine Shrinking Our Attention Spans?
Social Media DON’Ts
I’ve told you about Social Media Superstars and various best practices – but what about worst practices? What are some tactics to completely avoid? Here are some of my personal pet peeves for each major social network. Think of them as social media don’ts. Twitter Ignoring questions and comments. Twitter, like all social media, is… Continue reading Social Media DON’Ts
What’s Underneath American Airlines’ New Paint Job?
American Airlines is going through a difficult time: it’s still officially in bankruptcy, its three major unions are intransigent, and it may have to merge with US Airways to survive. And yet, for the last two years (almost its entire term of restructuring), American has been working on a complete rebranding, secretly repainting its fleet… Continue reading What’s Underneath American Airlines’ New Paint Job?
How to Ruin Your Employee Referral Program
According to CareerXroads, 28% of external hires in 2011 were referrals, and that number gets even larger when you factor in internal referrals. An employee referral program is a fantastic way to find talent that fits your culture while strengthening your employer brand with your current workers. It decreases cost per hire, time to hire,… Continue reading How to Ruin Your Employee Referral Program
Why I Love the Wendy’s “Hot Drinks” Video
As a specialist in employer branding and HR communications, I’m always looking for hiring, onboarding, and training samples and ideas. Here’s one I recently came across. It’s a training video, produced by Wendy’s, instructing employees on how to prepare hot beverages. The video seems to have been produced in the late 80s or early 90s.… Continue reading Why I Love the Wendy’s “Hot Drinks” Video
Four Steps to a Successful Rebranding
You’ve read my blog post “ Signs You’re Ready to Rebrand” and realized it’s time for a rebranding. Now what? It’s important to have a well-executed, well-timed strategy that generates the most buzz from all audiences – both internally externally. A bad launch can undo much of the hard work you put into the rebranding… Continue reading Four Steps to a Successful Rebranding
Guest Post: Create a Zappos-Like Culture of Customer Service With Performance Metrics
We’ve written about Zappos’ great social media efforts, but the online shoe retailer has other impressive qualities, too. In this week’s guest post, Software Advice’s Ashley Furness tells you how to create a Zappos-like culture of customer service using performance metrics. It seems traditional marketing increasingly turns away customers in today’s Yelp and social media-obsessed… Continue reading Guest Post: Create a Zappos-Like Culture of Customer Service With Performance Metrics
Why Taco Bell Careers is a Social Media Superstar
As Jobvite’s recent survey has shown us, social recruiting is here to stay, so we at Brandemix are constantly looking for the brands that are doing it innovative ways. This year, we’ve honored Zapposand State Farm, and now it’s time to recognize another Social Media Superstar: Taco Bell. Here’s the restaurant’s employer branding statement: “At… Continue reading Why Taco Bell Careers is a Social Media Superstar