I’m a HUGE Paul McCartney fan.  If you follow my “Get-Going Groove of the day” tweets, you probably figured that out.  But I remember when I first read the rumors of Paul McCartney’s early demise. It was in a retrospective in Rolling Stone magazine (here’s some current news from them about the Beatles) when I was just a kid discovering my own musical pulse.  I think I was 11.  And to hear that Beatles fans – no, the entire world thought that Paul had died just prior to the release of the monumental Abbey Road album completely blew me away!

And it all turned out to be a hoax!

One of the first disc jockeys to give the story “credibility” was Roby Yonge of WABC-AM in New York (Now a vehicle for Don Imus… ick). Listen to him talk about the beginning of the roumors here, in an aircheck from Oct. 21, 1969, found on the Musicradio 77 site.

Yonge was later fired on the air because of the commotion he raised talking about this.

The next day, it was picked up by American Contemporary Radio, and it gained even more ground.

Now, of course, if you’re not privy to the hoax, you can read all about it.  It has it’s OWN WIKIPEDIA PAGE! So, If I don’t sit here and recount all the “clues,”  please forgive me. (honestly, you don’t have the time…)

Over the years, there have been magazines published and books written, including “The Walrus Was Paul: The Great Beatle Death Clues” by R. Gary Patterson and “Turn Me On, Dead Man: The Beatles and the ‘Paul Is Dead’ Hoax” by Andru J. Reeve.  And Des Moines, Iowa’s own Drake University was one of the first known publications to print stories about “Paul McCartney dying and being replaced by a look/sound-alike.” Really?

The fact that some people ever took this seriously is astonishing. … but I’ll try NOT to let my “Fanboy” passions get in the way of the reporting.

As Paul McCartney said at the time,

“The people who are making up these rumors should look to themselves a little more. There is not enough time in life. They should worry about themselves instead of worrying whether I am dead or not.”

Yet, even after Paul (or someone alleged to be him) appeared in LIFE magazine and said he was alive, the rumors persisted. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a core group of folks who still think seriously about this today.

So, what makes a hoax as effective as the “Paul is Dead” rouse pulled on millions-upon-millions of unsuspecting music fans?

So how do you spot a hoax? The type of hoax usually determines what characteristics will be present. However, some general tips for spotting a hoax include:

1. The information presented is one-sided or the claims can only be validated by one or two people – this includes Alien, UFO or Bigfoot sightings.
2. There are usually no references to back up claims – this is often used in internet and e-mail related hoaxes. The person or company referenced is often made up, so there is no valid contact information provided.
3. Appeals to the emotions

Hoaxes and jokes can get out of hand; just ask Paul McCartney’s publicist (what a nightmare THAT had to be).  Could the Beatles’ brand have been damaged by the hoax?  Sure.  But as history shows, album sales SKYROCKETED.  While some conspiracy theorists say it was for THAT purpose the hoax was started; I tend to disregard that P.R. move.  For the Beatles it would have been too risky.

So, on this April Fool’s day, use common sense. Look for the signs that you’re being “put on.” And be prepared to laugh at yourself.

Oh… and your shoe’s untied…

Keep Cooking! (fun and frivolity for everyone)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Look deeply into my eyes… you are feeling veeeery sleepy… sleeeeepy… deeeeper… deeeeeeeeper… relax and let the social media mystique take you to a happier place. Deeeeper…

Yeah, sometimes I feel like social media has cast some kind of spell over businesses, specifically the marketing departments of some companies. It’s easy to be seduced. It’s easy to be swayed by viral videos, tweets and blogs with thousands of readers. It’s easy to think that social media can be the magic pill to fix marketing mishaps. But in our passionate pursuit to capture the social media magic, maybe we should be mindful of the limits to ANY marketing tool – ESPECIALLY social media.

Social media can’t fix a broken branding model.
Broken brands need to back up to the beginning and find the TRUE Brand (Truthful, Relevant, Unique, Engaging) that lies within. I’ve written about this before, so I won’t go into the specifics, but social media won’t make you something you’re simply not ABLE to be. What social media WILL do is amplify and accelerate the core values and attributes (as well as the ugly flaws) of your brand. So be cautious of where you step.

Social media can’t substitute for strategy.
Obvious? I guess not. Sure, we’ve all seen those companies with the languishing Twitter account or empty FaceBook pages. Or the contrary – companies screaming, “Become our fan on FaceBook,” without much further engagement or incentive for the end users… WHY? Without strategy and objectives how do you know if social media is a successful addition to your marketing? And the number of fans or followers of your account does NOT equate to marketing success.

Social media can’t succeed without a TRUE focus on the customer.
While this should be part of the above strategy, I wanted to make sure that I brought attention to it. If all you’re about is pushing messages about your company / product / service, etc… then you need an ego check. This is SOCIAL media. If you want to have TRUE customer engagement, you need to show you care for the benefits of the customer, not just pumping your own bloated ego.

Social media is not a stand-alone solution.
I’ve been in the marketing and advertising industry since… well, let’s just say my first job didn’t involve a single computer. And guess what, companies successfully marketed themselves. Some even made money! In all seriousness, being a practitioner of social media does not make one a marketing guru. Sure the tools are great and they have their applications in “modern communications,” but without EXPERIENCED marketing strategy, advertising, public relations, traditional media and a good understanding of digital technologies, you’re just adding to the noise.

So before that “Social Media Magician” starts with their hocus-pocus pitch that social media is the answer to all of your marketing woes, just blink. Clear your eyes of the social media smoke-n-mirrors and take a clear look at your marketing. If social media can be integrated into your marketing plan, you’ll see it. If you can’t see it, and still need to know, then consult a professional marketer with a mastery of social media marketing tactics.

When you’re looking for TRUE social media marketing integration. Think of those you follow online. Who would you trust with your company’s brand? Then, ask the question SOCIALLY.

Keep Cooking! (Strategic marketing decisions…)
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Hello, my name is Andy…  I’m a Social Media Addict. (all together now…  Hellooooo Andy!) Can you see it – some big, mental-ward-like facility filled with a circle of gray, plastic chairs…  smoke hanging heavy in the air like some support group meeting (enter Nurse Rached)?  Is this what we’ve come to?

Sure.  I AM a social media addict.  I’m also a procrastinator.  I’m a last-minute Marty.  If I have 12 hours to get a post written, I’ll start it on the 10th.  If I have a week’s worth of vacation, I start planning events on the 5th day of it… (like now) It’s a sickness…

And then entered SOCIAL MEDIA…

(Da, Da, Duuuuuuuuuuuummmm!)

The BIG time-waster…  How was I going to read or educate myself / my family / my clients when there was Farmville and Mafia Wars to manage? Who was going to manage my clients’ marketing plans, media buys… OH THE HORROR…

I had tweets to read! Now I’m REALLY going to get behind…

I say, “Horse pucky!”

Social media and productivity CAN go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, they can help support one-another.

Six years ago, I read maybe a book a year (maybe).  Today I read about a book a week (give or take the occasional audio-book on the way into work). Can I attribute that to social media?  Not entirely, but I can say, if I didn’t start educating myself pretty quickly (reading, researching, engaging) I was going to be left behind!

Social media works.  You just need a plan.  You need to be diligent about tasks that make you “productive” versus distractions that make you “mush.”

So, how do I manage in intake of information with my propensity for procrastination?  The answer is simple. Tasty, bite-sized, manageable “Edu-tizers.”

Instead of taking on books, movies, articles as a “gotta-finish-it-all-right-now” type Mega Meals, I’ve taken my diet of books, newspapers, magazines, social media and television (yes, I still learn from television) and broken it all up into small, but frequent portioned snacks that I take in throughout the day.

Appetizers to Edu-tizers…  easy to remember and fun to say…

Yes, just how your trainers tell you to maintain higher metabolism with food intake, I’m doing the same with media, social media and education. With this approach, I avoid the mind-numbing coma of a 200 page marathon read or a 2 hour span of The Discovery Channel to more manageable segments of information that my brain can digest and still be nimble enough to move on throughout the day. I also avoid hours upon hours of social media time-wasters… (you know who you are).

Simple? So, how do you start?  Or better yet, how do you cut back to a manageable level?

Below I’ve listed a few “best practices” that have worked for me.  It’s better to set up your own program, but maybe this will help those that can’t seem to manage time and intake with logic and diligence.

#1 Where book stores and libraries fall short, there’s social media!
SHOCK, GASP! — okay get that out of your systems.  I buy books – at least one every week.  But the social media wave/tsunami has hit.  If you’re not in a boat that floats or at least a dingy with a good compass, you’re going to be left back in the devastation.

There are volumes upon volumes of information being put out into the social media waters every day.  Why not tap into the biggest wave of information known to human kind since the discovery of spoken word? When I can’t get my “fill” from books, television or any number of publications at the local magazine rack, it’s just a click and search away.  You just need to be willing to look. It takes less time than you think.

#2 – All good things in moderation! (VERY IMPORTANT)
Facebook, MySpace, et al have their attractive (and addictive) features, but remember that social media is about the sharing of information.  If you spend hours a day on one site, you’re bound to lose contact with your productivity, your interests, your LIFE.  Diversification is key!

I use Facebook (for instance) strictly for social and business-social communication.  I get on to post what I’m up to, to learn what friends, family members and coworkers have going on in their lives, respond (only if necessary), and then I move on (about 10 minutes of my day).  No games. No surveys. No nonsense.

#3 – You must feed the monster.
I had a professor that, during the first week of classes, would get to know which students over-engaged (raising hands on every question, writing 20 page compositions instead of the requested five, etc. – you know ‘em…), and then, for the rest of the semester would ignore them. Why?  Because it was his intention to drive the conversation to those that needed it the most. The quiet ones.  The ones that sat in the back of the auditorium hoping to learn through osmosis (me).  If you don’t participate in the conversation, you’re not going to get anything out of it.

With that professor in mind, I spend about a half hour each day (often more) sorting through blog posts or comments that I intend to add value to (sometimes marked days/weeks before to come back to later).

Is it presumptuous to think that what I have to say is important enough to post it to someone’s blog or Facebook page?  Heck no! That’s what SOCIAL media is all about. With that single post or comment, I’ve started a conversation that will, in turn, further the learning process and be of value to both parties.  Does it happen every time?  No.  But for those that really know how to engage, they are some of the most educational conversations I’ve had since… college!

#4 – Find your “Happy Place” (then file it away).
When I first started this “journey,” I subscribed to every feed and every alert under the sun.  From “Bob the Australian Cat Wrangler” to “The Marketing Gods of Melrose Place,” I wanted to read it all!  But I learned one important thing…  time is an unforgiving bitch!

Sure, I’m “friends with” or “connected to” thousands of people via social media, but I have no question that I can’t absorb all of the conversations going on at all times.  Nor would I want to. I honestly couldn’t care less about Bob from Australia’s cats and the huge dingo they devoured last night (okay, maybe THAT would make me pause).

Break your input streams up into logical lines of conversation. While I have access to thousands of stories, I only read the ones that will make a difference in my life, my career, my well-being.  So, I have my feeds broken up into the following categories:

• News
• Branding
• Marketing
• Leadership
• Management
• Education
• Personal Fun
• Music
• Photography
• Feed-Specific (generally client-based)

The only categories I read (thoroughly) every day are “News” and “Feed-Specific.”  Otherwise, I skim, mark for future research or commenting and I move on.  This takes me about a half hour every day.  It’s a great way to start the day and a great way to wake up my brain.

#5 All posts have their place:
The social media waters get pretty muddy from time-to-time.  It’s constantly churning and dredging up things that, well, just don’t need to be seen / read / heard.  Think of it this way, if you don’t want “it” displayed on a billboard in the middle of the town square, delete, delete, delete!

Do I use Facebook for business?  Certainly.  But I separate what I do for my company and clients from what I do personally.  Don’t bring your work home with you and don’t bring your home to work with you.

***

God knows how many blogs / online publications I read on a yearly basis (right now, my Google feed reader has 1,373 RSS feeds pumping knowledge through my keyboard and into my brain…).   And without social media, I wouldn’t be able to provide my clients (or my family) with the quality information and support that I do today.

Don’t get me wrong, social media can be a slippery slope. But with the right plan and just a little discipline, you can make it work for you.

How does your social media diet stack up?  Are you a lean, mean fighting machine or has the weight of the social media tsunami washed away all hope? (please make the metaphors stop)…

Hope to see you in the social media stew!

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

Walk in to virtually any ad agency and you’ll find ‘em.  They’re usually in distressed jeans, flat, cordovan shoes with an un-tucked shirt and strategically ever-so-slightly messed hair.  Male, female… doesn’t matter, the only difference may be the thickness of stubble above the neck.  They make themselves known by their piercing stare as you bring your client in and sit them on the opposing side of the shiny, oak-veneered conference table.

I’m taking about “brand experts.” They seem to be multiplying like rabbits on Viagra.

In a matter of minutes, these eager little bunnies assess the client’s brand, their marketing, the company culture – down to how the phone is answered, and determine that the only path to redemption is to spend close to the nation’s national debt on a generalized rebranding “system” they conjured up years ago when “brand” became the new hot word in marketing.

To the clients: Any agency, consultant or semi-related industry individual that comes to you with a pre-developed formula for rebranding your company is selling you a bill of goods that will only perpetuate and exacerbate more trouble.  Put your checkbooks away and walk run away.

To the “experts:” Just so you’re aware, we see you.  Here are 5 things everyone should know about YOUR brand (in broad, generalities to make it easy for you to follow).

1. Joan Rivers looks “great,” but is still one crazy chick…
   Superficial “rebranding” like reworked logos and stationery won’t solve deep branding issues.  A face lift, a nip here or a tuck there won’t make what’s at the core of the brand any different. So, put away your spec creative and mounted ads and listen for a second.
2. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery…  it’s also called “LAZY.”
   What BBDO did for  company A won’t apply to company B.  If you can’t come up with an original idea on your own, then you need to get out of the “idea generation” biz.  Branding is different for each-and-every company and person.
3. Magic is for children and idiots…  just ask David Copperfield.
   Smoke and mirrors, baby.  Even David Copperfield (called an “illusionist’) can’t really make an elephant disappear.  So, let’s address the true elephant in the room.  If you can’t deliver on your branding promises, then don’t blow smoke up our skirts.
4. The proof is in the pudding…  but proof alone tastes like crap.
   One-hit rock stars, fly-by-night consultants…  all have a single claim to their “FAME.”  But part of making a great meal is marrying ingredients that, one alone, may put a pucker in your puss.  If you have the acumen of a seasoned group of marketers along with strategy, compassion and concern for the client, the taste will always work out in the end.  In other words, get a few under your belt before you try to claim the title.
5. The louder you crow, the more you look like a… rooster.
   Some of the best practitioners I’ve been involved with have been soft-spoken and understated (that goes for ANY trade).  If you walk into the room like you’re the most important person there, then you’ve already put the client into a subordinate position.  Why would they want to work with that looming over them?  Just drop the ego.

Sure, I call myself “The Brand Chef” but that, by no means, makes me an expert on your brand.

What does it mean?  Like a chef, I work with a team of proven professionals and use the tools of the trade (marketing communications, design, photography, interactive strategy, etc.) to build a TRUE brand for our clients.  There are no pre-packaged recipes for branding.  There is no secret formula. With research, listening, conversation, strategy and honesty, we guide our clients to the best solution for brand marketing possible.

If that’s too simple for you, then give a “Branding Expert” a call.  We’ll be here to pick up the pieces when it all comes crashing down.

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef

What does the recent addition of  Twitter Lists mean to you?  It’s another enhancement for Twitter, sure, but what does it mean to your daily social media routine?  That question was asked at the Central Iowa Blogger’s (#CIB) meet-up this morning.

At #CIB, the conversations revolve around everything from the impact of social media on our local economy to the impact of Dallas J. Moore’s beard on the local lady-folk.  But today’s group of 20 to 30 die-hard, as well as a handful of new faces, got into a pretty vibrant conversation about how Twitter Lists will affect their social media practices.

Below is a list of some of the concepts that came out of this morning’s discussion.  Which one will you practice when it comes to Twitter Lists?

I’ll use Twitter Lists as a viability measurement.

(# of List Appearances ÷ # of Followers = Viability Score)
Personal social media measurement is still a sticky wicket.  I know people that have well over 10,000 followers.  And for ages, that was supposed to be some kind of indication of how viable they are in the social media circles they were in.  Well, with the inception of Twitter Lists, their viability could be measured by a ratio of followers to lists they appear on.

Using the equation above, if you have 7,500 followers, but you only appear on 15 lists, would would have a “Viability Score” of 0.20%. On the other hand, if you follow 7,500 and you’re on 125 lists, your Viability Score would be 1.66%.

One would assume that the higher your Viability Score, the more PERCEIVED VALUE AND IMPACT you would have on your followers and prospective followers. (by-the-way, @thebrandchef’s viability score is 1.75% and Chris Brogan has a 28.01%.  One can dream…)

I’ll use Twitter Lists as a network noise reducer.

How many of those conversations can you actually track?
Like many of you, I started out using Twitter to track conversations about my personal brand as well as promote The Brand Chef.  That led to following hundreds of “Movers and shakers” in the marketing communications “twittersphere.”  Then, I began following targeted markets (restaurant chains, food professionals) to monitor and engage potential clientele.  Finally, I added friends, associates, local thought-leaders and networking acquaintances.

After 11 short months, I was following almost 2,000 conversations and close to that many were following me!  The noise within my traditional tweetstream was impossible to focus. How many conversations are you trying to follow?  Can you see how the noise can get out of hand?

So, using Twitter Lists as a network noise reducer, I’d be able to create segmented breaks from that conversation of 2000.  I could have a couple hundred on a list of  “Marketing Gurus;” a couple hundred in in a list called, “The Boffo Branding Brigade;” and finally pull another handful in to list called “Foodie Folk.” This gives me the opportunity to cut down on the noise form my “Des Moines tweeps” (sorry guys) and focus on Marketing, Branding and Food, respectively.

So much quieter – not to mention more productive…

I’ll use Twitter Lists as a reconnaissance tool.

Now you know who “they” think is important.
With Twitter Lists, while there IS an option to make your lists private, I’m not seeing a lot of people protecting them. Segmentation isn’t anything new.  I made the lists mentioned above in my Tweetdeck, and for months I’ve been able to “reduce the noise.” But most have been making lists willy-nilly and for all to see.  What does that mean to competitive advantage?

As a reconnaissance tool, searching certain competitor’s Twitter Lists would give you easy market research of the conversations that “they” deem important enough to list.  For instance, if my #CIB buddy Claire Celsi had a list of “Clients That Tweet” (which she doesn’t), a competing PR Firm could “happen upon” her list and see who she’s working with.  It’s a pretty black-hat tactic, but it DID come up in conversation.

What will you do with Twitter Lists?

So, with that, how do YOU plan on using Twitter Lists.  Do you have other applications?  Like the network noise reducer, what are the advantages to Twitter Lists.  Or, as illustrated with the reconnaissance tool, do you see a draw back to using it?

Thanks for listening!  And please, help me “up” my Twitter Viability Score and add me to your lists…

Keep Cooking!
Andrew B. Clark
The Brand Chef