States Need to Follow California’s Lead in Smart Energy and Water Management

By Montrie Rucker AdamsSeptember 15, 2014 Blog advertising, ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, California, energy management, smart thermostats, social media, water, water management

When the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was experiencing a high point, many people were agitated that water was being wasted. Those not living in water challenged states like California may not have understood what all the fuss was about. “It’s just a little bucket of water!”

The state of California launched a statewide education campaign, “Energy Upgrade California”.

Its goal is to allow citizens to manage their energy and water use, while saving money as the state meets its climate goals. To educate Californians, the campaign utilizes social media, advertising, its website and community outreach.

Households and small businesses will learn about the state’s energy and climate policies and find ways to become more efficient in managing energy use. Steps include using smart strips for standby power, replacing lightbulbs, using smart thermostats and monitoring home energy use. Water saving is also a part of the campaign, with education that includes information about low-flow showerheads.

Reducing water use is more important than ever for Californians, with hot weather and this year’s reduced snow pack. California has one of the most energy-efficient economies in the world and it aims to meet their energy and carbon pollution reduction goals in just over five years.

While “a little bucket of water” may not be a lot to some, to those challenged with water and energy consumption, education is key.

Three Top Social Media Networks and How to Best Use Them

By Montrie Rucker AdamsSeptember 10, 2014 Blog facebook, Instagram, linkedin, search engine, social media

Last I checked, there were well over 200 major social media networking sites (and that’s growing). From About.me to Instagram to Zoopa, people are finding creative ways to connect.

With so many from which to choose, how can you know which is best for you?

Instead of trying to go through the entire list, following are the top three for business:

LinkedIn
Worldwide, 300 million members are just one reason every business should use the network as part of its media strategy. It’s great for recruiting employees, but beyond that a blog post or research paper shared on the site can grow your network and extend your reach as it is shared on both LinkedIn and other networks. An active news feed will keep your network engaged with your business.

Google+
This network is great for extending your search engine results. Being on it helps with your overall ranking. Your posts on the network will also be indexed by search engines. Links on a Google+ intro page can help your page be found in searches and drive traffic to your website.

Facebook
With over 500 million active users worldwide, a business page here creates an opportunity to engage directly with customers. Create a content calendar to keep your customers active on your page. Page insights will give you insight into which posts are working best. They also tell to which posts your customers most respond so you can strengthen the bond between your business and customers.

There are also sites for book lovers (aNobii, LibraryThing), research scientists (Epernicus), photo sharing (Instagram), cooks (cucumbertown) and baby boomers (eons.com).

There’s something for everyone, but Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn are leading the pack in business.

Short on Cash?…Advertise! The Ohio Turnpike OKs Marketing Program

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 28, 2014 Blog advertise, advertising, marketing, naming rights, Ohio Department of Transportation, Ohio Turnpike Commission, State Farm

When you’re short on cash, advertise!

There was a time when you didn’t see ads from doctors, lawyers and the pharmaceutical companies. Now, the Ohio Turnpike Commission has moved to raise revenue through advertising.

The Ohio Turnpike Commission is offering Sponsorship deals and ads in locations from pet-walking areas to toll plazas. But it stopped short of allowing naming rights of the Turnpike.

Snowplows, emergency vehicles and vending machines are proposed spaces for advertising. Their sales team is pushing for sales that could generate millions of dollars a year. The effort is part of the state’s Republican Governor John Kasich’s aim to address transportation budget shortfalls. While the Turnpike currently operates in the black, increasing construction costs have sparked the roadway’s unique marketing program.

Naming rights, while potentially the most lucrative way to raise funds, is associated with sports marketing. The commission thought it would have a negative connotation if applied to the Turnpike.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is also looking to public/private partnerships to raise revenue. It recently raised $8.65 million over ten years by letting State Farm Insurance advertise on their vans that patrol highways. State Farm signs are now on many Ohio roadways.

Advertising is but a sector of marketing. If your marketing plan includes options to not only increase visibility but also revenue, then why not try something new. The Ohio Turnpike is doing just that.

General Motors Apologizes After Sending Recall Notices to Victims of Faulty Ignitions

By Montrie Rucker AdamsAugust 13, 2014 Blog

More and more I see companies making mistakes that can be avoided…if they would just get professional customer engagement counsel.

GM has issued 2.6 million recall notices to customers stemming from a faulty ignition switch. The recall is linked to at least 13 deaths. The National Highway Transportation Authority (NHTSA) believes it may be much more. A Reuters analysis found the number could be as high as 74 deaths.

However, in issuing the recalls, GM failed to omit victims who had died as a result of the problem. They sent those families recall notices.

Sixteen-year-old Amber Marie Rose’s mother, Terri DiBattista, received a recall notice for a car that was involved in a 2005 Maryland crash that killed her daughter. GM went further, mailing a notice to the family’s new address in South Carolina, where they had moved to try to heal after their daughter’s death.

GM’s statement, sent to each crash victim’s family reads: “We are deeply sorry to those families who received a recall notice.”

The public relations woes of the company continue. The automaker announced that 15 employees are retiring or have been fired as a result of the ignition problem. The recall began with 800,000 Chevy Cobalts and Pontiac G5s, before growing to the current number of 2.6 million.

As many companies experience these types of public relations issues, it’s critical to not forget the importance of expert communications counsel.

Why Businesses Shouldn’t Link Facebook Posts to Twitter

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 26, 2014 Blog

I have to admit, I’m a newbie to Twitter. I read a few chapters in books, participated in a few seminars and just jumped right in. I’m still not as proficient as I’d like. It’s moving faster than a cat in a room of rocking chairs. I know I made many mistakes along the way, including the one I’m sharing here.

There’s a social media shortcut that seems like a great time-saver: Having a Facebook post show up on Twitter. But it’s not a good idea: The two social media platforms are very different in the ways fans engage with them and require different approaches.

Twitter is a good tool for connecting with current as well as potential customers. It’s tailored for gathering and responding to tweets about your business and to handle any complaints. Here’s why it should not link to Facebook:

If you’re not posting directly to Twitter, you probably won’t follow up with your customers and interact directly with them. Customers will think you don’t care about them if you’re nonresponsive.
People may follow you on Facebook also, but if the same content is on both, you’ll lose them half the time. They’ll see the same posts as being impersonal and inauthentic.
Facebook allows up to 5,000 characters per post and Twitter only 140. A truncated post on Twitter just looks sloppy and loses its impact. Some posts also only show up as links on Twitter when linked from Facebook. Your message gets lost and the opportunity to reach a new customer is gone.

You’ll end up with less followers than if you manage them individually. It will mean more time, but you’ll notice the difference over time and build a stronger, loyal customer base.

So if you’ve followed us on Twitter, you may have noticed this blunder. Please come back. We realize our mistake and we’re in the process of making changes.

Make Your Writing Concise and Readable by Eliminating Redundancy

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 17, 2014 Blog writing

I was in elementary school the first time I realized I loved writing. However, I soon realized that writing the fiction I loved to read, and writing non-fiction, was very different.

When you’re writing your blogs or other content, every word should have meaning and tell your story. Using redundant phrases gets in the way of readability and lessens the impact.

Here are some common two-word redundant phrases to eliminate. Use one word or the other, not both:

close proximity
join together
large in size
past history
past experience
daily basis
added bonus
completely full
circulate around
final outcome
invited guests
general public
future plans
free gift
armed shooter
advance planning
major breakthrough
revert back
sum total
still continues
true fact
unexpected surprise
unsolved mystery
twelve midnight

Many write the way they talk. You may say, “It was an unexpected surprise!” however writing both is not necessary. Saying them isn’t either, but old habits are hard to break.

If you make “plans,” they are for the future. A”gift” is always “free” (at least it should be, or it’s not a gift). If something is “true,” then it is a “fact.”

Many are reading on devices, with limited time. Writing tight and concise gets to the point and drives a clear message.

Try it…let me know what you think.

The Telephone as a Marketing Tool

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 16, 2014 Blog email, landline, marketing, voicemail

In our “high-tech” world, it seems so easy to forget to “reach out and touch” someone. However, in marketing, hearing a live voice on the phone has its merits.

The low-tech telephone is often pushed aside for email and texts as a sales tool in this digital age. Many sales still originate over the phone and here’s a few ways to use it to your advantage.

Keep your system up-to-date

Don’t let potential customers encounter a busy signal or wait for 20 rings until it’s answered. Consider installing a system with multiple lines so this doesn’t happen.

Forego call waiting. Customers don’t like being asked to hold so you can answer another line.

Don’t have the customer push a lot of buttons. Make sure that one of the first options is to speak to a “live” person.

Have a separate line for faxes.

Add caller ID, voicemail and conference calling to your service.

How you answer—or don’t—matters
If the designated phone answerer isn’t available, have a cordial message on voicemail, promising that the call will be returned promptly. The person answering should have a greeting tone that is warm and friendly. You can’t “redo” a first impression. How your business operates is reflected in the tone of voice. If you have multiple employees, give them a script so your company message is consistent, but rehearse it so their words don’t sound like they’re reading a script.

When you return the customer’s call, or have a call routed to you, never give the impression that you’ve been interrupted or rush the caller. Ask pertinent questions, but also give the caller a chance to ask you questions.

Cellular phones
Using a mobile phone in addition to your landline helps with customer accessibility. If you’re going to be away from the office for more than a couple of hours, pick up your voicemail often, or have office calls forwarded to your mobile phone.

If your office is in your home, make the office a separate area. Screaming children or a barking dog can damage your professional image.

Though it seems email and text messages are popular, you still have to reach your audience in the manner they wish. In eliminating voice calls, you may be eliminating sales opportunities.

Consumers Lash Out at American Girl on Facebook After Diverse Dolls are Discontinued

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 13, 2014 Blog American Girl, American Girl doll, Cecile, diversity, facebook, Ivy, Marie-Grace, Ruthie, twitter

Recently, the American Girl doll maker and retailer announced that it is dropping four dolls from its historical doll line. That wouldn’t be news except that one of the dolls is one of two black dolls and one is their only Asian doll.

Angry Facebook fans saw the move as reducing the line’s diversity and lashed out. American Girl responded to some commenters in the more than 1,200 in the thread, stating that they remain committed to offering diverse cultures and races in their dolls. Commenters responded about the disconnect in the statement, since it would no longer have any Asian dolls for sale. Reaction on Twitter was similar.

American Girl contends that the reason for the dolls discontinuation was that it was moving away from its “friend” dolls, ones that are sold in pairs but not separately.

The company sent a statement to ABC News after its news story on the discontinuation and fan outrage:

“At nearly one million strong, we’re proud of the relationships we’ve built with our dedicated Facebook community. Our fans are very passionate and many of our posts generate a high level of engagement, including comments, likes and shares. Certainly we know that whenever we announce that a character is archiving, it will cause some level of disappointment, especially among our most ardent fans… While demand for characters certainly plays a part in our overall decision making, the main reason for this year’s approach is based on the decision to move away from our friend-character strategy within the historical line. This decision affected Marie-Grace, Ruthie, as well as Ivy and Cecile—the first two racially diverse characters to be archived by American Girl. In comparison, American Girl will be archiving a total of nine Caucasian characters since 2008.”

Our daughter is an American Girl fan and loves her American Girl doll. I understand the company’s move. As long as dolls are represented for girls of all ethnicities, the fans should be happy “American Girls.”

The “Sustainable Font” Created by a London Ad Agency

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 10, 2014 Blog font, garamond, Grey London, Ryman Eco, sustainable

We see the word “sustainability” so much now, that it’s becoming the new black.

It all started with a 14-year-old Pittsburgh student who pointed out that the U.S. government, if it switched its font choice to the classic Garamond, it could save $400 million a year. Thinking about ink use coined the term “sustainable font.”

The Grey London advertising agency recently teamed with Ryman Stationery to create a sustainable font, called “Ryman Eco.” The font used 33 percent less ink than most other fonts when printed, saving 500 million ink cartridges and 15 million barrels of oil each year.

The typeface development began internally at Grey, and they brought the idea to Ryman, the U.K.’s largest stationer. From there, the team worked with Dan Rhatigan of Monontype to design the font. You can watch the video on its making here, which also has a link for downloading the free font.

Are you smarter than a 14-year-old? Can you think of a creative way to be more “sustainable?”

I’m sure you can think of more than one. Try…and let me know what you create.

Pinterest Told to “Get Green” by its Users and Greenpeace

By Montrie Rucker AdamsJune 5, 2014 Blog facebook, green, Greenpeace, pins, pinterest, twitter

It seems that no one has an excuse for not going “green.”

At a demonstration outside Pinterest’s headquarters in San Francisco, influential Pinterest users and Greenpeace activists asked the social network to use renewable energy to power its platform.

Mimicking Pinterest’s interface, the demonstrators set up two 15-foot by 13-foot “boards” with “pins” that stated, “Make Our Pins Green.” The featured “pins” were designed by Pinterest users who have almost five million combined followers.

The activists also set up a solar-powered café in a trailer with functioning solar panels, keeping the coffee hot with solar-powered burners.

Pinterest has 70 million users with 750 million boards and 30 billion pins but has yet to commit to a sustainable energy program. Other tech companies have committed to using renewable energy including Apple, Google and Facebook.

Pinterest is powered by Amazon Web Services, whose data centers are only powered by 15 percent renewable energy. Greenpeace is pushing all major Internet companies to shift to renewable energy sources. It is inviting Pinterest users to join the campaign and share content from pinterest.com/greenpeaceusa/clickclean.

Alternative Ways to Communicate Your Company’s Sustainability Brand

By Montrie Rucker AdamsMay 30, 2014March 20, 2019 Blog, Sustainability

You want to let the world know your work in sustainability, but it’s a daunting task. You do so much. What’s the easiest way to communicate it all? Thanks for asking.

You need to make your messages personal and relatable: Get to how people live. Start with where they are on a daily basis. What they do at home, work or in school. Then move on to more global environmental themes. For example, when addressing climate change, don’t start with facts, start with its impact at home. Communicate what impact your company’s practices and products have on day-to-day activities. Then expand to how it affects the global environment.

In London’s Science Museum, a current exhibition entitled, “Climate Changing Stories,” is a free display that combines science, imagination and art with differing time periods and perspectives. It gives a unique view of our evolving planet. Co-sponsored by Siemens, Bank of America, and Shell, these corporations tied themselves to the green movement—one way of telling their story without words.

Global brands invest in efforts to persuade customers to live more sustainably. They only succeed if they strike the right tone. Aligning themselves with a local exhibit, they avoided the pitfalls of being perceived as too “corporate” and distant.

Smaller exhibits and community events are ways for smaller businesses to expand their reach with consumers and communicate their position on sustainability. Start with where people live, work and play…you then expand.