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iGen Exposed, A Q&A with Author Stefan Pollack

Stefan Pollack, president of The Pollack PR Marketing Group and Author of the new book Disrupted, took time this week to explain iGen and how marketers need to communicate with them in our Q&A interview below.

1. Who is iGen and why will they change how marketers communicate in the future?

iGen, also called Generation Z, was born between 1994 and 2004 and as of last year started turning 18. In just a few short years they will join Gen Y as a digital native majority in the world. While Gen Y’s impact as digital natives have absolutely disrupted the communications and marketing industry, iGen will turn it on its head. Imagine an entire generation of consumers that have the sum total of human knowledge at their fingertips—why would they listen to brands if they can listen to other consumers and peers that they trust? Marketers will soon find that tried and true age old tactics will fall flat on the iGen consumer and without conceding control of a message, earning their trust, and partnering with influencers, brand messages may never be heard by this generation.

2. Which companies are already interacting with iGen in the correct ways?

Some companies were partly responsible for the consumer-driven marketplace that iGen was raised in and so, by default, already interact with them in the correct ways: Amazon and eBay putting consumers at the wheel with reviews and interaction, Apple and Amazon creating innovative technology that enables a mobile and permanently connected consumer, Netflix and Hulu that deliver instant access to entertainment, and of course the social media titans Facebook and Twitter. Beyond the consumer-driven marketplace, however, companies that identified trends have already paved a way of successful strategies and tactics. Cisco and Coca-Cola, for example, have embraced brand journalism by bringing existing influencers under the banner to write about relevant industry topics. Starbucks has shown repeatedly that it understands the interactive and altruistic nature of the modern consumer through various initiatives. Also, some companies, like TOMS Shoes, were built from the ground up to appeal to modern consumers by building authentic social change into their company’s fabric. The leaders of the new era will be comfortable conceding control of their brand to consumers, those that stone wall consumers, or remain inauthentic or opaque, will struggle in this environment.

3. What was your main motivation for writing this book?

During a staff meeting last year, it dawned on us that the next generation of consumers had just started becoming adults. The generation after Gen Y, was voting, driving cars, buying groceries and presumably going to college. With all of the attention paid to understanding Gen Y as a consumer, it occurred to us that we need to pay special attention to a generation that has only known a world where traditional media is irrelevant, there are no global boundaries and an unlimited amount of information can be accessed instantly, anywhere. When a colleague’s three-year old tried to change the television by swiping his finger across the screen, I knew we were witnessing a generation unlike any we’ve seen before and it was time to explore what was in store for marketers.

4. What are the three main takeaways you want your readers to remember from Disrupted?

iGen will embrace brands and serve as brand ambassadors once a brand is in their circle of trust—to earn access to the circle of trust, brands must understand and produce information iGen wants or needs, be authentic, and be transparent.
It is more important than ever that marketers identify those that influence iGen and create partnerships with them, however, these partnerships need to be relevant, transparent and mutually beneficial.
It is no longer good enough to rely upon traditional media tactics alone, iGen consumes information primarily through other consumers, so there needs to be a holistic approach to marketing that includes any one of the online or offline outlets, influencers or individuals that iGen trusts.

How to Become a Winner with Vine

I am not a betting woman, but I am willing to make a wager you have probably heard about the latest and greatest social media platform—Vine. The fact that you have six seconds to provide relevant content to your brand’s fan base possesses both an upside and a downside.

On the up:

With all of the mumbo jumbo that surrounds us in this crazy world, it is no secret we have short attention spans, which I like to call the Squirrel Syndrome. Vine challenges us to provide a message and engage the intended target audience quickly rather than creating a five-minute-plus video that drags on and on.
Who doesn’t love a good how-to tutorial, behind-the-scenes sneak peek, or a before-and-after transformation? It all goes back to show and tell—we, as consumers, would rather be shown something versus being told something. Check out a few Vine videos from Lowe’s—every bit of awesome!

For all of you sweating over the challenge of creating relevant content in six seconds, do yourself a favor and relax. Lo and behold the Vine description section. Use this to your advantage by offering a brief recap about the video. This also gives you a chance to reinforce your key messages.

On the down:

If you do not have a clear vision of what you want to say, your message will never resonate with your key audience. There is a reason why I keep using the word relevant in this post: You have to offer pertinent content based on your brand’s image and your target audience’s interests. If they do not benefit from your message, you’re good as gone. General Electric does a fabulous job of providing great, relevantcontent to its followers on Vine. Take a look:
It’s OK to have surpluses of shoes, nail polish colors and pieces of pizza; however, you can have too much of a good thing. Some brands try to do too much in one six-second video, flashing what seems like a million images at once. If consumers cannot process what they are being shown, you leave them questioning what they just viewed. Sometimes simple is better.
You wouldn’t purchase a vehicle that did not fit your lifestyle needs, so why would you adopt a social media platform that doesn’t provide value to your brand? Before you make the grand dive into this new outlet, test the waters to see if Vine is right for your brand.

If you embrace all that Vine has to offer and do your best to avoid the common mistakes, there is no doubt you will hit the jackpot!

Social Media Stories are Told Through Cellphone Photography

Note: Although powerful, the following links to certain images are very graphic at times.

Everyone who attended the YouToo Social Media Conference at Kent State University heard and saw the same message loud and clear. When developing communications strategy for social media channels, think visuals. While there were many great examples of visual strategy and execution, I was most impressed with a breakout session on cellphone photography. Increasingly, cellphone cameras capture the videos and images that are shared with the world.

It shouldn’t be surprising to see that Kent State University offers a class in cellphone photography. Do any of us truly know how to use the camera on our iPhones, Androids, or Galaxies? Or as David LaBelle, director of photojournalism at Kent State University would say, a camera that happens to be a phone.

According to LaBelle, cellphone cameras have transformed how images are captured, viewed and shared in a very short time. He gave a fascinating history of how cellphone photography has gone mainstream.

The world first realized the power of pictures captured on a cellphone in 2004 when pictures taken of Iraqi detainees by U.S. Army Military Police were published. While by today’s standards, the images are crude, they exposed rampant prisoner abuse and the U.S. government’s sometimes deadly prisoner interrogation methods. It’s easy to see how these images redefined U.S. foreign policy.

The next big event in cellphone photography was in January 2009 when US Airways flight 1549 hit a flock of Canada geese and made a miraculous water landing on the Hudson River in New York City. While it has been widely reported this was the first major news event first shared on Twitter, it was also the first time a cellphone photo was featured on the front page of the world’s leading newspapers.

Later in 2009, we saw the true power of a cellphone video that brought a nation’s people to its streets with the death of a previously unknown Iranian woman. Neda Adha-Soltan was watching a protest against the results of the 2009 Iranian presidential election. She was randomly shot in the chest by a member of the ruling Iranian Basij party. A cellphone video of her final 40 seconds of life was uploaded onto YouTube and in hours, social and international media had shared her death with the world. She became the face of the Iranian Green Revolution. Be warned, the video is very powerful and graphic.

These are just three examples of how images were captured on cellphones cameras and shared with the world. In less than 10 years, cellphone photography has gone mainstream as quality and accessibility have improved. As you’ve seen, these images can be graphic, heroic, despicable, amazing and terrible. All are powerful, which is why communication strategists need to allow for opportunities to share stories with others through images and video. Consider this amazing photo demonstrating just what I mean.

The Business of Pinterest

If you’ve been using Pinterest for business you’ve no doubt checked your home page to see who’s repinned or liked your pins. You may have checked Google Analytics to see how much referral traffic Pinterest drives to your website, or done an image search to see who’s pinning your photos. But until recently, there wasn’t an easy way to see all your Pinterest activity in one place. That all changed in mid-March when Pinterest introduced web analytics.

Pinterest Web Analytics are only available to verified business accounts. If you’ve been using Pinterest as an individual on behalf of your brand, you’ll first need to convert your existing account to a business account, then verify that account before you can use the new analytics. Fortunately, this is a quick and easy process. You’ll retain all the board, pins, likes and followers in your current account when you make the conversion. (For step-by-step instructions, check out this post from Social Media Today.)

Once you’ve converted and verified your account, Pinterest will automatically begin tracking activity. Just continue pinning as you normally would, giving Pinterest a few days to collect initial data. Pinterest Web Analytics are available any time from the dropdown menu that appears next to your account name on the top right corner of you Pinterest page. By default, analytics opens in the “Site Metrics” tab and displays four individual line charts that tell you, by day:

How many images were pinned from your website, and by how many individual pinners
How many pins from your website were repinned, and by how many individual pinners
How many times your pins appeared in the main feed, in search results or on boards (impressions)
How many people saw your pins (reach)
How many clicks and how many visitors Pinterest drove to your website

Beyond the charts, you can use the “Most Recent” tab to see what images users Pinned in the last 24 hours, and the “Most Repinned” and “Most Clicked” tabs to see activity on selected days. There’s also an option to export your data for further analysis.

If you’re managing a Pinterest account on behalf of a brand, it’s definitely worth the few minutes it takes to convert to a verified business account. Pinterest has rolled out several new tools and features just for businesses in the past few months, and their analytics offering appears to be just the most recent effort to ensure businesses get the most from their presence on Pinterest.

Social Media’s Hierarchy of Needs for Driving Engagement

Taking the first plunge into a strategic social media initiative can be complicated. Sure, it seems easy enough to tweet every once in a while. But it’s just as easy to become one of the millions of abandoned Twitter handles when you realize it’s a little more complicated than 140 characters.

A lot of organizations want to come out swinging, content-first. Content is important and can ultimately bring in leads and facilitate engagement when done correctly. But understanding the fundamental characteristics that make social media so valuable will lead to content that pays off.

Try using a step-by-step approach to master social-media strategy. Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs from freshman psychology? It’s like that. Understand the base and you are prepared to take on the next step. By the time you reach the top, you are well on your way to a sound social media engagement strategy.

True Digital’s social media engagement hierarchy starts with understanding how to interact on varying social media networks and finishes with creating, distributing and talking about meaningful content you created.

In the coming weeks, we will take an in-depth look at each of these steps. For now, here’s a quick overview:

Network Mechanics

This may be old hat for some, but all too often, we advice clients that automatic cross-posting between Facebook and Twitter is not ideal for either audience. This is one the many rules in the language of social media. How can you have meaningful conversations if you’re speaking different languages?

Conversation

Social media has created the opportunity for complete, unbridled two-way communication benefiting marketers and consumers. While Facebook and Twitter aren’t always the ideal sounding board we expect, there no reason we shouldn’t be encouraging conversation whenever possible and engaging users who reach out to us.

Frequency

You know the language and how to talk. Now, how often should you speak? Understanding when your audience wants to engage can be one of the most difficult steps in outlining your social media strategy – mostly, because it’s different for every audience and every brand. Then, you have to marry their expectations with your ability to provide fresh content.

Tone

Developing a tone that connects with your audience in social is an ongoing process and it certainly can’t be done before taken some time to listen to when and how they talk in social venues. You may have endless market research on your target audience, but all those charts and graphs are no substitute for real conversations with real people.

Content

By now, you know a lot about your social audience. While you may already have content you’ve been sharing, you should have a laundry list for new idea by the time you make it to this point. More importantly, your efforts to this point are likely reaping rewards. That means you should be ready to allocate more resources to social media, and original content is a great supplement for and new social media strategy initiatives.

Author: Tyler Norris [Google+]