Earlier this week, I was asked to speak at Ohio State about how PR pros can effectively use Twitter. My thoughts are in this presentation, but I’d love to hear from you: What’s your best “Twitter for PR” example or anecdote?

Additional resource: The PR Pro’s Guide to Twitter, an article I wrote for Mashable.

Did you catch Honda’s Matthew Broderick-Ferris Bueller Super Bowl commercial? Some people believe Broderick sold out, while others see the commercial as a hilarious update on an iconic movie character. Either way, with more than 3 million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours, Honda has kickstarted the online conversation and sparked early buzz — around the water cooler and the internet.

This is just one way social media is impacting the Super Bowl watching experience. In fact, according to Shiv Singh, global head of digital for Pepsico Beverages, “Social TV is a massive phenomenon and a critical element of our Super Bowl campaigns.” With 60% of Super Bowl watchers expected to have a second screen — smartphone, laptop or tablet — running, advertisers are hoping to cash in on this massive, captivated audience.

What to Watch For

• The Super Bowl itself — for the first time — has taken a proactive approach to social media engagement and monitoring, leading a Forbes columnist to dub this the “Social Bowl.” From a “get connected” card available at the airport, to a 24-hour, 50-person command center, the Super Bowl host committee is going all out, using social media to deliver a better fan experience during the pre-game festivities and the game.
• Is “checking in” going mainstream? Last year, location-based-service Foursquare experienced a record-setting number of check-ins to the world’s largest, virtual Super Bowl party. This year, social TV app GetGlue, a service that encourages “checking in” for entertainment,  has partnered with NBC to create a special Super Bowl-sticker (there’s even a Coming Soon sticker if you check in early).
• Shazam, which began as a “name that tune”-type app, has been downloaded more than 175 million times. And, it seems poised to be the darling app of Super Bowl advertisers. Shazam recently reported that up to a third of all Super Bowl ads will be “shazam-able.” When viewers shazam an ad, they’re directed to a “branded interaction” — presumably some kind of premium mobile content. The company reports Shazam Social TV campaigns “deliver a 350 percent increase in engagement over ads with a social call to action such as ‘Fan us on Facebook’ or ‘Follow us on Twitter.’” (If you  haven’t downloaded Shazam, make sure you get it before Sunday’s game.)
• Coca Cola’s lovable polar bears will watch — and react — to the Super Bowl game and ads in real time. According to Mashable,

“The two animated bears, one sporting a red scarf signaling his support of the New York Giants, the other wearing a blue and grey scarf for the New England Patriots, will be featured in a microsite, CokePolarBowl.com, that will show their reactions to the game. If the Patriots score a touchdown, for instance, the Patriots bear might raise his hands for the touchdown sign, while the Giants bear will hold his head in his hands.”

• But, the big question remains: Which brands will truly embrace the two-way opportunities inherent in social TV by interacting, responding and encouraging conversations from their own social channels during the game? If companies encourage viewers to connect via Facebook and Twitter, I hope the brand’s social media team will interact with people throughout the game, whether it’s about their commercial(s), the game or other related topics.

When it comes to social media and the Super Bowl, what are you most looking forward to? Share your predictions in the comments.
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Outback's social media team, Becky and Dan

Our seats in the press box.

For this week’s “Follow Friday,” I’d like to introduce you to Outback’s social media team. As you might know, Outback invited me to attend the Outback Bowl and spend New Year’s in Tampa. (Pictures here.) Because they were willing to share the behind-the-scenes activity, I gained a new appreciation not only for their social team, but also the restaurant as a whole. And, as a bonus, Outback offered some gift certificates for me to giveaway to the prTini readers who asked the best questions. Read on to learn why the Outback team loves Twitter and how they view negativity. Then, follow Outback on Twitter and Facebook.

From E_Hanson: Outback does many giveaways on Twitter. Do you find this is an effective way to engage followers and get them excited about the brand?

Outback: Twitter has proven to be an effective channel for us to connect with our customers and foster meaningful, authentic relationships. While we often will leverage a give-away to build excitement around the brand, nothing compares to having a real, genuine conversation with customers and Twitter has been the best channel to execute this in so far. Want some real proof? Just ask: @mhannaford or @MVNUSID or @ValerieHaines

From billyspringer Do you have a strategy in place like @SHAQ (60% of his tweets are humor, 30% inspiration & 10% promotions/selling stuff)?  And what input do stores have in terms of your social presence?

Outback: We do have a secret sauce of how we distribute our content. But, we can’t tell you the secret (that’s why it’s called secret sauce). However, broadly speaking we balance our content so it’s a combination of conversations and promotions. The greater Outback team has a hand in what we talk about, whether that be national promotions, product launches or local content/events and sponsorships.

From mfsabre: I would like to know which social media has been the most successful for Outback ( Twitter or Facebook) and how is this determined/quantified?

Outback: We would be fooling you if we were to put a steak in the ground (pun intended) and say that 1 channel is the end all be all for us. It’s an important to leverage a mix of all channels to truly bring social engagement to life. However, we currently tend to focus our efforts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

From soluckyducky:What is their viewpoint on using social media to respond to consumer complaints? Or in another way of putting it, what sort of bearing does social media have on upholding their (stellar!) reputation?

Outback: If you think about it, social is just an online expression of our offline experiences. So, it’s very natural for customers to reach out to us (among many other brands) if they have an issue, concern, or feedback. We don’t view negative feedback as a roadblock to our “success”, rather it’s an enabler and an opportunity for us to wow the customer and change their perception about Outback. In fact, a number of issues are resolved by the Managing Partner of the local Outback Steakhouse.

From GinaBericchia: How to you manage your team to work efficiently without duplicating efforts?

Outback: Our team works very closely and has assigned responsibilities/roles/channels. As our team is highly collaborative and all in the same location we haven’t had any duplication of efforts.

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Ever been in a meeting where someone tries to convince you that social media won’t work for B2B? They’re wrong. And this case study from Madison Electric Products (a Geben Communication client) is proof.

More than just a tagline, “Innovation that Works” is the driving force behind Madison Electric Products’ approach to business. In fact, it’s this commitment to innovation that led Madison to launch the Sparks Innovation Center, the industry’s first crowdsourced, collaborative approach to product development. (Madison’s industry isn’t part of the early-adapter set, so this was truly innovative.) Additionally, Madison was one of the first electrical industry suppliers to test social media and tie it to actual business outcomes.

Madison understood that time spent online must be time well spent. That’s why – working with Geben Communication – Madison developed a social media strategy with very specific goals: Increase awareness and enhance reputation among key audiences; drive traffic to the website to increase submissions to Sparks; position Madison Electric as a trusted resource within the industry. Madison Electric launched a company blog, Facebook page and Twitter account. The blog offers commentary on industry trends, interviews with industry leaders, marketing tips, and links to “must-read” articles. On Facebook and Twitter, Madison is establishing connections with media and other industry players by sharing relevant content and participating in online conversations. (Interestingly, while Madison’s Facebook page doesn’t get a ton of interaction, content is seen by 44% of the fan base – far higher than the average 17%.)

Not content to simply collect friends or followers, Madison Electric can trace measurable results to its social media efforts. For starters, traffic to their website has increased 70% since embracing social media. More importantly, social media has fueled an increase in submissions to the Sparks Innovation Center. We use social media to highlight inventors, call for submissions, and explain how crowdsourced product development benefits the industry as a whole. Submissions have doubled year-over-year, and the Center is the point of origin for five existing products and another four in the production phase. That’s a direct, meaningful impact on the bottom line.

In addition to driving online results, social media has strengthened Madison’s traditional PR, too. Thanks in part to social media, Madison Electric has been featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business, received a MANNY Award (recognizing the best of manufacturing in Northeast Ohio), landed on the cover of the industry’s leading trade publication in a feature story about exceptional marketing, and delivered presentations at high-profile industry events.

To learn more about Madison’s approach to social media, follow the company on Twitter and Facebook. Or connect with marketing director Rob Fisher on Twitter.

Random fact that you may not know: My husband was a DJ in college. Seriously. He owned a DJ business that paid his college tuition. Perhaps that’s why, even today, we both have a great appreciation for remixes, mashups and interesting sampling. My appreciation for this mix of skill and creativity isn’t limited to just music though.

What am I talking about? Let me explain …

Did you catch Nike’s FuelBand launch last week? How about the Marty McFly “Back to the Future” shoe announcement? Both events displayed a masterful grasp of showmanship, suspense … social media and good ol’ fashioned integrated communication. DKNY’s Tumblr is a guilty pleasure of mine. I’m not-so-secretly obsessed with reading it.  Plus, I love following the “DKNY PR Girl” on Twitter and Instagram.

At Geben Communication, our clients come to us because they’re looking for a fresh approach to best practices. Truth be told, none of my clients have a budget like Nike or DKNY. Going out on a limb here, but I’m willing to bet that your business’s (or clients’) budgets are more like my clients’ budgets than Nike’s.

Enter the art of remixing and sampling. Watch what the big brands are doing, but don’t pine for their substantial resources. Instead, think about what you like most from their campaigns, and then challenge yourself to incorporate those elements into campaigns that work for your clients, within the available resources. For the Marty McFly launch, Nike hosted bloggers and online influencers from all over the world. Realistic for your brand? Maybe not. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t host a few bloggers. Or broadcast an experience using UStream and social media. Brainstorm other ways to pique people’s interest and sense of adventure.

When looking for ideas to “sample,” don’t resort to the same old, same old. Look outside your industry. (Hence my love for DKNY. I’ve never worked in fashion PR, but I find it fascinating and full of creativity!). For example, a couple years ago, I noticed a social services organization conducting a virtual scavenger hunt. Intrigued by the idea, I followed along, took some notes and filed it away as an idea that could work at some point for our own clients. Fast-forward a few months, and the Columbus Marathon was about to launch its new website and wanted a fun, interactive way to drive traffic to the new content. Tee up the virtual scavenger hunt … but with a few twists to make it more interactive and aligned with our client’s goals. It was so successful in driving traffic and expanding the marathon’s online footprint, the client wanted to replicate it again this year. (By the way, here’s my post on “how to” plan and execute a virtual scavenger hunt.)

The point is this: You can be innovative, creative and results-oriented, even without massive budgets. Follow people and brands you admire. You won’t be able to copy or replicate their efforts — nor should you want to. Every company is different and cookie-cutter PR and social media is doomed from the start. But, study their ideas and campaigns. Remix. Sample. Infuse your own creativity. Test. Evaluate. Do good work.

This week’s Follow Friday post is a guest post from Nick Westergaard, a smart branding guy who calls Iowa home. I met Nick at a conference last year and we immediately hit it off. Here’s what I like about Nick: He’s super smart and savvy, but isn’t one of those people who feels the need to constantly let everyone know how smart he is. I appreciate people who are confident enough in their skills that they let their work speak for itself. So, without further adieu, follow Nick on his blog and Twitter. And read on to as he offers some insights about brand building …

If you think about it, we’re all in the business of building brands. Whether you’re a PR firm, an ad agency, or a digital boutique. Whether you’re a scrappy start-up or a massive corporation, the desired result is the same — moving the needle for either our own brand or our clients’ brands.

The other common thread tying all practices together today is social media. Organizations of all shapes and sizes utilize this as a key way of influencing the hearts and minds of our audience. As social media gets more advanced it’s also getting more fractured as well. As we reach out and aide our clients in this work, having a consistent and clearly articulated brand message is critical now more than ever.

We don’t like to nail down things when it comes to branding. It can be scary. Defining your brand involves making some big decisions. And if we do take on establishing a brand, we often turn it into an academic exercise and never quite make it to execution. Instead we need to find a happy medium to create a brand plan that declares who our client is and what their brand story is before we can approach sharing it across media channels.

More than a plan, we need a Brand Blueprint that we can build on. If you’re looking at building a strong foundation for your brand, here are some tools to get you started.

• Define Your Audience — Who are you doing this for? Have you created personas for your various customer profiles? I’m a big believer in using clearly defined personas (short fictional bio of your ideal customers by segment with a photo) to make our goals more real and grounded in the market and, as a result, more brand driven in all of our actions.
• Establish Your Identity — Make a two-column list. On one side, based on your audience insights and personas, make a list of what you will do and what areas you will add value to your audience. Conversely, in the second column, define what you are not. The first column is a given for most brand strategists while the second can prove surprisingly informative in articulating who you are through the lens of who you are not.
• Sequence Your Brand’s DNA — Based on who you are, work your way through the key pieces of code that make up your brand’s DNA — the visual icons (logos, colors, and other visual cues) and the key messaging as well (slogan, positioning statement, value statement, creation story, and other special words and phrases that make you unique). Once you have these items assembled in a short, simple brief (aim for a page or two), make sure you share it with everyone from the factory floor to the C-suite.
• Audit All Brand Touchpoints — Take a big step back and make a list of all of your consumer or audience touchpoints. A touchpoint is any point of contact, large or small, where your community encounters your brand. Everything from your letterhead and signage to your packaging and invoices. Once you have all of this lined up, take a long, hard look. Is everything consistent? Are there missed branding opportunities?

Okay, so once we do all of this we’re done — we can check that ‘branding’ thing off of our lists, right? Not by a long shot. Part of the reason I love thinking of this process as a ‘Brand Blueprint’ is because it’s what you use to build. With questions like those above answered, you have the foundation to build out a website, response scripts for your call center, or your engagement plan for a new social network.

I came by a quote recently that said, “Remember ‘happiness’ is a way of travel not a destination.” The same applies to branding — it’s a way of travel. The work is never done. But with a strong foundation in place, you can build something strong and enduring.

What’s your brand’s foundation like?

Nick Westergaard is a brand-driven blogger, speaker, and strategist. He is Vice President at Westergaard, a brand strategy and creative services firm. He blogs about branding and social media at NickWestergaard.com.

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Continuing the Follow Friday series, today’s post is from Harrison Kratz. Why should you connect with Harrison? I appreciate that he’s a real go-getter and someone who just makes things happen. But, there are lots of young, ambitious people. Harrison stands out to me because he’s not only trying to further his personal career. He’s also trying to help other people grow and improve, whether he’s actively participating in #prstudchat (a Twitter chat and Facebook group connecting students and pros), or taking Tweetdrive national. Connect with Harrison on Twitter and check out his storytelling tools below.

I remember helping my close friend, Kyle Harty, put together his resume and cover letter last year as he was looking for a new opportunity in New York City. We were trying to find the language that would express both his personality and professionalism.

I’ll never forget the line that he wrote in his cover letter: “I have a knack for brevity.” I thought that was the ultimate description of a great social media or community manager, as is Kyle. Having a knack for brevity, though, is not a term reserved for social media managers. It’s for anyone who is able to tell a story using the social and the digital tools many use casually every day.

Journalists, PR professionals, and marketers all benefit from the ability to tell a story, and here are several tools you can use to tell your story with a knack for brevity.

Storify

Storify has been a pretty popular tool for journalists for about a year now and is a phenomenal way to pull content that is shared across the web and put together a beautiful story layout. A lot of digital journalists have used this tool, but I think marketers should start using this app as a way to document their campaign results.

Storify allows you to highlight successes and tell a story out of your efforts. While results are the bottom line, the ability to present them clearly is equally as important.

Instagram

You should know about Instagram by now. In case you don’t, Instagram is now the largest mobile network in the world. It’s not only is a great way to take artistic photos and share them. Plus, brands are starting to use Instagram to tell stories.

Two examples that stick out to me are NBC News and President Obama. NBC News is run by Anthony Quintano, whose personal Instagram account is also a thing of beauty. NBC is constantly taking photos of their news anchors, reporters, and travels — letting followers peak inside their daily life and newsroom. It makes the whole viewing experience that much more enjoyable.

President Obama recently joined Instagram and already has one of the largest and most active followings on the network. Obama now has the ability to visually share a behind-the-scenes look into his re-election campaign with his followers. Obama needs his followers to feel as they’re apart of his journey again and Instagram is a perfect way for him to tell his story.

Pinterest

The new darling of the social media world, Pinterest has exploded. While their growth will be very interesting to watch, Pinterest’s storytelling power is undeniable. By using the pinboards as actual story boards, journalists and brands are able to group together images and findings to illustrate a narrative.

Pinterest’s will always be have a casual, “here’s what I found/love” culture, but that doesn’t mean the abilities to connect and tell a story aren’t there. This platform, along with the others, is proof that pictures are a thousand words, and now we can fit 1,000 words into 140 characters.

What are some of your favorite brands and public figures to follow on these networks?

Harrison Kratz is the Community Manager for MBA@UNC, an online MBA program from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He sticks to his entrepreneurial roots as the founder of the global social good campaign, Tweet Drive. Feel free to connect with him on Twitter, @KratzPR!

If you read this blog or follow me on Twitter, you may know that my company does a fair amount of PR for startup and technology clients. While half of our business is with companies in Ohio, all of our tech/startup work is outside this market. (The PR person in me says the local technology community needs to do a better job promoting its successes, but that’s a topic for another blog post.)

You  might not know it, but Central Ohio has an active startup community. That’s why I love projects/organizations like Built In Cbus, WakeUpStartUp, TechColumbus and other groups focused on supporting and promoting local entrepreneurs. So, when Built In Cbus asked to interview me and share the Geben story, I was flattered! Want to know how Geben got its start, why I don’t believe in answering the dreaded “where will you be in five years”-question, and who our most famous client is? It’s all in this five-minute video. Thanks for watching (and don’t make fun of my hat!)

Built in Cbus | Heather Whaling from Andy Newman on Vimeo.

Today marks the beginning of a weekly series on prTini. Each week, we’re going to highlight a different person. I’ll briefly tell you why I recommend that person, but more importantly, you’ll get to read a guest post from them. See for yourself why they’re interesting, doing cool things or worth adding to your reading list. (Thanks to Spin Sucks for the inspiration!)

To kick things off, I’d like to introduce you to Nikki Little, a smart PR pro in Detroit. After connecting initially on Twitter, Nikki and I finally meet in person a couple times last year. Every time I spend time with her, I’m more and more convinced that we’d be nearly inseparable if we lived in the same time (aside from our common love of PR, we both enjoy nonprofits and shoes, among a long list of shared likes). Plus, Nikki’s one of the nicest people I’ve met on Twitter, and she had a hashtag to document her wedding day! Enough about why I like her, read Nikki’s thoughts on the importance of education people about the PR industry.

The One Thing All PR Pros Must Commit to in 2012

Happy New Year! A big thanks to Heather for inviting me to be the first person to participate in her new guest blogging series. It didn’t take me long to determine what I wanted to discuss in this post because it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately as more opportunities come my way. And it’s something I believe is crucial for all PR pros to embrace. On to the details…

It’s a new year, which means change and growth are on the horizon. Whether you made resolutions, set new goals, created a “what to stop doing in 2012” list, picked your three words for 2012 or created a bucket list (my favorite option!), hopefully you’ve started making progress toward whatever challenges you set for yourself this year.

On that note, I’d like to propose that if you work in the PR industry, you add one more “must accomplish” item to your list this year. I know what you’re thinking – “Please, no more! I’m already overloaded and we’re not even a week into 2012.” I promise what I’m asking doesn’t have to require significant investment.

Maybe you’re doing this already. If you are, I commend you. But if you’re not, 2012 is the year to start. The one thing I’m asking all PR pros to commit to doing in 2012 is only one word, but it’s a powerful word. Educate. Educate people on what PR is all about. Educate people on what it means to work in the PR industry. Educate people on why it’s so incredibly important to adhere to ethics when you work in PR. The list goes on.

The choice is yours when it comes to the specific topic, method and time you devote. Choose what works best for you. But make a commitment to educate people at all levels – whether they’re on the brink of graduation, need some advice on how social media has changed public relations or still believe that PR is synonymous with spin (just writing that word makes me cringe!).

Don’t think you need a certain amount of industry experience in order to educate. You don’t. If you’ve learned valuable lessons from PR internships, pass those along to your pals who are still in college or someone looking to make a career change to PR. Your advice won’t be the same as someone who’s been in the industry for 10 or 20 years, but it’s still valuable to others in the profession.

If you need some inspiration to get you started, here are a few ways to educate:

• Be a mentor. Find a college student or young professional who is looking for a PR mentor, and help pave the path to success for that person. You can find a mentee through your local PRSA chapter, PRSSA chapters at universities or through the Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO) organization. I’ve seen a few posts in the HAPPO LinkedIn group from people seeking a PR mentor. You may even have a coworker or close friend who could use some mentorship.
• Speak about PR. Not everyone loves being the center of attention, but a great way to provide PR education is to speak at conferences and events, present on a webinar or speak to college classes. Find a presentation partner or organize a panel if you’re not completely comfortable speaking on your own.
• Answer PR questions. You’ll find plenty of questions related to PR if you monitor relevant hashtags on Twitter, participate in PR-related Twitter chats (like #PR20chat, #journchat, #PRstudchat or #HAPPO) or are part of PR-related LinkedIn groups. If you want to get creative, think of some common PR questions and create videos or host a Google+ Hangout to address those questions.
• Comment on negative blog posts about PR. There are way too many posts and articles talking about how PR is dead, why PR pros suck and why social media has replaced PR. Sadly, there are industry pros who make unwise choices that give PR a bad name, but none of those statements are true. While it may be a challenge to change people’s minds, it’s worth the effort. Add your two cents in the comments and educate the author and other commenters on why those negative statements about PR aren’t true. Don’t fight fire with fire by getting defensive or being disrespectful. Simply share what you know and your experience to show a different (and more positive) side of PR.
• Write your own blog posts. It’s not too late to start your own blog if you don’t yet have one. Especially if you currently or plan to write about anything related to communications, use your own platform to share PR advice and lessons learned. Don’t have or want your own blog? Seek out a guest post on a relevant blog or site. Come up with a great educational topic and reach out to the blog owner.

So, what do you say? Can you find time in 2012 to make PR education a top priority…and continue making it a priority in each new year? If you have feedback on this challenge or other suggestions on how to educate, please share in the comments.

Nikki Little is a public relations professional and social media strategist at Identity in metro Detroit. She blogs on her personal site, Essential Elements, and Identity’s blog, ID Tags. Nikki is also the Help a PR Pro Out (HAPPO) Michigan champion, secretary of Social Media Club Detroit and a discussion leader of the bi-weekly, in-person social media conversation group, Tweetea.