Zeno Group Blog

Octagon Vice President David Schwab serves as managing director for First Call, the company’s celebrity acquisition and activation division. In doing so, he connects celebrities with companies and non-profit associations. David has been with Octagon since 1999, when he started with the company as director of communications. Recently I posed five questions to David about trends in the celebrity spokesperson industry.

Q: Can you give us an overview of the role Octagon plays in pairing celebrities and athletes with companies?
A: We created Octagon First Call because we felt the model/relationship between brand, marketing agency and celebrity was broken. Obviously each have different objectives in putting a deal together but a program really works if they have the same final goal. Thus, we consult with brands and marketing agencies to help determine if a celebrity could help amplify their program via advertising, PR, social media, hospitality and more. Finding the celebrity is the easy part, the challenge is creating a program that works for the particular celebrity chosen. There’s no cookie cutter approach as each celebrity has their own strengths, assets and weaknesses, too.

Q: What are some of the common traits you see in the most effective celebrity endorsers and spokespeople?
A: A person and program that is relatable to the target audience, is genuinely believable and one that can be used across multiple marketing channels, including traditional media relations, online video, and the celebrity’s own assets, such as their personal website.

Q: In the past decade, reality shows and niche cable networks (HGTV, Food Network) have created a new wave of celebrities and expert spokespeople. How has the emergence of this group impacted the industry?
A: It has helped the industry because brands have more to choose from. The increased supply of talent has given brands additional leverage in the marketplace. Also, they are able to pick people that are truly relevant and experts to their brand. Years ago, brands would use football players to promote the grilling season. Now one can choose a chef. While it seems obvious, these chefs did not have big followings/fans before the advent of the Food Network.

Q: How can clients who don’t have the budget for a “marquee name” maximize their investment in a spokesperson?
A: Marquee names do not dictate success. The program and leveraging the celebrity dictate success (along with the fee you are able to negotiate). Social media (for the most part) is free, take advantage of that. Also, if your tactics include online video, find a celebrity that is talented/funny so that people want to see the video. Remember, there is no such thing as viral video. There is only video that is successful so it becomes viral. Also, as we mentioned above, find celebrities that come to the table with more than just their name/likeness. Find people that have strong followings on Twitter or have upcoming projects where your brand can be organically associated with.

Q: What do you see as some of the important industry trends to watch over the next few years?
A: Without question, the internet and mobile devices is and will change the future of these deals. No longer can a brand truly control territory and term and it will be interesting to see how these “legal words” are changed in the coming years. And I would expect to see more brand integration into celebrities’ TV shows, movies, books, web presence and other assets.

In addition to the First Call blog, you can follow David on Twitter: @david_schwab.

Fortune 100 CEO’s have not embraced social media.  Let me rephrase that.  They’re not even participating in social media.  According to a report from UberCEO, only two of the top 100 have Twitter profiles and all 100 are ghosts in the blogosphere.

In addition, a Forbes Insights study (sponsored by Google) titled “The Rise of the Digital C-Suite” revealed that only 1 percent of those over the age of 50 provide daily contributions to a work-related blog. So what does this mean?  If you’re old and powerful, you’ll likely not be active in social media?  No.  It just demonstrates the gap between those who entered the work force with a reliance on fax machines, phones and letters vs. those who live in an environment where Facebook, blog posts and tweets dominate the communications.

So what’s a newbie social media user who happens to run one of the world’s largest companies supposed to do?  For starters, let’s take a closer look at seven CEO’s who are doing it right – regardless of fame or Fortune status.  Follow them.  Better yet, ask them a question.  They know what social media is about so don’t be surprised when they respond to you.

Full article with the 7 CEO’s at The Social 7, blog authored by the Digital Lifestyle team at Zeno Group. Follow The Social 7 on Twitter: @thesocial7

Do you remember the notable platinum social media milestones of the past few years?  The Social 7 takes a closer look at the magic million for Digg, Facebook, Ning, Second Life, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube:

7) Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN for One Million Followers on Twitter – Twitter has captured the imagination and interest of companies, celebrities and everyday citizens fascinated with the limitations and possibilities of communicating in 140 characters. The pop culture frenzy took an epic turn when Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN to see who could be the first to a million followers. While Ashton edged out CNN to the throne and proclaimed “a media revolution,” the real impact will be felt by the recipients of mosquito nets in Africa through Malaria No More. Kutcher, Larry King, Ryan Seacrest, Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore pledged to buy thousands of nets to help prevent the spread of malaria. Hey guys, how about a race to a million nets that challenges the entire Twittersphere?

View the other six milestones on The Social 7.

Last month I had an opportunity to serve as a panelist at the Publicity Club of Chicago’s monthly luncheon where the topic was “Updating Your Social Media Toolkit.” Beyond using social media to build programs for clients, I raised the point that social media has created new ways for public relations practitioners to interact with journalists. The rising popularity of Twitter has made it a preferred tool of many journalists to the point where we now have comprehensive directories of journalists on Twitter.

The first rule of pitching a reporter is to gather information on the journalist before you send out your pitch. While reading their stories will always be the best way to do this, Twitter gives you a snapshot into a reporter’s interests, since you can follow the people they’re following. Sounds a bit creepy, but it could offer some valuable insights. And rather than fighting through the clutter of e-mail, many journalists are using Twitter as a streamlined way to communicate with sources. As this medium evolves, the relationship between PR pros and journalists many evolve with as well.

Last week I received a Facebook friend request from one of my mother’s best friends. That same week, another friend called me to say that her father had just created a profile and was spending significant hours networking on the site. What do they have in common? Both are over the age of 50. It’s no secret that online activity by those over the age of 50 continues to grow at a rapid pace. Consider that 16.5 million adults ages 55 and older engage in social networking, according to comScore. In fact, the fastest growing market segment on Facebook is now women over 55, which experienced more than 175% growth and totals nearly 7 million. But it’s not just Facebook. Baby boomers are actively engaged in news sites, updating their LinkedIn profiles (just ask my mother, 69!), banking, shopping and even job hunting.

So imagine my surprise when a major business news outlet last week categorized online activity by various age groups and made a blanket statement that people in their 50’s and 60’s go online to check the weather. What?! This shocked me – and my 50+-something [Facebook] friends. This kind of generalization doesn’t reflect what’s really going on. A new report by the Pew Research Center paints a very different picture. According to the study, 69% of baby boomers ages 55-63 are now getting their news online. Seventy percent are buying a product online. Nearly 50% are online banking, and forty-eight percent are conducting job-related research. Media – and marketers – who buy into the notion that Baby Boomers haven’t embraced the Internet for more than just the weather need to wake up – or risk missing out on opportunities to target this very powerful demographic.

Many PR professionals (and their clients) already recognize the value of Twitter and have immersed themselves in the fastest-growing social network. For those not familiar with Twitter, it’s a microblogging service that asks “What are you doing?” and limits responses to 140 characters. Responses or “tweets” are publicly displayed and may be searched, replied to or shared with others. While the service has attracted celebrities, politicians, athletes and mainstream media attention; Twitter at its core is about broadcasting your thoughts and connecting to the individuals, companies and brands that matter most to you.

Zeno Group employees on Twitter in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. range from new users still exploring its capabilities to active contributors who are frequently followed. Since Twitter is an open broadcasting platform, we invite you to discover all Zeno Group employees on Twitter. I’ve included our profile handles below. I’ve asked several colleagues to highlight what they like best about the service, and of course, do it in 140 characters or less. Follow us and let us know what’s on your mind.

@NickMendoza.: I can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world & anticipate they will respond or share my thoughts with their own highly engaged communities.

Everyone was all a twitter about social media at last week’s PR Week Awards. For those just putting a toe into social media, my mother has provided a simple framework for considering how to approach digital communications: Does a social media program solve a business problem?

My mom, Ruth, is the proprietor of the Animal Exchange in Rockville, MD. She is a noted animal care expert with a degree from Cornell U in ornithology. On a daily basis, pet owners and aspiring pet owners stop by for guidance. As a result, Ruth faces a number of routine animal husbandry questions as well as questioners coming in with misinformation – often garnered from the internet.

To solve Ruth’s problem of providing the deep information her customers need, she is developing a series of informational videos. From baby hamsters to lizards to birds, Ruth is now able to refer her customers to her growing online video library. (Her debut video, Bearded Dragon Care, has been viewed more than 11,000 times.) Ruth and I are now talking about bringing Animal Exchange to Facebook so that her customers and many followers receive regular updates on new animals and products arriving in the store weekly.

In addition to solving a problem, though, everyone should be ensuring that social media does not cause a problem. Monitoring online discussions is essential for all brands and companies to ensure that lively digital conversations and content do not crossover into the land of misinformation and brand and reputation destruction. A customer scorned can create a digital black eye in no time when you are not looking.

Articles that the Zeno team recommends reading:

• AdAge (Jan. 26): Few CMOs Think They’re Effectively Tracking Social Media, Word-of-Mouth
• Reuters (Jan. 26): Leaders flock to Davos to discuss economic crisis
• CNET (Jan. 23): Internet users worldwide surpass 1 billion
• Newseum (Jan. 21): Today’s Front Pages:769 front pages from 74 countries (President Obama)
• Mashable (Jan. 21): 40 of the Best Twitter Brands and the People Behind Them
• Poynter Online (Jan. 19): New York Times‘ Policy on Facebook and Other Social Networking Sites

The Zeno Group Digital Lifestyle team presents The Social 7, a weekly conversation on the top 7 stories in social media and marketing.

7. Online and Mobile Inauguration Streaming

6. Citizen Journalism

5. Chipotle iPhone App

4. MySpace Webmail Client

3. Yahoo Names New CEO

2. U.S. Government Now on YouTube

1. YouTube Mutes Videos With Copyrighted Music

View the 7th episode and read the top 7 stories here (includes tweet, photo and video of the week).

Follow us on Twitter: @thesocial7

I signed up for Twitter. Like many, I want to understand this new sensation taking over the globe. I found some folks to follow and some folks (largely the Zeno Group Digital Lifestyle Team) started following me. But, my world didn’t change. I check my page every now and then. New headlines from the Chicago Trib, PR Week, an occasional missive from CNN’s Rick Sanchez, or a thoughtful insight from my wittily named colleague, aquahombre. And so, I became obsessed with how to describe someone like me (who is generally a lurker on chat boards (from CafePharma to LTHForum) and who rarely spouts off online.)

So, it is with this background that I dip a toe into the social media world and propose a term for those who sign up to explore Twitter, catch glimpses of new stuff, but who rarely tweet themselves: twitless. In context, “I am addicted to Google News, keep an eye on foodie boards, and I twitter (http://twitter.com/lynnhanessian), but am generally twitless.” I think this is growing on me.