Brand Blog » blogs http://ggcomm.com/blog Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:00:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 FTC Rules for Social Media! http://ggcomm.com/blog/social-media/ftc-rules-for-social-media/ http://ggcomm.com/blog/social-media/ftc-rules-for-social-media/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:41:57 +0000 Cyndi Friedel http://ggcomm.com/blog/?p=166 The blog world is filled with horror stories of bloggers endorsing products, only to be exposed later on as a paid-endorser.  Not exactly the positive coverage companies originally intended to create.  In fact, the practice became so widespread the FTC stepped in last year with rules to govern any blog, Twitter or other social media posts you make in support of a product or service:

  1. Disclose when you are being compensated–whether you are being paid for the endorsement and/or have been given a free sample of the product (traditionally known as “not-for-resale” copies).
  2. Be truthful in your statements…and make sure they can be substantiated.
  1. Speak from actual experience–meaning you can’t just regurgitate the sponsor’s marketing speak if it isn’t an actual experience, opinion, or belief of your own.

And the fine for not doing so? $11,000 big ones.

]]> http://ggcomm.com/blog/social-media/ftc-rules-for-social-media/feed/ 0 Online Marketing – Making it Work, and Making it Legal http://ggcomm.com/blog/internet/online-marketing-making-it-work-and-making-it-legal-2/ http://ggcomm.com/blog/internet/online-marketing-making-it-work-and-making-it-legal-2/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:40:58 +0000 Joel Goldstein http://www.brandcepts.com/brandblog/?p=38 You don’t need a survey to tell you that marketing dollars are shifting from traditional media to online. Whether it’s Google advertising, company web sites, blogs or email, marketing budgets increasingly are tilting to reach their customers with online tools. In some cases, companies are moving to 100% of spending via online marketing, leaving traditional advertising and direct mail programs behind.

In the age of LinkedIn and Twitter, what’s working and why? Is email still effective? If research shows that company web sites generate the highest quality sales leads, what are the latest tactics for boosting web traffic?

Yet understanding online strategy is only half the task at hand. Fast-changing practices are challenging legal assumptions for what’s permissible in your online promotion programs. Can I buy keywords on Google that use my competitors’ names? Do I need terms and conditions posted on my site? If my salespeople build a customer contact file in LinkedIn, who “owns” those contact links if they leave the company? How should I change my employee handbook to account for company bloggers?

Presenters: Joel Goldstein, Goldstein Group Communications, Inc.
Lou Licata, Licata & Toerek

Thursday, October 8, 2009

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Program

Corporate Plaza I
6450 Rockside Woods Blvd. South, Lower Level

Cost: No Charge
Register by Phone: (216) 573-6000 or Email: Wendy Kertesz – wsk@completecounsel.com

]]> http://ggcomm.com/blog/internet/online-marketing-making-it-work-and-making-it-legal-2/feed/ 0 The New Face of Blogs http://ggcomm.com/blog/internet/the-new-face-of-blogs-2/ http://ggcomm.com/blog/internet/the-new-face-of-blogs-2/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:30:20 +0000 admin http://www.brandcepts.com/brandblog/?p=11 Three years ago our agency operated six different blogs for various clients in a variety of markets. Blogs were the hot ticket in marketing then, and just the announcement that the client had begun a blog generated media coverage!

It was surprising even then how little actual participation most of technology- and engineering-related blogs created. While sports, food, religion and political blogs routinely spawned lively online debates, magazine and company blogs often were outposts of silence. Even well-known authors such as Seth Godin, the pioneer of permission-based marketing, saw relatively little online discussion on his blog.

Today, though, technology blogs have evolved in fascinating ways, according to a new study just released by Reed Publishing’s EDN Magazine. I won’t try to summarize the global study here (call/email me if you’d like a copy), but there are a few items that raised eyebrows in our shop:

  • Engineers spend a fair amount of time participating in online groups, and we’re not talking about personal Facebook pages here – 39% of engineers use online networks to get answers to their job-related questions. Top of the list is LinkedIn, followed by Yahoo Groups. Remember, this question specifically asked about their use of online groups for BUSINESS purposes, not leisure/social.
  • The big shocker: engineers actually want manufacturers to participate and provide information in these online communities, a complete reversal from a few years ago when companies were seen as intruders to online discussion groups. Today, engineers are so time pressed and place such a priority on getting quick answers to their questions, that they welcome applications advice and product knowledge, when the participant is properly identified.
  • 26% use blogs for business, most often as a way to keep up on new technology and to get how-to information.
  • 74% rely on webcasts (no surprise there). Most preferred length: 28 minutes
  • 59% said they watch online video for work, particularly for online demos and product tutorials. Most preferred length: 11 minutes
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