Against the Grain: Hot Topics

Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching, and millions of Americans are looking forward to an exciting game, entertaining halftime show, delicious food and maybe a couple of beers. And for many of us, the Super Bowl ads are the most anticipated, and best part, of the game experience.

After 111 million people tuned into last year’s game, more people than ever are expected to have their eyes glued to the tube in a few weeks. With those expectations, some of the nation’s savviest and largest companies scrambled to purchase their ad slots before the NFL season even began, leaving just five openings by early September (USAToday.com). 

With the average ad package around a hefty $3.5 million price tag, we think it’s safe to say consumers should be in for a real show this year. Common favorites like Budweiser –– who purchased four and a half minutes of air time –– GoDaddy, Pepsi, Coca-Cola and M&Ms are expected to be back.  

“In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of ‘safe’ comedic commercials featuring kids, babies and animals,” says Trilix President Todd Senne. “That was especially true during tough economic years. Now that the economy is starting to improve, we should see a lot more humor and risks as companies try to differentiate themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing who ventures outside the comfort zone.”

With anticipation rising, we at Trilix are gearing up for our seventh annual Super Poll Iowa, a fun and easy way to track the best Super Bowl ads. Look for a registration email from us in a few days so you can cast your vote and be entered for a great prize, to be revealed soon!

Tell us which Super Bowl ads are your all-time favorite on our Facebook page.

Now that we’re a week into the New Year, it’s time to take a look at your 2012 goals. We’re not talking fitness, eating better or getting more sleep (although, I think we can all say those are on our list) –– we’re talking business. Here are three resolutions to get your year off to the right start.

1. Freshen your website. Interactive Director Yancy DeLathouder says, “With the current pace of web innovations, if your site is more than three years old, you’ll want to consider upgrading your site to keep pace with changing technology. In addition to having a wealth of features available from newer technologies like HTML5, older technologies like JavaScript have also been causing quite a stir, replacing Flash implementations with equally functional and attractive, yet mobile-friendly applications. Additionally, new browsers and new browser versions, including mobile devices, may cause websites built for older standards to not function as expected. Upgrading a website to current standards will ensure proper operation for all potential audiences on all potential platforms.”

2. Create a social media policy. Public Relations Specialist Gabby Bladdick thinks every business, agency and nonprofit –– large and small –– should create a social media policy. Why, we ask? “With the way businesses are relying on social media to be a major part of their marketing campaigns, it’s imperative to establish a company-wide social media policy so every employee is on the same page. It should include everything from what they can/cannot say to repercussions for violating the policy. Trust us, you don’t want to end up like this company.”

3. Review your crisis communications plan. If you don’t have one, create one. Public Relations Director Kristin Sunde says, “We recommend clients review and update their crisis communications plans at least once a year, if not more. As staff, stakeholders, and services and products change, it’s likely your plan needs updating. And if you don’t have a crisis communications plan, resolve to put one in place this quarter. Its value will far outweigh the investment if disaster strikes.

2012 is the year to improve –– so let’s do it together! Give us a call if we can help!

Google+ is a topic that’s been buzzing around the water coolers for the last couple months, but has anyone really grabbed the latest social media platform by the horns? Although it doesn’t have 800 million users like Facebook, it has caused much media attention, and a few early adopters are trying it out. Not sure if you’re ready to jump onboard? Let us take you on the Google+ grand tour:

• Google+’s Stream is just like Facebook’s timeline and Twitter’s feed. Here, you can see updates, pictures, videos and links.
• If you think Facebook’s chat feature is great, you’ll love Google+’s Hangouts. Perhaps the most technologically advanced feature (“it changes who’s on camera based on who’s talking,” according to Mashable), Hangouts allows you to video chat with multiple people from your Circles.
• People are reporting they love Google+ Circles. A creative way to group friends, Circles allows you to designate who sees your posts. Want to share an article related to your industry? Share that link to your “professionals” Circle. Want to post something, but you don’t want your mom to see it? Post to your “friends” Circle.

Most recently, Google+ launched brand pages that have encouraged companies like Pepsi, Toyota, Amazon, Starbucks, McDonald’s and Wells Fargo to share their company messages with their Circles.

Google+ boasts many features that we think will create and engage a large group of users. What do you think about Google+? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

It’s that time of the year again when everyone has a little hustle in their step. Whether it’s finishing up end-of-the-year reports or running to the store to get more flour for cookies, everyone is busy.

Here are a few ideas to help you survive the holidays stress-free:

• Finish up before you leave. Take care of last-minute assignments before you leave the office for a few days. Even if this means coming in early or staying late, you’ll be thankful to come back to a crossed-off to-do list.

• Begin projects that are due after the holidays. If you want to be really ambitious, you should start projects that need to be complete a few weeks from now. With a head start, you won’t be worrying during your time away about coming back to work with a full plate.

• Organize your office. Take 10 minutes and clean up your office. You couldn’t start the new year in a better way!

• Turn off your phone at home. So many professionals are connected to their email 24/7, so turn it off and enjoy time away from the office. If you have to have it on for emergencies, vow to check it once every couple hours, instead of constantly.

• Relax. This might be the hardest task of all because the holidays are such a busy time of the year, but it’s imperative for your well-being to take time away and relax!

 The Trilix crew is out of the office Friday, December 23, and Monday, December 26. We’ll be back and refreshed on Tuesday, December 27. Happy holidays, everyone!

I like to consider myself an early adopter; someone who jumps on the latest social media platform to test it out for myself. I’ve been a long-time fan of Facebook and Twitter and I can’t wait to see where newcomers like Google+ and Get Glue go. Social media is a powerful communications tool for people, companies, non-profits…you name it. Here are a few examples and statistics to demonstrate social media’s importance in today’s society.

Mind-blowing statistics of a couple poplar social media platforms’ reach:

• Facebook has more than 800 million active users (source). That’s the population of New York City multiplied by 100.

• 100 million people joined Twitter in 2011 (source).

• 48 hours of video are uploaded each minute on YouTube. That is eight years of content uploaded each day. Additionally, three billion videos are viewed each day (source).

Remarkable real-life examples of social media’s power:

• Most recently, The Collegiate Time –– the Virginia Tech school newspaper ­­–– utilized its Facebook page to keep the campus alert as to where the shooter was. Students and faculty were giving updates minute-by-minute to ensure campus-wide safety.

• The Wall Street Journal or USA Today did not break the news of the Hudson plane crash. Instead, a man who witnessed the crash simply tweeted a photo.  

• Of 20,000 people polled on Mashable, more than half reported they heard about Osama Bin Laden’s death from either Facebook or Twitter (source).

It’s hard to remember what life was like before social media – how would people have reacted to the news of 9/11 or John Lennon’s death. Social media allows you to have a voice. You don’t need to land a front-page story on The New York Times for your organization’s story to be told – you can do it yourself using these amazing social media platforms.

Take time to think about this important question: if you aren’t utilizing social media, who is telling your story?

What other powerful social media examples do you have? Share them with us on our Facebook page.