STC Canada West Coast members and guests were treated to an enthusiastic presentation by Darren Barefoot at September’s chapter meeting. Darren is a principal in Capulet Communications, a company that specializes in web marketing and social media relations. Darren used the theme of “Seven Deadly Sins” to illustrate what companies should not to do in the world of social media marketing. One company that makes over-the-counter pain relievers recently committed three of the deadly sins. The company commissioned an online ad with an ironic tone that offended many Web readers. When consumers complained online, the company failed to notice because no one was monitoring the comments. The lessons, as Darren pointed out, are that companies need to know their audience, be mindful of tone, and keep an eye out for reactions, good and bad.
Another deadly marketing sin that companies sometimes make is forgetting that the Internet retains old content and consumers can find it. Companies can’t count on the disappearance of previous awkward promotions. A pizza company exemplified another sin. A YouTube video caught health and safety violations at one of the company’s outlets. The CEO later apologized, not on the company’s website, but on YouTube. The mea culpa was sincere, but many customers never saw it.
Darren concluded his talk by describing what may be a very hot new social marketing tool. It’s FourSquare, a combination of city guide, friend finder, and game. It’s available in some U.S. cities and just launched in Vancouver. It works on any GPS enabled mobile device. Foursquare allows you to “check in” at many locations around the city and links you to any friends who might be near by. If you check into the same place more than twice in 60 days you are eligible to become “mayor” of that spot. There is more information about FourSquare on Darren’s website.
Be sure to check out the Photo Gallery of the September meeting: Photo Gallery.
The chapter thanks Liessi Häussler of Cyberscribe Solutions Inc. for providing the refreshments for the evening.
Next chapter event
Karen Rempel presents Yoga for Technical Writers
