admin, Author at Change Communications

What Twitter’s Changes Mean For Your Business

Don’t be afraid of Twitter’s latest changes – they actually help you say more in a tweet.

Twitter recently updated how it counts out the 140-character maximum within a tweet. Now, @names and media attachments will not count against the limit. This is a huge help for businesses, who can now respond to questions on Twitter more efficiently.

These changes are rolling out over the next few months, so if that cat GIF still takes away from your character limit today, try again later.

Twitter will also allow you to re-tweet yourself and the company has simplified the way in which a reply can be seen more publicly, but the changes to the 140-character limit are the most relevant to marketing.

Twitter has been working to provide more value within the 140-character frame. Earlier this year, rumors swirled about Twitter bumping the character limit all the way up 10,000, possibly as a way to combat blogging platforms like Medium and WordPress. CEO Jack Dorsey even entertained the possibility of making 140-character tweets a thing of the past.

Why is this an issue? Try reaching out to your (least) favorite airline, especially if you have a longer username.

Odds are, if your query is more advanced, you’ll get a multi-tweet reply or a response filled with abbreviations, making it look like a text message from your Gen Z intern.

Sam, apologies for the delay! Can I help with rebooking any flts? If so, pls follow/DM your confirm #. *KM

— Delta (@Delta) May 27, 2016

Shortening words like “please” and “flights” were necessary to get that tweet out, but it looks weird coming from an established brand like Delta.

While these changes don’t solve the problem completely (and to be fair, many companies use direct messages for longer interactions), it allows the 140 characters you choose to matter more.

If you’re still looking for a way to get the most out of those 140 characters, try using Twitter’s video feature to add a personal response to a customer question. While you can still respond via text, the 30-second video allotment is a way to surprise and delight customers while humanizing your brand.

Even better, once these changes go into effect, the video won’t eat up characters.

This is something that change evangelist Brian Fanzo does occasionally, as a way to enhance responses.

@jeremypmurphy @H2HChat great question as I've done 16 geofilters in last 4 months! #H2HChat here are my thoughts: pic.twitter.com/lxPp4vIB2y

— Brian Fanzo (@iSocialFanz) May 23, 2016

Soon, when you respond to someone like @NoahSyndergaard or @KimKardashian (or one of your well-named customers), the character count will start with your first letter, not their handle.

By Justin Lafferty

3 Ways Cannabis Brands Can Use Social Media Marketing

Unlike your favorite local coffee shop or restaurant, cannabis brands and medical marijuana dispensaries can’t freely advertise their awesome deals on Facebook or show off the newest hot products on Twitter.

But social media still plays a major role in how those in the cannabis industry grow their business.

Here are three ways cannabis companies can spark up their social media marketing on a platform that can be tricky to navigate.

Have a plan A, B, C, D, E!

Since social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram operate on federal law, many medical marijuana-based pages are quickly shut down. Even if you’re based in a state where marijuana is legal, your social following can easily go up in smoke.

Dixie Elixirs, a Denver-based producer of legal cannabis products, saw its Facebook page shut down in February with 11,000 fans vanishing. Joe Hodas, the company’s marketing director, told Fortune Magazine that Dixie followed Facebook’s terms of service and did not post publicly about products.

One solution: Multiple pages and accounts. Mona Zhang, editor of cannabis industry newsletter Word on the Tree, said that a common solution is for business owners to be prepared for a shutdown at any time by creating several social accounts.

Lock it up

Zhang said that many businesses are looking at social networks where you can have a private presence. Instagram is a major one for medical marijuana shops, where they can engage with patients and customers but set their account to private.

While doing this still could put the business at risk of a shut down, it helps ensure that only those who want marijuana-related content will be able to see it.

Many cannabis brands on Instagram (such as Bloom Farms) still mix in product-based posts with more engaging content about the local community or the industry. However, Zhang warned that posting product photos can be risky.

Ephemeral social networks, such as Snapchat or Periscope, where content disappears after 24 hours, could be another way to spread awareness without leaving a permanent footprint.

For businesses who still want to have a public face on social media, Zhang said that posting news and educational material about medical marijuana while engaging with local enthusiasts is a way to legally grow awareness of your business on social.

Seek marijuana-friendly networks

Silicon Valley has taken note of the legalization movement.

Earlier this year, prominent early Facebook investor Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund contributed to a $75 million round of funding in Privateer Holdings, a cannabis-centric private equity firm.

There are a growing number of cannabis-friendly social networks that industry leaders are flocking to. MassRoots, a social network for cannabis users and companies, was founded in 2013 and boasts more than 775,000 users. The company, listed on NASDAQ as MSRT, is continually growing and plans to launch targeted advertising this quarter.

There’s also Duby, which is more like a hybrid of Instagram and Klout for the marijuana community, available on iPhones and Androids. Other apps and networks, such as Social High and Leafly, are valuable resources for dispensaries and patients.

While they lack the wide reach Facebook or Twitter offers, these platforms allow businesses to connect with those who can legally buy their products.

By Justin Lafferty

Need PR to grow your cannabis brand? We’re happy to help. Contact us today.

The Must List: 5 Best Articles We Read This Week

This is not how we read these articles. This is how we wish we read these articles.

We read. A lot! Sometimes we feel like 95% of PR is reading (the other 5% is weeping in a corner of a room). A lot of the articles we read are depressing (mostly because they’re about Donald Drumpf), some of them are funny and an even smaller handful are compelling and useful. So we’ve gathered those small handfuls for you, so that you don’t have to suffer like we do. Here are the five best articles that we read this week. Warning: it was a pretty slow news week.

Just F@$%king Do It. #EqualPlayEqualPay

OK, this isn’t actually an article, but a video clip from The Daily Show. But we loved it so much that we decided to subvert our own rules and include it in our roundup (and like we said, it was a slow news week!). As big fans of sports, women’s sports and equality, it’s pretty appalling to us that the #1 women’s soccer team in the world is still paid significantly less than their male counterparts. Three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals have still kept the U.S. Women’s National Team from being paid what they deserve, let alone what the U.S. Men’s National Team (World Cups: 0. Olympic gold medals: 0) makes. Like the video says, Just F@#$king Do It.

When Ridesharing Becomes Political

Uber is no stranger to politics, but in their battle in Austin, Texas, they may have crossed the line. Buzzfeed’s Caroline O’Donovan reports that Uber and Lyft have been texting their customers to vote for a proposition that would repeal a local ordinance requiring drivers to be fingerprinted as part of their background check.

The move is annoying Twitter users, but remains to be seen if their ire translates to votes against the Uber/Lyft-supported proposition. The lesson for Uber/Lyft (and other apps like it) is to not abuse your access to your customers’ data.

Is Tech Media To Blame for The Rise of Theranos?

Tech reporter Nick Bilton raises an interesting question with his article on Theranos and its secret culprit: tech media. Much like Glenn Greenwald’s criticism of fellow media inadvertently propelling Drumpf into the Republican presidential candidacy, Bilton wonders if tech media, who have often been criticized for being too cozy of bedfellows with the companies that they report on, helped push Theranos to great heights without questioning the science behind the technology.

SFWeekly Sheds Light on SFPD’s Sexaul Assault Case Failure

The beleaguered San Francisco Police Department, who had an officer accused of covering up another officer’s rape allegation, has a serious backlog of sexual assault kits waiting to be tested. The SF Weekly sheds light on the severity of the situation, and the trauma that it inflicts on rape survivors awaiting justice. Beyond the backlog, the entire process is in need of serious overhaul. The SF Weekly, and its friend across the Bay, the East Bay Express, have continually written excellent investigative articles exposing flawed processes and injustices like this, highlighting the importance of alt-weeklies.

An Oldie But A Goodie

Alright, we’re cheating by including this article from 2015, but hey, Hamilton recently received record-breaking Tony nominations and a Pulitzer, so we think it’s still relevant. We only recently discovered this pseudo-oral history of the genesis of Hamilton from The New York Times, and we loved it. Now if we could just get someone to hook us up with Hamilton tickets…(c’mon, someone? Anyone? Dad?).

3 Reasons To Attend Pacific Community Ventures’ Luncheon April 14

Pacific Community Ventures (PCV) is hosting their annual luncheon on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 11:30am at the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. We’re excited to support PCV and their amazing mission to invest in entrepreneurs and small businesses in underserved communities. Beyond the great work that PCV does, including providing mentorship and small business loans to create jobs in local communities, here are three other reasons that you should join us at Hotel Nikko on April 14.

Network With Inspiring Leaders

Networking at PCV's 2015 luncheon; photo from PCV's Facebook page — Networking at PCV’s 2015 luncheon; photo from PCV’s Facebook page

You don’t want to miss the opportunity to network with impact investors, professionals in economic development and some of the Bay Area’s best and brightest small business owners.

Have Your Mind Blown

At the luncheon, a panel discussion moderated by Professor Kellie McElhaney of Haas School of Business will focus on identifying what quality jobs are and how concerned business leaders can create more of them. Esteemed panel members include:

Fred Blackwell, CEO of the San Francisco Foundation
Jose Corona, Director of Equity & Strategic Partnerships, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf
Krystell Guzman, Owner, La Plazita Preschool
Johnny Travis, Owner, FAZE Apparel

Learn More About PCV’s Mission

PCV’s sole vision is to assist underserved communities by engaging impact investors, policymakers and local small businesses in order to strengthen local economies and create much-needed quality employment. The San Francisco-based nonprofit provides mentoring and working capital to new businesses in these communities, as well as access to a healthy network of banking, business and investment professionals. To date, Pacific Community Ventures has helped to create an impressive 14,850 new quality jobs and has provided assistance to an additional 1,097 companies since the recession’s end in 2009.

Led by President and CEO, Mary Jo Cook, Pacific Community Venture partners include notable business and economic leaders such as Kiva Zip, PG&E, Silicon Valley Bank, the World Economic Forum, Nerdwallet, The California Endowment, Charles Schwab and more. To help impact investors and policymakers measure outcomes and increase the impact of their investments in the community, PVC further provides each one with customized research and key advisory services.

Annual Luncheon Tickets and Information

The opportunity to network with noted economic development professionals, impact investors and the Bay Area’s most distinguished small business owners doesn’t come along every day. In fact, this is Pacific Community Ventures’ only fundraiser of the year! So, mark your calendars for Thursday, April 14th at 11:30 am and plan to be at Hotel Nikko located at 222 Mason Street in San Francisco. Tickets are $150 each and we’re hoping for a sold-out event, so reserve your place at the table by visiting Eventbrite right now!

For more information or media passes, contact our own Katy Lim at [email protected] or by phone at (415) 375-0663.

By Laura S.

Hip Hop For Change’s 3rd Anniversary Show – April 2, 2016

Good people of the Bay Area, you know what you should be doing on Saturday, April 2? Joining us at the Uptown Nightclub in Oakland for HipHopForChange‘s 3rd Anniversary Show.

The guest list for the big anniversary event includes:

Kev Choice
OPIO of Hieroglyphics
2nd Floor Samurais
BPOS
Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist

And maybe a special guest or two will also make an appearance as we join together in celebration of the organization’s three year fight on the front lines of important cultural and social justice issues.

Who is HipHopForChange?

Photo of co-founder Khafre Jay, from HipHopForChange's Facebook page — Photo of co-founder Khafre Jay, from HipHopForChange’s Facebook page

Founded in Oakland by activist and local hip hop artist Khafre Jay in 2013, HipHopForChange works to counteract negative stereotypes too often portrayed within the mainstream media. The brand of hip hop widely celebrated within the music industry is of particular concern to the organization.

According to its founders, negative associations with hip hop culture play a role in criminalizing minorities and, in particular, young people. An unbalanced portrayal of the culture is largely depicted through music glorifying violence, sexism, materialism, drug abuse and a host of other negative images. HipHopForChange actively works to educate young people on the full, rich history of hip hop culture, including the much more diverse and positive role that it plays in society beyond mainstream music.

HipHopForChange further uses hip hop culture to actively address issues of misogyny, homophobia and other socio-economic injustices prevalent in everyday life. Working directly with young people at schools and within communities, the 501(c)3 organization also regularly showcases conscious hip hop artists at live events in an effort to spread messages of unity and social change.

From HipHopForChange's Facebook page — From HipHopForChange’s Facebook page

HipHopForChange has helped young, often disadvantaged, students draw upon hip hop’s influence to pen their own lyrics as a way to interpret and express their own realities. Educating young people on these issues and inviting them to lend their voices is why the organization also hosts fundraising events to support other local programs with similar agendas, as well as public discussions. HipHopForChange even canvasses the streets providing people with CDs, which deliver messages of equality and justice for all.

In just three years of organized activism, HipHopForChange has received awards from the Zellerbach Family Foundation and the Bill Graham Foundation. More than 5,000 people have also given financial support to this most worthwhile non-profit through various fundraisers and through direct donations toward their CDs. Now, you can also show your support of their vision by attending the April 2nd anniversary party and cheering HipHopForChange on into the future!

HipHopForChange Anniversary Information and Tickets

Mark your calendars for the anniversary celebration which will be held on April 2 at 9p at the Uptown Nightclub located at 1928 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. Get your tickets right now through Eventbrite or contact us if you need more information. If you are a member of the media and would like a VIP pass, we’re happy to hook you up. Last, but not least, be ready to seriously party on April 2nd and we’ll see you there!

Written by Laura S.

HipHopForChange is a pro bono client that we are proud to be assisting via our University of San Francisco Communications class

How PR Has Lost Control Of Its Own Brand

As PR pros, the first thing that we did when we sit down with clients is discuss their brand. Who are you? What do you do? Who do you do it for? – That endless barrage of “W” questions. We constantly tell our clients to brand themselves, stick with their key messages to reinforce their branding, and to do so strongly, before their customers do and they lose control of their own brand.

In recent weeks, the New York state’s Joint Ethics Commission has been attempting to redefine PR as lobbying. For most PR professionals, this is more than a head-scratching move; it’s one that elicits anger and righteous indignation. PR is not lobbying, plain and simple. Or is it?

PR has lost control of its own brand, due to many factors: the massive shift in the industry (thanks, social media!), struggle with advertising over who owns what, and a lack of clear, strong leadership both within internal industry organizations and powerful corporate agencies.

As a profession, PR was never well defined in the first place. We knew we weren’t advertising, but now, even those lines have blurred significantly as plenty of PR firms handle social media advertising for their clients (us included). Amongst the turmoil and existential crisis within the industry, the hand-wringing and attempts to justify one’s profession (and existence?), PR professionals have lost sight of one of the most critical rules of the trade: always have strong branding.

The fact that PR professionals are misinterpreted and routinely described as muckrackers, spin doctors, publicists, marketers, lobbyists, all compounds to actions like the NY Joint Ethics Commissions attempt to put a label on PR, one that is being defined by an outside body that has little respect for the profession (don’t get me wrong, PR hasn’t done a good job of ensuring respect).

Ultimately, the NY Joint Ethics Commission’s measure to redefine PR into something that it isn’t is exactly what happens when you don’t define your brand for yourself.

Truth In PR

Recently, brain game company Lumosity was slapped with a hefty $2M fine by the FTC. The reason? FTC claimed that Lumosity’s brain training ads are misleading and false advertising. The language used in Lumosity’s ads were the clear culprit. Specifically, touting medical/health benefits without backing up the claims with science and data naturally irked the FTC.

Other companies have faced similar accusations of glitzy marketing glossing over faulty science, including Hampton Creek, Theranos and even shoe brand Sketchers. The case against Lumosity highlights truth in advertising and PR.

Often, PR language imitates marketing/advertising language (for brand consistency). When we repeat these claims that turn out to be false and/or exaggerated, we’re perpetuating bad practices. Food and health brands have to be particularly sensitive to the language being used, but this scrutiny should be applied across all markets.

Many PR pros see little to no problem with repeating misleading claims in email pitches to reporters. However, making grandiose claims to a journalist in an email pitch is just as harmful as splashing said claim across a gigantic billboard. Journalists pick the language up, potentially repeat it, or more importantly, they call you out on it (something more reporters should do, frankly).

If you’re using PR language like “first to market,” “only one of its kind,” and more critically, “improves your brain memory,” you better have the data and/or science to back these claims up. Using this language in PR is just as dangerous as using it across advertising channels. There might not be an FTC oversight but you’ll create more harm for your client or brand than you will interest. And it’s just frankly wrong.

The Walden Approach to PR – Less Is More

A common misperception about PR and how to do it successfully is to always go big. Bigger = better. More stunts, more high profile celebrities, more articles, more more more! What could go wrong? Many things, actually. Too much PR can result in oversaturation and brand dilution, or, in the case of former media darling startup Theranos, an unwanted spotlight that exposes inconsistencies and weaknesses.

There are plenty of examples of brands who take the PR path less chosen. The documentary film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” portrays a dedicated sushi chef who could easily open a chain of restaurants or slap his valued name onto QVC-quality products like many other chefs before him. The lowkey Jiro shies from the attention, focusing instead on his craft and creating the best damn sushi in the world.

Like Jiro, Van Winkle whiskey (as detailed in this excellent post from Branding Strategy Insider) is another example of a brand that focuses on product rather than hype. This has lead to the whiskey being so highly sought after, they don’t even need to go on store shelves as the wait list is long enough. Sometimes, cultivating a cult status brand is just as good, if not better, for brand AND financial longevity.

Cards Against Humanity is another example of a brand that lets its fans do the hyping for them. Cards Against Humanity focuses on its main flagship offering, with inspired offshoots, but you won’t see the brand splashed across every bit of merchandise a la “Angry Birds.”

Tech startups in particular can heed the advice of not overdoing PR/marketing. The number of overhyped startups, heralded in popular industry media outlets like TechCrunch and PandoDaily, that have flamed out after the initial PR pop is countless (just look at the breathless articles touting the recently shuttered Fab, ours included). Of course, this is typically an issue of product vs. hype, and why it’s more important to concentrate on product offering first before sitting down with a reporter.

Cultivating an air of exclusivity has long been a PR staple, so this isn’t a new concept, but in the age of the Kardashians and digital media overkill, it’s become a valued one.

ASIAN, Inc. Celebrates Diversity With Inspirational Gala

Kicking off with an incredibly powerful speech by MSNBC news anchor and journalist Richard Lui, ASIAN, Inc.’s annual Gala celebration was an exceptional night that reminded the audience of why diversity shouldn’t be a catchphrase but a way of life (and business). We were honored to support ASIAN, Inc. and be a small part of the September 18 event at the beautiful SF Design Center.

Thanks to the generosity of community-minded sponsors, ASIAN, Inc. is able to provide services for low-income individuals in housing, finance and entrepreneurship throughout Northern California. Because of its proven value to the community, the 40+ year old nonprofit was selected to operate the Minority Business Development Agency centers in the Bay Area (including Fresno, San Jose and San Francisco) to promote the growth of minority-owned small businesses.

As ASIAN, Inc. president Michael Chan put it, “Equal access means opening doors and being at the proverbial table along with everyone else at the same time.”

Titled “A Force For Good,” the superhero-themed Gala celebration proved the value of being at the proverbial table by celebrating and promoting minority-owned businesses and showcasing diversity among its 300 attendees. With local band The Delivery delighting everyone with their jazzy-y rock cover tunes, returning MC’s Fiona Ma and Ash Kalra kept the evening light on its feet.

Lui was the first recipient for the Empowering Diversity award. His work behind and in front of the camera has provided a platform for civil rights stories that deserve to be told. Lui demonstrated exactly why journalists are so important in shaping the civil rights narrative. Other recipients included trailblazing judge Harry Low and Kwon Wo Ironworks CEO Florence Kong, who spoke about being a minority female in a male-dominated industry (construction).

MSNBC anchor Richard Lui accepts his Empowering Diversity award

The deserving award winners exemplified what it means to be a “A Force For Good,” as did the sponsors and attendees who were no doubt inspired to continue to lead the change.

See you next year at ASIAN, Inc.’s 45th Gala Celebration!

Every Picture Tells a Story – The Importance of Visual Marketing Strategies

Visual marketing strategies play an integral role in just about every great PR effort these days. If you don’t know this by now, you are missing out on enormous opportunities for your brand and falling behind in the rapidly progressing world of new media. Not to worry, though, accepting the importance of well-planned visual marketing strategies is the first step in recovering your brand’s footing. Learning how to properly embrace and apply visual communications will help you become a stronger contender.

What is Visual Marketing?

Quickly, let’s review what we mean by “visual marketing.” Hardly a new concept, visual marketing and visual communications relate to using images and video content to advertise a business, event or brand. In new media terms, visual marketing strategies tend to include gifs, memes and live streaming applications as much as they do infographics, guestographics and traditional video and photographic imagery. Largely, visual marketing goes beyond simply informing your audience, but is used to also drive traffic to your web properties in order to secure regular consumers.

Social Media and Short-Form Content Rules the Day

We live in a world where every thought is a potential tweet and Facebook is as important a business tool as your client’s website or brick-and-mortar location. And even the most unlikely businesses, organizations and brands are making a splash on Pinterest. Once merely a tool for individuals to chat about common interests online, social media has grown to become a significant communication vehicle for celebrities, governments and businesses of every size. Increasingly, PR professionals are including social media campaigns in their services and clients are including this powerful medium in their advertising budgets.

One recent B2B marketing study reveals video as being one of the most frequently leveraged types of content. Among B2B buyers, most prefer short, visual and mobile content above all else. With so much to digest in this fast-moving world of news, information and advertising, a picture is now officially worth far more than 1,000 words.

Visual Marketing Strategies Increase Engagement

Used globally, creatives have to be, well, creative about obtaining a marketing edge on competitors. As anyone successful in this space will tell you, visual communication is crucial in social media marketing and both work hand-in-hand with traditional media tools. In most instances, visual marketing strategies garner the most engagement and are precisely what should be used just about every PR effort.

I once heard visual marketing in social media compared to observing a big city through the windows of a speeding train– there is much to take in and one will become overwhelmed in trying to make note of everything seen. However, strategic billboards automatically attract a passenger’s attention and will likely become the most memorable visual markers she observes during her journey. This is precisely how visual marketing works in social media. With so much content speeding by, creative visuals are what stand out the most.

What’s Your Story?

We all know that every picture tells a story. And no truer words were ever spoken as this adage applies to today’s marketing and PR. The question we all have to ask ourselves now is: if we’re not heavily employing visual marketing strategies for our clients, what stories are we really telling and are they even being heard at all?

By Laura S.