2009 archive

At my recent presentation at Pace University on Social Media I was asked, "Why can't people find my website when they search online?" My answer, a bit flippant, was that it would take another three hour class for a decent response about search engine optimization (SEO).

If you’ve attended any of The Byne Group’s seminars, you’ve probably seen
the following formula:

Promise + Experience = Your Brand

At a recent seminar I gave about marketing and social media, someone from the audience wanted to know how to raise money during this economy when your organization is in the arts. (hers focused specifically on African dance, culture and music). Interestingly, I had watched children from their troupe perform at an outdoor festival the prior summer.

So what's the difference between a "Group" and a "Page" on Facebook? This question has been swirling around our office lately and I have gotten to the bottom of it. First of all, a Group and a Page look different but there is much more to it then that.

Since my last post on, “How to Create a Facebook Page…” back in January, many of our clients, both for profit and non-profit, have come to us with many questions about how they can have more of a presence on Facebook. So I’m back with more helpful hints, suggestions and an updated way of how to create your “Page.” Remember, Facebook Pages are a distinct presence that represent an organization and are separate from your personal profile.

How to Create a Page:

Step 1: Go to Facebook.com. Right on the homepage there is a link to create a page.

Step 2: Choose which category you fall under. For example if you are a non-profit, select “Brand, Product, or Organization.”

There are numerous ways for brands to leverage Facebook. Pages are enhanced with applications to help any organization communicate with and engage with their fans. Some applications you can use are:

:: RSS Feed
:: Discussion Boards
:: Events
:: Photos
:: Video
:: And many more!

Keep the conversation going! Every time someone comments on your new status, photo, video, or discussion thread, you need to comment on it. You should be talking with your clients. It may take extra effort to engage with your fans but it will keep them coming back. This is one way to promote an exceptional brand.

Keep it current! Spark conversation, post questions, or new topics for a discussion forum. Update your status with calls to action, recent news or upcoming events.

The connection! Support strong relationships with people who care about your organization. Did you know that more than 3 million users become fans of Facebook Pages every day?

For all you non-profits, don’t forget about Causes Pages! Any U.S. registered 501(c)(3) non-profit or Canadian registered charity can sign-up. Facebook processes the donations automatically via credit card, they tally the results, and report the donation activity via a public "scorecard" on the Cause Page. This allows you the ability to reward the people who donated. Our client, La Casa de Don Pedro, recently created a Cause Page. [click here to check it out]

Check out The Byne Group’s Facebook Page to see how we have utilized the photo, video, and RSS feed applications. Or give us a call and we can discuss how The Byne Group can help you create your own Facebook Page. See how we have helped some of our clients create Facebook Pages:

:: Rockland Parent-Child Center
:: General Patent Corporation

–Melissa Behrens, Senior Graphic Designer

I love daydreaming but I feel a little guilty doing it.

According to wikipedia while daydreaming has long been derided as a lazy, non-productive pastime, daydreaming can be constructive in some contexts. There are numerous examples of people in creative or artistic careers, such as composers, novelists and filmmakers, developing new ideas through daydreaming. Similarly, research scientists, mathematicians and physicists have developed new ideas by daydreaming about their subject areas.

Like most in the marketing and advertising world, I do a lot of reading about what’s going on in all different types of companies. 2009 has brought many a story of the failures of businesses of all kinds, sizes and ages, for-profit and not-for-profit alike. Not so much about success. Maybe it’s not as big a draw as failure but if you’re like me, I want to learn how businesses are succeeding in what has been termed ‘the worst time since the Great Depression'.

It seems that Tropicana’s new identity is causing a lot of uproar. The common opinion is that it looks like a discount brand because of the generic photo and overly simplified design. Yet, the product and price seem to be the same as before! This has caused a lot of confusion. People are angry when they browse the juice section with all its options and brands popping out … they can’t locate their old-time favorite … because its incognito! Not to mention hard to read for many.

When I first laid eyes on the new Tropicana carton, I instantly thought of The Byne Group. Then I thought about Pepsi Cola and their new simplified design. I’m always in favor of a cleaner design (we all are at The Byne Group!) … with Target and Apple being the prime examples of big corps. that have done it well. Turns out that Pepsi Corp. has decided to update several of their key products due to decreased sales. This includes Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade and Tropicana.

The new design was just released in January 2009 and it certainly didn’t last long because Tropicana made a statement this week citing that they will be reverting to the old design.

Even though this seemed to be a crash and burn scenario for Pepsi … I look at it in another way, they got a lot of press coverage and attention over this issue. People were reminded of how much they are connected to Tropicana. And I also applaud them for being brave and trying to do something very different for the industry they are in. Bravo!

New York Times, www,nytimes.com,
“Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging,” Feb. 23, 2009.

What we can all learn from Walt Disney

In this economy we could all use a little bit of magic. And who better to teach us than the master of successful branding, Walt Disney.

What we can all learn from Walt Disney

In this economy we could all use a little bit of magic. And who better to teach us than the master of successful branding, Walt Disney.