A little over a week ago I attended a marketing and technology conference, hoping to  A) see what the competition is up to and B) maybe learn a few things. As it turns out, I got to do both. We work very hard to stay current on social media marketing, and as a rabid iPhone user I’m already quite familiar with the mobile data hog trend that’s sweeping the tech world (as is my wife, she pays the AT&T bill). What did open my eyes were some numbers presented by Famous Rhodes, Director of eBay Motors.

Some facts Famous bright to light:

• Mobile phone internet commerce is fastest growing commerce sector
  • Smart phones went from 0% to 20% of mobile market in 8 years
  • Over 100 MILLION iPhones have been sold worldwide
  • 160,000 Google phones are activated every DAY
  • By 2013, 40% of internet traffic will be mobile
  • Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4 models in the first weekend it went on sale
  • iTunes already has over 225,000 apps
  • Google’s Android has over 70,000 apps in less than one year

Those are BIG numbers. As a communications professional, my goal is to make sure as many qualified eyeballs as possible see my client’s message. The tough part is keeping a finger in a LOT of pies, from Facebook fan pages and YouTube video channels to forums, print PR, TV, newspapers, Twitter and more. The key to conglomerating all this info into a single channel isn’t the computer or TV like everyone predicted 20 years ago – it’s the phone. As it stands I check my email, twitter, facebook and website on my phone constantly. I think most consumers under 40 do the same.

That said, the key moving forward is to obtain an M-Commerce leadership position now, while the field is still young and growing. The video game and fashion industries have already taken a foothold, automotive is lagging behind. We have several new projects in development that will help clients put all data into a single channel available on any phone, and that’s the key to streamlining all the communication strategies into a single stream of information. Of course the info has to be fun and entertaining, otherwise what’s the point?

I’ll have more exciting news regarding these programs soon, in the meantime enjoy Pete, Roger and Keith doing their thing.

We’ll start with video work since it demands more specific settings and consumes a lot more space.

Filming:

• Shoot with a tripod whenever possible. This is an effort to reduce the amount of shake and vibrations in our videos. When I’m out filming cars, I always have a tripod with me. For interviews, stationary shots, moving shots, pans, and everything else, these shots look a lot more professional. When the footage is more professional it shows that your company puts a lot of effort and thought into every little detail.

• Shoot everything in the same format. Now with HD cameras especially you are given plenty of options in how the camera will record its footage. Varying formats in the same project not only looks less professional, it also can be entirely incompatible.
  • At Kahn Media everything as of right now is shot in 720p and the majority of footage is at 30fps. Why? Because the majority of our video goes online, and YouTube maxes out at 720p, but this format still looks good on a TV screen.
  • Use a GoPro Hero HD? The setting R2 for 1080i/p is largely unnecessary for most internet-based projects and will just result in a larger file size.
  • If you shoot something with the intent of it being turned into slow-motion footage, keep the 720p and shoot at 60fps. This is double the frame rate so the slowed footage will look much smoother.
    • Normal Footage: 720p/30fps
    • Slow Motion Footage: 720p/60fps (R3 on the GoPro)

• Import the Footage from the Camcorder. It is important that you import footage from the camera instead of dragging files over like a hard drive. Cameras don’t automatically record to an editable file format. The footage needs to be imported into an editing program. Cameras come with software to properly import footage and many other programs are also capable of doing this. I’ve been receiving a growing number of .MTS files lately as well as many other non-compatible formats. We have ways of making MTS files work eventually but it is very time consuming and just delays videos further. The exception to this being GoPros which record into a .MOV file format which is perfect for editing.
  • Import footage – don’t just drag files over (Except for with Gopros)
  • Desired files: Uncompressed .MOV Files

Photography:

• Shoot high-resolution. We don’t need or necessarily want RAW files for event coverage and/or blog posts. However, a high-quality JPEG can go a long way.

• Shoot with the sun to your back. This is for lighting/exposure purposes of course. You can do a lot with ambient (natural) light if you utilize it properly. This tip can help you eliminate a lot of unwanted shadows and will clean up the look of photos significantly.

• Show as much as you can. Take photos of everything going on. A cool car, a race, a funny story, a cool story, anything relevant.

• Avoid busy backgrounds. Nothing kills a shot quicker than having your competitors’ vehicles in the background. Always try to get your company’s car separate from anything that could make the photo unusable.

For Both:

• Get multiple shots of each car. Get overview shots and specific shots of your product. If possible, get photos that include the vehicle and owner’s info (Ex: A tag at a car show)

• Interview customers. Ask people questions that use your product. Film their reactions (use a microphone if possible). Take some notes, maybe a good write-up or caption could be tied into the photos. People also enjoy feeling like their voice is heard, especially if it’s by the companies that they have given their hard-earned money to.

• Show people having a good time. Get shots of people enjoying events you sponsor, or customers enjoying your products. This can be as valuable, if not more so than a traditional commercial. People like companies that not only have good products but also reinvest in the community and give that community a chance to enjoy themselves (Ex: Muscle car events for the Muscle Car Community). Make a point of showing that you support the community and that people are enjoying events you sponsor.

• Have fun. If you’re having a good time while shooting and experiencing the cars or races it’ll carry over to the footage. Our goal here isn’t just about showing company’s products, we want to show that our clients are into fun. All of our clients have products that are used in fun applications like races. We want people to see footage from events that our clients contribute to and/or participate in. If someone uses a client’s product in the race I will show that person using the product and usually interview him or her as well. It’s better to have more footage and sort through it than coming up short on footage when working on something.

It’s important that you put some effort into the quality of photo and video work for your company. Customers, both current and potential, will notice the quality of this and directly associate it with your product. The cleaner and better shot everything is, the better the company’s image. Follow these steps when possible and have a good time while doing so and it’ll work wonders.

I can’t wait to see what you guys can do.

Thanks,

-Alex Auerbach

As it turns out, the video was captured with a rig like the one used by Helivideo; basically a high-def Canon 7D mounted on a radio controlled helicopter. It works for the government with the predator drone, so why not the car industry? See the video below:

Aerial video with a Canon 5D , 7D helivideo.com from Eric AUSTIN on Vimeo.

Having been on shoots with real helicopters, I can attest to the fact that its outrageously expensive and the results are not always predictable. Poor weather, camera shake, and the fact that engine and rotor noise drown out ambient noise are all risks when working with a full-size chopper. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to work with Helivideo soon, it seems like a fantastic option that will revolutionize the promotional video market for the transportation industry.

When the smoke cleared on Sunday, over 60 vehicles had run through the cones and the Hotchkis team gave over 400 rides in three company test vehicles. Formerly conservative, drag-race-only Mopar fans were raving about how much fun they had, and many trekked back to the booth in the Manufacturer’s midway to learn more about suspension systems. We shot about 20 hours of high-def video, so we’ll have several chopped up and posted soon. There was a visible perception shift with the crowd by the end of the weekend. They understood handling for the first time, and they were pumped up about it.

Changing hearts and minds is what PR is all about. I just finished reading What the Dog Saw, by Malcom Gladwell, the author of Tipping Point. The first section of the book focuses on Ron Popeil, the owner of Ronco and the innovator of using late-night infomercials to push products like the Showtime Rotisserie and Food Dehydrator. According to Gladwell’s book, Popeil comes from a long line of pitchmen, who in the ’20s and ’30s would sell their wares on the Jersey Shore boardwalk with live demos. Ron took his live demo to late night TV and made millions.

In the age of social media and short-attention-span theater, human nature remains the same. People want to experience something in order to buy it. Magazine articles are great, but reading a story about something someone else did is a very passive experience. The beauty of events like Mopars at the Strip, any of the GoodGuys Shows with autocross or shootouts like the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge is that they get people to partake in a real-world roller coaster ride. They have a great time, then they tell their friends. The key is tying that experience to a product. Otherwise its just entertainment – which is fine and good, unless you’re trying to make money on the deal. Having a sponsor banner hanging next to the registration booth for an event is good. Giving the participant a ride in a vehicle with your products on it where they can actually feel the difference is great.

Taking a cue from Ron and his rotisserie, we recognize that giving a few hundred people a ride is wonderful, but then sharing that person’s experience with the world is much more powerful. Since TV has become fractionalized by DVR technology and hundreds of channels, spending tens of thousands of dollars on a 2am airtime slot probably isn’t the best choice. Instead, we’re sharing the experience with the world through real-time Facebook and Twitter updates, and video posted to YouTube and the forums. The goal: to help people live in someone’s shoes as they have a thrilling ride for a about two minutes.

With that in mind, one of our other clients – Spectre Performance – is sponsoring a wild event called the Speed by Spectre 341 Challenge. It’s the rebirth of an old Ferrari Club event called the Virginia City Hillclimb. They’re closing a mountain road in southwest Nevada and letting supercars run the road for time. It’s scary, dangerous, and very very cool. So far we’ve signed up several major car builders, supercar owners, a few superstar drivers and most of the major media outlets to cover the event. Only a few dozen will participate, but hopefully thousands can experience it. To illustrate, we put together a little video featuring footage the Spectre crew shot in 2002 when company owner Amir Rosenbaum set the record (which still stands):

Anyway, those are just some random thoughts on why experience is making a comeback. Stay tuned for some vids from Vegas.

-Dan

Our friends at Spectre Performance have a serious addiction to speed. We’ve followed Amir and his crew to Bonneville and were part of a 340 mph world record land speed run, have witnessed several of the Spectre muscle cars on the race track – but now the team from Ontario are taking the speed addiction to a new level.

About a decade ago, Amir was involved in a crazy full-throttle racing event held on a closed mountain road in the middle of the Nevada desert called the Virginia City Hill Climb. It was officially timed and held by the Ferrari club. In fact, he set the record (which still stands) in a Ferrari F40. Since Spectre is focused on spreading the word about its high-performance intake systems and proving its street cred, Amir decided to bring the event back for 2010.

Jimi Day and the FM3 crew (the same group that runs the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge) is running the logistics, and we’re helping with promotion and PR. Should be an incredible event – including a media vs forum shootout with representatives from most of the major magazines and forums/blogs. We also have received entries from some of the top tuners and supercar shops in the country, so it will be an incredible event. Stay tuned for updates, but in the meantime you can check out the Speed by Spectre 341 Challenge website for more info.

Since he just settled a lawsuit with the GOP I thought it appropriate to kick this post off with a little Jackson Browne. Hope he doesn’t sue me. Sorry about the long delay, I’ve been workin’ hard hustling media for a few new clients and I’ve neglected my little corner of the interwebs.

So here’s the deal… I’ve mentioned in a few previous posts that an uncanny number of my aged-challenged friends and family have been hopping onto the Facebook bandwagon. Even big media outlets have noticed. In a way, that’s a fantastic thing because it means all demos are becoming comfortable with social media. However like most trends of the past few decades, where the Baby Boomers go, big business will follow. And, like MySpace before it, Facebook is in the process of revamping its advertising program to accommodate new ad packages.

Facebook actually only became the reigning traffic champ about a month ago, but most marketers started shying away from the platform as far back as a year go, when the NewsCorp buyout caused a seismic shift in who was actually using the site. Until Rupert got his hands on it, Myspace was essentially a gathering place for young people. After the massive ads went up and started alienating people, waves of users started shifting towards Facebook. For a short time record labels and movie studios Myspace pages helped bolster the site’s traffic, but the magic is gone and Myspace is essentially a trade show hall filled with companies showing their wares and exhibiting their hipness to a non-existent crowd. So Myspace is essentially dunzo.

Now it looks like Facebook might be going the same way. According to recent PC Magazine/MSN story, people are flocking to Twitter from Facebook. I can’t say I blame them. Facebook is still an excellent platform for reconnecting with old friends and promoting companies and/or clients. The problem is the new site design bombards people with so many updates and such a deluge of information that any self-respecting page with more than a few hundred friends can’t effectively keep news or updates on the front page for more than a few minutes. So…. unless you’re literally sitting at your computer checking your wall all day, you’ll probably miss a load of info. Twitter essentially takes the update portion of Facebook and throws away the rest.

Now I’m not a huge fan of using Twitter for PR purposes unless you have a dedicated tweeter that knows what they’re doing and only broadcasts relevant, interesting info. It will be interesting to sit back and see how things play out, but my gut instinct tells me that Facebook will be irrelevant in two years, and a new platform will have taken its place. What do you think?

Scoble shot a series of videos for Fast Company on a fantastic startup called Involver, based in the Bay Area. Basically they have developed a facebook app that allows companies to promote their videos to specific demographic groups using a filtered push tool they’ve developed. Awesome stuff, check it out:

Two less than intelligent Domino’s Pizza employees shot a handful of videos at work, where they did some pretty disgusting stuff including purposefully sneezing on pizzas, shoving ingredients in their nose before placing them on the pizza and even cleaning the pots and pans with a sponge they used to clean their, well, nether regions. Then they put it on YouTube. Brilliant move. Here’s a clip… beware, this is pretty gross:

The video was posted on April 13th. Within 8 hours, it had racked up over 100,000 views, local news stations were running the story and several people reported that franchise to the health department. What did Domino’s corporate communications do? Well… nothing. Not at first.

Their initial reaction was to say the video was a result of a few bad employees at one franchise location, and that an official corporate reaction would “be akin to putting out a candle with a fire hose.” Translation: They didn’t understand how quickly viral video can damage a brand, and sticking to traditional PR tactics they didn’t want to legitimize the scandal by recognizing it.

Within 48 hours the video had hundreds of thousands of hits, the franchise was shut down by the health department, and the video was making national headlines. YouTube pulled the original down and the employees were fired (they also fled the area), but the damage was done. Several people re-posted the vid on YouTube, and as the story picked up steam, the google searches and YouTube views for the videos intensified. These are NOT images Dominos corporate wanted in people’s heads when they contemplated ordering a pizza.

So… two days later the Pizza PR team posted this video, featuring Dominos President Patrick Doyle:

So let’s brake down the video and do a little scoring:

- He’s clearly reading off a cue card. Mr. Doyle appears properly briefed about the YouTube process and how this all went down, but by not looking in the camera he doesn’t necessarily come off as genuine as he could. -1 point

- One of the first things he does is thank the online community for alerting Dominos to the situation. He doesn’t blame bloggers for re-upping the videos, as previous execs have done in times for PR crisis. +2 points

- He explains it was an isolated incident and that the “team members” claim it was a hoax. Doyle goes on to state that they have been dismissed and that the company takes this very seriously. He also claims that there are “felony warrants out for their arrest.” Not sure if that’s true (sneezing on pizza is a felony?), but it stretched credibility. 0 points

- “There is nothing more important or sacred to us than our customer’s trust.” – said with sincerity. +2 points

- Admits that this has caused major damage to the brand, and that 125,000 employees will be impacted by a few individuals. Thanks customers for “hanging in there with us.” +1 points

Conclusion on the video response: They Domino’s PR team could have reacted faster, but all-in-all they got a relatively well-done response piece up on YouTube and began heavily promoting it within days. They also got major news outlets to run a follow-up story on their response, framing the company as the victim and the incident as an isolated one.

Is the damage already done? You bet, but they reacted fairly quickly. So the lesson to be learned:

- If a negative video about your brand makes it’s way onto the internet, react SWIFTLY with a genuine response. TRUST the public enough to know that they’ll understand that some people are idiots.

- Thank the online community for calling attention to the story, DO NOT blame them.

- Have your PR team focus news coverage on the damage done to the good employees, and brand the perpetrators as the bad guys. Single them out so they take the brunt of the bad PR, not the brand.

- After the initial response, weather the storm. Let the story blow over when the next online story hits. Continued responses will perpetuate the story.

- Don’t do what Domino’s Australia did and use the scandal as an excuse to make a rambling video about new products and thicker rubber gloves. It totally kills credibility: