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I Masterminded a David Letterman Kidnapping Plot… (According to Google)

/ Kelly Frank / 14 Comments
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I remember the day back in 2005 quite vividly. I was working for the NBC affiliate in Phoenix as an Executive Producer. I walked in as I normally do every day and went straight to my desk.  When I arrived, I saw it covered in AP wire copy. Yes! Clearly something important was upon us if my desk sit covered in printed wire copy.

I soon started to read about how I masterminded a plot to kidnap David Letterman’s son and nanny. I was under arrest and in big trouble. Right there in black and white: “Kelly Frank planned to hold the boy and his nanny for a $5 million ransom”.

My colleagues were highly amused but if you Google Kelly Frank today–that is what you will find. That…and apparently I am one hell of a professional team mascot! So much so—I teach other mascots how to shake, shimmy and do their silly string thing without getting canned.

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Now clearly I am not a criminal or a professional mascot (although the latter would be pretty cool!) All kidding aside though, being aware of who you “are” out in the digital landscape is crucial. It doesn’t take much for an employer, prospective employer, friend, boyfriend, wife or colleague to find out what you left in your online wake. Luckily I am very tuned in to this. I knew what I would find when I googled myself because I do it often. I also set Google alerts to my name. I work in a high-profile field where your reputation isn’t just about you–it’s about the network you represent. I take that very seriously.

Now that I am married, I use Kelly Frank Green and I am happy to say…no celebrity stalking or mascot twerking to speak of. Googling Kelly Frank Green yielded exactly what I thought: my social media library. Here’s a brief slide show:

Aside from my social media footprint, there is the expected search services and directories to find “Kelly Frank Green”. I also looked through the search results that came up under News, Shopping, Video and Images. Video revealed my vine account and a “day in the life” video shoot at CNN. It was for an event for my alma mater:

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The Images search results were a mix of pictures I took, posted or pinned along with some that have nothing to do with me:

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Googling my email address produced similar results. The findings only extended about three-quarters of the page whereas my name went into a second page of results. This surprised me a little in that I use this Gmail account for many things. Clearly it is very public if I have it on this blog and it is associated with all my social media.

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I also looked at the News, Images, Shopping and Videos for these findings as well. No news on News is good news! There was nothing under Shopping or Videos. The Images results were similar to those under my name. Interestingly enough, classmate Angela Cook came up “below the fold as you can see below. We are friends on Google+ and that seems to bump up her ranking! (Oh Google…you do like yourself!)

Googling yourself is a good practice to keep every month or so. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, reputation management is something we should all take seriously.  So stalk yourself now and then. Check profiles from the “public” point of view. Check in on what various groups see or what lists you are on. It’s important…you never know when you will find you are a twerking, silly string-slinging mascot or worse…a celebrity-stalking convicted felon.

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Kelly Allen Frank ~ Convicted Felon

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The experience above is chronicled for my Web Research Methods class for the University of Florida Masters Degree program specializing in Social Media. As always…this exercise is purely academic.

Rise Above the Noise: An Integrated Marketing Proposal for BullHorn Media

/ Kelly Frank / Leave a comment
Amplify-Your-Image-Bullhorn_LOGO

 Let’s face it. There is a lot of noise in the world.  Like  this. Tweet that. Share This. Choose us. Pick me.

The bombardment is never-ending. It’s hard to be  heard in a 24/7 world without dissolving into a sea of  white noise.

Want to rise above the noise? That’s where we come  in.

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We’re BullHorn Media…we amplify your image.

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If I were writing the story of BullHorn Media, that is how I would begin. Today’s consumer is savvy. They don’t want to be over-marketed, under-sold and spinned. They want an authentic experience but they want to know they are in the hands of experts.  They want personal attention with professional results. BullHorn Media is uniquely positioned to do just that.

BullHorn Media is twenty plus years of experience in videography, production, design and story-telling.  It is the brain child of Mark and Lisa LeGrand with roots dating back to the early 90s. What started out as a husband and wife team capturing love stories flourishes decades later as a full-service production company serving corporate clientele.   Don’t let the humble beginning dissuade you. It shows what hard work can do.

One of the visionaries behind BullHorn Media is an award-winning craftsman. Mark LeGrand has been repeatedly recognized for his talent and creativity in editing and video production. What makes Mark excel is his never-ending desire to learn in an ever-changing technology driven world.  He has a thorough understanding of the latest equipment ensuring your desires are not only met but exceeded.

The people of BullHorn Media do not have a “been there, done that” attitude. Each project is unique. Every client is an original. BullHorn Media leads the way because the minds behind it understand vision comes from never settling.  BullHorn Media takes pride in your event the same way you do. Whether it is a black tie affair for a thousand or a convention for three thousand or an intimate speaker series for executives, BullHorn Media will amplify your image to the level you seek.

Bullhorn Media has the experience. BullHorn Media has the tools. BullHorn Media has the technology.

You may be thinking, “Yea…but so do the other guys!”

True. They probably do. What they don’t have though…is the personal touch.

BullHorn Media is designed to give each client a unique attention often missing in today’s world. They are with you from inception to completion. This one-on-one philosophy is a core value of BullHorn Media and they stand by it.  It’s who they are. Amplified.

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 Target Audience

BullHorn Media is unique in that it can provide services to a wide variety of clientele. It’s target audience is anyone looking for that extra-added wow factor that only comes with a personal touch including but not limited to:

  • Small private or public businesses in and around or traveling to Orlando, Florida
  • Professional Associations in and around or traveling to Orlando, Florida
  • Non-Profit Organizations in and around or traveling to Orlando, Florida
  • Leadership and Training Organizations in and around or traveling to Orlando, Florida
  • Convention and Meeting Planners

BullHorn Media can:

  • shoot your commercial
  • recap that special leadership event you worked so hard to imagine
  • capture that perfect tutorial for your audience
  • enliven your marketing material to a new visual level
  • memorialize that special key-note address for those who could not make it…or those who just want to live it again

The BullHorn Media target audience is technologically savvy, forward-thinking and evolutionary but appreciates the quiet values of originality, authenticity and story-telling.

Interviews, speaker series, event summaries, meeting recordings, conventions, conferences & fundraisers…it’s not about the size, it’s about the personal touch. Amplified.

sWOT

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 Why use an Integrated Marketing Communications Strategy?

BullHorn Media is in the business of image but there is nothing surface about their service. People need to know that.

Who wants to be a king without a kingdom?

The purpose of this Integrated Marketing Communications proposal is to provide recommendations on how to reach new customers while maintaining brand voice, brand vision, brand value and message.

Let’s be real. Small businesses are often resource-challenged. That’s why IMC is a friend. Marketing guru and social media influencer Steve Olenski constantly writes about Integrated Marketing in Forbes.  No, wait…Correction: He preaches and rants! Question the method if you want, but not the message. It is solid. He’s a believer in IMC and wants everyone to get on board.

In one of his latest offerings, Olenksi points out that a recent study revealed 65% of marketers are not giving consumers what they want. 65%!  So that tells me that 65% of businesses are NOT giving customers what they want.

To capture the personal touch and one-on-one experience core to their values, BullHorn Media must understand what their customer wants. There is a lot of noise coming at all of us non-stop. People don’t have to search far to find what they are looking for. BullHorn Media needs to be a part of the conversation.

Or settle for being part of the 65%.

Companies are still operating in silos. Integrating the message of BullHorn Media to a solid, consistent and defined brand makes it easier (and cost-effective) to spread your reach to the channels your customers live and work in.

BullHorn Media must live where their customer lives.

BullHorn Media must listen to their customer.

Only then, can BullHorn Media rise above the noise.

Integrating your marketing accomplishes just what you seek to provide: AN AMPLIFIED IMAGE.

rise above

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Final Thoughts

Creating an Integrated Marketing Communications Plan can be overwhelming when you read a proposal like the one I have presented. (Especially when it is accompanied by a dozen others!) Don’t let it be. Once you get the structure in place it can be very rewarding and even fun to keep the content going. Most important though, it’s worth it. Your customers are out there and on these channels. You need to be where they are to stay relevant.

You have a business with brand message:  Amplify Your Image. When that is your brand message, you need to walk the walk.

Amplify YOUR Image.

Rise Above the Noise.

Intro to Social Media Week 3: MOST IMPORTANT CHANNEL FOR MY INDUSTRY

/ Kelly Frank / Leave a comment

I have flip-flopped for a few days on this dilemma. What’s the single most important social channel for CNN? (my most recent employer**) Facebook? Twitter? Vine? Instagram?

I even conducted a little social engagement of my own, tapping my Facebook (the irony) focus group of journalist friends with a little poll. The majority answered Facebook but the discussion was very insightful. If you are interested in the comments, click HERE.

After careful consideration, I’m going with Twitter. On this date, at this time, Twitter is the single most important social channel that CNN can use. Why?

These are all news events that Twitter reported first. (Mark Hachman) Not Associated Press. Not the New York Times. Not CNN. Twitter.

In thinking about this discussion topic, I read several articles and a couple Pew Studies. I am including the links if you have an interest in reading further:

In this digital, information in an instant age, journalists have to be realistic. We can’t be everywhere. We have to look at everything as a possible source. We can’t look down our nose at social media as a lower quality, less valid resource of information. It is another tool. Consider it the Deep Throat of this generation and like Woodward and Bernstein, we have to fact-check our sources. Always. It’s great to be first but it’s better to be first and right. Once out there, you can’t take it back.

Before commercials can be sold, content can be sponsored, Facebook populated with advertisements, there has to be a story. There has to be original content that engages. Right now, Twitter is the best newsgathering tool for national/international organizations like CNN to find that story at its inception. The CNN/Twitter partnership with Dataminr reinforces that. Upon announcing the venture, Dataminr CEO Ted Bailey told TechCrunch the goal is to “alert journalists to information that’s emerging on Twitter in real time.” (Anthony Ha) The article continues revealing, “…the technology looks at tweets and finds patterns that can reveal breaking news when it’s still in its “infancy”.”

Overall, I respectfully submit that in my industry, the line of thought MUST be that there is no one channel above all others. There needs to be an integrated strategy with resources equally distributed. CNN, in my opinion, is far more powerful and relevant when the images from Vine and Instagram are incorporated into the news tips revealed on Twitter, backed by the fact-checking of the trained journalists, presented on multiple screens (Facebook, Television, Website, Mobile) for audience engagement.

For this discussion though, if I have to pick one, I pick Twitter. We are nothing without the story. What can I say…I’m an idealist.

Sources:

Mark Hachman. (April 19, 2013). 6 Stories That Broke on Twitter. Retrieved on May 31, 2014,http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/310559/6-stories-that-broke-on-twitter/7

Anthony Ha. (January 29, 2014). CNN and Twitter Partner with Dataminr to Create News Tool for Journalists. Retrieved on June 1, 2014, http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/29/dataminr-for-news/

**As of this post (June 1, 2014), I am not employed by CNN. I do not speak for CNN and what is expressed here is only my opinion formed by my years in journalism and my time as a CNN Executive Producer.

Classic Marketing vs. Social Media Marketing

/ Kelly Frank / Leave a comment

I’ll come out of the closet and admit it. I’m a Neil Diamond fan. To be a fan, you must have seen The Jazz Singer. Now, I’m not here to discuss the merits or flaws of this movie but want to bring up one line that has always resonated with me. The young Neil is chatting with his father about his personal pop music desires vs. the strong familial pull to be a 3rd generation cantor in the synagogue. His father tells him, “If you don’t know where you come from, how do you know where you are going?” In short, respect the history while embarking on the future. This aptly applies to the current state of marketing when discussing classic vs. social. For the purpose of this post, I will be focusing on the last two circles below: Language & People Involved

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 Language:

When it comes to language, the journalist in me believes the classic and the social are best integrated together. I’ve spent years running media produced by my teams through a gamut of editors, lawyers and standards and practices experts. I think the classic marketing language is for the most part more legally safe and not open to much interpretation. The classic marketer creates their message, delivers it and you receive it. What social media can take from classic language is a vigilant need to be legally sound especially considering the platform is VERY public with a wide reach.

Overall however,  the genuine, direct and at times, casual language of social media is more effective at connecting on a personal level. Antony Young tells us in Brand Media Strategy that people crave an authentic and organic experience.  The language of social media is more personal and directed at YOU…not a mass audience.  This short, personal and raw language is better suited to the main social media platforms. Twitter confines the user to a 140 characters. Vine is a 6 second production. Instagram is a 15 second production if you opt for video. Facebook allows more room for posts but brevity seems to work best.

There is also a larger latitude for language informality under the mass balloon of social media. The greatest example that comes to mind is the infamous “Poop Tweet” about Mercedes-Benz’s Smart Car.

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It has to be written that the decision to respond and the content of the response is pure genius. There is a brilliance and wit to this exchange that catapulted it into viral greatness. As Bob Lord wrote in his June 12, 2013 Management Blog for Business Week, “…everyone from Buzzfeed to Mashable picked up the story. It even hit the top spot twice on Reddit in a 24-hour span.” I would add that the very basic language of “poop” also played a part in that. There is a shock value to seeing the word “crap” in media from a respected company. The popular topic of toddlers is typically taboo in a classic marketing campaign but Mercedes-Benz ran with it. According to motion designer and director Steven Tapia, the car company even tapped him for this provocative viral video. A brief warning for my readers, there is profanity in this video but it only further illustrates my point about language tolerance: The Poop Tweet Case Study.

As discussed in this week’s course materials, the world is changing  has changed!

 People Involved:

When looking at classic marketing vs. social media marketing, I am a big fan of how involved everyone tied to the brand must be in a social media environment. Let’s face it, in this day and age, if you work for a company and have any kind of social profile, you represent that company, that brand. There is a great responsibility that comes with this but for the sake of this discussion, I am assuming that companies have hired professional, responsible adults. Having a stake in the message of your company fosters a deeper loyalty, a sense of pride and a greater stake in ownership of your professional brand. It also creates a vigilance among employees around the clock in keeping that social message on target. One great example is the Oreo Super Bowl Tweet. The power went out in the Super Dome in the second half of Super Bowl XLVII. Oreo tweeted this:

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It turns out, according to Wired, Oreo had 15 people logged in and ready to go. The Super Bowl is such a multi-screen experience that the company had the foresight to have a team ready to interact. When the lights went out, it gave their social media minds a unique opportunity to engage with a huge audience that was already talking. This real-time response was smart, calculated and resulted in some great buzz for a really good cookie. It took more than just a “classic” marketing team of people to make this happen. The social team, the user and every Oreo employee involved scored big time with this play.

For all the engagement, personalization and reach of social media, it would not be what it is without some of the basics of classic marketing. You have to have a strong brand and a strong message. The mode by which that message travels has certainly changed but not without integrating the tools of the past. In short, Social Media knows where it came from…which is why it knows exactly where it’s going.