Get to Know the Chef

Some restaurants have now turned to social media as a way to connect with their following. These restaurants have created Facebook and Twitter pages to give the customers, or those contemplating becoming a customer, an inside look into the kitchen as well as the chefs that are preparing their meal.  Customers nowadays want to see how their food is prepared. They want to feel like they are part of the process, like they are having a meal cooked for them in their own environment. Posting pictures and videos help them feel the way they would like to about their favorite restaurant.

This gives the customers an opportunity to see how their meal is being prepared step-by-step. The restaurants that have taken this approach post pictures to their Facebook and Twitter pages of the culinary process. Some also have posted videos so the customer can see exactly what goes into the meal and exactly how it is prepared.

This is also a good outlet for customers to voice their opinions, questions, complaints, as well as a good way for the customer to thank the restaurant and/or chef.  Grant Achatz of Chicago’s Alinea has his own Twitter. He feels that his customers want to hear from him, not from someone that he is paying to represent him. He replies to the tweets he receives and said if see reads of a complaint he will fix the problem and may refund the meal. Achatz said, “the more we know about who is coming into our restaurant, the better we’ll be able to fulfill our obligation to do what will make them feel happy.” Tony Priolo, chef at Piccolo Sogno said if someone has tweeted him before coming into the restaurant he will try to visit them at their table when then come in, or will send something special to them.

More restaurants should jump on the Facebook and Twitter train. It is an excellent way for customers to see their favorite restaurants and dishes from the inside out. It is also a great way for restaurants to do some free advertising, but also a way for them to see what people want. This allows restaurants an advantage. If their customers tweet or post on Facebook what they did or did not like about their trip to a restaurant, the restaurant will be able to fix the problem, or keep doing what the customers like. 

http://mashable.com/2010/12/10/restaurants-social-media/

Khloe Kardasian is Dead...

            Beginning Wednesday December 1^st,  or World AIDS day, many celebrities decided to become digitally dead in hopes of raising awareness and money for Keep A Child Alive campaign at buylife.org.  The money donated will go toward helping fight AIDS in Africa and India. These celebrities vowed to not make a Facebook post, blog post, or Twitter post until the campaign has raised one million dollars.            

            Some of the celebrities that vowed to be digitally dead include: Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Seacrest, Jay Sean,  Serena Williams, Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys, Usher, Lenny Kravitz, and Jennifer Hudson just to name a few.

            This is a good PR move, in a way. It is great that celebrities are willing to give up a habit that they are as addicted to as Lindsey Lohan is to crack. Giving up something that they do multiple times on a daily basis cant be an easy thing. By giving up Tweeting, blogging and posting on Facebook, these celebrities prove that they are standing up for an issue that they feel is serious. It is probably that the celebrities tweeted, blogged, and posted on Facebook leading up to December 1^st letting their followers know why they would be absent in the social media world. This probably caused the followers to donate money to help fight AIDS in Africa and India.

            On the other hand, this could be a bad PR move for these celebrities. If some of their followers were not aware of the reason for their digital absence,  they could potentially lose followers. The followers will notice the celebrities have not posted or tweeted in a while and could possibly think the celebrities are no longer using Facebook, Twitter, and blogs and therefore stop following them. 

            As long as the celebrities make the reason for their digital absence known, they should be fine and probably will not lose that many, if any, followers. As on December 4, 2010, buylife.org has raised $290,361, not even halfway to their one million dollar goal.
http://buylife.org/index.php 

Black Friday: Big Deals. Check in, Bigger Deals.

       Black Friday was two days ago which means the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Everyone knows to go shopping at midnight, 2 A.M., 4 A.M., and so on if they want the best deal on an item the day after Thanksgiving. The use of technology and social media have changed the way shoppers will shop this year. Many retailers have begun to give even bigger discounts if shoppers check into the stores. This can be done two ways, either through Facebook or Four Square.

       For example, Sears posted deals on their Facebook page before Black Friday. If a deal got enough likes, the deal would be put into effect. Radio Shack joined forces with Four Square and if a user unlocked a badge they could get up to 20% off of their purchase. American Eagle and Hollister also offered 20% off for those who checked in. The jewelry store Zales would give customers $50 off a purchase of $300 or more if they checked into Four Square. The good thing about this deal is it does not expire until New Years Eve.

       Any way you look at this, it is a good idea for these companies to advertise on Facebook and Four Square and give bigger discounts. The word will spread that Sears is offering special discounts on the Twitter and Facebook pages so more people will “like” or “follow” these pages. In Sports Authority’s case, the people that check-in  on Four Square and post it to their Twitter feed will have to wait in the store long enough to see if their name is called to win the $500 gift card. This keeps people in the store longer meaning the longer they look, the more they will probably buy. It is good that popular companies are reaching out to their customers in the environments their customers hang out in: social media environments.

http://mashable.com/2010/11/23/black-friday-social-deals/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box455

In the Market for an iPad? Go to TJ Maxx

Appleheads, rejoice!  You no longer have to go to an electronics store or drive to a major city to purchase one of Apple’s latest inventions, the iPad.  Just go to your local TJ Maxx, they may have some.

TJ Maxx is now selling 16GB Wi-Fi iPads. As an added bonus, TJ Maxx is not selling them for the usual $499, the store has slashed the price by $100, offering them for only $399. TJ Maxx confirmed that they were selling iPads on their Twitter feed: “Not Black Friday. Now! (select unadvertised stores only.)”  Which means yes, TJ Maxx is selling 16 GB Wi-Fi enabled iPads, but only at a few locations they are unable to disclose.  This probably means each store selected to sell the iPads only has a limited number to sell, and by the time you’re reading this, they have probably sold out by now.

People interested in buying an iPad could just go to an Apple store, if they are fortunate enough to live close to one, or to Best Buy to buy one. So, why TJ Maxx? One can only speculate. Does this mean Apple is trying to sell all remaining iPads to introduce a newer, bigger, better iPad and they thought the best way would be to sell them at a discounted rate at a well-know discount store? That is a smart idea, if that is the case. If not, does Apple hope to one day partner up with TJ Maxx and have them sell the entire collection of Apple products?  That could be a smart idea as well.

Whatever the reason TJ Maxx is selling iPads, it is a good idea for the company.  It is holiday shopping season and many people will venture into a TJ Maxx to shop. Being able to buy anything you want at a TJ Maxx including an iPad at a discounted rate is sure to win shoppers over. Why buy a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad directly from Apple when you can buy the exact same thing at TJ Maxx for  a hundred dollars less?  The only thing I’m concerned with is if these reduced iPads are refurbished. If that is what TJ Maxx is selling they should consider taking off another hundred  or so dollars.

 http://mashable.com/2010/11/19/tj-max-ipad/?ref=nf

G-G-G-G-G-G-G G UNIT

 

50 Cent is incredibly hot in the rap, and more recently, the movie scene. Not to mention he is dating a leading lady of late night comedy, Chelsea Handler. Basically, the G Unit co-founder is all over the place including YouTube.

50 Cent has gone viral. He has jumped into the YouTube scene in a major way. Many avid YouTubers will recognize the names BeenerKeeKee19952 and Pruane2Forever. These two young gentlemen have made many videos that have over a million views. BeenerKeeKee19952 is best known in the world of YouTube for lip syncing to today’s most popular songs. Some songs he even sings himself. Pruane2Forever is known for being an outsider that makes very weird and random videos that somehow get a ton of hits.

50 Cent has teamed up with both BeenerKeeKee19952 and Pruane2Forever. He can now be found on the YouTube pages of both young men. 50 is everywhere. In the video he filmed on the Chelsea Lately set with BeenerKeeKee19952, 50 Cent comes in the room to finish singing one of his songs that BeenerKeeKee19952 is recording. 50 Cent is on Pruane2Forever’s video and introduces him as his “new secret weapon.”            

Being where the people are is the best idea someone wanting more exposure can have. 50 Cent is where the people on YouTube are by recording videos with two very popular YouTubers. I have searched and have not been able to find any other celebrities that have teamed up with the group of popular people on YouTube. This is a fresh idea that will continue to generate buzz. It will probably also get other celebrities to follow in 50’s footsteps and make videos with famous YouTubers.  Anything to get 50 Cent’s name, image, and new projects out in the world is a good idea.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwimc4cvUmQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WuJUD-WBSE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8MXij4D7Ls&feature=related

Free Jeans? Thanks, Gap!

Gap is now using the social media outlet, Facebook, as a way to get people in their stores.   Gap is currently running a promotion that will give away 10,000 pairs of jeans to people who “check in”  on Facebook using their smartphone.  Once the customer checks in to Gap, they then must show a store employee that they have checked in for a chance to win a free pair of jeans.

I think this is a very good idea. This will bring in more customers as they hope to win a free pair of jeans and with any luck, will shop around whether they win a free pair of jeans or not. Since Christmas is quickly approaching, tons of holiday shoppers will be out and this is a good reason for people who may not usually shop at Gap to go into the store.           

The only downside to this would be the small number of jeans that each store is probably limited to giving out.  This is for sure to cause problems among the customers. Most people will probably go in the store thinking that they are guaranteed a free pair of jeans, but this clearly cant be the case.

Another thing customers may not like, would be the long lines that this promotion will cause.  This is another factor that people wanting free jeans need to keep in mind.  Free things will cause crowds and customers need to recognize this rather than thinking they can go to the store, check in, walk out with jeans.

Although there may be a few minor issues to deal with, this is an excellent way to get more shoppers in Gap.  Not everyone will walk out with a free pair of jeans, but hopefully this will get Gap more repeat customers. 

http://mashable.com/2010/11/05/gap-facebook-places/

Groupon's "Future"

Groupon is a popular website that allows users to sign up and then receive coupon offers in their inbox. Groupon members can decide if they want to purchase the Groupon, which will allow them to pay one price but get more than they are paying for. For example, a massage company may advertise for a $150 massage, but the Groupon user would only have to pay $75.

Groupon has launched a new service called Groupon Stores, where businesses can create pages where fans of the businesses can follow the company and receive deals.  The businesses can add their own details about the company and also their own deals, therefore they wont have to wait in line for their deal to be listed on Groupon. 

At first, I thought this seemed like a good idea. Then I really got to thinking about it. Wouldn’t a company that has enough presence on the Internet be the first to want to be part of Groupon Stores? A business that doesn’t have a good presence on the Internet would probably opt for a more, well known site like Facebook or Twitter to drive traffic. Groupon is widely known, but there are more Facebook and Twitter users than there are Groupon members. But if a business that has a good presence on the Internet decided to be a Groupon Store, well wait, why would they? Don’t they already have enough to keep up with? Theses businesses already have to update their deals on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and usually on a daily basis. Wouldn’t adding another site to keep up with only hinder the progress they’re trying to make on frequently visited sites?  What consumer wants to check tons of sites to see what the deal of the day is? It’s much easier for a Groupon member to just check their email to see what today’s deal is, rather than go to the site, search for a business they hope is having a deal and go from there. 

http://mashable.com/2010/10/23/groupon-stores/

Give a gift...from home?

Starbucks has done it again. They have taken an idea proposed to them via their community website, My Starbucks Idea, and brought it to life.

Now, anyone wanting to purchase a Starbucks card can do so from their home or office; or even from a Starbucks, but they don’t have to wait in line to do it. Starbucks’ Facebook page now has a “Starbucks Card” tab. This is an application that allows the companies Facebook friends to pick a friend, pick a card, pick an amount and pay for a gift card all while on Facebook. Buyers can either create a new card for someone, or reload their old cards, then brag about what they have done in a status update.

This was an extremely clever idea and it’s a great thing that Starbucks implemented this suggestion. The fact that Starbucks actually takes the time to read the hundreds of thousands of postings the website receives speaks volumes about the company. Putting someone’s idea into action should make people realize that Starbucks is a company that truly does care about the people that come in, whether it be daily or just once a year. The idea was proposed in March of 2008 and had racked up 42,000 votes. The idea to “give a gift” through Facebook is the eighth most popular idea of all time. 

Another reason this is a good idea is because someone could give their friend a Starbucks card. This friend may not be a regular at Starbucks, but will go more frequently now that they have been given free money to use on something they probably drink at home daily anyway. This could bring in more non-Starbuck’s drinkers and convert them to become a regular.

More information can be found at Starbucks’ Facebook page, the companies website or:

http://mashable.com/2010/10/14/starbucks-card-facebook-app/

The Do's & Dont's of Craigslist

When doing a search on Craigslist,  the last thing I would think I would find is someone looking to be raped. This is probably, because I wouldn’t dare to venture into the “Personals” section. But if I had in December of 2009 that is exactly what I would have found.

Last December Sarah, her last name cannot be found, went on Craigslist for the first time after she was told about a certain ad. She found the ad that had her picture on it and the title that read, “Need an aggressive man with no concern or regard for women. If interested, contact Sarah.”  Sarah states that she called the police but they told her they had no control over Craigslist and then suggested she contact Craigslist.  She then called Craigslist, reported the ad and they removed it immediately.  The listing that had been posted by Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, and unfortunately had already been seen by men willing to do what the ad asked; fulfill this woman’s desire to be raped.

Sarah’s ex-boyfriend and ex-Marine, Jebidiah Stipe received 161 responses to his posting and had set up several dates and times for them to go to Sarah’s house.  Ty McDowell was the first person to make it to Sarah’s house. He pushed her into her house by her shoulders, put a blindfold around her eyes, tied her wrists and ankles with rope, ripped off her clothes and began to rape her. Sarah was no match to the man that held a knife to her throat. 

I did some research and this wasn’t the first case of violence on Craigslist.  After a case of a masseuse who posted an ad was killed, Craigslist decided to remove the “erotic services” category and add an “adult services” section. Craigslist also claimed that they would now screen all advertisements before they are posted. Upon doing some searching on Craigslist myself, this clearly isn’t the case.

Anytime anyone wants to buy something cheap, whether it be a couch or a set of dishes, they’ll search on Craigslist. This is the go-to place to find a good bargain. Craigslist posters offer good bargains so Craigslist as a company should return the favor by only allowing “good” posting to be displayed. Craigslist is known by so many people and viewed by even more. This company really needs to realize what they are allowing to happen by offering an “adult services” category. People aren’t posting ads to rape and murder people on a light pole, they’re doing it on Craigslist and this shouldn’t be allowed. There is no need for a company that is capable of doing so much good, to allow their name to be drug through the mud by posting heinous acts.   Craigslist needs to recognize what is going on and put an end to it. Open your eyes Craigslist, none of your recent publicity is good. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/13/craigslist-exotic-ads-to_n_202896.html


http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Craigslist-Rape-Victim/2

Update: Video of Apple vs. College Student

http://tv.gawker.com/5644127/steve-jobs-least-favorite-college-student-speaks-out

Steve Jobs: Bad Move?

Last week, it was reported that Steve Jobs,  the CEO of Apple,  returned an email sent to him in a not so nice manner.  Chelsea Kate Isaacs, a senior at Long Island University was assigned a story that required her to talk to Apple’s Public Relations department. Isaacs was in need of a quote from Apple regarding students using iPads in an academic setting. She attempted to call Apple’s PR department and never got through, so she left six voice mail messages stating why she was calling and all her necessary contact information. Isaacs’ friend joked around and suggested she email Steve Jobs. That’s just what Isaacs decided to do.  Isaacs said she didn’t expect a response, because after all, it is Steve Jobs, but lucky for her, she received one about a half an hour later.

            Isaacs told Jobs why she was trying to contact Apple and how she was concerned that a company that takes such pride in helping the needs of students has a Media Relations Department that failed to get back to her.  She explained that getting a quote from Apple would help her achieve academic success. Job’s replied to Isaacs with, “Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry.” This response upset Isaacs and so she did what any angered college student would do; she wrote back. Minutes after sending her second email, Isaacs received another email from Jobs. He told her Apple has over 3oo million users and they cant respond to everyone unless they have some sort of a problem.  Isaacs replied again pleading her case and told Jobs, “Please, I am on a deadline.” Clearly Jobs was not concerned with her deadline or her problem, and responded one last time with, “Please leave us alone.”

            The first thing I noticed when reading the transcript of the conversation Isaacs and Jobs shared was he was sending his emails via an iPhone, and she was sending hers via a BlackBerry. Maybe he assumed since she wasn’t on an iPhone she wasn’t an Apple user at all and that upset him? If that’s the case, I would think he would give her all the answers she needed in addition to trying to persuade her to become an Apple user. But then again, like he said, Apple does have 300 million users so maybe he doesn’t care.

            I understand that Steve Jobs is an incredibly busy man. He took the time to reply to multiple emails when he could have sent Isaacs’ first email to Apple’s PR department. If the email would have shown up in the PR office from Jobs, the problem would have been solved there and he wouldn’t have ended up looking like a jerk that doesn’t take the time to solve a problem, rather make more problems. 

http://gawker.com/5641211/steve-jobs-in-email-pissing-match-with-college-journalism-student