How we won an award for a social media campaign

A few weeks ago a campaign for the Dutch Railways (NS) which I managed for Co Unlimited received an advertising award: a SAN Accent.

This social media recruitment campaign included training nine management trainees on how to blog and use twitter as an ambassador for the company. But what was in it for them? And what exactly did we want from them? Most of these trainees were not familiar with writing a blog or using Twitter as a professional networking tool at all. Moreover, they were just getting comfortable in their new role as a management trainee…

It's still premature to scream out loud that we're well prepared for winter #wintermaatregelen #NS, but up til now I'm kind of proud!

Taking away fear
Of course, explaining that a blog and Twitter are useful tools to build your professional network is one thing. But letting them experience it themselves is another.

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How to send a press release: do’s and don’ts

Press releases sent in a PDF-file will never be as effective as a press releases copied as plain text in an email.

Why? Because a journalists receives over ten or maybe even hundred(s) of these emails a day. Imagine opening an inbox full of press releases every morning. What would you do if you’d be the journalist? Exactly, hit the delete button. So what should you do as a PR person?

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Guerilla marketing on legs

An ad agency in New Zealand came up with a great piece of guerilla marketing for Superette, a clothing company. DDB Auckland made sure that their ads where not only shown on one location.

How they managed to do this?

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What is Watson all about?

I’ve been reading tweets and blogs about Watson, the computer that knows the answers to almost all questions in the TV show Jeopardy. Not being familiar with the format of Jeopardy at all, it took me a while to understand what the fuzz was all about. For my Dutch readers, just check this video below

Fortunately, I was able to attend PR Advanced at Boston University last Saturday. Where Jon Iwata, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM, explained briefly what the story behind Watson is  all about.

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The importance of being a change agent

Wednesday (2/2 2011) David Meerman Scott, author of the book Real-time Marketing & PR, gave a guest lecture in the Morse Auditorium of BU. One of the returning topics was that this generation of young professionals need to become change agents within many companies.

If your boss does not want to invest in real-time communication, you have three options:

1. Become a change agent
2. Collect your paycheck and be happy you’re employed
3. Quit your job

Check the video below for the explanation given during the lecture.

Go to 4:13 for the information on change agents

Personally, I went through stage 1, got disappointed and moved to phase 2. Soon, I started to look for another job, so finally I ended up in number 3. And guess what, I was hired for my next job, because I read and write blogposts gave workshops on social media and had built a valuable network through Twitter and LinkedIn.

So if you’re a change agent yourself, do not give up nor start doubting yourself. David Meerman Scott proved as well that the stock prices of companies who do engage with their public on social networks, are higher then those who don’t.

That’s why Scott (or @dmscott on twitter) advises young jobseekers to be sure to ask one question in a job interview:

‘ Do you ban social media at work?’

If the answer is yes – according to Scott, this still is the case at 25% of all companies – get up and end the interview. Otherwise, Scott explains, you simply can’t do your job.

Note for my Dutch readers:
David Meerman Scott will speak at The Growth Summit Europe, May the 18th, Nyenrode Business University

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Wat is het belang van arbeidsmarktcommunicatie?

Vanaf maart 2010 werk ik als copywriter en PR verantwoordelijke voor Co Unlimited. Een functie waarin ik mijn ervaring als (web)redacteur bij Intermediair kan combineren met mijn kennis van PR.

Dat er reclamebureaus bestaan die zich specifiek richten op arbeidsmarktcommunicatie (AMC) weet niet elke recruiter. Laat staan dat oprichters van midden- en kleinbedrijven met AMC bekend zijn. Daarom even een korte uitleg.

Waarom AMC?
Eigenlijk is het namelijk heel simpel.  Nike, Coca Cola of Apple hebben jarenlang gewerkt aan een sterk merk op de consumentenmarkt. Hetzelfde geldt voor merken op de arbeidsmarkt. Op de lijstjes van pas afgestudeerde hoogopgeleiden prijken vaak namen als Ahold, Heineken en tegenwoordig ook Deloitte. Ooit nagedacht over hoe dat nu zou komen?

Anderzijds weten we allemaal dat binnenkort de grote uittocht van babyboomers gaat beginnen. 

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Hoe Thijl op 15-jarige leeftijd zijn eigen bedrijf begon

Thijl Klerkx kwam als 14-jarige (!) op het idee om zijn eigen boodschappenservice voor biologische producten op te richten. Twee keer per week bezorgt zijn gelijknamige bedrijf per bakfiets biologische producten in Amsterdam. Zowel bij particulieren als bij bedrijven bezorgt Thijl wekelijks de boodschappen.

Zo´n jonge gedreven ondernemer maakt me nieuwsgierig.  Als je het lef hebt om als puber een bedrijf te beginnen, wil ik daar meer over weten. En dat is precies wat Thijl als ondernemer nieuwswaardig maakt. Hij is uitzonderlijk jong om te gaan ondernemen en afgaande op zijn website pakt hij het zeer professioneel aan. Dus stelde ik Thijl een paar vragen.

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