New Online Toy: Scoop.It

A colleague introduced me to a new online tool that I absolutely love. Scoop.It lets people gather and distribute content from around the Web based their interests.

Scoop.It, from my experience, serves two main purposes.

First, its a great place to share internet stories you like on topics of your choice. For example, I currently have five topics on Scoop.It:

• Language News & Information (of course)
• Social Media & Content Marketing
• PR, Public Relations & Public Opinion
• Diversity & Inclusion in Marketing & Communication
• Photography: Inspiration & Technique

When I find pages, blog posts or articles that fall within these categories which I really want to share (but don't necessarily want to write a blog post about them), I just click my Scoop.it! bookmark button and a menu pops up. There, I can pick how the story will appear on my Scoop.It page, which is designed to appear as an attractive topic page or online magazine. There is also have the option to share it simultaneously on social media platforms of my choice (for me, mainly Twitter).

Second, its a great place to find articles, photos and videos relevant to your Scoop.It topics. It makes suggestions on content it thinks you might be interested in, based on the keywords you entered for your topic and content you've already shared. You can even add sources you like or subtract sources you don't (though some of the more advanced features like this require a monthly subscription).

The only thing that I can think of that I'd like it to do that it doesn't is to utilize my Bit.ly account when shortening links to Twitter. It doesn't do it yet, but it seems there is a possibility for it in the future, according to a response to feedback.

When I started using Scoop.It just a few weeks ago, it was invite only. However, it has now opened to the public and anyone can get in on using this content curation tool. The company is also beginning to experiment with a premium model that will allow users to embed their topic page onto their own websites.

For me, it is just a fun new online toy to share some of the interesting things I find on the internet. :)

Do you use a content curation tool that you particularly like? Share it in the comments.

See also: Pinterest

Language Barrier: Finger Lickin' Good

In the first installment of Language Barrier (longer ago than I care to admit), the original "Got Milk?" ad campaign was discussed, along with its nearly catastrophic translation into Spanish. The recent update to the campaign and the controversy it started inspired me (reminded me) there were cases of brand translation issues that hadn't yet been explored. At least at this blog.

When products make the trip to new markets overseas, new advertising campaigns in the local language must be crafted for them. Often, a company will simply take the concepts and tag lines of an existing campaign and translate them directly, sometimes without consulting resources that might have helpful cultural knowledge. This can lead to some very interesting interpretations from one language to another.

Kentucky Fried Chicken, now known as KFC, learned that the hard way when it first entered the Chinese market in the 1980s. "Finger Lickin' Good," its slogan since the 1950s, was mistranslated into Mandarin as "Eat Your Fingers Off." Though the chicken is quite tasty, that's probably not the right message to send in any language.

Making a gaffe like this could have doomed a brand, but in this case it was because KFC was new and relatively unknown in China at the time that it was able to recover. After the clumsy translation was fixed, Chinese citizens who were curious about all things from the West snapped up buckets of KFC chicken and licked their fingers. Today it is the most popular Western fast food in China, with the largest KFC market outside the U.S. at more than 1,200 franchises.

Supplemental: After more than 50 years of “Finger Lickin’ Good” as a tag line, KFC decided earlier this year to change one of the most successful slogans in advertising.  As part of its attempt to establish a healthier image, it was changed to simply “So Good.” The rebranding coincided with the introduction of healthier frying oils and meals cooked on a griddle or baked instead of fried. There are also plans to show the calorie content of all items on KFC’s menus starting this September, though at the time of this post there doesn't seem to be any evidence of that having happened yet.

Sara Duane is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities area of the great state of Minnesota.   

Sell It With Salmonella

There are very few organizations in the world that can use a salmonella outbreak to boost their recognition.

Listening to Minnesota Public Radio the other day, I heard what to me momentarily sounded like a twisted advertisement mixed with a very real and deadly news story. An interview was taking place with a representative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about a salmonella outbreak occurring in the United States. More than 36 million pounds of ground turkey meat is being recalled nationwide after 76 people became ill and one person died as a result of the bacteria. Right in the middle of the interview, the guy mentioned that these illnesses and many others could be prevented if more people followed the proper food preparation techniques of "Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill" every time they prepared a meal.

This is where the discussion briefly turned away from the very serious story at hand and towards the CDC's new ad campaign and website regarding food safety that was rolled out just weeks before this outbreak. Its tagline is exceedingly simple and useful: "Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill." He rattled off some food poisoning statistics (for example, one in six Americans get sick from foodborne illness every year), explained how following simple instructions could help keep people healthy and invited people to go to their website. The interview then went back to talking about salmonella and E. coli outbreaks that have struck the nation in recent years.

It got me to thinking, though, about just what I stated at the very beginning of this blog post. There aren't many organizations that could get away with exploiting a tragedy to get positive attention. The only others I could think of besides the CDC are other government agencies like the FDA, pharmaceutical companies (antibiotics, anti-virals and vaccinations against various diseases), automakers, insurance companies and politicians. Words like salmonella, E. coli, illness, flooding, auto accidents and death just aren't that sexy.

Do you have any other ideas on organizations or industries that can truly use tragedies to generate attention or even pad their bottom line?

Got Milk? Got Controversy

The nationally famous Got Milk? ad campaign has had its moments of controversy before. Who would have thought after nearly two decades it could cause sensational ripples in the marketing world, again?

The California Milk Processor Board's "Got Milk?" ad campaign has had a pretty major impact on dairy advertising in the United States since first aired 18 years ago. The initial commercial in the series was even voted one of the top ten best ever by a USA Today poll. Since then, the campaign has been kept fresh by constantly evolving, even being translated into other languages with mixed results.

So what's the hubbub about now? Recent PMS-themed “Got Milk?” ads promoted dairy products to men as a way to reduce premenstrual syndrome symptoms in their wives or girlfriends. The ads were based on studies published in scientific journals in 1999 and 2005 that found a link between calcium consumption and fewer PMS symptoms. But the problems with the ads are not so much the message they convey as much as how they convey it.

The Got Milk? ad campaign has used these studies to promote dairy products in the past, as evidenced by this 2006 commercial:

Seems innocent and innocuous enough. I think most people would find it funny. It plainly pokes fun at both sexes, as women can typically be a little emotional during that time of the month and men can be a bit simplistic in trying to solve problems for women they love.

Now look at a few ads from the most recent Got Milk? campaign that are causing a stir:

Not quite as innocent or innocuous, is it? Combine the ads with the EverythingIDoIsWrong.org website and it's a little hard not to be offended at the implications being made for both men and women. The site had an Emergency Milk Locator map, color-coded Current Global PMS Level, a Video Apology Enhancer and something called a Puppy Dog-Eye-Zer.

Ugh. Really?

The marketing-minded part of me thinks this particular streak of humor has an edge to it that cuts at the very people who are most likely doing the grocery shopping. It may be an attempt at reaching out to men about the benefits milk can have, but in the meantime they're counter-intuitively belittling the women they're supposedly trying to help. Additionally, this biting, one-sided style simply isn't appropriate for marketing a wholesome staple product like milk.

The rest of me thinks this campaign is just plain bullshit.

Though the ads have generated a lot of conversation, the attention hasn’t been positive. The campaign is less than two weeks old and already the California Milk Processor Board has apologized. The name of the website has changed to "Got Discussion?" and it has been completely re-purposed to address the many issues the ads have stirred up. And billboards that have already gone up are going to be altered.

Bet none of that was originally included in their marketing budget. Though milk as a product will ultimately survive, this is a blemish on an otherwise well-received, long-term ad campaign.

What is your opinion of the ads?

Bad Ad Placement Example 2

It's been a long time since Bad Ad Placement Example 1, but it's been a goal of mine to post more regularly about this kind of stuff. Badly placed ads can be simply in bad taste or catastrophic, among other things. I would say the two below appearing on the same page as a story about Osama bin Laden's burial at sea would fall in the funny and gross categories, respectively.

Win a Catch of a Lifetime

Half Off Fish and Chips

As a side note, it is a little weird that I always seem to notice this type of thing more often when the topic is serious like the two listed above.

Source: Video of bin Laden's sea burial to be released?

Gender Stereotyping & Word Clouds: A Random Post

Just a quick one for today. Saw this post at The Achilles Effect, "Word Cloud: How Toy Ad Vocabulary Reinforces Gender Stereotypes" and found it to be quite intriguing for two completely unrelated reasons.

First, the most obvious one is the shocking choices of words that are used to appeal to boy children when it's laid out as plainly - and literally graphically - as Crystal has displayed here, according to her research. Even with what she has said is just a starting point, and not by any means an exhaustive record, it’s not hard to recognize that the generalities are basically true. Simply watch television on a Saturday morning or Cartoon Network pretty much any time of day and the contrasts in word choices for ads aimed at boys vs. girls are as obvious as the differences in typically gender-assigned colors. I'm more surprised by the top word for marketing at young females being "love." Just from my own experience I feel like I hear the word "girl" repeated more often than anything in the advertisements that are aimed at them. As if girls don't know they're girls or as if marketers trying to attract their attention, sort of like "Here girl! Look over here at the shiny things! Good girl!"

But I digress.

Second, how fun is Wordle? It makes me want to do my own little vocabulary- or language-related research project so I can make my own cloud of words in graphic form. Now for an idea on what to explore...

James' Painting

I've been writing more website content! This time for a local painting company. James’ Painting is a residential and commercial painting contractor based in Prior Lake, Minn.. Serving the Minneapolis – St. Paul Twin Cities Metro Area, they have over 20 years experience painting homes and businesses with careful attention to detail and results that last for years.

An excerpt from their website:

A fresh coat of paint can rejuvenate the interior or exterior of nearly any home or business. The outside of a building is the first thing a visitor sees and can leave a lasting impression. Selling a home? Kick up the exterior curb appeal and make the interior walls sparkle with a new coat of paint. Do customers visit your establishment? A property with a well-maintained appearance instills more confidence in your clientele than cracked, peeling paint.

James’ Painting offers free estimates for all interior and exterior house painting and commercial painting projects. From color selection to clean-up, they take great pride in providing superior quality work and outstanding customer service.

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Sara Duane is a Minneapolis - St. Paul Twin Cities Metro Area freelance writer specializing in writing search engine optimized website content and helping small businesses utilize social media marketing techniques.

Hugo-Gunn Photography

Recently, had the opportunity to write the website copy for a local photographer. Hugo-Gunn Photography specializes in professional wedding photography and senior portraits. Takes a look at some of their photos below:

Traditional and Artistic Senior Portraits

Traditional and Artistic Wedding Photography

This content was really easy to write, given my own love for photography. It was also incredibly fun to write, given the talent of the photographer. Even though I tend towards realism in my own photos, I looove the more artistic looking pictures on the Hugo-Gunn Photography site. If you know someone who is looking for truly unique portraits or wedding photos, Hugo-Gunn could be the place to contact. Based in Prior Lake, Minnesota, Hugo-Gunn Photography proudly serves Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding Twin Cities Metro Area Communities.

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Sara Duane-Gladden is a Minneapolis - St. Paul Twin Cities Metro Area freelance writer specializing in writing search engine optimized website content and helping small businesses utilize social media marketing techniques.

Echo Creative

A few months ago I helped to write the website content for Echo Creative, a full-service marketing agency located in the Warehouse District of Minneapolis. I wasn't sure when the site "officially" launched, so I didn't mention it when the site went live, but now it's been up for a while. It was a lot of fun developing this project, though it took a lot of effort. I really like the work being produced at Echo Creative, but then again in some cases I've had a hand in helping so perhaps I am biased. :)

Echo Creative has a blog, too. Read the most recent entry, Interior Design Influencing a Brand Design. Additionally, you can take a look at some of the other projects on which Echo Creative has worked!

Bad Ad Placement Example 1

Okay, this is just a quick note because I saw this newspaper article online and clicked to read. I was a little taken aback at first by the ad that appeared next to the headline, then I laughed. Then I thought about how other people might view this, and decided I should write a quick post. So, what's wrong with this picture?

The article, obviously, is about a man who committed a murder with a sledgehammer. The ad, as you can see, features a sledgehammer.

You couldn't tell it right away, but its an ad for The Campaign for Responsible Healthcare Reform, which is innocent enough. But long story short: This was placed badly.

I see this type of stuff happen all the time, so watch for future posts of badly placed advertisements!

EDIT: I suppose I should give a source for this! Sledgehammer murder article can be found at the Denver Post. Thank you, Denver Post, for making this blog entry possible.

Eve Events

May 22 was my last blog entry? Seriously? I hadn't thought it was that long. I've been a busy gal, though, trying to muddle through as best I can, even if I haven't felt particularly inspired lately. That means I've been scrimping by with the bare minimum, and that means no blog posting at True to Words. Now I'm going to re-dedicate myself. To start, I'll introduce a new website for which I wrote copy.

The professionals at Eve Events hired Echo Creative to design and launch their website. I was hired by Echo to write the website copy! Basically, Eve had written what is on the "Home" page and the "About Us" page, and I was to try and emulate the style and sophistication she was trying to convey, describing her approach to corporate events, weddings, birthday parties, etc. What she had written was so well crafted, it instantly conveyed to me what she had to offer the Twin Cities. Actually, she specializes in destination weddings, so I guess you could really say her services are nationwide.

The text there is pretty much what I wrote in my first draft, there was only a few revisions. I attribute that to the effort Eve put into thinking about how she wanted her brand to be perceived before she even approached Echo Creative. The groundwork she laid was critically inspirational to the copy that ended up being printed. My contribution was heavily and directly influenced by the work she put in, and I think that really made a difference.

Language Barrier: Got Milk?

I wrote yesterday about the meaning of the idiom True to Words and how similar phrases across languages are often unique to their native culture. I promised at the end of the post that I would write about how because of this, some popular American ad campaigns were lost in translation after they were exported to other countries. Well, this is the first in what is sure to be a long series of posts about marketing gaffes caused after language barriers were scaled.

Got Milk?

Oh, you've heard this one before. If you haven't heard the "Got Milk?" tag line of the California Milk Processor Board's ad campaign, you've been living under rock since approximately 1993. If you've forgotten what the original commercials were like though, the first is here for your viewing pleasure.

The gist: You just ate cookies or a peanut butter sandwich and your mouth is aching for that perfect beverage to wash it all down. Got Milk?

Who knew a peanut butter sandwich could cost you $10,000? Should you go without the gooey stuff, lest your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth? Of course not, get some milk, silly.

And people did. This simple little phrase helped to greatly increase milk sales nationwide after a 15-year slump. Celebrities wanted in on the action, and the list of endorsers goes on and on. When campaigns are such great successes, there are attempts to expand their messages to greater audiences. Funny how the "Got Milk?" Wikipedia entry doesn't mention any of this, but... that's where the trouble started.

Encouraged by the advertisement's early success, the Milk Board set their sights on the Latino community in California. As it turns out, they needed an entirely new slogan: "Got Milk?" translates to "Are you lactating?" in Spanish. Whoops.

Additionally, the premise of the campaign - avoiding the annoyance of running out of milk - needed to be redeveloped entirely. Due to cultural nuances, the idea of a Latina mother running out of milk or certain other staples is outright offensive and not funny. Even more to the point, the "Got Milk?" campaign was aimed at anyone of any age who might run out of milk, not directly at mothers and grandmothers who are the traditional providers of milk in Latina households.

Instead, a different, more appropriate approach was employed for the Hispanic campaign. The Milk Deprivation Strategy was replaced with Milk Generations Strategy. The campaign had the tag line "Y Usted, Les dio suficiente leche hoy?" ("And you, did you give them enough milk today?"). The ads highlighted family recipes that used milk as the main ingredient, like flan, bread pudding, and three-milk cake. Eventually, the tag line changed to "Familia Amor y Leche" ("Family, Love and Milk.").

The campaigns now successfully position milk as an essential part of the family and of the Hispanic culture, but it could have gone a very different way.

Another note I want to tag on before I finish is while researching this article, I found this Wikipedia article called "Got Rice?" This phrase was coined by an Asian American youth in the 1990s, shortly after the "Got Milk?" campaign became so popular. The humor is derived from the fact that rice is considered a staple food of many Asian cultures and milk is not a traditional Asian food. The slogan is seen as an Asian American response to American advertising. It has come to be used as a symbol for the cohesiveness of Asian American cultural identity and pride.

Finally Finished

The biggest project I have been working on for the past week or so has been getting my website up to par. Finally, after lots of procrastination and then a flurry of inspiration, I present my Twin Cities Freelance Writer website. What's a freelancer emphasizing website content writing without her own site?

I've had it up and running for a while, but it was bare-bones, skeletal. I wasn't particularly proud to call it mine. It took me a long time to revamp it and add all of my writing samples because it always seems so much easier for me to work on my clients' stuff rather than my own. But once I got into it, there was no stopping me. It's not 100% complete, but the meat and potatoes are there and the rest that I have left to pour on is just gravy.

Cheating on My Blog

But in a good way! I've been adding some pages and links to the writing, editing, and proofreading samples page of my website. I am long over-due to update it, 'cause it barely had anything on it. What's more, in order to do the site properly, I needed a place to put my photos.

Ever since I found Flickr, I've been really gung ho about finally getting all of my articles up. What point is having a webpage to advertise your skills if there is nothing on it? No point at all, no reason to stay on the site if there is nothing to read, so I'll be adding more and more examples of the type of work I've been doing over the next few days and weeks.

I'm going to continue to post to this blog two or three times a week and I'm only going to allow one of those posts to be a promo for the articles I'm putting on my site. It's going to be a busy few weeks around here, but it will be worth it!