A Commercial Gas Company Breathes Oxygen Into Its Online Profile

  AAA Medical Gases, located at 350 J.F.K Boulevard Bloomfield, is a family owned commercial gas vendor.  The company services about 2,000 customers in North Jersey, lower New York state, and eastern Pennsylvania. There are 15 employees, and a few part timers, according to Anthony Voglino, sales manager. 

 Reportedly, AAA sells cylinders of oxygen, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and helium.   The company provides oxygen to doctors and medical institutions for their patients. It offers nitrous oxide to dentists for oral surgery operations. It supplies carbon dioxide and nitrogen for medical machinery. The corporation also delivers helium to retail stores for their balloon sales, the sales manager said.

 According to Voglino, his brother Michael Voglino has been company president and owner since 1994, after acquiring the firm.  The corporation is currently establishing its first-ever website, and has no social media presence.

 As such, one of my recommendations is establishing a Facebook page for AAA Medical Gases. Doing so will help the company in the following ways:

1.     Give an overview of the AAA Medical Gases. The company can use Facebook to post pictures of the corporation and videos of its principals describing what it does. This approach acquaints the public with the company. This solves a lack of awareness problem. For example, some people do not know that AAA Medical Gases also sells helium to balloon stores.

2.     Offering an online business forum. Established AAA customers can use a Facebook link to place gas cylinder orders. Potential clients can query with background information about their business and their gas cylinder needs. The details can serve as an icebreaker when sales personnel initiate talks with business prospects.

3.     Providing cylinder delivery schedules. Cylinder gas truck routes and timetables can be posted on Facebook. The information can be updated to reflect unforeseen delays, such as weather or traffic congestion. This tactic can spare customers from calling AAA Medical Gases about cylinder gas arrival.

4.     Bonding with customers by spotlighting milestones. Significant professional and personnel achievements can be touted on a section of AAA’s Facebook page. Appealing to human interest will draw more Facebook visits and word-of-mouth attention about the company. Both are good for business.

5.     Doing community charity. With Facebook, AAA Medical Gases can request donations on behalf of an established benevolence organization. Better yet, the company can use the social medium to spearhead fundraisers.  There is always a local volunteer organization in need, or a family/person facing undue hardship. Taking up an altruistic cause will boost AAA’s reputation.

 This all goes to show, there’s a lot of mileage to be gained from just one social media outlet. Just think of what several can do for a company.   

Surfing the Waves, not Internet

 

Saturdays Surf opened it’s doors in Soho in August 2009. Dedicated to the idea of surfing, living and working in New York City, Saturdays Surf began selling primarily surfboards and wetsuits. After a growth in popularity, they began selling books, art and other surf lifestyle accessories. Today, Saturdays Surf designs and produces a menswear line that is focused on quality, authenticity and the surfing lifestyle. Retail business aside, Saturdays Surf is also an espresso bar. The establishment has grown to be a popular meeting place for surfers, artists and influencers. 

Saturdays Surf currently has a basic Facebook and Twitter page, however they do not effectively or efficiently use either outlet. In order to ensure that Saturdays Surf is effectively using their social media outlets, I would recommend the following improvements and additional programs:

FACEBOOK: 
  
A New and Improved Facebook Page:

• The new and improved Facebook page will include a personalized home page and basic company information 
• Saturdays Surf homepage will take advantage of branding opportunities by tastefully branding their page with images of their logo, products and storefront 

 
Weekly Single

• Currently, Saturdays Surf posts  different songs that they call, Today's Single. The Today's Single post occur at random and inconsistent times
• Their new page will feature a Weekly Single that will be posted every Friday afternoon

 Facebook Surfing Video Competition

• During the peak surfing months (June-November) consumers will be able to enter the Saturdays Surf Facebook Video Competition by submitting a video clip of a personal surfing adventure 
• Facebook fans will be able to vote on their favorite video by 'liking' it
• At the end of each month, the person who's video received the most 'likes' will get a $300 gift certificate to their store
• At the end of the competition, all 6 semi-finalists will be automatically entered to win one grand prize, a new surfboard

TWITTER


Daily Wave/Surf Reports

• Saturdays Surf Twitter followers will receive daily surf and wave reports (these will also be posted on their Facebook fanpage) 

Saturdays Surf is already a very popular retail store, design label and hangout, however by improving on their current social media strategy and introducing new programs their business would surely improve.

Sculpting Ice Hotel Facebook Page

Starting its twelfth year of operations, Ice Hotel Quebec is a unique concept in North America. Several artisans with a solid technical expertise related to the creation of structures of snow and ice make Ice Hotel a well-recognized team around the world. Ice Hotel Quebec is a concept that features 36 rooms and suites with beds entirely make of ice but lined with deer furs and covered with mattresses and Arctic sleeping bags. Amenities also include an art gallery, a nightclub, a coffee place, a movie theater, outdoor hot tubs and a 60-feet slide, all made of ice. Every year, the design of the hotel is changed and incorporates many features to keep visitors coming back. The Hotel de Glace is a major tourism destination in Canada.

Ice Hotel has built a basic social media presence that allows them to engage with their audience. However, I would recommend them some advanced Facebook tactics for embarking on one-on-one customer engagement:

1. Creating off-topic or indirectly related content. Ice Hotel is only creating discussions about the Ice Hotel itself. This is a basic type of information to talk about but there is so much more they could share with their fans. Perhaps more facts about Quebec City, snow structures or even other Nordic countries could be added. It could help reducing community pages which take attention away from the main fan page where the interaction should be.

2. By creating more multimedia content, perhaps more photos of events and encouraging their fans to tag themselves, Ice Hotel is making engagement. Promotional pictures are posted but other content like pictures posted by customers who lived the experience makes the page authentic. Multimedia can make your company appear friendlier. Videos and images show that the project is fun, that Ice Hotel care about their employees, and most importantly, that they care about their customers.

3. By creating contest, Ice Hotel will transform fans in ambassadors. This is one way to excite their community by collectively creating ideas. Not only does a contest build buzz organically but a good social media contest should include some sort of sharing or “virality” as a requirement for winning. There is many type of contest Ice Hotel could craft:

1. What’s your style? Since the Ice Hotel thematic and design changed accordingly each year, a contest could be created to encourage their fan to speak up.
2. Work your artwork on ice which could be an ice sculpture idea contest. Fans could be challenging ice sculptors with their ideas.

4. Finally, Ice Hotel Quebec should be tailoring their message on each of their social media platforms. Right now, the same content is posted on Twitter and Facebook which doesn’t make place for new conversations with their audience. Social media users of Facebook may be different than the ones on Twitter. Indeed, tailoring communications for each individual site makes the company’s voice more engaging, transparent and authentic.

In conclusion, Ice Hotel enjoys an amazing reputation internationally. Each winter, they are operating at full capacity. This Quebec base company should however fully take advantage of the social media power and build the tremendous word-of-mouth that this project is able to create.

Pop Burger, oh Pop Burger, where is your social media?

Pop Burger is a hip NYC based restaurant based in NYC that opened in 2003. Think sleek fast food restaurant with a sexy lounge. Their clientele is mostly 18-34 year olds with no children.

This place is chic, edgy and full of pop art. It would benefit from a focused social media strategy.

Pop Burger’s signature dish is a two-bite burger. Why not get the NY tri-state area’s amateur chef skills flowing with a “Create the next two-bite burger contest?” The company’s online presence doesn’t match the modern feel of their restaurants.

The public could log on to the site and vote for their favorite two-bite burger. The finalists would present their burgers to a panel of judges, and incentives could be cash prizes. In addition to cash, the winner could receive a one night stay for two at a four star hotel in NYC, and a year of free min burgers. Win, win, win!

A contest like this would help increase Pop Burger’s online presence and the number of people frequenting their Andy Warhol-esque restaurant. With all of the restaurant/ lounge competition around it would remind New Yorkers that Pop Burger is still one of the hippest and most fun hangouts in NYC, with really tasty food.

PRFandP Curveball: New Comms Director on Board

Dear Agency PRFandP:

My name is Eric Chandler,  and I’ve recently been hired as the new communications director at (your Assignment 6 business).  From what I understand, your firm was working with my predecessor on social media recommendations to build up our overall PR/communications efforts.

Unfortunately, the person you were working with left the company unexpectedly last week, so I’m your new point-of-contact.

I’d like to set up a time to do a video conference with you on Monday, November 14.  Since I just joined the company, I haven’t had much time to review what we’re doing on the social media front.  Maybe you could briefly walk me through your thoughts on what we’re doing and how we can make improvements?

I know that the Agency PRFandP retainer ends at the end of the year, so I’m especially interested in hearing your ideas now as I start thinking about our 2012 communications efforts. 

I've always been a proponent of having agency support.  However, budgets are tight, as you know, so I'll need to evaluate whether to continue working with an agency or bring the work in-house.

I look forward to speaking with you on Monday.

Regards,

Eric Chandler
Communications Director

(Nicole & Sonia have a "Get out of Jail Free" Card this week. Everyone else should be prepared to speak with the the client about what the company is doing now, share recommendations and answer questions.)

Damage Control in 140 Characters

Here's a down-and-dirty crisis defintion: Anything but business-as-usual; A situation where business-as-usual often must be suspended.

BP oil spill ... Bedbugs infest movie theater ... office copy machine goes up in flames .... you get the picture.

When a crisis happens, communication with target audiences follows. But what happens when social media takes hold of the crisis and companies lose control of the message?

Next up in the PRFandP Guest Speaker Series this week is Tom Rozycki, a former CJP Communications colleague. Tom's a crisis communication pro -- and an amazing storyteller.

Here's a little information about Tom:

Name one thing most people don’t know about you.

I have set myself on fire twice.

How would your mother describe you?

My mother suffers from delusions of my grandeur...the site is not big enough for all the platitudes. However, in summary, she would say that I am kind hearted, considerate and a peace maker. She'd probably also tell you I was smart.

What are your greatest strengths as a public relations practitioner?

I know how to listen to, not just hear, what is being said. I also recognize that this is a 24/7 business, and that sacrifices will need to be made from time to time.

What is your favorite food?

Chicken Parm.

Who would play you in the movie version of your life?

Bea Arthur (but from the Maude days...not the Golden Girls.)

Seriously, though, I think Jack Black could handle it.

What is your favorite quote?

Learn to swim before the ship sinks. -Thom Yorke

(** Q&A compliments of the CJP Communications website)

The Dutch Village Farmer's Market

The Dutch Village Farmer's Market is located at 5030 Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro, MD. Composed of 13 individual family owned businesses, the Dutch Village Farmer's Market takes pride in providing consumers with fresh produce, baked goods and natural products. The Market also provides a gift shop filled with Amish made crafts and furniture.

To ensure that the Market is using Facebook effectively and efficiently I would recommend the following:
1. To increase viewership, the Market must make Facebook visible on their main website. The Facebook logo should be visible on the company website’s homepage. When selected, the logo should direct users to the company’s Facebook page.
2. To encourage internet awareness and participation, the Market should offer free items through Facebook. Once directed to the company’s Facebook page, a user could select the “like” icon on Facebook to receive one free item at the Market (such as one chocolate covered strawberry or one scoop of ice cream etc.).
3. To increase consumer spending, users who frequent the Market (and the company homepage) could be randomly selected as the Fan of the Month. The Fan of the Month could be featured on the company Facebook page and also win one free meal at the Market’s Kountry Grill diner.
4. To inform users, information about the 13 businesses and photographs must be provided on the Facebook page.

I LOVE this market! The food is delicious and the people are so friendly. If you want to check it out, here's the link: www.dutchvillagemarket.com