To Tweet or not to Tweet… that is a recent question that many companies are faced with in this age of online social media. But does being an active member of Twitter’s online community help a company get their branding out there or is it simply typing in the wind? AdAge magazine recently posted an article about just that. With businesses now using Facebook and Twitter as standard methods of advertising, is it beneficial or even necessary? 

A six month long study was conducted to see what exactly the benefits are to having a Twitter account for your business. The results were surprising… the stats were as follows: 

“Of the 90% of Twitter messages sent by real people — the other 10% come from businesses — only 12% ever mention a brand, and most of those mentions are of Twitter itself. Further, only 1% of consumer tweets that mention a brand are part of an active conversation with that brand, meaning marketers are, for the most part, conducting one-way conversations — the opposite of the way consumers often use Twitter.”  

In other words Twitter is not like an intercom, more like a bull horn.  Companies see Twitter as a way to communicate directly with their consumers, when it reality its a “one sided” conversation. The tweets from consumers that even mention brands are purely conversational and not as beneficial as once thought. The study also found that over 90% of tweets are of a personal nature and almost 50% of those are normally responding to directs tweets from personal friends.  Only 12% of the overall tweets were companies interacting directly with people, most of the branding and company-based tweets are to everyone in general. 

What does this all mean? It means that Twitter is really more about a summary of someone’s daily events… not people seeking out the newest hot item. The bright side for businesses on Twitter? When their company IS mentioned, only 7% of the time is it in a negative light.

• Father’s Day is the fifth most popular day to eat out. Top three: Olive Garden, Outback, and Applebees. Wow only one steak house, thats surprising. 
•  Neckties are among the least popular gifts, making up only 1% of the total presents. But tie makers sell 10% of the total 29 million ties made yearly, on Father’s Day.  Neckties? Really? More original people!
• There are at least 2 MILLION father-son business in the United States. Yay for Son and Pop shops!
• 13% of US companies offer paid paternity leave.  Of the top 15 Western economies, only the US, Switzerland, and Australia do not mandate it! Wow, this is sad. Dads need time with new babies too!!
• Cliff Hixtable is the most beloved TV dad ever! What? No love for Willie from Alf?
• The number of first time dads over the age of 35 rose by 50% from 1970 to 1999. The number of dads under 30 fell by 18%. Times they are a changin’!
• The US has an estimated 158,000 stay at home dads, according to the 2009 Census. Mr Moms rejoice!

So folks, when you are celebrating Dad pass on these little nuggets of knowledge… after all Dad loves random facts, especially about his own holiday! Happy Fathers Day! 

But what if I asked “Who is Lady Gaga?” 

At the ripe old age of 25 Lady Gaga has proven to be more than a flash in the pop scene pan. The Madonna comparisons are dwindling down when referencing Gaga and she has become a force of her own. But what makes her so different from the flood of other pop presences trying to stick around beyond their 15 mins?As reported in this month’s Fast Company, the girl knows how to market herself.  

She has made herself into a brand… her upbeat dance songs, her theatrical videos… her insane outfits. Each factor a carefully crafted piece of a puzzle that results in people saying “oh thats SO Gaga!” She is one of the first artists to recognize the power of the web and market herself , almost solely, to the “online generation.” She has made her Twitter and Facebook pages extremely personal… posting constantly to update her fans, or Little Monsters, about what is going on in her life. Often she posts about devoted fans showing her support, such as a Tennessee student who was sent home for wearing a “I love Gay Gay” shirt.  She has made herself accessible… even sometimes directly commenting back to people on her pages. 

She is also much more than her sequin exterior… she is one smart cookie who has a heart.  When Virgin Mobile wanted to sponsor her US Tour she set “conditions.” Basically she only accepted their money if they would allow her to set aside a group of tickets to be given to fans who did community service.  This arrangement generated 30,000 hours of service nationwide.  When she was going into a business venture with Polaroid she brought the knowledge.  Instead of simply telling them what shade of pink the camera should be, she offered “insights about digital strategy and how to position Polaroid to reach her generation.”

Lady Gaga is a new type of celebrity…. one who realizes the value of marketing and branding.