Square Hits a PR Grand Slam

February 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

What could be a better PR coup than having both the Republican and the Democrats using your device in the race for the White House?  Either way you win, even with the loser.  And that’s exactly what Square has accomplished.  One of the newest technologies to be adopted by the Obama and the Romney campaign is called Square, a mobile payment card reading device.  Members of both campaigns are being equipped with this device that enables the campaigns to accept donations on various devices including Androids, Iphone, Ipads, etc.

To quote a Square spokesperson: “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat, running for president or local assembly, Square makes it easier than ever for candidates, organizations and volunteers to fundraise for their cause.”

Square makes fundraising easy which makes candidates and their teams happier.  Generally a campaign needed to solicit checks or cash.  There were always credit cards but the paperwork and tracking could be a fundraiser nightmare.

Square makes donating and receiving easy.  Donations are immodestly processed and the company sends receipts via SMS or email.  Political fundraisers can’t escape the reporting requirements and processing fees, but overall Square offers them a fundraising dream.

The special app for accepting Square payments for the Obama campaign will soon be available to the public and then the game is on. The Obama campaign reportedly raised $42 million in the last quarter of 2011.  As the campaign goes into full gear, that number is sure to rise, add the Republican race to that and Square is going to be seeing quite a bit of money flow through its system.

The capital Square will take in by working with both parties is significant, since the company is basically a start up.  But even more significant in the long run are the PR and marketing opportunities that are now afforded them.  Their media relations and publicity efforts are in full swing (or at least they should be).

Companies pay celebrities big bucks to endorse their products or services.  In this case Square’s clients are being afforded the biggest spotlight there is and some of that spotlight falls directly on Square.  Public relations, particularly media relations can benefit quite a bit with the help of celebrity names.  Think of designers or make up companies that tie their brands to those of specific celebrities.  If a celebrity uses a product and word hits the media, sales of that product generally soar.  Seldom is a company afforded the type of media exposure that Square can now command.   It will be interesting to see how they utilize this opportunity.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Pinoytutorial. “Square app”. Photo. Techtorial. 25 May 2011. 03 Feb. 2012. <http://pinoytutorial.com/techtorial/square-pay-with-your-name-review-how-to-guide-and-tutorial/>

Flacy, Mike. “Obama Square App”. Photo. Digital Trends. 31 Jan 2012. 03 Feb. 2012. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/will-mobile-campaign-donations-be-a-game-changer-for-politicians/>

Filed under Marketing, Politics Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Why Facebook Thinks You’re Worth $125.00

February 3, 2012 Leave a Comment

Facebook filed Wednesday to raise $5 billion in an initial public offering.  Talk about a PR explosion!  Fun stuff, eh?  A $100 billion market cap would make the company worth just about as much as McDonald’s.  Not bad for a company still basically in its infancy.

In 2011, Facebook earned $1 billion on sales of $3.7 billion. As of December 31, Facebook had 845 million monthly active users.  The company estimates that each of its 800 million users is worth $125.00.  I actually think I’m worth quite a bit more and personally take umbrage at being valued at a mere $125.00, but there you have it.  If I decide to bail on Facebook, they’ll suddenly be worth $125.00 less than they are now, which I’m confident keeps them up at night.  .

Compared with other social media companies that have gone public, $125 is a rather high figure.  But when you consider the amount of personal information that Facebook users are willing to share for free, the market could be convinced the price is right, even though the stock performance of other social media sites has not been stellar. Without the true share price information, the company’s valuation is still up in the air.  Facebook itself conducted its own valuation and as of December 31, it figured that the price was worth $29.73 per share.  Who would know better?

Although I do belong to the cult of Facebook I can’t say that it’s actually by choice. It’s one of those “shoulds” we all deal with.  It makes me nervous if truth be told.  I did an unofficial survey of ten people today and although all were on Facebook, each one found the site rather creepy.  Creepy seemed to be the operative word.  Each person had his or her own reasons why it made them nervous, yet all were still on the site.  All but one, whose photos during a vacation liaison ended up posted on Facebook (without his knowledge).  He no longer “Friends” or “Likes” and now solos on Twitter.

So, best everyone watch themselves.  I read that private eyes gather most of their information from Facbook now a days.  I have no idea if that’s true or not, but when it comes to taking care of your own PR or media relations campaign, one apparently can’t be too careful in the Facebook world.  That said, we Facebook members know how much we’re worth.  The real question is – is Facebook worth 5 Billion?

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Vinod. “fa$ebook.” Photo. TECH4GLOBE. 08, Mar. 2011. 02. Feb. 2012. <http://tech4globe.com/facebook-worth-50-billion.html>fa

 

Filed under social media Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Oscar Race is On & Hollywood’s Media Machines Rev Up

January 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” came away with eleven Academy Award nominations, and “The Artist,” which won the Golden Globes received ten.  The two films, which are both about the bygone days of film making, head the list of best picture Oscar contenders announced Tuesday.  Ironically there is a belief in Hollywood that films about films, particularly films about film making are doomed to die at the box-office.  If true, at least this year they’d do so in style.

It’s interesting to sense the difference between the Golden Globes and the Oscars.  As one well known film critic recently put it, the Golden Globes are so much fun, because they really don’t matter.  The sense is that people go to the Globes to see and be seen, party, have fun, say things you’d never say at the Academy Awards and possibly help create a bit of a media buzz for your film.   The Golden Globes is a PR vehicle.  A feel good party where the winners hope to influence the Oscar voters.

The Academy Awards remain the main event.  This will always remain the award the public views as the golden ring in the film business and it’s hard to tell the influence that the other awards have on the Oscars.

The best picture category is an interesting one with heavy hitter Steven Spielberg’s “War Horse,” going against, among others, Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.”  Allen’s film hit a chord this year, and could result in an (all is truly forgiven) embrace from the Academy.  Perhaps the most interesting inclusion is Terrence Malick’s (either love it or hate it) “The Tree of Life;” but it’s good to know mystics can climb the Hollywood heights.

Superstars Brad Pitt and George Clooney go head to head in the best actor category with Pitts’s “Moneyball” and Clooney’s “The Descendants” garnering a number of awards.  Those two are where the glitz and glamour is, but that’s not always where the awards go.

The best actress category includes Meryl Streep’s performance as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady” and Michelle Williams’ role as movie legend Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.”  It’s always a gamble bringing an icon to the screen, but in both cases the gamble paid off.

Now that the nominees have been named, the Hollywood movie machine media relations blitz goes into high gear.  From here to the awards date the publicity and media campaigns run 24/7.  Public relations, and some subtle and often not so subtle arm twisting are the staples of race to the Oscar.  As long as Harvey Weinstein is involved in the race, it will be interesting.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2012

Seib, Al. “Plaster Oscar statuettes used for rehearsals.” Photo. The Envelope. Jan. 2012. 27, Jan. 2012.                                                  <http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-env-oscars-winners-nominees-scorecard-2012,0,2535525.htmlstory>

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