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Network Solutions’ Go Granny Campaign Wins Big With Social Media by Increasing Sales 500 Percent

February 10th, 2011 :: Karen Axelton

Network Solutions® Go Granny parody video featuring Cloris Leachman (http://networksolutions.com/video), which was launched to coincide with Super Bowl weekend, has won the public vote in the social mediasphere. Online sentiment about the Go Granny video campaign has been a whopping 97.5 percent HIGH POSITIVE, attracting attention from social media bigwigs like Guy Kawasaki, Scott Monty, Liz Strauss and Jason Falls.

“Customers, bloggers and the social media community have given Go Granny the thumbs up,” says Sanjay Gupta, Head of Marketing for Network Solutions. “We are thrilled to see a 500 percent increase in .CO domain sales and attribute much of that success to the huge splash Go Granny made in the social media channels, which was complemented by promotional pricing.”

On the Friday of Super Bowl weekend, Network Solutions launched the Go Granny video on its website, Facebook page, YouTube channel, blog properties, Twitter streams, online banner ads – all this was followed by a three day social media blitz. On game day Go Granny/Cloris Leachman was celebrated as a social media sweetheart.

During this three-day span, the Go Granny video campaign received more than 18 million impressions on Twitter and a whopping 14 million impressions on leading blogs that praised Go Granny versus Go Daddy. AdAge said, “Network Solutions’ Go Daddy Parody Surprisingly Close to Real Thing.”

On Twitter, Network Solutions engaged their audiences by using the @Go_Granny Twitter handle to launch a three-day dialog about Go Granny’s preparations for her big game party. ”Go Granny” became a trending topic as a result of engaging with social media heavy weights and with Lisa Stone, Co-founder and CEO of BlogHer, and her massive online community of women bloggers. The BlogHer community caused a “twitter-flurry” of goodwill for @Go_Granny throughout the weekend.

Network Solutions’ Facebook page featured a custom “Go Granny” tab where fans and friends engaged in lively commentary about Granny and her escapades, in addition to timely posts on Network Solutions blog properties that supported the effort.

The huge success of the Go Granny video once again proved that Network Solutions understands the power of the Internet and leveraged it like it does for small business customers every day.

Online reactions to Go Granny included:

@darrenrovell (CNBC) Network Solutions fires back at GoDaddy ads w/amazing “Go Granny” viral http://is.gd/AzlkmA (via @NetSolSocial

@JasonFalls: By the way, I would take @Go_Granny over Joan-Rivers-O-Plastic every time!

@WriterChanelle: Hmm still prefer Network Solutions ad with Cloris Leachman @Go_Granny over Go Daddy ad.

@AltosGroup: @Go_Granny stealing @GoDaddy’s thunder? #sbads #altos

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Tags: go granny, social media, super bowl
Posted in Marketing, Social Media, social media, Videos | 2 Comments »

What Can Your Business Learn From Super Bowl Commercials?

February 4th, 2011 :: Karen Axelton

By Karen Axelton

To say I’m not a sports fan would be putting it mildly. (I had no idea who was playing in the Super Bowl until I read Maria Valdez Haubrich’s post on it the Super Bowl the other day.) But pretty much every year, I end up watching the Super Bowl. First, because I love a good excuse to eat chips and dip. Second, because I love….the commercials.

You heard me. And I know I’m not alone. Last year, I went to a great Super Bowl party. Why was it so outstanding? Well, just about everyone attending worked in advertising, marketing, graphic design, TV or film. That meant everyone attending was as interested—if not more—in the commercials than they were in the outcome of the actual game. When commercials came on, everyone leaned in attentively, the TV volume went up and as soon as the game came on, the chatter started—not about the game, but about the ads we’d just seen.

If you own a small business, you should be watching the Super Bowl as closely for the ads as for the game itself. You should also be watching the reactions of the crowd you’re watching the game with. Why? Because Super Bowl airtime is the big leagues of advertising, with companies paying millions of dollars for a spot. That means companies put their best ads forward, or try to, and you can learn a lot from observing.

Attention and sales aren’t the same thing. The big winner in last year’s Super Bowl of ads was probably the Old Spice Man. The campaign, introduced during the Super Bowl, did garner tons of attention, but BrandWeek reported that sales of Old Spice actually dropped 7 percent between June 2009 and June 2010 (6 months after the campaign began).

Success requires follow-up. The Old Spice Man did garner huge brand awareness, but it didn’t come from the Super Bowl ads alone. Following up with lots of social media engagement with customers was key to growing the buzz. The question, of course, is whether you can translate that buzz into sales.

Humor’s great, but not if they don’t remember you. Every year I bet there are at least a couple of ads that have you and your friends laughing and talking about them afterwards. But when someone asks you, “What was the ad for?” you might scratch your head and go “Hmmm….actually, I don’t remember.” For a small business on a limited ad budget, it’s especially important for your company to be as memorable as the ad that touts it. So if you’re doing, say, a series of radio spots, you might be itching to crack people up—but a basic ad that repeats your business phone number and URL seven times might pay off better in the end.

Learn from the audience. Think of the Super Bowl as free “focus group.” Even if the rest of the people at the part aren’t your target customers, you can learn a lot by observing how people react to ads. Does a certain ad seem to resonate with the women in the audience? Does another get a reaction from the men or the younger viewers? Observe not just the ads, but the viewers and you’ll pick up some valuable nuggets of information.

Grab your note pad and pass the peanuts. It’s game time!

Image by Flickr user Cynthia McLoskey (Creative Commons)

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Tags: green bay packers, packers, pittsburgh steelers, super bowl
Posted in Branding, Marketing | 1 Comment »

Business Lessons From the Super Bowl XLV Teams

February 1st, 2011 :: Maria Valdez Haubrich

By Maria Valdez Haubrich

I grew up with sports on the TV and radio playing constantly in our house. My dad was an avid fan, and now I’m married to a sports nut, so every year I get excited about the Super Bowl. But now that I’m a business owner, I watch the game with an interest in more than just sports. What makes a winning team, how do they get to this level, and what lessons can they teach your business? My husband and I recently talked about the two teams in this year’s Super Bowl, and here are some observations I thought were worth sharing on what sports success can teach you about business success.

Hands-off management: This year’s contenders, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers, are two successful teams based on their model of consistency. They run their franchises by the basics and with little or no owner interference. They hire experienced people, then the owners stay out of it and let the experts do their jobs. (Insert here grumbling comments about teams like the Dallas Cowboys who has an owner on the field trying to coach which messes everyone up. OK, Cowboy fans, let’s hear your side!)
Be consistent: The Steelers have had the same ownership since 1933 (the Rooney family http://prod.www.steelers.clubs.nfl.com/history/tradition-of-excellence.html). The family has always run the team by sticking to the basics. They are not the flashiest team, but they have consistently been a strong team and won many championships.
Give customers ownership: The Packers are owned by the fans—by shareholders. Again, they leave the details to the experts and have a board that makes decisions, not a single owner like Cowboys or Raiders (again I could insert many editorial-type derogatory comments here, but I won’t.).
Stick to the basics: Both teams stick to the basics, which are building a strong defense, a strong coaching staff and players that believe in the system. They stay away from the hype and extravagant styles of a flashier team.
There’s no I in Team: Flashy teams want the best players and are willing to spend the most money to get the results, but inevitably the team becomes less a team and more a bunch of players all vying for the spotlight. This strategy can work for a while, but in the long run can spell disaster and a dysfunctional team.
It’s all about the raving fans: Although both teams spend less money than many other franchises, what they do have is an abundance of loyalty from players and fans. Steelers fans will follow the team all over the country to watch a game, and the Packers, who come from a small tight-knit community, also have die-hard fans who support the team through good times and bad.

What does it all mean? Sometimes, in the face of a wildly changing market and ever fickle fans and consumers, it pays to stick to your core competency and focus on the basics. The Green Bay Packers have won more championships than any other team in the NFL (12, including three Super Bowl titles) and the Steelers have won six out of the seven Super Bowls in which they’ve participated—which is more Super Bowl wins than any other team.

Image by Flickr user Jeramey Jannene (Creative Commons)

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Tags: business success, small business, super bowl
Posted in Small Business, Workforce | 1 Comment »

5 Better Ideas than TV Spots — Even if You Have Enough Money for a Super Bowl Ad

February 6th, 2010 :: Thursday Bram

A Super Bowl ad comes with a price tag of about $3 million dollars this year. Even if you have enough money in your marketing budget to pick up a 30-second spot, there are alternatives that can offer more bang for your buck than a televised ad, no matter how big an event it’s shown during. Considering how many people fast forward through the commercials, it’s time to explore other options.

Get involved locally: That money you were going to use on advertising? Consider spending it on a community project instead. Not only will you get warm fuzzies for the impact that your business has, but it will also offer you an opportunity to get your community talking about your company in a positive way.
Create a resource that will help your customers: When most customers have a problem, they don’t watch advertising or even start looking for brands. Instead, they’ll start searching online for answers to their questions. Creating a website that offers those answers is on a whole different budgetary level than a Super Bowl ad (right now, a domain name can be had from Network Solutions for $6.99 with coupon code DOMSOCIAL1), but can convert customers far more effectively.
Sponsor a niche publication: With $3 million in your pocket, you can afford to sponsor an entire issue of a magazine that goes out to your primary demographic. You can reach out to the people most likely to be interested in your product or services. Even with a smaller budget, it’s easy to sponsor a targeted online publication for a month or two, allowing you to reach out to audiences already interested in what you have to offer.
Build a social media campaign: While it’s tough to predict what will go viral, creating content (such as videos) that online users can easily share is a a good source of traffic if you sell your product or service online. One of the best examples is the ‘Will It Blend‘ videos from Blendtec — they consistently attract attention, day in and day out.
Put on your own event: Getting your customers out for an event — whether we’re talking about a focus group or a big conference — offers an opportunity to make your customer base feel like they’re stakeholders in your success. The more personal connections you can build, with customers or members of the media, the more likely they are to recommend you to their friends, families, and listeners.

Big companies are realizing the dropping value of a Super Bowl ad. Even Pepsi is opting for one of the options on this list: For the first time in 23 years, Pepsi did not buy a Super Bowl spot. Instead, the company chose to use the millions of dollars that would have gone to the Super Bowl spend towards the Pepsi Refresh Project. The project is offering grants to organizations and people making positive impacts in their communities, effectively integrating Pepsi into local communities.

Speaking of the Super Bowl and marketing, Network Solutions has a couple of great deals you might want to know about:

For this 2010 Superbowl, Network Solutions has put together a special offer for Sunday and Monday. $6.99 domain names and 25% off hosting packages so you can “shuffle” on over to start or keep using Network Solutions as your small business solutions provider. Check these out:

25% off hosting – Use code SUPERDOM06

Domain Purchase/Renewal for $6.99 – Use code DOMSOCIAL1

Domain Transfers for $6.99 – Use code DOMSOCIAL3

REMEMBER: This is only for 2010 Superbowl Sunday and Monday

Visit www.networksolutions.com to take advantage of these offers.

And enjoy the Super Bowl!

Photo by Flickr user Fluzo

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Tags: advertising, community, Marketing, sponsorship, super bowl
Posted in Marketing | 1 Comment »