This weekend I received an invitation to open a free Google Voice account. Google Voice (formerly GrandCentral) is currently available by invite only. If you haven’t already heard about it, Google Voice is a service that makes using your current phones much better!

Here’s what it offers:

• A personal phone number that rings all of your existing phones when people call
• All of your voicemail in one inbox with unlimited online storage and free voicemail transcripts sent to your phone and email
• Low-priced international calling to over 200 countries and free SMS
• Other powerful features like the first phone spam filter to protect you from unwanted callers, the ability to ListenIn™ on your voicemail messages while they are being left, conference calling and more

After spending some time tinkering around with it I have to say that in general I am impressed. I can’t wait for Google to launch an official API for Google Voice!

We are all becoming more and more aware every day of how social media, viral marketing and user generated media/content are revolutionizing the advertising world. Unfortunately for some brands like United Airlines and Pizza Hut, they are finding out the hard way. The Dave Carroll/Taylor guitar fiasco has spread like wildfire, thanks to the opportunity given to anyone anywhere to share their voice. This incident should teach brands a valuable lesson with regard to how they handle customer service inquiries. Brands need to be very attentive and sensitive to the fact that everyone is now considered a “marketer,” given this newfound freedom to communicate their experiences and opinions, whether it be good or bad.

According to Ad Week, over three million people in one week viewed the video that Dave Carroll uploaded to YouTube regarding the mishandling of his Taylor guitar. For United Airlines, this translates into a dreadful number of people worldwide that now identify United Airlines as the airline that doesn’t care about the management or handling of your luggage. Considering the latest attitude toward airline companies and the new and increased baggage fees, this is a serious hit to United’s reputation and will demand serious recovery efforts. Terribly news for the airline that the video is now the third search result for the query “United Airlines” on Google.

United has already made a genuine attempt to reconcile with Carroll, and announced via Twitter that they had made a $3,000 donation to the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Good start, but this will need to be followed by further earnest efforts to mend this damaging reputation they’ve acquired.

http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/strategy/e3icf26a0dad6f1001638196a9b842c61d2?pn=1

I recently read a great article that reminded companies how they need to get creative and think outside their “marketing” boxes when it comes to social media.  Companies like JetBlue and Zappos are successful examples of how to interact with your customers.  JetBlue recently tweeted “Interesting bit of trivia learned today: the collective noun for turtles would be ‘a bale of turtles.’  This is obviously not something you would automatically expect to come from a major airliner, but it was in response to a customer complaining of a “turtle-related delay” at JFK airport.  JetBlue has led a good example by actively participating with their followers responses and staying true to their corporate voice. They have also managed to find a balance and use the Twitter space as a form of marketing by recently launching the account @JetBlueCheeps, which offers followers links to last-minute flight deals.  But it’s a very fine line between being too overtly self-promoting and being engaged with customers – and that line is what many companies are still trying to find.  Zappos uses Twitter to help customers get a sense of what their culture is like, rather than market themselves directly.  Their CEO tweets messages like “Learned today Poland Spring water comes from Maine, not Poland. Also, Sarah Palin resigned. Not sure which was more shocking.”  Zappos currently has an impressive 1 million followers.  Having a conversation means being able to relate to customers while still advocating a brand.  I think it’s difficult for many companies and agencies to take off their traditional marketing hats and wrap their arms around this new medium. But if a company can find that right balance of how to position themselves in this online space, it can be extremely powerful for their brand.

SugarCRM API Integration

EDU Interactive completed another successful integration of Lead Genisys with Sugar CRM for a valued client this week. In real-time Lead Gensiys delivers new leads directly into Sugar and sends an email alert, notifying the assigned user that a new leads has been received. Lead Genisys also handles the complex reporting requirements that the Sugar CRM Open Source Edition does not include. Sugar Open Source is at the forefront of integration with its open source, standards-based architecture which enables applications to be seamlessly integrated with each other. The Sugar SOAP API makes tasks like inserting and relating records, and assigning records to users at the time of inserting them a breeze.

About SugarCRM

According to the Info Tech Research Group SugarCRM is becoming a disruptive force in the small enterprise Customer Relationship Management (CRM) market. Its commercial open source model, CRM appliance option, low price, and strong set of CRM features are impacting more traditional methods of CRM delivery and the perception of CRM value among small enterprises. Despite its small size compared to other vendors, SugarCRM scored highest in the Product Index of its evaluation, due to its broad features and extremely flexible deployment options.

It’s nice to see colleges and universities focus on strong branding campaigns. Check out Walden University’s new TV spots: www.walden.edu

For many years, it seemed educational institutions got caught up in ENROLL NOW, PICK-ME, LIMITED TIME OFFER messages and forgot to talk to people about how their institution can help them have a better life and why  that institution is right for them.

At EDU Interactive, we have always told our client colleges that staying true to the brand is important, and ultimately, will help increase enrollment . Yes, we all need to meet the lead goals, conversion expectations and fill classrooms, but at the same time, it’s important to remember what the university stands for and how they can help better people’s lives. Don’t get me wrong — there’s a place for the enroll now, limited time offer message, but it needs to be accompanied by a strong branding campaign that tells a story.