What happened to the direct mail piece? The one you’d show to someone else because it was so amazing? I used to get one of those every once in awhile but now I can’t remember the last time this happened.

E-mail is fine and dandy, but does anyone remember the Pony Express, the mailman? Yeah people like to think that lovable old Andy Rooney still uses his 1920 Underwood typewriter, sorry to disappoint you, but he doesn’t, he does get e-mail.

But what in Sam Hill is our friendly pressman going to do with all his fancy die cut machines and million dollar presses? I haven’t received anything but a grocery flyer full of coupons in years and that’s got to be depressing for the mailman and the pressmen.

Is there some sort of mailing list that I’ve been kicked off of? Marlboro cigarettes used to send fancy direct mail pieces out, but that was when the family doctor recommended smoking.

Maybe I’m sounding like a e-blast ignoramus, but there are things that can be used to communicate within the physical format (print), texture, weight, and even smell.  Those are sure hard to fake amongst all the fuss in the digital realm.

Here is a great example of good ol’ fashioned creativity (and it’s even about creativity).

What is the last piece of direct mail you can recall?

It’s no secret that I’m a big advocate for social media. I think social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or blogs, can act as outlets to help spread messages, compliment traditional marketing communications and public relations efforts, communicate directly with target audiences, or even serve as a quick way to get information to a large number of people. 

Recently, however, through watching the news and reading up on the current events and happenings in Egypt, I realized that social media can be and definitely is much bigger. Social media can play a role in organizing protests, uniting groups of people toward a common goal, or even organizing a revolution. More than that however, social media is giving the rest of the world a 24/7, real-time report of the exact, to-the-minute happenings in Egypt.

Not long ago social media was barely making its way into discussions involving communications and public relations. Now, it’s making headlines for sparking change.

In fact, when Wael Ghonim, a 30-year-old Google executive, was asked about what’s next for Egypt, he replied by saying, “Ask Facebook.” That’s a pretty strong message, and one that indicates social media sites are delivering content faster than traditional news mediums.

So, what does this mean for the love fest between marketing communications, public relations and social media?

I think that social media will continue to play an increasingly important role in communications—particularly marketing communications—and public relations. It’s important that companies utilize social media outlets and incorporate social media strategies into overall marketing plans, when appropriate. Because, whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay,  it’s growing every day and people are continually turning to social media sites to get their daily news and information.

While skimming my favorite catalog from ThinkGeek, I stumbled across my newest obsession—the LeWhif—Breathable Chocolate and Coffee (they also offer somewhat less interesting breathable vitamins). Now, I would have never considered inhaling cocoa powder or instant coffee before, BUT when you package it in an adorable box you get me to reconsider.

It just goes to show you what a huge role packaging and clever design play in some of the simplest ideas. There are a ton of ways to package a powder, the little crystal light packages, emergencee packets, fun dip, but this one takes the cake. It could be that my intrigue as an asthmatic has me a little too excited about future potential as a chocolate inhaler.

I am now anxiously awaiting the creation of breathable bacon.

Has packaging ever influenced a product purchase for you?  What is the most unique – creative, unusual, (insert adjective)- package design you’ve bought into?

If you read my last blog post, I discussed how Groupon would be extending its brand into traditional advertising, beginning with pre-game spots in the Feb. 6 broadcast of Super Bowl XLV, to add credibility to the Groupon brand and boost top-of-mind recall. Well, I think it’s safe to say that the Super Bowl ads lost major credibility to the Groupon brand and definitely boosted top-of-mind recall, but not in a good way. The group-buying company took a chance with their brand and decided to have some fun with the ads. Unfortunately, very few understood the joke and took offense to the ads. The management of this campaign leads me to believe that Groupon needs some major PR help.     

I came across an article in AdAge that discusses Groupon CEO Andrew Mason’s final decision to pull the ads and Mason’s apology to consumers on the company’s blog. Take a look at what he had to say:

“Five days have passed since the Super Bowl, and one thing is clear – our ads offended a lot of people. Tuesday I posted an explanation, but as many of you have pointed out, if an ad requires an explanation, that means it didn’t work.

We hate that we offended people, and we’re very sorry that we did – it’s the last thing we wanted. We’ve listened to your feedback, and since we don’t see the point in continuing to anger people, we’re pulling the ads . . . .”

The Groupon Super Bowl Controversy does beg the question of the “any publicity is good publicity” style of PR.  There is no doubt, people are talking about these ads, but the type of attention Groupon is receiving is not the attention they were looking for in regards to its brand development. 

I think that Mason’s decision to pull the ads with an apology was a good attempt in saving Groupon’s public image. However, the company needs to put forth a strong PR person at the center of management decision making to avoid permanent damage to their business ambitions for the future. I think the Groupon ad mess is one more reason to integrate PR at the center of business decisions. Do you agree?

What do you think Groupon’s next move should be? Do you think they should just stick to online marketing?