Moved by Nostalgia (and Social Media)

How do you reach me... a small business owner in the 40-something category, who is a professional juggler - carefully balancing family, work, personal interests? (No, I'm not really a juggler, though one of my favorite clients has been

Circus Harmony!)

I don't tend to watch television news, I read the local paper on-line, I subscribe to the Business Journal and USA Today. I only watch Mad Men on demand and my only live shows tend to be American Idol and some sports; My Twitter feed tends to sprinkle me with breaking news (it's how I learned about Michael Jackson's untimely passing), Quaker quotes and industry-relevant materials all day long..

I'm a communications fundamentalist - I tell my clients and all who attend our series of seminars -- You must have an objective and strategies to reach your identified stakeholders. The rule of reaching someone 4-5 times before they change their behavior still applies... you just have a few more tools in your kit to accomplish this goal. And I am a good example of a shift in how you may be able to influence me and those like me.

Let me walk you through the way Pepsi influenced me to purchase their product....

• It started with reading about their decision to forgo the purchase of Super Bowl advertisements this year in favor of a more direct social media strategy. I read about it first on Twitter, I discussed on-line, in person.
• I discussed how this shift will be watched carefully and how I believe it has the ability to change the face of advertising on major sport properties, which has a huge potential economic effect. I watched and participated as dialogue unfolded.
• I helped a client directly reach clients through a targeted Facebook ad with much success and limited resources.
• I saw a Pepsi employee at a community event related to diversity and had a favorable impression.
• I remembered growing up in the 70s as part of the Pepsi Generation... I heard about the Throwback Pepsi can design and formulation (with real sugar!) It made my radar, first step.
• I am not a regular soda drinker and definitely not a purchaser, but low and behold I purchased a twelve-pack of Throwback Pepsi at Dierbergs. I shared with my children, discussed the nostalgia of my youth and recalled the days when real sugar was part of soda and we hadn't heard the phrase high fructose corn syrup, rediscovered a flavor (which is spot on to what I remember) ... all because I was reached in some new ways...TOUCHDOWN PEPSI!

Move me to change my behavior and buy your product ... appeal to my youth, reach me through social media channels, and make it fun for me to share with the new generation....