So there’s a big surprise coming: social media is changing. Okay, so that doesn’t surprise anyone, but what might surprise you is that MySpace is back. Or here. Depends on your age. Positioning itself as a community to discover new artists of all types – particularly music – MySpace is spending millions of dollars on an advertising push to help the re-launch.

Here’s the problem. The spot was done in-house and, in my opinion, very poorly. I’ll let you judge for yourself though.

From the initial comments it seems most people agree with me. This spot has no real message and does nothing to tell you why you should come back to MySpace (if you ever used it at all). The idea of MySpace as a creative cornucopia is a decent strategy, however this ad does nothing to convey this message. Even the little bit of text (graffiti) just says “Welcome to the neighborhood.” Why do I want to be there? What will the neighborhood do for me?

This is a perfect example of where agencies (shameless plug: Jigsaw) bring great value. They give a company a view from outside their walls. With in-house agencies there is a HUGE potential for group think and politics to come into play. They know their business better than anyone, which is a good thing. However, it’s also easier for them to forget that everyone else doesn’t know the things they may take for granted.

MySpace is spending $20M in advertising for the re-launch. My bet is that the campaign will see luke-warm results at best and with a little outside thinking (and a little additional cost) this campaign could have been much more than artists being artists, or at least how the stereotypes portray them. In today’s cost-cutting world it’s often a goal to get rid of outside costs and keep everything in-house. The downside of this is that you begin to see and hear only your inside world. And that’s not your customer. Call an agency. We want to help. Really.

Oh, and in other news, Facebook added hashtags #wannabeTwitter

Jigsaw is looking for a Campaign Manager that will be responsible for planning, optimizing, implementing and analyzing all SEM, Online Media, and Traditional efforts. This position is key to future growth and will be responsible for the top-to-bottom management of clients’ campaign activities. This position is based in downtown Milwaukee.

The ideal candidate must possess a keen understanding of B2B and B2C strategies, with a strong background in pay-per-click (PPC) management and interactive marketing. This role requires the ability to operate on both a strategic and tactical level, touching all aspects of the campaign roadmap including keyword management, creation of messaging, bidding strategies, creative testing, landing page direction and analytics, etc.

Responsibilities include:

• Plans, develops, implements and manages Pay Per Click, Online Display and Search Engine Optimization (SEO), campaign management activities.
• Works with the Media Department for effective online display advertising tracking/management.
• Works with team to create a logical UX from click through conversion.
• Conducts keyword research, competitive analysis, content optimization, meta-tag creation, link development and other SEO related activities.
• Acquires, aggregates and analyzes data from offline, promotions, email and social media as they relate to an integrated campaign.
• Identifies new growth opportunities for existing clients (e.g. landing page testing, re-targeting, etc.) and then works with account management and business development teams to make specific and actionable recommendations.
• Adjusts and reports on key performance metrics and campaign trending.
• Provides strategic recommendations and insights based on data and client needs.
• Translates data into actionable insights that can be presented internally/externally.
• Works with and supports cross-discipline teams to help coordinate and implement client SEM campaigns. 

Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Marketing Degree preferred
• Proficient in Google AdWords, Google Analytics, Microsoft AdCenter, keyword research tools
• Proficient using Microsoft Office Suite (primarily Excel and PowerPoint)
• Minimum 3-5 years of demonstrated campaign and analytics experience
• Broad experience with digital/interactive marketing, including exposure to social media and email
• Expert knowledge of landing page testing, keyword research, keyword/ad optimization, keyword testing strategies, ad copy development, attribution modeling and retargeting
• Working knowledge of HTML/CSS and Content Management Systems
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment
• An organized individual with great attention to detail and focus on quality of results
• A self-motivated individual; a great team player
• Takes accountability and ownership of his/her own work
• Google Adwords/Analytics Certified (a huge plus)

Interested? Submit your cover letter, resume and samples to humanresources@jigsawllc.com.

Jigsaw is looking for an experienced, passionate, detail-oriented Interactive Web Developer to craft exciting, innovative solutions for a digital world.

Responsibilities include:

• Hands-on creation of branded interactive experiences that adhere to defined project goals and specifications, including: websites, mobile web, apps, online ads, social media and email marketing.
• Collaborate with agency teams on digital strategies and solutions. Mentor these teams on crafting and executing digital solutions.
• Define UI/UX and technical approach to digital projects based on overall strategy.
• Deliver projects on time and on budget, in compliance with defined requirements and quality control.
• Continuously advance knowledge of emerging technology, providing inspiration and thought leadership to agency and client teams.

 Qualifications:

• 3 to 5 years experience in an agency or creative industry.
• Expert in PHP, HMTL, CSS, JQuery, XML, JavaScript, MySql, CMS-based environments (WordPress, Joomla, etc.) and Adobe CS tools.
• Expert knowledge of information architecture, UI/UX design and user flows.
• Web Server experience a huge plus.
• Deep understanding of technical requirements and limitations of digital platforms, including: web browsers, mobile, apps, display ads (including rich media), social media, email, and analytics.
• Ability to take initiative, solve problems, sweat the details, manage, and prioritize deadlines in a fast-paced team environment.
• Experience collaborating in cross-functional team.
• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Computer Science.

Interested? Submit your cover letter, resume and portfolio to humanresources@jigsawllc.com.

This morning I was on a healthcare social media panel up in Madison, at Social Media Breakfast. (Wow! Good crowd…Madisonians like to think early.) It was a healthy discussion (pun…sorry) of overcoming the barriers to social media integration in healthcare organizations.

Recently, we’ve done a lot of learning here at Jigsaw about the Affordable Care Act and accountable care organizations. So it occurred to me in the process of putting this presentation together that social media, strategically used, *could* actually help not only improve patient experience but also potentially improve outcomes and facilitate accountable care. I discussed this hypothesis with three leaders on the front lines in the healthcare social media space and was happy to hear that I’m not crazy.

Many thanks to these brilliant three: Dana M. Lewis, Swedish Medical Center and founder of #HCSM; Ed Bennett, University of Maryland Medical System; and Chris Boyer, Long Island Jewish health system. The presentation includes their thoughts on this topic as well as mine, along with current examples of how they are using social media to drive their businesses.

Many thanks to Social Media Breakfast Madison, in partnership with the American College of Healthcare Executives, for having me. Let me know if you have any questions about this information or would like to continue the conversation.

Mmmmmm peanut butter

Our friends at Hunger Task Force here in Milwaukee are encouraging people to have peanut butter drives. At the time I’m writing this, Milwaukee has stepped up in a HUUUUGE way, donating 95,156 jars. Yep. Milwaukee pretty much rocks.

We caught wind of this on Twitter, thanks to Julie Larsen other local organizers of #PBrally, an event at AJ Bombers next Monday, February 25, 5PM-8PM. So we’re collecting jars here at Jigsaw, to take to the event. Join us!

Not only is this obviously a great cause…it is also a super smart strategy for Hunger Task Force…focusing people on one simple, attainable item that is very tangible and loaded with happy associations for most people. “Oh, peanut butter? I love peanut butter. And I can do that.” Sticky…memorable. And therefore brilliant. Super smart nonprofit marketing strategy…50 thumbs up (from all of us here).

Props to Hunger Task Force in every way, for all they do, and to all those like Julie and AJ Bombers who are helping organize the community to respond. We’ll see you at #PBRally!