I’m seeing new media presentations on more and more programs these days and last week’s NAMA Boot Camp was no exception. Erin Holt, Media Supervisor, Martin Williams, was on the program with a presentation titled, “Cool Interactive Ideas.” So I sat down with her to learn about her ideas when it comes to using new media for her clients.
Erin talked about new media, including blogging, podcasting, social networking, widgets and video. Her theme was “being in surprising places” and “talking to your customers in a new way that’s going to be memorable for them.” Words like Twitter are dear to her heart.
I asked her for an example of how they’ve used new media for a client and she used Pfizer Animal Health, equine division. The agency developed a desktop widget for customers called the “Frame Your Horse” widget. This was for a fly control product with parameters tied to weather and location. So those information pieces were incorporated into the widget since they’re items people want on a regular basis. Essentially, the customer can download the widget, customize it with a picture of their horse and get information they want that is mixed with a product message. They’ve had about 4,000 downloads in just over 2 months.
Getting demographic data on users is a challenge with new media. Erin says they were able to collect some data and that they view this campaign as a test case. She recommends doing some up front testing with the target group to help build confidence in the campaign direction and specific new media tool.
I asked her about client acceptance of new media and she says it’s all over the board. Some clients base judgments on their own personal media use so she says it’s the job of the agency to educate them and show the value of new communication technologies. I like her way of handling the fact that new media mechanisms usually reach fewer people than traditional media. She says the numbers are smaller but the composition is higher. You’re, “talking to fewer people, but the right people.” The number one question she gets from clients is are they getting value for their investment.
The program this week ends with music from the Podsafe Music Network. Since I just attended a swine health seminar you get to listen to “Pearls and Swine” from Drunken Prayer. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.
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ZimmCast 183 (14 min MP3)
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In addition to pork producers, a number of veterinarians attended the Boehringer Ingelheim Swine Health Seminar. I spoke with Dr. Randy Jones who has been in practice in eastern North Carolina for 23 years. I first asked him if he thought his local BI Rep, Dan Johnson, was doing a good job and he said “He does a great job.” Dan has played a big role in putting this event on, along with a lot of other people and I would echo that.
The numbers man on our program at the Boehringer Ingelheim Swine Health Seminar was Dennis DiPietre. He specializes in consulting with the swine industry and is a “headliner” for 
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The Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar is about over for the day. We’re getting ready to break after all the presentations. I’ll have more of them in the coming days.
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I couldn’t be there for my good friend, Mike Gustafson’s retirement party but that doesn’t mean there aren’t 
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Dr. Mike Roof is Executive Director of Bio-Research for Boehringer Ingelheim. His job today was to provide an overview of where the company is on the PRRS issue (Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome). He says it’s still the big problem disease and he wants producers to know that BI hasn’t given up on it. He also wants producers to know, “There’s no magic bullets for PRRS. There’s going to be incremental progress over the next few years.”