Make It With Michael

By Vaibhav Kakkar Is controversy always a good thing for marketing your brand? It’s that age-old question… is all press good press? There are supporters on either side of the fence, both armed with examples that suit their purpose. So which side of the fence are you on? Let’s reframe the question like this: How much and to what extent is controversy good for marketing, and after what point does it get bad? The answer is complex, with several things to consider, like: The level of controversy The subject of controversy The connection between the controversy, the conversation and the brand. This may seem surprising given we are accustomed to seeing high-profile companies running controversial (sometimes highly controversial! ) campaigns, and hijacking conversations on social media to rake in the profits that come from increased visibility. But a study by academics from Wharton Business School found that while “controversy increases the likelihood of discussion at low lev...

By Kaylynn Chong You’re excited about the release of your new product. It’s going to the change the world and everyone is going to love it. You’re thrilled and you want people feel the same. So let’s make sure your product doesn’t just launch, but blasts off into the space. Here are six tips on how to use social media to get there. 6 ways to generate buzz for a product release 1. Create a hashtag Herschel’s unbranded hashtag encouraged users to share their own content and offered the appeal of being linked to like-minded people who love to travel. As a result, the #WellTravelled hashtag has attracted millions of users around the world . Explore the vast terrain of Nevado de Toluca. #WellTravelled #Mexico A post shared by Herschel Supply Co (@herschelsupply) on Aug 10, 2016 at 9:29am PDT This is a good example of a hashtag generating buzz without directly promoting a product—similar to a pre-released product. Instead of advertising its brand name or an actual product, Hersch...