Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Dealer Strategies: How To Newsjack

If you’re active in social media, then you’ve likely employed a strategy content marketing strategists call newsjacking. If you follow our Facebook page, then you’ve seen our “Caught on Camera” posts that show video footage of actual crimes taking place and reported in the news. In most cases, these posts show our products in action, most often capturing burglaries or abuse. This is the most basic form of newsjacking.

The term newsjacking refers to the process of attaching your brand, ideas or angles into breaking news, in real-time, in order to generate media coverage and engagement among your customers and prospects. In simpler terms: finding digital angles to major news events. The concept, when correctly executed, may also be employed in email marketing and may be reinforced with a clear call-to-action on your website.

The benefits of newsjacking include boosting SEO, engaging readers with timely commentary, sharing a new angle on a timely topic, and positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

 
Whether you’re already doing this, or looking for new ways to reach potential customers, it’s important to note that you walk a fine line when you newsjack. This is especially true in our industry when readers might view it as fear-mongering or taking advantage of tragic news stories, so we urge you to be sensitive and use sound judgment. 

Before sharing a few tips, we thought we’d share a few examples of newsjacking done right – and wrong:

First, the Good

Police Newsjacking – Urgent Genius’ Jon Burkhart shares his thoughts on the Seattle Police Department’s use of “planned spontaneity” when they handed out Doritos at Hempfest with a sticker attached advising Hempfesters of the do’s and don’ts of the new marijuana laws. “Operation Orange Fingers” attracted global news coverage.

And one of the most famous examples to date of timely newsjacking is when Oreo Cookie used the Superbowl power outage to cleverly capitalize on the event with their Twitter post.

Then, the Bad and the Ugly

Newsjacks in poor taste include Kenneth Cole who Tweeted during the Arab Spring uprising in Egypt: "Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online... -KC.", and Kentucky Fried Chicken in Thailand who posted a Facebook update after an earthquake stating “Let’s hurry home and follow the earthquake news. And don’t forget to order your favorite KFC menu.’”

Stay One Of The Good Guys

So, when you see a story in the news that you think you might be able to leverage, we encourage you to review the following tips courtesy of Content Marketing Institute’s “Newsjacking: 6 Tips to Help Your Branded Content Use the News.”
  • Stay tuned: You have to know what’s going on in the world if you want to newsjack. It’s crucial to plug in. 
  • Be very discerning: A military coup, the death of a celebrity, a natural disaster — these are not events of which you should take advantage. 
  • Act fast: To get the most traction; hop on news as soon as you can. 
  • Make a natural connection 
  • Take a constructive angle especially in the case of a disaster or tragedy. 

Sources: Content Marketing Institute’s “Newsjacking: 6 Tips to Help Your Branded Content Use the News.” For the complete post, visit: http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2013/01/help-branded-content-use-news/









Redesigned for Good: The Evolution of the Zone Shield® Night Vision Clock Radio DVR

The Zone Shield Clock Radio sports branded packaging.
There is history behind every redesigned product. 

 KJB’s newly designed Zone Shield® Night Vision Clock Radio DVR was the result of repeated attempts to provide a reliable clock radio DVR that would not have to be tweaked, fitted, or modified. Years in the making, working with products off the shelf of Walmart, and several visits to China still had not resulted in what KJB considers to be an acceptable surveillance device. We finally determined that a retrofitted product would just never be good enough.

Working with our partner in Taiwan, we designed the new clock radio specifically to fit a hidden camera and DVR or wireless transmitter. No more futzing with the inner wires or power supply, no more glue joints. Nothing to give away that the clock had been modified. 

A wireless QUAD and QUAD LCD version
available in September, 2013
In this new design, the IRs are invisible, completely undetectable from the face of the clock and can capture action up to 20 feet away in almost total darkness. The SD card slot is completely hidden under something that looks like a normal part of a clock and is much easier to access. It’s hard to tell if we’ve designed a hidden camera to operate as a clock or a clock designed to operate as a hidden camera.




Clock radio DVRs are a dime a dozen. But the Zone Shield® Night Vision Clock Radio DVR is in a class by itself.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Body worn police cameras decrease officer complaint cases

We’ve been talking a lot about the use of video surveillance in aiding law enforcement lately. And that’s because we hear so many stories from our law enforcement customers about the benefits they’ve realized. The latest comes from our neighbors in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., a community approximately 60 miles south of Nashville.

The police department in Mt. Pleasant has seen an 80 percent reduction in frivolous officer complaints since all 14 officers began wearing our DVR90 ProGrade Mini Camcorder last year. In addition to decreasing complaints, the video has proved valuable in prosecuting cases.

See for yourself:
WKRN, Nashville News, Nashville Weather and Sports

See the original story

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

To catch a thief: the increasing role of private surveillance cameras in aiding law enforcement

Last week’s $136 million jewelry heist at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, France played out as life imitating art as the very same hotel was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 romantic thriller, “To Catch A Thief,” starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

And while investigators are reviewing surveillance video footage from the “Heist of the Century” as some in the French media are dubbing it, last week’s news cycle here in the U.S. continues coverage on the debate over privacy vs. security in the wake of the NSA leaks scandal.

These stories are certainly worthy of the attention they are receiving, though what I’m thinking about are events over the past several months that affect real people and their sense of security and safety – oftentimes in their very own homes.

I’m thinking about the June beating of a Millburn, New Jersey woman in her home as her three-year-old daughter watched, the July hit-and-run involving a mother watching helplessly as her 18-month-old was dragged in his stroller, and most recently the Washington couple that watched live on their iPhone as their home was being robbed.

I’m reflecting on these cases and others that I hear every day working in the personal security industry and I’m even more convinced of the growing need for families to protect themselves and their property in a matter that does not put them in harm’s way.

The use of surveillance cameras in the each of these cases has played a crucial role in aiding law enforcement. In the case of the New Jersey woman, the suspect has been arrested. A warrant has been issued in the hit-and-run incident and the quick action of the Washington homeowners led police to the home where the thief dropped stolen items as he ran off.

While the use of home security cameras is not a new phenomenon, the quality of the devices, including hidden camera forms, infrared capabilities, wireless, and motion activated options, and the use of real-time technologies and ability of footage to go viral instantly, have changed the way law enforcement catch the bad guys. I predict that this will only increase as individuals become more aware of the many cost-effective and easy-to-use monitoring systems available to them. And don’t we all feel more secure when we’re proactively taking steps to protect our loved ones and home?

This post also appeared in Security Products Reaction Blog. Jill Johnston is president of KJB Security Products, a Nashville, Tenn.-based wholesale manufacturer and distributor of security and surveillance products.