In the context of communication overall, social media applications are a major innovation in general, though they aren’t exactly new or groundbreaking on their own anymore. We are keeping an eye out at Zenzi for cool new innovative ways that people and companies are using social media. There is no special code or guaranteed path to success or popularity with social media – much like viral videos — some of the biggest successes just happen because of a creative idea and an audience that catches on and takes it by storm. There are multiple elements that need to click into place to create a successful social media campaign, and one of the biggest elements, at least with the most exciting and unique examples out there, is innovative ideas.

One of our favorite classic examples of an incredibly successful social media campaign is the Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck in L.A., which was touted as “America’s first viral restaurant” by Newsweek. While their Twitter (@kogibbq) following is impressive with over 50,000 followers, it’s not just this number that makes them a ridiculously huge Twitter success story. It’s the fact that through Twitter and their website, within just a few months of opening for business there were often hundreds of people waiting on some street corner in L.A. for the Kogi BBQ truck to pull up. The trucks now make the rounds to the bar scene as well, tweeting about one of their two trucks’ next stops, where hungry people armed with iPhones and Blackberries eagerly await the arrival of their late night snack.

These stories are what have landed this fancy taco truck (the regular variety are a dime a dozen on the streets of L.A. during the lunch hour) in publications such as Time, Inc., GQ, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Gourmet. To start with, the food is delicious and different, and combine that with a savvy social media strategy designed to work in line with the company’s goals and business model, and you have a successful, innovative social media campaign that has truly taken on a life of its own. Twitter may have played a role in creating an entirely new fast food trend. Kogi BBQ has definitely set a new standard for a perfect recipe for success in social media through an innovative business model that has better served their customers by using Twitter to speak to their customers’ stomachs.

They came for the bugs.

The creepy-crawly kind, the exotic kind, the ones neatly pinned and displayed under glass in wooden cases.

And the ones that were cooked. You know, a little olive oil, some seasonings, a few minutes in a skillet and . . . lunch!

Hundreds of families crowded into Quail Botanical Gardens yesterday for the 12th annual Insect & Garden Festival.

Zenzi means crescendo, the culmination of carefully crafted notes, harmonies and dynamic sounds. Formerly SZPR, Zenzi is a full-service integrated marketing and PR agency whose sole mission is to help our clients thrive. Our ability to garner media attention, reach customers online and offline through media relations, social media, staging events, and generating buzz with grassroots publicity stunts is unmatched in San Diego, Boston or San Francisco.   We are experts at both traditional PR and marketing as well as Web 2.0, social media, and SEO using the ‘New PR’. Recruiting the attention of target markets at a variety of touch points makes a sound your customers will hear loud and clear.   Our marketing and PR expertise includes sampling products on college campuses, increasing brand awareness via media tours in New York with editors, creating viral internet buzz in social media, and getting publicity from feature stories in Business Week, Oprah or wherever you want to be. Zenzi has a track record of success, our media connections and marketing & PR expertise will help your brand BE KNOWN.

In support of a national product launch for mobile start-up IQzone, Zenzi’s team created a grassroots stunt and sponsored a challenge for an Arizona college student, Tyler, to furnish his dorm room in a short period of time using items purchased only by mobile classified advertising. A high profile and comical talent competition on-campus generated overall awareness and student participation, which was picked up by mainstream and college newspapers and TV stations. Resulting attention drove traffic to IQZone’s website along with early product adopters.

Challenge: Emergen-C tasked Zenzi with the goal of promoting the Emergen-C brand and the company’s commitment to the cause of breast cancer awareness. Emergen-C’s objective was to promote its “Pink Lemonade” product to a youth demographic and make the community aware that 50% of proceeds for this product went to support their cause marketing partner, the Keep A Breast Foundation. Zenzi proposed a state-wide college tour with a wrapped RV bus, a great cross-promotional partner, “cool” giveaways and a doctor on board to educate women of the importance of breast health.