What happens when a group of people get together on the web?

They create a “swarm” that collectively moves the world! When consumers get miffed, long gone are the days of writing letters or picketing outside corporate headquarters. Today’s generation goes online and makes their miff known, quite directly. Greenpeace went after Nestle on their Facebook page and let the company know in no uncertain terms that they would not support the use of Palm Oil in their Kit Kat bar.  They then posted a video. It featured a clip of an office worker opening a Kit Kat bar only to discover it had been replaced with an orangutan’s finger. The viral campaign, parodying a Kit Kat television commercial, was intended by Greenpeace to highlight how Nestlé buys palm oil which is produced from the destroyed rainforest homes of the last orangutans in Indonesia. 300,000 video views later, and thousands of Tweets and Facebook postings between consumers and Nestle PR folks and lawyers, have forced the company to re-consider its suppliers and take action.

But PR campaigns and “swarm” activity can also be positive. The online organization carrotmob.com is incentivizing companies to go green, by organizing consumer patronage. Carrotmob.com recently approached 23 liquor stores in San Francisco encouraging them to compete for their organization’s business. The one to go green first, with the greatest impact, would win this “mob’s” business. One such store proved their environmental friendliness by completing an overhaul of their lighting system. They were rewarded with over $9K of sales when the mob arrived on their doorstep to thank them!

Large corporations are also transferring their traditional advertising dollars to online opportunities. Pepsi pulled their Superbowl ads in favor of an online campaign. Jack Leslie, Chairman of Weber Shandwick, a unit of The Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), one of the world’s leading organizations of advertising agencies and marketing services companies,  says that old forms of advertising originally “targeted millions in order to get thousands, but today we target thousands to reach millions.” Jack Leslie, responsible for the successful “Pepsi Refresh” campaign, shared that Pepsi is giving away millions of dollars each month to fund refreshing ideas to change the world. In an effort to support those who generate innovative, optimistic ideas, the Pepsi Refresh Project  will award more than $20M in 2010. The project as an optimistic catalyst for idea creation, leading to an “ever-refreshing world.” And ever-refreshing profits in the process!

What ideas have you seen that are a swarming success? Please share.

In the past few months, there’ been a real blow up over “scammy” Facebook game techniques from companies like Zynga.  There was also a very honest run-down of scam related revenue techniques by Dennis Yu, who I had the chance to meet and work with very briefly at the first Startup Weekend.

Note: While Jerrilyn focuses on marketing to women, this insight could apply to men also.

Ladies, as the chief of our households, we decide which brands to buy at the grocery stores. We search online (newspapers too) for coupons to save on them to stretch our budget.  We don’t stop buying milk, eggs, bread, butter, etc., for our families just because our budgets are tight.  They are the staples in our households.

Advertising and marketing are the staples for our businesses.  Just because money is tight, we can’t stop doing them.  We just have to find a more affordable way to do them.  Burger King, McDonalds, Nike, LA Fitness, Sears, and more can teach us a lesson when it comes to marketing in a slow economy.

They changed their pricing, created less expensive products and services without bells and whistles, quadrupled their marketing and advertising, combined physical space to reduce their overhead, and much more to ensure they keep their market share.  You are probably saying to yourself that you can’t afford to spend any more money than you already are on your marketing and advertising.

Guess what?  Yes, you can and it won’t hurt.  :-)  You can even find a way to actually reduce your costs by 20% or more.  If you’ve been reading any of my posts, you know that I’m referring to cross marketing and promotion.

Let’s start with your business cards.  Team up with two or more complementary companies to create joint business cards.  It will make you look bigger and smarter by offering your clients and prospects access to products and services that complement yours.  This is perfect for PR, marketing, and advertising specialties consultants who are networking mavericks.  They can promote each other at all of the numerous monthly events they attend.

Next, let’s give your blog a cross marketing makeover.  If you are currently paying to have someone maintain your blog, host it and or in the process of having one designed, you can team up with 5 or more complementary companies to develop an industry specific blog that makes you look like a genius.  You will save money every month while boosting your credibility.  I recommend Promembershipservices.com if you need a blog designer.

Now, let’s give your products and services a makeover.  Come up with a product or service that can be provided in a group setting.  Coaches have perfected group coaching sessions and membership web sites.  Come up with your own unique concept for a business club or membership site.  It will benefit your current clients who’ve slowed down spending money with your company.  Get them excited about your company again.  You will also attract new clients.

Finally, make your Facebook page bring in sales.  Team up with 5 or more of your business associates to create a joint Facebook page that sends traffic and sales to your individual sites as well as your Facebook pages too.  Big companies give away items on a daily basis to engage with their followers.  You and your associates can take a page from their marketing book.  Purchase Facebook advertising together to get premium traffic.  You can take it one step further and purchase LinkedIn advertising to drive traffic to the page.

These are only a few ways you can utilize cross marketing and promotion this summer. Whatever the time or cost investment required to market and advertise your company, you can reduce it to make it more feasible in this rocky economy.  Make a list of what it takes to successfully market and advertise your company to boost its sales.  Then plug in your business associates.

Georgia businesswoman Jerrilynn B. Thomas is the founder of Marketing 2 Women International.  Jerrilynn’s specialty is facilitating cross marketing partnerships between complementary business and professional women to help them increase their female client base while saving time and money on their marketing.  Her services are very exclusive.  She works with women in select business 2 business fields and limits the number per state and international areas.  Visit Womenpartner.com to see if your business is a fit for her expertise.You can follow her on Twitter @WomenPartner, Linkedin.com, and on Facebook.