One of the central themes of the epic TV show LOST came in the title of the second season premiere: “Man of Science, Man of Faith.”

Two main characters, John Locke and Jack Shepard, continuously battle over science and faith, fact and belief, which splits the survivors of Oceanic 615.

Many marketers working in social media are facing similar circumstances (not the crash, at least) as both aspects are tugging to “own” decision-making.

Social scientists, like the amazing Dan Zarrella of Hubspot, churn out fact after fact, chart after chart, study after study about maximizing online success.

Before I go any further, let me clarify that I’ve seen Dan present, met him a time or two and routinely quote his studies in client plans. I firmly believe in the scientific side of social media marketing (and marketing, in general).

However, as marketers in the digital age, we know that there are facts and then there are projects and clients that sometimes require us to go against the scientific grain — to great success!

While the latest data may show posting to Facebook 3-4 times per week yields the best results, scientifically, I’ve seen pages thrive posting more than that many times per day.

The fact is that each social group is different. Tide’s Twitter community probably acts and reacts differently than Clorox’, even though they likely target similar audiences.

Is it possible that going with your gut over your head is better?

Let’s revisit the title of the LOST episode. Writer Damon Lindelof claimed that the title actually meant that Jack, clearly the man of science, was also, deep down, a man of faith, as he was hoping that a long-shot spinal surgery would save his future wife.

Perhaps the lesson here is that social media marketing does take science, but it also takes faith…but an educated faith.

How do you blend science and faith in your social media marketing programs?

Longtime readers may be familiar with my obsession with Rick Astley and social media. I mean, he teaches us GREAT lessons about social media. He helped me come up with the “Social Media Awesome” tagline back in 2010.

Rick returns to the site, but this time, he’s not alone.

The characters of “Mad Men“ on AMC are now singing his greatest hit, “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

Enjoy, my friends.

Take it away, Sterling Cooper Draper Price!

Few TV shows captivate me like True Blood. 

The HBO hit feels like a comic book come to life, with fun characters experiencing a major breakdown in their reality.

Vampires, fairies, werewolves and shape-shifters – oh my!

And on the most recent episode (aired July 8, 2012), there was a PR “ah-ha” moment.

Jason Stackhouse, the shockingly coming-of-age, ne’er do well brother of main character Sookie Stackhouse, said something that hit a nerve with me.

He had the realization that all of these creatures (“supes,” as he called them) had been around for centuries killing people (or worse), but that it wasn’t until the vampires “came out of the coffin” a few years ago that anyone paid attention.

So what does that have to do with PR?

A lot, actually.

But today’s lesson is to beware of unintended consequences.

Before you announce something, take a holistic look at the surrounding ecosystem. How will your announcement impact anything and everything around you?

Plan for how every audience will receive the news:

- Media

- Existing network (customers, vendors, partners)

- Public (broken down by demographics, geography, etc.)

- Internal (staff, investors, stakeholders)

- Competition

Something that you do may cause a ripple effect around the industry or beyond.

I’m sure everyone in marketing can think of a campaign or event that either backfired or took on a life of it’s own – far greater that the intended scope.

Once you have an idea of how you think all audiences will respond to your event or announcement, you can proceed as you wish. You don’t need to change your plan, but being aware of everyone around you will help you in many ways. Like not getting bitten by vampires.

File this under “EPIC.”

Former “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” star Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks) led a flash mob. And it’s epic.

Enjoy.

I’ve got three odds and ends to discuss, so I decided to gather them into one post! Huzzah!

1) I had the absolute honor of writing a guest post on Heather Whaling‘s PRtini.com, which has been one of my favorite industry blogs for years! I’m so excited that Heather and I will be in the same place at the same time at SXSW, after many “just missed yas.”

My post, 11 Ideas to Kickstart A Brand’s Facebook Timeline, can be found here.

2) So long, Davy Jones

When I was a kid, I used to watch the reruns of The Monkees ALL THE TIME! I remember how crushed I felt when I found out the show was actually 20 years old by the time I watched it.

Nevertheless, The Monkees were one of my first favorite bands.

Their lead singer, Davy Jones, died this week at just 66. I know for many people, across several generations, Davy’s voice was part of the soundtrack of life.

Here is my favorite track by The Monkees – and it was my favorite before Shrek.

3) American Idol vs. The Voice

American Idol was one of my favorite TV shows.

Whew, glad to get that off my chest.

I never saw The X Factor as competition, since they were on the same network and in different seasons.

However, the time has come to realize the Idol’s days are done, with a much superior show taking it’s place.

The Voice is just better – the coaches (Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera and Cee-Lo Green) soundly trump the Idol judges (Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler). The talent level is so much greater and the performances feel much less campy.

On Idol, it’s painful to see world-famous musicians try to convince themselves that a horrible performance was great. The Voice doesn’t show comedically-bad performances – just people trying to take the next step in their careers.

I’ll still take Ryan Seacrest over Carson Daly, but that’s not enough to save a tired show.

Sorry, Idol – you had a good run, but we’re through.

The marketing industry’s favorite TV show, “Mad Men,” is FINALLY scheduled to return March 25th.

And AMC has released the first trailer. While it doesn’t say much, it’s enough to get fans excited for the show’s return.