PR 101

PR Planning 2012

2011-12-26T12:46:00.000-08:00

The new year is upon us. It is always a good time to analyze your current PR plan or create a new one.

Companies should review their current public relations plan and determine if it is still in-line with your corporate goals.

Did the firm reach the desired increase in sales and revenue? If so what role did your PR plan play in the process?

Did the current PR effort help establish or re-energize your brand, or did it simply add some publicity for your firm?

Did your brand connect with customers and prospects or did it play a secondary role in your sales efforts?

Businesses should ascertain which portions of the plan succeeded and which did not.

Did social media play a role in the plan and if so which aspects were successful... blogging, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc.

Did your firm run an ad campaign to coincide with the plan? Did it drive traffic to your website or merely remind customers you are "out there".

Did you stage several special events, apply for industry awards, publicize new hires, send out an email newsletter?

The key is to determine what worked and what did not. Adjustments can then be made to include the best aspects of the plan and drop those that placed too great a burden on resources without generating positive results.

For those creating an entirely new plan, the PR effort should be an outgrowth of the business plan. Instead of thinking, "If we could just get some nice publicity we could get more customers,"... think instead of, "Our goal is to grow revenue by 20% by connecting with 100 more prospective clients. How will PR help us to make those connections?"

Once the business goal has been determined then the PR objective can be created as well.

Instead of "getting our name out there" the PR objective or question then becomes "What can we do from a PR standpoint to connect with those 100 prospective customers to help increase sales by 20%".

Sales should help the PR department or PR firm identify who those 100 prospects may be. A program can be developed that touches those prospects and has an actual impact on the bottom line.

Defining Your PR Audience

2011-10-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Most public relations professionals are able to work hand-in-hand with the business owner or marketing department in order to determine the targeted audience they are trying to reach.

This is a very key element to ensure proper messaging connects with the customer base.

However the task of defining that audience, and the related message, can become cloudy especially if the business has multiple targeted segments.

Many high-tech firms face this dilemma. Often their point of contact with customers and prospects begins with general staff, evolves to the CIO, and then includes the CFO and even CEO.

Each of these target groups read and respond in different ways.

General staff may read the industry trades, blogs and online publications, and attend events to find out about the newest trends and hot products.

CIOs may read the industry trades but also look at other publications which are more management oriented. Their goal is to find new products, maintain/hire staff and locate services which make their department more efficient from both a technical as well as financial standpoint.

CFOs obviously have the bottom line financial responsibility for the company. They are interested in what the investment in any new product costs and how it can help save money in the long term. They may glance at the trades but are also interested in financial publications which address many of the issues they currently face.

CEOs have the mile high view of the organization. Their goal is to advance the company in line with their long-term growth and operating goals. Many will have to sign-off on major investments in technology. Reaching these executives may involve some industry trades but also more high-end executive level publications and general business magazines.

Some research and solid analysis can help determine each audience segment.

Messages can then be created to connect with each audience at their particluar level.

Tailoring the campaign and message for each of these audience segments is the secret sauce which will determine the overall success of your campaign.

Establishing the P.R. Campaign Objective

2011-07-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Most Public Relations campaigns work best when a well thought objective is established.

The objective should be as tangible as possible.

For example, "Increasing branding and awareness" is surely a goal of any PR campaign but that alone can be hard to measure.

Instead focus on a number or action you want to achieve.

"Connect with a key target audience to sell 50 widgets in 12 months" or "Generate 1000 signatures to add a special proposition on the next ballot" are objectives that can be developed and measured.

In the first example, a business can easily measure whether or not it is selling any widgets. In six months time they should have sold somewhere around 25 widgets or at least have some pending orders in the pipeline.

A P.R. campaign can be developed to generate articles in specific widget trade journals, secure booth space at widget conferences and trade shows, generate speaking engagements at widget events for the company's CEO or spokesperson, etc.

If their is no interest in the widgets the company can adjust their approach. It can refine its sales message and communications strategy.

Perhaps the widget company might have to change the audience it thought would be most interested in this product. It might also have to change the product itself to better meet the needs of their customers.

In the second example a campaign can be developed to educate area residents about the benefits of adding a special amendment to the ballot.

Often this can involve a petition signing event at a local mall or grocery store, sending out mailers to area residents, town hall meetings to discuss the issue, and perhaps running ads in the local area newspaper.

Again if people are hesitant to sign the petition you can make adjustments and perhaps even change the wording of the amendment to help residents better understand the issue.

The amendment campaign is very measureable. When the deadline arrives you have either secured 1,000 signatures or you have not.

Business owners and others seeking a solid return on investment from their P.R. campaign should ensure they create objectives that can be measured.

In most cases the goal should be not just to generate articles but to change the audience's behavior with a positive result.

Baseball and The Game of Public Relations

2011-05-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was a sports announcer at the outset of my career and had the opportunity to interview dozens of athletes, coaches and managers.

Having witnessed the daily "song and dance" between Major League Baseball managers and the media I found these sessions to be most interesting, even fun, sometimes argumentative, and many times downright volatile.

Managers have the task of not only making out line-up cards, managing the game, and keeping tabs on their players, but also serving as the spokesperson for their team.

A manager can speak for an hour or two with the media before every game. Key topics on players, injuries, lineups and other items are thrown about. Depending on the manager's mood he may even get into a few topics that have nothing to do with baseball.

The beat goes on after the game when the manager meets with the same group of reporters. Some of these are structured into news conferences and become mini-events. Many are televised, some even sponsored by local businesses.

The post-game affair is where things can get a little dicey. Should a team lose a game, the manager will not be in a happy mood. Should the team play poorly and lose, or continue on a long losing streak, the skipper might get a little testy. Some may even engage a reporter in an argument or simply walk away.

Many fans can get turned-off by the manager's abruptness. Some of the more faithful will say, "It's just Tony being Tony, or Dusty being Dusty, or Lou being Lou."

Add some public relations principles to "baseball speak" and one can get a better idea of how a manager tries to perform this daily chore with the media. Remember it starts with spring training in February and doesn't end until the last out in October.

The manager's job is to communicate with basically two audiences. The obvious one is the fans, but the other one is his players.

He must craft messages that satisfy the fan base, confidently explaining to reporters that the team is a real contender in its division. Tickets need to be sold and the team's followers need to remain excited if not confident about their club's chances.

The skipper must also communicate with his players. In addition to converations in meetings and clubhouse sessions, what appears in the newspaper or on a talk show can have a large impact on team performance.

Upset by a close loss a manager can become disenchanted with the efforts of a player or two. Most however won't criticize a player in public. Instead they will try to shift the focus to the play of the entire team.

One player may have left six men on base when he could have easily driven in two or more. A pitcher may have only lasted three innings and given-up seven runs.

The usual refrain goes something like this..."We have to pitch better than we did tonight to win," or "We had our chances, just didn't convert them tonight".

The proliferation of 24x 7 TV sports networks, radio talk shows, Internet blogging, Twitter, and more are cause for most managers to deal with specific player performance issues in private. They will meet with the player either well before or well after a game. Always behind closed doors, with no media members in sight.

One may say the manager's duty is that of a team psychologist. They want to keep their club on an even keel. Calling out individuals in print, on radio or television can lead to a problematic clubhouse. This is where some players may question their role and future with the team. A lack of confidence can have a negative impact on the field.

Managers must think through these messages before they speak and consider the impact on both of their audiences.

At the end of the day managers are judged on wins and losses. Those that win get to keep their jobs. Those that continually post losing records are forced to seek other professional endeavors.

The best managers, in nearly all cases, are the best communicators. Like a good public relations professional they understand the daily media grind and understand how to use these vehicles to motivate both the players and the fans.

The Differences Between Public Relations and Advertising

2011-04-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

As a St. Louis Public Relations professional, I am often asked by business owners, "What are the differences between PR and advertising?"

Comparing the publicity aspect with a typical ad campaign, the main difference is that with advertising you, the client or business owner control the message.

This differs from publicity where the newspaper, magazine or medium actually controls the message.

For example, businesses running ad campaigns can decide when they want their ad to run, how big they want it, and what copy or words go into the advertisement.

In an ad campaign you can target small publications or large ones, television stations, radio stations, billboards and an entire host of possible advertising vehicles. You simply choose the one that best fits your objectives, your audience, and your budget.

There is no filter in advertising. Your audience gets your message directly, exactly the way you created it.

Publicity differs in that you are sending news releases and other materials to editors and producers in hopes of generating stories about your cause or business.

You have no control if an editor will run your news items, or when they will run it, or how it will be used.

An editor may wish to do an article about your company but decide to hold onto the story information until a later date.

They may wish to use your news as part of a special section, run it in conjunction with other companies in your specific area, or use you as a resource for a round-up type article on a particular topic where a variety of executives are interviewed.

The editor may also choose not to discuss the same key points you outlined in your news release. They make take the story in an entirely different direction.

Experienced business owners and public relations practitioners understand the nuances between publicity and advertising. They realize the final message may differ from its original intent when an article is published.

For others, understanding the differences between advertising and public relations can help you determine separate messaging strategies. It can make both your ad campaign and your public relations campaign a lot more effective.

Public Relations and Small Business

2011-04-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

A St. Louis Public Relations professional, I am often asked if public relations can work for a small business.

The answer is "yes".

Even on a lesser scale, the basics of creating a PR campaign for a small business are virtually the same as creating one for a large corporation.

It involves analyzing your business goals and determining what type of objective you would like to achieve.

Is your goal to increase hits on your web site, build greater trust with your customers and prospects, develop community awareness, or to simply let the marketplace know what products and services you are selling?

Once you establish your goal then you need to identify which audiences you need to reach in line with your objective.

Are your trying to reach other small business owners, presidents of larger corporations, a very select business to business audience, selected consumers, or the general public at large?

After you identify these target markets the next step is to develop a strategy and the tactics necessary to reach them.

This is accomplished by creating a mini-campaign for each audience within the overall PR plan.

For example, let's say your overall PR goal is to influence 30 new prospective customers to engage with you and your sales staff with the hope of turning them into clients.

One of your target audiences could be widget makers. Your objective with widget makers is to create 10 of those 30 prospective engagements.

Your tactics would then include developing a myriad of activities to build relationships with 10 widget makers.

Those activities could include hosting seminars for widget makers, manning a booth at widget trade shows, speaking at widget conferences, securing articles about your firm in widget publications, emailing newsletters to widget makers, developing a blog about widgets, connecting with widget makers through LinkedIn, etc.

Once the campaign is launched it needs to be analyzed and adjusted as you go along.

Focus on those tactics that work the best and provide the greatest return on investment. This is especially important for small companies who are usually on a limited budget.

Remember to keep it measurable. This is where a number of small business PR campaigns run out of steam.

If you plan to hit the 10 widget maker mark in six months, you will need to create 5 engagements within the first 90 days. Should you hit or exceed the 5 mark after 90 days you will feel confident that your campaign is on track.

Connect only with one or two widget makers in the first three months and you might have to adjust your strategy.

Whether your PR budget is $5,000 or $5 million the basic strategies of a public relations campaign remain the same.

It works for small companies as well as large ones. The first step is to create a goal and get started.

What's Your Groupon Strategy?

2011-04-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

The owner of a St. Louis Public Relations firm, I am often asked for advice when a friend or colleague inquires about a marketing problem or a potential marketing opportunity.

Recently a friend solicited my assistance to spread the word about an upcoming advertising campaign he was involved in. The goal was to find a few networking organizations where he could tell everyone about a new discounted deal his company was offering.

The news of this offer would soon be the highlight of an email sent to thousands of recipients across the St. Louis area.

I asked him if this was something special he was involved with or some new offset business enterprise.
“No”, he replied. “I’m doing a Groupon!”

For all it's hype, Groupon has no doubt become a part of today’s marketing culture. Each day the company sends an email offer to thousands if not hundreds of thousands of persons living in a specific city or town.

Most offers are discounted fifty per cent or more off the listed price of a product or service. Nearly all of the deals involve business to consumer offerings. Common sale items include meals at restaurants, tickets at entertainment venues, healthcare and beauty products, medical treatments, clothing items, and sporting goods.

The success of each Groupon campaign can vary. It seems the better the product or service is known, the better the response.

A well-known chain is more likely to generate a greater response than say a niche eatery located in a specific part of town. That being said the Groupon may have a greater sustainable business impact on a small company or restaurant than to a national corporation.

The result is an immediate financial return to the advertiser. Businesses get their money quickly and are assured of a certain cash flow for the next few weeks as the Groupon payments are deposited into their account.

A major possible drawback, of course, is that the money generated is at a large discount to what customers would normally pay for the same product or service. And that money is paid in advance so when shoppers visit a store or restaurant they have already paid for their goods.

For an eating establishment the Groupon impact can be a bit challenging. Should many pre-paid visitors come at peak weekend times they can cause other regular customers to incur inordinate waits for a table. The full paying patrons may grow impatient with the restaurant and decide to dine elsewhere.
The eatery may generate little new revenue on what is normally a busy Saturday night.

Restaurants and many retailers often face a delicate balancing act based on the success of their offering. The goal of course is to generate new customers with the hope of turning them into full-paying loyal and repeat shoppers. Alienating existing patrons due to an onslaught of discount crazy consumers is only counterproductive to the success of the campaign.

Yet, for many businesses, the impact of a Groupon can be quite positive. It can bring in new shoppers and add income to a company’s bottom line. It can help a new firm create awareness and name recognition where none previously existed.

The goal to keep in mind is that sending out a Groupon should not be the “end-all” of a public relations or marketing strategy. It should be part of greater campaign that creates and develops customers over time. A campaign that develops positive relationships between the business and the targeted audience it serves, both for now and for years to come.

Back to Blocking and Tackling

2011-03-21T14:40:00.000-07:00

The owner of a St. Louis Public Relations Agency, I have had recent meetings with heads of several established businesses and have elicited one conclusion; it’s time to get back to what football coaches call “blocking and tackling”.

A number of these established companies enjoyed outstanding success prior to the recession but then fell on hard times when customer budgets began to dry up.

As the economy slowly starts to head to positive ground, small B2B and selected B2C firms need to refocus on how they built their business.

It took long hours, attending trade shows and networking events, making dozens of sales presentations, establishing relationships, and self-education on the latest industry trends to build the client base.

A PR/marketing specialist would tell them it means re-establishing branding and messaging activities using both social as well as traditional media. But that's not the end, only the beginning of a more encompassing plan.

That plan should include a re-examination of the data base and searching out customers who perhaps bought your product in prior years but whom you chose not to pursue further during the busy "go-go" days.

It includes making one-on-one in-person contacts with your best prospects whether it’s at a breakfast, lunch, dinner or a seminar.

It also includes joining selected organizations where prospects and potential referral sources exists. It includes participating on boards of charitable organizations where you cannot only meet like-minded individuals from other companies, but also make a difference in your community.

Retooling the sales message is also a necessity. Is it on-target for what your prospect needs in 2011 or are you still using an older approach from the 1990s?

It takes dedication and effort but for those wishing to reinvigorate their businesses it’s time to get back to the basics.

Are Super Bowl Ads Worth $3 Million?

2011-02-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

Many companies believe the answer is a resounding "Yes!".

They argue the in-game $3 million, thirty-second commercial, will reach an unprecedented audience. More than 100 million persons will watch the game, including millions of young men and other hard to reach demographic groups.

In fact viewers are actually "tuned-in" to watch not only the on-field action but also the ads.

The game within the game is to see all the commercials and then pick your favorites.

TV critics and marketing pundits will also be watching carefully. They won't hesitate to write about which spots hit the mark and which ones failed.

Newspapers like USA Today will actually devote space to which ads scored the highest among targeted groups of viewers.

In most years advertising during the Super Bowl also adds millions of dollars in public relations value. TV news shows spend their own valuable air time previewing the ads ahead of the game, then debating them afterwards.

The snow storm across much of the country coupled with the uprising in Egypt has put a damper on the usual Super Bowl hype. But the NFL has attracted record TV audiences this year and the Packers-Steelers match-up should follow the pattern.

For a new company wanting to make a big splash, there is no equal to advertising on the Super Bowl.

The same can be said for an older company wishing to rejuvenate its brand or introduce a new product.

Some major brands are staying away from Super Sunday. Instead they will invest their marketing dollars into other ad vehicles, social media etc.

Still companies with the right budget, and the right strategies to handle additional store traffic, web hits, and whatever hype that may come their way, will find there is no equal to being part of the game on Super Sunday. A fact for which there is little argument.

Sports In The City

2011-01-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

It's interesting how local sports teams are tied into the fabric of a community.

Once a local team starts winning it seems the entire area wants to jump on-board.

The team becomes the lead item on local newscasts and TV ratings soar. Bars and restaurants begin to fill-up on game day and dozens flock to gather decorations and food for their own parties.

Suddenly "our team" is beging highlighted on Sports Center and the national pundits are writing about it. The association with the home town city provides lots of positive publicity for the area.

A winning team helps us forget our problems and provides a temporary unifying force for both fans and non-fans alike.

Unfortunately a team on the precipice of the sports stratosphere can also provide a major letdown when it loses.

Case in point, the St. Louis Rams.

Following several tumultous and losing seasons the Rams appeared to be on the brink of success in 2010.

Moving into the NFL's final week last Sunday the Rams needed only to beat a downtrodden Seattle Seahawks team to move into the league's "hallowed ground" of the NFL Playoffs. Win and you're in, lose and the Hawks advance.

The winner of the game would be crowned the division champ and would host a playoff game.

The excitement began to build about a week prior when NBC announced the Rams-Seahawks game would be its prime time Sunday night contest. This would be the only game played that night.

Suddenly everyone was talking about this "play-in" game and the Rams chances, though highly unlikely, to make a serious playoff run.

Cautiously optimistic, St. Louis fans began to get tuned-up and turned on. According to Nielsen research nearly 40 per cent of all homes in the area tuned-in to watch the game.

Everyone wanted to see if this would be the return of playoff football back in St. Louis.

Unforuntately the answer was a resounding "no". The Rams played poorly and lost to Seattle.

The result was no playoff game in St. Louis, no sports-induced emotional high, no crowds at sports bars, no extra hotel rooms for a game with New Orleans, and no more positive press.

The end of the holiday season meant the end of the football season for St. Louis and a large unfilling night in the city.

10 Ways to Get Into The Newspaper Today

2010-10-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Many business owners believe they need a major announcement or big event to get some media coverage.

Not so. In many cases your local paper or business journal has space to run your news item providing its "newsworthy".

Often a number of small announcements work just as well as one big story to build the company brand and add credibility.

Here are 10 ways to get into the newspaper quickly.

1. Announce a new hire. Many local papers and business journals provide ample space for this. In addition to highlighting a new staff member it demonstrates that your company is growing and moving forward.

2. Host a special event or seminar. Many papers have calendar sections for this purpose.

3. Announce a company award. Newspapers will print your industry or "Best of" recognition.

4. Announce a new contract or new deals with a group of customers. Editors will be interested in learning about your success.

5. Publicize staff appointments to charity boards and non-profits.

6. Document and photograph any donations to charity for publicity purposes both internally and externally.

7. Announce any new company location or expansion of current offices.

8. Promote any Green initiatives your firm may be undertaking. Newspapes are very interested in Green related stories and many organizations now recognize businesses with Green Awards.

9. Write a letter to the editor or a complete commentary. Keep it professional and discuss how an issue will impact the business community.

10. Highlight an employee that does something out of the ordinary. In many markets you can get generate coverage for a staffer who completes a marathon or serves as a volunteer after-hours with a non-profit.

BP Scoring With "Local" PR Campaign

2010-08-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

BP's PR campaign has taken a new twist, in case you haven't noticed.

Several weeks ago owners of local gas stations and regional oil distributors started appearing on TV newscasts and in newspaper articles.

The message..."Please don't boycott BP you'll only hurt your friends and neighbors."

The idea being that boycotting BP would somehow cause local gas stations to lose money resulting in elimination of dozens of jobs throughout the area.

First it appeared as part of a story with one gas distributor appearing on a local newscast. Then I noticed several distributors and station owners showing-up in newspaper articles and TV news broadcasts throughout the country.

In addition editorials started popping-up in local papers "written" by owners of BP gas and shops and regional oil distributors.

While the initial PR effort by BP was, by all measurements, a mess that will be written about in PR text books for years to come, the localized campaign seems to have some traction.

While realizing many people are boycotting BP nationwide locally I haven't seen much of a slowdown at the stations in our area. Though difficult to ascertain the stations with the BP sunburst logo still seem to be fairly busy.

The oil spill and explosion in the Gulf was a disaster and BP will be judged on this for many decades. There is no way to make-up for the loss of life, loss of livelihoods and impact on the environment.

However, from a purely Public Relations standpoint, the concept and execution of the local PR campaign has been exceptionally well done and for that one must give the oil company high marks.

PR and The NFL Draft

2010-04-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

For all the hype and promotion surrounding professional sports, one of its most watched events doesn't end with a winner or loser.

In fact there isn't even a final score.

Just lots of hope for fans of NFL teams everywhere.

The NFL Draft has become its own cottage industry within a sport.

Now carried on both ESPN and the NFL Network, nearly 39 million persons saw part of the draft last year, a new record, according to Dan Caesar's column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

And 6.3 million watched the first round, also a record.

This year the draft will be carried in prime time, and over a three night period.

The interesting public relations aspect of this event is that there is no ongoing push to promote it. No need for a bevy of spokespeople armed with talking points to visit local and national media outlets.

The real promotion begins as soon as the regular NFL season comes to a halt and the draft order of the worst teams has been decided.

Fans begin wondering who their team their select.

Will they go with the hot-shot often injured quarterback or the more reliable all american defensive tackle?

And they begin jamming the radio sports talk shows with theories and statistics of why one player should be selected before the other.

This goes on for months until the draft is concluded.

In reality very few first round draft picks have enough of an impact to turn around a downtrodden team.

Most 1-15 and 2-14 teams don't get well in a hurry. It usually takes an infusion of new talent at various positions over a period of time. Usually two seasons, sometimes more.

And a lot of talent is acquired through free agent pick-ups or trades (some of which do include exchanging draft choices).

Still the NFL draft is great theatre. Many fans even dress-up in their team jerseys and sit in the stands as they watch the proceedings.

They boo and cheer with each choice as if they were at a game itself.

For a non-sports event the NFL Draft is very special.

It's more of a party or a happening for football starved fans who can't wait to hear that their team is now "on the board".

What Happens if Tiger Wins The Masters?

2010-04-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods is back and in the hunt for another green jacket at the Masters.

Rather than joining the talking heads who have already discussed how they would handle Tiger's situation if they were in charge of his crisis communications effort, it makes mores sense to focus on what happens if he wins the tournament.

The PR repercussions would be incredible.

First it would be priceless to see the look on the tournament chairman's face as he presents a trophy to Tiger and shakes his hand, especially after comments made earlier in the week.

Next, what would it say about the other players on the PGA tour? Are they just secondary role players grabbing whatever crumbs Tiger leaves them when he decides to skip an event.

Third,what does it mean for TV networks and media who cover the PGA Tour? Ratings already drop when Woods misses a tournament. Now, after taking months off, has Tiger lapped the field? Buzz and ratings are great when he is there. What happens now when he's not?

Fourth, what does it say about Tiger the golfer. After all that he has been through, and we'll never know it all but can only guess, coming back and winning the Masters would put him at the top of the list of the greatest golfers of all time.

Though many already think of him as the king of the 18-holers this would move him notches ahead of the greats of the game.

Forget Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Jones and the rest.

If Tiger pulls it together and wins the Masters he is truly the greatest golfer of all time. Period.

Marketing Lessons Learned from the Super Bowl

2010-02-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

America still likes to get together for big events. Few are bigger than the Super Bowl.

Could anything had been better than the New Orleans Saints rising up to tackle the irrepressible Peyton Manning and seemingly unbeatable Indianapolis Colts?

So many great story lines. Beginning with the Bayou city recovering after Hurricane Katrina, to Archie Manning-Peyton's father who raised his two NFL playing quarterbacks in New Orleans, to the entire Who Dat nation.

The result was a record setting television audience for CBS. More people saw the game than watched the last episode of Mash, the former viewership king.

Even in a very fragmented media environment if you give enough people something they really want to see they'll show-up in record numbers.

One account said viewership was buoyed by a bad economy where people just want to stay home and watch programs on their flat screen televisions. Another said the weather contributed with heavy snow and cold temperatures across much of the nation, thus keeping many folks holed-up at home.

Whatever the reasons, the numbers speak for themselves. This all bodes well for NBC and the upcoming Olympic games in Vancouver. If any American athlete is able to compete for a gold medal in figure skating, for example, the audience for the night of the finals should be huge.

One other thought involves all those Super Bowl advertisers trying to score with commercials during the game. In an effort to get the necessary free PR play out of their $3 million per ad investment some marketers will cross the line between trying to sell a product vs trying to create a "cute" story far removed from the product itself.

While many commercials like Google's and, for the most part, Doritos' were easy to understand, some left our group shaking our heads and asking "What was that product they were trying to sell again?"

Three weeks from now it will be nice to know that those multi-million dollar spots generated some revenue not only for CBS but also for the companies paying the bill.

PR Lessons Learned From Survivor

2009-12-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Many fans of the TV show Survivor were shocked when Natalie was selected as the winner of Season 19.

Her tribe mate, Russell, had dominated the game like no one had before. He masterminded votes at tribal council, eliminated key competitors, found crucial immunity idols without even a clue, and even won the final immunity challenge.

In Russell's mind he had won the game. In fact he bragged about it. Once the game narrowed down to its final threesome, the bigger question seemed to be who would finish second rather than who would win.

However the jury had other ideas. The panel of nine recently voted out competitors held the fate of the game in their hands. Over time Russell's braggadocio style had alienated many of them. They grew tired of his Rambo method of game play. In fact many were upset he had strong-armed them out of the game and their chance to win $1 million.

The jury decided to teach Russell a lesson and awarded the top prize to Natalie, a former pharmaceutical sales rep.

Truth be told Russell said he didn't need the money. He told some of the players that he owned a successful oil company and earned over $1 million the previous year.
However he was clearly the best player, and despite it all, was more qualified than anyone to be named "Sole Survivor".

The lesson here is never to take your customers or stakeholders for granted.

In your mind you may think you have a concrete idea of how your clients perceive you and your firm, but that perception may be way off base.

It is important to connect early and often with your customers. Whether you conduct ongoing focus groups, surveys or just one-on-one meetings, the need to ascertain their thoughts about your products and services is paramount to your success.

Failing to gain an accurate reading about your company, your sales people and your customer service may be very costly in the long run. In fact it could cost you $1 million, or even more.

Social Media Done Right

2009-12-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

I recently attended a program put on by IABC-St. Louis regarding social media.

A spokesperson from Siemens, an international technology company, discussed her trials and tribulations of creating a social media strategy for this large firm.

I have attended many programs on social media and social marketing, and it was most interesting and refreshing to hear a real company spokesperson speak about social media, as opposed to a social expert or consultant.

Her job is to put together the social media framework for the company and execute it.

This true business to business effort requires a large amount of time and her job has morphed from traditional public relations to about 70% on social media.

She explained that the company's goal is to enhance their reputation, better understand their customers, develop a corporate personality, and start engaging their clients by using social vehicles.

She also wanted to increase the conversation online about the firm and energize customers to talk about Siemens.

The company with well over 1,000 employees is scanning the social horizon with Facebook,Twitter,Flickr, employee blogs,YouTube and even Second Life.

Since Siemens does business across the globe many blogs have to be executed in multiple languages.

Key takeaways from the program include...
Companies wishing to engage in social media should create a social media strategy.

They should identify where their customers are spending their time online-Facebook, Twitter, Second Life, or somewhere else.

They should appoint a person to take charge and spend the time and dollars necessary to make the campaign sustainable and successful.

They should train their employees to blog and work with them on key messaging themes. In fact no Siemens' employee is allowed to blog without intense training.

The company should also invest in research. It's important to monitor what is working and what is not.

A return on investment quotient should also be created to include such items as an increase in web site hits, an increase in online conversation, an increase in comments about the firm from outside bloggers and influencers, an increase in customer contacts, and online demonstrations leading to potential orders etc.

The Siemens' campaign is working. While it is too early to tell what the long term impact will be on product sales, the company has established many benchmarks for success that can serve as a solid example for any firm wishing to create a B2B social media strategy.

How Brand Equity Impacts Your Value IV

2009-11-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Earlier we discussed how brand equity impacts the value of your company.

Companies with strong brands are worth several times more than companies with weak brands.

So how do you reenergize a brand that has gotten a little stale?

Remember your brand is not just a logo or website. It is an entire experience a customer associates with your company.

Start with your product or service. Do your customers believe they are getting fair value for what you offer? If your products seem to be out of touch with the marketplace analyze what can you do to change them. Can you improve packaging, service delivery or the product itself? Is price an issue? Can you deliver on what you promise?

Secondly, take a good look at your marketing materials. Is your logo modern looking and attractive or look like something out of the 1950s. Does your website provide key information your customers need in a fast easy-to-read manner? Can customers find your website easily when they do an online search? If you use brochures make sure they look clean and professional with current information.

Thirdly, analyze how you sell your goods and services. If you use a sales staff do they represent your firm in a professional manner? Do they dress appropriately and show-up for appointments on time? Do you they receive constant training and management support or are they allowed to just flounder along? Your salesperson will be the first contact your prospective customer will have with your company and immediately he/she will form an opinion whether it be good or bad.

Fourth, do some research and ascertain how the general business community perceives your company. If sales are weak and you've done no advertising or public relations in quite some time most businesses probably have no opinion about your company. In fact in all likelihood most have never heard of it. To restart your brand invest in some advertising and a public relations campaign. Develop a plan that reaches your target audience. Some tactics may include joining boards of organizations, sponsoring events, securing articles in various publications, and communicating with your audience via online news sites and social groups.

Fifth, follow-up with customers and make sure they are happy with product and service delivery. In today's fast-paced environment receiving a call or email inquiring about customer satisfaction can separate your firm from the rest of the pack. In a small company that call or email can come from top management. In a larger company it may come from the head of customer service or customer service rep.

The ability to sell and market a good product in a professional manner, follow-through with excellent customer service, and give-back to your community by playing an active role in groups and charitable organizations, is the best way to enhance your brand and make your company more valuable.

How Brand Equity Impacts Your Value III

2009-10-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

Earlier we discussed the benefits of having a strong company brand.

Those benefits, as previously indicated, have been well documented and add greatly to a company's bottom line value.

So how do you ascertain whether your brand is strong or weak?

Your salespeople are a good source for this type of information. When they visit prospective customers they can solicit feedback as to why the current prospect chose the current vendor they use.

Salespeople can find out why your company wasn't contacted to at least submit a bid or merit strong consideration to land the business. And they can learn what the current prospect knows about your firm (if anything) and what opinion he/she has of your organization.

Some common feedback your salespeople will probably hear...
"Well, we've always done business with XYZ Company."
"XYZ gives us great service."
"My family has done business with them for a long, long time."
"They do a lot for our community and that's important to us."
"Read an article about them in the local paper and they know what they are doing."
"They're very professional in everything they do."

XYZ obviously has a strong brand.

Now here's what that same person may say about your company...

"I wasn't quite sure what you guys do exactly."
"Are you based here locally?"
"How long have you been in business?"
"Who owns your company?"
"One of our people did mention your company but we really didn't know if you were a good fit for what we needed."

If the salesperson hears those responses than your branding needs some work.

Other ways to determine if your brand has any strength is to invite customers and prospects to a focus group or two and discover what those people think and "feel" about your company.

You can also determine the strength of your brand by "share of voice" in your industry. When people think of widgets in your town whom do they think of? Do the newspaper and business publication come to you for stories and quotes, or do they go to your competitors?

Finally the sales report can indicate if your brand is strong or weak. Declining sales for each year over the last five years can indicate a lot of things including the lack of a strong brand and/or the need to reinvigorate your marketing campaign.

An upward sales curve indicates your message is getting through and you have brand strength.

So if your branding needs a little work, how do you get it turned in the right direction?

We will discuss that next time.

How Brand Equity Impacts Your Value II

2009-08-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Earlier we discussed the value of your company's brand equity.

Businesses with established brands have more value than those that don't.

The benefits of a brand are a lot more than just having a recognizable name.

Here are several benefits of a brand as compiled by BrandZ Top 100 Brands Study...

1. It gives you the ability to create real and sustainable competitive advantage.

2. It drives revenue growth by ensuring higher demand and market share.

3. It helps improve margins by commanding premium prices and better supplier terms.

4. It reduces capital requirements by minimizing the costs into new categories.

5. It differentiates your company by overcoming commoditization and reduces overall
business risk.

Think about it. In normal times suppliers like to "break into" a well known company to boast they are doing business with a well known brand name.

Of course they hope to do more business with that company down the road and grow the account.

Those suppliers often view their deal as much as a Public Relations tool as a sound business deal. To secure a contract they reduce prices or extend terms of payment.

Meantime those branded companies, well known in their targeted trade areas, can charge a little more for their products and services.

Customers know what they are going to get. There is no guess work.

So the branded company wins on both ends. They pay suppliers less and charge customers more.

So how can you measure the strength of your brand?

More next time.

How Brand Equity Impacts Your Value

2009-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Are you maximizing your brand strategy?

Is your firm enhancing the "branding experience" with current and potential clients?

Which marketing and PR vehicles are you using to positively impact your company's name in the marketplace?

What you do now can have a big impact on whether your company is able to reach its full potential later.

In the long-term, studies indicate companies with solid brand name recognition are actually worth more than businesses with little or no brand recognition.

Why? Brands establish an emotional bond with the customer. Buyers choose brands based on perceived value and their own experience.

Customers prefer brands they know such as BMW, Coca Cola, Gillette, Tide, and Wrigley's.

The brand equity of these companies adds a multiplier, 2x or more, to book value.

The same can hold true for your business no matter what market niche you are in.

So what is a brand?

It's not a logo, not an ad or a sales piece.

A brand is a customer's entire experience in purchasing products from your company as opposed to doing business with someone else.

A brand represents a value proposition that makes your business the best choice, even if what your selling costs a little more.

So how do you get started in building your brand?

We will discuss that next time.

Social Marketing vs Social Networking. Thoughts from a St. Louis PR Firm.

2009-06-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Social marketing or social networking?

Many clients are talking about all things social. Friends and colleagues are interested as well.

Amidst the endless attention and hours spent on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, many
don't seem to understand the difference between "social marketing" and "social networking".

Here's my take...

Social marketing is part of an overall marketing strategy to help attract potential customers to your website and sell product. This can include Google ad words, blogs, e-newsletters, e-coupons, news releases and other vehicles to build traffic. It is a "push" strategy encouraging those to take action.

Social networking is a method to connect and communicate with other like-minded individuals whether it be discussions on business, food, sports or politics.

This is done by joining online groups and organizations, and commenting on issues of the day posed by the administrator or other members.

One can use social networks for business advice, job search or just for fun.

Some use social networking as part of a social marketing strategy. But it is more of a "pull" strategy where you establish yourself as an expert in a certain area and hope others tell their friends about your business. But be careful. Too much of a hard sell may cause the administrator to bar you from participating in conversations or even cause your removal from the group.

I recently participated in an interesting online group discussion on LinkedIn on social marketing. I was one of over 40 who responded that day.

Interestingly, one response came from a bed and breakfast owner in Ireland. She wanted some ideas on how she could generate some traffic in a tough economy.

She wanted a private response and I was glad to do it. I actually had some fun throwing out a few things she might try. Hope they work for her.

The Ireland response is the perfect example of social networking. Though we are oh so far apart we are oh so connected.

Confessions of a New Twitterer

2009-05-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

Twitter is picking up steam as a social networking tool.

Many PR and marketing professionals are already on-board, using it for business as well as social connections.

Still, like anything new, Twitter does it have its group of non-believers and nay sayers.

Some friends and colleagues have heard about it but don't want to take the time to learn about it. Others think of it as a "trick" to get you more exposed online so businesses can find another way to "touch you" and sell you something. And there is the other group who just label it as another passing fad until the next new technology hits the marketplace.

I use Twitter and like it. One can appreciate the brevity involved in delivering the message. You get 140 characters and that's it.

"Follow", in Twitter language, different services and you can get a constant flow of breaking news headlines. Non-stop, all day long.

Best of all you can connect with other thought leaders, journalists, and influential people in your industry (hopefully they are Tweeters by now). Many of which probably won't return your email but will respond to a Tweet.

I've already seen one journalist I'm following put out a request on Twitter for a subject to interview for a particular story he was working on.

You can also see who others are following and connect with their Tweeters. And you can join a "Twibe", a group of like-minded individuals who wish to exchange thoughts on business, a movie, school etc., much like other social networking sites.

While Facebook seems to be more of a family festival where friends can disseminate photos of their outings and vacations online, and LinkedIn tends more to be for hardcore business connections,..."Hey Bob, Do you know so and so with such and such company?" Twitter seems to fill a gap of something in-between.

Yes, you can keep-up with your friends, "Getting coffee now", "Watching reruns of Married With Children" etc., but you can also make interesting connections with people you would have never thought about or known about.

I admit it. I'm hooked.

Questions or thoughts? You can follow me on Twitter @steveturnerpr.

Can PR Survive Without Newspapers?

2009-04-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

The closure of many local newspapers, and the downsizing of many others, begs the question...Can Public Relations survive without the newspaper industry?

Surely the practice of Public Relations is more than just publicity and media relations. It's many facets include employee relations, event planning, corporate communications, speech writing etc. Most PR pros understand that and practice it.

Still the media relations piece is the backbone of the industry. It is difficult to influence or change public opinion without the published word disseminated to hundreds or thousands of persons of a targeted audience.

Taking nothing away from television and radio, the impact and sustainability of a printed piece in the daily or weekly newspaper cannot be matched.

And we're not talking about video of a fumbling politician or intoxicated film star. Most rank and file businesses and organizations have little opportunity to secure a spot on the evening news without breaking the law.

Even with a shrinking news hole the space and opportunity to tell a good newspaper story, in some detail, is still available.

The Internet provides other, in my opinion, lesser options. Yes you can read your newspaper online, providing someone is still publishing one in your city. Maybe even find other items you won't see in print. And it's free to everyone no matter where you are.

Still, on any given day, how many people are going to go to the newspaper site, click on a particular section, scan all the news, and click on your article?

My guess is that daily newspaper subscribers are most apt to scan their paper for news and information, and read most sections, than the casual online reader who might just want a weather forecast or score from a ball game.

Social networks provide another segmented communications opportunity. PR professionals are scrambling fast to learn how to use these tools appropriately.

Still, nothing can match the reach, impact and accessibility of the daily newspaper.

Should it ever go away the practice of Public Relations won't die. It will just suffer a mighty wound.

How to Work With Media at Special Events

2009-03-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. Welcome Them to Your Event.
Make them feel at home.
Someone should be there to greet them.
If you don’t have someone experienced in working with media designate a greeter and fill them in on what needs to be done.
The friendlier you are to them the better, unless they indicate they don’t want to be bothered.

2. Seat or Position Them So They Can Get What They Need.
Don’t let them wander about aimlessly wondering what’s going to happen.
Make sure they are seated or positioned properly to get what they need.
Let them know when the keynote speaker will address the audience and when he/she will be available afterwards for one-on-one interviews or questions.
You may have to set up extra chairs up front or in an aisle area so they can get what they need.
Happy writers and reporters tend to give you better more positive coverage.

3. Feed Them if You Can.
If you are having an event where food and drink are being served, offer the reporters something to eat and/or drink. This is especially important if they have to wait to interview the subject. It’s never a good thing for them to sit around for 30 minutes to an hour and watch everyone eat at the event. Let them refuse the invitation to dine with the crowd. (Many will refuse to eat but some may want a coke or water).

4. Introduce Each Reporter to Your Interviewee.
It is always a good idea to introduce the reporter and his/her affiliation to the person being interviewed. If you can designate a liaison for this job it will be helpful. The media greeter can double in this capacity. This serves two purposes, number one…it lets the subject know who he is being interviewed by such as a local CBS affiliate, CNN or network TV, local daily newspaper or national business publication so he can position his answers to the questions accordingly. He/she might want to throw in some local color into the interview if they know they are being interviewed by a local station or may wish to give a broader perspective if they are being interviewed by national media.
Number two…it helps to create some type of rapport between the reporter and the subject and makes for a more favorable interview.

5. Ask Each Reporter if They Need Anything Else to Complete Their Story.
The reporter may ask for a bio or head shot of the subject. They may want to visit his or her’s web site and need a web address. Be prepared for each circumstance. Find out when the reporter’s deadline is coming up and get their phone number and/or email address. Then make sure they get the information they need well in advance of their deadline.

6. Thank Them for Coming to Your Event.
The reporter/editor/producer selected your event to cover when they could have covered other things. It is always appropriate to thank them for coming. Remember a happy reporter may tend to give you a little bit better of a story.

Denny's Hits Grand Slam at Super Bowl

2009-02-07T14:58:00.000-08:00

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl. But in a way so did Denny's.

Never mind Bud, Doritos, Coke or Pepsi the company with the best ad campaign was Denny's.

If the goal of advertising is to either move product or put fannies in the seats, than the Denny's campaign did exactly that.

And it was short and simple. Have a free breakfast on us!

Sure Denny's isn't a must visit on the breakfast list these days. Still about one million people thought it was a good idea, especially given the current status of the economy.

Some showed-up early and waited an hour or so to get seated. Then they enjoyed their appropriately named "Grand Slam" breakfast.

The company with the best public relations campaign related to the Super Bowl was also Denny's.

Denny's garnered millions of dollars in free publicity from the promotion. National and local newspapers wrote about it and many TV stations covered it.

In retrospect, the giveaways probably didn't cost Denny's all that much. Drinks, like coffee and sodas, apparently were not included. So customers paid extra for those, a high profit item.

Sure Denny's had to pay their help. Perhaps they brought in extra people to lend a hand. Still I'm sure most of those folks received tips for their efforts and were happy to have all the seats filled practically all day long. The overall goodwill and resulting P.R. were more than well worth it.

Hopefully Denny's made enough friends to generate a number of second visits to their restaurants. Even if just 10 to 20 per cent of the patrons come back, that's a healthy increase for a chain we haven't heard much about in a long time.

In the P.R./marketing world it goes to show you what one really good idea can do to revitalize or juice-up a brand.

I don't know how many chips Doritos sold or what the beverage companies garnered from their expensive Super Bowl efforts. And granted those companies are conglomerates a lot larger than Denny's.

Still, in the true bottom line world of advertising and P.R. the brand that scored the most points was Denny's. It was more than a touchdown or a home run. It was a Grand Slam.

What's Ahead for PR in 2009

2009-01-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

"Do More With Less" will continue to be a recurring theme in 2009 as businesses try to stay on course and maintain profitability.

While the failings of many large companies have been well documented, others are doing just fine.

The question for CEOs and marketing executives of those prospering firms is whether to stay the course, or listen to the doom and gloom police and cut marketing to the bare bones, close ranks, bunker down, and hope the recession shrapnel sails over their heads.

Businesses who have a successful formula should stick with it. Yes extra attention should be paid to market conditions and unnecessary risk taking, but in times of a recession smart companies can add market share, improve or grow staff, and even expand into new areas.

The goal for public relations professionals is to help companies stay on message.

Customers need to know the business they are dealing with will be around for a while.
PR pros can helps executives refine the marketing approach to one of strength.

Marketing communications can be based on developing messages focused on long-term success and industry leadership.

Delivery of that message may be less expensive than in previous years. Newspapers and other media are experiencing significant decreases in ad revenue and good deals may be abundant.

Similarly solid and timely story ideas are welcome by editorial staffs, downsized by industry cutbacks.

New or enhanced marketing/web materials can also be created to help detail the company's success.

Many weaker or less savvy companies will cut marketing and sales to barely sustainable levels. Others may just close-up shop.

Smart businesses will position themselves to maintain their current level of success, get closer to their customers (as competitors pull back), and strengthen their role as a leader.

PR Lessons Learned From The Election

2008-11-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Now that the dust has settled from the Presidential election, what if any public relations lessons can be learned from this marathon campaign?

Messaging for the Democratic Party was easy. Hey, the current President has the lowest approval rating in history. Elect their guy and you'll get four more years of the same thing. Isn't it time for a change?

Messaging for the Republicans was a bit more difficult. "It's time to reform government". OK but aren't you guys already controlling the government?
"Yes, but we're mavericks." All right, but haven't you been a senator for around 30 years?

When the mavericks idea went South they came up with two other themes. "Our opponent is going to spread the wealth" and the "Joe the Plumber" saga.
Both of these strategies seemed to resonate for a while but when the economy headed for collapse a large portion of the electorate seemed to stop listening.

It's hard to pay attention to the controlling power in the White House if you're losing your house, getting laid off, or paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline. Rightly or wrongly the Republican candidate got thrown into the barrel with the current administration. Does anyone really want another four years of this stuff?

The real marketing/PR lesson to learn from this election is not how to message or what to message, but rather how to connect with young people. You see this race provided a record turnout among voters in their teens and twenties.

Most of these young people don't have standard telephones. To reach them you need to contact them via cell or email. They aren't listed in the Yellow Pages. In fact catching up to them can be pretty challenging.

Research indicates they made-up some 20 per cent of the electorate. If that's the case what is going to happen in four years, in eight years?

Soon 30 per cent of all voters soon will have never had a land line phone. Amazing. The real challenge for political strategists, and for marketers in general, will be how to connect with this audience.

The bottom line...In 2008 the Democrats created a perception of younger and hipper (and had the perfect candidate for it). They did a far better job of getting to the younger growing voter audience than the Republicans. That alone isn't what won the election but will provide many analytical, if not sleepless nights ahead for those seeking higher office.

So What's The Plan?

2008-10-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Any PR professional will tell you it's crucial to have a public relations plan before embarking on any type of campaign.

Ideally, depending on budget, the plan should involve research, programming, action steps and of course evaluation.

Yet, how many times have PR pros heard business owners bellow out, "Hey, PR guy, no one knows the kind of work we do around here. Can you get us into the papers? We sure can use some exposure."

If that's the only thing the client wants than not only is the business owner in trouble but so are you, the PR professional.

Nearly all heads of organizations,whether they be publicly owned, privately held or a non-profit, spend weeks and even months working on long-term plans and objectives for their business.

They meet with accountants, lawyers and others to determine what kind of staffing,dollars and resources it will take to achieve their two-year, five-year and even ten-year goals.

The same should be true for a public relations campaign.

The campaign should include a goal, the identification of target audiences, objectives, channels and technologies to reach those audiences, and finally some type of measurement and evaluation to ensure the campaign is successful.

In some campaigns media relations may not even be a part of the mix. Perhaps special events, direct mailings, and speaking engagements can provide the desired result.

A different campaign might call for a different approach using emails, blogs, chat rooms etc.

In an ideal world the PR pro should be given the resources necessary to communicate with the business owner, sales managers, marketing personnel, down line staff and customers to get a real feel for what the actual PR goal should be.

Business owners and PR professionals need to take the proper time and work through the proper strategies to ensure the success of any public relations campaign.

As someone once said, "If you don't have a plan to succeed, you surely have a plan for failure."

Marketing Lessons Learned from Branson

2008-09-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Some people call it Little Las Vegas.

There's a strip, bright lights, loads of entertainment, and lots of ways to get you to part with your money. But there the Nevada comparison ends.

Branson, Missouri has no gambling or "gaming" as the casinos prefer to call it (that play on semantics by the way is one of the great PR strategies ever. It helped get the halls of slots machines into dozens of cities throughout America).

The City is also located snack dab in the middle of the so called "Bible Belt" so there are no shows featuring adult entertainment or even suggestive slogans such as "What happens in Branson stays in Branson."

In fact people are extremely friendly and polite. So much so in fact I was looking for signs that said "No cursing allowed".

For most of us, Branson doesn't lack a thing. It is a fun and exciting place full of things to do for people of all ages.

Like any type of resort or tourist destination there are also plenty of folks anxious to get you to part with your hard earned dollars.

In fact, the marketing "touches" begin on the road well before you even get to the Branson city limits.

Many places along the way offer coupons and discount books to shows and restaurants.

Driving to your hotel you notice all the billboards and neon marquees inviting you to their respective shows and eateries.

Dolly Parton and her Dixie Stampede seem to be advertised everywhere. Even our hotel room key cards had Dolly's photo on them.

Need driving directions? The hotel has a map for you with plenty of ads and discounts.

Want to see what's going on in town? You can watch a local vacation channel with constant tips on where to go and what to do.

What to save money on a show ticket? Discounts are everywhere provided you want to take a tour of a time share (since when did this practice become de rigueur at every
tourist destination?)

Silver Dollar City, the 1890's type theme park, also expects you to leave a donation.

SDC charges $50 per adult to get into the place. Pass through the entrance and you see restaurants and shops on both sides of the walk way.

Of course, your entry fee covers a good deal of entertainment such as watching a variety of local singers and dancers and/or spinning around on a multitude of roller coaster type rides. But they realize you're there not only to play but also to enjoy some old time country cooking.

Once you think you've done it all, and are seemingly out of breath and out of money,waiting in the wings is the exit path. It guides you through a tunnel full of souvenir shops, memorabilia for sale, and yes a few food stands.

As someone once said, "They get you coming and going."

But it's done in a good way.

It leads a PR professional to think how most businesses fail to grasp and engage the customer with their marketing strategy.

Where's the road map that leads them to do business with your company of firm?

Once aboard, what happens then?

Can you provide the right type of products and services to keep them coming back for more?

Is your customer service on track to keep the client involved and excited about your offerings?

At the end of the day, will his or her experience be a memorable one or one they would rather forget about it?

Finally, would they recommend your destination (firm) to a friend or business associate?

The answer, like a trip to Branson, should be a resounding... yes!

PR People Unite and Help Save Our City

2008-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

The news in St. Louis could not have been much worse last week.

Anheuser Busch, our greatest corporation and national business icon, is sold to a Belgium company, InBev.

Wachovia's new St. Louis headquarters is raided by various authorities for reported investor money management violations.

American Airlines, our main carrier, announces more cutbacks and layoffs.

Starbucks announces it is closing 16 local coffee houses.

The police chief of the City of St. Louis is under fire for alleged favors his daughter received from a local towing company.

And a three pack of men's underwear at Macy's now costs $27. What are they lined with silk?

Some of these stories made national headlines (OK the underwear one did not). It doesn't put St. Louis in a very good light, does it?

Yet, the area remains a great place to live. We have our arts, theatre, professional sports and beautiful parks. Of course there's the world class zoo where no admission is charged. And the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the best anywhere.

Plus our share of very good restaurants, good public schools, and relatively quick access for local travel (as soon as Highway 40 is completed and running again).

And of course The Gateway Arch (they can't sell that, can they?)

Housing is affordable and the economy relatively stable, especially combined with the wild swings on the coasts. In fact Missouri consistently has the lowest gasoline prices in the nation.

So why not tell the world about it?

The 2009 Major League Baseball All Star Game will be held in St. Louis.

Now is a great time to start beating the drums and letting the media know about our fair city.

Between now and then, those who regularly promote and publicize the St. Louis area (such as the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Regional Commerce and Growth Association) should "attack" like never before.

PR pros from across the area might also lend a hand and use their connections to spread the word about the Gateway to the West.

A little extra effort might go a long way to helping corporations "feel good" about their St. Louis location. Who knows, it may even help to attract some new businesses to town.

At the very least it should keep companies from thinking,"Will the last business out of St. Louis please remember to turn out the lights."

All PR Pros Are Liars

2008-06-09T13:11:00.001-07:00

At least that's the opinion of one Andrew Cohen a lawyer turned communications expert who delivered a scathing editorial on the public relations industry a few weeks ago on CBS Sunday Morning.

Cohen condemned our industry based on a new book written by Scott McClellan, President Bush's former Press Secretary.

In the book McClellan said he was told to manipulate information to help sell the American people on the war in Iraq. Apparently part of his job was to deceive the public on the weapons of mass destruction issue, providing the foundation for the strategy to send our troops to the Middle East.

Cohen said... "Show me a PR person who is accurate and truthful and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed."

He said the reason companies or government hire oodles of PR people is because PR people are trained to be slickly untruthful or half-truthful.

I consider myself a PR professional who is employed. So I guess I am a liar.

Let's see in the past year I have probably lied about my weight, the number of gray hairs on my head, my time in the 10K, my golf handicap and a few other things.

And yes, as PR people we are trained to lie. Let's see in Journalism school I took a bunch of courses that have helped advance my career.

There was Lying 120: Basic elements and Misinformation.
Lying 300: Creating Half-truths and Innuendo.
And for gifted students, Honors Lying: How to Create Information That is Totally False and Deceitful.

I actually "aced" Lying 300 when my professor caught me cheating on the final exam. He heard me talking to another student and asked why he shouldn't fail me right then and there.

I told him I was having a panic attack and was merely asking for help for the past 20minutes. I told him the attack had subsided and I was competent I could now complete and pass the exam.

He said, "That's a perfect response. A great lie if I ever heard one. Mr. Turner you embody everything this course and the Public Relations profession is designed to be."

Truthfully I have met dozens if not hundreds of PR people over the years. While none were press secretaries to a President or the main spokesperson for a Fortune 500 company, most are hard-working professionals trying to eek out a living.

Nearly all belong to the Public Relations Society of America and do their best to adhere to a code of ethics.

Our job is to communicate the positions of our clients or client-companies to the public through the media. We may take the glass is half-full approach as opposed to half empty but we don't make-up information or knowingly triple the real quarterly earnings of a business just to get a story.

Sure there are a few bad PR apples in the bunch but then there might be a few bad lawyers as well or bad physicians or bad plumbers, you think?

Cohen's verbal pillage of an entire industry because one person didn't have the courage to step away from something he did not believe in, is, in and of itself, creating misinformation.

In fact it's just deceitful.

Using Automated Voice Prompts in Your Business? You're Not Getting The Message

2008-05-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

I can understand why big corporations do it. Attempting to handle all phone calls via some kind of automated voice system saves time and money.

Afterall why pay dozens of phone operators when most customers just want to know your hours of operation or how to get to your business or have a question about their bill or, gosh forbid, they may actually want to buy something. The answers supposedly are all online at www.whocares.com, the voice prompt will tell you just that.

And if you still really want to talk to someone, they'll be glad to channel your call to some remote location perfectly suited to host the next series of "Survivor". Never mind that English isn't even a second language there, more like a fifth or sixth.

"Hi thanks for calling the Who Cares Company. My name is, well it doesn't matter because you won't be able to pronounce it anyway and chances are you can't understand what I'm trying to say so call back again sometime and maybe you'll get someone whom you really can understand."

What's really bothersome is that a number of small companies are beginning to follow suit. They tell you they pride themselves on customer service but then make you jump through hoops in order to get to a live person on the phone. Call around a little and you'll see what I mean.

I noticed a number of physician's offices are also becoming more automated. "This is Medical Partners, press one if you're a patient, press two if you're an insurance company, press three if you're a drug representative," etc.

I can visualize the day when doctors try to put off the live answered phones as long as they can in an attempt to save money, just like the big corporations do.

"This is Medical Partners, if you are a patient suffering a true medical emergency press one." Then you press one and here comes the next series..."For burns, press one, infectious disease, press two, heart attack press three."

Then you press three..."If you think you suffered a heart attack and are in great pain press one. Mild pain, press two. Limited or sporadic pain, press three."

Then you press one..."If you believe you have four blocked arteries, press one. Three blocked arteries, press two. Two or fewer blocked arteries press three."

Then you press one..."Hang on while we process your call. Due to large caller volume this call may take up to six minutes before it answered. It is always best to call after 5pm weekdays and from 9am to Noon on weekends." Keep that in mind next time you suffer a heart attack.

For most businesses using a voice prompt system is not only bad PR, it's a business practice that is surely deadly.

Always Be Prepared

2008-04-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

In the Public Relations business you should always be prepared.

I recently attended the launch of a new automobile dealership which my client, a design/build contractor, had constructed.

A small area newspaper was on hand to take photos and put together an article on the proceedings. These included a ribbon cutting, speeches, live music from the high school band, etc.

I asked the newspaper representative if he would like to interview my client for his article.

Surprisingly he looked at my card and said, "Public Relations, huh? Why don't you write it!"

I thought he was joking but he was dead serious. He said give him about 400 words, put everything into the proper light and email it in.

A lot of PR professionals may have turned him down, but I jumped at the chance.

I had written dozens of articles and worked in the news and sports new business in an earlier career so I knew the drill. I could also pretty much ensure that the name of my client would appear in the article.

So I quickly put on my reporter's hat. Fortunately I had enough paper in my coat pocket to document a few interviews.

I raced around the dealership and talked to the local mayor, Honda representative and a few others. I also made sure I had everyone's name spelled correctly.

It was interesting to note how cooperative everyone is when you say you're a reporter putting together an article. Of course my goal was just to get a few "feel good" quotes about the whole event. After all this is being placed in a small community newspaper and the auto dealership is a big advertiser. Stll everyone took it seriously.

The Editor who enlisted my services said he would give me a byline.

I put the article together and sent it in. The Editor thought it was well written and indicated there would only be a few minor tweaks.

It comes out tomorrow.

I will attend another construction related event with the same client later this week.

You better believe I'm going to bring a several pens and lots of paper.

So Your Company Is In The Press, Now What?

2008-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Public Relations professionals spend countless hours helping their clients generate media coverage.

Once an article or articles appear, however, a business owner may get confused as to how to take best advantage of the current publicity.

Often the CEO or President will enjoy their company's day in the limelight but then fail to use that press for maximum leverage.

Those articles are nothing less than pure gold. They are rare jewels that should be mined and caressed to optimize their sales and marketing value.

Here are a few recommendations to make the most of these PR treasures.

1.Generate copies for the sales staff.
Each sales person should have a copy of that article in his or her sales kit. It should be shown to each and every prospective customer. The idea is that it is not just the sales person calling his own company "great" but also the publication, adding credibility to doing business with your firm.

2.Email/mail copies to current customers.
Let them know about the press. It provides another "touch" and reinforces their decision to do business with your organization.

3.Ensure employees know about the publicity.
Place the article in a visible location within the office and send to employees' in boxes. The articles are excellent for creating excitement "in house" and building interest within the company itself.

4.Place the article on the company web site.
Since most prospective customers will be checking out your web site before taking a meeting, place your article in your online newsroom and/or the front page. It will add to your sales efforts as well as provide points of interest for potential employees checking out your company.

5.Send the article to job candidates.
It serves as a good background resource for those who wish to set-up an interview or perhaps places you higher on their list of potential employers.

6.Use the article when applying for awards.
Many business and industry award applications have a place for accompanying materials. Use the article to demonstrate your excellence in the market place and your worthiness of the award.

We have other ideas but keep these mind as you score some publicity.

More On How PR Helps Small Businesses

2008-02-19T15:12:00.000-08:00

We are often asked, "I own a relatively small business, what can public relations do for me?"

While there is no one specific answer, PR can do many things to help a small company.

Public Relations can help a firm become known, or better known, within its targeted client base.

It can help develop overall market awareness, and enhance or change public opinion about the company's products or services.

It can assist the sales team as part of a coordinated marketing effort to help the team meet their objectives.

PR can help motivate employees and demonstrate that the company is providing them with solid backing and support.

Public Relations can also help the company become a good corporate citizen in the community it serves.

Small companies using an innovative and creative campaign can realize the same benefits of its larger corporate counterparts. There are dozens of examples of this happening every day. Just check out your daily newspaper, your local business journal, USA Today, and even The Wall Street Journal and you'll see what I mean.

However not every small company may be in a position to execute a campaign. It may be limited by funding or simply not have the human resources or the time to work with a PR firm.

Companies need to ask themselves if they have a story people would be interested in reading and hearing about.

They need to ask themselves if they, the owner, or another staff person has the time to become a liasion with the PR firm and keep it updated on company news and events. No news is bad news when you are trying to communicate with your clients and prospects.

The company must also be in a solid financial position where they can compensate the PR firm in a timely and acceptable manner. Developing a PR budget and earmarking those funds specifically for this purpose is always a good strategy.

A small business may be five people getting together with a great idea to launch a new company, or a 30 year-old family owned firm generating $50 million in sales.

Either way they should both get the media attention and marketing support they deserve from a carefully planned and thought out public relations campaign.

Small Business and PR

2008-01-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

I read some nice and give-and-take recently in The Wall Street Journal about small businesses and public relations.

Many small companies detailed their experiences using public relations firms. Some were positive, some were negative.

The negative ones included many comments most public relations firms are used to hearing about industry horror stories. "I spent a lot of money on retainer fees but didn't get anything to show for it." Another business owner declared, "For all that money I spent they assigned my account to a young person just of college, with little experience."

The positive ones included one that said they got some great publicity placements well in excess of anything an ad campaign could provide. They also talked about the overall business help they received from their PR consultant.

Small businesses must obviously be careful when engaging a public relations firm. The first question to ask is how much revenue can be comfortably spent towards a PR budget. $1000-$2,000 per month? $5,000 per month? $10,000 or more per month?

That budget will determine the type of firm or consultant your business can work with. If you are at the lower end, you can forget about using larger national type firms. Concentrate instead on smaller shops or a freelance type consultant.

Secondly, look for firms who have expertise and experience in your business niche.
Some PR firms are great at fashion or food but lack knowledge about construction or technology. You should be able to find a firm, no matter what size, that has skills you need. Some PR freelancers may have 20 plus years of experience in your area of business and, since they work for themselves, may be most affordable and the best alternative.

Thirdly,ask to see the firms body of work. They should be able to show you articles, events and awards they have helped secure on behalf of their clients. I would walk away from any firm refusing to show you their portfolio.

You can also ask for references. Ask for the names of a few current clients and see how the working relationship has evolved. Not every client response has to be a home run but ask about responsiveness and attention to detail as well as results. That will tell you a lot about the quality of the firm or person you wish to work with.

I would also ask the firm whom, exactly, will you be working with should you engage them? Will it be a senior level person or someone with little experience. Since you will be working closely with them, perhaps many hours each month, chemistry is important. You should demand to meet the PR consultant(s) you will be working with prior to engaging the firm.

Fourthly, establish expectations. A good PR firm or consultant should be able to help you determine what's possible and what isn't. If you are a small retailer with one or two locations articles in the local press and perhaps some novel tie-ins with local television would be your best bet. You don't need to be in Time or The Wall Street Journal nor should you expect to be.

If you are selling a breakthrough type product or service that can be purchased nationally, either online or at multiple locations, than some national press might be a target. The question would be is your product unique enough to warrant national coverage and does the expertise of the firm match-up to those demands.

Experienced public relations professionals do much more than just try to secure publicity placements. They should be able to put together a strategy that coincides with sales goals and helps to achieve marketing objectives. PR should be part of an overall business plan, not something that just stands out by itself.

Many PR professionals can also help you build your business. Over time they can become trusted advisors, like your accountant or lawyer. They have worked with many companies over the years and have some great insights on business strategy and growth.

So, if you own a small business, do a little research. Interview a few firms with expertise in your market niche that can successfully execute a campaign based on your budget and expectations.

The end result will be money well spent and a great return on investment.

BCS or BS; My Own Rants and Raves

2007-12-04T18:20:00.001-08:00

Very exciting college football season. On balance, perhaps the best ever.

Fans of teams from coast to coast, and even Hawaii, got into the conversation of a national championship game.

LSU vs Ohio State? OK, we'll take it if we have to. It would have been more fun to see Missouri play West Virginia for a change. Lots of points with two contrasting styles for sure. Not good for TV ratings or the old NCAA guard however.

PR Dept. at NCAA must have had lots of fun. Just sit back. Let the upsets occur. No need to try to stimulate discussion when the games and the BCS did it for themselves.

Talking heads on ESPN and other networks were confused. One week, "Well one team you don't want to play right now is Boston College." Ooops. Three teams who beat them didn't mind.

Then it was, "Well you can expect LSU to run the table if they get by Florida." Bad call. See games vs Kentucky and Arkansas.

"Cal looks like the real deal." Yep, that's why they went on a three game losing streak and lost six of seven.

"Forget the BCS standings, two hot teams you definitely don't want to tangle with right now are USC and Georgia." Yeah well what about Pitt? Didn't they just beat the number two team in the country on # 2's home field? Now that's something. That's what I call hot.

In fairness to the talking heads, they have hours and hours of programming to fill. College Game Day on ESPN is a two hour marathon that could easily be nailed down into 30 minutes without all the padding.

Speaking of padding did you see the Fox BCS Show to announce the bowl match-ups? Talk about worthless discussion to try to fill an hour of time. Anything just to sell more commercials. Terrible. At least CBS gives you a full bracket on their NCAA Basketball Tournament Show before they take a commercial break.

I understand the need for the bowl games, at least most of them. It used to be prestigious to play in a New Year's Day Bowl. How about a New Year's Morning Bowl? The Outback is at 11am Eastern, 10am Central or 8 am on the West Coast. The Cotton Bowl, once one of the big four bowls, is relegated to 10:30am Central-the time zones of participants Arkansas and Missouri. Better not party too hard the night before or you'll miss the first half, perhaps the whole game.

Two of the major bowls are still on January 1. The Rose and Sugar. The Fiesta is on January 2. The Orange on January 3. Nothing on the 4th, darn.

Then comes the International on January 5 from Toronto featuring Rutgers and Ball State, huh? Make sure you tune in for that one. I'm sure Canada is a big recruiting area for both schools.

How about the GMAC Bowl on January 6th in Mobile? That dandy pits Tulsa against Bowling Green at 8pm. Ever want to see a half empty stadium? Then tune in.

Who needs a New Year's Day, or New Year's Morning Bowl for that matter when you can have one on January 6th? "Hey Gladys, cancel our vacation to Europe. We're going to Mobile for the bowl game!"

Finally it all comes down to the National Championship game on Jan. 7. Then the trophy gets hoisted, spring football starts in a couple months, and we can start talking about this madness all over again.

Viva La Mexico

2007-11-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

We recently returned from an international YMCA conference held in Mexico City. It was event planning done right.

The hosts did a terrific job of not only managing the events but also helping out any attendee who needed special help. In fact, it seemed like local volunteers were always within ear shot.

Some 400 people came to Mexico City for the conference, some from as far away as Macedonia and Lebanon. Greeters met attendees at the airport and made sure they boarded the right van to the headquarters hotel.

Volunteers accompanied guests on a bus tour of Mexico City. They even offered to do a little negotiating for us when the bus stopped at a flea market.

The conference included the usual array of seminars, key note speakers, luncheons and dinners. But it also featured a few special events that were really first rate. Veteran YMCA attendees said nothing done in the U.S. or in Canada has come close to approaching the excitement and efforts of all involved in Mexico City.

The highlight was the Saturday night Cultural Event and Dinner. It was done in grand Mexican style. Attendees first visited an historic church and listened to an inspiring arrangement of symphonic music from a local orchestra.

Then everyone was ushered across the street to a large hall where all sorts of Mexican style beverages and appetizers awaited. Volunteers in native dress greeted the guests and posed for photos.

Guests then ate a nice dinner and soon the real party began. Volunteers from the Mexico area YMCAs put on a stage show that would rival many professional troupes.
They donned traditional costumes and performed customary upbeat dances and routines to a variety of Mexican music.

Then the Mariachi Band arrived and the entire hall exploded into a frenzy as guests jumped onto the stage and danced the night away.

Shuttle buses whisked guests back to the hotel but the singing and fun continued.

Sunday's "closing ceremony" was also well done. It included various speeches, an awards ceremony, and also more singing. A special parade of youngsters highlighted the day.

The event was two years in the making. Attention to all the little details from food to transportation to the translators to the programs themselves was outstanding.

It's those little details that separate good event planners from the very best.

Those of us from the United States thought the planning and execution was muy superbo.

How Fox Can Spice Up The World Series

2007-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

The PR people at Fox must be scratching their heads on how they can build an audience for the upcoming World Series.

Should the Indians eliminate the Red Sox, Fox would be left with two smaller market teams playing for baseball's grand prize. Already gone are the New Yorks, Philadelphia, Los Angeles/Anaheim and Chicago. Neither the Arizona Diamondbacks or Colorado Rockies have large national followings. If Boston goes, you basically lose much of the densely populated East Coast. The result, probably the smallest World Series TV audience in recent times.

The other problem is a potential match-up between cold weather locales Cleveland and Denver, home of the Colorado Rockies. Unless this "Indian" summer continues well into the fall Fox could be facing a few snow outs. Since neither team has a domed stadium the series could run well into November. How exciting would that be?

Imagine infielders trying to pick-up grounders in 20 degree weather, pitchers attempting breaking balls when they can barely put their bare fingers on the horsehide, and hitters so bundled up they can barely swing the bat through the strike zone. Parkas and blankets will be the fans' dress of the day.

Either way Fox, never short on self-promotion, is bound to roll out its armada of stars to publicize their own line-up of shows. But perhaps they can spice it up a little.

American Idol's Simon Cowell can sit in the front row and critique whomever sings the national anthem. "Dear Lord, you call that music? Maybe you didn't get the message that you'd be singing in front of a national audience. Next time try practicing before you take an engagement like this."

Idol host Paul Abdul can be on-hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Imagine her slipping on a dugout step, tripping on a foul line and falling down on her face after she tosses the ball ten feet. Her handlers will claim she was "exhausted" and blame it on her busy travel schedule.

Chef Gordon Ramsey from "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" could take a crew around the stadium to inspect the kitchen facilities. He could look for rats and insects then yell and curse at food managers. Pity the poor hot dog vendor who serves Ramsey a slightly undercooked weiner or stale bun.

Hugh Laurie, Dr. House on "House", could oversee the stadium's first aid room. A camera crew could watch Laurie make fun of fans who turn ankles navigating stadium walkways or who get heartburn from eating too many peanuts.

Kiefer Sutherland of "24" fame could lead a group of fans taking part in the spin around the bat and sprint the bases contest held at many ballparks between innings.
In keeping with the proper promotion Sutherland could twirl around the bat 24 times. Then he could become loopy as if he were playing himself in real life.

Finally to promote the new Fox Business Channel, play-by-play man Joe Buck will interview the channel's financial experts on investment advice. "Well Joe, I'm shorting Chinese Technology companies right now and buying ore mining firms in Alaska. How's your portfolio shaping up?"

"Yeah, well, I'm a little heavy in cyclicals. Probably could shuffle some money into bonds."

Sounds like a great way to enjoy baseball's crown jewel, doesn't it?

It's Fall But The PR Leaves Are Still Green

2007-10-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

Earlier I wrote about green becoming the new black with the media.

Just this Sunday, Lee Enterprises, who publishes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other newspapers, ran an entire special section entitled "Go Green".

The section was full of ideas about going green at home, work and play. Some good tips for sure.

Interesting too the section was a combination of all Lee resources including some 51 daily newspapers and more than 300 weeklies.

Go Green had its fair share of local advertising as well. The section probably ran in most of Lee's dailies. Check it out if you're in one of those markets.

Other publishers probably have their own ideas about "green coverage" but this idea works well.

Green provides an excellent opportunity for public relations professionals to generate stories for clients. Businesses who fit into the conversation should find ample ways to publicize their efforts.

This should gain even more momentum as the upcoming election season moves into full swing, and the environment/global warming remaining a key area of focus.

Uh Oh, Got You On Video

2007-09-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

Video cameras seem to be everywhere. Any questionable act that may stir even the slightest bit of controversy can end up on You Tube.

These incidents can be the seedlings for much bigger stories. Suddenly they become featured on the six o'clock news and get extended life on talk radio.

This happened recently in the St. Louis area. A young man was out in the wee hours of the morning when confronted by a police officer from a very small suburban department. The officer questioned the youth's motivation for parking in a metro transit lot around 2 am, though it was legal.

The police officer got unruly and crossed the line with his vocal challenges and abuse. Unfortunately for that police officer the whole thing was caught on video. The young man had a camcorder on his dashboard and had recorded the entire drama.

Quickly the video showed-up on You Tube and was sent to local television and radio stations. The young man wanted to get his story out and by golly he was going to do it.

And the media did pick up on it. The question they wanted to know was, "Why would a young man be verbally assaulted by a police officer, especially when he apparently did nothing illegally?"

Clips of the video showed-up on TV news. The major radio talk station in town discussed it for at least three solid days, on just about every one of their programs. Eventually it got picked-up by the daily newspaper. The young man's voice and photo became well known.

The police officer received some type of punishment. The small department he works for also came under scrutiny. The Chief had to answer all kinds of questions from the media.

The young man did indeed get his 15 minutes of fame out of the affair. But what was his true motivation behind it all? Only he can answer that question.

In this scenario the police officer was no doubt out-of-line. But what he didn't expect was for the incident to appear on the nightly news. After all, this was no Rodney King-LAPD affair.

A video camera can be a dangerous weapon. Celebrities and politicians know all about them. They realize what they say and do can show-up any where. It can cost them a movie, endorsements, or in a political arena an election, or even a career.

Those in any position of power need to ensure they present the right image and persona in public.

Unfortunately, the same seems to be holding true for the average Joe. Best to maintain your manners and keep your thoughts to yourself.
One false step could be disastrous.

After all, the whole world could be watching.

Oh Brother

2007-08-27T17:47:00.001-07:00

In a somewhat slow summer television season, Big Brother 8 has turned out to be a nice relief from the heat.

My wife and I are addicted to the program. So are a number of our friends and of course millions who not only watch the show but also contribute with web sites, bulletin boards, and blogs.

Though tedious at times this is basically TV done right. No re-runs or cutting room footage needed here. Just three one hour shows a week played out over a two-and-half month period.

The premise of 14 people all thrown into one house with no where else to go would be interesting to watch, even if no prize money were given away. But add a little eye candy, a father and daughter that haven't spoken in two years, high school rivals, and embittered ex-partners, (each not knowing the other would be in the game), and $500,000 for the final winner, and you have the makings for some real fireworks.

Will Eric and Jessica's romance blossom? Will Evil Dick finally do himself in and get voted out? Can Zach survive as an "under the radar" type player and will new alliances supersede old handshakes and whispers.

In the public relations world we like to study how people react in social situations and to different stimuli. Big Brother is a great read on human nature and survival, different and in many ways more compelling than the other CBS reality hit, "Survivor".

It is much like a 24/7 focus group. You can subscribe to the non-stop web feeds via CBS or watch three extra hours a night, every night on Showtime.

My winning pick for this year is someone not big at all, five foot, six inch Eric. A young man who reveled in the fact he could outsmart and lead the "outing" of a 6 foot, 5 inch stud of a football player named Nick.

It goes to show that you don't have to be large in stature to win a game whose first name is "Big".

MLB's PR Mess: Barry This Bud's Not For You

2007-08-10T07:39:00.000-07:00

That's Bud as in Bud Selig.

The Commissioner of baseball was missing in action when Barry Bonds broke Henry Aaron's long standing career home run record.

The entire home run chase was a PR mess for Major League Baseball. Earlier the Commissioner had attended a few games and was on-hand to witness Bonds tieing the record. Unfortunately Selig appeared almost disinterested as cameras were fixed upon him and his reaction.

Selig could have at least clapped, smiled or something.
Too bad this had to be replayed on various media outlets, adding more controversy to the growing steroid mess and rift between MLB and the Giants' slugger.

Sure Selig has a close relationship with Aaron. Of course most people realize Bonds used some kind of performance enhancing drugs. Still if Selig is going to attend a few games why not be on-hand for all of them until Barry breaks the record.

The anointment of a new home run king is still a major achievement. From what I've read injecting steroids in and of itself doesn't help you improve your coordination, improve your coverage of the strike zone or adjust to off-speed pitches. It does give you the apparent energy to make yourself bigger and stronger. Enough to turn 385 foot track-dying fly balls into 420 foot majestic home runs? Probably.

Still Bonds is a great hitter, one of the best if not the best of all time. In a period when pitchers were attempting to walk him or throw him a bunch of "junk" in nearly every at bat, the slugger was still able to make solid contact, hit for a high average, achieve a remarkable on-base percentage, and eventually break the all time home run record.

Major League Baseball is making money by selling Bonds related record breaking home run merchandise. Couldn't its chief executive at least be on-hand to witness and applaud the event?

Want Coverage? Go Green

2007-07-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

Green is PR's new black.

That's the word from various editors who want to focus on all things green for their newspaper or magazine.

I recently attended a few seminars where the editors were discussing the need for green. They want to write about products that could have a positive impact on the environment or at least ones that replace an existing product thought to be harmful.

Xerox's new green paper is a case in point. The copier/paper company got some good play out of this.

Any type of new fuel replacement gets big headlines. And established products with a recycled twist to them are also in demand.

Whether it's a building, an auto, clothing, chemical or manufacturing process if it's green, it's in.

Businesses looking for a new hook or angle for media exposure should determine if there is something green about their product and service.

Right now it's a great way to get some coverage.

Bashing The Unfriendly Skies

2007-07-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Readers of Arthur Frommer's column can usually expect to find good tips on traveling to China, Europe, Mexico or a few unknown but enticing ports of call.

His entries appear in the Travel section and elicit cost-saving ideas on air fare, hotels, and even some restaurants.

This week that wasn't the case. Instead Frommer "took off" on the airline industry and a meltdown of the air traffic control system.

He not only threw a few barbs at the media for limiting it's conversation to the "crowded skies", but went after the private jets utilized by CEOs of many corporations.

Frommer says these private aircraft, though small, take-up as much airspace as planes holding 250 passengers. They get special treatment and account for as much as 30 per cent of the flight space in some urban areas.

He indicated the private jets often get to take off when regular commercial airlines might have to be delayed or even cancelled. Thus adversely impacting the lives of thousand of passengers for the convenience of a privileged few.

Frommer also went after United Airlines and their CEO. Seems that the CEO got $39.7 million in compensation in 2006, the same year the airline lost $152 million and terminated the pensions of 120,000 workers.

Wow, agree or disagree with Frommer it's interesting he went after corporate America in what is more like an editorial than a travel piece.

From a public relations perspective, Frommer went out on a very breakable limb. Is this what readers of the Travel section really want?

Frommer's frustrations may have best been served by writing Op-Ed pieces for major newspapers or finding a few forums on radio/TV talk shows. Yet, I guess he thought his traveling fans would most appreciate his point of view.

While one must applaud Frommer's fortitude for speaking-up it is easy to question the placement of his remarks in a forum usually reserved for discounted rates on cruises.

It's a questionable public relations move. Hopefully his columns will stay the course and return for many more safe and happy landings.

Jobs Well Done

2007-07-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Mark Steve Jobs' name down as the Marketing Person of the Year.

The Apple CEO successfully created the enormous buzz for the new iPhone without the usual hard-hitting ads, death defying stunts, product reviews or even the support of the blogsophere.

Instead he did a demo at a large conference six months before the product launch. He then let things simmer down. And when, and only when he was ready, he got things heated-up to a boiling pitch in a sort of quiet way.

The low level of noise coming from Apple actually created more intrigue and more suspense.

In fact no one wanted to miss it including the media, who talked about it, and talked and talked. Will it be the next iPod? How well will it work? Has anyone actually seen one? What about the relationship with Cingular/AT&T? Will the projected price keep buyers away?

Very few of the usual critics even got a phone to review. Those that did got one only a few days before the launch. They had basically good things to say but didn't seem to be a real factor in this one.

If the end result is to get people to the stores and sell product, can you think of a better launch from a marketing perspective than this one? Sales are apparently outstanding. Reports say Apple is upgrading its projected sales figures from 10 million units in 2008 to over 13 million.

To keep the buzz flowing, expect a lower priced version soon. Perhaps a few enhancements down the road.

No elephants in Central Park or superstar autographed phones needed for this launch.

The product and the public have spoken. And it is a resounding "yes".

Primal Thought

2007-07-05T08:56:00.001-07:00

Public Relations professionals involved in branding efforts should take a good look at the book "Primal Branding", written by Patrick Hanlon.

Hanlon is CEO of Thinktopia and has worked with many major brands such as Absolut, Ford, Disney and Lego just to name a few. He was a guest speaker at the High-Tech PR Conference in New York.

His book breaks down branding into a primal code. The code includes seven factors The Creation Story, The Creed, The Icons, The Rituals, The Pagans or Non-Believers, The Sacred Words and The Leader.

What's interesting is that you can think of any endearing brand such as Apple, Microsoft, Nike and Starbucks and see how their business successfully utilizes all facets of the code.

Think great start-up tales such as Nike's founder selling shoes out of a trunk of a car, or Apple starting out of a garage and you have The Creation Story. The Creed creates the believers, "Just Do It" for Nike etc. The Icons are such as the Absolut bottle, and arches at McDonalds. The Rituals are waiting in line at Starbucks or getting your oil changed at the local dealership. The Pagans are the non-believers who have their own opposite beliefs, think PC vs Apple or Starbucks vs instant coffee aficionados. The Sacred Words may include Xbox, iPhone, or Barista. Then there are the leaders the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Phil Knight's of the world.

The code can be applied to any business, even on a local level. What makes some retailers busy while others are not? Why do some local restaurants seem to fill-up every night when others, seemingly serving as good as food, just don't make it?

A business or company can use the code for self examination. What are we doing right, what are we missing? You can use the results to improve your brand, perhaps working on your own Creation Code or changing/enhancing a ritual or two. Maybe you'll find that you'll need to create an entire new brand that meets the needs of a separate group of customers.

Hanlon quotes statistics that indicate endearing brands generate higher stock market prices and greater return for investors than those companies who sell products not part of the lexicon.

His book presents a solid argument for those in the industry who wish to brand their clients to the next level of success.

Don't Be Anti-Social

2007-06-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

That's the message from the PRSA Tech Conference just held in New York.

The event featured some of the foremost thought leaders on social media and related marketing.

They included Patrick Hanlon, founder and CEO of Thinktopia, Inc., and author of Primal Branding; Steve Rubel with Edelman's me2revolution practice , Constantin Basturea with Converseon and many others.

Social media is no doubt huge and growing. Blogs and bloggers are everywhere. Viral video is on the upswing and so are virtual worlds such as Second Life.

Establishing relationships of one sort or another with bloggers and key online influencers will be crucial to the success of maintaining brand awareness, brand leadership, and gaining feedback on any product or service.

It needs to play some sort of role as public relations practitioners plan future strategies. It's important today and will probably be even more so a few years down the road.

While I believe the traditional media isn't going away soon (The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, local newspapers, TV etc. will still be around)you will continue to see much more online content in the months and years ahead. This will include more video and more in-depth analysis from both paid and outside sources. Extensive analysis and opinion will be available from a variety of resources, even on micro topics important to only a few.

We consumers want our news and information whenever we want it, wherever we want it. In a real world, and even a virtual world, it's a habit that's not going away anytime soon.

Media Mayhem: The Sopranos Aren't Really Over, Are They?

2007-06-11T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's over. The eight year history of The Sopranos has finally ended, or make that non-ended.

The series final episode last night on HBO was anything but a tidy ending to eight years of Tony, Carmelo, A.J. and Meadow. It left viewers in the dark, literally.

Following a shot of Tony downing an onion ring with his family at a neighborhood diner, the whole screen goes black with the music, "Don't Stop Believing" in the background.

Shady characters who were looking at Tony could have been there to "whack" him. His daughter had trouble parking the car and was rushing into the restaurant as it ended.
What was her lesson in parallel parking all about?

Instead of some answers all we got were about five seconds of a blank, black screen. Since I recorded the show I wondered if there was something wrong with my DVR, cable box or network problem.

Then the credits began to roll and you realized you had been had.

No shoot-outs, no family fighting, no fires, no kisses or hugging. Just a lot of questions causing much discussion around water coolers and radio/TV talk shows everywhere.

One perception you hear is that the show's creator, David Chase, is a genius. Those happy with the ending say he ended the finale just like any other episode, kind of family business as usual. Some say the final scene related back to an earlier scene in this season's first episode during a discussion on a boat between Tony and his brother-in-law Bobby. They discussed death and when asked how it is when it's finally your time to go, Tony just replies I guess it all just goes black. Hence giving credence to those who believe Tony got shot.

Other perceptions don't paint such a rosy picture. Some say the ending was awful and they'll cancel their subscriptions to HBO. A few say Chase left it open at the end for a potential movie to be made, extremely doubtful. James Gandolfini, who plays Tony, has been quoted as saying he's pretty tired of being joined to the hip with the character and wants to move on. Still others, and I'm in this group, would have liked more closure.

Regardless HBO has created tremendous buzz about the episode. From a public relations and marketing standpoint that's great, but what good will it do now that the series is over?

Will more viewers subscribe to or check out HBO because of this discussion? Probably not.

Will viewers begin to leave HBO now that is over? A few certainly will, even though the show itself has been on only sporadically the last few years.

Where does the network go from here? They most definitely need to develop another huge hit or hits. Since the network is subscriber based ratings aren't all that important. The need to continue to attract viewers at $10-$15 per month however, and keep some momentum flowing, is paramount.

Two or three interesting series might do the trick. Several of HBO's own movies and documentaries will also help.

Unfortunately, for most, Sunday night won't be "must see TV" anymore on HBO. It's an issue the network will have to overcome if it wants to keep it's own house in the black.

The Spin Zone

2007-06-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

I probably speak for a number of public relations practitioners who are tired of hearing the term "spin".

Bill O'Reilly on Fox News has his "No Spin Zone". Following debates politicians have their "Spin Rooms". TV commentators are starting to call PR professionals "Spin Doctors".

Even a few clients have picked-up on it. Though it's just business as usual, and there is absolutely no intent to deceive in anything they do, they have added the word to their own jargon. I've had a few say,"Well we need to spin this so..." or "I guess the spin on this is..."

Sorry folks. Experienced, solid and knowledgeable PR pros don't "spin" anything.

Yes our job is to influence opinion and ensure a client's voice is heard. But that doesn't include lying to the media, over-stating and exaggerating facts or creating a scheme so outrageous it's bound to attract attention.

Unfortunately people see the Hollywood types such as Britney Spears running around without her undergarments or Lindsay Lohan in a drunken stupor all over the TV news and the Internet. Then they hear some PR person issue a statement about how their client is sorry and will enter some kind of rehab program.

Then it's all debated all over the TV talk shows with some "PR Guru" about how do you "spin this" and how will the starlet rebuild their career after their latest debacle.

Holding the hands of these Tinsel Town types, and trying to cover up their misdeeds may pay well, but it isn't what public relations is all about.

Most of the public relations pros I know are educated and schooled in the industry. They are thorough in their approach and set a good example for others in the field.

They create a well thought out plan coherent with a company's, organization's or even individual's business objectives. It includes a solid strategy and various tactics of accomplishing those goals.

I am sure many of the Hollywood PR types have strategies for these stars. Too bad most of it can get lost in the shuffle when the big news of the day is your client's divorce, auto accident or plastic surgery.

Professional public relations, as I know it, doesn't involve "cooking the books", covering-up a disaster or leading the media astray. PR does provide information that may be necessary, if not crucial, for those interested in your client and the client's product.

What public relations professionals do is to provide a sound strategy that works hand-in-hand in a way that benefits the client, the media and the consumer. It's PR done right. Now go ahead and try spinning that.

How Do You Measure This PR Stuff Anyway?

2007-05-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a short seminar on how to measure the effectiveness of a public relations campaign.

Actually the program was given by a representative of a company that provides PR measurement services for corporations and public relations firms.

The luncheon was interesting but was more of a teaser to entice those in the audience to use those services. Though there wasn't much new information given it did inspire some thought on how PR practitioners can create or design methods to measure their value to their company or client.

One audience member said they still use the cost comparison metric of measuring editorial inches secured against the cost of those inches in ad dollars. For example, if you purchase a ten inch ad in the daily newspaper the cost could be $100 an inch or $1,000 for the ad. Secure the same size article in the newspaper about your client and perhaps you charged $500 for your services, so you actually saved the client $500, right? Well that shouldn't be the end, just the beginning.

If the article appeared in a place where ads do not run, say in a special section or above the fold, you can add more value. If the article included a photo of your CEO, client or new product you scored again. If the article mentioned only your client and no competitors add even more points. Finally if the article mentioned your key message points than circle all the bases, you hit a home run!

So what is that article worth now? $1,000, $5,000, $10,000? And there's more to the story...

Case in point, I once helped place a full page article about an architectural firm in the daily newspaper. The article had several color photos and demonstrated the architectural firm's design expertise. At the same time, the firm was being considered for a design/build project with a local school. The architects got the job. The president of the firm related to me that one of the reasons they got the assignment was due to that article. A member of the school's board told him that if their firm was good enough for the newspaper, they were good enough for them.

That project was worth several million dollars to the architectural firm. So what was the value of the article. $10,000, $100,000, $1 million? What if the architects got other business from that school or received referrals for other projects from the school's board members? Suddenly that article is worth even more.

And here is another example. Another client told me that an article we helped secure on one of his employees helped boost her confidence. Confidence? How do you measure that? What is the value of helping to improve one's job performance? Is it $1,000, $5,000, $10,000? You get the point.

Another variable is the qualitative difference of a news article versus an ad. Despite recent studies to the contrary, readership of news content far outweighs that of an ad placement. This is a topic for another column but what would you rather have, a positive article on your firm in The Wall Street Journal or an ad in the Journal? The answer is obvious.

If public relations campaigns need to be measured than some tie-in with sales is necessary if at all possible. And by "sale" we mean anything that helps change an opinion about a product, company, candidate or service and helps someone purchase your client's offerings over another. Depending on the point and scope of the campaign, if a sales rep closes a $1 million sale because of an article or 100 reps are able to increase sales by 10 per cent or more prospects want to see your new product, than this has to be communicated to upper management.

PR people need to be in touch with sales managers, and those in the field to ascertain what real impact the campaign is generating. Some of the results may be obvious, others may not.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but PR professionals can probably do a better job of demonstrating the value of that beauty to their CEOs and clients. And that value should never be shortchanged.

Tailor Your Writing to Increase Placements

2007-05-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

Young public relations practitioners do it. So do many industry veterans. They create and distribute one general news release to a multitude of media and then hope for placement and coverage in newspapers, television, radio and magazines.

Stop the presses! That kind of approach has not worked well in the past and most certainly will not work well today. Newspaper editors, beat writers, television producers and TV reporters all have different goals, needs and deadlines. Tailoring your writing to meet those demands will certainly help your effort to generate more coverage for your client.

Let's start with newspaper. Editors and writers are most interested in trends and timely stories that impact their readership. They are usually juggling five or six stories at a time in hopes of getting something done by an early evening deadline. So to grab their attention your writing needs some impact and the data to back it up.

If you have a new product, a new service, or spent a lot of money developing one, you are on the right track. Ask yourself what makes this product so important and how many people in the area, regionally, or even nationally will be impacted by it? Then you can take the space to back-up your findings with a right mix of data. Print reporters need projections and evidence to solidify the story. They have the space to write about it. Ensure you have some numbers in your release or pitch letter.

You can also create a meatier release for print than you can for the electronic media. Though one page should suffice in most cases, you have the option of adding a page if the story is interesting enough.

Television news is much different than print. Any news producer or reporter will tell you that TV is a visual medium, so you need to think visually. That new product launch, which might work for print, better have plenty of moving parts if you hope to land a spot on the 6pm news. Tieing it to an event with local celebrities, dignitaries, children and/or pets is usually a good method to generate some type of coverage.

Just like the news product itself, releases for TV need to be short and concise. If your ideas can't be confined to one page they are probably not a good fit for
television. Many producers will tell you the shorter the news release, the better. If you can keep it to less than a page, you score more points. In fact many reporters would recommend utilizing a Who-What-When-Where approach to the release with the main facts easy to find and read.

While TV stations have two to three key newscasts a night, news/talk radio stations have a report every hour. Just like television, writing for radio also needs to be short and sweet. While there is no visual element involved the opportunity for a good sound bite with a key newsmaker or decision maker always enhances your chances for coverage.

Magazines are an entity unto themselves. Since most are monthly, and planned out far in advance, your writing needs to have some "legs". No need for news releases here. Instead concentrate on a more trendier approach that will still be interesting three months or even six months down the road. Editors like to focus on the "latest and greatest" industry trend and spotlight the people behind it. Like writing for newspaper, back-up your pitch with plenty of statistics and relevant data. Magazine writers usually have more time to focus on your idea. Provide plenty of good information to get them started.

Tailoring your release to each medium may take more time and effort but the results will be well worth it.

Poor Customer Service is a PR Killer

2007-05-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

I often get a kick out of companies that spend tens of thousands of dollars on advertising and public relations then have it all go to waste because of poor customer service.

What's the point of undertaking a 10 point public relations initiative when the customer service reps improperly answer the phone or have no idea how to work with a potential client.

In our town we have a cable company that has written the book on disastrous customer service, if you can even call it "customer service". It's more like customer inservice.

A typical call involves a ritual of entering your home phone number about three times and navigating a series of prompts. Finally you get to "talk" to an automated voice. Say the word "agent" and then you get put in the queue to talk to a real live person. Finally your call is whisked to India, the Philippines or some other remote spot where the person on the other line can barely speak the "King's English".

Once you get a live person you have to go through the entire ritual all over again. What's your home phone number? What's your address? Your social security number? Who cares?
By the time you go through it all over again you forget why you called in the first place.

And there is no communication between call center employees. Talk to someone on Monday, call back on Wednesday and find out there is no record of your earlier conversation. Any promise goes unexecuted and unfilled. Only an in-person visit to our local office produces any results. Even that generates different responses from different employees. It must be great to be a monopoly.

The same is true for other organizations that think they are saving money by funneling customer inquiries to undermanned and understaffed call centers. Frustration leads to desperation and desperation leads to termination.

No amount of creative advertising or well-placed articles can overcome a disconnect between an unprepared sales staff and ill trained customer service representatives. Why not spend money on customer retention? It's easier, and less costly, to keep 50 customers than to lose 70 clients but get 71 new ones.

It's a shame so many companies just don't get it.

A Mess In The Morning

2007-04-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine you were the communications director at NBC during the past week.

One morning, Don Imus, the long-time host of a steady and most profitable MSNBC simulcasted program delivers the now famous "Nappy Headed" etc. phrase to describe the women's basketball team at Rutgers University.

First, there is some growing discontent and feedback among certain factions within the NBC family. Then a little more noise within the coaches and faculty at Rutgers. Soon certain activist factions within the African American community get wind of the remarks and start demanding some kind of action from the network. Blood is definitely in the air.

Since there is no crisis communications plan in place for let's see, "What do we do if Imus hurls racial slurs at young black amateur athletes and offends them, our employees and others in the process", you would probably recommend and orchestrate exactly what Imus did. That was to go on other talk programs with African American hosts and utter strong apologizes for his actions. Obviously you would recommend Imus do the same on his own broadcasts. Perhaps even try to meet face-to-face with the offended basketball squad.

Instead of quenching the flame, however, those apologies only add fuel to the fire. Many have already been insulted by Imus over the years and this time a line has been drawn in the sand. Imus' confessions are just not enough.

All opposing factions now begin to rally. Picketing takes place outside your Chicago studios. Blogs appear from your own employees and on-air talent asking Imus to resign or be fired.

The intensity of the situation is being felt at the very top of the organization. Executives hoping to derail the anti-Imus train decide to suspend him for two weeks.
Hopefully this will quiet the noise.

But then a Board Director from CBS Radio, the network that owns the radio portion of the broadcasts, appears on national television and demands Imus be terminated.

The Board Director fuels the debate which now becomes the lead news item on various news networks including your own. Suddenly companies that support Imus' TV broadcast through paid advertising become nervous. They ask, What will happen if we continue to promote our products on his show? Will various factions strike outside our offices? Will they stop buying our automobiles, cereal and detergent?

Finally one advertiser announces they are pulling out of the Imus program. Then another one decides to depart. Soon all have folded their tents.

NBC executives are left with little alternative. Since millions of dollars are flying out the door, and perhaps their bonuses, they do about the only thing left to do. They appear on MSNBC themselves and announce they are going to pull the plug on Imus for good.

The entire situation surrounding this fiasco provides an interesting lesson in crisis management, especially in this era of instantaneous communications. Here no one died or suffered physical injuries, but old wounds were opened and feelings hurt. Some emotional pain and suffering apparently did occur. The usual strategy of "apologizing and organizing a ten-point action program to prevent it from ever happening again" was simply not enough. To re-phrase an old expression, once the corral was opened the horses escaped, and this time there was no way to get them back.

Unlike the ongoing crises with pet food, there were no letters of apology in newspapers and magazines. No cans to be pulled off the self. Just the canning of Don Imus.

Sure communicators, executives, marketers, and PR practitioners must pay close attention to all forms of media, including blogs, ezines etc. But content is really king. Words and expressions must be discussed, written, evaluated, edited, re-evaluated and re-edited again. Team members from different backgrounds, ethnicity's, and groups should have input. Messages should be parsed, cleansed, and re-parsed especially on a national stage. In this most sensitive environment the wrong thought at the wrong time, intended or not, may cause harm and distress. It may cost someone their job, even their career.

PR 101: Gassed Up and Happy

2007-04-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

PR 101: Gassed Up and Happy

Gassed Up and Happy

2007-04-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

A recent conversation with a car salesman included a discussion about gasoline prices.

He noted Americans now seem to be trained to accept higher prices at the pump. The only time you hear complaints about these rising rates is when the oil companies push too far too quickly.

Jump those costs 50 cents per gallon and everyone starts to cackle. Raise it ten or 15 cents and everyone seems to follow along. But the bottom line is we are all paying 40 per cent more for gasoline than we did three years ago, 50 per cent more than five years ago and 145 per cent more than ten years ago.

The oil companies have done a brilliant job of "ping-ponging" the American public. Take prices way up. Wait for noise levels to rise. Then bring them back down, but not all the way down. After a week or two at $3.50 per gallon, $2.95 doesn't sound too bad, does it? Forget the fact that you were paying $2.60 per gallon before the big increase.

These oil barons have also done a superb job of managing consumer perceptions about an oil "crisis". Don't blame us. Blame it on OPEC. Blame on the government. Blame it on the rising costs of finding oil. Blame it all on farmers and Ethanol additives.
Blame it all on everyone but them.

So who's to blame for those $10 to $20 billion profits the oil companies generate on an annual basis? That's one subject they aren't complaining about.

If a retailer raises their prices on shirts, shoppers have a choice. They can wait for a sale, go to another store and look for less expensive clothing, or not buy the article at all.

In the gasoline monopoly game Americans don't really have a choice. Since all service stations and convenience stores charge basically the same price you either pay or stay home. Yes, you can buy automobiles that give a little better mileage, make a few less trips, carpool with your neighbor or friend, but in reality the oil companies will just raise their price to make-up the difference.

In some ways working in the oil industry represents the ideal situation for a marketing or public relations person. No worry about having to build demand for a product or service. No worry about convincing someone your product is better than the next guy's. No need for special events, viral marketing, blogging, white papers and community outreach. Wait a minute, other than for an occasional crises there's no need for people like us at all!

Selling Saturn

2007-03-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

A large part of the past weekend was spent selling my wife's Saturn coupe. And sell it did.

It was clean and neat with less than 50,000 miles. I anticipated the car would be sold in about a week or so. Bad assumption.

First we did our homework. I checked various online auto related web sites and determined what a comparable car would sell for both privately and at a dealer.
We also checked around and figured out what a dealership would allow on trade.

A family member suggested we place a posting on Craigslist. If you are not familiar with Craigslist, you should be. It is a web service where you can sell just about anything. Sections are divided into cities and regions. The site is laid out well and various product categories are easy to find. Photos can be uploaded for your ad.
Best of all the service is free.

The posting went up Saturday evening. Before Craigslist could return an email notifying us of the completed listing the phone began to ring. First one call, then another. Responses came from all over the area. Six appointments were made to show the car the next day.

One couple just couldn't wait to see the Saturn. They came early Sunday and showed the most interest. By the end of the day they had purchased the car and paid the full listed price. The entire process from the creation of the ad to the sale of the car took less than 24 hours.

So what marketing lessons can be learned from this experience?

First, do your homework. Those of us in marketing spend countless hours determining a target audience for a product or service. Countless hours should also be spent determining the right vehicle to reach them.

Secondly, make sure your product is fairly priced and the customer is getting a good value for the money. Obviously in this case they were.

Thirdly, ask around and see where potential buyers are spending their time. In this scenario they weren't looking at the Sunday newspaper or on one of those auto related web sites.

Finally, incorporate online marketing into everything you do. The online audience is huge. It may take some experimentation to figure out the best way to reach that audience but once you do, you'll have a great resource that can produce consistent results.

Who knows, you might even sell a car in less than 24 hours.

Bloody Eye Journalism

2007-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

CBS was once the epitome of journalistic integrity.

Its anchors and reporters were studied and admired by journalism students across the nation.

The familiar names of Murrow, Cronkite, Rather, Safer, Wallace, and so many more were once held in the most highest regard by listeners and viewers, as well as those in the industry.

Now that integrity is getting lost within a corporate conglomerate more interested in leveraging its financial assets than in the quality of the actual news product.

Case in point, the hype surrounding the book "The Secret". The self-development best seller is published by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster which, by the way, is owned by CBS. Atria recently announced it is printing and releasing several million more copies.

One of the people responsible for the writing and release of The Secret's DVD appears on Oprah, which by the way is owned and produced by King World, another CBS property. Book sales begin to take off.

Another feature on The Secret later takes place on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

The next morning Charles Osgood, on the vast CBS Radio network, plays the TV news story almost verbatim on his show. Come on, can't you at least re-write it a little bit.

Even 60 Minutes, once journalistic hallowed ground, produces features on subjects who have written books published by Simon and Schuster. They do, at least, identify at the end of their piece that the book discussed is printed by a property owned by CBS. Gosh, do you really believe the reporter is going to ask the subject any tough or potentially embarrassing questions when his or her boss has a few million dollars at stake?

This folly is a constant revolving door involving personalities with King World on a variety of CBS shows both news and entertainment. Entertainment Tonight, Hollywood's "most watched news show" (if you call that news) and a CBS property, is quick to promote anything new on Oprah. Dr. Phil-another King World product is a regular on ET as is Rachel Ray, the newest member of the King World family. You may see them on the David Letterman show and anywhere else CBS can fit them in. Fine, but keep them out of the evening news.

As a small business owner I understand the need to make a profit. I understand the need for higher ratings and greater viewership. Promoting entertainment through the entertainment divison is one thing, mixing it with news is another.

Public Relations practitioners may have to get an existing CBS property as a client to have any chance of getting exposure on this one-eyed monster.

If CBS wants to present nothing more than a well-dressed infomercial on its news so be it.

You can call it "news", or even "infotainment", but please don't call it journalism.

Maui Wowi

2007-03-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

The task of a public relations practitioner is to create, enhance and manage the public perception of his or her client.

On a recent trip to Maui, (yes that Maui), I received a first-hand look at a perceptual machine like no other.

Maui is one of the most desired tourist destinations in the world. Its perceptive value would rank at the top of any one's list.

To maintain this value requires a lot of hard work. And we're not talking about news articles, op-ed pieces, TV spots and ezines. Instead, hour upon hour and dollar upon dollar is spent on maintaining the Island's natural resources. You see to visit Maui is to love it and the founding fathers do not want anything to interfere with this special experience.

This perception is cultivated, if you will, by constant fondling of the grounds. Flowers are preened and always in bloom. Grassy public walkways are trimmed and neat. Beaches are near spotless. A fleet of waste management vehicles picks up trash on a daily basis, even Sundays.

The perception extends to those who work on the island. They are friendly and courteous. Visitors and tourists somehow become part of the ambiance, willing to lend a helping hand when necessary, and are always anxious to strike-up a conversation.

The escape from a Canadian or Midwestern winter to sunny 80 degree temperatures, swaying palm trees, grassy cliffs, cooling trade winds, and the soothing sounds of the Pacific Ocean help to make the island what it is. But it could all be overlooked if those on the "front lines" did not do their job.

The island workers are what customer service representatives and sales people are to corporations. They are the first and only point of contact for most who visit the Valley Isle. From store clerks to waitresses to luggage handlers, they are Maui's true purveyors of perception. And right now that perception is just about perfect.

Maddening, Isn't It?

2007-03-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Imagine an event so compelling, so intriguing, and so much fun that even a television network couldn't screw it up.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament begins this week and with it comes the great drama of a 64 team battle to determine what team is really the best in the nation.

Unlike college football, teams get to the championship contest by winning their games not through some complicated set of statistics.

Unlike professional sports, the tournament takes place at the same time every year without extended playoffs that seem to run into eternity.

Baseball, a summer sport, ends it season in freezing late fall temperatures. The N.B.A., a winter sport, in steamy June.

Unless one's hometown team is in the final two of a championship series how long do they really expect fans to stick with these marathons? No wonder viewership continues to drop.

The concept of the "March Madness" basketball tournament is simple. Lose and go home. It doesn't matter if you're from a traditional power, such as Connecticut, Duke or North Carolina. It's one and done.

Most of the 64 teams really do have a chance to get to the Final Four. That's how in 2006 a "Cinderella" squad like George Mason, from a supposedly weaker mid-major conference, can knock off heavy favorites from Michigan State, North Carolina, Wichita State and Connecticut in a span of two weeks.

The widespread rooting interest across the nation spurs various forms of office pools, friendly wagering, and "bracketology". This blogger would argue that the tournament's first two days, when all 64 teams are in action, is really the top event of the year for sports television junkies. To its credit CBS has made the games easy to watch. Start times are staggered so viewers can be switched quickly to tightly contested matches nearing their conclusion. Few, if any, key moments are missed.

The marketing lesson here is that if something is highly successful please leave it alone. The tournament doesn't need brand extensions, spin offs, reformatting, or "new and improved" ingredients. Unlike its brethren in professional sports, no need for more teams, longer playoffs, or more hype.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has a most appealing spot in American culture. Let us all go madly into t

The Secret of The Secret

2007-03-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Secret is destined to be the most successful personal development book/audio book/DVD ever sold.

The incredible publicity the book and its author have received is something most public relations practitioners can only drool over.

Oprah, CBS News, CNN and Newsweek have all discussed it, debated it and written about it. Many claim it is the new found "fountain of success".

In case you're one of the few people on the planet who still haven't heard about it, the book focuses on the "power of attraction" to get whatever you want from life. Think positively about that Lexus automobile or diamond necklace. Focus on it and by George you'll get it.

Unfortunately there's no mention of associating hard work, study and innovative thought with those desires. In fact, a lot of what is discussed is nothing new.

Years ago I was listening to some cassette tapes narrated by Brian Tracy, a motivational and business speaker, www.briantracy.com. He talked about the power of attraction on those very recordings. I was totally fascinated with his views on success. One day I was at a radio station with a client taping an interview when in pops someone carrying about 20 Brian Tracy cassette albums.

I asked the person if he worked with Brian Tracy and if Tracy was coming to St. Louis to do a seminar. The person said yes he is. Excitedly I volunteered to do whatever public relations work that person needed in exchange for the opportunity to see Brian in person.

The Tracy representative saw some results and liked our work. In fact he hired us to promote the next seminar in Cincinnati, thank goodness for fees not tickets. That went well and soon we were promoting these programs in various cities throughout the United States. Other seminar promoters also heard about our work and hired us too.

Needless to say the one encounter with the Brian Tracy representative turned out to be worth thousands of dollars over time. Truly the power of attraction.

The real secret of The Secret is in the marketing. Take something that already exists, embellish it, package it in something that looks like The Da Vinci Code, garner a few thousand disciples and create a glitzy DVD. Then get on Oprah. Do that and you too will amass all the fame and fortune you deserve.

A Good Lesson for Event Marketers

2007-03-05T16:23:00.000-08:00

What Do Go Karts and Lexus Have In Common?

Apparently not much as a public relations/event planning specialist found out Sunday night on The Apprentice.

She was fired, and rightfully so. Her job as "Project Manager" was to organize an event around the introduction of the new luxury Lexus sedan. She couldn't come-up with any creative ideas, and this from someone who does this for a living. Her team didn't help, but...Go Karts?

Her one great idea was to have a Go Kart track for everyone to ride around. Not only did it take people out of the Lexus showroom and the presentation, it was way off target and off message.

It would help if she went back to event planning school and re-read page one of the text book..."Know Thy Audience".

The top of the line Lexus is obviously designed for baby boomers and older adults with mega bucks to spend on an automobile. At the premier event many of them wore dresses. A number of them couldn't fit into the machines.

Week in and week out, The Apprentice is basically about event marketing. Those who can think fast on their feet, and have a little marketing sense can do well. The others get fired.

While you may like or dislike "The Donald", event marketers and those who desire to enter the field, can learn a lot from watching the program.