Posts Tagged ‘creative’

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Weighing In on the Taco Bell Drive Thru Diet – A Belly Laugh or Two

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Worked for me!

Posted by Krista Rogers

Among the top New Year’s resolutions are pledges about weight loss and exercise, so it is no surprise that when January rolls around we are besieged with gym and health-food advertisements. Ironically, as awareness of unhealthy transfats and the American obesity pandemic grows along with our waistlines, the fast food restaurants that have been guilty of clogging our arteries for years are now tooting their healthy-choices horn louder than ever. This makes sense from a marketing standpoint. People want healthier options, so it’s smart to truthfully highlight the healthier menu items. What doesn’t make sense is when a popular fast food chain tries to convince a nation that their “Drive-Thru Diet” is a weight loss secret.

Taco Bell, a quasi-Mexican fast food restaurant, isn’t just pitching its healthier options. It has gone pro-active and launched a misleading campaign with New Year’s “Frescolutions,” and seven menu items claiming to have nine grams of fat or less. Chewing on the campaign disclaimers will probably burn more calories than the 500 calories it claims you will save. How authentic is the diet and, beyond the bun, its Mexican cuisine?

The fine print includes:

“DRIVE-THRU-DIET® IS NOT A WEIGHT-LOSS PROGRAM… TACO BELL’S FRESCO MENU CAN HELP WITH CALORIE REDUCTIONS OF 20 TO 100 PER ITEM COMPARED TO CORRESPONDING PRODUCTS ON OUR REGULAR MENU…. FRESCO MENU ITEMS ARE NOT A LOW CALORIE FOOD.”

This comes at time when a new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, states that prepared foods may contain an average of 8 percent more calories than are printed on package labels and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18 percent more.

Bottom line (a big bottom line): the Drive-Thru Diet is increasing belly laughs rather than reducing waistlines.

Additionally, the Mexican fast food chain has a commercial starring Christine Dougherty, who says she lost 54 pounds on the diet. Christine’s story, however, is unclear on the details. Christine says that she reduced her total daily calorie intake by 500 calories to 1,250 calories by choosing Fresco items and “making other sensible choices” (sharing Fresco items with companions?).

The restaurant’s creative and long-standing slogan “Think Outside the Bun,” is clever and relevant, however the diet program seems to lose sight of its target audience, those in search of filling ground beef tacos and burritos from the “late night menu” and “4th meal” categories.

Lessons learned? Fast food restaurants will never be considered a healthy diet option or a great stop along the road to weight loss. Taco Bell may be joining other fast food chains in offering healthy choices to offset criticism and possible government regulation. That can be done, but without the hype. Be authentic, clearly present the facts and be creative with your key messages, themes and keep your core values in mind in all that you do. If you stray too far, instead of getting people to “Think Outside the Bun,” you may convince them to go elsewhere. As the saying goes, here today, gone tamale.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Client Service Results, Hype Free PR, The Light Side | No Comments »

PR News Release Words to Live By (Not!) in 2010

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Jargon for the Ages

Posted by Tom Gable

We entered 2010 with the banished words for the year from Lake Superior State University, an impressive list full of toxic assets that were shovel-ready for burial. To build on this fine start, we thought it would be instructive to offer a quick historical perspective on words most hated by the media in PR news releases.

Some words such as solutions must get dropped into news releases almost unconsciously, somewhat of a verbal tic. Lazy writers sprinkle their releases with jargon rather than striving to develop well-crafted, creative and compelling ideas that capture the personality of the company, its points of differentiation and the defining factors of its offering. Instead, they issue something that sounds like a majority of news releases going out over the wires each day. A test: redact the company name, send to colleagues in other markets and see if they can identify the company.

This first list of words to avoid is based on several surveys Gable PR conducted over the past decade among editors and writers at major national business, financial and trade media. Amazingly, the list remains pretty much the same as it did when first launched in 2000!

  • Best-of-breed, customer-centric, cutting edge, end-to-end, excited, first mover, leading, leading edge, leading provider, mission critical, new paradigm, robust, seamless, solutions, state-of-the-art, thrilled, turnkey, world class.

David Meerman Scott, author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, analyzed 711,123 press releases distributed during 2008 by North American companies and filtered for gobbledygook words.

  • His favorites: 120 percent, commitment, focused on, innovate, leading provider, leverage, new and improved, partnership, pleased to, unique.
  • The Scott list from 2007: cutting edge, easy to use, flexible, market leading, mission critical, next generation, robust, scalable, well positioned world class.

Inc. Magazine wrote about the words it unfriend last year. Check out their take on some of the words and else they could mean (ala brain dump).

  • Actionable, authenticity, best of breed, brain dump, co-opetition, disintermediate, mindshare, offline, outside the box, proactive, repurpose, solution, synergy, value-add.

Bottom line: be precise, intelligent and creative in telling your stories. This can be hard work. Avoid the temptation to simply drop in a few words that sound good but like blank tiles in Scrabble, have no meaning – a great line from the classic book, Cluetrain Manifesto, which is must reading for anyone interested in joining the battle against jargon.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Hype Free PR, jargon | No Comments »

Banished Word List for 2010 – Just a Start!

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Jabberwocky landing

Jabberwocky landing

Posted by Tom Gable

Lake Superior State University recently released its annual Banished Words List. First started in 1975, the list is culled from tens of thousands of nominations and includes the best of the worst from marketing, media, education, technology, politics and more.

Interested in contributing? Check their alphabetical complete list first. For the 2010 list, including comments from various sources, read on:

SHOVEL-READY — A cadaver? Potted plant? Suggestion: a project ready to implement.

TRANSPARENT/TRANSPARENCY — Cynics say it means politically invisible.

CZAR — A media term for those given major powers and authority, ala missile, inflation, bird flu, car, etc. LSSU noted that George W. Bush appointed 47 people to 35 czar jobs; Pres. Obama, eight appointments to 38 positions. One wag noted presidents hand out czar positions like party favors. Suggestion: leader, director, manager, CEO, etc.

TWEET — And all its offspring: twitterature, tweetaholic, twittersphere, tweeps, twiteracy, etc.

APP — Annoying abbreviation. Reader suggestion: call them programs once again.

SEXTING – Overhyped. Do the media and talk show hosts encourage the behavior?

FRIEND AS A VERB — The Oxford English Dictionary actually selected unfriend as their top new word of the year, given the growth of friending and related terms on social media sites. LSSU entrant suggestion: befriend. And defriend?

TEACHABLE MOMENT — Is it a time when a mentor has the opportunity to provide a valuable lesson to an individual, class, network or broader constituency? Or, on the down side, getting hit in the face for a rude comment at a bar is a teachable moment, as are political failures, economic policies gone awry, having your sexting messages discovered by your wife, flunking out of college, etc. Suggestions: learning opportunity or lessons.

IN THESE ECONOMIC TIMES — Used as a verbal tic or introductory clause, stating the obvious in political speeches or creating excuses for companies that fell short of their earnings forecasts, stopped selling homes, filed for bankruptcy, laid off staff, etc. Suggestion: stop using it.

STIMULUS – Recreational drugs? CPR? Suggestion: use clear nouns, such as loans and grants.

TOXIC ASSETS — Anthrax? A dirty nuclear weapon? Suggestions from the crowd: bad mortgage portfolios, bad debts, bad loan packages, loan default portfolio.

TOO BIG TO FAIL — Totally wrong if you believe in market forces. Failure is a natural correction. If it hasn’t been run right, a company or institution doesn’t deserve to continue with government subsidies ad infinitum. Let the competitors take up the slack, which they will quite rapidly.

BROMANCE – Sounds like a term created by metrosexuals. Suggestion: how about friends?

CHILLAXIN‘ — (Picture a Gen-Y metrosexual relaxing with his martini on an art deco chair at a gallery opening. Then hit “Delete All.”

OBAMA-prefix or roots? — The name Obama has a nice meter to it and lazy journalists, commentators and critics can easily attached to other constructs: Obamanomics, Obamacare, Obamaland, Obamanation, etc. Instead, come up with clear descriptions and definitions. As the LSSU word czars noted: “We say Obamanough already.”)

Next: additional words to avoid for 2010 and beyond!

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Hype Free PR, Social Media, The Light Side, jargon | No Comments »

PR and Reputation Management for the Future – Clear Vision, Moving Horizon

Friday, December 18th, 2009

The Moving PR Horizon

The Moving PR Horizon

Posted by Tom Gable

As reported here previously, a PRSA Counselors Academy survey identified the key issues facing the PR agencies and internal staffs in the ongoing transition of the PR professional from vendor to trusted counselor. The top line action items: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), providing authentic counsel, embracing social media, improving technology and finding new ways of measurement.

My segment during a panel discussion of the findings at the PRSA International provided ideas on enhancing client service. As covered earlier, Gable PR and many others recommend getting off to a fast start by using internal and external audits. They are a cost-effective and quick means of gathering the intelligence required to create strategic long-term programs.

With research in place, agencies and internal PR staffs can start planning to build future image from a strong foundation and based on a bright, strategic vision. As an analogy, think about creating a beautiful new high-rise office building, cathedral, synagogue, museum, football stadium or other major architectural undertaking. What do you want the finished product to look like – the final rendering? Then, what are the essential elements needed to bring the vision to life?

Steel-Solid Facts, No Hype

In PR, branding and positioning, the foundation must be legitimate, ethical, credible, authentic and steel-solid with facts. From there, image builds on three to four core values. Then, every piece of communications provides additional support for each core value, building a row at a time to create a future award-wining edifice. Add a row or two of hype? And the walls will come crumbling down.

How to organize the PR efforts necessary to create new images and reputations? We call it Horizon Management, a concept that assumes you can plan for and achieve the desired results. Then, once the desired position is reached, positive communications must continue to perpetuity. Markets change. Competitors come and go. New communications tools are created and channels opened. So aim for the horizon – and keep moving the horizon!

The pro-active PR professional routinely looks a year or more ahead for new opportunities and provides the leadership that keeps relationships and results growing over time. Go beyond the ordinary and expected. Fresh ideas keep clients and bosses engaged and enthusiastic. The approach also builds trust and respect. Even if there is disagreement, clients know the professional is focused on their future success, not personal agendas. As a result, the PR professional is transformed from vendor or staff person to trusted counselor and strategic partner, building relationships that endure and prosper.

Horizon Management

Here are a couple of quick tips for launching horizon management.

Conduct an Environmental and Situation Analysis

  • Annual plans, milestones, events, conferences, quarterly reports, audit info, other “knowns”

Get Creative with the “Flip Side”

  • What exists? What doesn’t?
  • Where are the holes?
  • What new ideas can we bring to the table?

Take Your Plan Over the Horizon

  • Propose bigger ideas, new programs, and added value
  • Have short-term action items for daily engagement
  • Set a vision for the future (changing image, behavior)
  • Brainstorm regularly, provide continuous creativity
  • Update monthly and keep moving the horizon
  • Manage for results, not time
  • Understand client rhythms, synchronize
  • Set new standards for responsiveness

Monthly Litmus Test on Program Success

Examine recent client experiences, relationships, evolution, momentum, stagnation and any confusion or misdirection:

  • What worked?
  • What didn’t?
  • What (or who) changed?
  • What was missing?
  • What steps do we need to take to generate clearly superior results?

Detailed Check List for Client Success

  • Understand the client business, plans, and goals
  • Match expertise to client needs
  • Do your homework
  • Set realistic expectations
  • Build a team – internally and with the client
  • Develop long-range plans, critical steps
  • Establish procedures, protocols for planning, ongoing creative, approvals, measurement
  • Be strategic and authentic
  • Use appropriate tools and tactics
  • Communicate consistently and creatively!
  • Keep moving the horizon
  • And celebrate as you build relationships that endure to perpetuity

Obviously, these are bullet points that require a lot more thought for each and could be turned into a chapter in a book (They are! The Fifth Edition of the PR Client Service Manual is advancing toward release in Spring 2010). For a free PDF of the Fourth Edition, circa 2001, email me at tom@gablepr.com.

Posted by Tom Gable

As reported here previously, a PRSA Counselors Academy survey identified the key issues facing the PR agencies and internal staffs in the ongoing transition of the PR professional from vendor to trusted counselor. The top line action items: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), providing authentic counsel, embracing social media, improving technology and finding new ways of measurement.

My segment during a panel discussion of the findings at the PRSA International provided ideas on enhancing client service.  As covered earlier, Gable PR and many others recommend getting off to a fast start by using internal and external audits.  They are a cost-effective and quick means of gathering the intelligence required to create strategic long-term programs.

With research in place, agencies and internal PR staffs can start planning to build future image from a strong foundation and based on a bright, strategic vision. As an analogy, think about creating a beautiful new high-rise office building, cathedral, synagogue, museum, football stadium or other major architectural undertaking.  What do you want the finished product to look like – the final rendering? Then, what are the essential elements needed to bring the vision to life?

Steel-Solid Facts, No Hype

In PR, branding and positioning, the foundation must be legitimate, ethical, credible, authentic and steel-solid with facts.  From there, image builds on three to four core values. Then, every piece of communications provides additional support for each core value, building a row at a time to create a future award-wining edifice. Add a row or two of hype? And the walls will come crumbling down.

How to organize the PR efforts necessary to create new images and reputations?  We call it Horizon Management, a concept that assumes you can plan for and achieve the desired results.  Then, once the desired position is reached, positive communications must continue to perpetuity.  Markets change. Competitors come and go. New communications tools are created and channels opened.  So aim for the horizon – and keep moving the horizon!

The pro-active PR professional routinely looks a year or more ahead for new opportunities and provides the leadership that keeps relationships and results growing over time. Go beyond the ordinary and expected. Fresh ideas keep clients and bosses engaged and enthusiastic. The approach also builds trust and respect. Even if there is disagreement, clients know the professional is focused on their future success, not personal agendas.  As a result, the PR professional is transformed from vendor or staff person to trusted counselor and strategic partner, building relationships that endure and prosper.

Horizon Management

Here are a couple of quick tips for launching horizon management.

Conduct an Environmental and Situation Analysis

Annual plans, milestones, events, conferences, quarterly reports, audit info, other “knowns”

Get Creative with the “Flip Side”

What exists? What doesn’t?

Where are the holes?

What new ideas can we bring to the table?

Take Your Plan Over the Horizon

Propose bigger ideas, new programs, and added value

Have short-term action items for daily engagement

Set a vision for the future (changing image, behavior)

Brainstorm regularly, provide continuous creativity

Update monthly and keep moving the horizon

Manage for results, not time

Understand client rhythms, synchronize

Set new standards for responsiveness

Monthly Litmus Test on Program Success

Examine recent client experiences, relationships, evolution, momentum, stagnation, confusion

What worked?

What didn’t?

What (or who) changed?

What was missing?

What steps do we need to take to generate clearly superior results?

Detailed Check List for Client Success

Understand the client business, plans, and goals

Match expertise to client needs

Do your homework

Set realistic expectations

Build a team – internally and with the client

Develop long-range plans, critical steps

Establish procedures, protocols for planning, ongoing creative, approvals, measurement

Be strategic and authentic

Use appropriate tools and tactics

Communicate consistently and creatively!

Keep moving the horizon

And celebrate as you build relationships that endure to perpetuity.

Obviously, these are bullet points that require a lot more thought for each and could be turned into a chapter in a book (They are!  The Fifth Edition of the PR Client Service Manual is advancing toward release in Spring 2010).  For a free PDF of the Fourth Edition, circa 2001, email me at tom@gablepr.com.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, In the Beginning | No Comments »

The external PR image audit: quick benchmark, reality test for measuring reputation

Friday, December 4th, 2009

The Ears Have It

The Ears Have It

Posted by Tom Gable

Client relations and finding new ways of measurement were two key issues facing PR firms based on results of a recent PRSA Counselors Academy survey which was released at the International Conference in San Diego. Connecting better with clients through an internal audit and other methods was recommended in the previous posting and in a talk to the conference. For developing valuable insights into image and the competitive environment, conduct an external audit, Although not new (probably first done by Edward Bernays), it can be done quickly, at far less expense than many other forms of qualitative research and will provide insights you can use in developing brilliant long-term plans for your clients.

Where internal audits delve into the soul and culture of an organization, external audits can probe the perceptions of media, analysts, customers, suppliers, academicians and visionaries in the space, serving as a reality test of the quality of a client’s image. As we found in some cases at Gable PR, the results can be a rude awakening.

Popping Bubbles (and organizational charts)

Gable PR was working with a scientific and research institution that was incredibly full of itself. An external audit showed it to be held in much lower esteem than several competing institutions. The findings helped get management focused on a program to first change their culture, planning processes and internal communications before getting pro-active with a new public relations program aimed at raising reputation to new heights. With one software company, the media thought that it had gone bankrupt because it hadn’t issued updated software in 18 months, much less a news release.

The best external audits are conducted by skilled interviewers and without the participants knowing the identity of the client. The audits can be positioned as gathering information for a marketing study to be published in a trade journal (which we often do). Stress confidentiality and anonymity to encourage candor and promise to send a copy of the results.

Start with a 30,000-foot question that establishes the focus of the research, such as: “In looking at companies in the accounting software (biotech screening, wet suit manufacturing, real estate development, etc.) field, who is the industry leader?”

The Qualities of Leadership?

The respondent may mention more than one. Pick one and ask: “What are the attributes that make them a leader?” If they make general statements like “quality,” probe deeper; do the same for categories such as technology, science, people, financial strength and culture (“Tell me more about the people.”).

Then, look at the flip side: “Any negatives?” Become an investigate reporter, of sorts. “Anything they need to change?” Open-ended questions work wonders.

Have a list of other companies in the field to ask about, including your client, and move through a reasonable number. “What about HyperGalactic Turboware?” “Effluvia BioDiagnostics?” “Are you familiar with the NanoMolecular Research Institute of Fleem? Your thoughts?” Delving into three or four, including your client, will provide a reasonable number for analysis.

With just seven or eight smart open-ended questions, a skilled interviewer will secure sterling insights into perceptions from the outside world. Move toward closure with a big picture question such as: “What are the two or three biggest issues facing the industry in the next two years?” And: “Anything else you would care to add?”

The Message Not the Messenger

Once the audits are complete, create a master document with all the answers inserted randomly after each question. Don’t include attribution. By mixing up the answers and eliminating sources, the focus is on perceptions and messages, not the messenger.

Conduct a gap analysis with the internal audit. How do perceptions line up? What exists? More importantly, where do you need to go?

At this stage, the PR firm can use the findings to brainstorm on recommended long-range plans for the client. Set timetables for repeating the external audit as one means of measuring progress in moving an image in the right direction. Establish other means of measurement, which can include social media monitoring, content analysis and regularly scheduled online surveys using tools such as Survey Monkey and Zoomerang. Both are inexpensive, easy to use and can provide additional insights to consider in your strategic planning on positioning, differentiation and more importantly, getting the organization aligned to move its image and reputation in the right direction.

(For a sample external audit questionnaire, email: tom@gablepr.com)

Next: Basic Check List for Success in Client Relations

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, In the Beginning | No Comments »

PRSA Survey: Social Media Mastery, Authenticity, ROI are Top Three Issues Facing PR Profession

Monday, November 16th, 2009

PRSA International Conference Hotel, San Diego

PRSA International Conference Hotel, San Diego

Posted by Tom Gable

In an era dominated by millions of corporate, institutional, government and other voices clamoring for attention through every communications channel possible, members of the PRSA Counselors Academy responding to a national survey, ranked “demonstrating return on investment,” “providing authentic counsel” and “mastering social media” as the top three issues to be addressed in helping their clients and advancing the future of the public relations profession over the next two years.

The survey was conducted online during October among 450 members of Counselors Academy, a professional interest section of the Public Relations Society of America dedicated to providing principals and senior counselors of public relations firms with the resources to grow their firms and the counseling skills of their people. Membership is limited to accredited counselors (PRSA or Canadian Public Relations Society) or consultants with 10 or more years experience in the profession. Eighty-nine responded, or almost 20 percent of those surveyed.

The results were released on Nov. 9 during the PRSA International Confernece in San Diego and served as the foundation for a panel discussion on “How to Tackle the Three Toughest Issues Facing PR Counselors Today.” The panel was chaired by Tom Gable, APR and PRSA Fellow, CEO of Gable PR, who designed the survey. It included Sydney Ayers, APR, president and CEO of Ayers Public Relations and chairwoman of PRSA Counselors Academy, and Joel Curran, APR, senior vice president and managing director, Manning Selvage & Lee, Chicago.

The survey asked respondents to rank from 1 to 5 their impressions of different internal and external issues facing the profession in 2009-10 in four major categories, with 1 being “Very Unimportant” and 5 being “Very Important.” The top four issues in each category:

Client Relations: demonstrating return on investment (ROI), 4.60 and No. 2 overall; providing authentic, strategic counsel, 4.55, No.3 overall; measuring results, 4.43, No. 5 overall; and connecting PR to the C-suite, 4.25; and raising agency fees, 3.63.

Media and Technology: mastering social media, 4.70 (No. 1 overall); enhancing technology capabilities, 4.53 (No. 4 overall); the 24/7 news cycle, 4.31; and decline of traditional media, 4.24.

External Issues: the economy, 4.34 (No. 6 overall); government regulation, 3.59; losing business to consulting firms, 3.20; and dominance of the biggest multinational firms, 2.80.

Partnerships and Resources: values and ethics management, 4.23; developing strategic partnerships, 4.18; recruiting and retaining talent, 4.13; and expanding agency services, 3.98.

Respondents represented a cross section of agency sizes: under $500,000 in annual billings, 27.3 percent; $500,000 to $999,999, 42.4 percent; $1 million to $4.99 million, 21.2 percent; $5 million to $9.99 million, 9.1 percent; and over $10 million, no responses.

Those responding were largely senior practitioners: less than 10 years in the profession, zero percent; 10 to 15 years, 6.1 percent; 16 to 20 years, 3.0 percent; 21 to 30 years, 57.6 percent; and more than 30 years, 33.3 percent.

From the data, the panelists provided insights and action plans for addressing Client Relations, Social Media and Changing the Way PR Firms do Business.  Next: lessons from the panel; connecting with the client.

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PR Releases Packed with Leaders Providing Solutions

Thursday, November 5th, 2009
It's about style

It's about style

 

Posted by Tom Gable

In looking for new content for a speech on jargon later this month, we set up news trackers to see how all the leaders of the world were doing in providing seamless, end-to-end, leading edge, next generation, turnkey solutions to whatever niche they serve. Amazingly, the results mirror those from the first similar survey a decade ago and five subsequent tracking surveys. Every other release on Business Wire and PR Newswire comes from a leader and most of them are selling solutions, rather than specific products or well-defined services.

David Meerman Scott in his Gobbledygook surveys and others, including yours truly, have written about this extensively. For this exercise, we’ve pulled a few choice clauses from PR news releases and company boilerplates and inserted below without attribution. Since they are all leaders, instant name identification should be easy. We do identify one company, because it deserves recognition for hitting the Trifecta, incorporating three great terms disliked by most media into its boilerplate: leading provider, seamless solutions and performance-driven.

The Trifecta!

AccountNet is a leading solutions and professional services provider focused on the financial and government sectors. AccountNet creates performance-driven, seamless solutions that add considerable value, and utilizes proven system-integration methodologies and expertise to help clients capitalize on their existing infrastructures successfully and cost effectively

Whew. What are they selling?

Now, on to more leaders in many niches, with a few comments for the good of the order. And if you can identify any of these, post a comment. The person identifying the most leaders will get an Amazon gift certificate for buying reference books on style, grammar and the new world of PR.

  • the world’s leading provider of high-quality lenticular large format and custom-printed plastics
  • creates performance-driven, seamless solutions that add considerable value (the daily double)
  • (the company) goal is to be an end-to-end service provider to its customers by furnishing customized and integrated “turn-key” solutions
  • a leading provider of affordable easy-to-use enterprise-class systems management software as a service
  • an industry-leading provider of end-to-end web hosting services (they could be seamless, too!)
  • an impressive suite of proprietary products and services to create seamless solutions that meet each client’s highly specific needs (meeting unspecific needs wouldn’t work that well)
  • leading provider of email traffic shaping software (my email is in bad shape; I could use a seamless solution from these guys to get it into shape)
  • a leading provider of electronic engines for the optically connected digital world (would love to know more about this niche!)
  • the nation’s leading provider of cleaner electricity and carbon offset solutions (wonder if the leader in dirty electricity can use some PR help)
  • the leading provider of turnkey virtual communications and virtual office solutions (we could use some real solutions)
  • world’s leading provider of WiMAX™ and wireless broadband solutions
  • a leading provider of advanced font products
  • a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content (probably a crowded market where leadership is critical to success)

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Posted in Authentic PR, Client Service Results, Hype Free PR, Hypemeister Honor Roll, jargon | No Comments »

PR Horizon Management: Pointing Clients Toward New Territory, Long-Term Results

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

Posted by Tom Gable

The public relations profession faces many challenges in these hardscrabble times. Clients are holding tight, cutting their public relations budgets or simply saying goodbye. Competitors swoop in, looking for hints of weakness in a client-agency relationship. Business consulting, advertising and marketing firms aren’t far behind, promoting their tool kits as a means of not only surviving but growing in touch economic times. What steps can agencies take to ensure that their clients are incredibly pleased with the work being done, the results generated on their behalf and the agency relationship?

Based on lessons learned from working through three previous recessions (some better than others!), I’ve come to realize that success in client service and retention requires a manic sense of urgency to deliver short-term results combined with a disciplined approach to creativity and long-range planning. Smart agencies provide clients with ideas and strategic plans that will be generating results six, nine and twelve months into the future. The best way to get the agency or in-house team pointed in the right direction and taking action: create a system and process to drive results.

Developing Your System

At Gable PR, we experimented with different approaches in the 1992 recession. The goal was to have clients envision gaining market share and mind share from their competitors by committing to pro-active public relations. Statistics from several sources provided validation; the companies that continued marketing in troubled times grew faster than those who didn’t. We began calling our system “horizon management” and worked to get the client on board for sailing together toward new and beneficial destinations.

As recently presented during a recent PRSA Webinar and based on longer lessons found in The PR Client Service Manual, pro-active systems work best with an interactive team process; the more brainpower the better. One approach is to hold regular meetings every Monday to update on all client activities. For long-term impact, use the meeting to brainstorm new ideas for each client on a rotating basis. Chose one client or two as the subjects for the next meeting. Have the team leader or account manager review background information in advance of the session, including client calendars, milestones, known events and activities, conference schedules, editorial calendars and focus editions.

The Planning Spreadsheet

Then, to make it easy for everyone to visualize the flow of activities and critical deadlines, plot your plan on a project management program or Excel spreadsheet. List activities in the first column, months in the subsequent columns over the next year or two and put in check marks to note when activities or events are expected to take place.  A rough sample can be found here on the Gable PR Web site.

Then, during the creative session, analyze each opportunity and see what result might be generated to advance the client’s business, marketing or capital plans, or all of the above. Envision media relations, community relations, investor relations, social media activities, trade relations and public affairs opportunities unfolding across time.

Agency teams can brainstorm on the tactical approaches within each area, set priorities and also get creative in looking at what we call “the flip side” — what’s there and, more importantly, what’s not there? The initial road map gives the agency a simple planning document to track, and makes it easy to take detours and add new side trips while still keeping the original destinations in mind as the program unfolds.

From Brainstorm to Masterful, Strategic PR Plan

With team brainpower, the agency has now created a master plan for the year, with a series of new ideas it can present to the client, implement and keep updating with creative sessions that are adjusted to point to new horizons. Clients get excited. They see the agency as creative, intuitive, pro-active and worth keeping! New ideas can also drive new budgets.

The flip side is sitting back and bemoaning the lower budget and managing for time, not results. This inevitably ends up with the client calling to ask one of the worst questions on earth for an agency: “What have you done for me lately?”

Every agency’s mission, as well of those on internal PR staffs on the client side, should be ensure you do great work both lately and for the long-term. Techies call this parallel processing. Handle the daily tasks with alacrity and skill while working on your horizon program that generates results that go beyond the ordinary and expected for every client. The approach creates value and ROI for the client and relationships that endure to perpetuity (well, maybe not quite that long, but potentially for years and even decades).

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Horizon Management, In the Beginning, Team Play | No Comments »

Making the Online Video Boom Work for PR, Branding

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Getting Visual

Getting Visual

Posted by Krista Rogers

You can run but you can’t hide. The online video boom is here and it is not going to go away. And it is a great thing. Online video presents an incredible platform for public relations practitioners to help their clients or organizations improve communication and tell stories in new and imaginative ways. But the question is, “How?”

Earlier this month I participated in the PRSA teleseminar: Tapping into the Online Video Boom hosted by Mike McDougall, APR Vice President of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at Bausch & Lomb that answered the questions so many companies are wrestling with.

Mike said online video should be an essential part of any corporate communicator’s toolkit. He really put the value of online video into perspective. It is no longer limited to channels such as YouTube or traditional broadcast media. It is becoming a cheap and effective tool that can be integrated into all of your communication tactics.

To quantify just how much impact online video has on internet users in the United States, here are some numbers from the results from a January 2009 Comscore report:

  • Over 147 million U.S. Internet users viewed an average of 101 videos each in January (more than three a day!).
  • 76.8 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video.
  • The average online video viewer watched 356 minutes of video in January, (approximately 6 hours), up 15 percent versus December.
  • 100.9 million viewers watched 6.3 billion videos on YouTube.com (62.6 videos per viewer).
  • 54.1 million viewers watched 473 million videos on MySpace.com (8.7 videos per viewer).
  • The duration of the average online video was 3.5 minutes, up from 3.2 minutes per video in December.

Mike was kind enough to share his ideas for using online video to show off an organization’s attributes, all within a strategic plan. Here are his top tips with a little Gable PR insights as well.

ELEVEN ONLINE VIDEO TIPS

  1. Let your spokespeople speak! Be casual and non-slick.
  2. Show your lighter side. Be careful though, there is a caveat; don’t make it too light. Make sure the video is appropriate to the company’s personality and culture.
  3. Show what is special. What could you use to increase internal morale or external interest? Talk about how many patents you have? Secret ingredients in your hotel’s recipes? Brilliant engineering in your medical device? Special relics in your museum? You can even interview someone who has been with the company for many years and share that with the world!
  4. Become an expert. Share your knowledge! (Check out Gable PR’s Guru ™ Program)
  5. Dust off the archives. People like to reminisce and witness a company’s evolution and vitality.
  6. Tap the unexpected. Are people using your product in a different or creative way? Build on that!
  7. Make the complex simple. Let video explain the complex.
  8. Supplement a news release with a video clip or link to a YouTube video to further explain your points and add personality to the organization.
  9. Turn your blog into a vlog (video log). Share your opinions, ideas, etc. through a vlog instead of a blog to better engage viewers and enhance your point.
  10. Celebrate global efforts if they exist. Use personalities and experiences from other countries. Highlight it and show it off.
  11. Highlight success. Milestones are a cause for celebration and an opportunity to say, “Hey! Look at us!”

One of the greatest aspects of the online video boom is the bang you can get for your buck. Grab an HD Still Camera for $130 that will have video and be up and vlogging in no time. Need an event documented at your European headquarters in Germany? Don’t send over a whole crew. FedEx a $130 camera and have the footage uploaded in an hour (or have them buy it there if the price is right).

YouTube experts blogged about three factors that contributed to driving an overall growth of 1700 percent in uploads in the last six months: new video-enabled phones on the market, improvement of the upload flow and a new, streamlined process to share videos on social networks. The new technology creates accessibility that allows for endless opportunities for anyone to jump on board and use online video to their advantage. And it’s a must-have addition to almost every PR communications tool kit.

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Posted in Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Social Media | 1 Comment »

SD Kicks for Kids; Chargers’ Cause Marketing PR Campaign Scores

Friday, October 2nd, 2009
 

Kaeding Kicks for Kids

Kaeding Kicks for Kids

Posted by Krista Rogers

In light of our San Diego Chargers’ first of many wins for the 2009 season, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight some of the other ways the team is scoring points off the field and within the community. 

For the second time, the San Diego Chargers are teaming up with The Ronald McDonald House to help raise funds for the non-profit organization that provides on-site housing for families with hospitalized children. Ronald McDonald Houses around the U.S. offer families a way to stay together, in proximity to the treatment hospital, and be comfortable and cared for during their stay.

Two of the Chargers kickers – Pro Bowl place kicker Nate Kaeding and one of the NFL’s top punters, Mike Scifres – have joined forces in a cause marketing campaign called SD Kicks for Kids that exemplifies all that a successful cause marketing campaign should entail.

The basic premise of the campaign is to have donors pledge a certain amount of money per kick for each of Nate’s field goals and Mike’s punts inside the 20 yard line. For example, if you pledge $10 per field goal and Nate kicks 20 field goals this season, you will have pledged $200 at the end of the season. In addition, donors will receive other perks from their giving, including being entered in a raffle to win a pizza party with Nate and 20 of your friends at the end of the season. Immediate rewards for giving

While the Ronald McDonald House may not have a direct correlation to the football team, the two joining forces together is original, creates a sense of community, brings people who may not normally follow the Chargers to pay attention to the games, and connects football fans with a cause they may not previously been aware of.

Cause marketing campaigns are a great way to create positive buzz about your company and create support for the non-profit organization; it truly is a win-win situation. Gable PR encourages its clients to participate in cause marketing campaigns to give back something to the community that’s been good to you. Here are a few tips to consider when engaging in a cause related marketing campaign.

1. Be original: Although contributing to The Ronald McDonald House isn’t groundbreaking, tying the success of the Charger’s kickers with donations is innovative and ties the pledge to something that’s both fun and easily measurable. The more novel your strategy, the more interested the media will be in covering your efforts.

2. Pick a cause that is significant to your brand or your target audience. In this example, the Chargers are reaching out to the local community and Charger fans.

3. Get the word out! Let people know what you are doing and take initiative in creating buzz around your campaign. Spread the word through public relations, public service announcements on television and radio, scoreboard mentions, email blasts, billboards and cost-free communication networks such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

4. Reward giving: While just donating may be rewarding enough for some people, instant perks such as receiving an exclusive membership into “Nate’s Locker” after every game (an e-newsletter with get an email update from Nate sharing his take on the game) and an official Kicks for Kids magnet reminds people that you recognize their donations. Reminders of the donations and a quick thank you will go a long way toward enhancing the relationship.

5. Set Goals: Set realistic goals and share with the community when you have reached them. Having a tangible goal and seeing it achieved will make the people contributing feel good about their donations and your organization. Be specific about how the money is going to be used. SD Kicks for Kids has a FAQ page that answers all of those questions. It’s best to be conservative in setting your goals so you can announce early victory!

5. Celebrate: Let the world know when you have achieved your milestones and say thank you to the people that have made contributions. In some cases, it may be appropriate to hold a media event to hand over the check for the money raised directly to representatives of the cause (how about Kaeding and Scifres in uniform handing a check to the Ronald McDonald character at the 50 yard line during half time of a nationally televised game?). With creativity, a company can generate positive media attention and continue the push to make more people aware of the cause.

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Posted in Authentic PR, Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Hype Free PR, Leverage, Team Play | 1 Comment »

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