Archive for the ‘Leverage’ Category

Denny’s Grand-Slam Campaign: PR and On-Line Promotion Drive Buzz

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

dennysPosted by Liz Dill

Facing increased late-night competition from McDonald’s, Taco Bell and other fast-food restaurants, plus declining sales during the period of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., Denny’s is trying appeal to college-aged night owls by generating buzz around its “Allnighter” program. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the restaurant chain initiated a targeted campaign which includes hosting post-show parties for rock bands and introducing menu items created by bands such as Good Charlotte and Rascal Flatts which are included on a “rockstar” menu for night patrons.

Denny’s also adopts up-and-coming musician and provides them with $1,000 in gift cards so they can eat while on tour. Katy Perry was a Denny’s adoptee before her song “I Kissed a Girl” hit the air waves.

So far the late-night traffic has increased 5% as a result of the relatively new campaign.The campaign is intriguing from a PR perspective as it gives the family dinning chain a certain “cool factor” by creating a synergy between rock stars, night-owls and late-night food – a time when families are sleeping soundly. The chain has been effectively reaching its target 20-something crowd mainly through social media outlets such as Twitter, MySpace and YouTube instead of advertising. Denny’s is also cleverly holding RSVP after party events for the Warped Tour. Having to RSVP to eat at Denny’s is certain to create additional buzz and drive future PR when rockers are spotted detuning at Denny’s after a big night on stage!

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Posted in Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Leverage, Social Media | Comments Off

Got ROI? Or how much for 5,000 bags of dead bugs?

Monday, June 29th, 2009

sadgrashopperjurvetsonPosted by Erin Koch

A few weeks ago, we received an unusual package here at Gable PR World Headquarters: a sealed plastic package filled with chocolate covered grasshoppers. Of the many things we receive in the mail and via delivery each week, this really jumped out. The payoff?

This past week, The Wall Street Journal venture capital blog explained the (highly successful) stunt: a company called GotVMail was rebranding itself as Grasshopper Inc., and trying to reach entrepreneurs (many of whom were recently out of work) with their call-forwarding and phone answering services. The packaging that came along with the chocolate covered locusts included a link to a Web site and a video on YouTube.

But here’s what really made our antennae stand on end: as reported by the WSJ blog, the cost of the bags of bugs (mailed to 5,000 influencers) was $67,353! The return on the investment: 150,000 views of the video, nearly 1,000,000 people reached via Twitter, and even requests to show the video at conferences. More importantly, the phones and in-boxes at Grasshopper Inc. are buzzing (or humming as the case may be).

This is an excellent example of the exponential power of a creative idea, leveraged with good PR (Gable PR had fun in leveraging ideas for two very different clients — Proflowers and Digital Microwave; consumer or B2B, creativity works). $67,000 spent on advertising would have amounted to little more than a shrug. Yet the same amount invested in a creative PR idea yielded fantastic results and media and blog coverage that spread across the land … like a plague of locusts.

Photo by Jurvetson

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Posted in Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Leverage, The Light Side | Comments Off

Leveraging Twitter: Authentic Voices Lead to PR Success Story

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

PRSA Silver Anvil

PRSA Silver Anvil

Posted by Erin Koch

Ever heard of Anvil? You will soon. (Actually you just did.) The Canadian metal band, active since 1978, is on the verge of a major breakthrough with the release of a documentary on their history: Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

How did a band that toiled in relative obscurity for over thirty years suddenly rocket into the public consciousness? The answer is Twitter or, more precisely, the authenticity of Twitter. As reported last week in this delightful story on American Public Media’s Marketplace, the release of the film has been promoted heavily by celebrities with significant numbers of followers on Twitter. VH-1 provided DVD copies of the film to its stars: John Mayer, Joel and Benji Madden (from Good Charlotte), and others. The celebs watched the DVD, enjoyed it, and tweeted about it to their thousands of Twitter followers who are themselves talking up the film and going to theaters to see it.

Why did this work? And what are the lessons for PR agencies’ use of Twitter and other social media? The key was the authenticity of those promoting the film. VH-1 did not request that its stars provide positive reviews and did not provide monetary compensation. They simply provided the product, and let the reviews speak for themselves.

This is precisely the appeal of sites such as Twitter and Facebook: personal thoughts, impressions, and recommendations direct from people that the target audiences know, trust, or just admire.

Agencies that make use of these social media as conduits for authentic voices will be successful. (And their programs are likely to receive awards, such as the Silver Anvil – the industry’s highest honor, photo above.)

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Posted in Authentic PR, Client Service Results, Leverage, Social Media, The Light Side | 1 Comment »

The Google View of the World; Positive News for PR

Monday, June 1st, 2009

Posted by Tom Gable

What is Google thinking? Members of IPREX, the global network of independent PR firms, held its annual meeting in New York City recently and toured the Googleplex, spread among some 1 million square feet of office space, some reclaimed from old warehouse space. Although different from the mother ship in California, the NYC version had many of the same elements: spaces for collaboration, open environments and a supportive creative culture.

After a brief tour, Ellen West, director of global communications and public affairs, and Lisa Green, senior manager of agency relations, provided an update for the more than 60 PR professionals from around the world on the current thinking at Google about areas that impact PR and the new world of 24/7 news cycles.

Trends, things we know to be true:
1. Offline and online interact
2. Video is enabling rapid response
3. Wisdom of crowds can drive innovation
4. Mobility is important
5. The internet is social

On No. 1, 67 percent of online search is driven by offline information. Think of Oprah and KFC. Think about product recalls. If you have an offline issue, you need an online strategy. Targeted campaigns and themes sites can help to address issues and raise trust in a brand.

On No. 2, 80 percent of Web users watch video. Use it for interaction with people with similar interests. Use video to respond immediately in a crisis, in rebuttal to inaccurate news or blogging.

On No. 3, a good case is Johnson’s Baby Channel. The community is providing content everyone can benefit from.

On No. 4, mobility, search on mobile phones is a major growth area. Think about small headlines.

On No. 5, more people are getting more connected, in all age groups.

During a subsequent brainstorming at Gable PR, we looked at new ways to conduct ongoing research on trends to find new ideas for our clients. Compare companies, compare products, compare share of voice and amount of coverage. The evidence can be great for helping show a client what is happening in the market and encourage new creative and strategic approaches for communications.

To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway, it’s a moveable feast. The PR profession has the opportunity to take a lead in promoting social media and other emerging technologies to clients, to the ultimate benefit of their businesses.

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Posted in Brilliant Counsel, Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Horizon Management, Hype Free PR, In the Beginning, Leverage, Social Media | Comments Off

Using PR to Tell Advertising’s Story and Build Advance Buzz

Monday, April 27th, 2009
Have You Any Wool (and a lifetime power train guarantee?)

Breaking out of the herd

Posted by Erin Koch

How often have you read about an advertising campaign before you’ve seen even one of the ads? Or have you ever wondered if an ad campaign is making a difference?The front page of the April 22 Union-Tribune provides a great example of PR being used to “position” an ad campaign. The San Diego Convention & Visitors’ Bureau launched a PR program to raise attention for its $8.7 million ‘Happy Happens’ ad campaign in an attempt to boost tourism and hotel occupancy.

Another example comes from Southern California’s omnipresent Lexus vs. Audi battle. Apparently, Audi’s “black sheep” campaign – where they position their Q5 luxury-compact SUV as standing apart from the herd of Lexus RXs (the segment’s most popular) – is proving to be quite effective.

PR can (and should) be an integral part of any major advertising campaign. Why? Because the story behind the ads often has a greater impact than the ads themselves. Effective PR results in news stories about the ad campaign itself. As Al Ries noted in his classic book The Fall of Advertising (and the Rise of PR), PR lights the fires and advertising fans the flames. Telling the target audience that Lexus owners are now purchasing Audis because of the ad campaign has a much stronger impact on the car buyer than simply seeing an ad on TV. And a front page story on low hotel occupancy rates in the local paper reminds San Diegans of the need to support the local economy – and might just result in a significant increase in locals booking in-town weekend getaways.

Happy Happens – because PR helps!

Photo Credit: MJK23

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Posted in Client Service Results, Clutter Busting, Leverage | 5 Comments »

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