I had an interesting conversation with a someone today that reminded me of the importance of PR basics we were taught in PR 101. This person was explaining to me that while his company had been covered on multiple occasions by the Today Show, The New York Times and FOX News, among other national media outlets, that he wasn’t interested in that kind of coverage. I was quite surprised to hear that, to say the least. I can honestly say that was the first time in my career that anyone had said to me that they didn’t care to be on the Today Show!
When I probed him a bit about this, he explained that these pieces hadn’t really moved the needle on his business. Sometimes as PR professionals, we forget that while the Today Show or Wall Street Journal may be the “holy grail” of coverage traditionally, these outlets may not be the best way to reach our clients’ target audience. May PR professionals operate in a vacuum, rarely considering the marketing, sales and business goals as part of their PR strategy. PR should be yet another tool for growing a business.
Just a reminder that we can always benefit from revisiting the basics.
Ah, Facebook. It’s so embedded in popular culture, there’s even a movie about it! But savvy B2B marketers have realized that Facebook also holds true potential when it comes to promoting new services, products or even contests. And it’s tempting to start a contest or promotion right from your Facebook wall – you throw up a few status updates, create some buzz and give away a few prizes. No harm done, and now you have a hundred new fans to boot.
Wrong.
Facebook actually has strict guidelines when it comes to hosting contests and promotions, and these guidelines prohibit posting any kind of contest or sweepstakes on Facebook, including collecting entries, judging entries or announcing winners on your wall. Exceptions are made however – if you’re willing to purchase at least $10K in Facebook ad buys over the course of three months.
For many companies, this can be cost prohibitive, but there are several contest platform providers that can serve as a cost-effective alternative. Contest platform providers like Strutta.com, Wildfire and Votigo all offer services that can help you navigate and create a microsite for your contest, with built-in Facebook integration that allows entrants to share their entries with their friends on their own pages or to become a fan and “Like” your company’s Fan Page. Some services even include a contest widget that can be embedded within Facebook’s FBML application with your Fan Page, taking interested visitors directly to the contest microsite. Additional functionality from these types of providers includes the ability to:
- Create a custom, branded microsite
- Design entry or inquiry forms, with custom Q&A requirements from entrants
- Accept photo, video and text entries
- Create photo and video galleries for all entries
- Vote on entries, or to conduct a judging round from within the platform
- Review and analyze contest analytics and top-referring sites
Wondering what one of these sites looks like? Check out the “Show Us Your Office” contest site from our client, Regus. To encourage business growth opportunities for companies nationwide, Regus launched the “Show Us Your Office” contest to award one lucky business owner a year of fully furnished, fully equipped office space at one of Regus’ 400 U.S. locations. Using the Strutta platform, Regus created a microsite, www.showusyouroffice.com, where interested entrants can submit a photo or video of their less than ideal workplace for the chance to win. Site visitors also have the chance to vote on each entry, and the top 10 entries will advance to a final judging round. The best part? Fans have the option to browse the entries right from the Facebook Fan Page via a custom contest widget, giving Regus the chance to further interact with current and potential new Facebook fans.
A well-executed Facebook contest can provide your company with additional sales leads, a plethora of new, engaged fans as well as additional buzz and excitement over your products and services. Have you seen any well executed Facebook contests, or have you used a contest platform provider service? Feel free to let us know in the comment section below.
Becoming a hero to disgruntled employees across the globe, JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater’s dramatic resignation has sparked a flurry of chatter around the power of PR and the effectiveness of crisis communications (and of course, how to become an overnight celebrity).
Steven Slater, being the savvy business man that he is, has hired high-profile publicist Howard Bragman to represent him. Once those pesky criminal charges are dealt with, Howard intends to help extend Slater’s 15 minutes of fame (they’re entertaining reality show offers and potential book deals). Interestingly, while Slater has only had PR representation for less than 24 hours now and his former employer has an entire team working to keep its brand reputation crystal clean, Slater has been coming out on top in the blogosphere and Twitter-world.
Of course, being a working-class hero is great and big businesses have a harder time of looking like the good guys, but the fact that Slater seriously broke the law doesn’t seem to be affecting his public persona one iota…and hiring a top publicist is only going to help turn things in his favor.
JetBlue’s most recent response to the image issue is quite interesting as well. Back by popular demand, they have reintroduced the “all you can jet” promotion after the resounding success of last year’s promotion. However, is this enough to help them regain public favor or will consumers believe the angry spewings of a disgruntled employee? Likely both issues will subside and things will return to status quo in weeks, but it’s an intriguing case study in the powers of spin.
As my Affect colleagues know, I have spent the past year planning my very own wedding. During this process, I’ve had the unusual experience of sitting on the “client” side. As a PR professional used to providing budgets, 90-day plans and creative ideas for my own clients, it was an interesting experience to be on the flip side and I learned quickly what made me want to work with someone (and what made me want to cut ties.) Here are my top five PR and customer service takeaways:
1. Listen, No Really, Listen!
Just like in wedding planning, a potential client meets with several PR agencies in order to select the one best suited to execute their PR or marketing campaign. To win the business, take careful note of your potential client’s business objectives, product timeline, communication style and even their “wish list.” Delivering a proposal that outlines a roadmap to achieve these goals can seal the deal – and lets a client know you “get” them and their business.
2. Pay Attention to the Dollars and Cents
I had my heart set on a particular invitation company at the outset of my planning. After several productive calls where we discussed everything from my wedding colors to my bottom line, I was shocked to receive a proposal that was for almost twice the budget I had shared. I knew immediately that the vendor hadn’t been listening, and I promptly called another company (who came in under budget.) Pay close attention to budget when putting together a proposal for services for any client.
3. Do What You Say You’ll Do
A critical cornerstone to any agency-client relationship, “Do What You Say You’ll Do” also translates to “Don’t Overpromise and Under Deliver.” Many a vendor promised me the world during our initial meetings, and as soon as the ink dried, so too did these opportunities (what do you mean a custom cutout of our names in lights isn’t included anymore!) The lesson here for PR Pros is to be realistic about what you can provide – don’t promise a cover story in a month if you know it could take much longer.
4. Deliver on Time, Every Time
Wedding photographers are notorious for holding your photos captive. Needless to say, I still have yet to receive photos taken over a month ago (even though they were promised in 2-3 weeks.) I immediately soured on my relationship with this vendor, and would be hesitant to recommend him regardless of his great work. As a PR professional, ensuring that you set realistic deadlines that you know you can meet will give your client the confidence that they can rely on you each and every time.
5. The Client Comes First
Now for the positive: my best wedding vendor experiences have been when a vendor has been flexible and willing to go above and beyond to ensure my needs are met. Going the extra mile for a client, instead of refusing tasks outside of the retainer, will build goodwill and can even lead to an expanded retainer in the future.
Overall, it’s important to understand that to a client, your efforts are also contributing to their most important event – business success. Let me know if you have any other lessons to add in the comments below!
As a self-proclaimed comic and video game geek, this past weekend gave me the opportunity to completely embrace that side of my personality – San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). I know the images that appear in many people’s minds when they hear about Comic-Con; people dressed up in odd costumes, rabid fans trying to get in front of their favorite writers or stars, and even some violence this year. Although I did take the opportunity to geek out, the PR/marketing pro in me never left and neither did the jaded New Yorker. I approached Comic-Con with a critical eye, as I do with every other trade show. But to be honest, I was very impressed.
This was not my first Comic-Con. I have attended New York Comic-Con for many years but this was my first trip to SDCC. I had heard great things about SDCC, but most of the discussion always focused on the celebrities, sneak peeks at movies, and the exclusive content that was available. Before the convention started, I was apprehensive. How is it possible that a convention with that many people could run smoothly?
The staff at the San Diego Convention Center, the volunteers and the local police did an amazing job organizing the nearly 130,000 attendees. As the days went on, I found myself admiring the staff and volunteers and the way they 
were able to organize all of the chaos (at times they almost seemed too willing). Lines with thousands of fans were handled smoothly and efficiently, with volunteers directing people all along the way. The convention center roped off specific areas in the hallways and even outside around the building to ensure all lines were organized and easy to navigate. Police were stationed at every crosswalk near the convention center to ensure that the mass amounts of people could cross without incident. Buses, sponsored by Showtime, gave attendees free rides from local hotels and even had Comic-Con representatives at every station at the Convention Center to let people know
what time the next bus was expected and answer questions about routes. Even the nearby restaurants got in the act by customizing menus with superhero themes and offering discounted menus. Although I am sure that local residents of San Diego were not too happy that we invaded their city for a few days (I even saw a news report that nearly half of the area residents were going to avoid the Convention Center area during Comic-Con), the downtown restaurants, hotels and stores seemed to embrace the mobs of fans that attended the conference.
Overall, I was very impressed with SDCC – both as a comic book geek and as a PR/marketing professional. Tell us your tradeshow experiences in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.
Yesterday I spoke to the business-savvy teens of Teen Entrepreneur Bootcamp (TEBC) about the basics of PR. They were eager to learn and I was eager to share my passion for the craft. We talked about what PR is, how companies can leverage it as part of a marketing program and the in’s and out’s of dealing with the media. After the presentation, they worked on drafting a press release announcing the opening of their espresso bar, which I have no doubt will be great.
A fun time was had by all and I am really looking forward to the next speaking engagement with TEBC.
For those interested in learning more about these awesome kids, check out the TEBC blog at http://teenentrepreneurbootcamp.blogspot.com/
John Bell head of Ogilvy PR’s global digital practice provides a great overview of the success factors of the Old Spice social media campaign. He asks the three critical questions:
- Was it successful?
- What about it made it so?
- No, was it really successful like did it drive sales?
Too many companies undervalue the follow, like or link. They don’t comprehend that customers are willing to give brands a social commitment – as long as they get something of value in return. The transaction can be based on entertainment, status (VIP), personal service, commercial value (discounts,coupons), intelligence (first to know) or any number of other factors. However, if a company is just promoting it’s products and brand through a hard sell approach, social media will not be a sustainable medium.
Old Spice has invested in earning it’s social media status and engaged with consumers in a creative and entertaining way that will help drive sales and build brand loyalty. Although Old Spice is a consumer brand, the same approach is valid in a business-to-business context. (Example: Late last year we helped create some videos for Regus, a provider of flexible workplace solutions, targeting small business owners in New York City.)
I look forward to seeing what’s next for Old Spice as they push the social media envelope. 
Public relations pros are masters when it comes to crafting witty headlines. However, it’s important not to confuse the window dressing with the actual window. Without getting too postmodern/signifiers that signify nothing on you, let me offer this gentle reminder: a great headline is not the same thing as a great argument.
While this lapse in judgment can negatively affect your pitching, whatever you do, don’t let it seep into your personal communications. When you find yourself talking in sound bytes to your mom, your dog — or, even worse, a prospective employer — tossing off great theses as though they are capable of standing alone can be a real buzzkill.
Case in point: let’s say I’m interviewing you. (This could happen! Email me!) You say, “Yeah, I don’t read blogs.” Full stop. Now, I’m willing to go there with you. That’s provocative! Why don’t you read blogs? Are you talking about all blogs, or just certain ones? What is it about blogs that perturbs you? Is this a new development in your life? Was there a time where you simply couldn’t get enough blog, and then, one day, shazam, the world of blogs lost its appeal?
You might believe that someone interviewing for a PR position should be immediately disqualified for lack of blogthusiasm. But I can think of a bazillion ways to follow up this thesis statement with a compelling counterargument. Here’s one: when I can follow all of my favorite bloggers and publications via Twitter, who needs RSS feeds anymore? (Come on, that was easy.)
So, that’s my quick tip for you. Want to be taken more seriously, by me, your client, and journalists everywhere? Feel free to grab my attention with an outrageous thesis statement. But if you don’t follow it up with an actual argument, you’ve lost my interest — and my respect.
Teen Entrepreneur Boot Camp (TEBC), a wonderful organization based here in NYC, has been nice enough to ask me to come speak to them about public relations. TEBC is a non-profit that teaches young people about entrepreneurship through the real life experience of starting a business. The program enables them to launch their own business over a two week period.
I will be speaking at four sessions this summer. My first presentation will be next Wednesday to Retail & Franchising Workshop group. The group will help the NYC bakery decide whether to franchise their operation, consulting with experts, writing a business plan and presenting the product to the public by way of a pop-up store. I am very excited to teach them all about the wonders of public relations. After my presentation they will work together to draft an actual press release announcing the launch of their pop-up store.
Check back next week for an update on how the day went and to see photos!
I had an interesting conversation with a someone today that reminded me of the importance of PR basics we were taught in PR 101. This person was explaining to me that while his company had been covered on multiple occasions by the Today Show, The New York Times and FOX News, among other national media outlets, that he wasn’t interested in that kind of coverage. I was quite surprised to hear that, to say the least. I can honestly say that was the first time in my career that anyone had said to me that they didn’t care to be on the Today Show!
