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Relationship Building Still Matters in PR

2012-01-22T10:44:00.003-06:00

Our industry is in an exciting time with technological innovations. However, an article in the Harvard Business Review titled “Your PR Efforts May Be Hurting You” reminds us how we still need to approach traditional media and teach upcoming pr students to appreciate the relationship-based aspect of public relations. I found most of the article’s statements to be true. Most students of PR do not build relationships with the media. They also don’t take the time to learn about the company they are pitching for. The first time you meet with a company, you need to ask A LOT of questions. You also need to know about your company’s overall industry. Most PR firms are successful when they have a niche like lifestyle or represent healthcare companies. This allows a firm to become industry experts. Our firm uses wire service but very strategically. In addition to this method it’s key to follow up with reporters. Some PR people don't follow up when a reporter calls or after sending a press release. Especially during a crisis situation, the reporter's deadline is priority.

While we are in age with advanced communication tools like social networking, video chat and smartphones, relationships still matter in public relations. Here’s how you successfully build relationships with both traditional and digital media writers:

1. Reporters are people too. They have families, busy schedules just like we do. Get to know them.
2. Reporters are not out to get you.
3. Answer reporter's calls.
4. Help them when you don't have skin in the game (a story).
5. Follow Up.

Crisis on the Seas: Cruise Disaster Spreads on the Internet

2012-01-17T23:03:00.001-06:00

Since Tuesday morning, Italian rescuers and divers continued their
perilous work locating a second "black box" and the remains of five
people in the wreckage of the Costa Concordia cruise ship. While we
have watched the tragic events of the cruise ship unfold, what’s even
more disturbing is how quickly more internal information is coming to
light that shows a lack of personnel responsibility.

Transcripts from CNN show an Italian coast guard official demanding
Captian Francesco Schettino return to his ship, the transcripts show.
"You get on board! This is an order!" the coast guard official
instructed Schettino.

"You have declared 'Abandon ship.' Now I'm in charge. You get on
board -- is that clear?" the port official said.
Port Authority to cruise ship captain: 'Get on board, damn it!'

If this same incident happened over ten years ago or even six years
ago, this same transcript wouldn’t have been made public until weeks
after the incident. When a crisis happens to any company, internal
and external personnel information can be made public just as soon
as the crisis occurs. Since this past weekend, Carnival stocks have
already plummeted. What’s more disturbing as this tragic experience
unfolds is the personal accounts and experiences we’ll hear from
survivors through social media channels and the internet. Although
the company can release official statements, they can’t deny the
stories from survivors that will proliferate throughout the internet in
days to come.

Is it the employers’ responsibility to train their employees on good social media ethics?

2012-01-10T18:35:00.001-06:00

The answer is yes…and here’s why.
More employees are spending countless hours on social networks during office hours. But, what could be more troubling to companies is how their employees are conducting themselves online.

A study published this week by the nonprofit Ethics Resource Center (ERC) found workers spent more than 30 percent of the workday participating on social networking sites. In addition, 42 percent of active social networkers said they felt it was acceptable to blog or tweet negatively about their company or their coworkers, while just six percent of non-active social networkers saw such behavior as OK. Although, a majority of active social networkers (56 percent) said they would also be likely to post about good things their coworkers did.

A corporate crisis isn’t just an external communication breakdown but also an internal issue that can cause considerable risk to the company’s reputation and employee morale. With social networking showing no signs of going away, big companies will have to find a way to deal with the ethical changes that come along with it.

The Risks

One risk businesses face when it comes to social media is the sharing of information. Either employees can share opinions in ways that reflect badly on the company or they can release confidential information such as intellectual property. Confidential information being leaked, data breaches, privacy violations, offensive tweets – all of these possibilities make organizations hesitant to adopt social media.

However, not engaging in social media can become a risk in itself. Most every company and brand is being discussed through online social channels. It is important that the company provides its voice in these discussions and conversations.

Best Practices

Since social media is becoming a standard practice for many businesses or at the very least a good way to interact with customers and partners, it is important for employees to understand the best practices for engagement with particular emphasis on ethics and legal responsibilities. Having a good company policy on social media with an active governance plan is no longer optional. It is essential to mitigating corporate crisis communication risks.

You also need to work with your company’s legal and human resources team to understand current social networking workplace laws and procedures. According to a recent ruling of National Labor Relations Board, employees can write anything they want about your company on their own Facebook profiles in off hours, so anything limiting that usage in your acceptable use policy should be changed. Your IT and legal departments should revisit acceptable use policies once every few months or after major decisions to ensure that they are still current, and employees should be made to sign the updated copies.

A decent workplace social media/Internet acceptable use policy should do a few things well. It should bind the employee to using the Internet specifically for work purposes during work hours in the office, and ensure that any electronic forms of communication aren't used to disseminate confidential information about the company. Overall, to avoid risks related to online employee crisis communications, companies must train, educate and create protocol to address our society’s ever-evolving communication channels.

Image Credit: edudemic.com

Why Using Social Media For Market Research is Smart: 4 Winning Strategies For Your Company

2012-01-01T22:05:00.004-06:00

Using social media for market research

View more presentations from Andrea Walker

It remains to be seen if 2012 will indeed be the year if the social media bubble finally bursts. Analysts predicted this notion of “digital/social exhaustion” more than two years ago and yet the numbers are climbing in regards to social media usage. According to a recent Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project study, 66% of online U.S. adults use social media. More than two-thirds of adults are conversing online, posting reviews, and recommending products or services to their networks.

Traditional market research typically consists of mailing out customer surveys, conducting phone interviews and holding focus groups. While I’m not suggesting you alienate these methods, there is a huge opportunity to learn more about your customers or competitors through their online conversations. Social media monitoring can provide you rich, social analytics that you can track over time to determine your customer or potential customer’s habits, interests and even what is being said about your brand altogether.

Four Ways to Use Social Media as a Tool For Market Research

Search

This can comprise of brand reputation monitoring, keyword search and online mentions about your company or industry in all mediums.

E-focus

This is one of the easiest ways to crowdsource your customers for product feedback. What better way to utilize your brand’s online community than to let them be apart of your market research. Be careful to not come across too commercial or promotional when talking to the public.

Trends

Social media gives you insight into consumer behavior that you can use to detect growing trends or movements within your target customers. Use the data you collect to identify new opportunities to position your company in a new market or a different customer base.

Competitive Research

Not matter what your business is you have to know WHO your competitors are. With the current economy, many start-ups are popping up in various industries and it’s up to you to know who could be potentially taking away market share. Social media tools can help you understand your competitor’s business, their partners, employees and maybe even their business model! Many of these companies are surprisingly very open about sharing “insider” info online via tools like LinkedIn.

New Study Shows Most Companies Not Prepared for Social Media Crisis. Are You?

2011-09-07T09:06:00.006-05:00

Ragan’s PRdaily.com reported that while many companies are eager to employ new social media technology to promote their businesses, most are not equipped to handle threats associated with that technology.

The report was based on a recent study conducted by the Altimeter Group. So, how does a company know if it is facing or is susceptible to facing a social media crisis? According to the study, “to qualify as a social media crisis, an event must have one of these four effects: It causes major media coverage, necessitates changes in company processes, directly causes a decrease in revenue, or results in fines from the government.”

While some companies have put social media policies into place to monitor their online presence in an effort to control branding, reputation and even the safety of trade secrets, many have not communicated these policies efficiently to their employees and have not regulated them or even updated them as new social media outlets surface. To rectify this, the report suggests that “processes for what to do should be shared companywide. Companies should have formalized social media crisis response plans ready to go. More than half the companies surveyed didn't have one.”

Think about your company’s online social media activity. Do you know what’s posted daily about your company and where and why it’s being posted? Do your read the comments section on your blog or corporate Facebook page? Furthermore, do you really know who you’re following on Twitter and who is following you?

Ongoing social media training programs for employees and high-level administrators is an integral part of crisis management and is vital in ensuring that a social media crisis doesn’t damage your business. Companies should develop a solid crisis communications response plan, not entirely unlike a natural disaster response plan or fire safety plan, that incorporates a strategy for what employers and employees will do and say should an emergency arise.

If a social media crisis hit your company today, would your employees know what to say to the media when they call?

Being Successful in an Economy that’s Not: How PR Can Help

2011-08-19T09:27:00.004-05:00

Prweek.com reported this week, “As political leaders deal with growing investor fears that the country may relapse into another recession, PR agencies have seen a short-term uptick in corporate client activity related to navigating economic volatility.”

In this time of economic uncertainty, a business must relay a message of certainty to temper fears. Regular communication to stakeholders, customers, and potential customers is

vital, and reaching out through direct mailing, online, and through media mechanisms shows key constituents that you are still alive and that there is still positive movement in your company.

News articles that announce corporate achievements and human resource growth, a once a month e-newsletter, a corporate representative as guests on television shows or radio broadcasts, and meaningful social media efforts contribute to what we call “TOMA” or Top of Mind Awareness and convey fiscal health.

Another way to utilize public relations in a sour economy is in creating a crisis communication

plan to manage image and messages in the event that your stocks do slide. While most

shareholders will automatically hit a panic button, a crisis communication plan will help them

slow down and will encourage them to contemplate a future recovery instead of dwelling on the

now.

The heart of public relations is building and maintaining meaningful relationships with

stockholders and customers that will weather the ups and downs of economics. To maintain

these relationships, investors must know that you are as invested in your own company as they

are, which means reaching out to beef up resources in order to remain viable and visible. Hiring a solid PR firm will actually upgrade your business during an economic downgrade.

How is your company strengthening its resources in this challenging economic time?

Celebrity Spokesperson: Helpful or Hurtful?

2011-07-21T11:58:00.005-05:00

by Spencer Watson

When trying to promote a product or company lots of planning goes into it. Many companies are taking the celebrity approach. If you choose to have a celebrity spokesperson then you need to make sure you choose the right one.

Business owners should look for candidates who mesh well with their target audience and key demographics. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a teenager (no matter how famous) promoting products or services geared toward wrinkle creams. Make sure you hire a stable-minded celebrity as well. Some companies have faced the plight of hiring
someone to be the face of their company only to have that spokesperson do something on the personal time that would not reflect the company in a positive matter.

According to Cherylwaller.com, A-list celebrities don’t come cheap. Unless you’re a multimillion-dollar behemoth of a company, odds are you won’t be able to afford top-tier movie stars and pro athletes. Celebrities in this stratosphere are probably starting in the mid six figures, depending on the project. If you don’t have that kind of budget, start lower on the “celebrity chain.” Businesses with more of a community focus can utilize local celebrities, such as TV news anchors, retired sports figures and other neighborhood standouts.

We want to hear from you: Do you think having a celebrity spokesperson for your company is a risk worth taking?

If you would like to contact Spencer Watson personally, he can be contacted at prviewintern@gmail.com.

10 Tips for Using Social Media for Your Business

2011-06-23T13:37:00.003-05:00

Social media is an easy way to give your business an edge over your competition. Social media is the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogue. The 2 most popular are Facebook and Twitter. According to Inc.com, here are some of the top ways to use social media.....

Offer something special. Offering first looks at a new product or idea can cause buzz and improve sales. Post special deals in a tweet or a facebook post about a sale your company is having. Example: 50% coupon.

Frequently update. Updating your social media sites frequently will keep your readers interested. Update at least once week or your readers will become bored and places to locate the information elsewhere.

Feedback. Social media is an easy way to get instant feedback. You can ask questions or use surveys on social media sites to receive answers to questions you might have for your customer base.

Interaction. You must remember that social media works both ways. If you expect to ask questions, you must be ready to answer questions.

Know your customers location. A growing number of social networks are designed specifically for users on the go, and some, such as the mobile application Foursquare, offer tools specifically for businesses.

Allowing your customers to interact. Include forums or communities on your company’s websites and social media sites. This function allows your customers to interact about issues or show excitement over a new product.

Help others promote you. Social media can help you find passionate customers who are more than willing to spread the word about your company.

Do not promote too much. Your followers are interested in your company or they would not be following. However, I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys a spam of advertisements.

See what people are saying. Using social media opens conversation about anything and everything. This can help you determine your reputation in the eyes of others.

Social Media is free. The majority of social media sites are free. This means quick turnaround because you will be able to receive publicity and advertisement without having to pay a dime.

Picture Source: http://www.ismoip.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/social-media.jpg

Community Relations during Natural Disasters: Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You

2011-05-24T13:22:00.001-05:00

The recent natural disasters that have affected our globe cannot be ignored. Almost immediately after an earthquake near Japan triggered a Tsunami, a chain of new disasters followed, including an outbreak of deadly tornadoes across the South as well as the flooding of the Mississippi River.

As soon as these disasters occurred, companies and organizations who were equipped to do so, sprang to the aide of those in need. For instance, American Behavioral a Birmingham-based behavioral health care organization serving clients nationwide, began receiving calls from their client companies. They put a plan into action to deal with what they knew was going to be the beginning of a severe emotional reaction that would follow those who were affected by the storm devastation.

In the days after the storm, American Behavioral sent out fliers and resource materials to all of their Human Resource contacts with information about dealing with the emotional impact tornadoes may have on their employees and family members, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of those suffering with a severe reaction, and ways that supervisors can help their employees to cope.

They also began sending on-site counselors to conduct group critical incident group debriefings and individual sessions with employees to the affected work areas to client companies affected by the storm, which ranged from banks, retail stores, fire and police departments, manufacturing plants, nursing home facilities, to hospital and other healthcare facilities.

American Behavioral has offered to provide expert advice to local and national publications through media alerts and pitches, establishing the organization as a dependable and credible go-to source on this topic. By providing tips and guidance on the human resource and financial toll on companies, as well as the emotional and financial toll on employees, American Behavioral is able to help both citizen victims as well as corporate victims of these disasters. Through this, American Behavioral is also able to introduce those company owners and employees who do not have behavioral health benefits, to a service that can help them be more prepared in the future.

This is an example of community relations between client and provider at its finest.

Tip Sheet: Apply the Golden Rule in Your Client Relationships

2011-05-06T14:51:00.001-05:00

Originally posted at prnewsonline.com.

By Helene Solomon

Public relations pioneer Edward Bernays would have had a field day today. Long before integrated communications and social media, when business relationships were somehow more simple, clients hired Bernays to move public opinion; and he invented the press release to do just that. His brand of “propaganda” was considered revolutionary, and unquestionably gave birth to modern-day public relations.

But PR in the 21st century is much more than 20th century propaganda. To be successful, today’s PR requires a team effort between clients and PR agencies to understand the unique issues of the client’s space, prepare for the unexpected, stand out in increasingly crowded fields and keep up with the latest trends and technologies.

For any public relations agency/client partnership to be successful, it’s important to work in close collaboration with the in-house communications team and the rest of senior management.

According to a recent study conducted by Glasscubes, nearly 90% of PR pros said they would achieve better results if the agency/client relationship were more collaborative. Following are five tips on how best to build those agency/client relationships, and improve collaboration.

• Become your client’s biggest fan. Not just on Facebook. Understand their pressures and what keeps them up at night, anticipate their needs and challenges and be an advocate for their issues. If you want to build a thriving partnership, the agency team must learn to think like the client. Understand the corporate culture. Align your thinking with theirs—not so you would necessarily do what they would do, after all one of the advantages an agency has is a fresh perspective. Recognize their business goals and objectives and know what they are trying to accomplish long-term in their sales and marketing plan.

• Review and test the crisis plan. If recent events have proved anything, it’s that every organization needs to have a crisis plan. It needs to be tested, exercised and well communicated throughout the organization. No ifs, ands or buts. It is the best way for agencies and clients to get to know each other. It takes you from the first date to marriage faster than any other exercise.

• Be proactive, not reactive. Think one step ahead of them. Be the first to send over media coverage and relevant industry news. Suggest fresh, creative ideas that show you follow their space and competitors closely. Be accessible, and respond quickly and thoughtfully to client questions, comments and concerns. Add value by always being on the lookout for other ways to help. For example, if you know they have been bedeviled by lack of access to a key influencer, figure out how to get them to that person. It may not be directly billable by the hour, but will pay great dividends down the road.

• Make the in-house team look good. There’s a general understanding that if you help make your client contact look good in front of their manager, you will boost their ability to achieve their annual performance goals that may mean a raise or promotion. It’s the agency’s job to consistently produce results that prove the value and capabilities of the in-house team. This way, when it comes time for the decision-makers to update annual business plans and review budgets, the in-house team has the evidence to make a strong case to keep the agency, and possibly expand their role and budget.

• Excel in the vast world of social media. A recent study conducted by Yankee Group revealed that nearly 60% of customers feel company outreach via social media would improve their loyalty to that company, and 70% wanted access to company experts and support via social media channels. In-house marketing professionals may understand social media, but it’s up to the PR agency to excel as leaders of its spheres of influence, recognizing where it would benefit the client most.
BERNAYS WOULD BE PROUD

Today’s PR agency is doing a lot more than writing press releases. We’re also selling relationship building, executive visibility, brand awareness, alignment with public policy, strategic counsel on partnerships, crisis planning, reputation protection as well as a true commitment to the client to support them in all facets of their business. And we’re not in it alone. At the end of the workday, we are one team, working side-by-side with our in-house partners to meet the same goals. We just have different e-mail addresses.

Helene Solomon is the cofounder and CEO of Solomon McCown & Co., a Boston-based strategic communications firm, and a member of the PR News Advisory Board. She can be reached at hsolomon@solomonmccown.com.

Selling Happiness: Boomers Look for Youthfulness, Optimism and Social Consciousness

2011-04-23T11:30:00.002-05:00

I once had an editor that said, “I know I’m old. I just don’t want to be reminded of it all the time.” He made the comment in reference to the under-45 mission our magazine had tacitly adopted, which manifested itself in the photographs and language we used throughout the pages. Fresh-out-of college young ladies were shown planting flowers, just-married young couples walked parks together with toddler in tow, and the use of “cool” and “hot” in story headlines became ubiquitous.

Thing is, my editor’s philosophy was supported by hard research garnered through reader surveys and studies. Younger readers, predictably, wanted to see their peers in the magazine. However, interestingly enough, those same studies uncovered that older readers had no objection to seeing a younger, modern, and trendier stories and photos. Furthermore, they actually preferred this spin.

A recent study by the Geppetto Group reports that those in the Boomer generation are still looking for uplifting mechanisms and are even “identifying” with youthfulness when selecting brands. As well, adults beyond adolescent age want to see that companies are socially conscious through green efforts and sustainability. Far beyond advertising, however, public relations can be a primary engine for conveying freshness, optimism, and social responsibility in a brand.

For instance, a company that hires a PR firm to build its social media will be seen as
youthful and in-tune with the day. As well, it will be seen as socially conscious, by taking an electronic, non-paper route to reach their audience. Public relations firms often guide companies into strategic philanthropy so that the company is seen in the public eye as community-invested, in-touch, and reachable.

I once set up a story for an elder care company with a local newspaper. The photography
for the story was as strategic as the pitch. Although the article focused on a company
that goes into the homes of elderly, often ill, adults, I made sure that there were younger people photographed with the elderly so that there was a component of life and vitality to the article.

In keeping with the findings in the Geppetto Group study, public relations firms would do well to explore and identify a fresh mindset for their clients in order to reach a maturing audience who is looking to stay vibrant.

How to STOP annoying reporters and START building relationships

2011-04-11T11:06:00.004-05:00

By Mickie Kennedy

Want to get your press release or important story in the paper?

Don’t do what many of your peers do—pitch all the livelong day and not interact with a reporter like he or she is a human being. Instead, focus on developing a relationship with your local journalists. You may be surprised at the results.

Here are 10 tips to help you get in their good graces.

1. Don’t pitch (at least not all the time). Pitching is obviously a necessary part of your job, but reserve it for the end of your conversation.

2. Reference their work. Want someone to feel important? Talk about what’s important to him or her. For journalists, it’s their past stories and columns. You don’t have to memorize every word, but rest assured a little reference to past work will make them smile—and remember your name.

3. Talk to them like humans. Reporters are very busy, so don’t flood their inboxes with inane banter. However, once in a while when you do talk to them, don’t just stick to business. Ask about their kid’s school play, or whether that big story they were working on panned out. And remember, no jargon.

4. Learn their schedule. Speaking of being busy, learn what times and days it’s best to talk. This includes knowing when to call and when to email. Not only will they appreciate that you took the time, you also stand a chance to actually get a hold of them when you need to.

5. Lend a hand. Offering help when he or she needs it makes a reporter’s life much easier. This can include anything from being a source to helping find facts about your industry for a story. When the time comes to fill in a story for the paper, they’ll come to you.

6. Comment on their stories. Another way to help reporters get their stories noticed is to comment on them. This can create a dialogue between the two of you, and even a real rapport. If their site is relevant to your followers, share it on Facebook and Twitter.

7. Be on call. If you’re actively helping out a reporter, remember to be on call. You’ve always expected them to answer the phone at suppertime and at 7 a.m., so do the same for them. If they call on your vacation, answer the phone!

8. Write a story for them. Want to really get on their good side? Don’t just send a press release for your story, go ahead and write the whole thing. This way there’s a big chunk of work that’s already done. Make sure you follow the style of their publication.

9. Speak clearly and concisely. When a reporter does contact you, don’t ramble on at a thousand miles an hour. Make sure you know what you want to say, and say it with clarity and conciseness. Don’t give them an excuse to dump the story because they need to call you back for clarification on a few points.

10. Be Nice! Above all, be civil and polite. You’re busy, the reporter is busy—everyone is busy. It’s no reason to be rude. Even if the person on the other end seems harried, remaining calm and nice on your end usually does them in. Keep in mind the old saying about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar!

This article previously appeared in PR Fuel, a service of eReleases.com Press Release Distribution.com.

What Public Relations Can Learn From Real Estate

2011-04-05T17:12:00.006-05:00

Driving by the “for sale” signs in the front yards of properties on the market barely yields a passing glance these days, due to the sheer volume and mundane appearance of the signs. Even those who are aggressively looking will resort to online MLS listings before entering a house simply based on a sign in the yard. A new cable series, “Selling New York,” details the extravagant strategies that real estate agents of the Upper East Side, who are more like public relations and marketing agents, employ in order to promote a property and get potential buyers inside. The tactics go far beyond those 8 x 8 cardboard signs posting a realtor’s basic info.

These agents sometimes hire five-star chefs to provide hors d'œuvrs, as agents representing buyers walk around. They sometimes rent furniture by the latest designers to stage the area in a way that makes potential buyers feel like they’re already at home. In effect, once they get potential buyers inside the properties, the spaces themselves do the talking, and the real estate agents are able to close a deal.

In keeping, public relations firms nowadays have to employ modern tactics to get clients into their doors. For many, those “for sale” signs are no longer effective, as the market has become flooded with so many pitches that look and feel the same. Power point presentations are becoming flashier, web sites are becoming more interactive and social media has become the tool of choice to capture the attention of potential clients. Business cards, which will still always be a staple of basic business transactions, have gone digital—potential clients are impressed when just a bump of a phone yields an electronic contact card that is automatically saved to their handheld.

Take a look at how you’re selling your public relations products. Are you leaving it up to the “for sale” sign, or are you selling your prime property in style?

Tuning in to Opportunity: How Companies can use online videos as the new TV

2011-03-25T09:52:00.001-05:00

Tuning in to Opportunity: How Companies can use online videos as the new TV

Think about the amount of time each day you spend listening to a radio. Next, think of the time each day you spend watching TV. Finally, think about the time you spend in front of your computer each day. In each of these scenarios, the time growth is exponential. You may not have noticed, companies and organizations have been carefully watching the technology trends and have made a point of incorporating online videos into their efforts to reach you, the audience. In fact, EMarketer.com predicts that in five years, B2B firms alone will spend 20 percent of their annual budgets on social media, which includes communication through online videos.

Far beyond simply being engines for online ads, companies, nonprofits, even politicians and celebrities are posting online videos as public relations tools to reach a people who are quickly trading in their television remotes for iPads.

Does this mean that television is fading and going the way of hard copy newspapers or those radio broadcasts you used to tune into on the weekends? Not at all. It simply means that television, as well as those same newspapers and radio programs, are learning to utilize new methods for reaching patrons.

According to a recent study by Nielsen, online video usage in the U.S. is up considerably from the same time last year. Results showed that time spent viewing video on personal computers, Macs, and laptops from home and work locations increased by 45 percent in January 2011. The study showed that this year, viewers streamed 28 percent more video and spent 45 percent more time watching.

Among favorite sites to tune in were MSN, Windows Live and Bing, which were the fastest-growing video brand month-over-month, increasing 26.1 percent. Furthermore, top online video brands used by unique viewers in February 2011, included AOL Media Network, YouTube and Facebook.

If the audience is allocating more time to online video, then, logically, they are spending less time utilizing other media. So, how can companies incorporate online videos into public relations campaigns? Look at BP after last year’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill or Toyota after the massive recall. The companies not only ran spots for television, radio, and newspaper, but also invested a great deal of time, money, and effort in posting their public relations message all over the internet via online videos that were crafted to patch up their reputations and sell the repaired image to the online viewer.

This year, look for even more companies and organizations to tap into online viewership in even more creative ways. In this society of instant access, these online videos will be tweeted, texted, instant messaged, and so on. The message will be accessible from anywhere and will penetrate everywhere.

IPhone’s PR Glitch: Is there an App for Good PR?

2011-01-05T15:26:00.002-06:00

If we’ve preached it once, we’ve preached it a thousand times. No company is immune to crisis. All companies, large and small, should have a solid crisis communications plan. Why are we reiterating this? Well, take a look at Apple in recent days. Web reports say that their techno trophy—the iPhone—has been experiencing an application glitch since New Year’s Day. The alarm feature has not being going off properly, which according to Yahoo News, has left users “fuming” (and likely late to meetings, flights, etc.). According to CBSSports.com, three NBA stars were “victims” of the glitch, causing one player to completely miss a practice and two others to be late.

What a way to start the new year. Way back in November of 2010, CNN reported that Apple told its customers to manually adjust their alarm clocks for Daylight Saving Time, because the alarm app did not automatically do this. Was this the cause of the problem? Who knows? Answering tech questions is beyond our expertise, but we can speak to the PR problem that has resulted from the glitch.

Here’s the thing. The application glitch itself is not what causing the Apple’s PR problem—it’s reportedly the way Apple is handling the problem. CNN.com reported that thousands of users took to social media outlets to rant and rave about their dissatisfaction with the product. Users who missed meetings and appointments due to the problem made Twitter and Facebook their sounding board because they felt that Apple was not listening to them.

Apple apparently did not offer an explanation for New Year’s alarm problem, but told customers the phone would be fixed by that Monday. Offering as much information as possible within legal and corporate guidelines is imperative to customer satisfaction in a situation like this. Communication with the customer is essential—especially if communication tools are one of the products your business sells. Apple will do well to learn from this mistake and create a hotline or special service line for customers who experience application glitches in the future. After all, the iPhone is supposed to have you talking, but not like this.

What’s Decorating Your Corporate Tree?

2010-12-14T12:56:00.003-06:00

A symbol of the holiday season, Christmas trees are ubiquitous this time of year. With decorations ranging from colored lights to monochromatic themes to earth-friendly and sport- inspired decorations, one just doesn’t seem complete without lights, ornaments, and of course, a bright star on top.

Abstractly, a Christmas tree is shaped like a pyramid—a wider bottom yields more decorations than the top. However, it’s that top star that is the showpiece of the display. Accordingly, a public relations plan takes into account each layer, making sure levels building up to the apex are balanced and support the top star.

A strong PR plan builds up strong base layers: charitable giving, media placements, strategic planning, and crisis management. Each of these components is an “ornament” of sorts that adds aesthetic and functional value to the tree.

Remember Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree? It was sickly. It wasn’t that Charlie Brown didn’t follow the proper steps of finding a Christmas tree, it was that he chose a tree lacking structure and stability—the necessary components to be sustainable. So when he placed the single ornament on top of the tree, it caused the entire tree to droop toward the ground.

Likewise, a corporation without a public relations plan to address all of its needs lacks fullness and stability. A healthy corporation will make sure it has a crisis communication plan, brand management, and all the public relations components essential to healthy and luminous corporate image.

By building up a strong base, the tree topper—an organization’s image—will be able to shine brightly.

Do you Manage your Brand?

2010-12-07T14:59:00.007-06:00

If you say you don’t have a brand, think again. What people think about you—i.e. your reputation—is your brand. It’s the single idea your business occupies in people’s minds. What matters is whether or not you manage the brand, and given the recession, consumers are looking more closely at who is selling them what. It’s a market formula shift to economics and values.

Even mega brands must continually control their reputation. Consider Coca-Cola, which is still deemed the most valuable brand by Interbrand in its Best Global Brands 2010 Report.

Coke took a risk with the holiday Coca-Cola Polar Bear in 1993. It was dramatically different, but the animation copied human behavior.

"That's really what we were trying to do – create a character that's innocent, fun and reflects the best attributes we like to call 'human'," said creator Ken Stewart. "The bears are cute, mischievous, playful and filled with fun." (http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/ cokelore_polarbears.html)

Coke mixed it up a bit but kept in theme with the long-time sentiment of a Coke and a smile.

Furthermore, people have brands, too. Martha Stewart and Oprah are mega brands, but they are personal brands. Every person has a personal brand, online and offline, and if you don’t manage your personal brand, well, think Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson.

Let us know if you need help with your brand. Positioning can make all the difference in the world.

The Company That Gives Also Receives

2010-11-29T14:26:00.002-06:00

'Tis the season for giving. Accordingly, a vast majority of the consumer population turns their hearts toward donating and volunteering during the winter holidays. Not only do consumers act, they want to know the businesses they support are doing the same, in particular mega businesses banking in the millions and billions.

Most CEOs and business owners know this and, in keeping, factor charitable giving into their annual budgets especially for this time of year. However, during the holidays should not be the only instance of corporate goodwill. More so, strategic philanthropy should be part of a public relations strategy to create or evolve brand identity and structure corporate reputation.

When a company is in peril or even faces an issue, what they do every day is under the microscope. A solid public relations strategy should reflect what causes are important to its stakeholders—leadership employees, and customers.

Consider Belk, the nation’s largest privately-owned retailer. When they acquired Parisian in Birmingham, AL, it wasn’t an easy brand sell to the consumer market. One strategy they employed (with our help) was the bi-annual charity sale, which has raised more than $26 million for non-profits since 2007.

In a nutshell, a company that invests in “doing good” builds invaluable goodwill.

"In giving, a man receives more than he gives, and the more is in proportion to the worth of the thing given." —George MacDonald

When Social Media can Turn a Balk into a Boon

2010-11-22T12:58:00.002-06:00

How important has social media become? Well, Cincinnati State Technical & Community College just opened a Social Media Institute, following suit many communication programs across the globe. Given its influence and reach, it’s surprising that according to mashable.com, less than 40 percent of CEOs are engaging in social media.

When some CEOs think of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media engines, the idea of business strategy may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, these sites can be just the tools to strategically execute brand repositioning, philanthropic, and other positive agendas.

Case in point: When Panorama was hired during the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster to help reshape the image of a little fishing town on Alabama’s coast, leveraging Facebook as a communication tool was one of the first orders of business. The timing couldn’t have been more appropriate, as the town was under siege by the spill and still recovering from residual effects of Hurricane Katrina, and needed an online presence to increase visibility. Facebook was not only a means to gauge perception but a way to promote positivity near and far.

The city, which has a population barely beyond 2,700, has more than 600 Facebook fans (many
of whom live outside of the area—even as far away as European countries). It quickly became
an act of good faith in connecting citizens to city leaders (the page is accessible from the city’s main web site www.visitbayoulabatre.com).

When our firm posed the question, “What’s your favorite thing about Bayou La Batre?” there came a flood of responses from the food at local dives to the way the city’s name rolls off the tongue. All helped bolster a sense of community for the town.

Even more, statistics from the Facebook page could be a tool to prove there is a measurable level of investment in the community. In a public relations plan, this case is a true validation of the power of social media and proof that social media can turn a balk into a boon.

Word of Mouse: The Writing on the Wall

2010-11-16T11:56:00.001-06:00

A recent article in Birmingham Magazine featured “Ghost Signs,” the faded advertising signs on buildings from decades ago. The business namesakes of these ads are long gone; however, their image remains. This evokes a thought about the methods companies once employed to gain customers and manage reputation.

The signs were big and bold and had great curb appeal. They likely prompted sidewalk or dinner table conversations about the establishment’s product or service experience— whether positive or negative. Then one person told another and so on. Either way, the process of passing a story from person to person was slow going, and the company likely had no opportunity to manage the message. Eventually, when the respective companies closed their doors, the signs remained, evoking an “oh, I miss [company]” or “we saw it coming” brand reflection.

Today, social media can likewise be helpful or harmful, depending on how it’s used. In contrast to the slow-paced public relations and advertising of yesteryear, many companies are now including social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare into communication plans. Moreover, even if these mediums aren’t part of an official plan, patrons and consumers use social media, and their opinions travel at the click of a mouse. A business hiccup or misstep that could have taken weeks to travel through the grapevine years ago can be dispersed to millions in a matter of seconds via the Internet and smart phone instant messaging.

That said, social media can also be used to herald good news for a business, and when used strategically, can help a company gain loyalty or even abate a critical situation. Note how quickly a Facebook account can be closed or Tweet deleted. Regardless, social media can stir up conversation about your business, so you should pay attention to what’s being “painted” on your company’s walls!

Advertising during a Crisis: When No One Wants to See Your Ads

2010-11-12T11:19:00.002-06:00

High product quality, ethics, good customer service—all of these components of doing business are important. When a business fails to uphold these characteristics, some consumers are turned off by the things associated with that business. Former patrons scoff at commercials and billboards and turn a blind eye to magazine and newspaper ads. Case in point: When news first broke regarding BP’s oil disaster, many shunned ads from the company and pushed a little harder on the gas pedal when passing BP gas stations.

When a company experiences a corporate crisis and is seen as “the bad guy,” it may seem the company would want to run and hide its head in the sand until the smoke blows over. However, placing strategic ads can actually be a saving mechanism when it comes to public image rebuilding customer confidence and loyalty.

How do you use public relations principles to guide advertising? The answer to this is the difference between an advertising strategy and an advertising campaign. A solid crisis communication plan includes an advertising strategy that seeks out deliberate placement opportunities to put a company in front of audiences key to influencing public opinion. For instance, a public relations firm that represents a pharmacy chain in trouble would not only place the company’s ads in medical publications but would also look for the philanthropic or “doing-good” section of such publications and place advertising opposite those stories.

This leads us to two textbook terms in creating an advertising strategy amid a crisis: inoculation and recasting. Your company must inoculate the audience by dispelling misconceptions and reinforcing the truth of the circumstances. Your company must also recast the negative in a positive light.

For example, after recalling more than two million vehicles earlier this year, Toyota began airing commercial ads stating it was taking a “pause for the customer” (msnbc.com). The company said it was investing “one million dollars every hour to improve [its] technology and [the consumer’s] safety.” Toyota also ran a series of ads featuring customers who testified about how much they loved their Toyotas, and engineers that explained how expertly the cars were constructed (wsj.com). These ads addressed the consumer who drove the car as well as business stakeholders.

These commercials inoculated consumer sentiment that Toyota was putting out a poor product at customers’ expense. It inoculated the myth that Toyota customers no longer loved their cars. The commercials also recast Toyota from a company that made a big mistake to a company trying to rectify a mistake. The commercials worked. People watched.

Using a public relations firm to analyze a situation, draw up a crisis communication plan, strategize ad placement and follow up, manage consumer sentiment, and thus, handle damage control is paramount in getting the consumer to look your way, even during a crisis.

The Politics of Public Relations: Electing the Right Firm

2010-11-05T13:49:00.004-05:00

On Election Day, Americans went to the polls, stood in line, showed IDs, filled in circles by candidates of choice and fed ballots into Scantron machines. This may seem uneventful to some, but having an active hand in who is representing you and who is receiving your tax dollar is important. After all, when you vote for and elect a political candidate, you essentially said, “You’re hired.”

When it comes to voting, party allegiances aside, you must know your needs and what issues are important to advancing your idealisms—and you should be informed about the candidates. Otherwise, how will you know who will work toward what you envision, thus, who to vote for?

Alas, some people vote for a candidate because he or she is the only familiar name they see on a ballot. Others are influenced by mudslinging campaigns and go in with muddied ideas of which candidates will and will not keep promises. The truly engaged voter, however, does his or her research.

These same principals apply to selecting the right public relations firm for your business or organization. Say this was the PR election of 2010, and next week you were charged to go out and vote for a firm to represent your goals and fulfill your needs. Would you know who to vote for? Would you be able to pick out your best candidate among all the commercials, yard signs, and vote-for-me mailers? A public relations firm, just like a political candidate, should be a reflection of your company’s mission.

A politician’s track record speaks volumes. So does that of a public relations firm. Check out the company’s past portfolio and know what their customers say about them. A full-service public relations firm should be able to meet your marketing needs, serve to forward your brand, mediate between you and your stakeholders, garner positive media visibility, and prepare you for communicating through foreseen and unforeseen business complications.

The firm should put in writing what it can do and deliver with real, measurable results. If a politician could do that, wouldn’t you vote for him or her? They’d have our vote.

The Branding Game: Playing on the Same Team within a Company

2010-10-27T13:22:00.001-05:00

If your employees were sent an anonymous “off-the-record” survey, what would they say about your company? Would your employees know your company or organization’s mission statement? Would they speak highly of your brand, or would they lack loyalty?

According to businessblog.com, a “brand ambassador” is someone who not only buys into your brand, but also promotes it and carries forth its message. You would think employees of a brand would be among its most devoted ambassadors. However, not every company is set up so that employees take on the role of a promoter. This problem happens when a company’s management is not accessible, corporate values are not preached in everyday work manners, or the company (team owner) makes drastic changes without consulting employees (the players).

Let’s make an analogy. It would be most beneficial for all the members of the team to not only know which sport they are playing, but to be playing for the same purpose. Imagine if the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings didn’t buy into the team? What if, during press conferences about a win or a loss, he sang the praises of another team . . . let’s say the Green Bay Packers? Wouldn’t that seem disconnected? In this instance, inflammatory?

(Note: This is not a personal shot at Brett Farve. His career in playing for these two teams sets up an interesting dynamic that can be translated into the corporate world.)

Take a corporate brand for example. Starbucks trains its employees thoroughly. They even coach per their Green Apron Book how employees should treat customers so that the customer’s experience from store to store is pleasantly consistent. The employee not only promotes the brand, but carries the message of quality products and services.

In his book, The Starbucks Experience, author Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., describes just how well the Starbucks strategy works. The employee is motivated. The employee buys in. You get a better
experience from the happy employee. The brand thrives.

When you order your next caramel macchiato or skinny cinnamon dolce latte, think about your employees and how you promote brand ambassadorship in your company or organization.

Rebranding: Changing Your Logo? Research, Research, Research

2010-10-20T10:28:00.008-05:00

Poor Gap. They were so excited about launching their new “ throwback” logo. The stage was set; press releases went to the media; stories launched all over the Internet. Then, it happened. There was an outcry against the logo from customers; an online campaign opposing it went viral, and the logo crashed faster than a rookie NASCAR driver.

Headlines across the nation showed no mercy: “ Gap Logo a No-Go” (Montreal Gazette); “ Gap Scraps Logo After Just One Week” (AOL DailyFinance); “ New Gap Logo, Despised Symbol of Corporate Banality, Dead at One Week” (Vanity Fair Daily).

This Gap marketing malfunction begs several questions: If Gap’ s fans were so outspoken post release, did the company seek their customers’ opinion beforehand? What exactly made the logo so unacceptable? Was it the color? Was it the font? Was it the placement of that little blue box?

Belk, on the other hand, just introduced their new logo into several of its primary markets with successful unveiling ceremonies and grand re-openings across the region. This was the first time in 43 years that the company launched a major rebranding effort. The new logo incorporates elements of the company’ s history and also gives a nod to the future.

Belk talked to their customers first. In fact, they researched customer sentiment about the logo with extensive focus groups and market studies. The company invested the requisite time and money to make a logo well received. Headlines this time: “ A Brand New Look for Regional Retailer Belk” (The Birmingham News); “ Belk Chain Reinvents Itself with New Logo and Identity” (The Florida Times-Union).

The customer may not be sitting in an office at your corporate headquarters, but they are an integral component of the success or failure of your company. After all, where does brand loyalty reside? With the customer.

When the Media Comes a-Calling: Part 3 (Final Installment)

2010-10-11T15:09:00.004-05:00

Text at Your Own Risk: Top 3 Things not to Text When Your Company’s in Trouble

No one sees a text message but you and the person you send it to, right? WRONG! I once accidentally left my phone at a friend’s house. When I got back, I discovered that her young daughter had not only gone through my text messages, but my pictures, contacts, and everything else she could access on my phone. I didn’t have anything worth talking about on my phone, so nothing was made of it. But, the experience had me thinking, “What if?”

According to an AOL Small Business story, incriminating text messages are “all the rage.” While the article looks at how text messages that were sent before a crisis is made known can be used as evidence of fault, in the same vein, texts sent once a crisis has already broken out can also be condemning.

Just because we use “smart phones” doesn’t mean we always use “phone smarts.” What I mean is, as a company owner, president, CEO, or manager, any communication that is exchanged during a corporate crisis must be meaningful and wise.

What not to text:

1. “I’d like my life back.”
During the BP Oil Spill, The Huffington Post reported footage of company CEO Tony Hayward saying he wanted his life back. Many found the statement insensitive. While his comment was vocalized, a text message saying something along these lines would have had the same affect.

What to text:
“We’re going to work to get everyone’s lives back in order.” This statement doesn’t exclude the company owner, but does take into account all those who have been affected by an unfortunate corporate crisis.

2. “Guess we’re having our Tylenol moment.”
The phrase “Tylenol moment” has been popping up all over the internet. Anyone who know’s anything about corporate PR crises is familiar with the Tylenol recall of the 80s. Johnson & Johnson is heralded as having handled the situation expertly and deflecting potential damage quickly. Each crisis situation is to be handled as a separate instance and should be taken seriously.

What to text:
“Let’s handle this with care.”
Acknowledging that a crisis situation can be fragile is perfectly acceptable. It let’s your customers and stakeholders know you’re not blowing off the circumstances and that you plan to take action wisely.

3. “Send someone over to talk to the media.”
Sending the right person to speak to media, a town hall of concerned citizens, or group of stakeholders is just as important as what is said. According to a New York Times article, sending a low-ranking official, as was done during the Exxon-Valdez spill, causes people to think that a company is downgrading a situation.

What to text:
“Get our spokesperson prepped for the media.”
Having someone who is well-schooled in handling media or public speaking situations that can speak on behalf of a company CEO or president shows preparedness and consideration. This person can field questions and provide peace of mind by providing much needed information and a corporate presence.

When the Media Comes a-Calling: Part 2

2010-10-04T11:02:00.003-05:00

The Email Trail: Top 3 Things not to Email during a Crisis

Think about the e-mails you sent this or last week. Were there any bad jokes or funny quips that could possibly be taken the wrong way? Did you disclose any personal information? What about any private information about your company’s goings on? Now, think about the media getting hold of these . . . .

Want to make a crisis situation even worse? Just e-mail an unmeaning comment to a fellow associate, client, or even your assistant. Placing a message in your recycling bin doesn’t mean it’s gone away. Digital paper trails never truly disappear—there are ways for IT specialists to access deleted email.

On the flip side, being mindful of e-mails you send and receive and the context of your written words, especially amid an undesirable situation, can make all the difference in turning a crisis around.

What not to Email:

1. “It’s not that bad.”

What to email: Your company’s view of a situation from the inside and the public’s view from the outside are two completely different perspectives. Never belittle a situation—you belittle your customer’s feelings.

According to the Wall Street Journal, during the Toyota massive recall, the company President emailed Japanese employees: “to explain the U.S. recall, asking them to work together with him to regain customer trust and ‘work on building great cars’ through mutual effort.”

This email just looks and sounds good. Whether he meant it, we don’t know, but, it put out a vibe of commitment, dedication, and customer service.

2. “I wouldn’t buy stock in this company myself.”

What to email: When a company’s stock goes up and down like a roller coaster, the temperature set by communication inside and outside of the company is critical. Conveying the idea that the situation could get worse will only create more angst.

Instead, when Apple’s stocks were fluctuating, according to seekingalpha.com (quoting AppleInsider), company CEO Steve Jobs sent an email to employees to “hang in there,” in hopes of garnering morale. This small token of reassurance is priceless.

3. “Let’s keep this quiet.”

What to email: Let’s make it plain—nothing is ever kept quiet, and a phrase like this has a connotation that screams “cover up.”

Instead, an e-mail pointing everyone to your company’s public relations manager (who can then be quoted on the record about events), shows strategy and is not incriminating.

For more, check out this NPR story—but don’t email it.

When the Media Comes a-Calling:

2010-09-27T14:24:00.004-05:00

Top 3 Things not to Say—Email, Text or Tweet—During a Crisis

Amid a crisis, journalists don’t just listen for comments from the CEO, business owner or spokesperson; they also dig into the social media circuit to find digital comments that may make headlines.

Social media has become the newest way for executive leaders to proverbially stick their feet in their mouths. Take BP’s Twitter missteps for example (as referenced in Fast Company, “Not So Slick,” October 2010). BP’s Tweets made them look as if they were more committed to preserving their brand than actually helping those in the Gulf.

Proven time and time again, crisis communication in a media environment is one of the most important factors in maintaining a company's corporate image. Part of the overall perception of a company and its leadership’s credibility is how well the CEO, owner or spokesperson can internally and externally communicate a message.

Accordingly, there are definitely comments employees and stakeholders should refrain from making public during a crisis—they could be misconstrued by the media and turn one crisis into yet another.

What not to Say:

1. “No Comment”
Classically, this is a no-no. This comes across to stakeholders, the media and the audience as unprepared or even arrogant. It says that you are choosing to give no account, no information, and take no responsibility for a crisis. It tells the world you feel you are entitled to privacy, while anyone knows that high-profile business people and spokespersons do not have that privilege.

What to say:
“As details of this situation unfold, we renew our commitment to this brand, its mission and you, our customers.” This way, you acknowledge the crisis to the media, but show the world that at such a critical time, you’re keeping a cool head and making considerations for the most important things: a commitment to your company’s standards and customers.

2. “We were unaware of the situation.”
A statement such as this causes leadership to look uninformed and out of the loop. People will question: How can a CEO or business owner not know what’s going on in his or her own company? What type of leader does that indicate? It says the company isn’t taking responsibility.

What to say: “We are aggressively gathering information and looking into this situation,” is a more in-control response, without giving the media details about what you do and do not know.

3. “The media misrepresented the situation.”
Blaming the media is a copout and reactive rather than proactive. While the media does sometimes get their facts wrong, trying to play the hurt sheep only makes your corporation look like a whining child. As well, it may be your company’s lack of clear communication to the media in the first place that caused misinformation to be published. Besides, even if the facts are incorrect, the audience will likely believe what is reported.

What to Say:
“We are willfully working with media outlets to clarify and correct misinformation regarding this situation.” This type of open communication shows you are proactively managing the media instead of them managing you. It also says you are directing them in the way that will best protect your brand and actively shaping the stories that will go mainstream.

In summary, a solid crisis communication plan is like insurance for your business. Will you be covered when the media comes calling with hard questions?

Positioning Your Brand to Win

2010-07-21T09:32:00.002-05:00

How Managing Your Brand Today Helps Gain Market Share, Avoiding a Crisis Tomorrow

Have you ever wondered why some companies are so successful when others fail? Some live, grow and prosper, and are enormously successful, e.g. Coca-Cola (Coke) or Disney, while some barely make it off the ground and slowly wither away. Then there are others, such as General Motors, that enjoy years of success, but it all comes crashing down one day, and no one is really surprised except for them.

So why is it when you think of Coke, you think of a refreshingly delicious beverage that satisfies your thirst? It’s readily available, and the little red can is easily identified because it has the one and only Coke logo. No matter where you are or when you purchase it, when you pop the top and hear (and feel) the familiar fizz burst into the air, you know you have the real thing. You didn’t purchase a brown, syrupy, carbonated liquid in an aluminum can. You bought a Coke! It’s the same product that has consistently delivered a refreshing experience to its loyalists for more than a century.

Ditto for megabrands Disney and BMW. There is a brand and a brand promise. You fondly recall the experience of a family trip to Disney World. You chose Disney for the fun of an imaginary world, the Magic Kingdom. You expected to see the cast of Disney characters—Snow White, Goofy, Mickey and Minnie—and you did. You anticipated riding the monorail. You experienced Pirates of the Caribbean, the Swiss Family Robinson tree house, and more. It was all there, just as promised.

And then there is BMW, The Ultimate Driving Machine. This is not just any car. BMW is the ultimate car. It’s amazingly designed and stylishly appointed, but every detail circles back to one thing: performance.

All these products have an image or a product personality, otherwise known as a brand. The brand promises you something and delivers on that promise consistently, maintaining or gaining market share. When brands fail to deliver what its customers want and expect, they lose market share. When you as a brand owner don’t aggressively define your brand, others will do it for you. A great brand does not happen by accident.

When GM quit listening to its customer, it lost market share and eventually found itself upside down in an automotive market that had literally passed it by.

Positioning a winning brand takes introspective thinking about who/what you are and who/what you want to be. It requires a thorough understanding of your customer and their wants and needs. It requires a brand promise and managing your message. Positioning your brand to win requires consistency: making a promise and delivering upon the expectation, time and time again.

You don’t have to be a megabrand to have a successful company. Whether your business is the practice of law or delivering translation or background screening services to a customer, positioning a winning brand can be applied to all businesses striving for excellence. You can position your brand to win. These brands did.

Will You Be In The Clouds When Crisis Strikes?

2010-03-12T09:36:00.003-06:00

A True Story

She was the public relations manager for a multi-state technology company and had just settled into her seat on the airplane for a quiet flight back to home base. She had cleared all her voicemail messages before boarding and felt all was well.

When she landed four hours later and turned on her cell phone, her voicemail had blown up while in flight. The CEO’s secretary left three messages. There was a message from a federal agency media affairs staffer. A message from a client’s public relations manager on the opposite coast. A desperate plea from a PR colleague who often assisted with media matters. And five media calls, including one from an Associated Press bureau chief and one from a major U.S. daily newspaper.

By the time she triaged those calls from an airport phone booth during a 40-minute layover, the story of the company’s unfortunate event was being filed by the Associated Press and had traveled around the globe in less than an hour. For three solid months, she did nothing else but manage the crisis communications for this event. It took her company more than a year to get back to normal and cost the company many hundreds of thousands of dollars in man hours, legal fees and fines.

The Bad News: Regardless of size, no business is immune to a crisis.

What’s your plan?

Retaliatory Workplace Violence

2010-02-17T17:23:00.005-06:00

Can it happen on your watch?

As a CEO, violence in the workplace is something we hope to never, ever face. However, here’s the fact: Retaliatory Workplace Violence (RWV) is on the rise and no industry is immune.

Retaliatory Workplace Violence can happen in any workplace. It can happen in factory settings, administrative offices or parking lots. And sadly, it can happen in schools and on college campuses, just as it did on Friday, January 12, on the campus of the University of Alabama Huntsville when professor Amy Bishop walked into a staff meeting and began firing.

While at first this may have seemed like a random occurrence, the story quickly unfolded to prove otherwise. Bishop was unhappy that she’d been denied tenure. She had a sad and very unfortunate background with offenses dating back at least 24 years. Unfortunate, because apparently a lot of people saw the warning signs and just let it go.

Can it happen on your watch? The answer is, yes, it can.

So what can you do to prevent this? For the answer, we turned to our client, American Behavioral Benefits Managers, www.americanbehavioral.com, and their expert in Critical Issue Stress Management (CSIM), Sandy Capps, MA.

Capps’ recommendation: Watch for the small stuff. Attendance, performance and conduct is a good place to start, as is noting one who constantly touts education and intelligence… click here to read the entire article by reporter Patricia C. McCarter, for The Huntsville Times.

Watch Panorama Crisis 911 for more on this subject soon.

When Great Brands are Represented by Bad People

2010-02-09T16:31:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been involved in a business transaction where you said to yourself, “if this is how this company operates I would never do business here?”

I loved my BMW X5 SUV and hated when my lease time was over. It was a fabulous vehicle and my second BMW in five years. I loved the panoramic moon roof and not just because the name of our company is Panorama—although, I must admit it was one of the “seal the deal” thoughts I had just before I told my salesman that it was THE ONE.

And under normal conditions, when I returned it in December, I would have turned right back around and leased or purchased another. But I couldn’t. My business partner threatened me with mutiny if I even considered it, and frankly I couldn’t have agreed with her more.

Why? Because our firm worked with this particular dealership on a RTW, or as we know it a “Register to Win,” and the general manager with whom we dealt was totally unprofessional. I could not morally turn around and add value to his bottom line after the behavior he exhibited during the time of the RTW negotiation and program.

As I’d sit across the table listening to this guy rant and rave, I’d think to myself—he knows I’m a customer. He must know that how he behaves in front of customers and prospects is directly related to this dealership’s reputation and whether they purchase a vehicle from him. I’d taken my best client to BMW for a win-win business deal because I loved the brand and wanted to bring it recognition and more business. That didn’t happen.

To make matters worse, the VP of the well-known retailer we were working for was new to the area, could have easily purchased any vehicle in his showroom and actually made a comment to that effect—at first. Her tune had changed by the time the deal was done.

Personally, I didn’t care if I ever stepped back into his place of business—beloved BMW or not. I wasn’t going to reward that sort of behavior.

My point is this: companies spend millions upon millions of dollars to build brand equity and awareness to capture market share. They strive to create stellar images of products and services to compete in the marketplace and that fill the needs and desires of the consumer, carefully crafting messages and managing minute details of every aspect.

But one never knows how much business is lost because of the one-on-one human factor where transactions must occur in a professional manner.

Companies, ours included, depend on our employees and contractors to represent us in a manner that reflects the positive nature of our companies, helping us protect our brand.

The general manager of the BMW dealership not only acted out, he put it in writing. Nearing the close of the deal, I guess he just couldn’t take it any longer. He sent an email to our client and copied everyone imaginable, ranting and raving.

By that point, we were all past ready for that project to be over.

When I turned in my X5, my salesman at BMW begged me (I may have seen tears) to send the email to the corporate office, and I probably should have. I have a feeling that BMW USA would have been terribly disappointed in a person that they had put enormous trust in to represent it. And come to think of it, I’d probably still be driving a BMW.

Overwhelming obstacles? Look for the “Bright Spot”

2010-01-27T14:12:00.000-06:00

In the PR world or at least that of my firm, Panorama Public Relations, when a client is faced with a difficult or seemingly insurmountable problem, assessing assets is always a part of the foundation for a strong communications strategy.

The list of assets we gather is often intangible, things like community goodwill garnered by being a good corporate citizen. Assets in this case aren’t necessarily the ones on the books - but that’s important too.

When an issue boils over to a crisis and a company stands to lose valuable brand equity, then as advisors we begin to look for the nuggets, the intrinsic value, or “bright spots” to build our strategy for minimizing damage and overcoming the obstacles.

I was excited to read an article in the February issue of Fast Company magazine about SWITCH, a new book due out February 16. SWITCH, by author’s Dan Heath and Chip Heath, talks about how we in business tend to seek solutions equal to the scale of the problem and not for “bright spots” or “what’s working and how can we do more of it?”

The authors’ philosophy is reflected in the book’s subtitles – “FIND A BRIGHT SPOT AND CLONE IT– How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.”

The Fast Company article provides several examples of seriously tough issues, showcasing the use of the “bright spot” philosophy, and how it can apply to businesses faced with tough times.

One such issue was widespread malnutrition in rural Vietnam and how Jerry Sternin, a staff member at Save the Children, was able to cause sweeping change in a village riddled with child malnourishment. Sternin was given a six-month timeline by the Vietnam government to solve malnutrition. Talk about an insurmountable problem!

Rather than being overwhelmed by analyzing a hugely complicated problem, Sternin quickly uncovered the “bright spots,” a group of children in the village who were healthier, yet ate basically the same amount of food the undernourished children ate. What he and his team of moms from the village discovered was that the mothers of the healthier children were feeding their children four times a day meals enriched with small shrimp and crabs collected from the rice paddies. In addition, the child and parent were actively engaged in the eating process, and the children were fed by hand if necessary.

Six months later 65% of the village kids were better nourished. Sternin’s solution didn’t require a huge capital investment, positioning papers and hoards of experts analyzing the problem. He just found the bright spot and cloned it.

The Balloon Flies High, Turns Left: Hoaxes do no favors for media, newsmakers

2009-10-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

Certainly by now everyone has heard about the balloon boy fiasco. On Oct. 15, the seemingly real-life drama of a boy stuck in a runaway balloon captured the attention of media and its viewers as well as the time of first-responders and military for the span of two hours and counties. When the balloon landed, no boy was to be found. Eventually, he was found to be hiding in his parent’s garage.

In the days that followed, an even more bizarre tale has unraveled – the whole fiasco was a premeditated publicity stunt. The Henne family, two-time participants on a prime-time reality show, hatched the plan to gain attention for a new reality show that they were pitching to networks, and now they face criminal (and possibly federal) charges.

Even as I write this, yet another example of “stupid PR tricks” has surfaced, as an activist organization posing as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce staged a fake news conference and issued a counterfeit news release that seemingly reversed the organization’s controversial stance on climate change policy. Their hoax was so convincing that major news outlets not only attended the conference but also ran reports based on the release!

As a communicator, I am bothered by the erosion of accuracy in reporting and honesty from newsmakers.

One of the side-effects of living in an era where information moves at the speed of 140 characters a second is that reporting is becoming more inaccurate, as media outlets rush to break each story. Instead of checking facts and vetting sources, reporters go with the quickest answer. From the other side of the desk, we always stress the importance of carefully reviewing and preparing responses to media inquiries to ensure accuracy. We should follow the advice of CNN's Wolf Blitzer, who commented with regards to the fake Chamber of Commerce event: "When a story sounds too good to be true, you've got to check, recheck and check again."

I have seen the label “PR stunt” used in conjunction with these farces. While no one will mistake the Henne family as PR professionals, they still violated one of the basic tenets of PR – always tell the truth! What does a fake news conference do to further the cause for climate change policy? The adage of “no publicity is bad publicity” is obsolete. In these days where audience feedback and participatory journalism permeates even traditional media, the prospect of a backlash is too great to risk on tricks or pranks. These hoaxes undermine the credibility of the individuals involved and the causes that they support.

If these types of events continue, we face the continued erosion of the credibility of the media/PR dynamic. What are your thoughts?

Building a Green Brand

2009-10-13T09:33:00.000-05:00

When an international cement company was presented an opportunity to purchase a landmark piece of property, they didn't have to think twice.

The property had historical value and had been passed down through a family in the small town where one of the company's major plants was located. The purchase would allow the townspeople a recreation venue and eventually be home to a nature preserve with LEED certified buildings, sure to attract visitors from thorough out the region.

All of this because the company wanted to responsibly license a new quarry and would need to mitigate wetlands. It could have easily chosen to do just that---and only that. Instead, it listened to the creative solutions put on the table by the small group of consultants hired to work on the project who saw the potential. A simple brainstorming session turned into a full-fledged project.

The results were stunning.

Blue Spring Nature Preserve is becoming a reality because of a company's commitment to do the right thing. It provided the seed money for the initial funding, formed a 501c3 and assembled a team of community leaders, civic volunteers, elected officials and others as part of a steering committee. It then engaged a company to create a master plan for the project.

In an effort to bring the Blue Spring Nature Preserve plan to fruition, Panorama Public Relations has developed a campaign to engage stakeholders and raise additional funds through grants and corporate donations.

First, Panorama Public Relations built an identity for Blue Springs Nature Preserve as a brand. The central effort in this stage was to develop a logo. Panorama commissioned a logo that featured a single tree overlooking a stream. The logo pays tribute to an iconic tree on the Blue Springs property as well as the diverse ecosystems found therein. In addition, Panorama developed style sheets that prescribed font faces and colors to be used in all communications.

Next, Panorama prescribed a series communications avenues that would keep stakeholders informed regarding the project. The key channel is the web site, which showcases images that demonstrate the beauty of the site along with captivating history of the site and the stated mission of the preserve. Panorama also publishes an e-newsletter on a quarterly basis, which gives stakeholders the latest news and features about the site. In addition, Panorama has been instrumental in conducting media outreach activities, which have resulted in coverage in local publications and industry trades. In fact, Business Alabama named Blue Springs the “Best Conservation Development” for 2008.

Lastly, Panorama recommended capital campaign materials for use in fund-raising. In addition to the use of the web site, Panorama specified a series of presentations, posters, pamphlets and donor cards. These materials would give steering committee members the tools they needed to solicit private donations and sponsorships.

For more information on Blue Springs Nature Preserve, click here.

Optimize Your Way to an Effective Online News Room

2009-10-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

They say good news travels fast and bad news travels faster. Today it can travel almost instantaneously, and if a crisis occurs involving your company, you can expect the media to come calling (or with the current popularity of Twitter, tweeting). What this means is: prompt response during a crisis and to the resulting attention it brings is more critical than ever.

When a crisis breaks and information is scarce, the Internet becomes a primary source for a reporter looking for facts. A quick Web search will reveal past stories and issues about an organization. It will also lead to the company’s Web site where reporters look for factual information about the company’s key executives, FAQs, products and services. They’ll also look for an online newsroom. They’re on a deadline, so make it easy to find and navigate.

Another important tool for the online newsroom is a crisis microsite designed to be activated at a moments notice. A crisis microsite is developed in advance of an occurrence, using much of the same information that is in your online newsroom. Other information could include a media hotline number, company media contacts, the vetted press release and prepared statements. The microsite allows the flexibility to post specific information in the event of an incident, maintaining the integrity of the primary website and positioning the facts in a streamlined format.

So, how do you streamline access to your online press room and what information should you provide reporters in your offering? Here’s our top ten tips:

Tip # 1
An online newsroom should be easy to find, so give it a prominent position on your landing page reached by just one click. The same applies for company media contacts. One click should allow reporters access to names, numbers and e-mail addresses.

Tip # 2
Prepare a crisis microsite in advance of an occurrence to direct media to event specific information, and test it with your crisis team. When a crisis hits, you will not have the time to develop communication tools.

Tip # 3
Optimize your company’s presence on the web by building key words into your news page architecture; use terms to attract search engines like “media” or “press” in conjunction with your company’s and CEO’s name.

Tip # 4
Leverage online tools like RSS feed options to keep reporters updated on company news or crisis updates as they occur.

Tip # 5
Make your online newsroom interesting. Use video to tell or enhance your story.

Tip # 6
Multi-media offerings are necessary in today’s news environment. Provide photos in a variety of formats and sizes and include b-roll (stock video of facilities and executives).

Tip # 7
Likewise, providing graphics and charts (in a variety of formats) are key to illustrating important stories and also helpful for reporters under deadline.

Tip # 8
Reach out in advance to media in your industry before they need the information. Let them know about your newly-designed newsroom.

Tip # 9
If you want to reach outside your industry to mainstream business reporters, try Reporting On; Help a Reporter Out (HARO) or PitchEngine.

Tip # 10
Remember other than for the convenience of the media, the number one reason you have an online newsroom is to provide a way to keep company information current and front and center of key stakeholders. Optimize to your advantage!

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO NETWORK WITH TRADITIONAL MEDIA

2009-10-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

Whether you’re an entrepreneur establishing a name for an early stage company or a fully mature company looking for new avenues to promote your business, integrating social media and networking into your public relations strategy makes good sense.

Why? Social media is the wave of the future in mass communications, as sites like Facebook and Twitter command more and more attention from consumers. Recent studies show that 20 percent of online ad impressions come from social networking sites. We are already seeing successful marketing and public relations campaigns that utilize social media as a key component.

Even traditional media are realizing that they must embrace social media now in order to remain competitive. As a result, social media has become an efficient way to establish new relationships with reporters and strengthen existing ones. Already, we have been successful at pitching reporters via Twitter. By adding reporters that we know as friends on Facebook, we are able to get to know them better.

Three of our favorite social networks that we use effectively for our firm and on behalf of our clients are ReportingOn, Help a Reporter Out and PitchEngine, each with unique attributes and all worth knowing about.

ReportingOn is a media tool that PR professionals use to identify and pitch stories to reporters. ReportingOn gives a reporter the capability to discuss their beat, or seek expert sources or information on stories they’re preparing to write. As PR practitioners, we use ReportingOn to pitch stories to targeted audiences, network with reporters to establish valuable relationships, and at any given time see what member-journalists are writing about, which provides us with ideas on stories and trends. www.reportingon.com

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is another social media network that is an outstanding resource for journalists looking for story sources and PR types looking to place stories. Once registered, you will receive three daily emails from the source-site (Peter Shankman, self-proclaimed entrepreneur and adventurist) each with anywhere from 15-30 queries per email. www.helpareporter.com

Lastly, we have PitchEngine, which is best described as an evolved wire service. PitchEngine provides a platform for creating social media releases that enables PR strategists to effectively package stories and share them not only with journalists, bloggers and influencers worldwide, but also directly with their audience via the Web. Social media releases can include images, video and tools for sharing news via social sites such as Twitter and Digg. www.pitchengine.com

For an entrepreneur with a new or recently-funded product or service, getting the word out to the right audience, with the right call to action, is critical. Now’s the time to embrace the new media options that are right for your company and gain that competitive edge.

Twitter/Facebook Defend Against Cyber Attacks

2009-08-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Recently, mega-popular social networking sites Twitter and Facebook were victims of denial-of-service attacks that crippled their networks and the site inoperable for hours.

No lives were lost. No properties were damaged. No animals were harmed in the filming of this episode. But the cyber attacks represent a crisis to those web sites. While hackers hardly affected national security with the attack, such crises damages reputation of online companies that are entrusted with security of information.

Overall, both sites handled the crisis well. Both were able to maintain communication with their users. Twitter maintains a separate status blog to keep users informed of site downtimes due to maintenance, which certainly came in handy during the attack (and a second barrage just days later). Facebook assured its users -- though traditional media and tech blogs -- that no private information was compromised. While their messages traveled via media quickly, I wonder why neither site opted to send an email blast to its users regarding the outage? If this is a symptom of the attack itself, then both sites need to consider use of additional channels behind the scenes for such crises.

Eventually, both sites resumed normal operations. The critical response to any crisis, though, is: how will the organization prevent this from happening again? Both took a unique approach. Twitter and Facebook announced that they were joining forces with Google to investigate origins of the attacks and build preventive measures moving forward. In some respects, each of these sites competes for ad dollars and/or visitors. However, they all recognize that cyber attacks are a threat to each of them, so it is in their collective interest to work together. Such a strong union works is a symbolic assurance to consumers, and sends a calming message that should put their fears at rest.

GM: What's Love Got To Do With It?

2009-06-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

“What’s Brand Got To Do--got to do with it? What’s brand but a second-hand emotion?”
Oh wait….that’s Aretha and she’s supposed to be singing about love not brand!

A case for the importance of managing your brand and avoiding crisis.

It might seem odd to read a story about GM on a crisis communications blog. Most people think of a crisis as being natural disaster, pipe line explosion, plane crash, train derailment, or other sudden catastrophic event. But, based on all of the information
we’ve heard about regarding the GM story, this was a crisis in the making for years.

No pun intended – but who was steering the boat? Uh….car?

Building a brand takes years. A great brand can survive the ups and downs of a market. During tough times, brand managers can help monitor the course. When a company gest as large as GM, and for decades ignores the wishes and desires of those stakeholders most important to its business---its customers-- only one thing can happen, loss of brand equity and eventually disaster.

Now, I’m not suggesting that managing your brand will save your company and cure all ills, but a system of checks and balances, such as finding out what your customer wants and needs and then acting on those consumer desires, with senior management 100% behind the initiative, is one way to avoid a total catastrophe. Think fender bender vs. head on collision.

I mean, how long do you look at the lit up little red oil can on the dash before you realize you need to pull over right away and check your oil? Duh.

What happened at GM was that the oil light came on and they kept driving….and driving….and driving…until a shocking thing happened! Bankruptcy! The oil light came on, the car ran out of oil, and the engine went up in flames.

Oh yeah, and the brand manager was thrown under the bus…..uh, car, long, long, ago.

Don’t let managing your brand take a back seat (I promise – it’s the last one) to good business practices.

Chief Emergency Officer

What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas

2009-05-26T10:58:00.000-05:00

Might be a true enough statement if you’re attending a bachelor party—and it is one heck of a marketing slogan – kudos to all who created or own it. http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/607344.html

But what happens during a corporate scandal or crisis seldom stays under wraps. Sometimes it appears without warning quickly ruining reputations and causing stock prices to tank. Other times it simmers slowly until it finally reaches a boil, destroying morale, customer confidence, and ultimately market share.

You’ve heard the cliché “good news travels fast?” It does. But in this day and time, thanks to technology, it travels even faster. And guess what? If good news travels fast, bad news travels at the speed of light. So, trying to contain bad news, seldom works. And since the internet is the engine that delivers the news, we know how quickly a message--- accurate or not---can be disseminated to millions of people with the click of a mouse.

Panorama Public Relations prepares and positions industry-leading companies to strategically communicate key messages to the media and other stakeholders who are vital to the financial well being of their business and brand.

“Stupid is as Stupid Does” Forest Gump

2009-05-19T15:58:00.000-05:00

I'm always amazed to learn about seemingly sophisticated companies who are caught off guard by the media during a crisis. These are the same companies who appear to be at the top of their game in areas of product, people and professionalism and yet they don’t employ the best-business practice of having a communications plan prepared in the event of a catastrophe.

I speak to groups across the country about this subject. When I ask if their company has a professionally developed crisis communication plan in place, a show-of-hands poll typically produces the same results. About 90% do not.

I hate to use the word STUPID in a business blog, but it is what it is.

Decision makers and policy setters need to remember---what’s often said to the media during a crisis goes on your “permanent record.” It’s very difficult to erase.