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

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.

What Public Relations Can Learn From Real Estate

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?

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

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.