We’re all seeing the value of social media as a new set of building blocks for advertising and marketing strategies. Those who are not cultivating this value and embracing these additional venues may not survive in whatever the world of commerce shall be in full economic recovery.
Another use of social media, as a PR tool in a crisis situation, was demonstrated earlier this year by Domino’s Pizza. The analysis of Domino’s response is complete; Domino’s response to the situation was right on target for today’s communications environment. The steps the folks at Domino’s took are truly impressive.
The takeaway from the experience underscores the value of a crisis communications plan for every company. The Domino’s event demonstrates the value not only of social media, but all avenues available, and is a very good exercise in crisis communications.
An article by Amy Jacques, published in the summer issue of PRSA’s publication The Strategist and online at prsa.org, contains a full accounting of Domino’s experience, as told by Tim McIntyre, vice president, communications. I encourage you to take a look at “Domino’s delivers during crisis: The company’s step-by-step response after a vulgar video goes viral.”
--Mike B.
Showing posts with label Mike. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mike. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
No “Spin” Needed
I’ve worked with the media for more than 30 years, helping companies and organizations share information with their respective audiences. Here at Asher Agency, public relations and media relations planning and execution are just two of the services we provide our clients.A recent media event we completed for Habitat for Humanity here in Fort Wayne reaffirmed my belief that good media coverage is accomplished most successfully when the activity includes the simple basics of a solid news story. This particular event, a ribbon cutting (we did a “board cutting”) garnered exceptional news coverage—before it was held and after.
Why the success? First, we worked hard on the project, and certainly the folks from Habitat for Humanity and the ReStore worked hard getting things ready. But hard work, a good plan, networking and a strong knowledge of good public relations practices aren’t always enough.
The basics of a good news story with several hooks helped propel this seemingly simple event into the success category.
Habitat for Humanity by itself is an organization with a mission that is good for people and good for the environment. Habitat’s ReStore furthers these efforts by reselling donations of building materials and used items that normally would go to the landfill and recycles them into new lives with purpose. And Habitat invests the proceeds from the sale of donated items into new housing for deserving families.
Those elements comprise news stories with several possibilities: a feature on the environment, a positive economics story in difficult times and a human-interest piece.
No spin was needed!
The word “spin” is often associated with public relations and PR activities. Some stories need more than spin; others, like this new Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Fort Wayne, carry themselves.
The term “spin” has a negative connotation in my mind. I’m not sure why. I’m curious what others think about the term and its application. Let me know what you think.
--Mike B.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Don’t discount the simple
We’re all speeding to capture the potential of social media’s tools. Some amazing possibilities surface that apply and test applications for the technologies.
Churches in Jackson, Mich.; Seattle, Wash.; New York City; and Charlotte, N.C., have explored Twittering in church and now are designing select, if not all, services for worshipers who embrace the new technology. It’s a far cry from being asked to silence your cell phones and pagers!
And almost daily, you can find reports of the business community applying new advertising and marketing strategies that embrace these emerging tools.
But I learned this weekend that it’s important that we don’t forget the obvious and seemingly simple marketing tactics that have proven themselves time after time.
While helping our son look for a new home, we encountered a number of yard signs alongside traditional “Open House” signs. They pointed out the $8,000 in economic stimulus money available to first-time home buyers. The offer has been available for months, but a sign to remind open-house visitors when they enter a for property is a very simple yet effective tool.
Were we aware? Yes. Had we forgotten about the money? Yes. Did the first property with the sign make a difference? Absolutely. Every visitor to that home—and several others, was met with an important message.
In retrospect, the traffic volume at the homes with these signs was greater than those without. What appears to have made a difference was a simple, common yard sign.
--Mike B.
Churches in Jackson, Mich.; Seattle, Wash.; New York City; and Charlotte, N.C., have explored Twittering in church and now are designing select, if not all, services for worshipers who embrace the new technology. It’s a far cry from being asked to silence your cell phones and pagers!
And almost daily, you can find reports of the business community applying new advertising and marketing strategies that embrace these emerging tools.
But I learned this weekend that it’s important that we don’t forget the obvious and seemingly simple marketing tactics that have proven themselves time after time.
While helping our son look for a new home, we encountered a number of yard signs alongside traditional “Open House” signs. They pointed out the $8,000 in economic stimulus money available to first-time home buyers. The offer has been available for months, but a sign to remind open-house visitors when they enter a for property is a very simple yet effective tool.
Were we aware? Yes. Had we forgotten about the money? Yes. Did the first property with the sign make a difference? Absolutely. Every visitor to that home—and several others, was met with an important message.
In retrospect, the traffic volume at the homes with these signs was greater than those without. What appears to have made a difference was a simple, common yard sign.
--Mike B.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Ethics and Blogging: An oxymoron?
An article posted May 19 on BusinessWeek.com, briefly covers some good background on blogging, ethics and – gasp – regulation by the FTC. The subhead is “The Federal Trade Commission wants bloggers to disclose when they’ve been wooed with cash or freebies from companies they cover.”
The report lists several examples of blog posts that have been written because a company provided a product to the writer at no charge. I wondered: Is this bad? Is it good? Is it any different than what routinely happens in trade publications when articles are written about new cars, boats, trucks or other products?
Seems to me that if a writer, regardless of the communications vehicle being used, is given the latitude to write honestly about his or her experience with the product, what better way to provide readers with valuable information assessing it? That scenario is based on seemingly ethical behavior.
The risk and ethical questions come into play if the person writing about a product is simply regurgitating something positive crafted by the company behind the product or service or simply not accurately reporting a true experience.
The questions become:
Does listing that some form of compensation has been given for mentioning a product or service within a post help assure an ethical assessment?
Do blogs need governmental oversight?
I’m curious. What do you think?
--Mike B.
The report lists several examples of blog posts that have been written because a company provided a product to the writer at no charge. I wondered: Is this bad? Is it good? Is it any different than what routinely happens in trade publications when articles are written about new cars, boats, trucks or other products?
Seems to me that if a writer, regardless of the communications vehicle being used, is given the latitude to write honestly about his or her experience with the product, what better way to provide readers with valuable information assessing it? That scenario is based on seemingly ethical behavior.
The risk and ethical questions come into play if the person writing about a product is simply regurgitating something positive crafted by the company behind the product or service or simply not accurately reporting a true experience.
The questions become:
Does listing that some form of compensation has been given for mentioning a product or service within a post help assure an ethical assessment?
Do blogs need governmental oversight?
I’m curious. What do you think?
--Mike B.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Metamorphosis into a blogger
The speed of my metamorphosis into a blogger is a bit more rapid that I imagined, thanks to input and support from my wife and my Asher colleagues. My measure of progress: My screen remained blank for but a few minutes.
Through this learning process I wondered how social media could reach certain target audiences; say, those with members who don’t read blogs, don’t have Facebook pages and don’t Twitter—what I’ll call an older audience.
One way is to first engage the younger generation with your message via social media. In turn, they can influence their parents and grandparents through conversation. It’s intergenerational communication.
This insight came from an article in the April 2009 issue of PR Tactics from the PRSA. Dan Solomon’s piece, A clear and healthy choice: Building your patient community online, demonstrated the tactics health communicators can use to engage an older audience.
“If you are trying to provide a product or service to a more mature audience, you may need to focus some of your efforts on their younger relatives,” Solomon says.
As with any tool or tactic, I don’t’ think social media alone can serve the purpose. But none of the traditional tools does as well alone as when bundled with companion elements. What ways do your think your children or grandchildren have the ability to influence you and your decisions?
--Mike B.
Through this learning process I wondered how social media could reach certain target audiences; say, those with members who don’t read blogs, don’t have Facebook pages and don’t Twitter—what I’ll call an older audience.
One way is to first engage the younger generation with your message via social media. In turn, they can influence their parents and grandparents through conversation. It’s intergenerational communication.
This insight came from an article in the April 2009 issue of PR Tactics from the PRSA. Dan Solomon’s piece, A clear and healthy choice: Building your patient community online, demonstrated the tactics health communicators can use to engage an older audience.
“If you are trying to provide a product or service to a more mature audience, you may need to focus some of your efforts on their younger relatives,” Solomon says.
As with any tool or tactic, I don’t’ think social media alone can serve the purpose. But none of the traditional tools does as well alone as when bundled with companion elements. What ways do your think your children or grandchildren have the ability to influence you and your decisions?
--Mike B.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Bogged down in a blog
Accepting—but not yet ready to embrace—the realm of “social media” and blogs, this senior (in age) Asher staffer is struggling with his first blog submission … I mean post. I’m still working on the terminology.
In my effort to turn my thoughts into something written for this new-to-me concept of communicating, I have researched. I’ve Googled “blog,” “writing a blog,” “creating a blog” and “successful blogs” and have now read all the posts on more than a dozen blog sites. And there is plenty of information at my fingertips on the value of blogs as a form of social media.
So I am learning. Some of the “how to” sites for blog-writing indicate that folks are interested in what I know and my opinion on relevant subjects. That interest, they say, is the reason blogging works.
Yet I continue to find myself staring at a screen gone blank before I complete the right first sentence. Why isn’t this like Press Release 101?
I’m determined to learn more, to make this work, to be a meaningful contributor to AsherSphere in my lifelong areas of expertise—public relations and media relations. I’m sure these new communications vehicles offer greater possibilities and will add more power to public relations efforts.
Even AARP shares information through several Web sites . That indicates an audience in the 50 and older group. So there is hope.
Stick with me: I’m destined to become a blogger, too.
--Mike B.
In my effort to turn my thoughts into something written for this new-to-me concept of communicating, I have researched. I’ve Googled “blog,” “writing a blog,” “creating a blog” and “successful blogs” and have now read all the posts on more than a dozen blog sites. And there is plenty of information at my fingertips on the value of blogs as a form of social media.
So I am learning. Some of the “how to” sites for blog-writing indicate that folks are interested in what I know and my opinion on relevant subjects. That interest, they say, is the reason blogging works.
Yet I continue to find myself staring at a screen gone blank before I complete the right first sentence. Why isn’t this like Press Release 101?
I’m determined to learn more, to make this work, to be a meaningful contributor to AsherSphere in my lifelong areas of expertise—public relations and media relations. I’m sure these new communications vehicles offer greater possibilities and will add more power to public relations efforts.
Even AARP shares information through several Web sites . That indicates an audience in the 50 and older group. So there is hope.
Stick with me: I’m destined to become a blogger, too.
--Mike B.
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