Tag Archives: public relations

July 24, 2011 · 4:15 pm

Are You Wasting Money on Publicity?

The Value of Publicity is Based on 3 Key Factors

Every year, companies waste time, money and opportunity generating publicity that accomplishes little or nothing in terms of tangible business outcomes.

Here are a few hard truths regarding publicity:

Your audiences are unlikely to notice the exposure, or do anything about it. Even with content shelf-life driven by intelligent SEO management, there is simply too much information, too many online and offline media sources, and too little time in the day for your customers, prospects and referral sources to read, see or hear your message. And if they do get your message, there’s often little motivation for them to act on it.
Publicity volume does not translate into business results. A single high-value media placement that’s properly merchandised often has greater impact than a pile of press clippings. In fact, publicity for its own sake is often unfocused, with no connection to the company’s underlying value proposition or core messages; generating confusion and apathy among target audiences.
Some types of publicity have significantly greater marketing value than others. The old PR adage that “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” may work for Lindsay Lohan, but it has no application for companies that care about their brand. To calculate the media placement value of various types of publicity (see chart above), Highlander Consulting uses three key criteria:

BRAND RISK – If you have little control over how your company’s reputation or intellectual capital is presented – such as in a feature story where a reporter or editor will seek to produce “balanced coverage” by presenting negative items or including a competitor – then the publicity has inherent brand risk. (Value Scoring: +1 if you have total control over content; -1 if you have little or no control.)
CREDIBILITY – Often called “masthead value,” this factor is based on how well the media source is recognized and respected. The potential value of the publicity is based in large measure on the underlying credibility of the source, because the exposure supplies an inherent 3^rd party endorsement. (Value Scoring: +1 if the source has strong credibility; -1 if it has low credibility.)
MERCHANDISING POTENTIAL – This often overlooked factor is sometimes mistakenly called “reprint value,” but Merchandising Potential encompasses far more, relating to how easily and how broadly the media exposure can be leveraged to support and drive specific marketing goals. Simply posting publicity on a website does not deliver a high ROI. (Value Scoring: +1 if the publicity has a range of applications; -1 if it’s limited to one or two.)

Using this ranking methodology, and as reflected in the chart above , bylined articles and OpEd pieces published in credible sources typically deliver the highest marketing ROI; while inclusion (being mentioned or quoted) in a round-up news or feature story does not score well. Most home-grown efforts, such as self-published press releases, have very little value.

By using this formula, or a similar methodology, to evaluate the potential ROI of individual publicity tactics, and by building media and marketing strategies around only high-value activity,companies can consistently make the connection between publicity and tangible business results.

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Tagged as #brand management, #brand perception, #brand risk, #HighlanderConsulting, #Lindsay Lohan, #marketing, #masthead value, #media merchandising, #media placement, #PR, #press release, #publicity, #reprint value, #SEO, #thought leadership, B2B marketing, business development, Gordon Andrew, Gordon G. Andrew, highlander, highlander consulting, integrated marketing, journalism, marcom, marketing communications, marketing consultants, marketing counsel, marketing craftsmanship, marketing firms, marketing ROI, marketing strategy, New Jersey PR firms, PR counsel, PR firms, PR strategy, public relations, public relations firms, public relations strategy, social media

May 23, 2011 · 4:39 pm

Ronald McDonald Makeover: Liposuction Not Required

Too Big To Fail?

Thanks to the well-intentioned corporate activist group, “Corporate Accountability International,” and its egg & ham-fisted attempt last week to coerce Ronald McDonald into retirement, McDonald’s Corporation was handed an unsolicited opportunity (and loads of free air time) to reposition the company as a protector of first amendment rights, and to re-launch its aging spokesclown as “the ambassador of good food.”

Although the grass-roots group gets props for tackling the childhood obesity issue, CAI was ill-advised to point the finger at McDonald’s as a leading obesity culprit; to attempt to dictate corporate policy; and to mess with Ronald.

Why?

Fat kids don’t drive themselves to McDonald’s; their fat parents do. If you want to influence corporate policy, get a seat on the company’s Board of Directors. And the McDonald’s clown is namesake of a charitable organization that helps kids who have cancer.

This was a historic triple-stupid play deserving of special recognition from the Public Relations Society of America. Perhaps they should have hired the PR guy who handles the Facebook account at Burson-Marsteller.

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Tagged as #McDonald's, #obesity, #PRSA, #RonaldMcDonald, public relations

May 1, 2011 · 6:15 pm

Why New Jersey Loves Bad PR

Fly Fishing on the Raritan in Califon, NJ

Before I relocated to New Jersey a few years ago, my impressions of the Garden State were consistent with the stereotypes: Interstate 95 traffic jams, cogeneration plants spewing smoke, Tony Soprano, roadside diners, dangerous cities, people with annoying accents. But it took little time living in New Jersey to see that its range of natural beauty — from coastline, to quaint towns, to farmlands and deep woodlands — can match any state in the union. In spite of MTV’s Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Mike “The Situation,” most New Jersey residents have much more on their minds than “Gym, Tan and Laundry,” and the notorious Jersey accent is actually from Staten Island. Sorry New York.

So why doesn’t New Jersey hire a PR firm to set the record straight?

Before I had an opportunity to register my car in New Jersey, a group of teenagers who spotted my Connecticut license plates yelled at me in unison: “Go Home!” In defense, I screamed back: “Hey! I live here!”

So I asked my next door neighbor: “New Jersey’s a beautiful state, and doesn’t do justice to its lousy reputation. Why are people here so content to have outsiders believe all the negative stereotypes?”

“People who live here all know what a great state New Jersey is,” he said. “And we don’t care if other people find out, because then they might move here.”

New Jersey loves its bad PR, and has no interest in improving its reputation. Bad PR means fewer people to discover New Jersey’s prime fly fishing locations, more blanket space on its pristine beaches, and available tee times at its world-class golf courses.

But you didn’t get that information from me.

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April 30, 2011 · 11:29 pm

The PR Industry’s Dirty Little Secret

If you’re looking to hire a PR firm, and they suggest their deep relationships with journalists will be of benefit to you, that’s when you should show them the door.

Regardless of the size of their Rolodex, seasoned PR practitioners do not use those media contacts to sell their services. They know those long-term professional relationships are more important to them than the short-term needs of any client. They understand that success in media placement is based on what they know, not on who they know.

And “what they know” is how reporters think, and what they need. This insight enables PR pros to ferret out appropriate news and ideas. To package that information so that it’s not self-serving. To present story ideas in an appealing manner. To push back or disagree with reporters and editors when it’s called for. And to NEVER pitch a reporter solely based on their relationship with them.

Conversely, seasoned journalists do not cover news or accept story ideas from flacks simply because they’ve shared a few beers or worked with them previously. A reporter’s reputation is too important to compromise by covering items that don’t meet their editorial standards or address the interests of their readers or viewers. On a personal level, journalists also don’t appreciate the implication that they can be influenced by someone with an agenda.

PR firms that leverage media relationships to pitch substandard content are playing a losing game. Companies led to believe they’ll gain from their PR firm’s media contacts are simply being played.

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April 19, 2011 · 11:25 pm

4 PR Lessons from the SharesPost / Wall Street Journal Fistfight

If you’re not a habitual rubbernecker of battles between companies and the press, here’s a condensed version of a recent incident that can provide some lessons for all those subject to public scrutiny…which includes just about every individual, institution and company, public or private.

On April 12, the Wall Street Journal published “Meet My Departed Grandma, Fledgling Facebook Investor” in “The Game” column by Dennis K. Berman, who as deputy bureau chief for the Journal’s Money & Investing, is no cub reporter. The column was based on Berman’s assessment of the performance of online broker SharesPost, after posing as a would-be investor using the identity of his long departed grandmother.

Following publication, SharesPost CEO David Weir voiced strong objection to Berman’s column – in a letter to the editor at the Wall Street Journal and through an aggressive behind-the-scenes campaign directed at any blog editor willing to listen – focused on the journalistic ethics of Berman’s methods, as well as the accuracy of his reporting. Public controversy has erupted over the piece, prompting insider publications including Columbia Journalism Review to weigh in on Berman’s column.

Here are some lessons other companies can learn from the SharesPost coverage:

The Press Is Not Your Friend – There will always be reporters willing to employ any available means to make a name for themselves. Journalistic ideals espoused by Edward R. Murrow are long forgotten, and the line between news and entertainment has been blurred for decades. The Wall Street Journal and other media sources are NOT in business to make SharesPost look good…or even to report its (or your) side of the story. They’re simply competing for eyeballs.

Reporters Have Personal Agendas – Failure to recognize that reporters have opinions, prejudices, deadlines, career aspirations, overbearing bosses and overdue credit card bills often results in coverage that’s a big disappointment to those being written about. SharesPost may have been blind-sided by Berman in this story, but for many companies, their refusal to deal honestly and respectfully with a reporter can yield unpleasant results.

You Need To Suck It Up – SharesPost claimed that Berman’s column was one-sided and left out key facts, but CEOs are rarely objective and often thin-skinned with respect to the opinion of any outsider. More importantly, readers often have little interest in and pay much less attention to negative coverage than what’s imagined by the offended party. If you’re running an upstanding business, taking an occasional negative shot will not sink your ship.

It Can Pay to Make a Stink – Although SharesPost is unlikely to receive corrections, a retraction or an apology from the Wall Street Journal, its CEO was correct in making a public stink about Berman’s column. In this viral age, when the shelf-life of media coverage appears to be unlimited, it’s important to have your point of view on the record. But before you take that step, make sure your appeal is based on hard-nosed facts rather than ego or opinion, or you’ll be digging an even deeper hole.

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April 17, 2011 · 9:47 pm

Will Internet Transparency Devalue Craftsmanship?

As online access to information and insight into a broad range of professional and technical skills becomes more widely available, will “knowledge worker” craftsmanship become an anachronism?

For decades, medical schools have told students that patients want the Three As: Accessibility, Affability and Ability…in that order. Med students are taught that “patients don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” With the exception of Dr. Gregory House, most physicians understand that bedside manner often trumps a correct diagnosis or successful procedure. And insurance company research shows that physicians who apologize to patients for their errors are sued for malpractice far less often than those physicians who “lawyer up.”

Increasingly, online search and social media transparency will enable us to understand, manipulate, second-guess and validate the counsel of every professional discipline. If motivated, you can learn as much as your CPA knows about arcane tax laws, as much as your lawyer knows about divorce agreements, or as much as your real estate broker knows about mortgage lending.

With this level of virtual transparency, what’s the motivation for any knowledge worker to excel in their profession? If knowing only what’s necessary becomes sufficient – to avoid embarrassment and lawsuits – then why should any professional seek excellence? Rather than studying IRS rulings, is your accountant better served, in terms of business development and retention, by inviting clients and prospects out for a round of golf, dinner and drinks? As the client, would you prefer to be schmoozed by your CPA, or to have him increase your tax refund by $1,500? Would you even know if he’s capable of doing a better job for you? Maybe that’s why you’ve already replaced him withTurboTax.

Google, Twitter and TurboTax notwithstanding, as a knowledge worker, I take some solace in having seen that information and tools are often no substitute for experience. Several years ago, I was asked by a new client to create an integrated marketing strategy to serve as that company’s detailed blueprint to be implemented entirely by the CEO and his young, in-house marketing director. Two months later, the CEO engaged me again, to help his marketing director make the plan actually work.

So keep your former CPA’s phone number, because your TurboTax customer service rep will not be helpful at a tax audit with the IRS.

My guess is that true craftsmen in any profession will leverage online transparency to enhance their skills, rather than to use it as an excuse to join the status quo.

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Tagged as #craftsmanship, #marketing, marketing craftsmanship, public relations, web content

April 8, 2011 · 1:17 pm

Is Your Website Content a Brand Liability?

Either Feed the Content Beast or Don’t Create One

Distracted by all the social media buzz, it’s easy for a company to lose sight of the fact that their website remains the mother ship of brand expression and commerce. The standard marketing approach – particularly among B2B firms – is to create a brochureware-esque “Who We Are / What We Do / Why You Should Select Us” web presence, which forever serves as a handy repository for press releases, case studies, white papers and other expressions of thought leadership. For many firms, “build it once & fill it with stuff” is considered effective website management.

What often happens – soon after LAUNCH COMPANY WEBSITE is crossed off the corporate to-do list – is that companies don’t apply the same standards of excellence or levels of scrutiny to the content generated post-launch that were applied during development of the website’s original core content.

For a host of political and practical reasons, inappropriate and ineffective web content gets posted; sorely outdated content is granted lifetime tenure; and assorted layers of information…in WORD documents, PDFs, YouTube videos, podcasts, webinars…all obscure the company’s core messages and brand positioning. When it comes to website content, less is absolutely more.

If the brand police were to issue citations for website content-related abuse, some of the most common violations might include:

Vagrancy – If your most recent press release, example of news pickup, or last blog posting is more than two months old…website visitors will wonder “Are these guys still is business?” or “Is this how they will keep up with my needs as a client?” If a company can’t produce and maintain a fresh inventory of content, then from a brand perspective it’s better off without having any content at all. Dump the dated material and put a bullet in the blog with few posts. If you’re unable to trash the old content, at least bury it in an archive tab so it’s not as visible.

Prostitution – If your white papers, case studies, newsletters, webinars and other tools are nothing more than re-labeled sales pitches…website visitors will classify you a self-promoter and discount the credibility of all the information on your website. Admittedly, it’s often a battle for marketers to convince a CEO or Sales VP that their company needs to produce content that empowers prospects to draw their own conclusions…but pursuit of that cause is well worth the effort, if only in terms of professional self-respect.

Hoarding – If your company believes its content is so proprietary that visitors must be registered and approved to gain access to it, then you’re a prisoner of Web World 1.0, and here’s a news flash from 2014: Online content that requires registration is no longer an effective carrot to generate leads. Your company’s intellectual capital – showcased in website content – is its most valuable asset. If you restrict access, potential customers are more likely to move on to a competitor than they are to request permission to see it.

B2B companies will increasingly be tasked with having to feed new, relevant content to the online beasts that now rule our world. But rather than approach this as an endless, thankless chore, they need to embrace the opportunity to promote their expertise. A company that’s unwilling or unable to invest the resources necessary to keep their website current and vibrant needs to re-think how it presents its brand online.

[Previously published at http://prbreakfastclub.com/2011/04/08/content-marketing-liability/]