Archive for 2010

« Older Entries

Tablet wars: Look at the full picture

Monday, December 27th, 2010

betamax blog photo

Of all the fierce battles in history, few have been as decisive as when Sony’s Betamax took on JVC’s VHS tapes. Sure, the battle was hardly bloody – although some conference room discussions in Japan might have made Custer’s tent at Little Bighorn positively tranquil – but the outcome saw the VHS victor totally obliterate its well-heeled, generally superior competitor with one fell swoop.

It seems that history is repeating itself as we watch Apple’s iPad take on an increasingly large number of rivals touting the Android operating system. The comparisons are easy, but their eventual outcome is our focal point and our take-home lesson. As marketers attempt to reach increasingly wide audiences over a vast array of media, tablets could play a massive role in the near future.

VHS won out over Betamax not because it was better – most historians and technophiles will agree that Sony’s system was vastly more advanced – but because JVC was willing to share its technology.

Sony assumed that the video recording market would remain relatively small and the company assumed that domination would come easy. The Japanese giant had created a fast, high resolution recording system that it wasn’t eager to share with anyone else.

Meanwhile, JVC developed the VHS tape, which wasn’t as sophisticated, but could be produced at a marginally lower cost. Forward-thinking JVC was also much smaller than Sony and it realized that, in order to be successful, it would need some outside help. JVC licensed its VHS technology to nearly every major electronics manufacturer, which meant that VHS recorders quickly became readily available – at competition-driven low prices.

Sony assumed that its high-end, high-quality Betamax would win, but consumers elected to go after the cheaper offering, even as they acknowledged that it was inferior.

Parallels to Apple’s iPad are obvious. Apple has made its operating system open source – meaning that anyone capable can develop applications – but it won’t provide a license to other electronics manufacturers. Apple wants to control hardware, just like Sony did. Android – purchased by Google in 2005 – has been distributed to licensees since 2007. As a result, it’s hard not to find an Android-powered device at any electronics store (other than at an Apple Store, of course).

That’s not to say that the iPad isn’t a great device. It is highly capable and its integration with Apple’s other products makes it truly impressive. But the cheapest iPad will set buyers back $500, about the price of three low-end Android-powered tablets.

Without a time-traveling app, we can’t tell who will win this battle. But as we continue to develop applications and look for unique ways to reach consumers, we can’t ignore the potential of these two devices.

Don’t be the electronics store that stocked up on Betamax tapes only to be stuck with dusty, unsold merchandise years later.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

Minimizing executive interview mistakes

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

media interview

You’ve had hours, days or even weeks to prepare for an interview. You’re up to date on your company’s operations and products. If you’re lucky, the interviewer has even provided you with some hints on what to expect from the discussion.

Then the interview comes along and you stumble, never fully getting your point across and not knowing the answers to every question. It happens to the best of us, even those who think they are well prepared.

The basics

Look at an interview with a member of the media in much the same way you’d want to interview for a new job. You want to go beyond answering questions – you want to present a compelling, but not overly boastful, case for you and your company. You want to sell your message.

Your answer needs to be more than just words. It needs to be believable, not only because it needs to be accurate and truthful, but it also needs to be something you genuinely take as fact. Be comfortable and try to be yourself.

Anticipate questions ahead of time by working with your public relations team. Collect your thoughts ahead of time; only in certain circumstances should you agree to an on-the-spot interview.

On track

The rapid-fire, “report first, ask later” nature of online and TV media makes it imperative that you keep control of the interview. Don’t let the interviewer take you off track – unless you want to go there.

Answering questions that might move the conversation in the wrong direction with a simple, “That’s a great question for another time; let’s revisit it soon” will endear reporters and lead to what could be a mutually beneficial follow-up interview. It’s a smart answer that can be effective if used sparingly.

Additionally, you must keep control of yourself during the interview. A flustered answer will bomb on more levels than you want to think about – your clear answer, your facts and your credibility are all on the line during the interview.

Tailor-made

Help the reporter by giving answers that can easily be put in context in an article or clip; think of your answers as sound bytes. Your answers should be concise, accurate and, perhaps most importantly, they need to be natural. A short and simple answer that tells the basics is easy for a reporter to use; if they want to dig deeper, that’s their prerogative.

You can’t assume that a reporter will know what you’re talking about, so you might need to build up your answer with background basics. This varies by outlet, so be careful not to oversimplify to an industry trade journal, for example.

Simple answers don’t mean misleading answers; if you’re intentionally glossing over the details or ignoring certain elements, they’ll track down the facts. Ultimately, this tactic will backfire and destroy your credibility.

A timely example

For months, General Motors told reporters that the innovative Chevrolet Volt’s gasoline engine never directly powered its drive wheels. Then, closer to the Volt’s on-sale date, GM revealed that, under certain unusual circumstances, the gasoline engine could indeed bypass its electric counterpart to motivate the vehicle on its own.

It’s a difference that buyers won’t notice because, simply, it doesn’t matter in day-to-day driving. But it betrayed many reporters’ trust in GM and its public relations team, whom the media decried as misleading and engaging in evasion tactics. Not only did the gaffe dent GM among reporters, it made journalists look as though they had been reporting false stories.

The drama that ensued could have been avoided in one of two ways. The simplest answer would be for GM to have told the truth initially, which would have prevented reporters from being misled.  Conversely, GM could have chosen not to reveal the information until it was ready.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

The Business Card Gets Smart

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Pundits have rarely been so wrong. Once a hallmark of a successful businessperson, the calling card was predicted to die out in this increasingly digital age. Instead, business cards have evolved – but not necessarily in the exclusively bits and bytes manner one might expect.

Dating back to the Ming Dynasty in China, business cards have long been the primary means of contact information distribution from businesses to businesses or companies to consumers. The “visiting card,” as it was known then, made its way to Europe’s strict societies, which emphasized etiquette. Eventually, lithographers expanded the practice to a burgeoning 19th century middle class before cards took hold in the United States. Our entrepreneurial society latched onto the idea of spreading information and the card has evolved ever since.

Material goods
Odds are, your business cards are printed on card stock in two or three colors. They might have information on both sides and a stylized logo, as well as basic facts like your name, position, address, phone and fax numbers, as well as your email and your company’s website. You could even have a slogan or a few basic company facts.

Your cards might follow the same basic pattern found elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop there.

Think about materials you can use for cards.

Recycled paper and eco-friendly ink is environmentally conscious, which helps meet ISO standard and resonates with clients. Maybe a high-tech appearance is a better bet; cards printed on thin steel, leather, cloth, carbon fiber or aluminum won’t cost substantially more, but they’ll stand out.

Regardless of the material, these unique cards are designed to make an impact, both to prospective accounts and to remind existing clients of your innovative approach.

business card
Going digital
Critics said that business cards would die when smartphones took over. The Blackberry didn’t kill them and iPhones and Androids helped evolve them.

The prevailing idea just a few years ago was that “bump” apps would be the ideal way of transferring information from one device to another. Bumping isn’t a lost concept, but it hasn’t reshaped business cards.

Perhaps the biggest advancement to the traditional business card model is the integration of QR (“quick response”) codes, small matrix barcodes designed to be read by a mobile phone’s camera. A simple wave of a smartphone over a QR barcode reveals significantly more information than before.

QR codes might have hit their Zenith at the South by Southwest festival earlier this year in Austin, Texas. Appearing on business cards, credentials, signage, flyers and giveaways, QR codes instantly linked recipients to a plethora of information – social media pages, websites, product information pages and way more.

But a QR code might be just the beginning for many. For one, they’re not necessarily appropriate everywhere. Many businesses ban mobile phone cameras in order to prevent sensitive information from escaping, while some business card transactions and reviews occur 35,000 feet above the air. Yep, you’ve probably passed out your card at least once on an airplane.

PlugYourBrand.com has an innovative – although costly – solution. USB business cards shaped and sized about like a thick credit card can plug right into computers to provide recipients with pre-loaded information, including product information or capability portfolios. At around $3 each when bought in bulk, they aren’t a mass market concept yet, but they do provide a sophisticated way of showing off capabilities.

USB sticks (thumb drives) are cheaper, but they offer packaging real estate for little more than a logo.

A paper card might suffice for now, but staying on the cutting edge dictates adding more to your standard business card. You don’t want to be playing catch up, do you?

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Working “off the record” to your advantage

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

off_the_record

Journalists know better than anyone that words are, well, just words. They’re to be taken at face value – unless, of course, they mean something else.

Confused? You have the right to be, especially if you’ve ever been asked a question “off the record” only to find out that what you said is circulating around the public. What you said was meant to stay between you and the reporter, but it didn’t stop there.

What’s going on here and why doesn’t “off the record” mean what it seems like it should?

Good cop, bad cop
During a TV cop drama, a detective will grill his suspect or witness using the “off the record” trick to reveal a detailed, informative answer. He can’t use the response in a court, but, like any good dramatized officer, he’ll utilize his newfound knowledge to get to the bottom of things by circumventing traditional methods.

Minus the built-in drama and flashy graphics, real life reporters also use this trick. By engaging in friendly conversation without a notebook or recorder in hand, a journalist might casually ask a question “off the record.”

The reporter is looking for you to confirm a query or a suspicion that he will verify elsewhere, often simply as an “anonymous” source. You probably won’t find your words published verbatim, but you might find out that trade secrets or future product information you’ve only discussed with one reporter show up in his outlet.

Many major newspapers’ style guides and codes of ethics limit their reporters from quoting anonymous sources, especially in the wake of troubling accounts like the Washington Post’s Jason Blair, who famously made up sources and fabricated quotes.

But just because they won’t use this shortcut doesn’t mean that reporters won’t go behind your back to find someone else to whom they can attribute the information. Speaking with another representative of your firm, a reporter will indicate that he knows something that shouldn’t be made public. This other representative might share even more details since he thinks that the reporter is privy only to information you want to be “on the record.”

Manipulating “off the record” comments is a journalism trick that will help net an “exclusive,” so you can’t blame a reporter for trying. Instead, take a holistic approach to the way you word your interview responses and “off the record” discussions.

Solutions
Your best bet is simply to not share information that you don’t want getting out to the public. Deception isn’t your friend, but it is often necessary to keep certain things private for a period of time. Keep quiet and say that you “can’t share those details at this time.”

There are mutually ways to work around the “off the record” situation. If you know the journalist well and are on a friendly basis with them, you might want to consider sharing “off the record” information while explaining the reason you don’t want what you’ve said to show up in print or online. In addition to keeping the information private, this dialog between you and the reporter might further solidify a relationship, and it will help the reporter reach a more in-depth understanding of your perspective.

Alternatively, many companies take advantage of product information embargoes to ensure that classified information doesn’t leak out early. Inviting journalists to a detailed technical presentation or even a light preview gives them insider details, but asking them to sign a waiver – isn’t even really legally binding – can benefit everyone. Reporters get an even playing field while they feel like embedded members of the media and you get the timing you want on the information the public needs – if not quite yet.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Making the news: A look into online reporting

Friday, November 12th, 2010

OnlinePanel

To understand the enemy, you must think like the enemy – so the military strategy goes. True, journalists are certainly not enemies, so the comparison isn’t quite valid. But the point remains: to truly understand how a journalist reports the news and understands what you’re trying to tell them, you must look at the process from their angle.

Online journalism might look like traditional print, radio or television media, but it’s vastly different. It benefits from the reader’s ability to quickly verify facts. Cable news viewers can delve further into a subject after seeing a report, but that usually requires a move from the couch to the computer – even an iPad isn’t motivation enough. When a reader sees something reported on an online news site, a blog or even a social media outlet, it doesn’t take much more than a visit to Google to dig deeper.

Readers know everything. And anything they don’t already know, they will within 10 minutes, even if their facts might be stretched to fit a point or an agenda.

Dissecting the media

Let’s look at a few ways an entry or an article might make its way online, starting with the simplest approach – social media.

A few words are all it takes for an amateur reporter to disseminate fact (or fiction). In this case, it’s usually based on something they’ve read elsewhere – a press release, a company website or an article. These quick reports engage their followers, who might spread the word digitally or verbally. No, a social media user isn’t a journalist per se, but they’re saying something to an audience that, in one way or another, views them as authoritative. They listen. They repeat.

A step up from this is the blogger. Closely related to a social media user, a blogger is, in many ways, simply a more verbose Tweeter or Facebooker. Yes, blogs came well before either of those sites, but their worlds are closely intertwined.

For example, a connected blogger gathers information from Twitter, relying as much on official accounts as word-of-mouth Tweets from nearly anyone. Sometimes it’s as simple as reporting on an announcement, while other times an inconveniently leaked message to an exposed situation. They’re opposite ends, but they represent the different ways a blogger might work. To get more connected to this unique reporting manner, follow a celebrity’s Tweets for the day and then check out one of the countless celebrity-tracking blogs. Suddenly, you’re a few words away from being a blogger.

What separates most bloggers from most reporters is the level of research put into crafting a story. Broadly speaking, most bloggers are looking to get a story up quickly – they’ll check their sources later and post an update. It’s modern sensationalism, but this ever-faster-moving world can’t be satisfied any other way.

Traditional reporting is hardly dead, although bloggers might suggest otherwise. Websites affiliated with print outlets follow their parent groups’ standards, even though they usually have a reasonably well-researched blog section written by traditional reporters.

These blog sections offer up anything from obscure news stories to short bits that, in the eyes of the editor, don’t merit an in-depth story.

A well-researched piece will have the writer conducting his business in much the same way as a print reporter might. Interviews are required and citing more than one source to verify information or opinion is a given.

The comment paradigm

Instant, visible feedback is almost always the way the online world moves. Few active websites don’t have a section for readers to share their comments. Although most legitimate sites carefully monitor comments, few censor anything other than spam and profanity.

Journalists get instant feedback from their readers, which allows the ability to further craft a piece. Do readers point out incorrect information? A writer can edit the story since it is not set in stone. A new development? The public almost always finds out first, so a reporter often learns as much from the comments as from an official source.

Of course, a good reporter then verifies the information learned – or at least verifies the source. Occasionally, the reporter will directly engage readers to solicit more information or opinions. Sometimes this happens behind the scenes via email, while often a reporter will add to the comments, carefully ensuring that he or she does not reveal a bias.

Moreover, comment sections give readers the opportunity to voice their opinions, which are then read by other readers. While readers might not assign a high level of credibility to these numerous opinions, they certainly pay attention to them.

Taking advantage

Disseminating your information in a fast and efficient process is essential. Thorough, but concise press releases, extensive use of social media and easy availability for on-the-record conversations will ensure a positive relationship with the media.

Resist using a site’s feedback section to engage audiences. A better approach is to directly contact the reporter to discuss a false or concerning comment. Don’t expect the reporter to edit a comment, but sometimes a clarification can be made in the text of the story.

As always, establishing a rapport with the media will produce positive results.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

Facebook Fans vs. Twitter Followers: Who should your organization target?

Friday, November 12th, 2010

A wise marketing guru once said, “Facebook is for the people you know while Twitter is for those you want to know.”

Facebook’s entire platform is based on the premise that you can connect or reconnect with people that you already know.  People you’d want to share photos with of your dogs, family vacays and any other important moments. It was designed with a more personal aim in mind.

Twitter, on the other hand, was designed for strangers who want to share their common interests and news with one another.  It’s socially acceptable to “follow” someone, even if you’ve never met them before.  Twitter’s platform is a catalyst for information exchange.

According to eMarketer, surveys showed that 37% of respondents were more likely to purchase from a brand after following them on Twitter as opposed to only 17% of those that “like” a brand on Facebook.

Chart

This isn’t to say that Facebook is a useless marketing tool considering that Mark Zuckerberg is one of the wealthiest people in the U.S. at only age of 26.  However, there’s clearly value in having both Twitter and Facebook in a company’s social media strategy to maximize results and increase the bottom line.  The only way to do that is to target the “followers” that will respond to your company’s marketing message.

Let’s not forget marketing’s primary mathematical expression: behavior > awareness.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Understanding what’s newsworthy

Monday, November 1st, 2010

target-audience

Sensory overload happens every day.  Experiencing “too much” can be as simple as passively sitting through many high-pace commercials during a football game or as active as being forced to make your way through menu after menu after menu, just to change the radio station on a new car’s sophisticated audio system.

This same overload happens every day when working with the media.  Companies want to spread the word about their new product, an upcoming event or a service they provide, but they overwhelm those who they rely on to distribute their information by not selectively targeting the right audience by deciding what is worth sharing.

It’s something journalists do every day by splicing and dicing their notes in an effort to condense their reporting to a few hundred words or a couple of columns.

Just like members of the media, those who distribute the information can learn to read what’s important to their audience to understand what is newsworthy.

Too little, too much

Of course, it’s pretty obvious when you’re not presenting enough information – it’s when everyone is asking those basic questions afterward.  But there’s an increasingly fine line between telling too much and too little.

If you don’t share enough, your audience will miss your points and you risk limited exposure.  More often, we find ourselves sharing too much information that over inundates an audience, risking the same problem of focusing on the wrong news.

But the biggest challenge is deciding what needs to stay and what needs to go.

This is especially prevalent when distributing information to members of the media and the public in a press release, a detailed email, a product or event information packet or even in presentations and discussions.

Selecting what’s newsworthy

Let’s say that you’re introducing a new product.  Ask yourself a simple question: “What’s newsworthy?”

Since you’re invested in the product, it won’t take you long to put together a lengthy list of what you deem important facts.  But the next task is sorting through the information in an effort to present a concise and accurate summary of facts easily dissected by your target audience.

Just what you select depends on your intended audience.  At first, it comes naturally; would you share intricate details about computer software with your grandmother?  No, you’d carefully select the important facets in an effort to only illustrate what is essential.  On the other hand, would you give a broad overview to the editor of a computer magazine?  Nope.  A detailed description is the way to go.

The difficult part is deciding just what is newsworthy for your audience.  Sometimes, it will require a number of discussions – like additional follow-up press releases or emails distributed at a later date or more in-depth sessions with individual members of the media.

No detail about your product, your service or your event is unimportant.  Everything is crucial, but not everything is necessarily newsworthy to every audience.

Picking and choosing a tailor-made release or discussion might take a little more work in the short term, but it will rapidly reap benefits with your audience.  Otherwise, you risk falling into the dreaded trap of overload.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

Media Center Mishaps

Monday, October 25th, 2010

autoshow-pressroom-350

A media center was once a place for journalists to quickly and conveniently file stories, but that’s hardly the case any longer. Today, media centers are a great place to reach out to media, but doing so requires an entirely different approach than on a show floor or at a private event.

Let’s take a look at what’s different today, as well as ways to work with media both at a major trade show or at your own event.

The Internet has changed everything.

Sure, that might be the single most obvious statement of the 21st century, but an understanding of how the Internet has reshaped the way the media operates is essential for working in or operating a media center at a trade show or large scale event.

Media centers take many different shapes depending on the venue. At large trade shows, several rooms with hard-wired and wireless connectivity could be available to the media, while smaller events might only require a row of computers and a printer. A private event could only require a small area for interviews or the scale of the event might dictate plenty of room for online journalists and bloggers.

Getting to know your audience

Often, brand representatives aren’t allowed in closely-guarded large media centers thanks primarily to poor past behavior. While it is often helpful to have a presence in a media center, it’s important to be an active, but not overly aggressive brand advocate.

Circulating among members of the media helps establish a rapport and, if done properly, a level of trust with those who can become your best asset. Merely distributing product information, whether it is a printed press release or a full-scale flash drive media kit, simply isn’t enough. Developing a comfortable, easy-going relationship with members of the media is crucial.

But the media center isn’t just a place to catch up with old cronies. It’s also a place to meet new faces in an agreeable and friendly setting. It offers a concentrated environment away from the sales floor-like atmosphere inevitable to many trade shows.

Sometimes, a media center will have separate rooms that can be booked for private discussions or interviews. Taking advantage of these venues can often entirely change a member of the media’s perspective by fostering a more in-depth conversation with a key representative, such as a product designer, engineer or executive.

While some journalists are on tight deadlines, many more have the flexibility to immediately publish their content online, making it all the more important to distribute product information and build relationships in a timely and efficient manner.

Your own media center

A different approach is required for private venues where the media is in attendance specifically to learn information about your product, service or event. These events sometimes require a brand representative to be even more proactive by carefully emphasizing the brand to help facilitate greater understanding.

The design of a media center alone can spur additional productivity for all sides. Some events might require a dedicated room with Internet stations, refreshments and at least one full-time product representative available to answer questions. Other events might dictate a casual environment with comfortable spots available for laid-back interviews. It almost goes without saying that wireless Internet access is a nearly universal requirement.

In addition, at larger events, the media center becomes a central gathering point for journalists. Making sure that product or event information is readily available will help further the brand’s cause.

Regardless of the venue, knowing how to properly disseminate information to gathered members of the media, from traditional print outlets to advanced web publishers to bloggers, is the deciding factor for solid event or product coverage.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

QR Technology: The Future of the Print Industry

Wednesday, October 20th, 2010

QR tech photo

QR technology will change the way people market in the United States.  The application  is a simple, yet powerful tool that will reinvigorate the traditional print industry by truly integrating collateral materials with digital assets.

In simple terms, QR technology uses 3D bar codes to instantly transport a person from a brochure, billboard, business card or flyer directly to a link on the Internet.  The bar code can be as small as a dime or as large as a billboard.  A person points their smart phone at the bar code using one of several available readers and the phone takes a photo of it.  The phone then opens a browser to go directly to the specific website page.

The link can be as granular as a special offer on a microsite or the front page of a site.  The ad for a concert could include a code to an e-commerce site to buy tickets.  A business card could have a link to the person’s bio online.

Since the digital asset can be rapidly changed, the QR code can stay the same, thus eliminating the problem of printing materials only to see them expire.

In Europe, movie posters and billboards advertise the latest film with a code to buy tickets.  Car dealers post codes for new models, giving customers the opportunity to review and buy their dream vehicle during a product launch.

How will Americans adapt to this new opportunity?  Smart business people will leverage the possibilities.  Print is still alive, given a new lease on life with QR technology.

Can you imagine the possibilities?

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

Record Setting: The New Event Planning Strategy

Friday, October 8th, 2010

samsung-cricket-worlds-largest-phone

From the world’s largest cell phone (15 ft. long, 11 ft. high and three ft. wide) to the largest-ever resistance-band strength-training class, these record-setters are landing in the legendary Guinness Book of World Records through the efforts of public relations experts.  Recently, the Wall Street Journal dove into the high-energy, fast-paced world of PR and came out with an interesting and one-of-a-kind perspective: break a world record and get recognized.

The Guinness Book of World Records, also known as Guinness World Records Ltd., began in 1955 as a division of the company that makes the tasty, dark beer Guinness.  With more than 100 countries and 25 languages publishing the book, landing a corporation into the read could mean huge publicity and major kudos to the PR agency that accomplishes the feat.  The Guinness team is also helping out by offering companies its services, including a judge to approve the record and brainstorming the types of records that remain unbroken, all for the small price of $4,800.

The problem, however, is the more companies that dive into this novelty program, the less appealing and unique the accomplishment is.  With an increase of requests to the Guinness team now up 250 percent, companies are seriously looking into these publicity stunts to increase sales.  A cool idea can go a long way, but not when your neighbor and your neighbor’s neighbor are also dipping their fingers into the Guinness Book cookie jar.

Tags: , ,
Posted in PR/Marketing | No Comments »

« Older Entries