Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
670,500 adults in Washington state have diabetes; that is nearly 10 percent of the population. This number is predicted to grow to nearly one million by 2025. When learning these staggering statistics, I was shocked. Of course, I was aware of diabetes and I have personally seen the hardships it creates because my cousin was diagnosed with Type I a few years ago, however, I had no idea how many people this disease affected.
So, when Communiqué received an invitation to assist with promoting World Diabetes Day Seattle, I was thrilled to take part in such an important cause. World Diabetes Day is a worldwide campaign that occurs every year on November 14, during Diabetes Awareness Month. It focuses on raising awareness for the growing number of people with diabetes and those at risk. Cities all over the world partake in this campaign, including Seattle. While World Diabetes Day Seattle pursues the global goals previously mentioned, another very important aspect of the Seattle event is highlighting the astonishing strides made by our local research community.
We understood that our role of securing coverage would be an important aspect of inviting and educating the community. Communiqué decided the best way to promote the event to the community was to attain calendar listings in local publications and news sites, secure broadcast coverage and invite people through social media. We secured 16 calendar listings, tweeted 381 times, gained 295 Facebook likes, received mentions on King 5 and Q13 Fox and attained two segments on Evening Magazine (see below for an outline of the results).
Our efforts, combined with the hard work of the entire World Diabetes Day Seattle team, led us to attract a crowd of over 300 people on November 14. Not only was the attendance high, but the event itself was inspiring and lively! Governor Jay Inslee spoke about his personal connection to diabetes and his commitment to fighting the disease and award winners spoke with passion and conviction when describing their innovative ideas and research projects. Blitz the Seahawk and Blue Thunder, the Seahawks’ drum line, brought an infectious energy to the crowd as we marched through the Seattle Center to the Zumba flash mob at the EMP.
We had an incredible time working with the more than 20 partner organizations involved, the Seahawks, the local community and the rest of our event team! We are amazed by the outpour of support we saw and cannot wait to see what World Diabetes Day Seattle 2015 can do! We hope to see you there!
- King 5
- Q13 Fox
- Evening Magazine, Nov 17
- Evening Magazine, Nov 28
Facebook Page:
Twitter Handle:
Calendar Posts:
- The Seattle Times
- 425 Magazine
- Seattle P.I.
- Seattle Refined
- King 5 News
- Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
- Kent Reporter
- Kitsap Sun
- My Ballard
- Redmond Reporter
- Auburn Reporter
- Bellevue Reporter
- Courier-Herald Newspapers
- Marysville Globe/Arlington Times
- Peninsula Getaway
- Lake Stevens Journal
As fear of Ebola dominates news waves and this week’s elections, one of the most interesting—and polarizing—stories to hit is of quarantined American nurse Kaci Hickox. Testing negative for the disease after treating patients in West Africa, Hickox returned to her native Maine, where she has been forced by state politicians to undergo a 21-day quarantine. Outspoken in her rejection of the quarantine, Hickox has been decried by politicians and the public alike.
The story has hit a public nerve in part because it documents the collision between politics and public health. What is politically expedient may not be science-based, and everyone from governors to physicians has an opinion on where Hickox’s quarantine falls. More broadly, the public’s largely negative reaction against Hickox highlights the tension that erupts when the public’s perceived need for safety compromises another’s freedom. Situations that involve such a heightened sense of emotion beg to be treated carefully and strategically by all involved.
From a PR perspective, there are significant lessons to be learned from Hickox’s interactions with journalists and the media frenzy that followed. Here are our biggest takeaways from the media fiasco—lessons that can be applied to everything from a sticky situation with a journalist to full-on crisis communications.
Validate People’s Fears, Even if You Don’t Agree with Them
Even if Hickox’s point is justified and valid—it’s hard to argue that public health policies shouldn’t be science-based—validating others’ emotions can move mountains in terms of appearing more empathetic and getting more people to take your side.
Hickox’s lack of validation of people’s fears led to a portrayal of her as careless and reckless on Saturday Night Live, countless accusations from commentators that Hickox is selfish and cavalier and even the trending Twitter hashtag “me-bola.” A simple acknowledgement that people have a right to be afraid of Ebola would help assuage people’s concerns that she doesn’t care about them or their fears.
In every crisis situation, but especially ones where fear is a prominent emotion, people want to feel listened-to. After validating people’s fears about Ebola, Hickox’s could pivot to her strongest argument: Government and public health policies should be evidence-based, and this one simply isn’t.
State Your Most Salient Argument Early On—And Repeat It Often
While Hickox’s argument that her human rights are being violated may have validity, it is the weakest of her arguments because it is focused on her and can easily be refuted. Many have turned the argument back around swiftly, arguing that their human rights will be violated if Hickox chooses to “threaten” others with her physical proximity.
Hickox’s strongest, most irrefutable argument is that all health policies should be science-based and not driven solely by populist politics and fear. She could then pepper the argument with statistics and anecdotes to drive it home. This is her strongest proof point, and she should return it regularly.
If “This policy isn’t science-based” versus “My human rights are being violated” became the sound bite, the emphasis would shift to the policy itself, not her personal beliefs. This is a stronger, more convincing position to be in. Identifying and repeating the strongest, most irrefutable message first can help improve public perception and convince key audiences.
Help Key Parties Save Face and Look Competent
Lastly, the governors of Maine and New Jersey likely instated a quarantine for Hickox not solely out of concern for public safety but also to demonstrate to their citizens that they were taking action against Ebola. This move probably helped assuage some people’s fears, and in that respect, it was effective.
However, when Hickox went on an hour-long bike ride, publicly defying the quarantine, she, simply put, made the politicians who instated these policies look incompetent. Had she sought to work with the politicians and seek a compromise earlier on, they may have been more likely to work with her and help her achieve her goals of changing the quarantine policy.
Especially in a highly public situation, no one wants to look incompetent—and Hickox could have used this to her advantage. By agreeing with aspects of their policies and improving public perception of the politicians, she may have been able to change the quarantine policy with politicians’ help and gain more traction with the public perception of her argument.
The bottom line? Conciliation, validation, and on-point messaging can go far in any crisis situation.
Just two days after his retirement from professional baseball, New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter made perhaps the biggest media splash of his 20-year career by launching The Players’ Tribune, an online media outlet that allows athletes to publish first-person articles on the topics of their choice. Several heavy hitters have contributed articles in the first four weeks following the website’s launch, ranging from Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson to NASCAR driver Danica Patrick and NBA All-Star Blake Griffin.
Jeter’s new venture has certainly grabbed the attention of fans and journalists alike, and it’s clear that it will have an impact on how we produce and consume sports media going forward. But will The Players’ Tribune ultimately change the traditional sports-media landscape for better or for worse?
At first glance, the fan and PR sides of me are excited about the idea of enabling professional athletes to deliver unfiltered messages directly to their fans. By having a trusted vehicle to deliver their messages, these superstars produce articles with heightened intimacy that, in many cases, reveal characteristics that were largely unknown by the general public, establishing a stronger, more authentic relationship. It’s a great way to bridge the gap between fans and their idols, removing the guard to unveil the true identity of the person behind the jersey.
Creating this authentic relationship with the public is no easy task, but is highly effective in building a personal brand. Athletes have tried this before, communicating directly with fans on Twitter or penning articles in external media outlets such as Sports Illustrated.
The Players’ Tribune takes this one step further. There is no 140-character restriction. No “middleman” reporter or editor. Just a space for athletes to have full control over their media engagements, from creating the original message to approving the final posting and headline.
Having full control over your message is important, especially in the sports arena where there are well-documented cases of mistrust between athletes and media outlets. Even the most well-established outlets are guilty of this mistrust – just ask Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall about his experience with ESPN’s popular E:60 show.
The benefits of providing a platform that eliminates the media member are clear for the athlete and fan. But are these benefits healthy for the growth of an industry that depends largely on external media? Leagues, teams, and players all depend on external media as the main source of revenue, as evidenced by the NBA inking a new $24 billion deal with Turner and Disney for broadcast rights. If external media are eliminated from the equation, there may be an unintended backlash that stunts the rapid growth of professional sports.
Jeter argues that his website does not make the sports writer obsolete, but instead works in conjunction with traditional media outlets to continue to increase exposure, stating that his goal is to “ultimately transform how athletes and newsmakers share information, bringing fans closer than ever before to the games they love.”
This revolutionary idea may not be so groundbreaking outside of the world of professional sports. In many ways, The Players’ Tribune is to the professional athlete what LinkedIn has become to the business professional. With LinkedIn’s long-form publishing, business leaders can communicate directly with their target audience without working through external media, which is perhaps best utilized by Richard Branson, who was more than seven million followers reading his posts.
But in an industry so heavily dependent on external media, it will be interesting to see how The Players’ Tribune will affect the sports media landscape. If it follows a similar path to its business counterparts, it will likely benefit all parties involved, driving further interest and engagement from fans across the globe.
In business, there seems to be a common theme—companies are continually looking for new ways to attract customers and differentiate themselves from competitors, all while trying to lower expenses. Though valid and often the recipe for success in a business, finding and implementing those methods can be tricky on a day-to-day, cost-effective manner.
I recently read an article in AdAge titled “How JetBlue Makes Every Employee a Marketer (and Avoids Doing What Delta Would Do),” which outlines a creative business solution to this problem. In the article, Jack Neff highlights some interesting thoughts and tips from Marty St. George, senior VP-Commercial at JetBlue, on leveraging employees as marketers for a company.
St. George’s innovative approach involves creating a culture of brand marketers among all employees at JetBlue. With each employee promoting the brand, the company is able stay top of mind with its customers, while continuing to enhance JetBlue’s brand image.
The company begins this process at employee orientation. In fact, St. George referred to the process as “brand orientation.” Below are a few of his tips for cultivating a culture of brand marketers:
- Include all employees in company successes. Celebrate victories and recognize those who helped the company accomplish its goals.
- Hire people who love the company brand. Hiring the right people from the beginning ensures that employees will continue to share the correct brand story. Hire people who believe in the company values and want to be a part of the brand’s story.
- Differentiate. Every business decision should have differentiation top of mind. Challenge the competition.
- Make company values a priority. All employees should embody the company culture and values. St. George pointed out that JetBlue’s company values— safety, caring, integrity, passion and fun—come up in everyday conversations among employees.
Like most other business, we are always looking for new ways to lower expenses, which can become tricky as marketing and other media spending add up quickly. Creating a culture of brand marketers where employees act as representatives of the brand at every point in a business, as JetBlue has successfully done, is an easy and cost-effective way to differentiate against competition.
Did you know that today there are more than a half- million adults in the state of Washington living with diabetes? And that by 2025 experts say this number will grow to nearly 1 million? Neither did I.
To raise awareness around diabetes and celebrate the work that the American Diabetes Association, Benaroya Research Institute, Camp Leo, and several other organizations are doing in the Pacific NW, Novo Nordisk will hold an unprecedented event at the Pacific Science Center for World Diabetes Day (WDD) on Nov. 14, 2014.
WDD is a global campaign to spread awareness about the growing diabetes epidemic. Since 2007, iconic buildings and sites all over the world have been lit blue to unite for diabetes awareness on World Diabetes Day. In Seattle on this day, many building managers will be lighting their buildings blue.
The Seattle event at the Pacific Science Center will provide a profound opportunity to support those in our local community with diabetes and celebrate the astonishing research conducted locally that is making an immense difference worldwide. Here’s an overview of what to expect at WDD Seattle:
- The event will commence at 6:30 p.m., in the Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health & Wellness at the Pacific Science Center with giveaways and music.
- Next, Gov. Jay Inslee will address the crowd, before we move outdoors to view the ceremonial lighting of the arches and march with Seahawks band Blue Thunder to the Experience Music Project (EMP). Throughout the event, Blitz the Seahawk will join us.
- The event will close with an interactive jump-roping activity and Zumba performance with Blitz, and the opportunity to win a signed Cliff Avril Seattle Seahawk jersey. The Cliff Avril Family Foundation is dedicated to encouraging healthy living through nutrition and exercise for youth, specifically those diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
In addition to securing the Seahawks’ support, Communiqué PR is working to ensure there is broad community awareness for World Diabetes Day Seattle. We have secured calendar listings of the event on a variety of websites, including the following:
- 425 Magazine
- Auburn Reporter
- Bellevue Reporter
- Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
- Courier-Herald Newspaper
- Kent Reporter
- Kitsap Sun
- Lake Stevens Journal
- Marysville-Globe/Arlington Times
- My Ballard
- Peninsula-Getaway
- Redmond Reporter
- Seattle P.I.
Stay tuned for more articles and broadcast coverage later this week or early next week.
Communiqué PR’s Christy Melby also created a Facebook page with complete event information about World Diabetes Day. If you have a minute, we hope you will visit our page and like us. You can RSVP your attendance here.
And finally there is Twitter, where we have been busy promoting WDD Seattle from our handle @WDDSeattle. We have had fun engaging with journalists and business leaders, including KING 5’s Dennis Bounds, Seattle Seahawk superstar Richard Sherman, and John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, among many others.
We hope to see you on Nov. 14 at the Pacific Science Center, where showing up means showing support.
Did you know that today there are more than a half- million adults in the state of Washington living with diabetes? And that by 2025 experts say this number will grow to nearly 1 million? Neither did I.
To raise awareness around diabetes and celebrate the work that the American Diabetes Association, Benaroya Research Institute, Camp Leo, and several other organizations are doing in the Pacific NW, Novo Nordisk will hold an unprecedented event at the Pacific Science Center for World Diabetes Day (WDD) on Nov. 14, 2014.
WDD is a global campaign to spread awareness about the growing diabetes epidemic. Since 2007, iconic buildings and sites all over the world have been lit blue to unite for diabetes awareness on World Diabetes Day. In Seattle on this day, many building managers will be lighting their buildings blue.
The Seattle event at the Pacific Science Center will provide a profound opportunity to support those in our local community with diabetes and celebrate the astonishing research conducted locally that is making an immense difference worldwide. Here’s an overview of what to expect at WDD Seattle:
- The event will commence at 6:30 p.m., in the Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health & Wellness at the Pacific Science Center with giveaways and music.
- Next, Gov. Jay Inslee will address the crowd, before we move outdoors to view the ceremonial lighting of the arches and march with Seahawks band Blue Thunder to the Experience Music Project (EMP). Throughout the event, Blitz the Seahawk will join us.
- The event will close with an interactive jump-roping activity and Zumba performance with Blitz, and the opportunity to win a signed Cliff Avril Seattle Seahawk jersey. The Cliff Avril Family Foundation is dedicated to encouraging healthy living through nutrition and exercise for youth, specifically those diagnosed with juvenile diabetes.
In addition to securing the Seahawks’ support, Communiqué PR is working to ensure there is broad community awareness for World Diabetes Day Seattle. We have secured calendar listings of the event on a variety of websites, including the following:
- 425 Magazine
- Auburn Reporter
- Bellevue Reporter
- Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
- Courier-Herald Newspaper
- Kent Reporter
- Kitsap Sun
- Lake Stevens Journal
- Marysville-Globe/Arlington Times
- My Ballard
- Peninsula-Getaway
- Redmond Reporter
- Seattle P.I.
Stay tuned for more articles and broadcast coverage later this week or early next week.
Communiqué PR’s Christy Melby also created a Facebook page with complete event information about World Diabetes Day. If you have a minute, we hope you will visit our page and like us. You can RSVP your attendance here.
And finally there is Twitter, where we have been busy promoting WDD Seattle from our handle @WDDSeattle. We have had fun engaging with journalists and business leaders, including KING 5’s Dennis Bounds, Seattle Seahawk superstar Richard Sherman, and John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, among many others.
We hope to see you on Nov. 14 at the Pacific Science Center, where showing up means showing support.