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.
Ever since the Seattle Sonics left for Oklahoma City four seasons ago, the community has held hope that someday we might have another NBA team. As it turns out, we might actually be close to having a team in town as soon as next fall. The city of Seattle’s mayor’s office has quietly been in discussion with Christopher Hansen, a San Francisco-based hedge fund manager (and Seattle native) to help finance a new arena to attract an NBA team. According to news reports, discussions have been going on for almost a year.
A year?! What’s interesting to me is that this is the first time the general public has heard about this. There haven’t been any news conferences or press releases talking about the what ifs but instead the powers that be have been diligently working in the background to try and make this happen before setting any expectations. Instead of spending their time answering questions they don’t have answers to, they focused on putting a deal together to alleviate some of the message spin. The mayor’s office has done an outstanding job of managing the messaging on this for almost a year now, and for this they deserve some kudos.
Nothing would steam Seattle’s milk more than the prospect of publicly financed stadiums and subsidized pro-sports teams, so it can’t be easy to manage expectations and messaging for such a high profile, high-risk initiative.
As PR practitioners it’s our job to think about the before, during, and after; to position the message just so; and to deftly manage the feedback. Imagine the counterproductive buzz that would have pushed these sensitive NBA talks off course had word gotten out sooner. Not good. Instead, questions are answered before they’re asked, strategic partners feel valued and the message has momentum.
Well played.
Did you catch Chrysler’s commercial featuring Clint Eastwood during last Sunday’s Super Bowl? More than 100 million people tuned in to watch the commercials. What makes this Clint Eastwood spot significant over the other commercials is the amount of buzz and media coverage it has received since its airing.
In case you missed it, the ad features Clint Eastwood giving a half-time pep talk to America, saying, “This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and, when we do, the world is gonna hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime America, and the second half is about to begin.”
Let’s assume for a minute there was no political agenda – after all, I’ve read pretty persuasive arguments from all corners of the political spectrum – and that the ad was just an ad. Let’s also assume that the ensuing political controversy was unexpected by Chrysler – executives said there was no political message intended – it was just an ad. Now, think about the enviable position Chrysler has found itself in.
The ad is thought provoking and timely. Context and timing are two crucial elements that must be considered in any marketing communications program and Chrysler nailed it. Timing a message appropriately is a key factor, and in this case, is tied to the American public’s state of mind.
While media coverage has primarily focused on the potential political nature of the message, there’s no denying the press coverage has worked to put Chrysler at the forefront of people’s attention. After all, successful public relations campaigns are one of the most strategic tools a company can employ to communicate with their customers and potential customers.
Chrysler and its ad agency, Wieden & Kennedy, made a great ad, there’s no debating that. Since the commercial aired, the company has stated that it wasn’t a political message at all, but a message to Americans in general. Chrysler wasn’t calling for political change nor were they thanking the current administration for the tax-fund bailout. Regardless, it still worked.
Context and timing.
It started with Sponsored Stories early last year and now, Facebook continues to encourage user activity and promoted content with the recently announced new Timeline apps. These Timeline apps allow users to broadcast their daily activities, such as “cooking,” “hiking,” and “knitting,” moving beyond the traditional “like,” “read,” “watch” and “listen” buttons. These actions are chronicled through the use of specific applications connected to Facebook; you may have already seen many posts on your news feed from connected apps such as Spotify and The Washington Post, for example.
In January, Facebook announced the expansion and enhancement of action-based interactions and added 60 more Timeline apps, with many more to be added as the new feature grows in poularity. This advancement creates a new way for users to interact with apps, content and brands. Think of actions as creating a virtual, public diary chronicling everything you do throughout the day and “expressing who you are; a runner, foodie, traveler, music fan, movie buff and more” (Facebook.com).
According to TechCrunch, each app will have anywhere between two to ten verbs, which will then show up in Ticker (a feature of the Timeline profile). At the end of each month, all personal activities will be summed up on your timeline in the format of a visual graph. An article on Fast Company outlines the idea behind actions and Timeline apps:
Let’s say you listen to a particular song on Spotify. That action, “listened to a song,” gets passed back to Facebook (assuming you’ve given Spotify approval to do so). The action gets listed in your friends’ Tickers, where all their friends’ actions inside Facebook (like when they Like a page or comment on a picture) gets displayed in real-time. The action also gets listed on your Timeline as a permanent part of your history. (Though you can choose not to have that listed, or limit the people to whom it gets displayed.)
VentureBeat describes actions as “the holy grail of semantic data,” defining relation types between people, objects, content, places, businesses and more. Carl Sjogreen of the Facebook product team states,
Ideally, any app you find meaningful will be able to connect to Facebook in a way that’s more meaningful than just clicking a ‘like’ button or automating shares from that app on your wall – and that all your stories will be told, not through a universe of apps, but universally on Facebook and with a structured context.
These new Timeline apps create an opportunity for businesses and organizations to further understand relationships between consumers and products consumed. According to an article on Forbes.com, actions and Timeline apps allow for more targeted marketing, which means businesses will need to begin harnessing beyond “likes” in order for people to demonstrate their loyalty and connection to a brand. Furthermore, the article states that for marketers, this means “new ways to target, reach and engage consumers.” Forbes.com also noted that studies show incorporating social information and connecting ads to friends’ actions on Facebook make people twice as likely to click an ad and the intent to purchase increases fourfold.
This means that people will spend more time on Facebook than they already do. Using these apps and allowing them to structurally organize your actions onto Facebook means news feeds and profiles will see a lot more traffic. Users will be more connected to Facebook as it will chronicle and track everyday actions, subsequently encouraging and allowing friends to participate in the same activities, purchases, and more. With this increased interaction on Facebook, comes more ad inventory, increased options for social ads and improved ad targeting.
Privacy is the main concern over the new Facebook Timeline apps and their actions. Many users have fear around the publicity of location apps such as RunKeeper, which uses a GPS function to map the route of your run, walk, hike, etc. Furthermore, it will take some time before Timeline apps will create a big impact on Facebook and outside developers. In order for the action features to truly launch, everyone must be on Facebook’s Timeline format, which is predicted to be mandatory very soon.
We recommend looking into Facebook Timeline apps and mapping out how it all might drive consumer awareness, participation and overall success for your business or organization. Make the transition from Facebook Pages to a Facebook Timeline so you are ready to utilize actions in the near future and stay ahead of the curve.
Katherine Turney
Last week, Susan G. Komen’s decision to cut breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood dominated the headlines across countless media outlets and conversations in the world of social media. The story was first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday, Jan. 31, highlighting that Komen would cease funding under new eligibility rules that precludes grants to groups under government investigation.
Within 24 hours, the groundswell of backlash from politicians, celebrities, activists, advocates and general supporters quickly became a PR nightmare for the breast cancer organization. In a survey conducted by a Washington-based public relations firm, 75 percent of the people posting about the decision on social media shared negative comments about Susan G. Komen, and more than 20 percent said they would not give money to Komen because of the move.
In previous blog posts, we have discussed the importance of analyzing how a change in a company’s policy or service will be perceived by all stakeholders, and developing the appropriate messaging that provides transparency around these changes. In addition, we have also discussed the importance of developing a crisis communication plan to help you react faster and make more effective decisions when in the midst of a crisis. It is the actions a company or individual take within the first 24 hours that sets the tone for how the media and general public will react.
While thousands of supporters on both sides voiced their opinions, Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen utilized their social media channels to communicate their position on the decision. Planned Parenthood used their social media channels to galvanize supporters in not only raising awareness, but also created a call to action for supporters to donate funds. By Wednesday evening, the organization had received more than $650,000 in donations, which nearly matched what Komen had pledged the previous year.
In an effort to correct the negative perception of Komen’s decision, the foundation issued a number of Tweets responding to the public scrutiny, and also created a YouTube video featuring its CEO Susan G. Brinker. While both approaches are acceptable means for disseminating the organization’s key messages, they were remiss in their decision to remove negative comments posted to its Facebook page, which does not help in rebuilding trust among its constituents.
Komen’s recent PR blunder is yet another reminder of how powerful social media can be. Not only does it have the power to connect with target audiences, increase brand recognition, and convey key messages, it can also be a driving force in creating change. By Friday, Feb. 3, Susan G. Komen announced the reversal of their decision to cut breast-screening grants to Planned Parenthood, and said they would continue to fund existing grants and preserve the eligibility for Planned Parenthood to apply for future grants.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend Macworld|iWorld 2012 on behalf our client the Omni Group, a leading developer of productivity applications made exclusively for Mac OS X, iPhone and iPad. There was much to see during the show from gymnasts jumping on trampolines to showcase Polk Audio’s UltraFit sports headphones to the Silent Frisco dance party. And I can’t forget to mention comedian and The Daily Show contributor Rob Cordrry’s Macworld appearance and visit to the Omni Group’s booth.
While speculation continues around whether Macworld will remain relevant and well attended given Apple’s departure from the show three years ago, many agree that the show is alive and well. In fact, given the increased demand and fanfare around iOS devices, the conference has added “iWorld” to its name in a nod to the importance of the iPad and iPhone.
For the Omni Group, Macworld has always been and will continue to be a key event to attend. Unlike other companies who may have brick and mortar retail stores allowing them to chat with customers on a day-to-day basis, Macworld provides a unique, ideal platform for the Omni Group to reconnect with its customers, meet with the media, continue fostering industry relationships and showcase its latest offerings. In fact, many consider the Omni Group a Macworld veteran and admire its dedication to the show as 2012 marked its 12th straight year of attendance.
In the weeks leading up to Macworld|iWorld, Communiqué PR helped the Omni Group secure 17 briefings with both tech trade and Apple-focused publications such as Ars Technica, Macworld, GigaOm, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW), Technologizer and The Register, among others. The goal for these meetings was to share the Omni Group’s 2012 vision and product roadmap, provide a sneak peek at upcoming products and offer perspective on current trends in the productivity apps industry.
While at the show, I had the privilege of hosting these interviews and spending time with the Omni Group’s CEO Ken Case, who has a clear passion for his team and the productivity apps that they create. His passion, industry expertise and highly regarded productivity apps are already resonating throughout coverage. Thus far, these meetings have resulted in more than 15 pieces of coverage from outlets such as AOL/TUAW, Macworld and Ars Technica.
Attending the conference was definitely a great experience and opened my eyes to all the great innovations taking place in the Apple community. And if the packed show floor is any indication of Macworld’s future, I think it’s safe to say that the conference is here to stay.
Every February, I gear up to watch each and every major film nominated for an Academy Award. I fully trust these films will impress and entertain me because of the credibility bestowed by their nominations. They are, by the simple virtue of their selection, deemed to be the best. Everyone may not necessarily agree, but we come to know popular and successful actors, actresses, musicians and the like through these award-winning nominations and achievements.
The same can be said for business. How often do we find ourselves looking for credibility before we purchase something new? With websites such as Yelp and CitySearch, we constantly seek companies boasting four or five stars in ratings or with a “Best Of” award under their belts. In this type of environment, it is crucial for any business to gain recognition for its outstanding achievements and innovative services or products in order to distinguish themselves from competitors.
Therefore, business or industry awards must not be overlooked or forgotten, especially given the current economic climate where competition for new customers is fierce. Discovering appropriate awards for your company can be difficult, but using an outside source may help the process. Your PR partner may be able to suggest awards to pursue, or you can do research using online tools to find information about a variety of award programs.
Awards can contribute to successful public recognition in the following manner:
- Visibility. Awards can help garner a significant amount of visibility in a certain market or industry, and attract new customers, investors and donors by giving an organization an edge over its competitors.
- Validate. Awards speak volumes about a company’s products or services and substantiate their credibility. Even an award nomination can be helpful because it validates a company’s leadership in its given market and proves it is ahead of the curve.
- Testimony. Winning an award or even being nominated serves as testament to a company’s work ethic, dedication and unique specialty. New customers will likely consider a company or organization’s work over another if it has won an award. Furthermore, current customers may view the award as a good thing, reinforcing their loyalty and willingness to share information about a product or service.
- Reputation. An award can improve the perceived reputation of a company to the general public, new customers, donors, investors and the like. Recognition may transform a company’s reputation from “pretty good”, to excellent.
- Differentiate. An award sets a company apart from competitors and differentiates the quality of its achievements and services from others. An award helps a company stand out for excellence over and above many other agencies and suppliers in the same industry.
Given the contributions and impact awards can have on employees, customers and the company itself, it can be important to make submission for awards a critical part of any marketing or public-relations plan. For tips on how to write a successful award submission, take a look at our previous blog post.
How have awards impacted your business in the past? We would love to know what helped you succeed in winning a certain award.