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.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Emily Steel explores the world-wide movement to ban the Comic Sans font. This raises an interesting point about the importance choosing the right fonts in business.
Comic Sans has become synonymous with materials for kids and communicates a light-hearted, upbeat sentiment. Originally intended by its creator to mimic the font found in comic strip speech-bubbles, to some Comic Sans has become what the Ban Comic Sans movement describes as “the evil of typographical ignorance.”
While Comic Sans stirs up a decidedly less heated response for most readers in the context of grade school flyers, they would almost certainly be surprised to see it on a legal document. The same goes for its typographical cousins such as Lucida or Papyrus, both of which would seem markedly out of place on a business document.
Since when did Times New Roman become the font du jour of the professional world? According to a Wikipedia article on the topic, the font was originally created and commissioned by the British newspaper, The Times, in 1931. Ever since it became commercially available in 1933, Times New Roman has become “one of the most successful and ubiquitous typefaces in history.”
Unlike Comic Sans, Times New Roman uses serifs and is therefore easier to read. Says Tim North, author of “Better Writing Skills,” the serif makes each letter more distinctive and easier for our brains to quickly recognize. Without the serif, “the brain has to spend longer identifying a letter because its shape is less distinct.”
At Communiqué PR, we use Times New Roman in nearly all written communication except e-mail, where Arial is our font of choice. E-mail seems to be the only place in business where experimentation is acceptable, with many people using different fonts and colors for their signatures.
Do you have a favorite font or thoughts on the Ban Comic Sans movement? We’d love to hear your opinion.
Apple recently announced plans to release its iPhone 3.0 operating system software upgrade later this summer. This announcement has gained significant attention from the media about what the upgrade will mean not only for iPhone users but also for developers.
Among many of the new capabilities for users including copy-and-paste functionality, a landscaped keyboard and push notifications, Apple is introducing micropayments and in-app purchases. This means users will have the opportunity to purchase application upgrades and virtual gifts directly within an application.
So what does this mean for users and developers? Media are saying Apple has created a new mobile economy by allowing in-app purchases. The company’s App Store, which has received more than one billion app downloads in less than nine months, will is poised to see increased revenues and more offerings.
We asked Satoshi Nakajima, CEO of Big Canvas Inc., to share his thoughts on what the new operating system will mean for competitors. Says Satoshi, “The App Store is 18 to 24 months ahead of competitors, and additional billing capabilities such as in-app purchases and subscriptions will secure their leadership position.”
According to a recent article by Ben Parr with Mashable.com, developers will now have the opportunity to develop a relationship with iPhone customers, establish a steady stream of income and create digital stores within applications. iPhone users will also benefit and see an influx of up-to-date and better apps as well as an increase in goods and services to choose from.
Ben says, “The ability for the creators of applications to build relationships with customers by selling items and creating stores within applications is a bold step towards the iPhone becoming its own micro-economy.”
With these new changes to the iPhone OS, Apple is well positioned to continue expanding its popular app store and bringing new innovation to the mobile market. Click here to get a preview of Apple’s new iPhone 3.0 OS.
This week, Target plans to open a pop-up store in downtown Chicago, the first time the company has used one of its pop-up stores in the Midwest.
For the uninitiated, a pop-up store is a temporary store that is open for a limited time – typically in a major city or mall – to create buzz around particular brand or product. Currently, one of the latest trends in retailing, pop-up stores give retailers an opportunity to quickly connect with consumers and give them a sense of urgency to purchase their products.
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, Target will open the Bullseye Bazaar in the Tribune Tower to showcase items that are usually only sold on the retailer’s Website, Target.com. The bazaar will feature more than a dozen Target designers including Sonia Kashuk, Mossimo, Thomas O’Brien and Michael Graves as well as some limited-time collaborations from other up and coming designers.
In 2006, Gap also implemented a 60s themed pop-up store campaign. The company used a school bus as a traveling pop-up store in Los Angeles and New York and stopped at beaches on both coasts. Instead of seats, the bus was stocked with t-shirts, flip-flops, and beach hats that people bought and paid for at a cash register near the driver’s seat. Other brands using these “act now” techniques to get customers into their stores include Nike, Wal-Mart and the now-defunct airline Song.
Blair McCaw, president of the Constellation Management Group, a brand management firm in Chicago, said in a 2008 Brandweek interview that, “pop-up stores are an effective channel for turning short-term marketing promotions into long-term “brand-building vehicles” by actively engaging consumers.”
In addition to providing a quick and effective way to interact with consumers, pop-up stores are a cost effective way to get the pulse on a retailer’s customer base. Pop-up stores are relatively inexpensive to launch when compared to the costs for producing and distributing print and broadcast advertisements. From a PR perspective, pop-up stores can provide an ideal vehicle for generating buzz and garnering high profile media coverage on a shoestring budget. In 2007, The U.S. Potato Board launched a pop-up store in New York to promote the fact that potatoes contain more potassium than bananas as well as nutrients like folic acid and vitamin C. The campaign was featured in the New York Times and all of the national network morning shows.
While I’m a self-professed shopaholic (particularly at Target), I have never had the opportunity to shop at a pop-up store. However, I can see the appeal of being able to purchase Michael Kors’ (just an example) new discount line at Target or H&M for a limited time at a store in downtown Seattle or San Francisco. It would certainly encourage me to quickly get into the store and check out the collection – and maybe even increase my brand loyalty to a particular store.
Have you ever shopped at a pop-up store? Tell us about your experience by leaving a comment.
There’s been a lot of discussion about the popularity of Twitter and its growth over the past year. Twitter’s popularity has extended into the media with many high profile and prolific journalists (think CNN’s Larry King, NBC News’ David Gregory and Wall Street Journal‘s Walt Mossberg) using the micro-blogging site to interact with their readers and colleagues. Given this, we thought it would be helpful to share some insights on how to leverage Twitter to reach key influencers and reporters.
Here are a couple tips on how to pitch reporters on Twitter and forge relationships with key influencers, such as industry analysts or bloggers:
- To find key influencers and reporters, you can use Twitter directories like twellow.com or search for relevant keywords on search.twitter.com. Muck Rack is also a great resource that allows you to follow online, real time reporting by journalists.
- Follow targets and monitor their conversations. In order to build a successful relationship, it’s important to continuously monitor Twitter conversations, share information through tweets and comment on general posts or questions. This will also present a great opportunity to share information with a reporter about your organization or product that is relevant and may be of interest to them.
For example, if a reporter posts a question regarding an article he/she is working on and you have built a relationship with him/her, you could send a tweet offering some data or statistics or offer to put him/her in touch with your client to offer their perspective. You can look for specific topics that people are tweeting about by searching for Twitter hashtags.
Visit our previous blog about hashtags by clicking here to learn more about how you can leverage relevant topics to pitch reporters.
As with any media relations initiative, building relationships before pitching is crucial. It’s also important to remember to follow Twitter guidelines and practice proper etiquette, or “Twittequette”. Read our past blog about Twitter etiquette by clicking here.
Last month, PR Week included a guest article from Laura Gross, in which she reviewed the first 100 days of the Obama administration from a PR perspective. Ms. Gross takes the position that the Obama-Biden team is showing leadership through its transparent, open, and frequent communication. While she identifies areas for improvement overall, she concludes by stating, “The first 100 days of the Obama administration have been a definite PR success.”
I agree with Ms. Gross’ PR review of Obama’s first 100 days, and believe the administration’s PR success is a result of several key elements.
From our experience, effective strategic communications requires:
A focused approach with clear objectives.
A smart, focused team.
Support for the communications at the highest levels within the organization.
A clear understanding of the target audience and how to reach that audience.
An open information flow.
In the case of the Obama administration, these fundamental principles seem to radiate from the top.
Obama has recruited a stellar team. He has demonstrates his support for PR by ensuring White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is included in key meetings, and according to PRWeek, “is a part of the inner circle of advisors.” This is critical to the success of the administration’s communication strategy and enables Robert Gibbs to develop effective relationships with media as they know him to be well-informed and knowledgeable.
In the first 100 days, the Obama administration has illustrated its understanding of the American people and has stayed consistently focused on addressing their concerns. The administration has also communicated authentically by being honest about its mistakes. They are not operating from a position of secrecy or manipulation and are building trust with Americans who may be skeptical based on past administrations.
This administration has offered a refreshing change to White House communications. We applaud Obama and his team for taking a strategic approach to public relations.
A high volume of media inquiries is, for most PR agencies and their clients, a dream come true. But managing an onslaught of inquires can be tricky and requires a strategic approach to ensure consistency and overall success.
One of our clients, Veratect Corporation, a biosurveillance company that tracks disease outbreaks and civil unrest globally is receiving worldwide media interest in conjunction with the current swine influenza epidemic.
On Sunday April 26, Veratect announced data from its 24-hour tracking service, which first detected the current swine influenza outbreak, would be made public via Twitter. This generated a substantial amount of media interest from journalists in numerous countries. We want to share a few tips that have helped us respond to these inquiries smoothly and effectively:
1. Set up a response system – Designate one person or a team to handle the incoming request, and make it clear to everyone who is authorized to respond and what to do if the media contacts them.
2. Track your calls – Make sure you track all media inquiries on a spreadsheet with the date, outlet, inquiry, who handled the request and when it was responded to.
3. Develop talking points – Create talking points to help your company effectively and consistently respond quickly to multiple requests for the same information. This has been particularly helpful as we respond to media inquiries about Veratect.
4. Respond promptly – With a story as sensitive and rapidly-changing as the swine flu, timing is everything. Journalists are on tight deadlines and it’s important to respond to their questions and schedule interviews quickly to maximize the opportunity.
5. Focus your efforts – when you’re receiving a high volume of calls, it’s impossible to grant every reporter an interview with the CEO of your organization. Make sure to prioritize and offer a written interview if you can’t schedule a call or meeting.
By following these tips and approaching the situation strategically, Veratect has been included in more than 80 original articles in publications ranging from the Associated Press and Washington Post to USA Today and the BBC.
Below are a few more links to articles and broadcast coverage about Veratect’s tracking of the swine flu:
ABC National Radio
CBS News
Financial Times
KING 5 News
KOMO 4 News
MSNBC
The Associated Press
The Daily Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Guardian
The Houston Chronicle
The Independent
The News Tribune
The Wall Street Journal
Wired