The PR Warrior

BMW Activates the Future Through Film

This week BMW (though its documentary production division) launches Activate the Future, a series of four films about the future of mobility.

This is a pretty cool PR project for several reasons.

Rather than simply banging on about their products, BMW is actually taking the high road and giving its customers (and potential customers) - plus the media and other influencers - something interesting and thought-provoking to talk about.

In other words, the brand is facilitating the conversation about what the future might look like as it pertains to mobility (thus ensuring relevance to BMW).

Progressive thought-leader

Importantly the films aren't about BMW but major issues facing the world. By driving such a project BMW effectively strengthens its positioning as a progressive thought-leader and therefore continues to build brand equity around performance and the whole notion of future excellence.

And unlike a one-off ad campaign, this film package is 'evergreen' content - it will hang around on the web and be shared and discussed and commented upon for some time to come thus providing BMW with enduring PR value.

This, from the project's website:

The film aims to take audiences to a place they’ve truly never been: the future. From the minds of some of the most influential scientists, academics, pioneers, and entrepreneurs of our time, this four-part documentary paints a unique picture of technology, culture, cities, our past, present and how it all relates to the future of mobility.

The first Activate the Future film will be released on February 1, with subsequent releases each week for the month. 

 

PR Warrior Goodness Spreads to Facebook

Seeing that in recent times I've started talking about the PR Warrior in the third person, I thought it was probably about time 'he' got his own Facebook fan page.

Seriously though...

I have a 'private' Facebook account that I sort of muck around with but nothing too serious, preferring to keep it mainly for personal use and less for business-oriented content, links, information etc. 

However the 'public' Facebook Pages is kinda like Twitter, don't you think? People who like what you're all about come to you - an effective medium in helping to grow a networked community of like-minded souls.

I find Facebook a great platform by which to add value, share content and build relationships with people, especially those who don't necessarily want to do the Twitter thing. It's all about giving people options in how they choose to connect with you.

So, with Gus the Boxer as my inspiration, the Facebook page is up and running and I'm humbled that a number of you were quick off the mark in 'liking' it. For that I thank you - nothing worse than having a public page with no friends/fans/likes :)

Check out the page here.

 

What Have Movember, Slash, Hubspot & Johnny Cupcakes Got in Common?

...not to mention Daryl Hall ('Hall and Oates'), Jay-Z, Pinboard, Chris Brogan and Zappos?

The short answer is SWEATEQUITY.BIZ, my sideline blog that celebrates cool and clever marketing efforts by entrepreneurial small-to-medium sized businesses, nonprofits, individuals (and the occasional large enterprise).

While PR Warrior skews towards PR, communications and social media, SWEAT EQUITY is a lot broader and focuses on smarter ways to market your brand in today's hyper-connected world: 

The race is on for the HEARTS AND MINDS of your customers – are you even on the starting blocks?

Here's a snapshot of some recent SWEAT EQUITY goodness you may have missed over the past couple of months:

When did you last get up close and personal with your customers?

While social media makes it possible for organizations to increase their reach cost effectively, today's smart brands realize it’s not just about online communication: it’s also critical you regularly get to see the ‘whites of the eyes’ of the people who matter most to their business – customers, influencers, media and stakeholders.

Companies and organizations that 'get' this incorporate into their marketing mix – and importantly, actively leverage – face-to-face tactics such as:

• events and roadshows,
• roundtable debates and boardroom lunches,
• seminars and speaking engagements,
• stunts, brand experiences etc.

Sometimes the goal of this 'live media' activity is to create a credible platform from which the brand (and others) can create content and conversation via online and offline channels.

Post includes:

EXAMPLE #1 - Johnny Cupcakes (another example here)

EXAMPLE #2 - Zappos

EXAMPLE #3 - Chris Brogan

MORE

Celebrating the 'anti-sell' with Pinboard

Prior to Christmas, the social web was abuzz with the news that Yahoo was ditching the popular Delicious bookmarking site. Within no time people started investigating alternatives to Delicious, including Springpad, Diigo and Pinboard.

Pinboard was one site that caught my eye initially, then I heard an interesting and frank interview with its founder Maciej Ceglowski on Net @ Nitewith Amber Mac and Leo Laporte and decided to check it out further.

I like the way Pinboard describes itself as the "antisocial bookmarking site" that's ideal for "introverts" who don't necessarily want to share their bookmarks with the rest of the world.

MORE

Smart marketing defined in less than 40 words

Smart marketing today is…

Less about interruption and more about inclusion.

Less about hype and more about substance.

Less about mass media TARPS (‘Target Audience Rating Points’) and more to do with building trustwith consumers and cultivating advocates for your brand.

Case in point?

The inbound marketing software company HubSpot is a beauty.

MORE

Does your brand have its own TV network?

I love the fact every brand (personal or organizational) can now own and operate its own TV network (or radio station or online newspaper or magazine).

It's a pretty powerful opportunity we all have at our fingertips. The smart set are all over it. What about you? Gary Vaynerchuk is a shining example of someone who went from zero to hero via his enthusiastic and savvy use of social media, especially his online Wine Library TV webcast which proved to be a game-changer for the Russian-born entrepreneur who has since become a bona fide is a New York Times bestselling author.

But we can also learn a lot from someone who went the other way - pop legend Daryl Hall (the 'Hall' in Hall & Oates, one of the biggest-selling recording duos of all time), who has reinvented himself with his popular web show Live From Daryl's House.

MORE

 

OTHER READING:

Frank Sinatra Vs Jay-Z: How collaboration can help your brand reach new audiences

MOVEMBER: Secrets of a nonprofit phenomenon

Slash has a top hat. What is your brand’s ‘trademark’?

 

Social Media has 'done its dash' - what are your thoughts?

I was listening to trends forecaster David Chalke being interviewed on Radio MTR this week.

Chalke believes social media is on the way down.

"I think it's peaked ...it's had its day...it's done its dash", he said.

Social media has been around for a few years now, bubbling away, growing in influence. Last year it well and truly broke through into the mainstream. Such prominence brings with it a growing number of advocates and believers, and of course in equal measure, critics and detractors.

I'd love to hear your views!  Given we're beginning a new year, I thought now would be as good a time as any to canvas opinion out there in peepdom!

(a) Do you think social media is a fad?

(b) Where do you see the social web heading in 2011? 

I'll try and get some thoughts from Twitter followers as well over the course of this week and, along with comments to this blog, collate and publish people's opinions as to where they think social media is at currently, and where it might be heading.

Harvey Norman's Gerry Harvey - Stranded at the Dance Without a Partner?

Even seasoned media performers (politicians especially) can misread the mood of the people and embark on a public campaign that backfires on them badly, and in today's hyper-connected world, when it backfires it does so pretty damn quickly!.

Over the past couple of days the last man standing without a partner at the big dance was Gerry Harvey, business icon and the face of retailing giant, Harvey Norman.

I like Gerry. I enjoy his direct manner and common touch. He uses language that is direct and cuts to the chase. Unfortunately, on this occasion, he left the 'common' behind - he showed that he was plain out of step with consumers.

PIC: SMH

For the uninitiated, Gerry is spearheading a campaign by Australia's big retailers designed to pressure the Federal Government into applying Goods and Services Tax (GST) to goods bought from overseas-based online retailers. Currently, anything purchased overseas via the web escapes the 10 per cent levy. 

Now, anyone who has even tripped over someone who once went online and accidentally bought something from overseas (via dial-up no less!) knows this whole topic is a no-go zone from a consumer perspective.

Amazon Gets It

Australians are increasingly buying online from overseas because it's cheaper (so much so that a 10 per cent GST would make little difference), our dollar is so strong against the US Greenback in particular, the range is superior plus overseas online retailers like Amazon, well, they get it. Their websites are functional and easy to use comparative to a lot of Australian retail sites.

But then, Gerry has never really been a big believer in the web - this article 'Gerry Harvey has his head in the sand - online retailers' appeared in 2008.

I'm not here to debate the veracity of the major retailers' campaign, suffice to say they've backed a dog of a horse and while Gerry has publicly been left holding the (nose)bag, there are others who are complicit in this ill-conceived PR 'effort'.

But I digress ...

Reason for this post is to highlight (a) the need to understand your market, (b) the need to understand who is influencing whom, and (c) why you should never under-estimate the power of social media.

Let's dodge (a) - Gerry obviously understands the consumer marketplace generally - duh - but (b) he cocked up on this one, and (c) methinks he completely stuffed up on this one too ... sorry Gerry :)

I don't have any stats on this but you'd have to say that intuitively a fair proportion of people who shop online would also be active on social media. Put another way, a lot of active Tweeters do shop online (the topic does come up regularly in Tweetstreams).

So you'd have to think this groundswell of support for online shopping would galvanise in the wake of the big retailers' campaign to have the government impose GST on goods purchased from overseas.

But this is not just a social media thing. It may have been fuelled by the social media brigade (The "Dear Gerry Harvey'' topic on Twitter was the No.4 trending topic in the world in the past 24 hours, according to this report in the Courier-Mail) but it broadened quickly. Public reaction was swift and has cut across newspapers, TV and talkback radio especially.

Unfortunately for Gerry Harvey, he has a few bridges to mend. The question now is, how deeply has his involvement in this campaign damaged the Harvey Norman brand?

Get Ready for a PeRfect Storm in 2011

Okay folks, this is it - 2011 is shaping up as potentially one of the most exciting and industry-changing years in the history of the public relations profession. 

Think of it as a 'Perfect Storm' for our industry.

The advertising industry is in turmoil or, if you work on Madison Ave, it's mayhem! Apparently. Reportedly. 

Social media continues to take hold in Australia. This is a great opportunity for PR people. It's basically doubled the channels available to us so we can communicate directly with the people who matter most to our business, or that of our clients.

Speaking of which, businesses/organisations/brands (clients) are getting pretty savvy too. Last year was a watershed year for them. After a bit of experimentation across 2009-10, companies now better understand that opening a Twitter account or whacking up a Facebook page is not the 'silver bullet' they probably thought initially.

The penny (hopefully) has dropped.

People want stories and conversations. They want interaction, interesting links and relevant information...they want a behind-the-scenes look at your company, not to mention a quick response to a query or complaint.

Importantly, they also want - no, demand - openness and transparency. They want authenticity. They want you to be real. Are you ready to wheel out the humans? 

This of course falls neatly into the lap of PR. Nice.

It's what we do. We tell stories. We respond in two-way interaction. In fact it's what we've been doing for decades. It's just that technology has caught up. It gives us scale. And scaleability. As I said. Nice. #Bringiton.

 

Image source: weather.about.com

So embrace 2011. Open up your eyes and welcome the new year!

Have a great break, but take some time out to digest the massive changes that are occurring in our space. A space that as a profession we share with so many others. A space that has as many challenges as it does opportunities.

But that in itself also spells O.P.P.O.R.T.U.N.I.T.Y. doesn't it?

Where there are challenges, there is confusion. Where there is angst, that's where PR needs to step in and calm the waters. Smooth the sails. Be the watchful eye, the pragmatic adviser, the guiding hand on the shoulder.

Does this mean we don't deal with traditional media anymore? Not at all!

Does this mean we don't create events, organise sponsorships, instigate partnerships or get up close and personal with people like we’ve always done?

Once again, absolutely not. In fact, face-to-face activity has become more important than ever for our clients and our brands. It's the 'secret sauce'. But please, don't tell anyone.

You are now in the box seat. You're a PR professional whose time has come.

The question is: are you ready to drive the ‘communications bus'?

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE EDELMAN AUSTRALIA BLOG (with a couple of minor adjustments for updating purposes).