The PR Warrior

The Apprentice Shows Why TV is Still the Master

I was speaking with a friend of mine this morning. If you watch Channel Nine's The Apprentice Australia, you would know her. Tall. Blonde. Loud. Wears a big 'C' jewelled necklace.

Her name is Carmen Parnos (@carmenparnos), and even though The Apprentice has (at time of writing) only been going a couple of weeks, her life has been turned upside down, thanks to the sudden increase in her public profile.

The conversation with Carmen in no uncertain terms reminded me just how important (read: powerful) television is despite the fact we're living in a social age where technology is severely disrupting the traditional media model, TV included.

Carmen has been out and about on the publicity hustings, as one would expect (prime time TV + publicity department = flurry of activity).

What's really freaked her out is how easily recognised she is in the street (and in nightclubs and pubs and at events etc). Everyone wants to talk to her. She's signing autographs like crazy. Remember, only two episodes of The Apprentice have gone to air at this point.

Let's face it, Twitter is not going to give you a mainstream public profile like that. Nor is Facebook. If used properly, they might help propel things forward, but ultimately, it is the box in the corner of the room (or more likely the flat screen these days) that has done the 'heavy lifting' in terms of Carmen's popularity/notoriety.

Newspapers, magazines and radio are also often part of the equation because the fact something is on television generally increases its newsworthiness.

Social media will often feed off television (check out #TheApprentice Twitter hashtag) and in turn, propel a show (or personality) to new heights as the message/story ricochets across the public domain. The increased levels of chatter on social media channels, in turn, will often boost interest in a television show, leading to even more media attention.

In summary, as PR people, we should never underestimate the power of television. 

But, increasingly importantly, we should also acknowledge the added role social media can play in extending the message and leveraging the levels of exposure provided by TV.

Being able to integrate (or interlink) all mediums is where the real PR power lies.

A Lesson for Brands in Today's Social Age: Suck It Up & Get On With Life!

If this week's Kraft Vegemite iSnack2.0 saga tells us anything, it's that the people are (generally) always right and brands that get it wrong need to quickly and publicly make amends if they want to remain in favour with the public.

The story so far...

Kraft created a new Vegemite product (for non-Australian readers, Vegemite is an iconic Australian brand, albeit one that is now owned by a US company). 

Part of the promotion of this new product was a competition for the Australian public to name it. Kraft, cannily, launched the product in-store with the words NAME ME featured on the label. It sold heaps and some 48,000 entries were received. You could say this part of the promotion was a roaring success.

Then came phase two: Kraft's announcement of the product's new name - iSnack 2.0

 

Reaction was swift with the new name well and truly being held up to public ridicule and derision (and you'd have to say for good reason - let's just put it down to a momentary lapse in marketing judgement).

Anyway...

The tide of public opinion was so great that Kraft backflipped and within days had announced they'd be dropping the new name.

The company announced that a shortlist of names from the original promotion would be voted on by the people, and the entry with the most votes would become the name of the new Vegemite product.

Skeptics were many. A lot of social media chatter (traditional media journalists weighed in too) floated the theory Kraft had deliberately chosen a crap name for publicity purposes. Kraft deny it did any such thing. 

The Lessons

Kraft did one thing well in particular: they listened to the public and quickly changed tack by dropping the iSnack 2.0 name.

THEY SUCKED IT UP! They took the hit and bent to the will of the people (classic PR tactic) rather than going back in to their shell like a lot of other companies would have done.

This was exactly the right thing to do.

Unfortunately, their press release smacked of defensive corporate speak (here's a sample):

"The new name simply has not resonated with Australians" - No, really? Why not tell it like it is - we made a mistake, the name sucks, and we're pulling it.

And this (in response to the allegation the whole thing has been a publicity stunt):

"We are proud custodians of Vegemite, and have always been aware that it is the people's brand and a national icon."

Guys, cut the jargon. Who talks like that (apart from inward-looking marketers)?

Another lesson: Make sure you get the domain name and Twitter handle. Others have beaten the brand to it and have had a great deal of fun at Kraft's expense.

No doubt Kraft is pissed at the level of criticism thrown at it - as my 12-year-old daughter acutely observed: "Companies hate being told they're wrong" - but under the circumstances, I think the brand has come out of this okay.

Yes, egos have been bruised and the marketing department is probably feeling a little dazed and confused right now, but the level of publicity has been huge and the new product will probably be a roaring sales success.

In true 2.0 form, the debacle reached such a level of notoriety that the wonderfully-named Epic Fail Store quickly whipped up a t-shirt to cash in on the controversy (below). Hat-tip psfk Good Ideas.

Further reading:

Crowdsourcing Done Wrong: the Vegemite iSnack Naming Disaster (Advertising Age - international recognition!)

Is iSnack 2.0 So Bad It's Good? (Anthill Online).

Names That Are Better Than iSnack 2.0 (dedicated iSnack 2.0 blog).

Vegemite iSnack 2.0 PR Response Turning a Debacle into a Disaster (Mumbrella - editor Tim Burrowes makes some good points about accessibility of corporate spokespeople).

Forget #Vegefail How About #SocialMediaMarketerFail (Online Marketing Banter by James Duthie).

Even Hitler wasn't impressed! (Via cc82)

Marketing Now Conference Mash-Up

I attended the Marketing Now conference in Melbourne this week. The event was organised by marketing and communications advisor, Siobhan Bulfin.

In true social media form, the conference was comprehensively tweeted (search under the #mktgnow hashtag) and blogged about by a range of participants. Here is the 'official' Posterous stream, courtesy of @Servantofchaos and others.

So for this post, I'm going to add a few bits and pieces that got my attention plus load you up with links - a bit of a mish-mash of stuff for the mind!

Speakers were Simon Young, Gavin Heaton, Laurel Papworth, David Armano, Jim Stewart, Darren Rowse and Stephen Johnson. They were all excellent, and each brought their own unique (and expert) perspective on marketing in today's social media age.

A HUGE hat-tip to the fabulous Yvonne Adele (@IdeasCulture) for the video interviews featured in this post - please check out Yvonne's YouTube channel.

Here are some points from Simon's presentation:

REVOLUTION = "The violent transfer of power and property in the name of an idea"

Meet 'Generation C' - not age-determinant but rather, based on shared digital experiences.

Blogging - the original social media - turns 10 in 2009.

Don't talk 'target audience' - use words like partners, fans, advocates.

LISTEN FIRST: be a consumer of content - then become a creator of content, a curator of content.

"As for the future, your task is not to foresee it but to enable it" - Antoine de Saint Exupery.

Southwest Airlines ---> even the engineers tweet!

Social media monitoring: look at using Google Alerts, Twitter Search and Social Mention.

Why should you listen to online conversations? Ensure relevancy, create leads, build relationships, support advocates, correct misinformation, spot opportunities and problems.

"Social media is not a campaign, it's a commitment" - Scott Monty, Ford.

If you want complete control, your circle of influence will be limited.

"Wake Me When the Data is Over" = good book on corporate story-telling.

Here are some points from Gavin's presentation:

The challenge = to constantly maintain and invigorate our online communities.

Six impacts of social media:

1. industry/subject experts coming under pressure from 'new voices';
2. emergence of new organisations such as Social Media Club;
3. social and legal norms;
4. multiple identities;
5. new forms of language;
6. educators being pressured to prepare students for the new world.

DUNBAR NUMBER = 150 (i.e. the maximum number of people with whom you can have ongoing relationships).

SOCIAL OBJECT = emotional context around which your story can be told.

AUCHTERLONIE EFFECT = the way of understanding the story behind the social object.

Online drives offline!

Share the message but 'own the destination'.

The new B2C = brand-to-community.

You are what you Google!

"Pungent granularity" = REALLY knowing your customers! (Walking a mile in their shoes).

Amplification vs shouting ---> there is a difference!

It's not about influence, it's about trust.

Participation + trust are intertwined.

Trust is the currency of the social web.

Here are some points from David's presentation:

"We're in the network economy" (currency = being connected).

"Get out of the spotlight!" - brand as facilitator (brands can help facilitate online conversations - for example, Best Buy IdeaX and Pampers Village).

Networks are fuelled by people's self-interest, and then tapping in to others...brands can benefit by putting these individuals on a pedestal ('MEconomics).

There is "intrinsic value in participation".

Beware of 'brand sorcery' (gobblygook brand speak).

''Corporate tone deafness' = not listening! A big no-no!

INTERACTIVE MARKETING = human-to-technology interactions; SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING = human-to-human interactions.

Building an online community: seeding, feeding and weeding!

When establishing an online community, be prepared for ALL types:

• legitimate complainers;
• competitors;
• engaged critics;
• flamers ("stirring the pot");
• troublemakers ("taking things to the next level")

Building blocks of a digital experience:

1. Useful (e.g. Craig's List)
2. Usable (e.g. Posterous)
3. Desirable (e.g. Apple)
4. Sustainable (e.g. Twitter)
5. Social (shareable, open, distributed, dynamic, collective).

Do NOT Hire These Five Corporate Affairs Managers!

As some of you may be aware, I run a strategy and communications advisory firm called parkyoung. My business partner - David Park (aka @parkpr aka 'Parky') - has just pulled off a ripper of a post on parkyoung's blog, 'In Brands We Trust'.

It took a bit of soul-searching by Parky, given he's a former senior corporate affairs advisor and he's now had to re-think and re-shape the boundaries of that particular profession.

 <--- This is Parky!

In this post ('Do NOT Hire These Five Corporate Affairs Managers!'), Parky has had to figuratively poke his former brethren in the eye.

Parky's epiphany came last Friday at the David Meerman Scott Social Media Masterclass (see previous post) - not that he wasn't heading well down the 'new' PR and the social web, but as Parky writes in his post:

"Two of his (Meerman Scott's) 'Rules of the Wave' drilled me. A double-barrelled blast that gave my few remaining templates a bollocking."

What were these two rules?

A. Nobody cares about your products (except you);

B. Lose control of your messages. 

With Meerman Scott's wisdom ringing clearly in his ears, Parky has reeled off five types of corporate affairs manager whom companies and organisations should avoid. They are:

(1) The Propagandist

(2) The Inside Centre

(3) The 'Why So Serious' (hat-tip to Heath Ledger's The Joker)

(4) The Big End of Towner

(5) The Super Strategist

Parky makes some good points. I recommend you check out the full post here.

On The Web, You Are What You Publish!

Leading business book author David Meerman Scott hit Australian shores last week for a whirlwind tour which included a guest spot at Social Media Club Sydney and a Social Media Masterclass in Melbourne.

I attended the masterclass event. WOW! You've got to hand it to anyone who can hold an audience for some 6+ hours as David did, plus socialise with participants for some time after that.

The session pretty much covered the expanse of content from David's two best-selling books - World Wide Rave and The New Rules of Marketing and PR. It was a highly practical session jam-packed with scores of examples and, although I've read a lot of David's work, it was great to immerse in and focus on social media from a PR and marketing perspective for such an intense period of time.

I think the secret to truly understanding social media is being able to 'join the dots'.

Social media is such a disparate beast, full of shiny new tools and tactics that people tend to get hung up on. To be able to see the bigger picture - both from a technological and societal point of view - and then integrate into an existing communications program is when a brand will truly experience the power and simplicity of what social media has to offer.

David dropped plenty of gems during the masterclass, but a couple of points stand out for me:

In order for a brand to gain attention, it can either:

• BUY IT - i.e. traditional advertising
• BEG FOR IT - i.e. media relations and editorial publicity
• BUG PEOPLE FOR IT - i.e. direct methods such as call centre activity.

Or, he says...

"You can earn attention by publishing your way in."

ON THE WEB, YOU ARE WHAT YOU PUBLISH. Make your brand stand out by producing remarkable content so that people come looking for you!

David's trip has been well covered by blogs locally. Here are some links I highly recommend you check out if you want to get a better handle on David and the new rules of marketing and PR:

The Week That Was With David Meerman Scott (by Jennifer Frahm, who organised the tour)

Dear Rupert, I Think I Want to Break Up (excellent piece by Karalee Evans)

The Power of Twitter: How a Tweet Led to a Week in Australia (David Meerman Scott's take)

Also worth checking out is the Twitter back channel populated by prolific tweeps @Karalee_ and @IdeasCulture - some great nuggets of information plus links etc (under the #SMOMMC hashtag).

* PHOTO: a panel was formed to round off the David Meerman Scott Masterclass; from left, David Meerman Scott, Kate Kendall (MarketingMag.com.au), James Duthie (Next Digital), the PR Warrior (parkyoung) and moderator, Gerry McCusker (engageORM).

* PHOTO: the audience listens intently to David Meerman Scott.

Online PR is All About Community

This video is worth bookmarking (or downloading for later use) if you're interested in a simple but effective explanation of the different approach required of online PR. 

No hysteria or loud music, just an easy to follow animated demonstration of how community and conversations sit at the heart of PR-driven social media activity.

The video was produced by RealWire.

(Hat-tip Wadds' PR Blog).

Online PR is all about Community from RealWire on Vimeo.

NOTE: downloadable versions of this video for offline use are also available.

Selling Social Media to the CEO

Further to a previous post regarding the Social Media Summit 2009 in Melbourne, I gave a presentation called 'The Role of Social Media in PR...and Selling it to the CEO'. 

The 'role' bit is okay - social media is a natural fit with modern-day public relations (but only if PR practitioners let go of the past and wean themselves off press releases that are polished and spun within an inch of their lives). 

The 'selling' part is the hardest because social media is counter-intuitive to most things a CEO holds dear - control of the message, and control over who disseminates information from the organisation.

Some major companies, like Ford, Dell, Starbucks and Microsoft, have long familiarised themselves with social media and today are considered to be corporate leaders in the space. 

In selling the concept of social media to the powers-that-be, my advice is to start with the positives i.e. Wouldn't it be great...

• ...if we could communicate directly with our consumers and stakeholders?
• ...if people actually listened to and interacted with us? 
• ...if we could build a community of fans or advocates for our organisation?

Well, social media can help you achieve those things, better and faster than ever before, but only if its wholly accepted and encouraged by the head honchos, and the 'open brand' attitude is imbued across the organisation.

Is selling the CEO on social media your job?

If you're the person responsible for trying to get the CEO on board, you need to be 'the full bottle' on the vagaries, nuances, ethics and etiquette of the social web; you need to immerse in the space and get an intuitive feel for what works and what doesn't, as well as fully understand the potential pitfalls and opportunities that exist by 'opening up the brand' on the web.

Put simply, you are kidding yourself if you think you can properly understand social media without fully experiencing it first-hand, and that means jumping in personally and getting your feet wet, preferably before trying to sell it to the boss!

Reading about blogging is all well and good (and recommended), but by starting and maintaining a blog, you will learn very quickly what it's all about.

Reading about Twitter is all well and good (and recommended), but only by setting up a personal account and participating in the Twitterverse will you get a solid grounding in the subtleties of the micro-blogging platform.

You get the drift...

Of course, if taking the positive tack doesn't work with the boss, perhaps try using fear: 

• The new reality is that people are more empowered than ever before (they have a voice and they're prepared to use it).
• Shouting at people (one-way broadcast of messages) doesn't work effectively any more.
• Nor does chest-beating or the use of spin and polished corporate jargon.
• Throwing your message out there and expecting people to listen is fast becoming a waste of time, money and resources.
• Find out if any of your competitors are using social media and then show the boss examples of their activity (this may prick the ego into action!).

It's obvious social media isn't a fad but a fundamental shift in the way people communicate, connect and collaborate - to do nothing will mean your company will be left behind (there's a school of thought that companies have something like 12-18 months' grace to get into social media, experiment and make mistakes...after that period, the public will expect you to be social media ready and engaging with them online...and they will be less accepting of those companies that get it wrong).

And if all else fails...buy the boss a copy of The Cluetrain Manifesto!

RELATED READING:

Social Media Summit 2009: Lack of Control Looms Large in PR's Minds

Fear (by David Meerman Scott)

Social Media - Fad or Revolution?

This is a great video jam-packed with observations and seemingly up-to-date statistics that support the astounding growth of social media (excellent soundtrack too!) - by @equalman, author of 'Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way we Live and Do Business'.

For a list of the statistics contained in the video (plus sources) - Socialnomics - Social Media Blog.

(Hat-tip to Ribeezie.com).

Social Media Summit 2009: Lack of Control Looms Large in PR's Mind

I was privileged to present at last week's Social Media Summit 2009 in Melbourne. 

It was a stimulating two-day conference (unfortunately I could only attend day one) featuring an array of knowledgeable speakers including Matthew Gain from Weber Shandwick, Norg Media's Bronwen Clune, Keep Left PR's Sarah Stokely, Stephen O'Farrell from Sputnik and editor of thepunch.com.au, Paul Colgan.

Lack of Control = Fear

Judging from the questions asked of presenters and having chatted with a broad range of participants during the day, one major theme kept recurring: a lack of control when it comes to implementing social media as part of a broader communications strategy.

Indeed, the fear (anxiety/uncertainty) was almost palpable, with the perceived 'threat' of social media almost totally overshadowing the tremendous opportunities to be gained from opening up a brand online.

The bulk of attendees (and it was a good turn-out) worked in public relations and communications roles within government (local, state and federal levels), as well as for government authorities, not-for-profit organisations and blue-chip corporations.

The issue many of them had was the potential for negative feedback if they opened up their organisation via social media. It seems the powers-that-be are not all that welcoming of the thought of public criticism.

Also, how can they 'control' the organisation's voice via social media? 

Many of the PR people remarked that only certain people were allowed to 'speak' publicly on behalf of the organisation, thus the issue of empowering of staff to engage with the public via social media channels was a vexing one.

Personal Versus Professional

Another bone of contention among conference participants was the blurring of lines between 'personal' and 'professional' use of social media.

Some companies were concerned staff using Twitter, for example, would make comments that could be construed as having come from the organisation itself.

Believe it or not, many organisations are still blocking social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook in the office.

There was the story of one company CEO who, overcome with enthusiasm following a workshop on social media, wanted to rush back to his office to set up a Facebook account. He was promptly told by one of his executives he wouldn't be able to do that - the company's IT department had blocked Facebook...classic!

Social Media and Teen Sex

I love this quote!

"Social media is like teen sex. 

Everybody wants to do it. Nobody knows how.

When it's finally done there is surprise it's not better."

- Avinash Kaushik, Analytics Evangelist, Google

Hat-tip to Lucio Dias Ribeiro from The Online Circle and Marta Kagan, Espresso Brand Infiltration.