Independent Thinking » PR

Bigotry is Not a Business Strategy

Daria Steigman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:08:07 +0000

You’ve probably heard that Lowe’s pulled its advertising from reality TV show All-American Muslim. The home improvement company says it made a business decision based on its assertion that the show is a ”lightning rod” for “strong political and societal views.”

The show isn’t the problem.

Lowe’s made a reactive decision based on a fringe Florida group’s disapproval of the company’s initial decision to advertise on the TV show. Now, somehow, Lowe’s is surprised by the backlash.

Like most business owners, I choose to work with people and companies I like. And I’m conscious of my brand. And my reputation. I also “own” my choices and my decisions.

So far, Lowe’s has done neither.

Bigotry is not a business strategy. Unless, that is, your strategy is negative PR, a firestorm of media attention, and a lot of customers who won’t be back anytime soon.

Photo by Niloy (Flickr).

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Why I Love Billboards

Daria Steigman — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:05:08 +0000

I love billboards, and not just because dozens of South of the Border ads have given me and millions of other drivers cheesy entertainment while driving up and down I-95.

Billboards work.

In an era when we’re constantly on the edge of sensory overload, very little unwanted information seeps through. I tune out extraneous stuff on Web pages, rip ads out of magazines, mute TV ads, fast-forward through commercials while streaming video-on-demand, and pay for ad-free premium Spotify.

But I see billboards. Clean Bathrooms Next Exit. Best Morning Drive Station. Outlet Stores 20 Miles. Free Wifi, Heated Pool, Kids under 12 Stay Free.

And Slavery Still Exists.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection last month launched a human trafficking awareness campaign. I hadn’t seen or heard anything about it–and it’s a topic that I pay attention to. Then I rode by a “Slavery Still Exists” billboard at a busy intersection in Atlanta.

Billboards aren’t right for every business or every ad campaign. But sometimes old-fashioned, low-tech, can be a very effective way to grab people’s attention.

Golf’s $1.4 Billion Missed Opportunity

Daria Steigman — Mon, 16 May 2011 10:06:01 +0000

When you think of the PGA Tour, what comes to mind? (Bear with me here–this post is not about sports.)

Here’s my short list:

Really ugly clothing
Country clubs
Boring men (see bullet 1) flying around in private planes

What’s on yours?

Here’s what should be top of mind: $1. 4 billion.*

The PGA Tour has raised over $1.4 billion for local charities. This is an amazing story. It’s a story about generosity, and excellence, and giving back to the communities where you live, work, and play (golf).

If I were advising the PGA Tour, I’d be storytelling in every town, city, and state where the tour has a presence. Instead, all we get are halfhearted TV ads branding “the next generation” of players. That and a Together, Anything’s Possible Web site that’s trying to to showcase the great charitable work that individual tour players are doing–but the look, feel, and writing are so bland that it looks to be composed of press releases (it’s not, but you have to be willing to click around to figure that out).

Savvy businesses align their brands inside and outside. The PGA Tour spent so much time promoting one free agent (Tiger Woods) that it’s way behind the curve in figuring out how to tell its own story.

What story is your business telling?

*2009 estimate.

Photo by Dirk Hansen (Flickr).

Is Your Marketing Team Obsolete?

Daria Steigman — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:42:45 +0000

Hubspot founder Brian Halligan kicked off What’s Next DC* with a terrific presentation on inbound marketing (aka, how to get found by your clients, customers, and prospects). In it, he identified six steps to viral growth and looked at the skill sets needed to market to the way that people today shop, learn, and buy.

Halligan said the six steps to viral growth include:

Content Creation. He advises creating as much content as possible, and suggests that each piece can act as “a mini-magnet” to attract customers.
Optimizing for Social Media. Halligan talked about creating “remarkable” content. Halligan said that some of the best-read posts on Hubspot’s blog promise (in the headlines) insights, analysis, or marketing tips.
Be Original. The more your content is unique (or you’re first with breaking news), the more likely it will have legs (and spread via Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks).
Include Strong Calls to Action. Halligan recommends that these be “valuable, easy, prominent, and action-oriented.”
Nurture Your Leads. This is obviously a big deal, because if you’re not nurturing leads you’re losing them.
Study Your Analytics. If you’re not looking at your statistics and measuring your success, then how do you know what’s working and what’s not? Halligan talked about the need to “measure often and evolve fast.”

Don’t be Cocktail Party Compliant

Halligan said that many marketers are “cocktail party compliant,” a great phrase to describe going through the motions but not really being invested in the process. Does your marketing team have the right skills for 2011′s business environment?

Halligan suggested that every marketing organization needs to identify people with four key skills. (If you’re an independent consultant or a small business without a big marketing staff, think of these as skills you need to either own or borrow.)

Digital Native. Halligan suggests this is genetic. I’m not convinced it’s a gene thing, but I am convinced it’s not demographic. I’ve seen 70-somethings who “get it” and 20-somethings who are Web-phobic.
Analytic Capacity. We all know I’m a big proponent of data-based decision making, so I was happy to see Halligan highlight the importance of having at least one person on your team who’s happy crunching data.
Reach. “Reach is the new Rolodex,” says Halligan. This speaks to the need, even more today, to value the skills that networkers and connectors bring to the table.
Content Creator. Clearly being a good writer helps. But content is broader (e.g., video, photography).

Other conference speakers also talked about the need to rethink how you’re doing marketing and PR in the digital age. Bryan Eisenberg touched on a theme that I believe is critical to business success: being nimble, authentic, and continuously improving. Rand Fishkin pointed out that companies are very under-invested in SEO (so there’s a huge opportunity to make the long tail work for you). And Shonali Burke offered case studies of two companies that are building relationships with their customers. Echoing the day’s “content” theme, she talked about the need to tell your story “really well” and pointed out that everyone in your organization today is (by default) involved in customer service.

*Disclosure: Comped admission; but choice to blog and what to write about are all me.

Photo by Matthew Rakola Photography.

Why Business and Politics Don’t Mix

Daria Steigman — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:24:58 +0000

It’s generally a bad idea to mix business and politics. (Unless, of course, your business is politics.)

My friend Deborah Brody pointed me to this story on Friday about a bar owner who used his blog to share his opinions about illegal immigration. By the time I focused in, it was a locally trending topic on Twitter. And, no, not all PR is good PR.

The problem with leading with your politics it that it’s almost always going to self-select who will do business with you. I recently happened upon a Web site (a business recommended via Twitter) with a prominent “Welcome Christian Small Business Owners” on the home page. No matter how awesome they might be at what they do professionally, the message they sent was that I’m not the client they want.

Maybe you’re fine with a winnowed universe of prospects. I’m not.

When I build relationships–with friends, colleagues, prospects, clients, etc.–I look for what we have in common. Not what will keep us apart. Toby Bloomberg similarly tackles this theme in a recent post in which she asks:

What does watching football games, a fractured foot, a party gal, a nap, late night lattes, a hotel PA system, and eating cheesecake have in common?

(Building relationships, of course.)

Why do you think people bond more over sports and books than donkeys and elephants?

Photo by A.M. Kuchling (Flickr).

Are You Investing in Toilet Paper?

Daria Steigman — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:05:35 +0000

This Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of the Baltimore Running Festival. It’s a terrific event, and I’ve run either the half-marathon or the marathon relay in 6 of the last 10 years (and drove up to cheer the runners another year when I was sidelined by injury). It’s also a money-maker for the city, bringing an estimated $25 million in revenues into the city this year alone.

It’s also all about community (see Community, Baltimore style).

Except for the Hyatt Regency. While the rest of the city was welcoming the running community, the Hyatt was shutting its doors. Or, more specifically, its bathrooms.

The hotel hired security guards to stand at the bathroom doors and turn non-hotel-guests away. I’m a big Hyatt hotels fan. I’ve stayed at this one in the past, but I’m certainly never staying there again.

I understand the challenging logistics of 10,000 half-marathon runners with a start line across the street. It’s a challenge for all the hotels, restaurants, and other public spaces nearby. But instead of hiring guards, why not beef up your cleaning crews, put your best public-facing foot forward, welcome runners, and invest in toilet paper?

Photo by Sharon Mollerus (Flickr).

Empowering Employees Leads to Great PR

Daria Steigman — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:52:42 +0000

What’s one great way to generate good PR for your business?

Empower your employees to make your customers/clients happy.

A day after I wrote this post about how a company was chasing customers out the door, I had an awesome experience with empowerment done right.

I really wanted a protein smoothie. But the line at my local Robeks was out the door, and the place goes from super-efficient to super-slow when they get backed up. So I wandered into WholeFoods and spent about five minutes trying to identify something else I wanted for lunch. Eventually I settled on a flavor&fiber bar. (Bear with me, this really isn’t a post about my lunch selection.)

At the checkout counter, it turns out my little bar is rather pricey. I observed to the cashier that I apparently have a knack for picking out the most expensive protein bar in the place. She says, “You’ve never had this before?” And then she comps the bar so I can try it. Just like that.

I [heart] WholeFoods.

Photo by Rosa Menkman (Flickr).

Why Marketers Are Getting the Axe

Daria Steigman — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:26:34 +0000

This recession has not been kind to marketers and other communications pros. Especially at the senior level.

Frankly, I’m not surprised.

Just look at how we typically refer to ourselves. Marketer. Public Affairs Specialist. Writer. Editor. Media Relations Manager. Videographer. It’s all task-based.

IABC has the word “business” in it, but our titles rarely do. And too often we haven’t made the case that storytelling is key to selling widgets (or sneakers, politicians, goodwill, or support for your cause). That communications is a core business function, as necessary to organizational success as product designers and the sales team.

We talk about transparency and authenticity. Our bosses care about sales, opportunity costs, and ROI.

I’ve heard a lot of hand wringing about how communicators don’t have a seat at the table. Yada, Yada, Yada. Feel better?

Now, what are we going to do about it?

The comments are yours.

Note: This post originally appeared on IABC’s Communication World blog.

Photo by Randy Son of Robert (Flickr).

The Problem with Push Polls

Daria Steigman — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:09:50 +0000

I was on the receiving end of a push poll on Saturday afternoon involving Washington’s mayoral race. In case you don’t know what a push poll is, Wikipedia describes it as:

A political campaign technique in which an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll… The push poll is a form of telemarketing-based propaganda and rumor mongering, masquerading as a poll… They are generally viewed as a form of negative campaigning.

The mayoral race in our capital city is shaping up as a two-man contest between an arrogant mayor with an interesting take on ethics and transparency (can you say paid Dubai junket?) and a city council chair who’s real claim to fame is that he’s now “the other guy.”

But I digress. The poll asked one question: Which of the two would I vote for? I said I was waiting to see who else was running. Then I heard, “Vincent Gray for Mayor” and a hang-up. Then I got mad–and immediately called Gray’s campaign office to tell them so.

The problem with push polls is that they assume people are stupid. But we’re not, and the insult makes us mad. That’s poor marketing which will lead to bad PR. Plus, in my case, it has me questioning Gray’s judgment and his fitness to lead. How does that help his campaign?

Photo by Steve Weaver (Flickr).

What Marketers Are Saying About Social Media

Daria Steigman — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:50:42 +0000

Want to know how communicators are using social media? You could pose a question on Twitter or you could do a deep dive. MarketingProfs did the latter, surveying 4,763 marketers and others managing communications for their organizations. That included 3,285 who specifically said they are responsible for social media.

I don’t have a copy of The State of Social Media Marketing, but I did get a peak at some of the findings. There is some great data here:

48.2 percent said their organizations have a social media presence. They are typically companies that have “very little to hide.” Companies in industries with strict regulations and major repercussions for leaking information (think drug makers, bankers, insurers) are less visible.
60.8 percent who do social media said that it is not part of their job description.
Social media isn’t cheap: Most of those doing social media are mid- or senior-level people.
48.8 percent said their company has no official social media policy; 12 percent said they have a restrictive one.
There is a correlation between culture and the success of a company’s marketing efforts. Employees who blog (independently) can spark new ideas and increase prestige.
All the measurement tools are helpful, but incomplete. For example, 52.8 percent of those surveyed said that paid analytics tools are “helpful but incomplete” (versus 66.1 percent of those using Google and other free tools). And approximately one-third of respondents (33.6 percent) said that the paid tools “enable perfect tracking” (versus 28.1 percent for those using free tools).

There is also a lot of data about the disconnects between the tactics people use a lot (i.e., what’s popular) and the tactics that are most effective. For example, the most used tactics on Twitter are driving traffic (72.1 percent) and driving sales (54.2 percent)—how’s that worked out for you lately? In contract, the most effective Twitter tactics cited involved two-way communications strategies and monitoring for PR problems in real time.

Photo by webtreats (Flickr).