Alert Today. Alive Tomorrow.

 

By: Samantha Scott, APR
Grand Poobah / Owner

If you live in Southwest Florida (aka Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Estero, etc.) then you’ve probably seen the Florida Department of Transportation signs saying “Alert today. Alive tomorrow.” While their signs refer to paying attention to the road, I thought this could also apply to businesses and their marketing efforts.

Being alert today, in a business sense, means many things…

Competitive Advantage and Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

To start, it means being aware of what you offer (services products, etc.) and what your competitors offer. How do your services stack up? What can you add or research? Better yet, are you providing what your customers want/need? Addressing your competitive advantage is key. Take a little time this month to really think about what it is that sets your company apart then follow up with a plan to communicate that, as your UVP, to your consumers.

Trends, Fads and New Tech

It seems that with each new day new widgets, devices and tools are developed. Music stars are made, and crumble, over night. Trends come and go, but in the midst of all this chaos, we must pick out the changes that really shift (or should) our business model and/or our customers’ lives. Two great examples are social media and cell phones.

Many people, both the general public and business leaders. brushed off sites like Facebook and Twitter saying they were just fads and would pass. While the application or specific site might fall to the wayside (ever heard of a little site called MySpace?), the concept is here to stay.

Check out Nextiva’s infographic on Visual.ly

People have evolved their communication styles and want instant, quick ways to communicate news and share information.

The cell phone – a similar situation. What used to be just a tool for vocal communication can now send text messages, operate apps, access the Internet and more. Smart phones have virtually taken over the cell phone market making it easier for consumers to find information about products or services on the go.

So the question is, are you paying attention, being alert today, to trends in your industry that will impact your business tomorrow?

Reputation Management

One HUGE and often overlooked opportunity is reputation management. I’m not referring to high school days when you were protecting your “cool factor.” I’m talking about what your consumers are saying about your business, its product and/or services. Even before there were websites specifically designed for reviews there was word of mouth. People love to share their experiences with others, especially if they have a bad one. With the creation of sites like Yahoo! Local, Google Places, and Yelp it’s more important than ever to monitor your company or brand’s online reputation.

Other sites, predominately thought of as social media or social networking sites such as Foursquare, Facebook,  and LinkedIn are also viable reputation management platforms. Specifically, LinkedIn has launched business pages where business owners can “own” their page and post updates while also receiving comments from visitors. There are also sites for specific industries too, such as medical field such as RateMDs.com.

Are you listening? If you are, are you responding and showing that you care about your customers opinions – good and bad? Consider setting up a weekly routine to monitor these sites. We provide this service for a number of clients who’ve seen drastic, positive changes in their online reputation just from monitoring and responding to reviews.

Alive Tomorrow

Let’s focus on being more alert today for a better tomorrow. If you need help focusing on the many marketing and communications tasks at hand or maybe want a little help managing your reputation, contact us. It’s what we do and we’d be glad to help.

Have questions? Post a comment here or feel free to share on our Facebook page. You might also enjoy our chili pepper flake challenge video!

Branding: Consistency is Key

By: Samantha Scott, APR
Grand Poobah / Owner

I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a “consistency stickler.” It doesn’t matter if it’s in the tone of writing used on a website or in PMS colors, I can’t help but notice when something isn’t consistent. In our field, marketing communications, it’s important. All too often business owners, marketing folks and other people communicating on behalf of companies don’t maintain consistency in their branding or marketing. This week we’re going to address this – and why it’s important.

What is Branding?

According to the mighty Wikipedia, “A brand is a “Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”Branding began as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp.” Simply, branding started as a means of differentiation. That’s what it’s meant to today, as well.

Importance of Brand Consistency – Face Time

Let’s start with the basics. A company’s brand is their image. It’s their face, so to speak. Just like we differentiate people by their appearance, voice, and other attributes, we (consumers, people in general) differentiate companies and products by their logo and/or packaging, colors, etc. As Michael Tasner points out, “It’s the image, words, feeling, etc associated with your company.”

Not only should the aesthetic of the company, the logo, company colors, etc. be pleasing to look at and easy to read, it should also accurately depict the company and its offerings. If your logo is in Cowboy font, but you’re a tech company, something’s not translating. Keep in mind, people could see your brand/logo without knowing anything about your company. They have to be able to look at it and understand what you’re all about. Are you traditional or edgy, a modern and tech-savvy Internet firm or a mom and pop lawn service? Make it clear from the start.

Decrease Confusion

Another key component in marketing as it relates to brand consistency is avoiding the risk of brand confusion. Did you do a double take when you saw that image? That’s what consumers do when they look for a certain package or product and can’t find it or see something similar. The more consistent your branding can be the safer your market share is.

Put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. You are one after all! If you go to the store and look for a specific product, say laundry detergent, and can’t find the brand you usually buy, what do you do (after seeking help from an associate, etc.)? You might try another brand or wait to buy it elsewhere. Now, what if the product was there, but the packaging had changed and you just overlooked it? That company, the one you were loyal to previously, just lost a sale and perhaps a lifetime customer or future purchases.

Of Note: The average attention span in 2012 is just 8 seconds. That’s down from 12 seconds in 2000 and even shorter than that of a goldfish. This makes it all the more important for your brand to be visibly differentiable quickly. Source: Static Brain.

Different Departments or Products – Same Brand

So you say, branding and consistency are important, but what if I have a multifaceted company? How can our brand be consistent if we have different departments and/or products? Colors and a primary logo will be key.

Use Coca-Cola for example. They have a number of different product lines, but their brand is consistent throughout. They use the same primary logo, colors and packaging.

Have a Guide – Enter the Brand Book

We’ve discussed why it’s important to maintain brand consistency. You get it, so now how to do you ensure the rest of your team or co-workers will support this as well? Enter the brand book. A brand book is a critical resource for any business. Simply put, a brand book is a guide for anyone involved with the company. It outlines the brand logo, colors (PMS, so they’ll be EXACTLY the same), typefaces or fonts, acceptable layouts, email signatures and more.

BrandMaker News offers an excellent review of what a brand book is, what needs to be included and how to use it.

Go. Brand. Succeed.

Don’t be overwhelmed, be informed. You can do this – and you should do this! Use these resources (and maybe review one or more of these books) and of course, feel free to contact us if we can help!

Jewels of PR Wisdom from A Treasure Trove FPRA Conference!

By: Samantha Scott, APR
Grand Poobah / Owner

I had the opportunity to attend the 74th Annual Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Conference this week – what an exciting time! Thanks to my local chapter, Southwest Florida, who provided a scholarship, I traveled to St. Augustine and found some real gems of information on public relations best practices. Below are just a few takeaways that I hope will you too!

It’s all About the Story

A repeating theme at conference this year was that PR is all about the story and storytelling. In the words of Mickey Nall, APR and PRSA fellow, Managing Director for Ogilvy PR, “we’re not talking about making up stories, it’s truth-telling.” Every company or brand has a story  – where they came from, why they were created, how they’ve evolved and where they are going. It goes back to something we often remind clients – people connect with people, not brands. If you can share the story of your company and put it people terms, give your audience something to connect to, then they are more likely to engage and remain connected.

Measurement is Key!

This was music to my ears! We are all about measurement – in terms of our social media efforts, SEO work, and public relations. While most PR practitioners measure their efforts in some way, the discussion at conference was how to do it better and that there ARE ways to measure activities formerly thought of as unmeasurable – like social media.

One speaker, Patrick O’Donnell, Senior Project Manager at Ketchum Global Research & Analytics presented an info-packed talk on the basics of research and how that initial step plays a big role in the evaluation and measurement. I was surprised how few people in the room are using social media, but aren’t measuring it. Nonetheless, it was made clear that all things PR can be measured and there are better ways than the old-school AVE process.

Big Winners!

We’re also VERY excited to share that we won a Judges’ Award for our work on the Scott Fischer Enterprises‘ VIB Reward Program project!

Samantha Scott, APR & Melanie Mowry Etters, APR, CPRC and State President (photo courtesy of FPRA)

I hope these gems of wisdom help you and look forward to seeing you at conference next year – in St. Petersburg, FL!

You can also read my guest FPRA blog post on Mickey Nall, APR, Fellow PRSA from Ogilvy + Mather on storytelling and Lou Heckler’s presentation on achieving peak performance. Want more? You can read a blog post on EVERY presentation via the main blog page. Plus, for a collection of images from the event, check out the FPRA Flickr account!

Say It… with Art and Photos

By: Annette Venditti
Communications Ally

Remember the famous quote by Napoleon Bonaparte, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” Napoleon was a man before his time as this holds true today as you are somehow moved on a daily basis when you see an amazing photograph or piece of fine art that just leaves you breathless… and you finally walk away knowing that you are the better for having viewed it.

How do photography and art (graphic design) come into the workplace as you market and communicate using tools like print, video and the ever-changing social media sites? Your goal should be to reach your researched target audience and make them trust, feel and connect with the brand, product or service you represent and really understand who the company is and what they stand for.

I want to share a few key points on how to correctly use photography, art and graphic design in your public relations and marketing mix. These tips will give you the tools you need to look at each project and create the best end product and message for your intended audience.

1. Think. Brainstorm. Create. This basic process must never be skipped if you want your message to be the best it can be. Ask your team to participate in a brainstorm session and let them go back and think about the task at hand, process overnight, etc. Compare ideas in an open discussion and see whether photography, art or a combination of the two is the best path to take. Think beyond the obvious and you and your client will be happy you took the time when you see the results.

TIP: As you develop concepts and ideas sketch them on paper. Really look at the text and image mix and be sure it’s simple, crystal clear and wildly creative. Too much of any of these elements in the mix will add up to a catastrophe that will confuse your audience and not win you any design awards. Research top rated print and social media advertising and campaigns and see what makes them stand out from the crowd!

When the chosen photograph, art or graphic combination hit the mark, you will need very little text to support the message and your audience will love you for it!

2. Hire a Pro. Please. When you need photography or art/graphic design (for an ad or for an event) do your research and hire a true professional to work with you and create the best possible images and designs for your needs. Don’t rely on friends or family to supply what you need, the cost of your initial investment will be more than obvious when you compare the finished product to a less expensive version created by your sister-in-law who “knows how to use Photoshop”. Yikes.

3. The Social Mixer. Social media has given us a vast variety of ways to share photography, text, videos and art/graphics on sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as well as Pinterest and Instagram, two image social channels that have changed how you and I see photographs, graphics and personal inspired interests shared. The same principles apply here, use professional images and graphics and be sure they are clearly stating your intended message before you share with your audience. Facebook Ads is another social media tool that allows you to share brand information and connect with potential customers. Take the time to research this ad platform and see if it might work for you and your client’s needs.

Keep in mind that every client (their brand, product or service) and every project you work on is truly unique unto itself. Challenge yourself and your design team to develop and create innovative solutions for every element and I can assure you this will keep your clients happy as larks and your team will walk away reveling in their hip new “creative genius” status.

Social Media Metrics

Social media is about engagement and relationships, but often times as marketers and businesses using these tools it comes down to the metrics. How can we quantify the time spent on tweets and posts? How can we monitor so many different networks?

While we could go on for days, there’s one tool we use that I would recommend to get you started. Enter Social Mention. Self described as “like Google alerts but for social media,” Social Mention is handy and easy to use.

And did I mention it’s also FREE?

P.S. You can also elect to have mentions sent to you via RSS feed – keep in  mind when you first set this up it will dig for quite a while to pull all social media mentions – even going back to 2007 or older so your folder/feed by get full quickly in the beginning.

Other social media and online network sites and monitoring tools that could be of use:

• Google Alerts – social mention, but for the rest of the Internet
• Twitter Search – are people talking about your business, industry, area – you?
• Yelp – who’s writing reviews about your company or competitor?
• Digg – are people saving articles about your industry or business?

Social Fresh – Part 1

Last week I ventured up to Tampa, FL for a social media conference called Social Fresh (see Twitter @sofresh) for info on this and other events they are coordinating around the country.). Stoked to get a $120 off coupon (thanks to the event coordinator monitoring their Twitter feed as a friend of mine and I chatted about the cost being a bit prohibitive) I gleefully – this could be an exaggeration - left my house at 5:00 a.m. to get there in time for coffee, bagels and meet and greet prior to kick off.

I was not to be disappointed! With speakers from GM, InterContinental Hotel Group, Brains on Fire and more, Social Fresh gathered some of the major engines running successful social media (from a marketing perspective) and put them together for one big brain dump.

I dutifully tweeted the entire time (see #sofresh for commentary from me and other guests) and took notes. I’ve broken them down below by speaker and will be posting them weekly – Here’s your first dose. Hopefully you can take something away vicariously and perhaps plan to attend a Social Fresh in the future.

Spike Jones

Brains on Fire

WOM Marketing & Social Media

Spike Jones from Brains on Fire at Social Fresh in Tampa

Common Strategy – this DOESN’T work. Or, if it does, it’s only a little.

1. Listen
2. Blogger Outreach
3. Twitter
4. Facebook fan page

Average ROI advertising is less than 4%… Think about it!  If you talked to people in real life like you do in advertising, you’d get punched in the face.

90% of WOM is offline – something to consider as social media isn’t the cure all for ALL clients. Are their/your customers even on Twitter? If yes, you/they should you be there.

Factoids for safe keeping:

• 80% of Twitter accounts are non-active!
• SM will never replace face-to-face interactions.
• Advertising is for awareness. WOM is for credibility.
• “Advertising is the tax that you pay for being an unremarkable brand.”
• “Above all, find a way to be RELEVANT to your consumer.”

Language – change it in house and OUT, with customers, clients, etc.

1. Campaign – war vocabulary. No wonder people don’t trust us
2. Movement – Fans, inspirations, kindred spirits, grassroots, passion, love

Movements are other people talking about you. They are volume dials. No 0 on the dial, or off switch.

Campaigns = us vs. them. We’re going to get them to do something.

Movement – All the rules of friendship should apply. You don’t MAKE your friends do anything. They will tell you the truth.

10 Lessons Learned by igniting brand ambassador movements

1. Movements are about the PASSION conversation, not the PRODUCT conversation.

• Re-frame the conversation. Instead of talking about not smoking, they created a place for a conversation
• Movements begin with the first conversation.
• We participate in people’s lives. 90% of WOM happens offline, get engaged to learn what they are into, what they think.
• ScoutLab, Radian6 – good listening tools/companies

2.  We’d rather find someone deeply passionate about something than really influential.

• With SM now, we can MAKE someone influential. Just give them the tools.
• Works better than giving away free product and asking them to talk about it.
• Influential will talk about you now, then move on. Passionate will continue talking about it.

3. Passion can’t be created.

4. Movements Require a Barrier to Entry

• People who want to be a Fiskateer have to ask via online form. Then, they get a response within 24 hours & have to reply why they want to be a part of it or no entry.
• It’s not about the numbers. It’s about the engagement and passion.

5. Movements Empower people with knowledge

• About themselves
• The product
• Social media, marketing, etc.

6. Movements have powerful identities

• Fundamentally, everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Everyone wants to be bigger than they are.
• I am a ______. Our job as marketers is filling in that blank. We have to bond our clients & their customers together.

7. Movements encourage shared ownership

8. Movements make advocates feel like rock stars.

• Sometimes it’s just sitting down, talking to them and letting them know you’re listening to them.
• Special handles, engraved. Welcome kit, etc.

9. Users know the brand better than we do. Leverage this.

10. Movements live online & offline

Movements:

1. Save money on focus groups
2. Save money on R&D because we get free ideas from the group
3. Save money on customer services because people are talking about what’s wrong and how they fixed it, etc.
4. Measure success in the ways we save money too.
5. Movements fight an injustice