Blog
Give me the Dish!
How do most of you see corporations? Fun, inspirational or creative? Probably more like, stuffy, conservative and safe. Am I right?
So on Tuesday, I’m sitting home working (VPNs are a beautiful thing) and waiting for the plumber and furniture delivery truck to show up. I’m developing a press kit for a client right now, so I’m working on that. And, like most Americans I am multi-tasking. I also have the TV on. At this moment it is Ellen. So, she’s midway through her monologue (after the dancing) and she talks about some fan mail. A fan emailed in that she was unhappy by the fact that Dish Network didn’t include her name in the line up for American Idol when she clicked, Info.
Somehow Dish got wind of this customer’s complaint and Ellen’s announcement of it and within 24 hours changed the listing. It went from Simon and Randy being listed to Ellen being the coolest judge ever! And it went on all day for several days.
You have to admire a very large corporation for being “in tune” and being responsive. Because for the last several days Dish Network has basked in the glory of Ellen’s satisfaction. I don’t care who you are or the size of your advertising budget, the publicity they are getting would have cost them a fortune, would have been contrived and everyone would see through it as an endorsement. Perhaps the PR folks at Dish are so good that it was….
Either way, well done Dish Network, well done. (Whomever (intern or executive) that moved the complaint up the channel needs a bonus or at least a free lunch.)
Shelby Kraus
Vice President, Public Relations
Account Manager
Henry Russell Bruce is a full-service advertising agency and Internet marketing firm that focuses on branding, developing and executing marketing roadmaps, and growing companies.
Turnabout is fair play
So what do you do when you’re a manager of a struggling NBA team and unhappy fans decide to speak their mind by wearing paper bags on their heads?
The gritty PR folks for the New Jersey Nets created a strategy for their coach that not only “saved face” for the fans, but for the team as well. They decided that turnabout is fair play.
The Nets had a “Bag Exchange.” If a fan arrived with a paper bag, they were invited to turn in their bags for a nylon bag with the Nets logo on it, and a note from the manager. The note read, “Thanks for letting us see your face, we hope we see it more often at Nets games – Regards, Brett Yormark.”
Fans were surprised by this move – it was not promoted in any way. And, initial response from fans has been positive.
So if you have disgruntled customers or clients that speak out, it is always best to take the high road (and if you can do it in a clever way so you can gain positive publicity and share your side, even better).
So, what about the two fans that started the paper bag trend? Mr. Yormark invited them to a bag lunch at the Nets offices. Nice.
Shelby Kraus
Vice President, Public Relations
Account Manager
Henry Russell Bruce is a full-service advertising agency and Internet marketing firm that focuses on branding, developing and executing marketing roadmaps, and growing companies.
Anatomy of a good event
A client had an interesting event this week that we helped manage and promote. The strategy to do such an event is to sell services of course, but it was a true PR play that launched this client to the forefront as a expert in a technical field within their market.
Knowing their technical knowledge wasn’t going to be enough to convince customers to try a new method of paving roads, this client set out to educate. In the end, they were able to communicate directly and personally with a niche group of professionals and positioned the company as a thought leader. Here are some things they did right:
- Strategic alliances – the company has created several partners in their effort to build the business and they were happy to participate in the day-long seminar
- Great visuals – it is sometimes hard to get across what you do or offer unless you have visuals. This client created two visuals that showcased the speed at which the process worked and the ease of applying their method of soil stabilization.
- Well-rounded group of presenters – this client knew that no one wanted to listen to them speak all day long and that would create a “hard-sell” environment. They invited professionals from multiple sectors within the industry to participate, each sharing their special knowledge.
- Documentation – Thinking ahead and wanting to share the knowledge in the future, the organizers video taped the entire session and interviewed the presenters separately about their presentation and they gave their opinions on the technology.
A well thought out event can position a company positively and in a knowledgeable light. When thinking about hosting an educational event, remember that it is not all about you if you want it to be successful. Leverage what you know and who you know and you’ll come out on top. In the end, it is best to come off as an objective third-party participant than taking the hard sell.
Shelby Kraus
Vice President, Public Relations
Account Manager
Henry Russell Bruce is a strategic marketing and Internet marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, media buying and planning, design, public relations, Web design and strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients' brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, contact HRB.
Facing the truth: How Facebook and other social media impact public relations
I read an interesting study today addressing the impact of social media on the practice of public relations. Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., Professor of Public Relations/Director of Development for Boston University and Michelle D. Hinson, M.A., Institute for Public Relations, discovered that in 2009 the tide shifted to where public relations professionals agree more that social media has had a large impact on the practice.
According to the study, An Analysis of the Increasing Impact of Social and Other New Media on Public Relations Practice, 93% of the 2009 respondents spent part of their average workdays with some aspects of social media. In addition:
- 85% believe social media complement traditional news media.
- 92% think blogs and social media influence coverage in traditional news media.
- 88% believe blogs and social media have made communications more instantaneous.
- 72% agree or strongly believe social media has enhanced the practice of public relations.
The 574 respondents did say that they expect traditional media to be more honest and ethical. Fewer than half (41%) hold these same expectations for blogs and other social media.
Although we see companies slowly adopting and adapting to social media in this region, it has not impacted communications professionals as much as the east and west coast. There are also differences for business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies in the social media arena. B2C professionals will undoubtedly use it more readily.
So, what do you think? Has social media impacted your public relations efforts? If so, I’d like to know how.
Shelby Kraus
Vice President, Public Relations
Account Manager
Henry Russell Bruce is a strategic marketing and Internet marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, media buying and planning, design, public relations, Web design and strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients' brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, contact HRB.
Value of a Good Media List
If any of you have ever had to put together a list of friends and family so you can send your holiday cards, you know the agony. You merrily go to your address book and address the envelopes and mail them out. You’re happy to have the task off your hands until several cards come back to you…. and that’s when you realize you should have captured everyone’s addresses last year when you got their holiday cards!
It is always frustrating to send out a mailer or an email to customers or the media to find several returned or bounce backs. Let’s face it, the media is a revolving door when it comes to reporters, editors and news directors. It is unrealistic to think the list you built six months ago is still relevant. And, the time to find out isn’t when you’re getting ready to deliver an important press release or invitation to an event.
So, it is very important to do your due diligence and keep up with it regularly. As a public relations professional, I advise clients to review their lists at least every quarter. You cannot expect good results out of your media relations program if you’re working with a crippled list.
If you do not have a database system like HRB, it can be daunting. We pay for a fabulous service that allows us to create media lists on demand and we never have to worry about it being inaccurate. The service has hundreds of people checking and updating daily. We can also distribute and track the releases with this software, giving our clients the information and follow up needed. Good lists get results.
So take a lesson from life and avoid the holiday card pitfall, it will be the difference between a well-covered event or not.
Shelby Kraus
Vice President, Public Relations
Account Manager
Henry Russell Bruce is a strategic marketing and Internet marketing firm that uses research, brand-building, advertising, media buying and planning, design, public relations, Web design and strategies to help clients grow market share, generate new business, create brand loyalty and measure marketing results to build and support its clients' brands. HRB, founded in 1973, has offices in Cedar Rapids and Davenport, Iowa. For more information, contact HRB.
