PR Chicago

The Royal Wedding: No commentary, please

Plain Dealer writer Make Dawidziak said it best in a column today: "Royal wedding TV coverage was best when the anchors shut up."

I managed to wake up early to view coverage of the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, and although I'm not a follower of the royals, it was a spectacularly beautiful and inspiring ceremony.

Not so inspiring was ABC, which had the venerable Barbara Walters and Diane Sawyer on the job. When Barbara wasn't yakking about Kate's Alexander McQueen dress and the fact that the designer had committed suicide, she was talking over the ceremony. Quiet please, ladies. Sometimes the news doesn't need constant commentary.

 

What's wrong with PR? What we've got here is a failure to communicate.

Great post yesterday from PR pro Gini Dietrich on her blog, Spin Sucks, about some serious perception issues between PR agencies and clients. She references a recent rant in the NYT blog from a restaurant owner who hired and fired not one, but two PR firms. He got the publicity he obviously craved, and on the NYT blog, no less. Too bad he was whining about PR firms and not waxing eloquent about wining and dining at his eatery.

But it's clear from Spin Sucks and the numerous blog comments that followed that many clients think that PR is the "golden ticket" to instant success, to recognition, to worldwide acclaim. In fact, I got a call the other day from a prospect telling me that an agency told him that it would cost $10k to get him on Oprah. Hell, I told him, go for it! And for $10k I want to be on Oprah, too.

So many PR firms are entranced by a shiny new client and the attached dollar signs that they ignore the red flags raised by prospects with unreasonable expectations, no clear plan and zero focus. Add in some nutty off-strategy tactics, infinitesimal budgets and the need for off-the-charts ROI and you have a recipe for disaster. And I'm not defending PR agencies, either. Between overpromising and underdelivering, or underpromising and overdelivering, the PR agency and the client are both bound to feel shorted at one time or another.

The problem, to paraphrase a line from Cool Hand Luke, is a failure to communicate. What PR people need, what each PR agency needs, is a concise, clear explanation of what PR can do, given time, commitment on the part of the agency AND the client and most important, conversation every step of the way. A manifesto, if you will. Often we're too busy trying to get a firm in the door to check and see if we're a good match for the client. Yes, sometimes we want to date the bad boy, even though we know it can't end well.

One of the best recent posts I've found on the new client "pre-nup" subject is from Lori Taylor of Rev Media Marketing on Jay Baer's Convince and Convert blog. Lots of sit-downs and paperwork, which we hate to do, but necessary to make sure that the PR agency and the client are on the same page. Do something like this, and you may live happily ever after.

 

 

Don't quote me on that: What not to say in an interview

 

Ad Age today ran an article about a CCO hire at Deutsch LA. Of course, the prominently-pictured creative guru was appropriately attired in the now de rigeur t-shirt and jeans. What started as a basic story, however, descended quickly into parody. The CEO hiring the new guy used an interesting yardstick for the decision: "someone I could sit on a plane with for six hours and enjoy myself." And then....the new CCO told Ad Age that "I think it's such a f******* amazing opportunity."

We always caution our PR clients that if they don't want it to show up in print, they shouldn't say it. And although some might think that a comment like this is more refreshing than the usual pablum quotes about new jobs, it signals a declining professionalism in our business. What do you think?

Mark of a Good Agency: Support Your Client's Products

When I was at the Big Agency, we supported a client's products 100 percent. That meant that when we did PR for a beer brand, we didn''t dare go out and drink a competitor's brew. I still cling to old habits. With a retail client, I won't go to a competitor's store. I figure, hey, if they're paying me to do PR for them, the least I can do is show my loyalty.

That's why I''m baffled after following the buzz about adman Alex Bogusky and his exit from Crispin Porter + Bogusky to form his FEARLess Revolution, what he calls his consumer advocacy group. According to Fast Company, he "left the world's hottest agency to find his soul." It seems he had an epiphany some months ago, and has decided that the millions he's scored from selling pizza and burgers to America is, well, wrong. Eating fast food is really, really bad and he must tell us all about it. In fact, he wrote a book on the subject while still doing advertising work for his fast food clients.

Am I the only one who thinks this is a bit disingenuous? If you don't believe fully in a product, why would you do advertising or PR for the company? And if your clients are paying you for your work, is it right to say negative things about them while collecting a big fat check? Perhaps there's no loyalty these days. There should be.

How to Measure PR Effectiveness: The Debate Continues

How should PR be measured? How do PR agencies provide evidence of ROI to clients? Some of PR's big thinkers from around the world debated the issue this summer and came up with....a box of nothing.

PRSA and several other PR and communications organizations met at a PR measurement summit in Barcelona and produced "The Barcelona Declaration of Research Principles." Far from being a stunning scholarly work, these basic principles are blindingly obvious, for the most part. And they don't tell us anything new.

PR agencies and in-house operations are constantly being challenged to produce results that look good to corporate financial types. Well, PR isn't exact. And it's not science.

Here are the seven principles with my comments:

1. Goal setting and measurement are fundamental aspects of any PR programs. True. Most of the time our clients ask us what can be expected as the result of a program, and they should. We should have goals to reach.

2. Media measurement requires quantity and quality. Again, pretty obvious, although not exactly true. Sometimes, in a niche market, you don't have lots of media out there. Two or three great articles can get you where you want to go.

3. Advertising Value Equivalents (AVEs) do not measure the value of PR and do not inform future activity. I agree with this one. Measuring PR results against ad values is a ridiculous comparison. Ads provide the exact message the client wants to convey, where and when the client wants it conveyed. We don't have that option in PR and are subject to the availability of the media and the timeliness and newsworthiness of the pitch.

4. Social media can and should be measured. Yes, it can, if you have lots of billable hours, or a big budget so you can hire the big measurement firms to do it for you.

5. Measuring outcomes is preferred to measuring media results. Not sure what the distinction is here.

6. Business results can and should be measured where possible. If PR is being measured against sales, no! No matter how good the PR is, we can't produce an uptick in sales if: 1. The product doesn't fill a consumer need 2. The consumer can't get it easily 3. The consumer has a poor purchase/customer service experience 4. The consumer feels the product is of poor quality 5. The budget doesn't allow PR to reach the audience numbers/demographics

7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement. Uh huh. Buzzwords.

In the real world, we don't have absolutes. As PR professionals, we seek to inform the public about our clients' products and services and create positive public perceptions. We can't sell the product for our clients, but we can put them in the mood to buy. And while I don't always agree with Jack O'Dwyer, his blog post on Barcelona (until some rants at the end) was practical and to the point. He says that the "Barcelona Principles" position PR as marketing when "that's only one aspect of PR." He's right.

I'm not sure why PRSA and other organizations feel constantly compelled to justify the need for PR. Enlightened clients know it's important. Media people, although they complain, know it's important. PR, badly beaten down of late, needs a shot of self-esteem, but this sort of "summit" isn't helping. What do you think?

Too many campaigns ignoring ad agency's goal: Sell product

A post today in Ad Age by small agency owner Andy Gould called "But What Do We Want People to Do?" bemoans the lack of consumer involvement in ad campaigns. We're giving no thought to the role of the consumer beyond "passive watcher," he says. Later, he adds: "Do we want people to engage in a multiweek learning program, send an inspirational text, create something, cast a vote, play a game, print a coupon, or something else?"

 

Andy, that would be something else. As one of the post commenters noted, "I'd like to speak up on behalf of the many consumers who do not want a relationship with a product or service they purchase." Do I really want to create a package design to win a case of soda? Is it worth my time to vote on the color of a popular candy? Will playing a game on a product web site get me to buy the product? No, no and no.

The shortest distance from A to B is a straight line. Here's the product and why you should buy it. Done. Or here's a new product. Try a sample. Now buy it. Sometimes we fall in love with our advertising and marketing ideas, and, instead of asking: "Will this get people to the store to buy our cool product?" we're asking, "Will people think our product is fun and cool?"  Not necessarily the same thing.

PR Lessons from Mad Men, Part 2: The Publicity Stunt

Back to PR lessons from Mad Men, Episode 1, Season 4: The Publicity Stunt. When clients want a PR stunt, most agencies cringe. These days, you need big budgets and savvy lawyers, barring some killer idea. And there's a good chance that even the most genius idea will go bad.

In AMC's Mad Men, set in the ad and PR glory days of the 60s, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce copywriter Peggy attempts to bolster a lackluster Sugarberry Ham product trial by staging a mock fight for a ham in a supermarket. She hires two actresses, swears them to secrecy, and doesn't even tell her boss, agency creative head Don Draper, or the client.

Unfortunately, the actresses are so engaged in their parts that one sues the other for assault, and Peggy has to come up with bail AND hush money. Agency creative head Don Draper, who gets Peggy's midnight call for cash, is not amused. "I try to stay away from these kinds of shenanigans," he says. 

A photo appears prominently in the local paper (bolstered by a case of liquor for the columnist) and sales spike. 

Should you attempt a publicity stunt? Depends.

1. Will it bolster the brand? Check out Taylor Herring's "Publicity Stunt Hall of Fame," for some creative ideas.  Most of these stunts get the word out in a good way. Many are pricey enterprises, so you'll need clients with deep pockets.

2. Build a good base first. If you're looking for Seth Godin's "Magic Lottery" to propel your brand to instant acclaim, think again. You need to have a good PR program in place first. Press kit and background information and resources? Check. Web site? Check. Social media? Check. Trained and available spokepersons? Check. Crisis plan? Check.

3. Is it really a good idea? Carefully consider the risks and potential public perception. For example, a 2007 stunt in Boston for a cartoon show featured a number of faux lighted circuit boards placed around town. The two PR perpetrators were arrested after a terrorism panic ensued and Turner Broadcasting and the ad agency paid $2 million in fines.

4. Will it work? Gotta have a Plan B, especially when it comes to stunts that depend on huge objects and the weather. Snapple's attempted to set a record for the world's largest popsicle, which was 25 feet tall, weighed in at 17.5 tons and was erected in New York's Times Square. Unfortunately, before photos could be taken, the 80-degree heat caused the huge sugary treat to melt and flood down nearby Manhattan streets. Check out other dismal failures here.

So if you have nerves of steel, a good lawyer, a client with good lawyers, several Plan Bs, a gigantic budget and a brilliant idea, go for it. But don't say I didn't warn you.

PR Lessons from Mad Men, Part 1

Things are humming along at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce in the first episode of Mad Men, Season 4: the agency has moved to two floors in the Time Life Building and creative guru Don Draper has attracted considerable attention with a movie-like TV spot for Glo-Coat Floor Wax.

But all's not perfect in upstart adland. Draper's attitude in an interview with Ad Age results in an unflattering story. "This is a missed opportunity. You turned all the sizzle from Glo-Coat into a wet fart," complains agency partner Roger Sterling. And one of the clients, Jai Alai, is firing SCDP because it wasn't mentioned in the article. "That's the reporter's job," snaps Don.

Unlike the ad glory days of the 60s, lunches no longer feature three martinis as the main course and reporters can't be easily bought with cases of liquor, but interviewee preparation is the same.

I can't imagine that Don Draper would agree to spokesperson training, but had he taken some of the following advice to heart, it certainly would have helped.

Have a story to tell. The Ad Age reporter begins the interview with "Who is Don Draper?." Draper says "I'm from the Midwest. We were taught that it's not polite to talk about yourself." An interview's the time to talk about yourself and it's also the time to grab a reporter's interest with a riveting story. But Draper's surly and uncommunicative. As a result, Don's portrayed as a "handsome cipher" who thinks he's too good to answer a reporter's questions. "I believe you were being modest," says Sterling. "But he didn't." "My job is to write ads," says Draper. "Not go around talking about who I am." No, Don, you're wrong.

Provide information. "The article says I'm married," complains Draper. "Don't they do any fact-checking?" "You didn't give them any facts," retorts Sterling. And one of the clients, Jai Alai, is firing SCDP because it wasn't mentioned in the article. "That's the reporter's job," snaps Draper. You can't expect the reporter to include all of your clients or accomplishments in an article, but providing the information certainly helps. 

At the end of the episode, Draper gets a Wall Street Journal interview and he launches, with a great deal more animation, into the story of how SCDP began. The reporter looks enthralled. We don't always get do-overs, so make every interview count.

Look at me: Clever Old Spice campaign will spur poor imitations

Love the very creative Old Spice viral campaign, reported on here. Old Spice marketing agency Wieden + Kennedy and Old Spice ad star Isaiah Mustafa worked for days to produce more than 150 videos with personal messages to fans and Twitterati. Mustafa recorded droll responses to tweets from fans, who included Ashton Kutcher, Alyssa Milano and Kevin Rose, founder of Digg. He stood in for one Twitter fan with a marriage proposal, complete with a ring and a pair of candelabras. Of course, all of the videos are recorded with a bathroom shower backdrop, and with the handsome actor/athlete clad in a towel. Definitely not a bad thing. 

And bravo to the usually-hidebound P&G for going with the flow and having some fun with it.

However, there are bound to be hundreds of poor imitations headed our way. I'm picturing brand managers and ad execs thinking about how they, too, can pull it off with their own spokespersons. Would this work with Lance Armstrong? Tiger Woods? Do you really want a personal video from the Donald? David Hasselhoff?  Maybe not. This is a one-time clever idea, folks.

The new PRspeak: A magical, transparent conversation.

We all have our favorite words. Most of us try not to use them to excess. The proliferation of social media, however, has increased the use of buzz words exponentially. This year, it's "conversation," often used to refer to communication between companies and brands and the public. I'm also seeing a lot of "transparency," used by communications departments to convince various publics that they're revealing everything. Hmmm. And, the most recent buzzword is "magical." Steve Jobs, on introducing the iPad, referred to it rather breathlessly as "magical." Hey, I'm a big Apple fan, but can an iPad be magical? Not unless it can fly across the room unaided or transform, say, into something else, like a car or a Louis Vuitton bag.