Public Relations Drives Marketing

by Jayme Soulati on 03/31/2010 in Public Relations

Public relations drives marketing. There. I stated my firm belief in a public forum in which I’ll either get eaten alive or get nods of agreement. For many years, I’ve tested this theory in front of a variety of marketing colleagues from all shapes and sizes of companies. Some agree; and one in particular outright scoffed in my face.

To back up any theorem, research is required. Off to the manual library I went in search of public relations teachings to see what academics had to say. To my delight, a book written in 1998(!) provided wonderful support points. (Of course, we in PR can spin any statement to advantage, eh?)

The first chapter of Value-Added Public Relations, the Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing by Thomas L. Harris, leader in marketing public relations and past-president of venerable Golin/Harris, yielded a goldmine.

I remember that decade well in my Chicago agency life. Public relations was a serious competitor for marketing attention, and the C suite had begun to invite us to the table. The tech bubble was big and getting bigger, and public relations rode the wave. Mr. Harris noted “Integrated marketing communications (IMC) puts public relations squarely among the powerful disciplines.”

Those of us working in the field knew we had special talent, and clients loved our offering that was beyond tactical services.

  • Our thorough ability to research a space and conduct competitive analysis from the perspective of messaging content and positioning beat marketing and advertising hands down.
  • Our strategic counsel aligned against business goals was an approach usually expected out of industry consultants or analysts.
  • Our knowledge of the media and how to create news while preparing a thought leader for the occasion was nothing a marketer or advertiser could do.
  • Our messaging crafted for external audiences as authoritative, credible and fact-based was developed for marketing and sales teams to use in their communications channels, too.

Said Mr. Harris, “Credibility is key, and of all the components of integrated marketing, public relations alone possesses a priceless ingredient that is essential to every IMC program – its ability to lend credibility to the product message.”

I recall the firm where I worked offered integrated marketing communications; however, it was pie in the sky. So many agencies were protecting turf lest another grab billings; camaraderie was thin.

In Mr. Harris’s book, he quotes other public relations heavyweights, including the long-time CEO of Hill & Knowlton. “Robert Dilenschneider, editor of Dartnell’s Public Relations Handbook, is convinced that the new marketing mix puts to work jointly the tools of marketing and of public relations and that public relations ‘is the glue that holds the whole thing together.’”

I don’t disagree that public relations and marketing work well integrated. Mr. Harris speaks to the “new” concept of integration 12 years ago. Have we succeeded? Not really. There are too many siloed organizations generating leads for sales teams without benefit of strategic input from public relations. There are too many public relations practitioners concentrating only on media relations (regardless of traditional or social) without regard for the holistic inside-out perspective.

A prescient statement by Mr. Harris could have been spoken today; it directly relates to the current social media position in which we’re working and breathing:

“The integrated marketing communications process begins with the consumer. It requires that marketers radically shift from thinking “inside out” (what we have to sell, what we have to say) to “outside in” (what consumers tell us about themselves, their needs, wants and lifestyles).”

Because public relations is primarily focused on the outside-in, and marketers are shifting in that direction encouraged by social media, Mr. Harris provides a solid support point to my theorem – public relations drives marketing. Add to that public relations practitioners’ continuous creativity to differentiate tactics that resonate against strategies to attain objectives, and I’m sold.

Let the fireworks begin!

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Brands Need Storytelling

by Jayme on 03/30/2010 in Branding

Remember when you sat at Grandma’s feet and she told you stories about the Great Depression, or what it was like to be the biggest Irish clan with 13 kids? Perhaps your stories aren’t like those, but you can relate with a few you’ve heard or have told.

I promised to recant the richness of my discussion as a gift for Gregg Morris, a Twitter pal with whom I only recently made verbal connection yet trust was established long ago on Twitter in 140. (Watch for new posts on earning trust.)

Gregg makes it his business to uncover the stories that make brands come alive with history, human memories, and a piece of friendly relevance. He’s a storytellin’ guy, and that’s where he’s building his business these days – looking back through time to pull what’s relevant for today’s modern consumers and brands.

Gregg says brands are out of touch with their customers because product stories are missing. In thinking about this, mass merchandising and the Internet have made brand loyalty non-existent. To push a buy decision, there’s less or zero focus on a product’s historical significance and an emphasis on “Made in America” (for example) to combat global merchandising and manufacturing. If companies took that “Made in America” platform and threaded the back story through the product, imagine the richness of the result.

Gregg shared some fascinating thoughts with me, and I’d like to invite you into the loop, too:

  • People inside businesses today are so close to their product crafting a customer story becomes difficult for most.
  • The definition of a story is “a character moving through a series of events toward resolution.”
  • When a company has a product and/or service, a story needs to be told around customers. Customers need to know how a company’s product provides resolution. The better the story, the more enhanced customers’ loyalty.
  • Who is your target audience? Don’t kid yourself; it’s not everyone! When companies zero in on a target audience, only then can they begin to craft a story that resonates with the audiences’ persona.
  • Stories have become lost. Think of a product in your house. Is there one with a story that drove your buy decision? Can you relate to the brand’s back story that keeps you engaged? (When I see Clydesdale horses, I still think of beer. The irony is I got the brand wrong, and Gregg corrected me! That story was told over and over during holidays when I was a kid; saw it on TV. Where is that story now? That taste of Americana resonated with many people, and now it’s lost and ignored in an archive.)
  • It’s trust that’s earned when real stories are told. Gregg informed me businesses have an opportunity to retell their robust histories with stories that live dreams.
  • Storytelling is necessary for the small business. (I love the potential of this statement for SMBs.) The dry cleaner that competes with the same service provider around the corner and up the street must differentiate. Ever walk into a dry cleaner to be greeted by the proprietor who rarely speaks English and wonder about his/her story? You can guarantee there’s a significant one waiting to be told which may tug at the emotional/personal enough to make a customer brand loyal. But, that story is not getting told.

Gregg gave me much food for thought (another analogy for the SMBs, Goldfish & Social Media post). I’m hopeful your interest is piqued enough to let the pondering begin!  If you’re struggling to tap your story, I know just the right guy to help…http://greggmorris.com .

(Image credit courtesy of http://greggmorris.com)

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SMBs, Goldfish and Social Media

by Jayme Soulati on 03/29/2010 in Business, Social Media

I’m watching the goldfish named Lucky my daughter won without permission at the school carnival that outlived his cousin and was rescued after sliding down the garbage disposal and now lives in the makeshift aquarium/flower vase sitting on my kitchen table. In spite of all these odds, Lucky lives.

Here’s what’s fascinating aside from all that – 30 minutes ago I sprinkled food flakes on top of the water. Fish still doesn’t know there’s food within easy access.

Is there an analogy here? Let’s use our creativity to find one…a goldfish is an analogy for _______ (please fill in the blanks). I’ll start…

The goldfish ensnared in a make-shift home is captive, flitting and fleeing from top to bottom and in circles seeking food and freedom. A small-to-medium-sized business (SMB) disengaged from social media is akin to the ensnared goldfish.

Social media has spawned new channels to distribute messaging, elevate branding, secure positioning. When social media food is sprinkled throughout the SMB’s integrated marketing program and systematically consumed via a top-down strategy, the ecosystem is in balance.

If an SMB is confused about social media actually being gourmet eats, the pathway to marketing public relations and social media is complex; engagement may fail.

SMBs should consider social media a strategic necessity, expect failure as the growth path is achieved through trial and error, then reap the benefits with a dessert morsel at the top.

How about you? Any tidbits to share?

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Make It a Lasting Impression

by Jayme Soulati on 03/26/2010 in Thinking

This week a Twitter pal asked for my thoughts on career development andlanding a position for interns or new grads. Of all the positions I’ve held in public relations, none were attained with a cold call. It’s the network, purely and simply; social media proves that every minute. The opportunities are endless, regardless of age, to begin distancing from the pack of job seekers. Here are a few obvious tips as good reminders:

  • Launch a LinkedIn profile. This is the consummate business networking community, and a young person can make a big impression using LinkedIn to best advantage. See a potential employer? Network the heck out of that connection without being annoying.
  • Set up a Twitter ID and use it! Tastefully add a professional avatar. It’s not enough to say you’re on these networks; show activity. It’s too easy to find out the truth these days. Speaking of which, Facebook…need I say more?
  • Master the basics of job seeking. It begins with a powerful resume featuring objective, employment history (how many jobs did you work to pay for school?), internships, volunteer gigs and achievements. Clearly position these and be prepared to discuss the experience for each.
  • Complement studies with extra-curricular activities and internships. Anyone who carries a heavier load shows they can manage the same or more in the workplace.
  • Set up informational interviews, and research prior to a meeting. When no information exists online about a person, it’s likely their name is too popular. If Google doesn’t yield any information try another route and use that data as an icebreaker.  If people don’t have time to meet in person, ask for a telephone conversation or Skype conference call.
  • Come prepared to an interview with something to show; if not writing samples then a project or work experience. Short on examples? Use results from a team-oriented class project. If you volunteered abroad, show organizational skills and share the scrapbook or photo album of the excursion. Lastly, bring a reference from a professor or someone in business who can vouch for you.
  • Pick up the phone! Balance the use of e-mail with the telephone. A lot can be discerned from people’s mannerism, tone, inflection and command of English when on the phone. Do not be afraid to make personal contact; it’s the only way to make a true impression.
  • Send a thank you note. While a hand-written note is preferred (and impressive), an e-mail is acceptable. Common courtesy has gone out the window. When a young person makes an effort to be respectful and appreciative for someone’s time, it’s noted.

In summary, the main point is to make a positive and lasting impression.  When you’re invited in for a cattle call, how can you ensure I remember you 10 days from now?

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Twitter’s Hidden Gifts

by Jayme Soulati on 03/25/2010 in Social Media

I’ve been tweeting for a year. During that time, say about nine months when I got around the what-the-heck-is-this thing, I’ve encountered Twitter’s many hidden gifts. I’d like to share and ask whether you have others to add.

Obviously, you need to be a treasure hunter (especially now with more bots, spam and direct selling). Twitter is much like the racks at T.J. Maxx — it’s a hunt-and-peck gold pot deal. But the rainbow does bare fruit.

On Twitter, I promise, you can find:

  • Amazing network of intelligent peeps with whom to banter and exchange commentary.
  • Sense of community and a feeling you belong to a higher group (are we a clique?) who get it.
  • Treasure of information (caveat emptor!) behind the numerous links everyone tweets.
  • Quick way to garner immediate knowledge about any topic imaginable and ability to be at the front end of unfolding crises i.e. earthquakes, elections and the like.
  • Lists of people with your like interests within your profession or elsewhere from whom you can get opinions and fodder.
  • People like Gregg Morris. I’ve mentioned Gregg more than once in my few posts on this new blog, and there’s a reason why. He became my knight who rescued me from blogger IT hell and smoothed out my experience so these posts can come alive.  (I have far to go, and I know Gregg is a click away.)

My intention was to gift Gregg with an interview and help him promote his venture as a storyteller. We spoke for several hours, and the outcome was an exchange so rich with backward and forward insights, high intelligence, and an appreciation for the synergies of the past, present and future.  As a result, I plan a series of posts relating to and about Gregg; he gifted me with so much, he deserves more in return.

There’s no doubt your Twitter stream can be rich with hidden people gifts ala Gregg. As I develop more food for thought, look within your stream for exactly that. It’s not happenstance, you know; you need to give to get. And, when it does occur, the whole meaning of tweepship is defined anew.

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Dilution of the Press Release

by Jayme Soulati on 03/24/2010 in Public Relations

Don’t get me wrong. Press releases are the number-one best way to deliver a company’s message. The confusion surrounding this 100-year-old vehicle lies with its distribution.

When vendors seize opportunity to tout free online press release distributions, fraction-of-the-cost news delivery, and optimized content with high search engine rankings, I cringe with angst. My pure profession is being obliterated by suppliers touting the ability to do what I do better, faster, cheaper (well, maybe not better). Quality of product rarely comes in to play; it’s the faster, cheaper thing I can’t get around.

Strategy and message are top rungs on the ladder. The distribution offerings now a dime a dozen confuse even me, a seasoned public relations practitioner, from discerning the high-quality real deal from the low-ball, churn. When I look at content, however, it’s clear there’s no comparison. Here’s a sample headline and descriptor off a free distribution service:

(Headline) Enter The Wow With Accounts From Us (Meta description) “Wow is an exclamatory expression as per the dictionary. The expression denotes surprise. And you would sure be taken by surprise when you enter…”

Are you kidding me? And, who’s reading this garbage anyway?

I’ve almost stopped being offended about others’ business opportunities. Anyone can issue “news” to their heart’s content (and I don’t hold the patent on that). What they can’t do is:

  • Align communications strategy with business objectives.
  • Develop a tactical plan to attain communications objectives via well-thought strategies.
  • Deliver on-target messages that resonate with brand position.
  • Write the dang press release.

Here’s the “ah-hah.” Anyone interested in saving a buck with free, cheap and faster online news release distribution services, save yourself the embarrassment of DIY. Hire the guns to strategize, deliver on-target messaging and make a press release part of the greater plan. Frankly, put a highly qualified and strategic public relations practitioner on your team.

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This Complementizer That

by Jayme Soulati on 03/23/2010 in Thinking

There’s nary a word that I see that peeves me like “that.” Let’s do that over…There’s nary a word that peeves me like “that.”

See my point? My opinion, based on reading others’ writings littered with “that” is “that” is seriously overrated and over-utilized. It’s constantly inserted in sentences, yet adds no meaning. I’ve had Twitter grammarians agree.

When you write “that” read the sentence again and delete the offender. Nine times out of 10, nothing changes. “That” is a waste. In support of my belief, I turn to the ever-resourceful Wikipedia to learn more. (Not until I read this entry did this post title come to mind.)

Says Wikipedia:

The word that is used in the English language for several grammatical purposes:

  • to introduce a restrictive clause
  • as a demonstrative pronoun
  • as a complementizer.

(Ah-hah! A “complementizer!”  Now we’re getting somewhere fast and upon further digging, this said complementizer becomes an EMPTY one!)

Empty complementizers

Some analyses allow for the possibility of invisible or “empty” complementizers. An empty complementizer is a hypothetical phonologically null category with a function parallel to that of visible complementizers such as that and for. Its existence in English has been proposed based on the following type of alternation:

  • He hopes you go ahead with the speech
  • He hopes that you go ahead with the speech
  • Because that can be inserted between the verb and the embedded clause, the original sentence without a visible complementizer would be reanalyzed as
  • He hopes øC you go ahead with the speech
  • This suggests another interpretation of the earlier “how” sentence:
  • I read in the paper <how> øC [it's going to be cold today]
  • where “how” serves as a specifier to the empty complementizer.

OK, Wikipedia, perhaps I interpreted my own understanding (empty v. visible) from that, but I still think that I’m right…I mean, I still think I’m right.

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15 Tips for New Bloggers

by Jayme Soulati on 03/22/2010 in Blogging 101, Social Media Strategy

Now that I’m officially a blogger, it feels pretty cool. I’m eager to put all the back-end stuff behind me and concentrate on perfecting and building the network. Unfortunately, I need to dig deeper for the patience as it’s all part of the larger journey.

In spite of my short time here, there are tools a newbie blogger needs to stay the course. Let me suggest several based on direct experience in the first two weeks:

  1. Patience and Perseverance. Without high levels of patience, a new blogger cannot persevere.
  2. Tech Know-How. IT knowledge is not a necessity, although it’s a bonus. Some of the more daunting areas are installations, code, ftp, renaming files, creating databases on c-panel and so much more. When self-hosting a WordPress blog, be prepared to be frustrated.
  3. Know your limit. Hit a wall? Ask for help; hire the experts. I didn’t, but needed to. (I had hit my wall, but a guy on Twitter blew me off for a week, and it angered me so much I insisted on doing this myself.)
  4. Time. Blogging requires more time. Obstacles and snafus galore and solving each take precious hours. See number two.
  5. Listen at a higher level. When speaking with clients, colleagues, friends, peers, listen for the next blog topic. After any conversation, if something strikes you, jot down key words to trigger topics.
  6. Keep a notebook, folder. Keep the notes, posts, items you read in a manual notebook or desktop folder.
  7. Rip tear sheets. Familiar with this term? Public relations practitioners use it when one of our stories we’ve placed hits. Get oriented to tearing out stories and filing into an idea folder. I’m already tearing sheets from Advertising Age, BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal which offer an array of ideas.
  8. Follow and subscribe. No better way to get post ideas then to follow people on Twitter lists via Twellow or Listorious. Subscribe to blogs in a reader. That way when on the road, you can access posts galore and delete subscriptions not making the grade.
  9. Use a dictionary/thesaurus. There’s nothing like a good dictionary to help find the right word or look up a synonym. Each post I’ve written has required reference to the dictionary. I’m expecting a few grammar lessons along the way, too.
  10. Be aware. Being aware is more than just combing content for ideas. Curiosity is the first step towards greater awareness. Surf 10 minutes daily on Technorati and get a sense of topics, style, and popular bloggers’ content. With awareness comes relevance.
  11. Engage on Twitter. A blogger must have a Twitter account, but all tweeps don’t have a blog. Twitter is the first best marketing tool for a blog; it’s a built-in audience who already finds you credible enough to follow. Blog posts are first promoted on Twitter. Whether you include Facebook in this marketing scheme is up to how you use it (friends/family or mix of business).
  12. Be responsive. When you post, the objective is to get attention. The ultimate goal is to get comments and furthermore subscribers. Answer everyone with appreciation who takes time to jot a note.
  13. Queue the posts. It’s Sunday morning. I’ve written 3.5 posts. Am thrilled to have something in queue for the week. Find that quiet time to draft skeleton content. Come back to it and edit. Find support points from the Web to empower the message.
  14. Learn! Already after a solid week of blogging, I’m thrilled with learning opportunities. While I thought Twitter was wonderful, blogging beats it hands down. I now look at everything through the blogging glass…is this a good topic? Is it a trend? Where can I find the data to support this statement? Do I need to back up my opinions? Shall I link to that site? Should I self-promote the blog on another’s post? Does this content resonate? Who cares?
  15. Respect one another. Everyone is entitled to opinions. It’s what makes the blogosphere rich. Set a positive tone with the goal of garnering respect.

What might you add to the list, please?

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That Blogging Quest

by Jayme Soulati on 03/19/2010 in Blogging 101

Today’s post ought to be short and sweet. When it comes to the blogging quest (read nightmare), that’s not a guarantee.

Thought of titling this as “Along came a spider…” but then would SEO put my blog in touch with arachnophobics (I coin words)? The spider in this case is Gregg Morris. My dear Tweep @greggvm yesterday took my blog effort and turned it upside down.

I no longer am using Headway on WordPress, I’m now on Thesis, and what a relief. I see light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to Gregg (I must remember to use 3 Gs). He took his valuable time and spent it with me yesterday to re-launch the blog theme into something without the kinked-up sutures in which Headway had captured me.

I trusted him although we had never spoken prior to yesterday. How? We tweet. Why? We tweet. (More on that later.)

Another blogger I respect, too, is Nicky Jameson. She is also a Thesis user, and she has a boatload of WordPress tutorials on her Web site which I purchased for a more-than-reasonable fee and downloaded (took an hour). Watched the first one on Feedburner and tinkered as I watched…it worked!

So, thanks, thanks to my extraordinary new/old friend Gregg, who without concern for his valued time, inserted himself into mine to come to the aid of a damsel in distress (who didn’t, is that “wouldn’t?” ask for help).

Koodles!

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Objective or Strategy?

by Jayme Soulati on 03/18/2010 in Public Relations

I so love a challenge. Tweeps @jennwhinnem and @greggvm suggested I wax poetic on the confusion between an objective and a strategy in a public relations proposal.

In trying to explain, it’s a bit of a challenge. So, please reference Effective Public Relations by Cutlip and Center  (the same, hopefully updated text book I used in college) for their professorial approach to teaching this distinction. @Greggvm (he’s a 3-G kind of guy) suggests strategies drive tactics, and I agree.

When writing a public relations proposal, spend the longest time developing objectives and strategies. Once you nail these, the tactics cascade in support of strategies. Back in the not-too-distant day when I worked in Chicago at Ketchum/Corporate Technology Communications under the tutelage of Paul Rand, current president of Zocalo Group in Chicago and also president of Word of Mouth Marketing Association, our account team sat for hours arguing the difference between objectives and strategies.

Here are simple guidelines from my professional point of view…if you have another approach, please share!

  • Business goals are required in a proposal to align communications strategy.
  • Program objectives are broadly stated i.e. “Increase market position 20 percent by 2012,” or “Decrease negative online reputation by 10 percent for product X.” Include three to four objectives, not more.
  • Strategies support objectives, and remain somewhat vague, for example,  “Launch proactive integrated communications campaign.”  Strategies complement objectives; feature five to six strategies to support the larger goal.
  • Program elements (or tactics) follow; strategies drive tactics. Highlight tactics after providing a list of target audiences.

Once a proposal is approved, a more tactical plan with timeline follows. It’s easy to forget there ever was a plan, but re-visit the original plan and stay the course. This also helps reduce scope creep, and you agency practitioners will know exactly what is meant by that!

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