soulati.com

Digital Marketing Strategy, PR and Messaging

Soulati-'TUDE!

Awesome Customer Service Story

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eReleases editors welcome Soulati Media, Inc.

Let me tell a story about good customer service.

I fielded a phone call in the spring from a man selling for eReleases. At the time, I didn’t have a need to send a traditional press release on the traditional wires because so much of Soulati Media, Inc. business is oriented to online press releases.

But, I saved his number and phoned him within the last month. After explaining the package levels and how to use the e-Releases services, he informed me he no longer worked at the company. Now, that’s customer service #1!

Recently, I used the company’s services and was pleased to be able to distribute my story on the PR Newswire for 2/3 the cost; cool. Afterward, a welcome note comes in the snail mail with $100 coupon and hand-written ideas from the editors on staff suggesting other ways I might consider writing a follow-up story. Now, that’s customer service #2!

Today, trolling through my in box of 7,000+ horrid emails, I found a note from the editorial staff of e-Releases with a clever, funny, happy photo of the gang there welcoming me to the e-Releases family. See the photo above; you can’t miss the feel-good customer service of that effort  (sent to me a month ago, sadly; but, I still saw it!). Now, that’s customer service #3!

So, what’s the summary here?

  • Welcome new customers into the mix in a personalized way.
  • Welcome new customers into the mix with a coupon for the next purchase.
  • Welcome new customers into the mix in a clever way that brings a smile.

Thanks, e-Releases, for some amazing customer service to cut through the clutter of every-day online life.

What awesome addition can you make to this story about customer service over and above?

Former H-P CEO Hires PR Firm; Lesson for Tiger

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Mark Hurd in 2009 (Credit: Mark Peterson)

By now, you’ve read the unfolding story of former H-P CEO Mark Hurd asked to resign a week ago due to some “I-did-not-have- sex-with-that-woman” snafu. What you likely haven’t heard about Hurd is the truth. The H-P board of directors is already bored with the entire scandal, and instead of releasing the truth behind the untruth, everyone is left to guess why the lack of transparency.

In the wake of the crisis, Mark Hurd hired Sitrick Public Relations of Los Angeles to help influence his brand and maintain his positive image as we await the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 

Is Hurd’s hiring of the PR firm Paris Hilton uses a smart thing? Or, is it squarely an admission of guilt? If anyone needed to hire a PR firm, it’s former-presidential-hopeful -now-fallen-star John Edwards or Governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford.

That’s an interesting move by Hurd to hire my peers in Los Angeles. Stories in the Wall Street Journal suggest he did it to pave the way for future employment and to set the unbalanced record straight.

My first impression was that Hurd is hiding something and that his decision to hire PR is an admission of guilt beyond a faulty expense account and a “close personal relationship” with Jodie Fisher, actress turned hostess. Let’s use Tiger Woods as an example.

Tiger’s crisis unfolded via a front-man gatekeeper who was a criminal attorney. No PR team in place to help craft the message in the immediate aftermath of Tiger’s early morning crash turned sex scandal extraordinaire.  If Tiger had hired a public relations team to help with his horrendous image, perhaps he’d be farther along on the pathway to repair than where he’s floundering now.

Back to Mark Hurd. At the time of this writing, the man is apparently not that guilty; yet, he hires a public relations firm to be the frontline spokespeople on his behalf. EXTREMELY SMART.

I love that Hurd turned immediately to PR as his frontline support and crisis team. I expect Hurd’s lawyer is also on that team, but the Wall Street Journal prominently featured a Sitrick spokesperson in its story and not a lawyer.

The “Smart Money” column in the Wall Street Journal by James B. Stewart on August 11, 2010 is a can’t-miss read.  I appreciate Stewart’s candor and blunt talk about transparency at H-P, “Hewlett-Packard Still Can’t Handle the Truth” on August 11, 2010. Nothing for H-P to be happy about, Stewart suggests investors avoid H-P stock. The $35 million exit package paid to the fired Hurd, the lack of transparency by H-P, and ridiculous way this situation is being handled have all created a nose dive for H-P stock. This week, $8.7 billion was shaved off H-P’s market value. (Seriously?)

I hope H-P is taking lessons from its former CEO. It should have a full-court press in investor relations, public relations, crisis communications along with social media strategies front and center to reverse its embarrassing downward spiral.  

What’s your impression of yet another sex scandal plaguing corporate America and government?

Donation Plug to be a Good Citizen

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Donations come in all shapes, sizes and dollar amounts. Charitable giving is something all of us need to do, and I don’t mean donating our junk to AmVets or Goodwill. What I mean is actually donating hard-earned cash to charities and not-for-profits and those they serve who need the money now more than ever to stay afloat.

I was so thrilled with myself when I got the call from the police federation, or fraternal order of police or firefighters, etc. The guy, always persistent and ticked off when I say “take me off the list,” opened the call with “Hi, Jayme, this is a paid fund-raiser for the blah, blah. Can we count on your donation today just like last time and is your address blah, blah?”

And, I said to his mouthful, “How much of my donation goes to the charitable organization you’re fund-raising for?” When he said 20 percent, I said, “thanks, but NO thanks.” We need to consider that more…where does our dollar go when donating to not-for-profits?

There are more than 1.5 million not-for-profits in the U.S. according to Foundation Center. There are ways to check on the ratio of operations dollars to services dollars. I like this site, Charity Navigator.  It offers plenty of resources for donors.

Think about the last time you made a charitable donation. Was it for Haiti? Was it for the Gulf vicitims of the oil spill? Was it for Hurricane Katrina? Are you merely a crisis giver? Or, perhaps you have a list of organizations you give to each year who appreciate your donation because they’re managing on a shoe-string budget. Maybe you’re a micro donor and text $10 when the call to action comes in or use Kiva or other fair-trade organization to share your wealth. I found Danny Brown’s 12for12K.org on Twitter and was happy to donate to its causes in 2009. There was a familiar and trustable face doing the soft ask.

Whatever your style of sharing money with those less fortunate, please ensure you have a style.

  • Start small with $10 given somewhere, but please start!
  • G to Kiva and give it as a gift (that’s how I was turned on to it; as a birthday gift to me).
  • Answer the invitation by a fund-raising committee of a local not-for-profit with $25, or go all out and donate $100.

It’s all tax-deductible, too, although speak with your accountant to ensure you follow federal guidelines about that.

Need a little push? Clothes That Work, Victoria Theater, League of Women Voters, Health For Peace, American Red Cross…no need to continue, is there?

Adaptive Marketing–Bah, Humbug

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For the last several weeks, I’ve been focusing on discussions about client teams in law firms. Business development, cross selling, and lawyers as business people are all topics front and center.  Some of my clients in the legal vertical deliver business of law services to law firms.  These suppliers’ law firm clients, mostly large, seek improved efficiencies, technology to improve productivity, and a greater slice of the decreasing client pie.

Law firms are grappling with lawyers who are not traditionally good in business or sales; they practice law. Most of us in professional services would prefer to practice our trade than sell. Unfortunately, it’s a survival tactic, and universities are rushing to rectify this oversight with more business education in law schools.

In , 2010, a gathered at a Marketing Forum to foretell the new era of  “adaptive marketing.” In a keynote address, , chairman-CEO of CRM agency , said, “Marketing’s day for transforming competitive advantage inside the organization has arrived. Competitive advantage in the future will be based on how well we can change and influence the behavior of an individual consumer.”

Williams adds, “Marketers need to build an enterprise-wide strategy that is focused on the value of the customer as a core business strategy.”

Perhaps lawyers need to be better marketers rather than experienced business people, eh?

My objection is about the descriptors and vernacular being tossed around as labels for plain old client service.   When referring to “client behavior” (like at the Forrester symposium), it feels like something akin to a science experiment. Hey, we’re people here!

I appreciate and respect industry analysts’ programs for the good of marketing’s future. The more I read, the more I’d prefer to focus on relationship building and delivery of leading- edge, results-driven marketing public relations oriented to keeping clients satisfied with high-quality work product.

I realize there are metrics, measurements, KPIs (key performance indicators), and whatever quality standards are in force on a given day. What I see missing are people skills that lead to strengthened relationships.

A few buzz words might get you thinking along my lines — politeness, respect, courtesy, and trust.

Am I barking up a lilac bush or an oak tree here?

SMBs, Goldfish and Social Media

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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?