Strategic Public Relations

“Speed without Strategy is Futile”

This quote from futurist Alvin Toffler is an important reminder for any marketer with a sense of urgency. And in today’s economic climate we can assume that’s most every marketer.

Consider Starbucks as they rush to establish a beach head of drive-thru locations at interstate highway exits across the nation. Ex-Starbucks marketer John Moore offers insight into how the advertising supporting these new locations is having a negative influence on the brand.

”There is not a faster, better, or cheaper route to commoditizing a brand than using unemotional language like: Faster, Better, Cheaper.”

Moore goes on to note how this strays from Starbucks marketing strategy. And in doing so he reminds us of another important reminder for marketers as we begin to explore what words like storytelling, experience and conversation mean to our brands. “Never allow a tactic to take priority over the company’s heritage and personality.”

Morning Juice uploaded by Rudy Malmquist
tags | advertising | marketing | brand

Kraft’s Green Packaging | DMI Brand Design Conference Day One

Consumer packaged goods marketing has always interested me. So I was all ears when the DMI’s Brand Design Conference kicked off with a presentation from Scott Young, of Perception Research Services.

Young discussed packaging and the environment from the consumers’ perspective.

CPG brands have three (conflicting) challenges when it comes to packaging.

1) Doing “the right thing” environmentally. More accurately, defining what exactly the right thing is when it comes to packaging.

2) Educating the consumer on what makes packaging good or bad for the environment. Young’s research findings showed a surprising lack of awareness around environmental terms.

3) Creating packaging that addresses consumer preferences. Consumers know environmental issues are important. But they still want packages that look good, show off the product, protect the product and are easy to use. And if the package is environmentally-friendly? Consumer’s want them to cost the same (or less) than current packaging.

Defining Terms
Confusing packages and a lack of awareness around terminology has created a clear need for better package messaging and an education campaign (e.g., terms like sustainable are industry terms, not words that consumers fully understand).

Product messages are getting confused with packaging messages. Is a product good for you and/or is its packaging good for the planet? Consider how products tell us they are everything from USDA approved, free trade, organic, environmentally friendly, recycled, locally owned, recycled and several shades of green. The end result is an overwhelmed consumer.

The Impossible Dream?!
Packaging that meets environmental and consumer needs reads like a tough order to fill. But packaging can look good, be easy to use and be environmentally friendly. Kraft’s new salad dressing bottles present a powerful example.

This award-winning package design uses 19 percent less plastic. This means a lighter package, saving more than 3 million pounds of plastic annually, and increased shipping efficiencies by 18 percent as the package is smaller.

Consistency is Key
Environmental messaging is valuable and vital, but they must extend beyond the products. From product to brand, it’s best to link to a larger environmental proposition.

Aveda for example has made the environment much more than a product differentiator. It’s part of everything they do from corporate social responsibility programs and the corporate mission statement to its stores, services and products on the shelves. And they need to go from being the stand out to being the standard.

tags | marketing | brand | design | DMI

Brand Merger Baby Steps | Goofus and Gallant

FedEx just announced it’s dropping the Kinko’s from its name and becoming FedEx Office to "describe the wide range of services available at its retail centers."

FedEx purchased Kinko’s in 2004. Waiting four years to drop the name might seem odd for a company specializing in overnight delivery, but it’s not.

FedEx was also adding a service by extending their brand to the uber-copy shop. This takes time to get organized internally and externally. Regardless of customer loyalty when the acquisition was announced, FedEx Kinko’s has now established itself as a successfully merged brand.

FedEx gets the Gallant on how to merge brand names -- by taking baby steps. Macy’s took a similar approach locally when they purchased they were still known as Federated Deparrment Stores and switched Lazarus Department Stores over to the Macy's nameplate.

Who gets the Goofus for showing us how NOT to merge brands? AT&T.

After several convoluted business deals, AT&T owned Cingular Wireless. It took about $4 billion and six years, but Cingular was a hot brand with its orange jumping jack logo. Cool enough to land exclusivity around the iPhone introduction.

AT&T flipped a switch in May of last year and what was once orange became blue.

Tossing some hard-earned gravitas out the window is bad enough, but it sends an even worse message to customers. It implies that the new brand is trying to gloss over the change. The subtext reads that AT&T is an arrogant alpha brand.

The instant enterprise-wide consistency might make integrated marketers squeal with glee, but this is messy stuff. The more AT&T tried to establish the new brand, the tougher it made the transition.

tags | advertising | marketing | branding | brand

Misplaced Word of Mouth

Three random emails in my inbox this weekend have me scratching my head.

YouIntern was lighting a fire under me, noting that the deadline to apply for an internship with Staples was today. Initially I was flattered by the misstep, and then I wondered if this wasn’t an unvitation.

Well it doesn’t matter as Staples has their summer intern locked in. Always the bridesmaid...

Then I received two emails from consumers on some old posts.

Old Spice (Packaging) Stinks?

A comment on the P&G Expands Word of Mouth Efforts post:
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On Saturday, May 17, 2008, my wife purchased a bottle of Old Spice Cologne for me which cost $9.99 + tax. The Old Spice Cologne box contained a small cheap plastic bottle with 2.5 fluid ounces of cologne. I've been using Old Spice Cologne since college, and am now sixty years of age. I was completely shocked by this cheap marketing gimmick to take advantage of consumers. Someone might think you're selling oil instead of cologne. Your R&D and Marketing Departments are in need of major change. I will never again purchase or use Old Spice Cologne. I'm also going to avoid other P & G products, as your company's ethics are now in question. Your are a major dissappointment.
----

Google Thinks I’m a Wiener

A comment on the Marketing’s Summer Road Trip post:
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I am a grandmother of a future graduate from High school, and she was a little girl I always told her I would have the weinermobile for her to ride arround in on that day. She is a terrific kid straight A and a very sensible girl, and plus she is beautiful. You would have quite a group of people, and think of the publicity. You would make a grandmothers wish come true and help me fulfil a wish I had for her. Thank you from the bottom of my heart weather you acept this or not, thank you >NAME< By the way this would be in the Year 2009...
----

OK, I have about three pages of comments on my Summer Road Trip post from folks asking for the keys to the fuel-injected frank. Back in 2005 I even contacted Kraft to alert them. A well-intended customer service agent cited “rules and regulations” when telling me these requests would not be considered.

What’s my point? Have you checked your search RESULTS lately? Do search results on the key words important to your brand point to someone else’s site?

In the cases above, I assumed one glance tells you this blog is in no way shape or form affiliated with P&G, Kraft or any of their respective brands. But sometimes passionate consumers take the fastest/shortest path to get their voice heard. In this case that was one click from a Google search before hitting send.

Justine Electra uploaded by Mas-Luka
tags | advertising | marketing | blog | SEO | brand

Seeing is Understanding | Eternal Branding | YouTube Timeline | Self-Defense for the Online Brand | Four Links | 05.12.08

1) NewsWare | msnbc
“NewsWare is msnbc.com’s laboratory for news-infused games, tools and other experimentation.”

The games and graphic news visualizers are fun while informing. Game on.

2) Brands on Tombstones | Ad Lab
From the “ads on every inch of humanity” department, it looks like Mercedes is the car of choice amongst the Russian mafia.

Speaking of mafia, I’ll bet a horse head wake up call you’ll find examples of “eternal branding”(tm) here in the United States. Based on this anecdotal evidence, I’m willing to bet the Scarface character is one of those brands.

3) Timetube: The YouTube Video Timeline | Information Aesthetics
Anything you can do to make information easier to understand and digest is a good thing. This YouTube mash up seems to fit in that category. It looks cool too, which doesn’t hurt either. Bonus link: The Top 10 Brands That Own YouTube

4) Manage Your Online Reputation | Lifehacker
Great article that gives hope to every college kid freaked out that a recruiter might Google them and find “those pics.” Also helpful for us whiny, older folk annoyed that someone found and posted “those pics.”

tags | public relations | PR | media relations | media | advertising | marketing | YouTube | brand

Is Your Brand Sticky or Slippery Online?

As information disperses wildly/widely through personal channels, marketers must revert from “sticky” mentality to “slippery.” Sticky websites require lures and hooks to get people to our sites and then lock them in. Slippery ideas enable wide distribution of our brand into daily life (Originally articulated by Mark Earls via Fallon’s Aki Spicer).

A client, er, someone might ask -- why create profiles on video/photo sharing sites and social networks when you have a perfectly good website?

The answer to this question is the Jeep Experience site. The Jeep brand planted its flag on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Flickr over time. Rather than a heavy-handed approach, Jeep merely facilitates online fan gatherings and consumer-generated Jeep content.

Jeep now aggregates all of this content at the Jeep Experience. It brilliantly illustrates the slippery over sticky approach. Back in the (dot com) day, a brand would try and build the Jeep Experience site and spend tons of money attracting eyeballs. It would cost you twice as much and be half as effective. This is generous math if you consider Bud.TV as a more recent example of a sticky content play.

Even more recently, Tommy Hilfiger launched TommyTV. Music is being used to sell everything from coffee to deodorant, so why not clothes as well?

TommyTV has the right goal -- to make an emotional connection with its customers. But the execution still feels like a brand hoping the sticky approach works instead of giving up control. TommyTV has a YouTube presence, but it’s downplayed on the site.

So clean up your act online and go from sticky to slippery like Jeep (who gets the Gallant). For trying to have its cake and eat it too/2.0, TommyTV gets the Goofus.

Bubble Rain uploaded by jurvetson
tags | Jeep | TommyTV | Bud.TV | advertising | marketing | consumer-generated media | brand

50% of Agency Relationships Last Less Than 2 Years

Research shows that half of the agency/client relationships out there last less than two years. This is from a sample of about 140 companies with an annual marketing spend of at least $2 million, including Citibank, General Mills, IBM, GE, and ESPN.

After nearly 15 years in agencies, this percentage sounds about right. But where the research tries to determine why this is the case, I take issue with it.

The other big reason [for the short tenure] is likely the fact that agencies take their eye off the ball. When you examine the reasons why clients get rid of agencies, a lot of it has to do with weaknesses in strategic thinking, creative, and service. Too many agencies try and do too many things well. They are in the business for being great creative and strategic thinkers and do-ers…not to be a great lead generation/business making machine. Too many agencies take their eye off the ball soon after an account is won, only to look for the next new win. Staying more focused on existing clients and leaving the business of building business to experts is likely a more productive strategy, long-term.

A lead generation firm sponsored the research. This fact turns the above excerpt from a research insight into a thinly-veiled ad.

It’s Not You, It’s Me
So who’s fault is it? Part of this churn is a natural cycle vs. it being someone’s fault. Marketers are restless creatives at heart. The shelf life for any type of creative work is getting as short as consumers’ shrinking attention span. And, while it’s expensive to select a new agency and get them ramped up on your business, doing an agency review is often seen as the best way to get new ideas. Even the research notes (depressingly) that “more than 40 percent said they 'look forward to' or 'find it exciting' to search for a new agency.”

But there are also external factors that impact the client/agency relationship. Many of these factors are out of the agency’s control, including industry economic climate, client contacts changing jobs, client politics and client chemistry. These are just a handful of items to deal with and we haven’t even discussed the work yet.

Since moving client side three years ago, one of the biggest benefits I've discovered is time. I’ve been able to prioritize and grow our marketing efforts strategically. With a few years of momentum, and plenty of results along the way, I'm looking forward to doing even more in 2008.

This may read all Pollyanna, but I think clients and agencies need to rethink ways to keep their relationship vital to realize this kind of return on investment. Yeah, who am I kidding. Anyone want to be a client/agency counselor? LOL, I can see the role playing session now.

In the middle of nowhere uploaded by psiconauta
tags | public relations | PR | advertising | marketing

Does The BBC Pwn Brandweek?

Tracking a story on Brandweek this morning I was amazed by BBC’s pwnership of the trade magazine’s home page.

As you can see, it looks like they are co-branding the site. Talk about saturating the target.

tags | advertising | marketing | Brandweek | brand

Brand Clouds, Charmin Hacks, Croc’s Kill Buzz and 3Luxe Bests | Four Links | 11.28.07

1) What Do Your Google Search Results Say About You? | Media Orchard
Scott Baradell uses Tag Cloud to show how Google results look to folks searching online. This is smart as your search results are part of your brand. In fact they can be your customer’s "first moment of truth" with your brand…is this moment a good one?

2) Two Admen Claim Credit for Charmin Slogan | Associated Press
Mr. Whipple passes at age 91. What better way to celebrate his life than a pissing match over who wrote his script!

3) Crocs Kill Buzz | Murketing
The NY Times’ Rob Walker updates us on a Consumed story about a Crocs fan that received a cease and desist letter from his favorite brand. It reminds me of the Fed Ex Furniture story. Brands that let legal drive decisions like this need to consider the long-term implications of turning a vocal passionate customer into a vocal brand hater.

4) Top 3 Choices for Shoppers | Springwise
Springwise details 3LUXE, a site that highlights “just three items in each of its many product categories…saving consumers the hassle of endless research.” Visitors can also post reviews and rate products themselves.

When I found this Springwise review I was glad to see word getting out about 3LUXE. Its CEO also runs a local ad agency where several of my friends work….without shoes even.

tags | public relations | PR | Crocs | 3LUXE | advertising | marketing | Charmin | brand

Four Links – 10.11.07 – Vote for Pedro, NIN Goes Free Agent, Brand Monitoring and Free Wi-Fi = World Domination

1) People’s Design Award -- Fast Company
The U.S. may have dropped the ball on that whole metric system thing, but democracy is still alive and well. The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum is accepting votes for your favorite design. Be sure to vote before 6:00 p.m. est on October 16, 2007. Winners will be announced at the National Design Awards. Power to the people!

2) First Radiohead, Now NIN -- Influx Insights
This trend will pick up steam as more "record" contracts start to expire. Just ask god money.

3) Brand Monitoring on Twitter -- Being Peter Kim
Forrester Analyst Peter Kim updates us on Twitter monitoring and points to a few other things you should be monitoring.

4) McDonald's Launches Free Wi-Fi in UK Restaurants -- Neville Hobson/Twitter
Super Size jokes aside, McDonald’s makes a big/smart move in the race to create The Third Place by offering free Wi-Fi in its 1,200 UK locations. This impacts the coffee wars too.

tags | public relations | PR | design | brand | free wi-fi | marketing