Strategic Public Relations

Storytelling’s Link to Social Marketing Success | SummitUp 2009

SummitUp brought together some of the best and brightest in Ohio's social media scene as well as industry luminaries like Chris Brogan and Bob Garfield. Fueled in no small part by the passion and determination of David E. Bowman, the event was a complete success and I was honored to kick it off with my keynote presentation.

"What's Your Story?" details how the craft of storytelling can help us deal with the challenges social media creates. I consider these challenges a bit of a paradox as my slides and video will explain. But the very technology that is bringing us together with people from around the world also prevents us with truly connecting with people.

My presentation serves as a refresher course on storytelling, gives some examples of how it's being used in social media by non-profits and consumer brands in everything from big strategic plays to the littlest of details. It also gives 12 action items to challenge attendees to apply storytelling to their job and improve social marketing efforts.

Some additional resources from the presentation can be found here.

What's Your Story?

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Stoking Your Marketing Fire with Story

Will a cat in your store window incite purchase? The answer is probably no unless you’re a pet store, or perhaps Bromwell’s.

Founded in 1819, Bromwell's claims to be the oldest business in Cincinnati. It sells “luxury fireplace design and accessories.” Last year it completed a $1 million renovation, but its downtown store window has always drawn attention.

Two cats, Cinder and Heidi, are a big reason why. They are Bromwell’s mascots and have free reign over the store. You usually see one or both of them in the store window, curled up in balls sleeping or padding through the window vignette as if they were in your own home.

A cat in this unconventional setting will incite interest. Cinder and Heidi purring in the window of the city’s oldest business makes you warmer than another log on the fire. It gets people talking. It stops people as they walk past. It’s Bromwell’s story. It’s the story that differentiates them from the suburban super store that sells truckloads of fireplaces and accessories -- along with bar furniture and pool tables.

We all know a cat will not incite purchase. Bromwell’s knows this too. It’s why they had their store remodeled. It’s why they offer products you can’t find anywhere else. It’s why they provide great service. And it’s all of these reasons I will be going there to purchase fireplace accessories in the fall. But while I’m there I’ll definitely introduce my kids to Cinder and Heidi.

tags | advertising | marketing | Cincinnati | brand

Craigslist Brings The Long Tail to Retail

Saw this sign today in the window of a store near my office. It recently went out of business when its owner retired. It’s interesting to me because Craigslist gives small businesses like this furniture gallery a new option.

New rules come with new tools.
In the past it took a desperate “Everything Must Go” sale before a business would close its doors.

If you think I’m somehow proposing online trumps in-store, you clearly don't know where I work. I think there’s a need for both and this sign reinforces that opinion. I am proposing that new rules come with new tools and it's up to us to make them.

tags | Craigslist | Cincinnati | retail | advertising | marketing

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

Social Media Breakfast(s)

Last week I was reminded of Twitter’s utility and the importance of breakfast. In addition to the meal’s obvious nutritional benefits, two breakfast meetings helped feed my social media POV.

No one blinked when Albert Maruggi held the first Cincinnati Social Media Breakfast across the river in Kentucky. Perhaps this is because Cincinnati’s airport is also located in Northern Kentucky?

The Tuesday morning meeting was well-attended – even bringing a few folks up from Louisville. As a result, Jason Falls and I finally met. I need to reciprocate the road trip at some point.

Twitter was the hot topic of conversation due to its current novelty (more on that later). Twitter is how I learned about both breakfasts – the night before each one.

The group also discussed social media’s impact on the news. News tends to break on Twitter a few minutes before it hits mainstream media. A few people at the breakfast from the media and with media backgrounds reminded everyone that the media want accuracy first, then speed.

Social media geeks, including myself, often mention that giving up control online means gaining permission to make mistakes. However the media aren't given this luxury.

Think about this as we evolve into the newsroom of the future – are mainstream media held to a double standard?

A huge thank you to Albert for organizing the event and for suggesting I continue Cincinnati Social Media Breakfasts. As it’s complementary to the New Media Cincinnati meetups, I’m planning another event.

Friday morning I met up with David Armano, Krista Neher and Andrew Paradies from Photrade.

The smaller group allowed for some more great conversation. Twitter was still a topic, but we also talked about social media's impact on business.

The best part of these meetings of course is simply connecting in person. This quote from Angelo Mandato says it all: “The physical meetups complete the circuit that social networking communities establish virtually.”

So to all you coasties...if you ever have a lay over in "fly over country," get local and look up your industry online to connect offline. You'll get more than a free drink out of it.

tags | public relations | marketing | Twitter | Social Media Breakfast

Hire Josh Rodamer

Josh is a senior majoring in PR and speech communications and graduates in two weeks. I'm showing NKU PRSSA how easy it is to create online content.

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Sent via iPhone

UPDATE: Josh's LinkedIn Profile is here.

Message Over Medium Wins 08 Presidential Race

Fresh from a stint at the White House as the Internet and E-Communciations Director, David Almacy is now a VP of Digital Strategies at Waggener Edstrom.

Almacy presented to the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America earlier this week. I asked him about the allure of social media in the 08 presidential campaigns and that same allure in public relations. His video response is below.

In a world of social media experts, Almacy’s pragmatic views are refreshing. He made several great points in his presentation, and shared stories from his White House tenure that show how fast media (old and new) is moving.

Almacy was getting stories on his Blackberry, pushed from the wire services, a little over two years ago. No news there except that these stories were about the very press conference he was in at that moment. Surreal.

And when numbers for the Bush administration’s annual Barney Cam event decreased at WhiteHouse.gov, Almacy realized that applying mainstream media metrics to online content didn’t make sense. Giving up control of the Barney Cam video and sharing it freely ensured more people saw the footage than ever – albeit tougher to track from one source.

For more of Almacy’s take on politics and social media, check out his CapitalGig blog and a recent interview on The Marketing Edge podcast.

tags | public relations | PRSA | social media | White House | David Almacy | Waggener Edstrom

Interactive Conversations about Social Media, er, Dinner

Added a blogger dinner to the end of a busy and wildly successful trade show effort in New York City this week.

Connecting with industry colleagues from around the world that I simply would not have met otherwise? It's like jet fuel for my blogging efforts.

As we settle into 2008, I'm getting back to my steady diet of social media. Watch this space.

Mad Men Swag

Steve Hall at Adrants held a Mad Men swag contest to celebrate the show's first season.

I was one of the winner's. WOOT! The martini shaker says "Conquering Madison Avenue, One Martini at a Time."

This details how much I enjoy swag/tchotchkes...I don't even drink. But it's in a place of honor in my office should an emergency arise.

Friday Flickr Fix – 10.18.07 – Connect

Headed to The University of Georgia in Athens to speak at Connect. At some point I may post my presentation here.

Karen Russell with the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication has put together a great agenda.

You can follow the conference any number of ways if you’re so inclined.

I’m looking forward to connecting with some old friends in person for the first time, reconnecting with other colleagues and meeting the professionals, students and educators attending the event.

IMG_2357 uploaded by press_eject
tags | public relations | PR | social media | marketing | UGAConnect07