Monthly Archives: April 2014

April 28, 2014

When the PR Team Has the Ball – When to Shoot, When to Pass

Last week, after the New York Knicks wrapped up a troublesome 37-45 season and landed in the unenviable position of watching the playoffs from the sidelines, the team’s front office wasted no time in cleaning house. Within days, it was announced that Head Coach Mike Woodson had been fired, along with his entire coaching staff.

So, how does the PR team of a major sports organization announce a substantial managerial shake up? When it comes to social media, they start with as few words as possible.  Here’s how it looked on Twitter:

nyknickstweet

NBA New York Knicks Official Twitter Account

April 21-Phil Jackson announced today that the team’s coaching staff have been relieved of their duties, effective immediately.

Keep it simple and stick to the facts. In addition to the straight-forward social media message, a brief press release reiterated the decision to “relieve” the coaching staff of their duties, adding statistics from the three seasons Woodson was with the team.  Finishing with the declaration that the search for a new coaching staff was now underway, the release stayed simple and direct.

Then, it was the sports writers’ turn. Building off of the release, ESPN added quotes from a disappointed shooting guard, CBS2 included information on player injuries which had contributed to the lackluster season, and one New York Times sports writer opined that the Knicks move was just another spin of the ever revolving door at the Madison Square Garden Company.

But what about the fans?

From here, the Knicks PR Team made the smart decision to pass the ball. The focus turned toward feeding and populating the conversation, while letting fans and followers fill in the commentary. Following Monday’s announcement, the topic seemed paused on the team’s Twitter feed until Wednesday’s press conference featuring club owner Phil Jackson. Between Wednesday and Thursday, more than a dozen related tweets were sent out, mostly linking to videos clips from the press conference. By breaking Jackson’s conference into these mini-highlights, there were repeated opportunities to engage followers; almost every tweet elicited comments, as did the videos themselves. With over 900,000 Twitter followers, plus those reached via retweets, this was one widespread conversation. (Interestingly, most fans supported Jackson’s decision, perhaps still smarting from the season’s premature end.)

As PR professionals, it is important we know when to hold the ball and when to pass; when to target and direct a specific message, and when to give a topic a gentle nudge and let it ripple from there as it should. At Kovak-Likly, we work with our clients to find the pulse of their target audience and strategize accordingly. We offer expert guidance surrounding which approach is best for the intended audience, for the product itself, for the timing involved…always utilizing the best moves from our playbook.

If you are working on a PR strategy for your product or business, the good news is that there are plenty of interactive channels through which you can actively engage your current and target customers. The other good news is that we are here to help you choose the path and the vehicle to best maximize them. Give us a call, we’re ready to get the game started.

-BML

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April 21, 2014

Real Stories: Tell Some, and They Will Come

Recently, a riveting video was making its way around the internet, tapping into the emotions of those who remember all too vividly the horror of the Boston Marathon bombings which took place one year ago.

This was a joyful video, however. Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a professional ballroom dancer who lost part of her leg in the attacks, was on stage once again, performing for the first time since that horrible day. News outlets ran excerpts of the dance, noting that the prosthetic leg Haslet-Davis wore had been custom made for her by a team of engineers at MIT.

If you clicked beyond the news coverage to watch the full video online, however, there was much more to it. That MIT team was led by Hugh Herr, director of the Biomechanics group at the MIT Media Lab and founder of BIOM, a technology company focused on personal bionics. He is also a double amputee who lost both legs after suffering severe frostbite during a rock climbing expedition on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington in 1982.  Furthermore, his introduction of Haslet-Davis and her dancing partner followed his TED talk entitled “The New Bionics That Let Us Run, Climb and Dance” in which he describes the technological intricacies involved in bionics, and predicts a future in which innovation melds with the human experience, eliminating disabilities as a whole.

Pretty heady stuff.  Fascinating, too, and compelling enough to get me to really think about Herr’s company and what they are working on. As I watched Haslet-Davis wipe a tear from her eye and take a bow on the TED Talk stage, surrounded by her personal team of engineers, I knew that the combination of her story and Herr’s vision had drawn me in. When the video ended, my next virtual stop was the BIOM website. I was hungry to learn more.

That is where, from a PR stand point, the circle is complete. A human interest story catches our eye; further attention shows it to be part of something much greater, the combination moves us, and we are not just receiving a message – we are actively seeking out related information on our own.

A lot is said today about storytelling, and though it may seem like just another hot catch phrase, it is actually embedded in our nature as humans. The telling of tales, the sharing of lore, goes back to life’s very beginnings. It’s no wonder that in today’s fast-paced, immediate response digital world, a truly moving story will stop us in our tracks.

At Kovak-Likly, we work with our clients to draw out those stories, and to find the ways in which they can emphasize the human connection with their target customers. Promoting a product which is scientifically innovative is exciting, no doubt about it. Explaining how that product can improve day to day living for the people who use it, gets it sold. Both are important and need to be combined in well thought out ways.  Here are a few things to think about if you aren’t quite sure what your story should be:

Why did you or your company first decide to do what you do, or make what you make?

Most times, there was a problem that needed to be solved. What was it? And how did you identify it? Necessity is the mother of invention, and your customer wants to know what prompted your innovation. If it’s something they can relate to, you have their attention.

Do your company leaders have a personal connection to the problems your product solves?

Empathy and a deeper understanding of your target customer’s challenges forgoes a connection, a commonality, that linear messaging simply can’t replicate.

How will your product allow your customer to tell a better story?

You’ve shared experiences, shown an understanding of their challenges. Now, let your customer know how you will solve their problem. The promise of a better scenario will be given fair consideration by a customer who feels understood, thus opening their mind to your possibilities.

Like anyone, we love hearing and telling stories in the name of improving lives. If you’d like to sit down with us to find your story – and give it a voice – we’d love to hear from you.

-BML

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April 14, 2014

Enough About Me…What About You? What Do You Think of Me? Advertising vs. PR and Why You Need Both

Recently, a story ran in the Huffington Post examining the dichotomy between the obvious benefit of PR as the “ultimate word of mouth” and the lack of quantifiable metrics which make it difficult to fit into an ROI overview.  Professionals weighed in on the ways we can all advocate for PR as a vital component of any marketing plan, with the net message being that the ROI picture needs to be viewed not as parts – advertising and PR – but as a whole.

While traditional advertising is admittedly easier to measure in units – I paid X, I got Y – it can’t stand alone in the marketing landscape. Ads represent a company talking about itself…with no real way of knowing who is listening. PR, on the other hand, represents a conversation – people talking to each other about that company. As such, it presents a much more valuable proposition but less tangible from the budgetary planning end of things.

We see examples of this in our communities every day. At a recent eye doctor appointment, my new  ophthalmologist asked me how I found her. When I mentioned a hyper-local Facebook page, where town residents ask each other for input on every subject under the sun, she smiled and nodded. She was already familiar, as it turns out, because she had picked up several new clients through the page. Even on a local level, the ROI value is clear. This doctor could advertise in every outlet possible and may never see the return that she is getting from the chatter on a private Facebook page. Not bad, since in terms of the “I” in ROI, she hadn’t invested a thing.

What she had done was provide good service, and let people spread the word on their own. This, the HuffPost article points out, is how brands are made.

The good news in the PR world is that when it comes to neighbor-to-neighbor communication, the grapevine can stretch indefinitely. In virtual terms, my neighbor may live next door to me, they might be 3,000 miles away, or they could be across an ocean. Regardless of physical location, I have multiple ways to access them with nearly instant response.

Take a high end purchase, for example. If I’m thinking of buying a particular car, I might pay more attention to commercials for that car on television, or take a slightly longer glance if I drive by the local dealership. But I’m much more likely to seek out those with actual experience driving and owning that car. I might ask a friend I run into at the coffee shop how they like theirs, or I may post the question to 200 friends on Facebook and get valued input either way.

With so many ways to connect, consumers are turning increasingly to each other – friends and strangers alike – to make buying decisions. In this light, PR is outpacing advertising as a marketing power tool simply by being a means of starting and maintaining a conversation. The one-way message is going the way of the dodo bird…get your customers talking about you, and they will bring you more customers.

At Kovak-Likly, we believe in prioritizing PR within the marketing landscape. We work with our clients to define their goals, locate their customers, and find innovative ways to engage them. If you are struggling with the implementation of a PR plan that best complements your other outreach efforts, here are a couple of starter points:

Reverse the Messaging Process – If you want to get folks talking, really think about what you want them to be saying, then find ways to translate it into your advertising speak. Catchy slogans are great – but if you can‘t hear them rolling off the tongue in a coffee shop conversation, they won’t convert customers. Think about what will really grab your target customer enough to make them share it with a friend; advertising messaging will naturally follow.

Track the Front Line – If you have a sales force on the ground, get their input. They are the first to see the tangible response to your marketing efforts. If your messaging is opening doors for them, find out what the key has been; if it’s not, engage their expertise in tweaking the approach.

Just Ask – The instant connection channels your customers use to connect with each other can work to your company’s advantage, too. Measuring the impact of your marketing campaign doesn’t have to look like a team of mad scientists pouring through computer printouts…it can be as simple as asking. Post a question on your company Facebook page, or Tweet it out to your base and see what comes back. People aren’t shy about letting you know what they think.

Marketing – Both advertising and PR – may be operating through more channels than ever before, but when the fog of overwhelm lifts, the gleam of opportunity is left in its place. If you need help finding your way from the former to the latter, we are here to get you on your way. Let’s get people talking.

-BML

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April 7, 2014

Teaching an Old Blimp New Tricks

Goodyear tests its new blimp, image courtesy: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/03/travel/goodyear-zeppelin-blimp/

Goodyear tests its new blimp, image courtesy of CNN.

It’s as part of the scene as the stadium itself – the Goodyear blimp, hovering high above football games and other major events, capturing spectacular views and drawing the gaze of fans who wouldn’t blink at a plane going overhead, but who can’t help but wonder what being in that blimp would be like.

While other companies have jumped on the blimpwagon to launch (literally) similar event visibility campaigns, none has captured the iconic status Goodyear has. Seen the Fuji blimp around lately? Me neither. Met Life? Sure, but it doesn’t roll off the tongue like the good old tire company does.

Last week, it was reported that for the first time in 45 years, Goodyear will be introducing a newer, faster, bigger blimp as they simultaneously phase out the three current models, Spirit of Goodyear, Spirit of America and Spirit of Innovation. Partnering with Germany’s Zeppelin company, they are already in the testing phases of the new airship, which will feature three engines rather than two, room for  more passengers in the gondola, and an on-board restroom (there wasn’t one before?).

Why am I going on about the new Goodyear blimp? Is it just hot air? (Sorry – couldn’t help it. And yes, I know it’s really helium.)

To make two points…

One:  Stick with What Works

It’s unlikely that too many advertising agency conference rooms are bustling with staffers dying to pitch a blimp campaign to their new client. In a digital world where speed and immediacy are king, where going viral is the goal, who is going to suggest a giant, slow pseudo-balloon that can only float in one place at a time?

But for Goodyear, it’s a solid bet. The Goodyear blimp is cemented in people’s minds in the same way that Kleenex or Band-Aid are, and they are smart to stick with that. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, as they say. (And by the way, if you are a hamburger joint, please don’t offer me salad and sliced apples in a bag – a product consistency vent for another day.)

Two:  Stick…But Don’t Get Stuck

Last week’s announcement is the perfect example of taking a tried and true marketing strategy and giving it a new spin. “Guess what? We’re not only keeping the blimp, we’re making a way faster, cooler one!” This opens up loads of PR opportunities.

First off, the testing phase has already begun (who doesn’t want that video footage?), and over the coming months, Goodyear will be training a dozen or so pilots to fly the new model. Two words: Human Interest. The potential for news stories, interviews with the trainees, possible ride-alongs…where to begin?

Secondly, there is the gearhead enthusiast angle.  This new development invites the perfect opportunity to review the history of the blimp, and of Goodyear’s incorporation of it through more than four decades of events and appearances. The improved technology is fascinating, allowing an increased top speed of over 70 mph, surpassing the previous 50 mph limit. There you go, football fans – a cool statistic to rattle off during a commercial break some Sunday afternoon.

Finally, while all three current Goodyear blimps have recognizable names, the newbie is still being referred to as the Zeppelin NT. With event flyovers planned as early as fall 2014, and hopes to have a full fleet in place within the next four years, it was time to get creative. Goodyear skillfully grasped the opportunity to engage with their marketing targets by launching an online contest to name the new airship.

Many of the clients we work with at Kovak-Likly are long-standing names in their respective fields. When devising PR plans, we strive to achieve a balance between building on reputation and generating renewed product enthusiasm. If your goal is to encourage trust in your brand while getting the word out about new developments through unique channels, we’d love to help you. Give us a call – let’s launch something.

-BML

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