Sliced Bread

What We Can Do is About What We Care to Know

In talking to a friend and former colleague just today, he was sharing details about his new gig and considering it an opportunity to better shape PR for clients. "Press releases were the default and we all know that isn't the answer." He was excited about the opportunity to really make out-of-the-box ideas happen to get results...outside of the 'here's a new story idea for you to consider.'

Don't we all.

But when we're in the PR house - we're most often forced to play by the house rules - driving coverage. It's a struggle to get out from under it but depending on the end goal, many times, it's so much more effective to go with the alternative (albeit uncomfortable) option.

Sometimes what we need, or need to share, is a swift kick to get us in gear. Like this deck Mashable just (re)released - What the F**k is Social Media: One Year Later.

Especially in light of news today of ESPN limiting the use of social media. -- For which the list of criticisms continues to grow. -- As well as the U.S. Marine Corps' similar, newly adopted restriction. (The information exposure part I get, but for letting loved ones reach out and simply for recruiting policies - maybe they ought to develop a usage policy instead of banning all use.) This ought to be seen by all companies with sense to evolve in changing times* to continue growing business.

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year Later

View more documents from Marta Kagan.

Fact that stands out most because it's true to me: Visiting social sites is now the 4th most popular online activity -- ahead of personal e-mail.

*As in, how all business is and always has been an adaptation of a company's environment - 'changing times' can and should not be exclusive to what is proving-to-no-longer-be-contained-by-the-definition-of-phenomenon of social media.

Flutter is Faster

I bet Project Underwear is an interesting place to work...

Got To See a Man About a Pool

"We've got to go see a man about a pool." A wonderfully funny inside joke between me and the brother, which ironically sums up our conversation this morning very well.

During a Sunday morning check in, we got on the topic of a new entrepreneurial venture he has in mind - well formulated in fact. The question was, which I believe to be on the minds of a number of savvy self-starters lately, "how do I get this concept off and running while keeping my day-job."

The threat is very much there, and while we've been convinced that a turn-around is soon to come, hence feeling as though the cliff is a bit further off than it was just months ago, it's still just as likely that any professional can begin tomorrow's 9 to 5 only to find that their desk has been sealed off before the first cup of coffee. Which has the tendency to separate people into two divisions, those who will fight to maintain, and those who will develop a plan of attack in preparation for the worst case scenario while fighting to maintain.

Which takes us to a tangent and not the purpose of this post. Instead, back to the potential side business. Selling pools.

Seems easy enough, although only practical given the right conditions, (Boston weather excluded, of course.) The brother, however, happens to be located in Houston, so a bit more logical a location. The question at hand over coffee this morning was: to hang a banner or post a sign in the neighborhood to attract the primary customer base, and what would be the language? My answer was instead another question - having identified the initial target audience, what is their main objective in choosing to buy a pool? And what will best speak to them based on that desire? More than simply, what will catch their attention while driving down the street. The conclusion we came to was - best to market to these folks in a way that wasn't so in their face. Who wants to see a bright blue banner on the nice new home in the cul-de-sac telling them to buy a pool? More of a disturbance to the neighborhood feel if you ask me... Amidst an overall strategy, what about instead starting by inviting the block over for a family-friendly pool party? Don't just give a testimonial - show one and talk around it. They feel and experience how great it is to have one, and it just so happens the one who can make it happen is the guy down the street they toss a casual 'hello' to every morning while stepping out to grab the paper.

The challenge is to get to the heart of what's behind purchasing decisions when faced with the demands of growing the customer base from zero, especially when taking into consideration an already saturated market, pun intended.

More than the Strategy You Used Yesterday

In a recent staff meeting, our agency had a brief discussion about what we have to offer to address client needs and wants better than others. Through the new business process, a potential client had articulated to us what most don't, which is exactly what every single company looks for from a PR firm, whether they realize it or not. Simply, (or maybe not always) to recognize each of the company's publics, and based on what is known to work using a variety of tactics, reach each of those publics most effectively, sometimes separately but all with a common end goal. And we all know that regardless of how it's measured, this common goal is most ofetn to grow the company's bottom line.

It's easy to get wrapped up in using the same old tools we always rely on to get the job done instead of considering all options to reach across several mediums, resulting in a mutlifaceted and integrated strategic campaign. Even if it means trying something that hasn't been done before. Especially given the state of the industry and the economy at-large, creative agencies today can't afford not to take risks. We must step, or leap rather, outside the box. And we're recognizing that the thriving agencies are those already operating this way.

As opposed to talking up our qualifications based on what we've seen and done before to reach solutions the same way every time, we should speak to our experience more as practice we can leverage to cater our trade to each specific client to achieve similar, if not better, results. Of course it's crucial to have an understanding of our clients' environments inside and out, but this is the only 'been there done that' message we should be spewing, especially when we're in the game of winning a potential client's first (or in some cases third and fourth) impression.

A request so simple serves as a reminder to how we each as individual professionals should be seeking creativity in every approach and as a team, using our capabilities as a foundation, yes, but always be seeking the next most inventive method.

A Tale in Orange

It's refreshing to see creative agencies that actually take a creative approach from every aspect.

zig, a Toronto-based creative agency, has an online presence that speaks volumes about what the team is about. Zagging each visitor through the site in a mad-libs-type style, zig tells its story and shows off its work making each component of the online experience fun but engaging and meaningful.

With smart ideas for clients like IKEA and Best Buy, the Web site isn't zig's only spark.

Virgins & Suicide

Insensitive or ingenious? PRWeek (and everyone else) reports on two recent ad campaigns sparking controversy among consumers, bloggers and the media but are they proving effective in building the brands? Some agree that extreme ideas do rise above the clutter, despite the risk. Others, like a Ruder Finn EVP, says an apology is the right thing in this case.

PepsiMax may have gone a bit far with it's German-run ads, but then again, the message wasn't intended to offend.

After the 'Whopper Freakout' earlier this year, Burger King's agency has, if nothing else, spurred some serious conversation with the Whopper Virgins campaign. What's fascinating is that people are really, really peeved. Step outside the fact that the promotion of fast food is furthering our society's health problems, and the larger criticiscm of the indecency of featuring the indigent, and look purely at the creativity behind the campaign. And it is likely that the Crispin thinkers anticipated this sort of backlash right there in the brainstorm.

We've seen time and again that when it comes to ethics, ad folks tend to play with a different rule book than their PR-counterparts, but I can definitely recognize this campaign for what it is to a creative mind...and that isn't because I'm an 'ignorant American.'

The Social Media Conversation

Catching up on past tweets after being MIA yesterday for a client meeting, I came across one by Brian Solis, blogger, principal of FutureWorks and social media influential. Based on Robert Scoble and Darren Barefoot's Social Media Starfish, created last year, to demonstrate the ever-changing social media landscape, Brian has created an interactive Conversation Prism. Intended to "evolve as services and conversation channels emerge, fuse, and dissipate."

Check it out and add your input. There could not be a better tool for PR/marketing folks right now - those who can't claim it their day job to spend enough time following this stuff to be up on every little in and out, that is. Thanks, Brian!

Cleanin' Up That 'Space'

Not an avid user but a user nonetheless, it's clear there's been a style change for social network giant, MySpace.com. Turns out, it was modified to change the way people interact with the site and its brands. Creator Chris DeWolfe gave AdAge more info earlier this month..."look at the last six months, we've added a lot of new features to the site that provide better exposure for brands."

We've already seen companies taking advantage of the ad opportunities Myspace offers, and some of us have consulted clients to create a brand page for users to interact with -- enhance that "we're here for you" feeling with target consumers. While the pre-login homepage features the new hottest bands, videos and users, it's also frequently hosting brand images to promote the newest 'must see film' and more. This new format could very well prove more attractive for ad dollar options.

Regardless, I'm still interested in the site for one reason only, and it isn't to be an easily-accessible stalker victim for that kid from back in high school who knew my name and face and that's about it and now won't give up on the 'friend' requests...No, no.

The access to "5 million bands" is what keeps me coming back.

More from the DeWolfe's interview here.

Be Unique Or Play It Safe

The top of the top creative agencies out there claim to never "take on the same job twice." For some, that can be a really, really scary concept. So instead, they tend to leverage their experience to pull in the same clients and projects, maybe each just a tad different. Taking small risks, not big, to keep the cash flow coming -- reasonable business decision. Hmm.

Depending on the agency's focus, I suppose it would be harder to trust, (not to mention, see results from) guinea pig projects time and time again. But imagine a world where the industry challenged itself to develop outstanding, crazy even, work 90 percent of the time... Then again, if all creatives were known for continuously pushing the envelope, none of the 'greats' would be known as such.

Leave The Ram

It isn't often that an ad makes me laugh out loud but an online Stride spot has what it takes. Sure, it's that stupid kind of humor, but still...

Created by JWT New York.