Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Warning! A Slasher Is On the Loose!!
Well, don't go locking the doors and hiding under the bed or in a closet. Not just yet.
Here in Connecticut, the nation's oldest continuously published newspaper is slashing jobs by 25 percent. Yep, it's true. The Hartford Courant is cutting its editorial staff from 273 to 206. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the paper is also "right-sizing" itself to feature a different look and possibly eliminate entire sections, such as the Business and Connecticut section. Ouch!
The newspaper I once delivered as a paperboy and turn to every single morning for news overa cup of coffee will be changing. It's a sad state of affairs for the printed newspaper industry, and selfishly, I wish it wasn't affecting my hometown paper. Go do this to someone else. But, low and behold, it is affecting more than just my paper, and there's probably very little we can do to change it.
As a public relations professional, I think that as newsrooms and the media "world" condenses, it's going to make pitches and landing that big story a little tougher. Long gone are the days of reporters having just one very specific beat. Now, they've got several beats to cover and many stories to write. They're overwhelmed. I often find myself talking to more and more freelancers who write for several media outlets and reporters who cover several different beats just to stay afloat in the newsroom and keep their jobs.
Fact is, in a world where technology is becoming more and more sophisticated and news outlets are able to post stories within seconds on their own websites, such as Courant.com, or utilize social media sites such as Twitter, the pages are going to continue to dwindle.
So with that said, what are your thoughts? Is this the beginning of the end for our daily papers?
Here in Connecticut, the nation's oldest continuously published newspaper is slashing jobs by 25 percent. Yep, it's true. The Hartford Courant is cutting its editorial staff from 273 to 206. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the paper is also "right-sizing" itself to feature a different look and possibly eliminate entire sections, such as the Business and Connecticut section. Ouch!
The newspaper I once delivered as a paperboy and turn to every single morning for news overa cup of coffee will be changing. It's a sad state of affairs for the printed newspaper industry, and selfishly, I wish it wasn't affecting my hometown paper. Go do this to someone else. But, low and behold, it is affecting more than just my paper, and there's probably very little we can do to change it.
As a public relations professional, I think that as newsrooms and the media "world" condenses, it's going to make pitches and landing that big story a little tougher. Long gone are the days of reporters having just one very specific beat. Now, they've got several beats to cover and many stories to write. They're overwhelmed. I often find myself talking to more and more freelancers who write for several media outlets and reporters who cover several different beats just to stay afloat in the newsroom and keep their jobs.
Fact is, in a world where technology is becoming more and more sophisticated and news outlets are able to post stories within seconds on their own websites, such as Courant.com, or utilize social media sites such as Twitter, the pages are going to continue to dwindle.
So with that said, what are your thoughts? Is this the beginning of the end for our daily papers?
Friday, May 30, 2008
Our Love for Logos
A logo says so much about a brand. It gives you that feeling you just can't describe. A logo is much more than just a design. A logo inspires trust, loyalty, immediate recognition, but above all else, a logo for a brand you truly love just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
I won't carry on with a dissertation on logos and their importance, but I think the video below is worth watching. It's from a duo out of France known as Justice. and they're currently one of the hottest acts in electronic music. In fact, one of their tracks is being used for the new Cadillac commercial. With all of that said about cool music and logos, I wanted to share this with you. I think their new video for their song called DVNO is simply brilliant. As you watch and listen, notice how the lyrics are all displayed on the screen as, well, logos! It's funky and it's definitely a little slice of logo heaven. Enjoy!
I won't carry on with a dissertation on logos and their importance, but I think the video below is worth watching. It's from a duo out of France known as Justice. and they're currently one of the hottest acts in electronic music. In fact, one of their tracks is being used for the new Cadillac commercial. With all of that said about cool music and logos, I wanted to share this with you. I think their new video for their song called DVNO is simply brilliant. As you watch and listen, notice how the lyrics are all displayed on the screen as, well, logos! It's funky and it's definitely a little slice of logo heaven. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Social Media Peaks
Seems like we've been here before. At least I know that I have. E-commerce? Mobile marketing? The end of brick-and-mortar businesses? Remember April 2000? P2P: Who needs it?
Yes. Social media tactics are important today. We all know that. But, what some of us might not know (or care to acknowledge) is that the return on the investment of time and dollars is not relevant for many businesses and organizations.
The Feb. 7 BusinessWeek "Generation My Space is Getting Fed Up" article sums it up well: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_07/b4071054390809.htm?chan=search. It hits the highs and lows, and it is pretty balanced. I don't know about you, but I've found BusinessWeek to be pretty credible over the last couple of decades.
At Mason, we offer clients the full array of social media and Internet marketing tactics. We also are savvy and experienced enough in brand strategy and management to realize social media's limitations.
What successful marketing is all about is understanding how the brand connects with its users and potential users, solving potential barriers then mapping the brand's contact points so that target customers easily experience what they need from it.
While one may believe its cool to advertise in Facebook (and Facebook ad spending is still growing), do your brand fans expect or even want you to be there? Maybe it's cooler not to be there and to engage customers somewhere else where it really matters. I'd suggest you take a close look at the return on your social media efforts and analyze what impact they have had on your market share and revenues.
We're always looking for case examples that work, too. So please share if you have the time. I need to go now so that I can: update my Linked In, Facebook and Second Life profiles; check my three e-mail accounts and client blogs; and, consider joining Naymz.
Yes. Social media tactics are important today. We all know that. But, what some of us might not know (or care to acknowledge) is that the return on the investment of time and dollars is not relevant for many businesses and organizations.
The Feb. 7 BusinessWeek "Generation My Space is Getting Fed Up" article sums it up well: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_07/b4071054390809.htm?chan=search. It hits the highs and lows, and it is pretty balanced. I don't know about you, but I've found BusinessWeek to be pretty credible over the last couple of decades.
At Mason, we offer clients the full array of social media and Internet marketing tactics. We also are savvy and experienced enough in brand strategy and management to realize social media's limitations.
What successful marketing is all about is understanding how the brand connects with its users and potential users, solving potential barriers then mapping the brand's contact points so that target customers easily experience what they need from it.
While one may believe its cool to advertise in Facebook (and Facebook ad spending is still growing), do your brand fans expect or even want you to be there? Maybe it's cooler not to be there and to engage customers somewhere else where it really matters. I'd suggest you take a close look at the return on your social media efforts and analyze what impact they have had on your market share and revenues.
We're always looking for case examples that work, too. So please share if you have the time. I need to go now so that I can: update my Linked In, Facebook and Second Life profiles; check my three e-mail accounts and client blogs; and, consider joining Naymz.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Add a Healthy Dose of Remorse to Sex Scandal Formula
If a picture says a thousand words, today's newspaper photos of Silda Spitzer next to husband Eliot Spitzer says at least five thousand. Her sadness is so evident, it's hard for me to look at her. And, as for him, he doesn't look like a remorseful man in the least.
He conducted yesterday's news conference with a tone of discussing any other day-to-day business and ended with, "I will report back to you in short order." We'll have to wait and see if No. 9 does indeed do that. When he does I can only hope that he takes a cue from a veteran PR professional experienced in crisis communication and not just his attorney.
Nonverbal communication is critical, in fact even more important, than what you say. We teach this in media training and it's even more crucial in a crisis situation to express genuine empathy and in his case remorse.
Nobody is expecting him to admit guilt or start bawling. However, this is someone who built his reputation on fighting corruption and then getting repeatedly caught on wiretaps discussing bringing a prostitute to his Washington hotel with his career at stake. To make matters worse, his wife of 20 years is standing by his side and he has three teenage daughters at home. You would think it wouldn't be too difficult to convey some sense of sorrow and shame.
He conducted yesterday's news conference with a tone of discussing any other day-to-day business and ended with, "I will report back to you in short order." We'll have to wait and see if No. 9 does indeed do that. When he does I can only hope that he takes a cue from a veteran PR professional experienced in crisis communication and not just his attorney.
Nonverbal communication is critical, in fact even more important, than what you say. We teach this in media training and it's even more crucial in a crisis situation to express genuine empathy and in his case remorse.
Nobody is expecting him to admit guilt or start bawling. However, this is someone who built his reputation on fighting corruption and then getting repeatedly caught on wiretaps discussing bringing a prostitute to his Washington hotel with his career at stake. To make matters worse, his wife of 20 years is standing by his side and he has three teenage daughters at home. You would think it wouldn't be too difficult to convey some sense of sorrow and shame.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Choose your words carefully
As PR professionals we must be mindful of the words we use, and I was reminded of the importance of this a few times this week.
Starbucks is being criticized for its skinny latte campaign because some people believe the women-centric ad campaign is sexist. In my view, this is ridiculous. We are bombarded with images of skinny women...and men...day in and day out, but Starbucks uses the adjective to quickly identify a sugar-free, fat-free coffee drink and people are offended. C'mon! The bottom line is, women order lattes. Men simply order coffee, regular of black , or the occasional macchiato, and if they do order a latte, few are worried about the syrup and fat content in the milk.
A more serious language blunder was committed by Michelle Obama yesterday in Wisconsin when she claimed, "This is the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud to be an American." Later in the day, Cindy McCain, who rarely speaks out, responded (but isn't officially saying it's in response to Michelle's earlier comment) by saying, "I have and always will be proud of my country."
I'm sure Michelle has been and will be a proud American for many years to come. However, she should have been much more cautious with her words. In the 24-hour Internet news age, everything is reported, every adjective and noun.
It will be interesting to see how much hay is made out of this statement. I'll be watching.
As PR professionals we must be mindful of the words we use, and I was reminded of the importance of this a few times this week.
Starbucks is being criticized for its skinny latte campaign because some people believe the women-centric ad campaign is sexist. In my view, this is ridiculous. We are bombarded with images of skinny women...and men...day in and day out, but Starbucks uses the adjective to quickly identify a sugar-free, fat-free coffee drink and people are offended. C'mon! The bottom line is, women order lattes. Men simply order coffee, regular of black , or the occasional macchiato, and if they do order a latte, few are worried about the syrup and fat content in the milk.
A more serious language blunder was committed by Michelle Obama yesterday in Wisconsin when she claimed, "This is the first time in my adult life, I'm really proud to be an American." Later in the day, Cindy McCain, who rarely speaks out, responded (but isn't officially saying it's in response to Michelle's earlier comment) by saying, "I have and always will be proud of my country."
I'm sure Michelle has been and will be a proud American for many years to come. However, she should have been much more cautious with her words. In the 24-hour Internet news age, everything is reported, every adjective and noun.
It will be interesting to see how much hay is made out of this statement. I'll be watching.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Monday Morning Quarterback
So the big game has come and gone. Personally, I'm not a big football fan. I never really was, but I admit that I get wrapped up in all the playoff game excitement and yes, I'm a sucker for any excuse to party. With that said, I do enjoy the Super Bowl - who can resist an opportunity to overindulge on pizza, wings, nachos, chips, beer and later on, Tums? :)
However, the other aspect of the Super Bowl that I truly enjoy are the ads. It's where companies spend a few million dollars for a 30 second spot with just about every American glued to the tube. Even my grandmother looks forward to the ads. A creative director's dream.
But this year was special because the office here threw down a Monday Morning Quarterback party with coffee, donuts, bagels, muffins and replayed every single Super Bowl ad for us to enjoy and discuss. So we ate, loaded up on coffee, watched some great ads, ate a little more and enjoyed the show. Even our friends down in accounting were into it! Apart from all the Monday morning partying, my personal favorites this year were:
The FedEx Pigeons: I liked this ad because it was funny and the FedEx spots always seems to be entertaining and on point. Danielle Swift, a fellow blogger here and one kick butt PR director, says the ads were "clever, stunning even. The details such as the huge feather hitting the bus windshield and the car the pigeon brought in being the man's who proposed the switch was hilarious! It's also on par with the brand: if you don't go with FedEx, you're taking your chances. There's no alternative to FedEx."
I couldn't agree more. The message was loud and clear and they presented it in an over-the-top funny way.
E-Trade Baby: This made me laugh, not only because talking babies are just downright funny, but the ads also had a sense of dark humor to them and a bit of the unexpected to boot. Genna Kornweiser, our new super-intern, thought this one was clever too. Genna says, "My favorite Super bowl ad was definitely the second E Trade commercial. The baby is adorable. It shows how easy stock trading and saving money can really be. I think hiring a clown with the “coin” he saved is genius because he feels that he’s also facing a fear of clowns, which many babies do have. It’s humorous and light, something stock trading is not known for. The only issue one might have with the original is the baby spitting up. I felt that was unnecessary so that’s why I chose the second part."
Unexpected Obstacles: This one really tricked me! I first thought it was a familiar ad about the early warning object feature that some luxury cars have, but boy was I wrong! I started chuckling at the sight of Alice Cooper, but when Richard Simmons appeared doing his aerobics in the middle of the road I really laughed out loud. Just goes to show you, if you don't drive with Bridgestone tires, you simply won't be prepared for what - or whatever - the road will throw at you.
GoDaddy.com really had a great one a couple of years ago with a play on the whole "wardrobe malfunction" debacle, but I think they've lost the plot this year and have overstayed their Super Bowl ad welcome. I will say that this year's ad did feature a clever drive-to-site component that probably increased website visits.
So let's open up the discussion. What were your favorite Super Bowl ads and why? Were they're well done, and more importantly, was the money well spent? Did the ads convey the desired message, or was there one at all? Curious to hear your thoughts!
However, the other aspect of the Super Bowl that I truly enjoy are the ads. It's where companies spend a few million dollars for a 30 second spot with just about every American glued to the tube. Even my grandmother looks forward to the ads. A creative director's dream.
But this year was special because the office here threw down a Monday Morning Quarterback party with coffee, donuts, bagels, muffins and replayed every single Super Bowl ad for us to enjoy and discuss. So we ate, loaded up on coffee, watched some great ads, ate a little more and enjoyed the show. Even our friends down in accounting were into it! Apart from all the Monday morning partying, my personal favorites this year were:
The FedEx Pigeons: I liked this ad because it was funny and the FedEx spots always seems to be entertaining and on point. Danielle Swift, a fellow blogger here and one kick butt PR director, says the ads were "clever, stunning even. The details such as the huge feather hitting the bus windshield and the car the pigeon brought in being the man's who proposed the switch was hilarious! It's also on par with the brand: if you don't go with FedEx, you're taking your chances. There's no alternative to FedEx."
I couldn't agree more. The message was loud and clear and they presented it in an over-the-top funny way.
E-Trade Baby: This made me laugh, not only because talking babies are just downright funny, but the ads also had a sense of dark humor to them and a bit of the unexpected to boot. Genna Kornweiser, our new super-intern, thought this one was clever too. Genna says, "My favorite Super bowl ad was definitely the second E Trade commercial. The baby is adorable. It shows how easy stock trading and saving money can really be. I think hiring a clown with the “coin” he saved is genius because he feels that he’s also facing a fear of clowns, which many babies do have. It’s humorous and light, something stock trading is not known for. The only issue one might have with the original is the baby spitting up. I felt that was unnecessary so that’s why I chose the second part."
Unexpected Obstacles: This one really tricked me! I first thought it was a familiar ad about the early warning object feature that some luxury cars have, but boy was I wrong! I started chuckling at the sight of Alice Cooper, but when Richard Simmons appeared doing his aerobics in the middle of the road I really laughed out loud. Just goes to show you, if you don't drive with Bridgestone tires, you simply won't be prepared for what - or whatever - the road will throw at you.
GoDaddy.com really had a great one a couple of years ago with a play on the whole "wardrobe malfunction" debacle, but I think they've lost the plot this year and have overstayed their Super Bowl ad welcome. I will say that this year's ad did feature a clever drive-to-site component that probably increased website visits.
So let's open up the discussion. What were your favorite Super Bowl ads and why? Were they're well done, and more importantly, was the money well spent? Did the ads convey the desired message, or was there one at all? Curious to hear your thoughts!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Spear-Heading News
Here we are, late Friday afternoon and I'm looking forward to a nice long holiday weekend. However, I couldn't help myself from spouting off about our fascination with Britney Spears. Is it just me, or is anyone else getting a little tired of all the Spears-O-Drama coverage?
You have to wonder if Spears and her boyfriend-du-jour are playing with the media at this point. For example, I happened to walk by our nice flat-screen plasma in the lobby and catch yet another CNN "breaking news" story reporting that Spears and her boyfriend were just seen browsing through pregnancy tests in a Los Angeles drug store. I doubt she's pregnant and perhaps it was just their way of toying with the media... hmmm... inquiring minds want to know ;)
You have to wonder if Spears and her boyfriend-du-jour are playing with the media at this point. For example, I happened to walk by our nice flat-screen plasma in the lobby and catch yet another CNN "breaking news" story reporting that Spears and her boyfriend were just seen browsing through pregnancy tests in a Los Angeles drug store. I doubt she's pregnant and perhaps it was just their way of toying with the media... hmmm... inquiring minds want to know ;)
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