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| Welcome to the Claymanite. |
This e-newsletter marks the beginning of three different series here at The Claymanite.
The first series, "What's Integrated Marketing Again?," will explore how Social Media, which we have discussed in past issues, can play an integral role in a fully integrated marketing campaign.
The second series, "PR Doesn't Just Mean Product Release," will dig a little deeper into Public Relations. We'll be talking about everything from Case Studies to White Papers over the next couple of months.
This e-newsletter will also talk about a different type of PR -- Crisis Communication. We've seen a lot of this lately coming from Toyota and Sea World, as they try to deal with two very serious issues. What has worked for them? What are the basics when dealing with a crisis and the media simultaneously?
Finally, one more launch to announce in this e-newsletter. We're calling it, "Five Reasons to Call 2000 'the Old Days'." It has been a momentous decade, so much so that things we were doing in the year 2000 already seem kind of antiquated. For the next several issues of The Claymanite, we'll share five reasons why the year 2000 is now "the good old days." We'd love to hear your input, too! |
Toyota and Sea World: Lessons in Crisis Communication
In the past month, two very well-known and respected companies have faced major PR crises. This just goes to show that even if you think you are doing everything right, you can eventually hit a road block. The key is to have a crisis communication plan in place. No matter how respected your brand is or how well your company is doing, it is essential to know how to react when something bad happens unexpectedly.
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What's Integrated Marketing Again?
Before we talk about how Social Media can become a part of an Integrated Marketing campaign, we thought it would be beneficial to review what Integrated Marketing "used" to be but a mere four or five years ago.
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PR Doesn't Just Mean "Product Release"
As we mentioned above, we are going to dig deep into the world of PR over the next few issues. Our goal? We want to just send out a little reminder that PR is an abbreviation for Public Relations, not just "Product Release." What do we mean?
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Continuing Blogs from a Mad Man
Would you pay for your favorite business publication? Read Larry's blog and voice your opinions! |
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Five Reasons Why 2000 is already "the old days"
It's been quite a momentous decade, so much so that the year 2000 already seems old fashioned. For the next several issues, we'll share 5 reasons why we now refer to 2000 as "the old days."
1. Back in 2000, the majority of people had landlines and answering machines, not just cell phones.
2. VHS tapes were still the default way to watch rented movies.
3. Having a little "i" in front of things was poor grammar, not a branding device.
4. People still used fax machines more than email to send communications.
5. English words were spelled out instead of appearing in today's weird texting language (LOL!).
Stay tuned for five more reasons in our next issue, and don't be shy to share your own. We'll publish your ideas, too! |
Toyota and Sea World: Lessons in Crisis Communication
In the past month, two very well-known and respected companies have faced major PR crises. This just goes to show that even if you think you are doing everything right, you can eventually hit a road block. The key is to have a crisis communication plan in place. No matter how respected your brand is or how well your company is doing, it is essential to know how to react when something bad happens unexpectedly.
As of late, Toyota's response to the sticky accelerators and brake problems has been too little too late. This breaks the cardinal rule in crisis communication which is to address the issue and take responsibility for it as quickly as possible. The president of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, remained silent for days on the issue. In critical times like these, the worst thing to do is avoid the problem. People want to hear from the top executive right away, not days after the media has already bashed the company and created mass hysteria.
Luckily, Toyota's U.S. executives eventually addressed the public using both traditional and new media channels. Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA, appeared in numerous TV interviews and signed a letter, published in 20 major newspapers, explaining the steps Toyota plans to take to fix the current problems. Lentz also tapped into Social Media channels such as Twitter and Digg by answering questions from worried consumers. These kinds of actions are ones that should have happened within hours of the crisis.
Sea World also found itself in a crisis when a veteran trainer was killed in front of a horrified audience. In this case, Sea World's chief animal trainer, Chuck Tompkins, answered and responded to questions within 24 hours of the tragedy.
In many people's eyes, Sea World dealt with their crisis the right way. What would you do if a crisis (hopefully not as severe as either of these cases) happened at your company? Here are a few tips from David Hogan, Journalism and Mass Communication Professor at Abilene Christian University and PR Blogger:
1. Accept that it can happen to you. If companies such as Toyota and Johnson & Johnson (remember the Tylenol scare from 1982?) can get hit with a major crisis, so can you.
2. Plan ahead. When a crisis hits, executives no longer have the luxury of deliberating and responding with a news release for tomorrow's newspaper. In today's world of 24/7 news, not to mention Social Media, response times are measured in minutes, not days.
3. Know where to find the experts. If a major crisis hits, you'll need help. Take time now to identify the most experienced crisis management consultants in your industry and know how to reach them at a moments notice.
4. Get active on Social Media now. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Blogs are indispensable channels for communication during a crisis. More than that, as we have discussed here at The Claymanite before, reacting to a negative post in the world of Social Media is unquestionably a good strategy these days.
5. If a crisis hits, assume responsibility and action. Taking responsibility isn't the same as accepting the blame. Customers want to see that you understand the gravity of the situation and will go out of your way to satisfy their needs.
Gene Grabowski, Senior VP at Levick Strategic Communications, simplifies it even more.
- Identify the problem
- Apologize
- Describe what you are going to do to make sure it never happens again
- Do what you promised
The cases of Toyota and Sea World are not exactly the same. In the case of Toyota, one might argue that the company was simply delinquent. In the Sea World tragedy, although they could not have anticipated that a seasoned trainer would be attacked by a whale, they should have had a plan in place. Still, the study of both of these tragedies reveals some key "do's" and "don'ts" that are valuable for any company, regardless of what type of crisis is at hand.
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What's Integrated Marketing Again?
Before we talk about how Social Media can become a part of an Integrated Marketing campaign, we thought it would be beneficial to review what Integrated Marketing used to be but a mere four or five years ago.
The idea for the original Integrated Marketing came into play when online advertising really started to take off. There was a lot of new technology (remember when banner ads were confusing?) and companies seemed to be viewing their online campaign as something separate from everything else in their marketing program. Marketing experts pointed out the advantages of how all parts of a marketing program, even the online advertising, could actually work together to create a consistent, fully planned, "integrated" campaign.
What exactly does the original Integrated Marketing mean for companies and their marketing plans? To put it simply, an Integrated Marketing campaign utilizes several different marketing tactics to tell the company's story. Working together, the different parts of the campaign build a corporate "look," a corporate message, and if successful, a strong corporate brand. Here are some examples.
Let's say a company launches a new website that offers easier navigation, something the company's customers have been clamoring for. In an Integrated Marketing campaign, other marketing tactics would build upon that new website. In terms of literature, the company might develop a sell sheet that would illustrate the advantages of the new site. A direct mail or email campaign would promote the site. A new ad and updated booth graphics would reflect the look and tonality of the site. At the end of the campaign, the company's branding would be stronger because a cohesive look and message would have been presented through all marketing efforts.
Another example of an Integrated Marketing campaign would be one based on a new video. Videos can be anything from product promotions to taped training or in-service sessions.
A video can be posted to a website, burned to a DVD and sent as a direct mail piece, broadcast at a trade show, and promoted through a news release. The video might be the cornerstone of the campaign, but other marketing tactics build upon that core project to create a cohesive and powerful campaign.
There are numerous ways to engage in an Integrated Marketing campaign, and it is not a cookie cutter proposition. Some companies might benefit from a campaign that ties a print advertising campaign to literature and a PR campaign while another company might benefit from a campaign that utilizes a new website, online advertising, and email marketing. Regardless of how companies have been using Integrated Marketing for the last couple of years, however, the fact remains that for many companies, Social Media will become another spoke in the Integrated Marketing wheel.
In our next issue, we'll talk about how some experts have already outlined how an Integrated Marketing campaign can occur using just Social Media sites or tactics. Is there room for traditional marketing in such a system? Stay tuned. |
PR Doesn't Just Mean "Product Release"
As we mentioned above, we are going to dig deep into the world of PR over the next few issues. Our goal? We want to just send out a little reminder that PR is an abbreviation for Public Relations, not just "Product Release." What do we mean?
Does this exchange seem familiar to you?
"We really need to do more in the area of PR."
"Nah, we don't have any new products to talk about."
If it does, you are not alone. Somewhere along the way, it seems like the Product Release became synonymous with Public Relations, and then, it dominated how people think about PR.
In fact, there is a whole world of Public Relations that extends far beyond the Product Release. That's not to say that the Product Release is unimportant. It remains one of the best ways to promote a new product. However, there are plenty of PR opportunities available for times when there might not be a new product to talk about.
Over the next several issues, we are going to be talking in detail about some of these other channels of PR that tend to be put on the back burner. All of them can be "three-pointers" just like a Product Release. In fact, some types of PR, like a webinar, a new white paper, or a case study can lead to more PR if they are promoted through a news release.
Why is PR so important? Several reasons.
A PR tactic like a case study or a testimonial can offer existing and potential customers a sense of security about you and your company. In an era when "word of mouth" is a common way people learn about and come to trust companies, a positive testimonial can be pure gold.
A white paper or a webinar can show your company's dedication and capability to offer valuable information. This is becoming more of an asset as consumers become more skeptical about plain "buy now" offers. People are flocking towards where the information is. One of those destinations can be your website.
Google loves information. A link to a content rich page (for example, a page filled with white papers) is likely to perform well in Google search results. If your white paper gets published along with a link back to your site, those can represent real boosts to your site's search engine optimization.
As we explore this series in parallel with our Integrated Marketing series, it will become clear that PR just may be the bridge that holds the old world of marketing and the new world of marketing together. PR can be used for print, but it can also become the bread and butter of a Facebook page or a blog.
Stay tuned. |
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Sincerely,
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