Archive for May, 2009

Your story: kicked to the curb

May 29th, 2009 | 1 Comment

I know I promised a “PR in Practice” posting on press releases this week.  But, just thinking about it put me off into some dangerous and angry mind currents. 

You’ve probably experienced this before: You’re at a party and someone you don’t know all that well (maybe a soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend or -boyfriend or a casual friend) says, “Well, the thing about Bob…” and proceeds to characterize you in a way that is unfathomable to you.  You’re angry, but your protests are too late – you’ve been third-party characterized.

In a bigger way, that’s what a lot of companies are doing – letting others tell their stories for them.  In the process, one of the most precious commodities of the company – its identity – is lost, misrepresented or compromised.  How basic  of a sin is that?  Yet, companies let it happen all the time.

They let poorly written press releases  and poorly informed PR people deliver watered-down, clichéd versions of their story.

They copy the stories of other, bigger companies, completely undermining the advantages of their uniqueness.

They tarnish their stories with hype and puffery.

They communicate with benign dishonesty, but dishonesty just the same.

They believe their own myths and foist them on the public.

They put all information dissemination in the hands of the media, even though they could likely tell the story better and more accurately if they spoke directly to their communities.

They don’t talk with their customers or use customers’ stories to help define the company and engender trust.

They never taint their company’s steeliness with an ounce of warmth or personality.

They concentrate on product positioning, engineering and false branding while kicking their central story to the curb.

O.K., I feel a bit better.  The end-of-the-week martini is about an hour away.  If you engage in the above practices, I hope you’re slightly uncomfortable.  But, probably not: Your story most likely left the building a long time ago.

PR in practice: The perishable press release

May 20th, 2009 | 1 Comment

“More is better” might hold true for money, but not for press releases.

Many companies and PR agencies think that volume wins the day. But in a time when there are multiple outlets for news and announcements – blogs, twitter, social media, internal enewsletters – PR professionals and the companies that employ them should think of press releases as a limited and perishable resource.

So if your CEO’s every move isn’t worthy of a press release, what is? That’s a matter of perspective, and you are best served if you don’t over-inflate your company’s or client’s impact on the industry or world at large.

Releases come in all sizes

All news is not created equally, and shouldn’t be given the same treatment. Company news with a significant business or industry impact usually deserves a press release with widespread distribution through services such as Business Wire or PR Newswire. Other news, such as a minor revision of a product, should be distributed in a press release to a more specialized list of relevant trade publications and web sites. Special interest news, such as a trade show appearance or minor product update, should be reserved for the company web site or e-newsletter.

Those who think that cramming an editor’s mailbox with press releases is going to generate more coverage are sadly mistaken. It’s more likely that an editor will think of you in the same vein as the weekend guest who overstayed his welcome and drank all the beer in the fridge.

No announcement before its time

Timing, especially for new product releases, is also important. There are some companies that think the more times they announce the product – one-year out, six months out, one-month out, when it’s really out three months after it was supposed to be – the more coverage they’ll receive. Maybe in the short run this will work. But anticipation can quickly turn to frustration, lack of trust, and a bad reputation.

Microsoft might be able to get away with this, but chances are your company can’t.

Don’t spoil the appetite

Some general guidelines for the new product announcement: It’s OK to announce in advance at a trade show or event if you specify the delivery date, if that date is no more than two or three months away and you know you can meet it, and if you are confident that the features will not change from what you have announced.

If you cannot meet any one of the above, hold off with the release until the product is available. In fact, this is normally the best way to do it. You have a tangible product (and perhaps review software or hardware for editors) that is readily available, and you might even have some beta testers outside the company who are willing to say good things about it.

Think of press release management like a dinner party: Don’t promise a menu you cannot deliver and don’t spoil your guest’s appetite for the main course.

Next week: The elements of a good press release.

PR in practice: The how of self-publishing

May 12th, 2009 | 1 Comment

Last week I wrote about the benefits of self-publishing, especially in an environment where there are fewer trade publications and everybody is shouting into the press release cacaphony.

Many organizations don’t think they have the content to publish their own e-newsletters, community sites or print publications, but there are many sources of information under their own roofs (or extended roofs).  The best sources are often your own engineers and developers, who with good editing can communicate directly and effectively as peers to your customers.

Here are some outlets for generating content:

  • Adapting existing content, especially new product releases and application stories (if these contain puffery, excise it ruthlessly).
  • Tailoring other content from the Internet and strategic partners.
  • Converting technical material and white papers into articles.
  • Presenting profiles of prominent customers and company programmers.
  • Writing editorials on themes of interest to customers and potential customers, including your vision for the marketplace, defining company positions, and relating your technology to bigger industry movements.
  • Establishing forums for exchanging information and answering questions.
  • Providing an outlet for blogs from product managers and technical staff.

This content can be aggregated and presented in many different ways.  It could take the form of monthy or bimonthy e-newsletters linked to a company web site.   It could be part of a community site or a company blog section on your web site.  The best content could be assembled in a 4-color magazine sent quarterly or twice annually to your best customers.

If you don’t think you can generate content yourself or hire an editor to do so, see if there is an existing community site that might be open for purchase.  In this arrangement, you could provide editorial autonomy and funding for the community site to its editors, while generating leads from advertising and promotions running on the site.

There are many possibilities that are cost-effective for generating sales leads and deepening an organization’s relationship with the community.  But to begin exploring them, you have to get past one evil word: “can’t.”

PR in practice: Why self-publish?

May 7th, 2009 | 1 Comment

This is the first in a series of postings on best practices and alternative approaches to public relations.

You’ve heard of citizen journalism, but what about self-publishing?  Self publishing presents a huge PR opportunity, but many companies don’t pursue it because they think it is too esoteric, difficult or expensive.  Actually, if done well with the right people and right content, it’s none of those things.  It’s a sterling opportunity to engage directly with an interested audience comprising current and potential buyers of your products or services.

There’s never been a better time to self-publish, as there are a lot of former trade press reporters, editors and/or aspiring journalists who would welcome the opportunity to be an in-house editor of your publication or community site.

Your community site, e-newsletter and/or print publication (yes, there could be a role for good old paper) must adhere to Seth Godin’s permission marketing guidelines.  Most of all, the content has to be engaging to your target audience, provoking a high pass-along rate and subscriber growth.

Consider these reasons for becoming your own publisher:

  • The steady decrease in influence of print publications and web sites devoted to niche markets and technologies.
  • Not enough reporters/editors dedicated to cover particular technology subjects.
  • Very few editors/reporters with knowledge of your technology to write intelligently about subjects that matter to your audience.
  • Publishers too ensconced in traditional approaches, both in technology and editorially.
  • Big, untapped opportunity if there are no dedicated journals or e-newsletters in your company’s discipline — you can set the agenda and capture an audience.
  • Suspicion of general marketing such as advertising, and traditional approaches to PR, such as press releases.
  • Directly reach a highly targeted market with customized content.
  • Can become the knowledge broker for the industry.
  • Move beyond vendor to information provider.
  • Provide a new channel for cross-marketing the brand.
  • Naturally build a community for your market category.
  • Disseminate news, information, features in exactly the way you want to, without having to worry about dilution or screening from editors.
  • Establish recognition for your customers and partners doing good work in your field.

Next week:  How to self-publish.

Back in the box. Better yet, don’t leave

May 4th, 2009 | 1 Comment

A few years back, Douglas Rushkoff wrote a book called Get Back in the Box: Innovation from the Inside Out. In an article in Fast Company, he posited that most companies would benefit from sticking to their core competencies.  Key line:

 

“It’s as if companies can’t fathom that the most powerful link they have with their customers is their products themselves.”

 

Some examples he cites:

  • Volkswagen of America abandoning minimalist “people’s” cars for luxury sedans and SUVs.  I’d add Porsche to the list for its foray into SUV land.
  • The dubious wisdom of Hardee’s running a commercial featuring Paris Hilton eating one of its burgers while washing a car.
  • The ex-CEO of the Gap focusing not on the clothes themselves, but on a hugely expensive, untargeted ad campaign.

A recent example is Noilly Prat. The venerable vermouth maker is reportedly changing its U.S. formula in an effort to gain traction as a standalone, light alcohol drink. Here’s what one expert said about Noilly Prat’s importance to the martini:

 

“Noilly Prat is a necessary component of a dry martini. Without it you can make a Sidecar, a Gimlet, a White Lady, or a gin and bitters, but you cannot make a dry martini.” — W. Somerset Maugham (1958)

 

Now, Noilly Prat, the perfect Tonto, the Robin of alcohol, the quintessential wing man, wants to go solo.  Note to NP: Before doing anything rash, think Art Garfunkel.  Think John Oates.  Return to the box and jump back in. Quickly, before too many people notice.