Professional services marketing is a strange animal. It’s one of the few disciplines that calls for a constantly evolving understanding of client subject matter: you don’t just get to know a client’s brand, you get to know the issues that drive their success. Investment firms don’t grow long term because they have a cool logo or run a Superbowl ad; they grow because their clients trust them. Law firms, CPA firms, consulting firms all share that common thread. They sell because they’re smart (and some of them are even wicked smaht).
That opens the door to a few of my favorite things…to be good at what we do, we need to study the areas in which our clients play (academic), we need to identify trends (marketing savvy), and we need to be able to articulate the connection between those themes and their brand (storytelling).
Academics+marketing+storytelling=fun. Oh yes. You want me at your party on Saturday night, believe me.
I’m taken aback this year, though, seeing an aggressive mash-up of this thought leadership approach and paid placement, which undermines the credibility of clients and the media in one fell swoop. Paid content has always been a part of the game, but in 2014 it has exploded to new levels of visibility. The media’s need for content and revenue is outweighing its need to publish objective insight, while providers are pouncing on an opportunity that will eventually erode faith in the depth of their knowledge.
The WSJ has entire online sections with content sponsored and provided by Deloitte (CIO and CFO Journals). Forbes calls their paid content “BrandVoice,” and the New York Times is following suit with a native advertising platform.
I dig into this a bit in PRNews’ PR Insider (Hey Pay-Play, Get Off My Lawn), and will echo the sentiment here: this is not good. Brand journalism has a place and can be extremely successful, but intelligent buyers of professional services will quickly grow skeptical of the information they find in these sections. If it’s paid placement, how accurate is it? Where is the third party credibility?
I unfortunately predict great traction for the paid content trend in 2014. But then it will crash, shifting back to true thought leadership. And I’m wicked smaht, so place your bets now…
Pound sign, number sign, hashtag; whatever you want to call it, this little symbol has impacted the marketing sphere for all who work in the communications industry. It’s hard to remember a time when hashtags weren’t part of marketing campaigns because they play such a significant role when building a strategy. In fact, in some cases the hashtag is the strategy.
Since hashtags are supported on multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Pinterest) marketers realize using hashtags can be advantageous for bigger picture gains. Hashtags can be used to reach target audiences in a fun, engaging and social way that other forms of marketing materials can’t. By using hashtags, brands can create a quick connection to a large group, and if brands are really smart, they’ll connect the hashtag with a feeling. Creating an emotional connection enables the hashtag to leverage a positive brand image for an organization or individual. For example, Honda aired its touchy-feely #HugFest campaign (starring Bruce Willis) during the Super Bowl. Honda purposely did not mention their brand within the hashtag, in order to generalize it and position it to a larger group. Honda then went the extra mile and supported the #Hugfest social media campaign by launching a series of YouTube videos. Doing so caused the #HugFest hashtag to take off like a Civic Coupe on a race track. Marketers at Honda clearly know that everybody can use a hug now and then, and were wise to correlate a “warm and fuzzy” feeling with the famous auto maker.
Additionally, hashtags can be used as a fierce weapon to differentiate brands from competitors. For example, Yoplait Greek Yogurt flipped their lid and created a duel with competition brand, Chobani (the Greek yogurt giant). After realizing they would rather win the “who’s better” battle fair and square (instead of swooning shoppers with studly John Stamos) Yoplait formed the hashtag #TasteOff as a way to motivate customer feedback. A risky move that even Uncle Jesse couldn’t combat.
Yoplait invited real consumers to go spoon to spoon and vote in the #TasteOff on Twitter. Ladies and ‘gents, Yoplait won the brand battle right then and there. At EZG, we can stand behind a hashtag campaign that inspires direct engagement with consumers and promotes real brand loyalty across social media. Consumers want to be involved; they want to be spoken to and know when they’re being sold. Through a simple hashtag, Yoplait kicked off the conversation that inspired brand loyalty amongst consumers, a tasty move indeed.
At EZG we participate in hashtag specific campaigns on behalf of our clients. We conduct industry research and survey the conversations taking place on social media in order to be active social listeners. When monitoring hashtags, we filter out the noise and find the windows of hashtag opportunity where our clients can promote their brand, position the brand ahead of competitors, or just simply engage with an existing audience. Whether it is a brand specific campaign using a designated hashtag, or a hashtag that is used during an event, we understand the power that hashtags have and we love it.
What are some of your favorite hashtag campaigns? Comment and let us know which brands you think use hashtags effectively or tweet us @ebben_zall.
The Marist College (my Alma Mater) PRSSA chapter recently entered the Bateman Case Study Competition and asked me to serve as a Professional Adviser. The competition tests students’ skills, knowledge and creativity when it comes to public relations. Students are required to produce a full-fledged PR campaign for an innovative personal payment system—which is an exciting and cutting-edge opportunity for any young person ready to embark on a career in PR.
Based on my experience, successful campaigns exceed client expectations, deliver results, and reach intended goals. As the Professional Adviser, the students have already come to me with several questions and I’d like to pass along the tips I shared with them:
Ask Yourself: Who is the client? When you begin to work on a new project or campaign, due diligence is key. With any project in public relations, research is the foundation for success, so it is important to take the time to become immersed into researching the client’s history, industry and products/services. This will help you to understand who they are and how to create an appropriate campaign. To take this step a bit further, getting to know the client’s competitors will shed light on industry trends as a whole.
Manage Goals and Expectations: Asking the client what their goals and expectations are is vital to understanding their overall needs. This is where you set the bar for realistic outcomes and identify your professional limits. Be as specific as you can when sketching out goals, and ensure that there are no questions left unanswered or ambiguity. Additionally, it is wise to establish deadlines in order to stay on track and make the client feel at ease with the strategy.
Strategize: Last but certainly not least, creating and implementing a detailed strategy will effectively lead you toward the goal-line. Strategizing will help you to identify which media platforms and outlets you will use in order to get your client’s message in front of their target audience. You can’t expect to hit your marks and gain media attention unless an effective strategy is in place. In PR, the term “toolkit” is used often–and for good reason! Our team at EZG has various skills and we provide customized PR plans for each client based on which tactics will be most valuable for their brand. It is important to remember that there isn’t a one size fits all strategy for PR; each campaign is unique.
Developing a creative PR campaign is a project within a project. And although each client’s goals are different, I can guarantee that the above tips will apply to every engagement. You can always count on research and strategic initiatives to guide you in the right direction.
What other steps do you think are important to take when developing a PR campaign? Let us know @ebben_zall.
We can debate the federal shutdown and looming debt ceiling “talks” until pigs fly (or, just as likely, Congress becomes a functional unit again), but the fact is that both those issues are bringing the country to state of near-paralysis. If you don’t love a culture of economic anxiety and infuriating, nonsensical political rhetoric, you’re in the wrong decade.
Tough talking politicians, hand-wringing citizens, and a fiscal anvil the size — and spirit – of Texas hanging over the country combine for a harrowing trifecta, but they also make for great theater. Senators are lining up for the spotlight and economists and pundits will get their ample share. The 24 hours news cycle is spinning on this axis, and not much else…nothing proves that better than the good old fashioned Shutdown Clock pictured above.
For public relations firms that have economists, politicians, and market timers trained and at the ready, there is opportunity to shine on the national stage. For those representing other industries, let’s just say you may not be the top item of the editorial meeting at the Wall Street Journal this month.
With that in mind, here are a few items to consider during this laser focused news cycle:
If you have the insight, bust out the big guns. Expertswith validviewpoints to contribute should be on their game. In this environment, however, competition is fierce so bring the magic. Build a package of expertise that relates to the issue at hand, and know that there are hundreds of other experts that likely have the same idea.
Take two, think it through. Even if outstanding experts have something to say about the shutdown and its impact, will it advance your strategic goals? Face time is nice, but again, it’s a crowded space and it will be difficult to stand out (we’ve seen 9 experts in one segment on CNBC…good luck naming any one of them). Decide if this situation is a realistic platform for the right message to be conveyed; if not, don’t hesitate to sit this round out.
Embrace the silence. Like in a car ride with an old friend, sometimes a little quiet does more good than you think. Don’t try to shoehorn your expertise into a conversation that isn’t a fit – the result will be awkward and could have a lasting impression.
Look to year-end. This too shall pass. When it does, you’ve either a) spent your energy trying to force your way into the dialogue, b) you’ve gone on vacation, or c) you’ve focused on preparing a more strategically sound avenue. While Costa Rica does sound nice right about now, we vote for c). As we near year-end, this political situation will be resolved. Consider the messages most important for the turn of the year and craft campaigns that will be effective in the post-crisis news cycle.
That last point is critical – don’t get sucked into the single-minded vortex of the current media agenda. As the conversation fades, the impact of this debacle will still be playing out. Companies that can keep their house and their brand in order should be prepared to bring the right message to market and start the next cycle from a position of strength.
As we individuals in the social media atmosphere know, last week two major companies had their Twitter accounts hacked by an anonymous user. On Monday, Burger King was the first to fall victim of the hacking spree, only to be followed by Jeep on Tuesday. You don’t have to be in PR to know that this was a very bad thing to happen. While most tweets issued by the hacker were comical and provided a few chuckles (i.e.: “we just got sold to McDonalds”, and “If I catch you at Wendy’s we’re fightin”), a lot of the tweets issued by BK and Jeep were obscene and caused some negative attention for the brands’ images.
When BK finally regained access to their account, they immediately updated their profile photo, deleted the imposters tweets, and edited their description which had been changed to “Just got sold to McDonalds because the Whopper flopped” during the hour long frenzy. What they did next was a smart move – they addressed the situation to their followers by issuing this tweet:
But in this case, I have to ask if negative attention is really only negative? Besides everyone talking about their brands, reports show that BK and Jeep gained thousands of followers on Twitter because of the hacking incidents. Although we are sure the two companies would have preferred not to have been hacked, they can’t deny that the incident got them some free publicity! The entire social media world – as well as real time news outlets – was reporting on each brand’s activity as their crisis management teams attempted to gain control back over the accounts.
While Burger King’s account had only been hacked for a little over an hour, the negative – and ultimately positive – damage had been done. And even though Jeep suffered the same social media crisis the next day, it seems like both brands got the last laugh, or chirp, at the end of the day. With thousands of new fans and followers, Burger King and Jeep had a new audience to influence when it came to their next Twitter campaign!
The holidays have always meant the same thing; my extended family comes over for an evening of food, fun, and a decent amount of wine. There are also the inevitable conversations about our careers, when I get the question, “what exactly do you do?”
Of course, I answer that I am a Public Relations professional for an array of clients in different industries. The response? Blank stares and someone says “Oh yeah! Like that Samantha Jones from ‘Sex and the City’.”
Uhm, not quite.
Explaining to my family what Public Relations is — and what I do on a day-to-day basis – is entertaining. I’m always surprised at how little some know and how on point others are. Most thought I spent my days planning lavish parties, or attending events with Boston’s elite. I pulled up the PRSA definition that was created earlier this year and read it aloud to my audience:
“Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.”
I think this definition hits the nail on the head. We PR Gurus are the storytellers. We shape and mold what you see from our clients. We ensure that the message we convey advances or protects our client’s image, audience, and goals.
After an enlightening conversation about public relations, I thought; if my family doesn’t know what PR is, what does the general community think? I was intrigued and compelled to find out! With the help of my fellow EZG’er-turned-camera-woman, Jenn, I hit the streets of Needham to ask average Joes two questions; what is public relations, and could they name someone or a company that needs public relations assistance?
Some of the participants we asked had answers that were in the ball park. I was surprised to find out that one woman was able to touch on key points of what a PR pro does and even named a hot topic in the news (General Patraeus).
Although I think the PRSA definition illustrates the profession of Public Relations well, it’s still missing the heart and soul. Public relations professionals know the story from the inside out and vice versa – we track the news and media, write pitches and releases, liaise with media, and yes, we utilize acronyms that were taught in school. We are smart and savvy, and are “people persons.” We have strong social media skills, and know that preparation, planning, and research are necessities to creating a successful PR campaign. When a crisis breaks out, we step in with strategies that have been carefully crafted to suit a client’s situation. We engage with the target audience, and tell the client’s story in the most compelling light.
The moral of the story? As good as we are at telling our clients’ stories, we may need to upgrade the way we talk about our own profession.
In August, there was an unprecedented discovery at an archaeological dig in Northeast Africa: a question carved in stone and eroded by three thousand years of dust. A team of researchers from across the globe peered together at the message, translated it from ancient tongues, and released it to the PRSA: How do you measure public relations?
(Disclaimer: That story is completely false. Everyone knows ancient Egyptians used ad equivalency.)
I’ll never grow tired of the question, but I am definitely growing tired of the wide range of answers. We can use ad equivalency, online impressions, circulations…each shows some value, but none of them alone or in combination tells the whole story. If you want my thoughts on why we still trend towards ad equivalency here, give me a call and I’ll lay it out.
But I’d rather talk about the sexy stuff that very few people want to hear about, but which everyone celebrates: sure, PR provides an imperative support to sales, but it’s real value lies in the unquantifiable success established by trust. It’s what draws people. It’s why we love the song “Dirty Water” in this town, why we drink Coke, and why despite Rupert Murdoch’s best efforts we still read the Wall Street Journal. It’s trust and purchase.
In this vein, we’re experiencing a true turning point as financial and professional services firms begin to embrace social media as part of their strategic communications and branding platform. I can trace through five years of blog posts and conversations as business leaders considering social media traveled from “never” to “maybe next year” to “should we be doing this?” to “how?”
Today we’re just about at “when?” And that changes everything. One of our mantras is that forward thinking generates discussion, which generates communities, which – in the positive – generates trust and purchase. Social media is the manifestation of that discussion in a bold and rampant form; while regulations restrict some use for legal and financial experts, it has at long last elevated beyond the marketing department to become part of the corporate lexicon.
Back to measurement. The acceptance of social media in the last and most conservative frontier may be a giant leap away from that Egyptian hieroglyph and towards a penultimate embrace of true thought leadership. How do you measure chatter? I know, I know…there’s a formula for that. But I’m not buying. The value of online, traceable discussion that permeates target audiences and inspires them to action is immeasurable, and combined with intelligent content it may be the most effective strategy to build a brand with today’s tools.
I still wish there were different words for tweet and blog. But can you tell I’ve found a rudder since the days of Twitter Drift?
Recently, I’ve been having some fun thinking about celebrity endorsements. In a January 2010 article, Forbes ranked the 10 celebrities Americans trust most. Among them: James Earl Jones, Tom Hanks, Michael J. Fox, Morgan Freeman, Sally Field, Ron Howard, Will Smith and Denzel Washington. It’s true, I’m buying what they’re selling – there’s no way Morgan Freeman’s mellow brown eyes would lie to me.
But it got me thinking. These actors/celebrities have spent their careers building respectable, wholesome reputations, lending themselves to natural credibility. What happens when a brand’s chosen face or voice is a little less “saintly,” and missteps in full view of the public eye?
Celebrity endorsements aren’t new to marketers; however, in light of viral news feeds and the explosion of citizen journalism in recent years, the rules of such endorsements are changing.
With phrases like “endorsement morality clause” getting tossed around, I’m reminded of the precarious nature of celebrity endorsements. Don’t get me wrong, I think they can be brilliantly effective. But like any stunning firecracker, they also have the potential to blow up in your face.
Examine first what I see as a great pairing: the official union of rapper Jay-Z and baseball powerhouse the New York Yankees. For a limited time, prior to the September concert he would perform at Yankee Stadium, Jay-Z and the NYY sold co-branded merchandise, available exclusively in the House That Ruth Built. (more…)
Last week marked the annual treasury management conference for the National Association of State Treasurers…not your traditional marketing idea engine, but an event that provides the opportunity for states and vendors to share viewpoints on critical issues that face a broad spectrum of Americans. There were a number of takeaways, but chief among them was a rejuvenated focus on marketing in areas that haven’t traditionally lent themselves to “going loud.”
Let’s take the intricacies of state sponsored college savings plans and financial literacy (not as random as it may seem, this is an area of concern for EZG and its clients, so…stick with me, here). The fact is we’re facing a national epidemic: a study by Jump$tart tells us that only 25% of young adults end up graduating college, and high school students scored just 48.3% on standard 31-question financial literacy exam. Most young people in this country don’t believe they can afford higher education or, more to the point, aren’t even trying to understand how to plan it out.
These are complicated challenges, and they are (or should be) at the center of discussion for nearly every family nationwide.
So at long last, we get to the marketing point of all this. If you’re still reading, you win a prize! Click through to receive your much deserved reward.
The marketing solution might be as complicated as the subject matter. Social media tactics are getting a serious look, for example, as the “new and improved grassroots marketing” tool. But in financial services, the use of social media continues to be stunted as it simply isn’t intuitive to the complex concepts at hand.
To wit, a question: How do you marry a viral, discussion-friendly marketing approach with subject matter that is tax-heavy and riddled with investment-speak? (more…)
Professional services marketing is a strange animal. It’s one of the few disciplines that calls for a constantly evolving understanding of client subject matter: you don’t just get to know a client’s brand, you get to know the issues that drive their success. Investment firms don’t grow long term because they have a cool logo or run a Superbowl ad; they grow because their clients trust them. Law firms, CPA firms, consulting firms all share that common thread. They sell because they’re smart (and some of them are even wicked smaht).
We can debate the federal shutdown and looming debt ceiling “talks” until pigs fly (or, just as likely, Congress becomes a functional unit again), but the fact is that both those issues are bringing the country to state of near-paralysis. If you don’t love a culture of economic anxiety and infuriating, nonsensical political rhetoric, you’re in the wrong decade.
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