Think Before You Tweet

There’s something about the informality and immediacy of social media that seems to play havoc with common sense.

Just yesterday MP Diane Abbott was forced to apologise for racist remarks posted in a tweet.  And today The Telegraph has published its Top 10 Twitter gaffes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/8993204/Top-10-Twitter-faux-pas.html

Why do seemingly intelligent people forget that comments made via social media can ricochet around the world at lightening speed?

Social media has incredible potential to help brands and businesses engage with their public, but like any other form of communication, it must be handled carefully!

Skeletons in the Closet - An Olympic Issue

A row which has broken out over sponsorship of the 2012 London Olympics highlights an interesting issue.

It’s been 27 years since gas leaked out of a Union Carbide pesticide plant in India, killing around 15,000 people and injuring half a million more – an incident which the Indian Government claims is responsible for ongoing health problems today.

And it just so happens that Dow Chemicals – a major sponsor for next year’s games – are the present owners of Union Carbide – a link which hasn’t gone down well in some parts to say the least.

There have been calls for the Olympic Committee to drop Dow, with protestors reportedly burning effigies of top ranking Olympic officials.

But, as Associated Press has pointed out Dow didn’t own or operate the Union Carbide plant at the time of the incident. In fact they only became a major shareholder 17 years after the tragedy.

Nevertheless it seems they can not escape the legacy of the tragedy. The question is, at what point is a company allowed to move on? Could public opinion curtail the activities of Dow indefinitely, regardless of their current status and reputation?

If PR is about reputation management this is one hell of a challenge for the people of Dow.

And it’s a stark reminder that skeletons have a habit of popping out of the closet….

Cupcake Calamity

Did you read about the cake baker whose profit for the year has been wiped out – thanks to the popularity of a marketing initiative?

When Rachel Brown – a cake maker of 25 years – signed up to offer a Groupon deal, she probably imagined it would raise her profile and possibly win her some new customers. Well it’s certainly raised her profile – she’s all over the Daily Mail – but it’s nearly ruined her to boot.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2064208/Cupcake-calamity-Website-discount-deal-leaves-baker-swamped-orders-102-000-cakes-wipes-profits.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

From a PR perspective the coverage she’s achieved is a dream - and had she been running a different, less labour intensive, style of business then the Groupon deal could’ve been a massive marketing success.

My sympathy goes out to her it really does. Businesses are constantly being ‘sold to’ and it’s a challenge for anyone to figure out what’s worth pursing and what’s not.

I regularly review opportunities presented to clients and my advice is to take your time and make sure you know exactly what you’ll get for your money...

All credit to Mrs Brown, she took on extra staff and worked around the clock to fulfil as many orders as possible, determined to keep her reputation intact.  Let's hope some of those customers come back for more.  

Your Brand on TV - Guaranteed!

Of course you want to see your brand on TV – and now that product placement regulations have been relaxed new opportunities exist.

Nescafe was one of the first brands to strike up a deal – with its Dolce Gusto coffee machine on This Morning. And later this month Nationwide is set to make its debut in long-running soap Coronation Street with a cash machine in the corner shop - the first product placement in a UK primetime show.

The sums involved mean that product placement is likely to remain out of reach for all but major brands - which must surely add extra weight to the value of broadcast coverage achieved through PR.

It’s a fact that you don’t necessarily need big budgets to secure airtime – sometimes a little bit of creativity and PR magic is all it takes!

All Publicity is Good Publicity - Right?

Generally I’d agree, but sometimes you have to wonder how a business thinks it will benefit from certain types of coverage.

Take the trade press for instance. I have clients who could achieve coverage in a range of specialist titles very regularly. But they don’t want to. Why? Well, they’d rather concentrate on targeting media read by potential customers - rather than by their contemporaries and competitors.

It’s certainly more challenging getting these businesses into the local papers regularly, but the coverage achieved is worth a great deal. It helps to them to raise their profile, build their reputation and highlights their values – important marketing objectives.

Quality rather than quantity is what counts. A bulging cuttings book is worth little unless it’s been driven by clear thinking about key messages and key audiences.

As my former boss used to say ‘”f it was easy they’d do it themselves”.

If you can do it yourself then fantastic, but if you’re too busy with your day job to get around to some strategically-driven PR then time to call in the experts! Or leave it until you find the time…..

The Emperor's New Clothes

Now, I’m sure you know it’s all about your USP – the bit that makes you stand out from the rest. Which is all fine and dandy if you truly do have a USP. But in some sectors it’s not easy to get across what really makes you different (accountancy, for instance).  PR and marketing can be quite tricky too, because everyone claims to be the best.

So it was interesting to read what born-again Norwich marketing agency The Line had to say this week:

“Too many agencies claim to have a unique approach; claim to be ‘different’ or use industry speak like Big Ideas or On Time, On Brief and On Budget – as if it’s a unique feature of what they do, as opposed to a fundamental aspect of doing their job properly. The irony is, they’re all the same as the other agencies saying virtually the same thing…..”

I couldn’t agree more – and I’m proud to say I share The Line’s approach to business:

“Our job is to bring objectivity, wisdom, honesty and commitment to our clients’ businesses, working with them to think creatively about the best ways to market them and build connections that will make their business more successful.”

You see, added value is difficult to quantify – but it can make all the difference, especially in these challenging times.

Pumping the PR - When Breast is Best

When an ice cream company opted for a PR-led opening for their new parlour in Covent Garden, creativity was called for.

And baby did they get it!

By producing the world’s first breast milk ice cream, ‘Baby Gaga’ sold out within two hours of going on sale, with sales over the first two weeks 500% above expectations.

Needless to say the stunt generated huge media interest – including eight TV pieces, 23 radio interviews, 22 print articles and over 1,000 online pieces.

Regardless of your views on the stunt – what this clearly shows that it pays to be brave – especially if you’re relying on PR alone to launch your new outlet.

Only in London!