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!

Man Bites Dog

Managing client expectations is an integral part of the job for most PR professionals. The harsh reality is that most stories don’t end up on national TV news. (Remember it’s often bad news that makes national headlines, so be careful what you wish for).

Anyway, I’ve just read an article by Gordon Platt, a former US ABC News producer, who’s penned his ten commandments for media relations. And I thought a couple were particularly worth sharing:

Thou shall tell a story. Reporters don’t write announcements; they write stories.

Thou shall make news. Is your announcement really news? And is it new or does it simply rehash old information? Imagine yourself taking a look at the day’s headlines as an average news consumer. Would this story interest you? Remember it’s a reporter’s job to sell stories—first to his or her editor and then to you, the public. If you wouldn’t read it, it’s not a story.

Thou shall recognise the forest and the trees. It’s all about context. If it’s your company each and every announcement may be of crucial importance and interest to you, and that’s the way it should be. However, it may not be of monumental importance to the world or even your industry. What’s news to a trade publication may not be news to The Wall Street Journal. Take a deep breath; be as objective as you possibly can, and gauge your outreach—and your expectations—accordingly.

Thou shall know what’s happening in the world. In the media, as in life, timing is everything. What might make the papers on a slow August day will not make the cut on an August day when the stock market is crashing. If there's major national or international news and your story can wait, hold it. If not, well, that’s sometimes the breaks.

Twitter Power

With public sector bodies under increasing pressure to demonstrate their worth, it seems some have been turning to Twitter.

Tameside Borough Council recently held a 24-hour twitter-thon to shout about its everyday activities – from blowing up balloons to cutting bowling greens. Not exactly earth shattering stuff but a low cost way of highlighting what gets done in an average day.

Sometimes PR gets too creative for its own good – and Tameside's twitter-thon was an engaging, straighforward and effective way of saying “we’re doing a great job”.

So before you get too carried away, remember what it is you’re trying to say – and don’t make things more complicated than you have to! The simplest ideas are often the best.