If a Chicago-area pastor’s goal was to create a little buzz, it has certainly worked.
But will that buzz around his church’s cash weekly giveaway lead people to a meaningful, personal relationship with Jesus?
Only time will tell. Maybe the real goal is to raise awareness of the church itself and its impact on its community. In any case, not unlike many PR and marketing campaigns, you can’t always measure it and judge it while it’s still in play.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I have have zero patience… for crappy customer service.
Usually, I let the offender know via a nice old-fashioned letter. Feels good to get it all out, stick the stamp on, and see what happens. 100% of the time I get a call or letter seeking to remedy the situation.
I’ll be doing the letter-writing thing again for what I experienced today at a Verizon store in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
But… I also want to let it breathe a bit here on my blog. Because an online rant seems fitting for a company that tries so hard to get it right in its ads and in what it does online. And, is trying so hard to compete with Web favorite, Apple. Case in point, the whole iPhone envy “There’s a map for that” campaign.
Well, as Yoda said, “Do or do not, there is no try.”
By the way, I’m not holding my breath for a response on this one. Because I simply don’t think the particular store manager on duty today cares, or is informed enough about the phones Verizon sells.
Now there’s a blog headline that can’t be ignored, right?
With just four words it proves the case of the marketing effort I got a chance to learn more about at the annual workshop for the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) Communication Section – in Las Vegas, appropriately enough.
In a session titled “Marketing Las Vegas in the Pasta Economy,” Terry Jicinsky, the senior vice president of operations for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, talked about the “What happens here, stays here” campaign.
Before I go into some details, I’ll explain the pasta reference. Jicinsky defined it as an indicator of the choices Americans are making in terms of discretionary income. That is, the number of people/families staying home on a Saturday night eating a cheap pasta meal versus going out for dinner.
Makes sense.
Las Vegas clearly is a discretionary destination. And that distinction requires a different approach to marketing and public relations.
Jicinsky outlined his case to the professional communicators in the room by considering the challenges we have in common: Read the rest of this entry »
Did you catch the latest episode of The King and Us, a Burger King-sponsored cartoon that airs during the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show?
While the first few of these have at least been mildly amusing for the Fox football fan audience (including this from Week 1), the latest clip was just plain lame and an example of a brand letting a network have a little too much leeway:
Apparently, the script for this gem was written months ago, when it was trendy to make jokes about singer/actress Jessica Simpson’s weight gain after breaking up with Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
Seriously, even Jay Leno has moved on.
The clip above featured cartoon versions of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips and players Jason Witten, Marion Barber and Romo discussing Simpson.
Fake Witten says, “Unlike Tony, at least Jessica comes up big when it counts.”
Fake Phillips says “Is Jessica around? We could use a defensive tackle.”
A fake Simpson even appears in the cartoon, standing next to a fictional Kyle Orton of the Broncos, saying “Sorry boys, I only lose weight for winners.”
Har, har har.
I doubt that Witten or Phillips signed off on those witty zingers. You’d think the NFL Player’s Union would require some involvement by the players in something like this, the way they do for video games like Madden, etc…
You’d also think BK would have some say in at least reviewing the spots before they air. But apparently not – or they don’t care – according to the AdvertisingAge Adages blog which got little input from Burger King’s Katie Boylan in its wrapup of this waste of network airtime:
…Boylan confirmed that the chain sponsored the skit, but Fox created it. She declined to comment further. A Fox Sports spokesman said that Burger King does not approve the sketches before they air.
Fox apparently doesn’t realize the clip missed the mark. As you saw above, they include it on their YouTube channel. You’d think BK would have told them by now to take it down if they sensed the criticism of the spot would hurt them.
Last I checked, you could gain a few pounds eating at BK. Man or woman. So I guess they’re the perfect sponsor for what passed for comedy on Sunday.
No such thing as bad publicity, right?
This is the same BK, as the DailyFinance points out, that had an ad this year for the “Super Seven Incher” (as seen on PopWatch on EW.com).
Nice.
For her part, I think the now-slimmed down Simpson is missing a chance to say something, anything, on her Twitter account. Apparently, her reputation and a chance to get the public on her side isn’t as important at the moment as her dog being snatched by a coyote. But I digress.
Having written on this blog before about “Deltalina“, who stars in Delta’s renowned in-flight safety video, it’s only fitting that I spotlight another airline’s safety video – and PR campaign – which debuted last month. And has been a huge hit on YouTube.
It’s from Air New Zealand, and takes what Sports Illustrated has done with body paint and bikinis for its annual swimsuit edition to a new level. Yes, flight attendants, pilots and other airline staff, wearing body-painted uniforms.
The safety video, and a related commercial, are well-done… and in good taste.
Even with this closing image in the safety video, after one of the flight attendants turns around and walks away from the camera in this strategically blurred shot:
Again, well-done. I also like that Air New Zealand produced a video that shows the behind-the-scenes work that went into that commercial – a brilliant PR move to add to the curiosity of the campaign:
I also like their YouTube channel name… “AirNZnothing2hide” – where you can see the videos in the campaign, And, they also feature everything on a website for the campaign.
Clever.
For more background, The New York Times has some interesting details about the campaign, here.
A puking woman, supposedly because she found porn on her husband’s computer, was supposed to help Microsoft sell Internet Explorer 8?
Clearly the video, designed for the Web – not TV, was supposed to push the edge a bit. But Microsoft misjudged the potential reaction and pulled it from its “ie8video” YouTube channel yesterday after a bit of a backlash. And 255,000 views.
Titled “O.M.G.I.G.P.” I found it on YouTube here, consider yourself warned:
According to this story in the Brisbane Times, the spot was described by one veteran technology commentator as the “worst tech commercial ever”…
And in a statement, Microsoft said the ad was intended to be a “tongue-in-cheek” look at IE8’s InPrivate Browsing feature using “irreverent humour”.
Great, I’ll get IE8 so my wife won’t know when I’m looking at porn, thus preventing her from puking over my lack of respect for her.
That’s the sales hook? Nice.
Here’s the PR spin from the Microsoft statement: “While much of the feedback to this particular piece of creative was positive, some of our customers found it offensive, so we have removed it.”
“Much…” of the feedback. “Some…” of our customers.
Better to have “some” buzz, then “much” respect, right?
Puke? Porn?
To me, the trouble starts with the fact the clip was directed by “comedian” Bob Goldthwait, who starred in the Police Academy movies. Not necessarily a barrel of laughs. Goldthwait also directed the three other spots in the campaign featuring actor Dean Cain. Those other clips are mildly amusing, but still odd to say the least.
Poor Dean Cain.
Take the time to watch them and decide for yourself. I will say that the most amusing of the rest is titled “F.O.M.S.,” the Fear of Missing Something on the Web:
I don’t think it really matters what industry you’re in, in a communications or PR role or not, but chances are you’ve heard someone utter the phrase “it’s about doing more with less” a few times this year.
It’s now officially on the corporate buzzword bingo card. We get it. We’re all doing more with less.
Bingo!
It got a little ridiculous for me when I was doing some video work at a marketing trade show/conference back in March, when every single marketer I interviewed dropped the line. Granted, at least they took a stab at defining what that meant for them and their marketing colleagues, no matter where they worked. Having less money your budget means you have to get more for the dollars you do have. Makes sense.
But doing more with less should be the mantra whether the economy is in the toilet or not. You owe it to yourself, your boss, your volunteer capacity… to always attempt to do more with less. There’s nothing honorable about wasting money on ineffective tactics, PR or otherwise. Waste is a sign of inferior leadership, not something to be admired.
Parents involved in kids activities – like Scouting and youth sports – know the importance of stretching every dollar. You don’t plan a weekend campout that costs $200 per kid, you aim for $100, etc… You don’t pay for college students to coach your organization’s baseball teams if you have a willing, qualified parent who can do the job effectively.
It’s about being efficient.
But it’s not just about money. In PR, it’s about resources and tools needed to get the results you are looking for. Where can you realize savings along the way to the desired project end? Whatever you do, in doing more with less, should still lead to more brand visibility. More conversations. More revenue.
If I’m going to be taking the time to research and write a news release for a client’s Gizmo version 3.3… There’s no reason my research work can’t also provide me with enough material for a post on the corporate blog, in addition to the news release. In fact, nearly every interview I do related to a news release I’m working on is also recorded on video or audio – that way I’ve got a soundbite or podcast option if the project is worthy.
Do more – blog posts, podcasts, white papers, etc…
The trouble for communications and PR pros is there are still only 24 hours in a day. That’s another post. But the more/less mantra means you might have to be more selective about the projects you say ‘yes’ to. If you’re in a corporate setting, like me, it’s hard to say ‘no’ when various clients around the business come to you with requests for your expertise.
And if there are a few less of you in your role in your office than their was a year ago, clients need to understand that what used to be a one-week turnaround could be more like two, depending on your workload at the time. You still need to do quality work. Doing more with less shouldn’t affect the quality.
Doing more with less. Scott Anthony at Forbes.com also framed it nicely a few months back. Worth checking out his post for more insight on this.
Catching up on podcasts again. Mitch Joel had a great conversation last month about digital marketing and social media with Avinash Kaushik, “Analytics Evangelist” at Google (Six Pixels of Separation #152).
If the mere mention of analytics makes you run for the door, this podcast will blow away any thought you have that analytics are boring. Kaushik is enthusiastic about his craft.
First off, we all need to understand this stuff better. And by stuff, I mean how to measure the impact your social media efforts are having on behalf of your company, brand, etc… What do you measure? How do you do it? What’s significant and what isn’t?
Are you measuring and caring about the wrong things?
And, how you can capitalize on the conversations on the Web that are happening about your company, for good or bad?
The title of this post came right from Kaushik in the conversation with Joel, after Joel asked him if businesses and brands really want two-way conversations in this day and age on the Web, since it doesn’t lead to big sales overnight. It’s more of a long-term effort.
“You don’t have a choice,” Kaushik replied.
In 2007 and 2008, he says, businesses still had a choice in how to interact with customers – and do what they had always done if they wanted to - but we’ve reached a point where it is mandatory that you have two-way conversations.
“The influence channels that have worked thus far – TV and coupons – don’t work anymore and they will not work anymore at a rapidly escalating pace. With every passing day the slope of the curve is becoming more and more hard to reach.
Another great takeaway comes toward the end of this podcast, when Kaushik says he spends four hours a week learning about something new he didn’t know about before. If you aren’t, you will be irrelevent. If you are, you will be at “the top of the mountain,” Kaushik says.
Good advice, indeed.
Anyone doing marketing, PR or corporate communications must listen to this podcast. Whether you think you know what social media is about, or not.
Kaushik’s smarts are scary. His enthusiasm is contagious. Listen to this podcast and learn.
Clearly this insane trend of inserting “ads” into the TV scripts and reality show scenes is already out of hand. But rest assured, it hasn’t reached its peak. We’re in for more of it, and who knows what how it will evolve. I’m seeing more and more of it and it really challenges the intelligence of the consumer, doesn’t it?
Can you picture the boardroom scene with networks and advertisers?
Closeup. Joint being inhaled.
Network exec coughs, and says… “I got it… We’ll put the commercials… (coughs and giggles) …into the script!”
Closeup. Smoke blown across the table.
Closeup. Advertiser laughs a hearty, sinister laugh.
You don’t think that’s accurate? Maybe I’m embellishing a bit.
The biggest cuplrit, at least from what I watch on a regular basis, is “The Biggest Loser.” Chew this gum, use this plastic bag, drink from these water bottles…
Enough!
The worst offender, one I admit I’m taking my wife’s word for, is a recent “Days Of Our Lives” episode where a character touted the convenience of Tyson Chicken.
Yeah, that’s a natural product placement.
Even my kids are pointing it out to me now. What’s odd is that product placement in movies has never really bugged me, probably because it’s less overt. A main character drinking a Pepsi in a movie is no big deal. But a main character in a TV show drinking a Pepsi saying to another character “Hey, have you tried the new retro Pepsi?” just doesn’t work.
It’s just dumb.
Hey advertisers! We get it that you’re not making money from your commercial breaks… we do. But viewers aren’t stupid. I guess the only way to make it stop is to stop watching. For most people, I suppose, it hasn’t ticked them off enough to do that.
Desperate times apparently have called for desperate marketing measures.
1. The question portion of any of the major beauty pageants are now the main creators of YouTube moments from the show. The questions are lame. And you can almost see the contestants’ heads spinning as they search for anything remotely intelligent to say. Almost.
Sunday night’s Miss USA show didn’t disappoint. Before Sunday night nobody knew Carrie Prejean’s name outside California. Little did she know when she reached into the jar and pulled out Perez Hilton’s judge number that Prejean – Miss California – would be making news as the unlucky recipient of a question Hilton had planned about gay marriage,
Forget the question, forget the answer… this post isn’t about that. The story that isn’t out there yet is if NBC knew what Hilton was going to ask. I’m assuming they did. Doesn’t matter I suppose.
I bet Prejean – or any of the other finalists – wished she would have drawn Kelly Monaco’s judge number out of the jar… because the winner, Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton, got Monaco’s hard-hitting “Do you believe that taxpayers money should be used to bail out struggling U.S. companies?”
Dalton actually started her answer by saying,”That’s a tough one.”
That’s the YouTube moment nobody’s talking about. And that’s your Miss USA 2009, America.
4. Some great stuff once again on Conversation Agent, “50 Content Ideas that Create Buzz.” Including #18, Add value in exchange for attention. One of the best ways to add value to others is by being generous with links to other good content.
5. I went to college in Wisconsin, worked in TV in two cities in the state…. so I know the folks in Dairyland can be a little… um… er… off. But you have to admire this research at UW-Madison involving Twitter, highlighted by MSNBC.
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Wheel on the Web
This blog covers developments and discussions in news, business, social media, digital media and PR. It is written by Kevin Hunt, a digital media/PR professional and former TV news executive producer in Farmington, Minnesota.
The opinions and content expressed here are in no way connected to my employer or clients. They're mine. Period.
(Photo courtesy: Chicago Tribune)
Posted by Kevin Hunt 
Posted by Kevin Hunt 
Posted by Kevin Hunt 
1. The question portion of any of the major beauty pageants are now the main creators of YouTube moments from the show. The questions are lame. And you can almost see the contestants’ heads spinning as they search for anything remotely intelligent to say. Almost.
