Insights for Leaders Navigating
Visibility, Credibility, and Growth.
From media strategy to reputation management, we explore the trends shaping public perception and share the approaches that drive measurable results for growing brands.
Last week, technology blog Gizmodo published an article alleging that Facebook routinely suppressed conservative-leaning news stories from appearing in the social platform’s “Trending” section. The story initially set off a media firestorm as outlets such as The Guardian, The New York Times, Reuters, NPR and more raced to publish articles capitalizing on the controversy.
If you’re not an avid Facebook user—and I count myself in this category—let me bring you up to speed. The “Trending” section appears in the upper right corner of a user’s home page. The section features a number of “trending” articles that, according to several unnamed former editorial employees interviewed for the Gizmodo article, were curated by individual editors rather than relying exclusively on algorithms to determine timeliness and value to individual readers. The sources go on to say that these “human curators” were instructed to “inject” selected stories into the trending news section and claims have been made that curators frequently passed over stories that would resonate with conservative readers in favor or more left-leaning topics.
Does It Matter?
Given the current political climate in the U.S. and a seemingly never-ending presidential campaign season, it’s no surprise that conservative political figures and organizations would take umbrage at this potential slight. For instance, the Republican Party quickly responded with a blog post stating that “with 167 million U.S. Facebook users reading stories highlighted in the trending section, Facebook has the power to greatly influence the presidential election.” The following day, John Thune, Republican chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, also joined the fray with a statement that “Facebook must answer these serious allegations and hold those responsible to account if there has been political bias in the dissemination of trending news.”
With more than one billion users a day, it’s clear that Facebook has access to an immense audience. However, one wonders how influential the platform is as a news provider. Granted, the social networking platform has recently begun paying news organizations to produce live video streams for its Facebook Live section, but at the time of writing this post, the three trending stories that appeared at the top of my feed were about Sinead O’Connor going missing in Chicago, Louis C.K. announcing new tour dates, and Tyga sharing details about his break up with Kylie Jenner. Not exactly examples of hard news and certainly nothing that may influence an election.
Facebook Responds
To its credit, Facebook responded to the allegations quickly with statements from staff managing the trending section, as well as Chairman and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg. On the same day the Gizmodo story published, Tom Stocky, who oversees the team responsible for trending topics, posted a lengthy statement via Facebook describing how the trending section was designed to work, acknowledging the serious nature of the allegations and assuring readers that the platform has “found no evidence that the anonymous allegations are true.”
Three days later Zuckerberg followed suit with a statement that the company will conduct a full investigation into the claims of political bias and a promise to invite “leading conservatives” to share their point of view. According to The Guardian, the first two of such meetings will occur this week with conservative commentator Glenn Beck and one of Donald Trump’s advisors. In addition, Facebook VP Global Operations Justin Osofsky posted “Information About Trending Topics,” a detailed overview of how the section is curated and it’s likely more statements will be issued from the company to create a sense of transparency as this story continues to receive attention.
Maintaining Perspective
Whether or not Facebook intentionally suppressed politically conservative content is yet to be proven. The controversy is, however, creating a wealth of coverage for an ever-hungry news industry seeking fodder that will encourage audiences to leave behind newsfeeds rampant with baby photos, kitten videos and absurd memes for more newsworthy topics.
While the platform certainly has an immense following, it’s important to maintain some perspective on what users are seeking through their visits to Facebook. Is the draw a greater connection to community or in-depth reporting on critical news? As time moves forward and the social networking platform continues to evolve perhaps the latter will prevail. Until then, this Facebook user recommends relying on established news media for authentic, ethical and unbiased coverage of all topics—whichever way they may lean.
With Target’s new gender-neutral policy that offers customers and employees the freedom to use the bathroom or fitting room that best aligns with their gender identity, comes an inevitable national debate over an already controversial social issue regarding equality.
On April 19, 2016, Target issued a statement about its new policy and almost one month later, on May 11, Target’s CEO Brian Cornell finally responded to people’s concerns and confirmed that Target would not be reversing the policy. Social networks and news outlets are blowing up over this controversy, with over one million people* signing a pledge to boycott Target.
From a PR perspective, Target’s PR team is handling this communications nightmare really well considering the backlash. Following are three reasons why Target is doing the right thing, and why it could ultimately result in more good will for the company once the debate blows over.
Staying True to Company Values
It is inspiring to see a company like Target stand up for what it believes in. According to Global Strategy Group, the majority of Americans think it is appropriate for companies to stand up for what they believe politically regardless of whether or not it is controversial. Target is among the first major retailers to take a stand on controversial social issues about gender and sexuality. Gender-neutralism is a conversation that needs to be had to avoid discrimination and I applaud Target for setting an example and leading the way for other popular brands. Given that inclusivity is one of Target’s core beliefs, we can expect the retailer not to back down from its decision despite the growing number of opponents.
Not Feeding the Fire
Target has been nearly silent in its response to public backlash against its new policy. American Family Association (AFA), a non-profit organization that promotes fundamentalist Christian values, is leading the infamous Target boycott, which has stirred controversy on social networks and news outlets. The AFA claims that Target’s new policy “endangers women and children by allowing men to frequent women’s facilities” and is urging people to voice their opinions, to refrain from shopping at Target and to sign the Target boycott pledge.
Since the Target boycott made headlines, the AFA has likely benefited from the media attention. In an article from USA Today, AFA president Tim Wildmon said, “This is the best response we’ve ever had this quick.” It is evident that the AFA has earned a lot of press for its efforts, which ultimately helps increase awareness of the organization. Target, however, is doing the right thing by not feeding the flame, because eventually the fire will burn out.
Considering the Outcomes
Past religious-driven boycotts have generally been unsuccessful in accomplishing their goals and are typically not detrimental to sales. This is especially true for large, popular brands (like Target) according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. For example, recall the Starbucks boycott from conservative religious groups about the coffee makers’ 2015 plain red holiday cups. After everything was said and done, the company reported a 9 percent increase in comparable store sales in the U.S. – and this was “by far the strongest holiday in our history and record revenues,” said Howard Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks.
The goal of the boycott is to force Target to revert its gender-neutral policy, but that likely will not happen according to Target spokesperson Molly Snyder who recently said, “We certainly respect that there are a wide variety of perspectives and opinions. As a company that firmly stands behind what it means to offer our team an inclusive place to work — and our guests an inclusive place to shop — we continue to believe that this is the right thing for Target.”
This diplomatic response to the Target boycott demonstrates how a company can proactively respond to and mitigate a communications crisis, while staying true to company values and maintaining a brand’s image/reputation. It may be inevitable that Target will lose customers over this, but the company will gain an even stronger, loyal customer base with those who do support LGBT rights.
Furthermore, if someone is concerned about a predator lurking in Target’s public restrooms, most Target stores have a single-stalled family restroom with a locked door that people are free to use.
Target’s communication strategy has been effective in this case, because they remained true to their brand and identity despite negative feedback from customers. In the coming years, I believe we will see more companies taking a stance on social issues as part of their branding efforts. It’s not just about the product or service anymore, but instead about supporting a brand/company that mirrors stakeholders’ beliefs.
For more information on Communiqué PR’s work with Point Inside and Target, please see our blog post titled, “Point Inside Powers New Mobile Features for Target.”
*The widely cited pledge has a signature count of over one million people; however, people may sign the pledge multiple times, which could lead to inflated numbers.
**We made minor edits to this blog post on May 23, 2016 to correct grammatical errors and streamline points.
Corporate blogging can benefit your business no matter what industry you’re in, but for companies in the travel industry it should be considered an essential marketing strategy. In addition to driving website traffic and generating new leads, blogging helps build credibility. For travelers deciding which trip planning service to use, knowing that the company has firsthand experience and has “been there, done that” is huge influencer.
It’s simple for travel companies to start a blog, but maintaining it by posting valuable, engaging content on a regular basis isn’t always so easy. One travel company in particular got it right – Utrip, a travel planning service that uses machine learning to create personalized itineraries, has an inspiring, informational blog that serves as a resource for everyone from seasoned travelers to newbies with wanderlust. Following are four key reasons why Utrip’s blog is a success
- Cites Personal Experiences – Travelers feel more confident taking a company’s recommendations if they know it’s based on personal experience. When I was researching before my trip to Thailand, I searched for posts by travel bloggers who had been to Thailand recently – I don’t want a hostel recommendation from someone who has never stayed there. Utrip does a nice job compiling guest posts from international travelers and interviewing subject matter experts to inject personal experience into its blog. For example, the post 8 Cheap Eats in East London from Around the World was written by David Heimowitz, a food blogger who lives in London.
- Fuels Inspiration – Reading about other people’s incredible travel experiences and seeing breathtaking photos can help bring a destination to life and inspire hesitant travelers to book their trip. Utrip’s blog inspires wanderlust by featuring popular tourist activities as well as lesser known attractions in major cities.
- Provides Useful Information – A key factor for the success of any blog is providing information that is useful for your audience. Utrip’s entire platform does this well, but the “Travel Planning Tips” section of its blog is particularly helpful for travelers, offering advice around what to do if your valuables are stolen and how to save money on transportation.
- Includes a Call-to-Action – Including an appropriate call-to-action (CTA) in your blog post helps guide readers to learn more about your company, leading to more conversions from your blog. Utrip nailed this by including relevant CTAs at the bottom of its blog posts (for example, Quick Tips for Travel Savings includes a link to Utrip’s featured trip Poor But Sexy in Berlin) and linking in-line CTAs when a related term is mentioned in a post.
These best practices are important for any corporate blogger to keep in mind, particularly those in the travel industry. What other tips for corporate blogging success should marketers consider?
It’s no secret—Seattle has a hot tech scene. From the industry giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Expedia and Zillow to the new Google and SpaceX offices, Seattle has become a technology powerhouse. The city is also home to an abundance of startup companies that continue to innovate and disrupt countless industries. Given that our firm has worked with a number of tech companies, I like to believe that I have a sense of what is going on in the Seattle tech environment.
However, a few months ago I stumbled across Arivale, a company that is using tech and personal data to develop individualized wellness plans that allow people to improve their health. Arivale collects personal information through tests conducted on DNA, the gut, blood and lifestyle assessments, then provides individuals with their data and assigns them a personal coach to assist in making actionable changes to improve their overall wellness. Once a colleague and I saw that co-founder and CEO, Clayton Lewis, was speaking at Xconomy’s Seattle’s Life Science Disruptors 2016 event, we decided to take the opportunity to hear exactly what the company was up to by attending the conference.
Initially, the company worked with 1,000 clients or pioneers as they like to refer to them, to refine the program, information dashboards, communication styles between coaches and pioneers, etc. From their pioneers, Arivale has come to understand a couple of items. First, that the pioneers value the time with their coaches and the advice they provide that allows them to turn information into action. Because of this, the coaching aspect will continue to play and integral part in the company’s program. Second, people are not focused on the long-term effects of their choices. For example, Lewis mentioned that when presented with the opportunity to eat a cupcake, the initial thought is that it will taste good right now, not, that the choice of eating it may lead to diabetes ten years down the line.
Arivale has come to understand that people want experiences and by explaining that wellness will allow them to partake in the experiences they want to have, whether its attending their child’s college graduation or climbing Mt. Everest, it makes their health more tangible and inspires them to make the necessary changes.
In order to make the program available to a larger audience, Arivale is working with a few major corporations to roll out availability of their program, though Lewis didn’t mention which ones. He also mentioned that the data they collect through testing has made a significant impact on people’s health and a lot of people that stand to benefit from their programming. In the future, Arivale is hoping to work with breast cancer survivors, people whose bodies have experienced harsh treatments and need help getting back to a baseline of normal health. Arivale has a number of exciting items planned for the future and we are looking forward to watching them develop!
Fortunately, Arivale was not the only company that left us impressed. M3 Biotechnology founded and led by CEO, Leen Kawas, is tackling Alzheimer’s disease by targeting small molecules and focusing on specific targets. Currently there are no therapies, cures or preventions for this disease, simply treatments that slow the disease or cover the symptoms. While Kawas made it clear that M3 is not creating a cure for Alzheimer’s, it is developing an anti-aging, disease-modifying treatment. Ideally, once the treatment is finalized, it will be in a form that people could easily use in their homes, something like a pill or EpiPen. She realizes that by making the treatment simple and accessible, it will have the largest impact on people affected by the disease.
Not only is the treatment impressive, but Kawas herself has had a very interesting and dynamic background that has led her to her position today. With a passion and drive to create value, she began her career as a pharmacist in Jordan before pursuing her PhD at Washington State University, focusing on cancer treatments. Once she realized that her findings could be applied to Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases, Kawas founded M3 Biotechnology. Once she was able to get people and investors interested in the concept, she did not have plans to stay on as CEO, but her passion and understanding of what M3 needed to be successful, led her to take on the CEO role. We are looking forward to M3’s future successes and the company’s impact on Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.
Overall, the Xconomy event was a great snapshot of Seattle-based companies, non-profits and research facilities that are making innovative strives in the areas of biotech. It will be exciting to follow these organizations as they continue to make ground-breaking strides that impact and improve the health and wellness or people around the globe.
With the closure of Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct, there has been a lot of attention on the progress of Bertha, the tunnel-boring machine carving out the new State Route 99 tunnel to replace it.
Given all this focus on Bertha, I began thinking about the pros and cons of naming tunnel-boring machines. Apparently, it is a common practice for construction workers to name tunneling machines after women. According to an article in the LA Times, “Naming digging equipment after women is a tradition that dates to the 1500s, they say, when miners prayed to St. Barbara to keep them safe underground.”
Today, to come up with names for these machines, many cities hold naming contests. For instance, officials with the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Los Angeles County transportation, and the city of Toronto all recently have held contests or our holding contests to name tunnel-boring equipment.
According to the WSDOT website, “Bertha’s name was chosen as part of a contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Proposed names had to be female and have significance to Washington state heritage, life, nature, transportation or engineering.” A panel of officials made the final selection – Bertha – after Bertha Knight Landes, Seattle’s only female mayor and the first woman to lead a major American city. (She served as mayor of Seattle from 1926 – 1928).
So what are the pros and cons of naming tunnel-boring machines? I thought it would be interesting to consider these from a marketing and public relations perspective.
By naming a tunnel-boring machine, there is a humanization of the machine and the project. It can make a mundane equipment purchase seem more exciting to name it. In addition, if you allow the public to help come up with a name, it raises awareness for the project. Finally, a name makes it easier for everyone to talk about the project. In Seattle, for better or for worse, Bertha is synonymous with the Highway 99 project.
But there can be a downside of naming equipment. The biggest risk is if the project has delays or problems, the name takes on a significant amount of negative connotations. For instance, in Seattle many people are not happy about Bertha. The project is significantly behind schedule, it is the reason for the closure of the viaduct, and it has resulted in sinking ground. Just mention Bertha at a party and Seattleites will likely have a story about how the construction on the tunnel has adversely effected them. You will probably spend the next 10 to 15 minutes hearing about traffic jams and longer commutes.
Finally, some people believe that the names can create confusion. The Seattle Times recently reported that Sound Transit decided to forgo using names (Brenda and Pamela) for its tunneling machines. Spokespeople for Sound Transit stated that they were not naming their machines because they did not want people to confuse their project with Bertha. Instead, they will refer to their equipment as tunnel-boring machine 1 and tunnel-boring machine 2.
What are your thoughts? Was it a positive thing or a negative thing to name the tunnel-boring machine Bertha? I think if the tradition of naming machines continues it would be wonderful to see the tradition updated to include male or animal names.
Savvy marketing teams understand the value of conferences and tradeshows by having the entire process down to a science. Activities like negotiating optimal booth placement, having eye-catching signage with demo stations, and promoting a giveaway to capture leads are fundamental, but massive shows like the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show require something a bit different to get people’s attention.
Last month, I traveled with client EMC to the NAB Show in Las Vegas to provide media relations support surrounding the conference. While I’ve attended numerous conferences throughout my career, this was my first NAB and I was taken back by the scale of this event – the convention center floor was packed with companies from around the world showcasing technologies and innovations in broadcast, media and entertainment. The show floor had over a million square feet of exhibit space, and I was on sensory overload.
One entire pavilion was dedicated to video drones and aerial robotics, while another focused on advanced advertising technologies for broadcasters, and yet another on virtual and augmented reality. There was something for everyone but the noise-to-signal ratio was off the charts since everyone was battling for each other’s attention.
During my breaks, I wandered around the show floor to better assess how companies like EMC, Sony, Adobe, Microsoft and BlackMagic Design approached the conference. I noticed a major trend, that successful companies maximized exposure by leveraging their booth presence as a venue for content delivery – hosting live sessions, trainings and workshops across a variety of topics. Some provided customer case studies and partner panels while others hosted live demonstrations from leading directors and special effects professionals for feature films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avatar.
Compelling content stole the show. Through the approach of leading with content, attendees were drawn into the conversation and, in many cases, people spilled over into the walkways, attracting others who wanted to see what all the hubbub was about. The conversation was no longer just about broadcast technology products and software but how movie studios and creatives used tech in compelling ways for audiences around the globe. Needless to say, my feet ached after day one.
Here are some tips and recommendations for creating compelling content at conferences and trade shows:
- Know Your Audience – The NAB show was filled with people who love broadcast, movies and entertainment. Beyond 4K, green screens and drones, people wanted to better understand the evolution of media formats, the future of on-premise and cloud-based workflows, as well as the gadgets that streamline shoots and post-production. People were on the search for new, groundbreaking techniques to create more compelling content and to collaborate across geographical boundaries. Cater your session topics around things that people care about and you will be rewarded.
- Be Creative and Different – EMC did a successful job generating buzz around its content sessions by having something eye-catching and different – professional magician Scott Tokar who helped draw crowds into the booth. This individual performed incredible magic tricks that engaged participants and afterward, ushered them into a seating area for the next partner or technology session. This worked wonders and made for an unexpected and memorable experience.
- Amplify Your Messages – Nothing is more impactful than having others share your message. EMC also worked to create a social media campaign with hashtag #emc4media. After each session concluded, the master of ceremonies asked if people were interested in winning a 4K GoPro and selfie-stick by taking a photo of themselves and adding the hashtag. This helped drive EMC’s presence around the conference and captured the attention of online audiences.
- Incorporate Varied Content – Think about the thought-leadership topics you would like to include throughout your session content. Does it reach different audiences like customers, partners and creatives? How can you balance content to match the cadence of news flowing out of the show floor to drive maximum impact?
- Consider Session Timing – Be sure to check out schedules for the on-stage presentations so that the larger-scale sessions don’t compete with your content. This is sometimes difficult to achieve but do your best based on the announced schedules for other companies.
- Leverage News in Meaningful Ways – If your company is making a significant announcement like a new customer or product feature, be sure to leverage parallel content sessions to capitalize on this news at the show. For example, if a new partnership is announced in the morning, host a mini presentation with that partner later in the day and invite media to attend. This will help solidify messaging and provide an opportunity for press to interview multiple participants.
NAB 2016 had over 103,000 registered attendees and featured 1,874 companies. With a show this massive, it is difficult to get a brand’s message heard and imperative that companies lead with content to drive brand awareness, booth foot traffic and sales.
This conference was a great success and here’s to seeing you at NAB 2017. Just remember to wear comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you.