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.
Recently Ellen Petry Leanse, head of enterprise marking communications with Google, sent me an article entitled “Leadership in the Age of Transparency,” published by Harvard Business Review (HBR). Ellen was on a panel I chaired at Enterprise Social 2.0 in Amsterdam and the article supported many of the remarks made in January by Ellen and others about corporate leadership, transparency and responsibility.
The core premise of the HBR article is that companies who want to establish themselves as leaders need to take responsibility for externalities or spillovers. Termed by economists, externalities is the concept that with most economic transactions there is an impact on a party (or parties) not directly involved in the transaction.
An example of an externality would be a company manufacturing a product that creates pollution that impacts the entire community. Whereas if I fireproof my home, my neighbors also see a spillover benefit as the safety of their home is improved because we live in a dense neighborhood and their house is very close to mine.
The article asserts that in today’s world where we are able to measure so much more (e.g. environmental impact, human behavior, disease outbreak, etc.), and people are more vocal and connected, companies must proactively address externalities if they are going to suceed. It is a fascinating and well crafted argument.
Another particularly useful part of the article is a sidebar that focuses on how to decide what externalities to focus on and respond to. This information provides the reader with thought provoking questions, which immediately make the material in the article actionable.
Finally, I want to point out that Google is called out as a company doing a good job in understanding the impact of its behavior on the world and is actively striving to create positive outcomes or spillovers. An example of how the company is doing this is included in the article.
Again, if you have a minute, I would encourage you to read this article and consider how your business is impacting society; how you might measure the impact of your company; and how stakeholder expectations may have changed. Clearly Facebook and Twitter provide fabulous mechanisms for understanding others’ perceptions of the impact your corporate entity may be having on the world.
As the lines between traditional public relations and social media blur, we have been thinking about how our clients can leverage custom Facebook applications to drive awareness and engagement of their products and services.
We did some research to get a handle on new apps for Facebook and asked people to tell us which ones they felt are the best. Below you’ll find three examples of some unique apps created by very different companies.
Specifically, we chose to profile apps from Skittles; Art.com and Clorox Green Works ® – Green Heroes Grant Program. We liked the apps from these companies because they all had a clear purpose that benefited both parties (the company and the Facebook user). We also wanted to have one app that was focused on fun (Skittles); one that was clearly educational (Green Works); and one that added clear value to the consumer (Art.com).
Skittles
- With 4 million fans, Skittles has introduced a Facebook program called ‘Mob the Rainbow’ where fans are turning the Web into their playground to “cause some fun.” Skittle fans’ first mission was to make a valentine for an unsuspecting parking enforcement officer “somewhere in the U.S.”
- Through this program, Skittles collected more than 50,000 (digital and hand-made) valentines and surprised a parking enforcement officer on Valentine’s Day. The event was filmed and posted on Facebook for fans to enjoy.
- This is one of the first examples of a brand crowd-sourcing its fans to take action in the real world. Skittles will have a new mission for its “Mob the Rainbow” team each month. You can view the “Mob the Rainbow” program on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/skittles?v=app_275095758175.
Art.com, Inc.
- Art.com Inc., one of the world’s largest online retailers of quality wall art, recently introduced two new social media applications designed to offer consumers unique ways to shop for and create wall art, including a free iPhone app that allows users to preview their art selections on the walls of their own homes, and a free Facebook app that can turn personal photos into professionally-framed masterpieces. You can view the Art.com Facebook app at http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=195695830858.
- “These free apps allow users to take a photo of the wall area they wish to decorate with their iPhone and upload it to a personal “My Walls” gallery on art.com,” explains an Art.com Inc. spokesperson “In other words, people can preview what the product will look like on their walls before they purchase it. They can even send it to friends and family for review.”
- Finally, Art.com’s MyFrameShop Facebook application allows people to frame any Facebook photo with a custom-frame of their choosing.
- As far as results and statistics go: The application was launched on March 2, and already has 2,429 active users!
Clorox Green Works ® – Green Heroes Grant Program
- With help from the Jane Goodall Institute, the developers of Green Works® natural cleaners, developed a contest to reward and recognize individuals and groups that are “making their communities better – and greener – places to live.”
- Green Works selected finalists in three categories – Youth, Adult and School. They created a Facebook App that lets people on Facebook vote on finalists in each category. Visit http://www.facebook.com/greenworks?v=app_260755551340 to check out the app.
- The finalist in each category that receives the highest number of votes will win a $15,000 Green Heroes grant, courtesy of the makers of Green Works® products. Runners-up in each category will receive a $5,000 grant.
- One can vote for his/her Green Hero through April 18. It is also easy to see who is leading in the challenge and encourage “your friends to vote to help your Green Hero make it to the top.”
- Once you vote, you also have the opportunity to enter into a sweepstakes. There are 15 sweepstakes prizes, which will be selected at random. These prizes will include an autographed book by Dr. Jane Goodall, a t-shirt, a stuffed animal and coupons.
We hope that these examples of fun, educational or useful Facebook applications spark creative thinking about how you might attract users to engage with your brand, product or service. As strategic communicators, we see myriad ways one could publicize and drive usage of these applications.
Finally, if you have a favorite Facebook application we would love to hear about it. Tell us why you use it and how it enhances your life.
Many companies and organizations struggle with how to best reach historically underserved communities. However, many organizations need to reach the communities if they are going to initiate change, drive new behaviors and educate people.
Consider the work of our first lady, Mrs. Obama. She has a strong commitment to curbing childhood obesity and recently has been visiting schools as part of her “Let’s Move” anti-obesity campaign. As she works to educate key audiences – in this case, children, parents, politicians, nutritionists and food producers – she is paying particular attention to those who have typically been underserved (for example, poor urban and rural communities among others).
So what are some of the best practices for reaching the historically underserved? We decided to do some research around this topic. Here are some of our thoughts,
- Secure coverage in the media read or viewed by your target audience. Ruth Thaler-Carter, a former employee at a public hospital, shares her perspective: “To reach mostly urban black communities, I relied on black newspapers, organizations like the Urban League, public schools, and community churches to get the word out and distribute related information.” Nowadays, she also would contact appropriate professional associations and use Twitter.
- Hold events in the communities you want to reach. Michelle Obama is out talking with school children in Jackson, Miss. In Seattle, organizations like Seattle Public Utilities with support from Triangle Associates, neutral third party firm specializing in public outreach, have held family-friendly meetings for Latino and Vietnamese residents to secure input on the design of a new transfer station.
- Develop materials that will resonate with key audiences. Parker LePla, a Seattle-based brand firm, developed a campaign for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to recruit at risk populations (intravenous drug users, gay men with many partners and prostitutes) to volunteer to be participants in an HIV vaccine trial. They conducted market research and developed ads which focused on a common trait in all groups – the desire to do something good. The materials were very effective and as a result, Fred Hutch was able to meet its recruitment goal and is making progress toward the development of an AIDS vaccine.
- Identify and work with key influentials in a specific community. Norma Armon, co-founder of International Contact, Inc., a multi-language communications agency in Oakland, Calif., has established close relationships with the leaders and the social service organizations that serve a community. She explains, “The process has been very fruitful for us, as we have connected with native speakers of each language and through the relationships have helped organizations such as the American Red Cross, McGraw Hill, Microsoft and more, better reach underserved communities.”
- Remember that awareness and education alone will not always be enough. In addition to education, there often needs to be programs that also support change. For instance, to address childhood obesity, experts recommend kids eat more fruit and vegetables. To do that, children need access to fresh food. Public relations campaigns can certainly provide guidance for healthy eating habits, but many of our country’s poor urban areas lack full-service grocery stores leaving parents shopping for food at convenience stores or gas stations. Recognizing that many underserved communities need grocery stores that sell fresh fruit and vegetables, the 2011 fiscal budget proposed by President Obama includes $400 million in financing for the development of these stores.
We hope the ideas are helpful as you think about your next PR or strategic communication activity and how you can best reach historically underserved communities.
On Monday, the New York Times ran an interesting article on a recent presentation at SXSW called, “Process Journalism: Getting it First While Getting it Right.”
The panel included reporters Robert Mackey from the New York Times, Monica Guzman of SeattlePI.com, blogger Jesus Diaz with Gizmodo.com, Will Sullivan from Journerdism.com and Moka Pantages of the Wikimedia Foundation. The discussion focused on digital reporting as well as the challenges today’s reporters are facing in the age of social media.
What I found most interesting is the question, “In this age of social media, what becomes a credible news source for a reporter? Are Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia viable news sources?” In past blog posts, we’ve talked about how Twitter and Facebook have become platforms for breaking and announcing news; but how can reporters harness knowledge from social media sites, verify information and ensure accurate reporting?
In the article, Guzman offered up an example of how journalists are using Twitter (which at times has become an online newsroom) to gather information for a story. During a recent shooting and manhunt in Seattle, she says, “the media collaborated with itself and it was one big swirling newsroom on Twitter. We ended up using tweets as starting points. And Twitter did end up breaking a bunch of stuff.”
The article also included an interesting example from Reporter Robert Mackey who discussed how he has, “gathered crowd-sourced information and attempted to verify its authenticity. He gave examples of translating chants (from a protest in Iran) heard in YouTube videos and matching up street signs that flashed on screen with Google Maps. Once he was sure of its validity, he said, “he would add it to the coverage.”
It’s clear that while the media landscape continues to shift, new opportunities and challenges are arising for journalists. Fast-changing technology coupled with popular social media platforms are providing media with quick access to a wealth of information for developing stories – but it comes with a price tag in the form of validating authenticity.
Earlier this month, I participated in the PR+MKTG Camp Seattle organized by Dan Greenfield. The event was well attended with a wonderful mix of marketing and PR leaders from the Seattle area, including Rob Brooks, PEMCO; Brad Nelson, Starbucks; Amy Bohutinsky, Zillow; and Greg Shaw, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as many others.
The PR+MKTG Camp format encourages interactive discussions. Attendees were divided into four groups called cabins. The cabins met to discuss a particular topic, led by two facilitators. After the breakout discussions, the cabins all came together and the facilitators shared the key takeaways from their specific cabin.
The discussions during the breaks were as interesting and informative as the official sessions. Below is a recap of the key takeaways from the sessions and discussions I attended.
Key takeaways:
- Social media is a tool that should be tied to specific objectives and integrated with other communication activities. Similar to a company Web site, engaging in social media is quickly becoming an expected marketing tool and may be used to serve multiple objectives within an organization. To that end, ownership of social media within an organization is not uniform. However, most attendees seemed to agree – success executing social media requires C-level support.
- Internal communication is critical. As individuals are engaging in social media, and the lines between personal and professional are increasingly blurred, companies are wise to ensure everyone within an organization understands the company’s business and communication objectives. By sharing information broadly within an organization, companies such as Zillow, are empowering their employees to become effective, informal spokespersons.
- Communicators are still hungry for case studies that clearly articulate how social media demonstrated measureable results and contributed to ROI. Many questions from attendees centered on what tools are best for measuring social media activities. While there are a growing number of tools focused on measuring everything from engagement, influence and reach, consensus proved there is no silver bullet. The facilitators all agreed it is important to first determine what you want to measure then identify the right tool to track that metric.
While the information was not revolutionary, it was valuable to hear from other PR and marketing leaders on how they are addressing the common challenges of integrating social media into an organization’s strategic activities.
For additional perspective from other PR+MKTG Camp participants check out the event blog.
I was recently watching TV and stumbled across a CNBC segment called, “Business Model: Inside the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue.” Given the state of the publishing world, I was immediately intrigued. If you have a minute and are interested in the future of magazine publishing, I would encourage you to watch the segment. You can find it online here.
In the event you don’t have time to watch the full segment, which is 45 minutes, consider the following:
- The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is huge business for the magazine and its publisher. It is one of the most successful franchises in existence today.
- The magazine sells more than a million copies on the newsstand every year. The swimsuit issue costs $2 more than the regular issue and has a much longer shelf life from February through May because it contains features not news articles.
- Throughout its history, the franchise has made more than $1 billion for its parent company, Time Inc.
- As a model or product designer, if you are featured in the magazine you’re very likely to be “catapulted to success.” Placement in the magazine is a “type of advertising that money cannot buy.”
The swimsuit focused issue of the magazine came into existence in the winter of 1964. It was seen as way to boost readership in the winter months between football and baseball. They were looking for a way to generate some additional revenue and in the quest to drive readership, came up with the idea of the swimsuit edition. In 1997, the swimsuit edition became a stand-alone issue just featuring models.
Integrated marketing is now a big part of the issue and new revenue streams for the magazine. According to CNBC, “In 2010, integrated marketing has meant a 15 percent increase in ad revenue across the franchise.” Here are some of the campaigns and licensing agreements that are generating additional revenue for Time Inc.
- Special campaigns like “Direct Daniella.com” – This was a marketing campaign that Taco Bell and Sports Illustrated (SI) ran in 2008.
- There are special SI videos available.
- There is an iPhone application for sale.
- They are engaging consumer promotions, such as Miller Lite’s contest where consumers can vote for their favorite model of all time; or campaigns that offer consumers the chance to party with the models in Las Vegas.
Today, according to an executive with Time Inc., “Sixty percent of the revenue comes from print; 30 percent comes from Web, video and mobile technology; and 10 percent comes from event or experiential marketing.”
Clearly, other magazines and content providers can learn from the success of Sports Illustrated with its special issue.