Monday, December 22, 2014

Karl James & Company: Measure Results That Matter

There are myriad reasons to embrace the power of digital marketing. The most obvious are closely tied to its immediacy, directness and ability to be tracked. In fact, if used properly, digital marketing can be used to help track all of your marketing results, including traditional marketing tools. Karl James & Company founder Karl Robe offers digital marketing tips in a column written for the Wisconsin Law Journal in The Robe Report. Karl Robe published numerous columns for the Wisconsin Law Journal on public relations, marketing, executive communications and more.

http://www.karljames.com/2014/12/22/karl-james-and-company-digital-marketing-measure-results-that-matter/

Connect with Karl James & Company on all of the following social media.
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, December 8, 2014

Eric Garner vs. Michael Brown & The Future of Policing

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 The future of law enforcement is online and on-the-line as citizen video devices expose U.S. communities to significant liability. Cameras are everywhere and police officer conduct is on display, creating more than just a public relations problem (see CNN’s recap of the Michael Brown story and get your calculator out to add up the costs). Literally billions of dollars are at risk for taxpayers, businesses and governments. Lawsuits, riots and paying for associated costs are real risks to U.S. communities from Milwaukee to Miami.  
Body cameras proposed to protect citizens—ironically—may also provide police public relations and legal protection too. Individual mobile devices and the ease of editing citizen videos present potential peril for police officers. Perception is formed in an instant with viral video snippets. (See how Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn is portrayed by media differently with Gawker on the left and Glenn Beck’s Blaze on the right andhundreds of comments on Reddit when he shows heated, emotional response to crime in Milwaukee.) Without a counter to a video, police run the risk of being portrayed inaccurately. The impact of police perception, as we’ve seen in New York City, Ferguson, Missouri, Chicago and many other cities impacts far more than the officers in the lens.
At the very least, body cameras placed on police officers will allow video to tell their side of the story, rather than depend on by-standers video. By-standers may have captured only one aspect of a particular engagement. Circumstances leading up to a particular action might add perspective that shifts perception. Perceptions by various stakeholders, activists and government agencies at the local, state and federal level play a significant role in whether those stakeholders take action.
Take for example Eric Garner’s choke hold, which was captured on video and Michael Brown’s shooting which was not. The unified outrage by media outlets across the political spectrum only occurred in the case of Eric Garner. The video made all the difference. And, it likely will make all the difference in how a wide variety of stakeholders are impacted going forward. Stay tuned.

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, November 21, 2014

Public Relations: Bill Cosby's Rape Response

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 The handling of rape allegations being made toward Bill Cosby raises a number of public relations strategy questions and confirms some Karl James public relations perspectives. We address a couple of these below.
How does high-profile celebrity Bill Cosby seemingly not understand the rules of media interviews?
Our take after watching this recent Associated Press interview with Bill Cosby centers on arrogance rather than ignorance of the reporter rules. Similar to the old adage “power corrupts,” power also creates a sense of being beyond the rules. Know this when working with public relations counsel to prepare for media interviews: no matter what you are told, no question is off limits.
When in public relations crisis, your attorney will always be wrong
Bill Cosby’s attempt to bury the interview on camera pales only to the response issued by his attorney. The attorney letter threatens media. It confirms our perspective on lawyers’ approach to public relations: When in crisis, your attorney will always be wrong.
The rules of winning in the court room are different from the rules of winning over public opinion. Attorneys are correct that “saying nothing” works for court proceedings. If you don’t say anything, it cannot be used against you in a court of law. And, attorneys must be part of dealing with any crisis situation. But know this:most attorneys fall back on their legal training and are not considering whether the court of public opinion will bury you before and regardless of what the court of law determines.
The wave of allegations by alleged victims of Bill Cosby, coupled with a prosecutor’s comments on TV’s iconic fatherly figure’s guilt—albeit, admittedly, unprovable in a court of law—has lead to NBC and Netflix pulling new ventures featuring Bill Cosby. And TV Land has removed re-runs of The Cosby Show. The new shows on NBC and Netflix provided the impetus for allegations against Cosby to gain traction.  Certainly there are many strategies to consider in resurrecting the Cosby brand. Many of which, we as outsiders remain, unaware. Hoping this goes away, however, will not move Cosby beyond this round of rape allegations. Removing himself from the public spotlight, never to venture into public again, might work. But every time Cosby resurfaces, the questions will be there waiting for him.
So why are people listening to the allegations of Bill Cosby that have existed for decades? The Christian Science Monitor has an interesting take.

Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Avoid Media Misquotes With These Tips

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 When coaching clients on how to work with media, we start by asking for each participant’s greatest fear. Inevitably, the majority say being misquoted or taken out of context. Who could forget this recent boondoggle by Arkansas Senator Mark Pryor. 
Of course, most of the blame for being misquoted is placed squarely on the shoulders of the reporter. Rarely, if ever, do we look inward for the source of disconnects between what we say, what the reporter captures and how the reporter transfers that knowledge into a story. But most of us would benefit from such introspection prior to launching into a public relations campaign.
More than likely our responses to reporter questions are too long, too convoluted and too sprawling in scope. This allows the reporter to determine what information is important, why it is important and how it should be used in the story. In this scenario, the likelihood is next to nil that public relations messages you want conveyed will appear in the story.
To combat the crap-shoot nature of this approach, we must coach reporters on what is important, why particular insights are germane to the story and how to use those elements. Coaching creates a framework for receiving the information. This increases the likelihood your comments remain in the intended context during public relations efforts.
Coaching, however, requires preparation for each media engagement. Unfortunately, people frequently throw caution to the wind and wing it. This decision often results from arrogance, time constraints and, sometimes, laziness. The displeasure of an inaccurate or incomplete story typically changes how or whether people prepare for media interviews in future public relations campaigns, however. Some tips follow to enhance your coaching ability:
  • Attempt to understand what angle the reporter intends to take.
  • Research previous coverage by a reporter.
  • Understand audiences receive information based on their perspective, which derives from personal experiences.
  • Craft messages that resonate with a given audience and that advance your agenda.
  • Repeatedly rehearse aloud answers to anticipated questions using crafted messages.
  • Develop illustrations, anecdotes and other examples to reinforce messages.
  • Ask who the reporter already contacted and what information was received.
  • Ask who else the reporter intends to contact.
  • Anticipate what those people might say and attempt to address those items in the context of your position.
  • Consider video-recording rehearsals to gain feedback on verbal and nonverbal communications.
Now that we are prepared to create some context for reporters, we must turn our attention to ensuring the accuracy of the statements we make during interviews. Some public relations tips to improve accurate reporting by increasing reporter retention:
  • Place comments in a series of three.
  • Present ideas or thoughts in chronological order.
  • Repeat concepts throughout the interview.
  • Ask the reporter to repeat your quote back to you.
Finally, we must prepare to make what we say impactful. Consider the reporter and the audience receiving the information when determining how to make your comments memorable, which translates to you being quotable. Use words that trigger reporters to take note during public relations outreach. When you preface a statement, for example, by saying, “These points deserve emphasis,” people instinctively pick up a pen and take note. For other triggers to greater retention of your messages, I offer insights contained in the book “Made to Stick.” In this book, researchers Chip and Dan Heath powerfully portray why some ideas stick, and some don’t. They reduce “stickiness” into the acronym SUCCES.
  • Keep it Simple.
  • Make it Unexpected.
  • Communicate clearly with Concrete examples.
  • Create a path to believability by building Credibility.
  • Stir the Emotions to get audiences to care.
  • Tell compelling Stories to motivate desired actions.

http://www.karljames.com/2014/11/11/public-relations-whos-blame-media-misquotes/

Connect with Karl James & Company on all of the following social media.

Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, November 6, 2014

10 Steps to Greater Value From Your Public Relations Effort

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 The following guidelines give insight into some of the coaching we give to our internal public relations teams when approaching media to help tell client stories. If you handle your own public relations efforts or partner with a firm like ours, this is what you should expect. These 10 steps serve as a process for you to craft on-strategy, on-message, incremental-value-producing public relations results.
Step 1: What audience are we trying to reach?
To effectively pitch media, you must first understand who you are attempting to reach with your message. Once you know the audiences, then you can clearly identify media outlets that target those audiences.
Step 2: Why is it important the audience gets this information?
The answer to this question typically serves as the lead paragraph in your media pitch. In answering this question, however, you might include answers to several additional questions:
  • Where might this story pitch fit within the particular media outlet (program, department, etc.)?
  • Is there an editorial calendar opportunity you could cite as a fit?
  • Are there other upcoming events or activities that would make this timely and relevant (regulation, legislation, conferences, reports, analyses, add-ons to other related news)?
  • What form would we suggest the editorial opportunity take (commentary, Q&A, profile, feature, top tips, news, trend analysis, point-counter-point, bylined article, in-studio appearance, webcast, case study, white paper, other e-offers)?
Step 3: What brand messages support the story angle and how can you use those in a media pitch?
Though a pitch may be a tool for making inroads with a particular media outlet, it also presents an opportunity to begin illustrating how you want to be positioned. Rather than telling an editor that your firm seeks to become known for uncompromising quality, for example, develop a story pitch that demonstrates quality-centered brand positioning. Actions always speak louder than words.
Step 4: How does this media pitch support the agreed-upon strategies of your communications plan?
This is an important distinction that will elevate your public relations efforts to the strategic level. Presumably your communications plan supports the advancement of a particular agenda. Media coverage that supports strategies tied to your business objectives certainly are more valuable than those that don’t. If you don’t have a plan, review what you want to accomplish and how media coverage can help get you there. Ask yourself of every story pitch: what are my objectives, what will it take to achieve those objectives, and what actions and messaging must we employ to produce desired results? If you cannot tie media coverage to business objectives, reassess your public relations efforts.
Step 5: What media outlets will we pitch, why, in what order, and when?
This is a matter of prioritization. First, define success. What media outlets will give you the most bang for the time you invest. Then do your homework to become the expert who brings knowledge and opportunity to targeted media. Time is anything but limitless for our clients. The same is true of reporters. Therefore, timing, order and certainty of purpose become crucial to efficiently generating the media coverage you desire. If you want them to take your call, ensure you bring them something they value.
Step 6: Who is the appropriate contact at the media outlet and why?
To truly understand how a media outlet is structured and who covers what, you must delve deeply into it. Read, watch and learn likes and dislikes of targeted reporters. Invite editors and reporters out to lunch. Many are required to get out in the community and develop a network of sources. Send an e-mail complimenting them on a piece you found interesting. Attend events where an editor will appear to get some face time. Introduce yourself.
Step 7: How can we maximize the effort to produce a media pitch by repurposing it to other non-competing media outlets (verticals, horizontals, online, etc.)?
If you are going to research and craft a media pitch, it makes sense to determine what other opportunities exist for you to gain additional coverage based on the same pitch. Media outlets in direct competition with one another never want to see the same story run among their competitors. In fact, it will alienate them. But a feature pitch for a medical industry publication might play well as a Q&A pitch to association newsletters with a similar focus. By slightly changing the format or the focus, you can create incremental value.
Step 8: How can we maximize the effort to produce this media pitch by repurposing it into different venues (industry webinars, conferences, annual meetings, trade shows, speeches, presentations, etc.) beyond traditional media?
Now turn your attention to other venues to further extend the value of your efforts. With some adjustments, you can easily turn your media pitch into an abstract that satisfies calls for speakers and papers at a trade show. Once your abstract is accepted, you can go to work on creating media attention at the show. Send media invitations to your presentation. Arrange at-show briefings to establish yourself as a knowledgeable media resource. For those media and customers who cannot attend the trade show, let them know the video of your presentation will be posted to your website.
Step 9: If unsuccessful in your initial media pitch, what can you do to make it a fit?
One sure-fire way to alienate the recipients of your pitch, regardless of venue, is to repeatedly attempt to convince them the same pitch is a good fit. Reach out to them with additional material, such as new statistics, trends, issues, case studies and other information that will create an undeniable interest. Help them do their job by providing photography, illustrations and video—everything they need to create a package that works for their venue.
Step 10: Media coverage is the beginning, not the end, of your public relations efforts.
Once stories appear in the media, you must turn your attention to extending the value of the actual placements. Now is the time to take the credibility gained by media coverage directly to your audiences. Include media coverage in sales kits, direct-mail campaigns and on your website. Use media coverage to establish credibility and expertise with other media and venues. The value of public relations begins, not ends, once media cover you.

http://www.karljames.com/2014/11/04/10-steps-incremental-public-relations-value/

Connect with Karl James & Company on all of the following social media.
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Branding: These CEO Comments Indicate Brand Confusion & Neglect

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 To determine if your brand lives, or is on life support, keep an ear out for some of these comments:
  • “We are focused on other things and can’t get to it consistently.”
  • “We need a strong, consistent story to use everywhere.”
  • “We talk to four people and nobody knows what we stand for.”
  • “We have some history to overcome and need to change the narrative.”
These comments are part of real-life conversations Karl James experienced with CEOs. All illustrate the need for a brand narrative and positioning that becomes the driving force of consistency. Brand is more than an external marketing narrative. Brand is the epicenter for all actions inside an organization. Whether formally declared or informally evolved, a brand becomes what individuals experience.
At its base value—from a tactical, pragmatic perspective—the brand narrative and positioning guides all marketing efforts. Without it, materials produced and messaging outreach will be inconsistent at best and at worst portray a company in a confusing, undifferentiating manner. At its highest-order benefit, a brand serves as an umbrella for multiple and disparate offers, which is often a challenge in aligning all actions across an organization.
A relevant brand is compelling and differentiating to multiple decision-makers and influencers with distinct concerns. In other words, every contact, whether online, in-person, signage, literature, human resources, customer service and more, all should be based on and guided by the brand narrative. A clearly-defined brand provides a guide to the entire organization to take action. This is the promise or commitment to produce a specific, distinguished experience in every interaction. Your brand is the sum total of all of an audience’s experiences. In fact, your audiences determine your actual brand. Translation: if everyone within your organization is not living your declared brand, the brand becomes the experiences of the audiences you desire to influence.
The power of a well-communicated brand with operational impact is illustrated by Southwest Airlines. Its market position centers on being the low-cost airline provider. If all employees are engaged in delivering on this statement, decision-making streamlines and operations become more efficient. If a purchaser for the airline, for example, must decide between placing a higher-cost chicken salad sandwich on the in-flight menu or not, this person easily can make a decision. The purchasing agent simply asks whether adding the cost of a sandwich delivers on being the low-cost airline provider. One quickly determines not to add cost.
Simply put, brands live within an organization first. Otherwise, brands develop from random, uncoordinated, non-strategic actions.


Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Public Relations: Disarming Social Media Attacks

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 A national retailer client of Karl James faced relentless online criticism from a consumer with a record of shaking down businesses on social media. The consumer turned to Facebook with baseless claims to secure compensation. All attempts to resolve the issue were ineffective. Anything short of meeting outrageous monetary demands was rejected by the disgruntled consumer.  
Below is some of the public relations counsel Karl James offered this particular client followed by some sample messages used to counteract the online attacks.
  • If your brand or organization is attacked online, remember: power comes from communicating positively, constructively, and directly with those that matter.
  • Compare the benefits of refusing the monetary demands of these individuals with the cost of countering their online attacks and the reputational damage. Determine if it is worth paying the demands, stopping the online complaints, and stemming the money and time spent on this individual.
  • If the opposition proposes some sensible ideas, quickly incorporate these into your plans. This will suck energy out of their position and leave them with the more outlandish and less acceptable positions. Communicate on social media about your adoption of their ideas and your appreciation of their input.
  • Convert the negative energy opponents and critics need to be powerful into simple, sensible, positive, and constructive actions. Opposition is created and empowered by being ignored, vilified, or attacked. While counter intuitive to winning this situation, constant communication in response to opposing factions wins the day, albeit over time. It is slower, often irritating, and apparently contradictory but, if applied relentlessly, it is powerful and ultimately gives the best opportunity for success.
When communicating with online attackers, we recommend:
  • Publicly answering every question/statement raised by the attacker. Without a response, these remain the only frame of reference for other readers to form their perceptions.
  • Document and publish your requests and their refusals to work with you.
  • Realize this is a dynamic situation that requires ongoing monitoring and immediate attention, strategies and messaging made on a case by case basis. More comments already are showing up from other customers linked to the original complainants and likely will grow.
  • Realize the attacker is not going away and likely will continue to bombard Facebook.
  • Overtime, through actively counteracting each attack, you form a public record of engagement and paint a picture of trust and responsiveness with current and potential customers.
  • At this point, we would not recommend you pursue a strategy of removing the attacker’s comments and banning the attacker from engaging on Facebook.
  • We would recommend ongoing, online engagement designed to turn complaints into opportunities to illustrate your brand and all it promises.
  • Prior to moving forward with any public relations campaign to counteract online attacks always involve legal counsel too.
Sample MessagingAs you will see in the following series of public relations messages, each was designed to counter an unfounded claim made online while demonstrating brand commitment. By addressing each false claim, the retailer builds a public record of its willingness to serve its customers well. It also dissuades other false claims from being made by future opportunists by seeing the responsiveness of this retailer to online attacks. Finally, responding to each claim turns an attack on its brand into an opportunity to move its brand from mere words to words that demonstrate action that illustrate a retailer committed to living its brand. All of this builds credibility and trust. Both translate to prospects more easily transitioning into customers, as well as reassuring existing customers in their belief and loyalty to the retailer’s brand.
Message 1
Ms. Smith, thank you for the opportunity to work with you in assuring we continue to provide exceptional customer service to the tens of thousands who trust us. We recognize and value all input received about our performance. In fact, we appreciate your tenacity in ensuring we deliver on our promises. Your correspondence with the Better Business Bureau and our responses to their inquiries provided a public forum with an independent, unbiased consumer protection agency. We are proud to report the Better Business Bureau—after reviewing our responses to all of your correspondence—closed the case without further action. We sincerely appreciate your interest in helping us remain the trusted source for all your needs.
Message 2
Ms. Smith, we are pleased to have responded to your dozens of phone calls placed to our corporate offices as well as to our local franchise owner. Even though the Better Business Bureau, for a second time, has reviewed the case and closed it without further action, we welcome the opportunity to discuss further your position on this matter. To ensure you reach the appropriate person within our organization, we respectfully ask you to contact John James, director of operations, at (555) 555-5555. By contacting him directly, you will be certain to get the appropriate person to discuss this matter. Thank you again for your interest in helping us remain the trusted source for your needs.
Message 3Ms. Smith, we were glad to return your call within 5 minutes on January 5. As we discussed, the significant wear and lack of annual maintenance over the course of many years of equipment ownership understandably created numerous issues within your equipment. We were pleased to work within your budget and even provide additional service as part of our commitment to building relationships with our customers. We certainly respect your feelings resulting from your investing in fixing those initial items that were within your budget, but then having a different issue—not part of our work on your equipment—develop afterward. We empathize with and respect your feelings in this matter, and we hope to see you more often to ensure your equipment is maintained on a regular basis.


Posted by at No comments:

Monday, October 13, 2014

Public Relations: Vagina Tax Spells Opportunity for Microsoft

[Note: Karl James & Company works with clients all over the United States. With offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, Karl Robe, APR, founded Karl James & Company in 1999. Visit www.karljames.com for more public relations insights.]

 How could the gender-gaffe on pay equity made by Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella present an opportunity? Within all public relations crises, opportunities exist. It’s a matter of taking the actions that allow for those opportunities to become reality. If handled correctly, corporations can emerge stronger than ever.
For readers unfamiliar with the Microsoft CEO’s comments about women allowing karma to determine their pay increases, this video will give you background on the Microsoft public relations crisis.
Some items Microsoft might consider in managing its pay-equity public relations crisis:
  • Microsoft is vulnerable now and should consider other agendas by those who will not let a good crisis go to waste.
  • Microsoft should consider both internal and external scenarios, because other storylines likely exist; prepare for these eventualities and determine legitimate actions that get to the heart of heading off these issues.
  • Microsoft CEO Nadella issued what appears to be a sincere apology and clarification of his belief in closing the gender pay gap. Apologizing unequivocally creates credibility on the issue. Now he has an opportunity to build on the credibility to regain trust in his leadership and the Microsoft brand.
So where’s the opportunity, you might ask. The opportunity resides in Nadella’s own apology: “Our industry must close gender pay gap so a raise is not needed because of a bias.”
Microsoft can differentiate and distinguish itself from tech giants Google (GOOG), Apple (AAPL) and others attempting to attract and retain technology talent.
According to CNN Money’s Charles Riley, Microsoft's workforce is 71% male, a figure that rises to 83% for both technical and leadership roles. Those figures are roughly in line with the gender breakdown at Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Apple.
Imagine a scenario where Microsoft takes the lead on gender pay. It positions them well for talent recruitment and retention. Which, according to this Forbes.com article 11 Reasons 2014 Will Be A Breakout Year for Women Entrepreneurs, there’s plenty of evidence about the benefits of women in corporate leadership.
Gender pay leadership could be a game-changer with technology consumers too.  Women make up a commanding and growing force in purchasing power.  According to Nielsen research U.S. Women Control The Purse Strings, the next decade of wealth will decidedly reside with women. And, Nielsen findings are reinforced by this Deloitte study on purchasing, “making women the largest single economic force in the U.S. [and] the world.”
Nielsen notes: “Women have tremendous spending power in America today—and it’s growing. Market estimates about their total purchasing prowess varies, ranging anywhere from $5 trillion to $15 trillion annually. And the scope of that spending is notably vast. Fleishman-Hillard Inc. estimates that women will control two-thirds of the consumer wealth in the U.S. over the next decade and be the beneficiaries of the largest transference of wealth in our country’s history.”
Read more at www.karljames.com 
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)