Posts Tagged ‘Google’

1. Not dead, but often in need of resuscitation

   Published on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
   When Google acquired the restaurant survey guide Zagat last week one media columnist boldly declared that the “press release”, the traditional format for announcing such initiatives, was now “officially dead”.

   You see the Zagat owners used the style of one of their restaurant surveys to communicate with stakeholders, and Google, unsurprisingly, tweeted the news.

   In our view, the way the acquisition news was conveyed said more about creativity of the parties involved than the demise of any particular form of official communication.

   Their creativity is to be applauded.  It was simply their recognition that social and online media are empowering us to be more creative with our tactics for news generation. And with the ‘medium is the message’ in-mind, now more than ever we need to be proactive about crafting to-the-point, snappy messaging.

   Press releases are not sacred and they are not dead.  They will continue to be the “record” of certain events.  However, in many cases they need some creative resuscitation, and they need to be leveraged to ensure they touch all the necessary audiences.

   With the treatment of the announcement of their deal, Google and Zagat are challenging us to work harder at finding audience-specific forms of communication to achieve our goals.  The traditional press release will almost certainly be part of the mix.

   A press release tells our story – plain and simple.  The communicators then needs to tell that story to different people in the best way possible.

2. Do the hoki-toki

   Published on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
   We’ve all heard plenty about the potential threat to the reputations of business and brands posed by new online tools.

   These networks, coupled with the ability of Google to draw a crowd on any topic, can spread bad news far and wide. It’s simple: pick an issue, mix in some influential commentary, and then watch the trending and traffic stream based around the keyword take off. Instant crisis.

   We were interested to note a new development which could help balance the communication ledger somewhat, and help turn a possible crisis into an opportunity to communicate.

   The fascinating new tactic has been termed ‘media accountability’ by its leading proponent, New York PR man Jim McCarthy.

   We’d been keen to hear your views on this. So follow the link:

   http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/11/new-public-relations-beating-back-bad-press-with-google-adwords/

3. Fair Game – what’s thought in the real world can now be posted online

   Published on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
   Google’s Sidewiki, an application that appears as a browser sidebar where you can read and write entries along the side of a webpage, could become the ultimate platform for those who like to share their views and opinions. Brands and business had better sit up and take notice of this development.

   Sidewiki is a new way of allowing anyone to contribute information, comments, observations and criticisms right there on a webpage. Think about this for a second, with Sidewiki, any web based article can be transformed into a public space of unedited thoughts ranging from super insightful, through helpful and witty, to downright malicious.

   Many of us who are comfortable with the free-for-all of social networking spheres may not see this as a big deal because currently blogs, micro and otherwise, are the open forums in which people discuss all manner of things, including the performance of brands. 

   But Sidewiki will make these conversations mainstream. 

   It will now be impossible for brands to broadcast a message or to communicate in a one-way traffic style and not potentially be called to account.

   This new tool makes two- way communication the only communication option for brands as people now have the ultimate soapbox to express their views, right out there for all to see.

   For corporations, the Sidewiki forum drives home the importance of being able to stand up to scrutiny and being prepared to engage in robust discussion, with the added bonus of being able to defend your position too. Bring it on!

4. Brand, a treasure worth protecting

   Published on Thursday, July 9th, 2009
   Although many of us think that imitation is the height of flattery and common usage the measure of fame and acceptance, one manufacturer has made it clear that its sub-brands are not to be trifled with; and have a cache that demands respect and protection.

   We’ll call the story of Glad Snap Lock bags Part 1 of this brand story.  At the weekend we learned that the manufacturer of Glad Snap Lock bags was warning people against the appropriation of their “Snap Lock” trademark or sub-brand.

   Of course, the Glad brand is ubiquitous in the nation’s kitchens, with cling films, freezer storage bags, rubbish bags, sandwich bags and a multitude of handy containers whose lids are so frequently orphaned.

   The reality is that Glad has been and is an extraordinary innovator, and innovation costs money. On simple, low-cost household items that return on investment is a long-run process, so its advertisements are warning that flattery will not be tolerated.  While some may think its approach a tad heavy, it is reinforcement that Glad takes seriously its brand and will fight to protect it.  That is something we as consumers should respect.

   Part 2 of our brand story, won’t be so familiar to most.  Two weeks ago Google held a ball – that’s right, trip the light fantastic and all that. Thinking it would get into the spirit of things, Vodafone arranged for two body-painted models “baring” the Google brand to titivate fellow ball-goers.

   Google was not amused. Displaying their brand on near naked women was out of line with its brand’s values.

   The lesson? If you are flirting with someone else’s brand, always be sure that you know and respect its values.

   And speaking of respect,  TVNZ’s American correspondent Tim Wilson got the message from fans of late Michael Jackson while he was doing the piece-to-camera on the prince of pop’s untimely demise.  Security men had to hold back fans as they shuffled forward menacingly when Wilson was less than respectful of Jackson.  One cockney was heard to say to her friend: It’s alright, Linda, there are respecters and dis-respecters and we’re the respecters!

5. Casting the villains and victims! What role do the media play?

   Published on Friday, March 27th, 2009
   Junior Bailey Kuariki has once again come before the courts for allegedly breaking his parole conditions. Not a surprise it would seem, according to media who persist in calling him a baby faced murderer.  But don’t you think it is time the man was left alone, and if he should need to be sent back to jail, that will happen.

   Yes he committed a heinous crime, and I am not defending him for a nanosecond, but if there is any chance of him staying out of trouble, and therefore jail, he should be given that chance. Humpf, I hear many say; and you could be right. But we will never know unless the hounding and harassment stops.

   Unlike David Bain, Kuariki has no Joe Karam to shield him from media scrutiny, nor does he have a high profile and well respected individual to vouch for him. Contrast the demonization of Kuariki, with the celebrity status of Bain.

   Media really do have the power to cast not only individuals, but also organisations as villains or victims and the label can stick for all time.  No longer is the news today fish and chip paper tomorrow, instead it will sit in cyberspace for ever poised for the next Google search that finds it.

   Tony Veitch is another such example, and I am sure we can all think of many more. The demonising of individuals in pursuit of a good story sometimes serves no purpose other than to boost ratings.  But the impact on the individual can be profound and lasting. Hard to resist I am sure, and in the current economic climate with competition at fever pitch, journalists almost have no option but to take this route.

   In our business we regularly deal with a similar issue, where the emotive individual story is more compelling than the corporate position. When it comes to victims and villains, the tendency is regard all individuals as victims and corporates as the villains, almost regardless of the truth.

   Granted at times the advocacy role of the media in outing someone’s wrong doings has been extremely beneficial but in other instances it can cause irreparable damage.

   I do not envy the media’s job in the world we live in today.  Bald statements of fact with no emotion do not sell and the audiences want to be enthralled and entertained wherever possible. But how can the media balance this need to be as “newsworthy” as possible with the impact this might have on an individual or organisation?

   I would appreciate your thoughts and experiences on this issue.  It is a perennial problem that impacts on all PR professionals.