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June 26, 2007
Gotta love those passionate NASCAR fans
One wouldn't normally associate our good client Rockwell Automation with a NASCAR controversy, but in PR, never say never...
The Rockwell Automation-sponsored car in the NASCAR Busch Series is driven by hot rookie driver Denny Hamlin. It all started with some excitement at Sunday's AT&T 250 race at the Milwaukee Mile (in Rockwell Automation's back yard).
Hamlin is a no-show at the start of the race because - get this - his helicopter can't find a place to land. Backup driver Aric Almarola steps in and performs admirably until Hamlin gets his feet on the ground (literally). When Hamlin takes over mid-race, Almarola storms off in a huff. It was, after all, his big chance. Hamlin goes on to win the race, and Almarola gets "credit" for the victory, but isn't anywhere to be found when the trophy's handed over, so Hamlin gets the spotlight.
Here's where it gets interesting from a PR perspective. ESPN2 reports during the whole incident that it was Rockwell Automation's decision to pull Almarola and put Hamlin in -- saying that the company wanted Hamlin to drive in front of its employees in attendance. The story was wrong -- it was actually Gibbs Racing who made the final decision. The story is picked up in media around the country, and nasty emails -- hundreds of them -- come flooding in to Rockwell Automation and NASCAR claming that it was "Busch League" (pun intended) to pull Almarola.
In this situation, Rockwell Automation had a choice -- either issue a statement saying "it wasn't us," which frankly would have looked a bit hollow, or let the story play out . It did the latter, which appears to be the right thing. While the controversy continues to play out, Gibbs Racing took responsibility for the decision and communicated that to many of the top racing publications (here's the Sporting News story). Rockwell Automation's PR people were able to point to the statement when answering email complaints, and it's likely this'll trail off in the next couple of days.
Lesson -- when faced with a critical issue, sometimes it's best to let a third party (in this case Gibbs Racing) speak on your behalf, especially if they're more of an expert than you are. Remember that the next time you're working with emergency authorities such as fire, police or EMTs in a crisis situation.
Posted by Matt Kucharski at 9:56 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 22, 2007
The SEO Confusion Illusion
By now most of us have heard the terms search engine optimization (SEO) or search engine marketing (SEM) and may even understand them to a certain degree. But many still feel that SEO is something best left for their IT department, or maybe an outside firm specializing in this mystical business. Let your IT department off the hook, because other than possibly implementing coding changes, it’s a marketing job. However, if you’re looking to use an outside SEO firm, there are a few things to consider.
Technicalities vs. Common Sense – Some SEO firms turn the business of optimizing web pages into a scientific “confusion illusion.” But like all marketing, it’s really a combination of art and science. True, there are some technical elements involved that an SEO firm will know inside and out. But if you ask them how they develop keywords for their clients and their response involves phrases like, “proprietary methods, algorithms and extensive lingual research,” you may want to reconsider. Paid tools such as WordTracker and free options through Google and Yahoo! will allow you to perform “extensive lingual research” all by yourself, if you have the time…
Connect the Dots – Most of SEO and search marketing is not about technology and secret algorithms that trick the search engines. It’s about connecting the dots between your marketing and communications efforts. The problem is that PR people don’t always think about search engines and leverage their efforts to also influence search engine visibility. We’re often guilty of writing Web content or press releases that assume the reader already knows what you’re talking about so why use the keywords on every page or in subheads, etc. But what we’re great at is developing content & articles for niche opportunities (e.g., positioning an architecture firm as an expert in green buildings). That ability to generate highly targeted content needs to be synchronized with the search engine efforts.
Time – SEO takes time. It’s not a one-time function you simply set up and walk away from. As you’ve probably experienced, results from ad campaigns or the launching of a new product for example – don’t come overnight. They take time to build and to manage. SEO/SEM should be treated in the same respect.
See the Big Picture – Look at SEO as just another part of your overall marketing mix. It’s certainly one way to drive more traffic to your site, albeit an important one, but it’s not the only way. Web marketing tools such as a company blog, ongoing e-newsletter or social networking sites can be great things to add to your Web marketing strategy.
As with any vendor, find an SEO firm that really understands your business and watches out for your best interests. You’ll find your investment will be just that, and not a one time fee paid for a couple of keywords and fancy proposal intentionally littered with terms to make you feel interactively-challenged.
Posted by Jason Swartz at 11:17 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 19, 2007
Lessons from a really strong presenter
Noted author Geoffrey Moore of Crossing the Chasm and Dealing with Darwin fame spoke to a large group of manufacturing executives today at an event sponsored by Rockwell Automation. His management philosophies have been well documented, and I particularly like his opinions on managing innovation. Rather than writing about that, I thought I’d share something else admirable about him – his speaking style. Executives can learn as much from this as they can from his management tenets. Here’s a summary of what he does well:
Context and audience value -- while it’s clear much of his presentation was stock, Moore made every effort to adjust the context for this manufacturing audience. So many marquee guest speakers think their role is to provide a diversion from the core content of the conference. Instead, Moore tied his ideas to the conference theme and recognized that, as a speaker, his job is to provide value to the audience. He did that in spades.
Visuals – Very few slides had more than 30 words, and all diagrams were simple and easy to digest. Instead of “interpreting slides,” which is what most speakers do, Moore uses visuals to amplify his points. The focus stays on him. He knows those visuals so well that he doesn’t ever have to look at them.
Organization -- he uses a classic “tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them” model. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it’s extremely effective.
Use of non-verbal cues – he makes the most of expressive above-the waist gestures and body language that emphasizes points without being distracting.
Appropriate use of humor – it’s primarily self-deprecating, and rather than tell jokes, he makes humorous statements that weave into the presentation and doesn’t dwell on them.
Using voice like a musical instrument – he takes advantage of the power of voice – varying speed, volume, cadence and rhythm to make his key points. A staccato drum drives home a highlight. Changing octaves adds drama. Varying pitch emphasizes differences between two concepts. Pauses allow the audience to ponder important concepts.
Now, you might say that it’s easy for Moore. After all, he gives dozens of speeches a year and is paid handsomely to do it. True, but that just supports my final point, which is that there’s no substitute for practice. Whether it’s in front of the mirror, in front of your dog, in front of a colleague or in front of a video camera (preferred), you need to give your presentation – out loud – several times in practice before you do it live. That, more than anything else, will help you make your key points more effectively.
If you get the chance, go and see one of Moore’s presentations. His books are excellent, but mirroring his speaking style might be even more valuable to you as a manager.
Posted by Matt Kucharski at 4:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 16, 2007
And then there was light!
Regular readers of this blog can get a sneak peek at our new lighter, brighter Web site. If you build Web sites for a living, doing it for your own firm can be a strange and wanderful thing. That CEO of ours, Lynn Casey, has the unique and dubious honor of being our toughest client. Tough in a good way. Like a teacher who challenges you to be the best you can be . . . And sometimes like a drill sergeant who challenges you to be ALL that you can be. And be it now! Now! NOW!
Just kidding.
The whole light-bulb/left/right brain theme evolved over the past year into a new branding expression for Padilla. But it didn't start there. Like a lot of creative, it started with a sacrificial effort that was off the mark, but a good start -- one of those "something to react to" concepts.
And it was beautiful.
And Lynn looked at it and agreed. It was beautiful. Beautiful, but uninspired.
She was expecting some element of the unexpected . . . because that's what clients expect from us. This led to further discussions, soul searching and research and another expression of what clients expect: "no surprises," as in dependable, professional service. And that presented one of those wonderful dichotomies that leads to cool creative and a new theme: "Something unexpected. No surprises."
The theme articulates what makes us unique, as a firm -- the ambidextrous nature of our nature -- we're buttoned down and focused on results like you'd expect of a planful, research-biased public relations consulting firm. At the same time, we've also got a highly creative side, use every imaginable communications channel and have a ton of fun at work. Which comes from using both sides of our brains or what Lynn calls whole-brain thinking.
At one point we were going to use a brain as the image but it was too literal. Eventually, the light bulb image emerged, with it's hint of a brain inside. And suddenly the light came on. Because our value is not just related to our brains, but what they produce: energy, enlightenment, bright ideas and greater visibility -- as we illuminate our clients' brands. See what you think. Of course, we think it's brilliant!
Now to brighten up this blog a bit . . .
Posted by Bob Brin at 7:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 1, 2007
Quit Being So Creative
I recently attended a meeting where a panel of experts from various agencies weighed in on the ongoing changes of our interactive marketing world, making some interesting points along the way. However, the discussion turned laughable as they went on to say how clients should quit worrying so much about ROI, how measuring clicks and click through rates absolutely threw them off the handle and overall how their award-winning creative brilliance is what ultimately drives results.
Wrong. Creativity is one piece of the proverbial marketing pie. Great design, coming up with the big idea, finding unique ways of branding...all deserve a big pat on the back. But all of this is useless if it’s not doing anything for the client involved. Loosely translated: If your “brilliance” isn't making the client any money, you're out the door and they're moving on to someone who will - no matter how many trendy t-shirts your creatives own or the number of caramel macchiato lattes they suck down each day. You are only as creative as your client says you are. I believe it’s the creative minds who also understand the importance of bridging the gap between creativity and strategy that will win the hearts of their clients, and probably a few awards along the way.
Posted by Jason Swartz at 5:36 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
