Morningstar Communications Luminary Blog

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) recently announced the winners of the Silver Anvil Awards. In an article by Kelly Womer, APR, ABC for the Summer 2008 edition of The Strategist, a PRSA publication, Womer provides the following secrets to PR success, taken from award winning Silver Anvil entries:

•    Make campaigns more interactive with an online hub
•    Upgrade campaigns with Web 2.0
•    Use well-rounded research
•    Partner for greater impact
•    Involve employees as brand advocates
•    Lead the marketing mix

For more information on these tips, read Womer’s full article. Articles can be purchased through PRSA’s Professional Resource Center.
 

I don't know how many times I've heard "Our employees are our most important asset," but that's just not true. We don't own our employees. Instead, our employees are our most important investors. Every morning, every employee wakes up and makes another purchase decision - should I go to work again today. Will I get a positive return on the investment of my time and talents? Employees expect three things from their employers - financial rewards, personal satisfaction and professional development. Their ROI is based on the cumulative impact of all three. In times of economic uncertainty it is more important than ever to increase personal satisfaction by providing a positive workplace.

One of the ways we provide a positive workplace is having regular potluck lunches. We always have a theme for our potluck lunches - All-American food, grandma's favorites, food that is red, foods that start with the letter 'm', etc. Last week's theme, based on popular demand was - all desserts. Now, I am truly a chocoholic, but even for me, having apple salad with Snickers, chocolate rugelach, black and white cookies, brownies, doughnuts and chocolate parfaits all in one meal, is a bit much. We did have a great time, though, and everyone laughed. And hopefully after all of our employees recovered from their stomachaches, they thought "It's a lot of fun to work at Morningstar Communications - I'll renew my investment for another day."

For years, communication professionals have been debating the relevancy of the standard press conference.  Once the preferred medium to convey major announcements to the media, a 24-hour news cycle and a major shift in the way the public gets its news have made the press conference as we know it almost obsolete.

A recent article in Marketing News, a publication of The American Marketing Association, indicated that product placement is on the rise due to commercial-skipping Americans obsessed with DVR. Being a DVR addict myself, this news is not surprising. However, a few of the top-ranking brands and shows with product placements did spark my curiosity.

Reality shows topped the list of programs using product placement. Anyone watching “America’s Next Top Model,” with T-Mobile-sponsored photo shoots and Cover Girl cosmetic challenges, understands how reality TV has become the perfect place for companies to showcase their products to a captive audience. From the “American Idol” partnership with Coca-Cola to “The Biggest Loser” and 24 Hour Fitness, reality shows rule as product placement kings and queens.

It’s scripted shows using product placement that most interests me. Among the top 10 shows listed by Nielsen with product placement during March 24-30, 2008 was “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” While not listed in the top 10, teen dramas, like “One Tree Hill” also place a strong emphasis on product placement. In fact, “One Tree Hill” has become the place for musical acts to launch their careers. Artists who made it on the show include Tyler Hilton and Kate Voegele. In addition, brands like Sunkist and Starburst have been incorporated into the show’s story lines.

And while big name companies using product placements is not surprising, I found it interesting that colleges are getting in on the action as well. K-State, the University of Southern California and the University of Texas have all included product placements in TV shows.

So next time you spend a little time in front of the TV, take a moment and see how many product placements you can find. You might be surprised.

Want more info:
If you’re interested in learning more about product placements check out the following articles:

Newest characters on TV shows: Product plugs

Where Product Placement Works Best

Research firm Nielsen tallying product placement ads

Product Placement of TV Targeted

And if you're really into this whole pencil thing, check out this site with hundreds of examples of pencil labels from around the world and across time.

Posted by Lauren Kingston

Social media has made its mark on society and is going to advance in ways we cannot imagine in the future. It is a great tool for communicators, and the public alike. You can find potential clients, employees, family members, events, parties, etc. I even have an adopted friend who found her brother via Facebook-pretty amazing.

Now, canine devotees have found a place in the social media blitz. Doggyspace.com, which launched in July, allows dog owners to sign on and create pages designed around their beloved pets. Similar to Myspace, Doggyspace.com allows owners to network, chat and upload pictures or videos of their dogs. It's a great way for owners to brag about their dog or ask for advice, and is probably much quicker than normal websites or blogs may be.

The success of the site may be questionable, but it goes to show that social media is always evolving and never afraid to take the next step.  In two years, if not sooner, social media will be the single most important communication vehicle, and I can only imagine what will come next.

Kudos to Bill Gates who has transcended corporate Icon status to become a true philanthropist by combining the best of capitalism and governmental collaboration.  

His vision to repair the world is extremely clear and compelling in his recent article entitled, "How to Fix Capitalism" in the August 11th Special Report Issue of TIME magazine.

He talks about how well capitalism is working to provide a better world than ever before.  Gates says, “In many nations, life expectancy has grown dramatically in the past 100 years. Even with all the problems we face today, we are at a high point of human well-being. The world is getting a lot better.”

But he goes on to say, “the problem is, it’s not getting better fast enough, and it’s not getting better for everyone. One billion people earn less than a dollar a day. They don’t have enough nutritious food, clean water, or electricity."

Gates believes there are two great forces of human nature:  self-interest, and caring for others.

He continues, "The improvements will happen faster and last longer if we can channel market forces, including innovation that's tailored to the needs of the poorest, to complement what governments, NGOs and non-profits do."

It’s not enough to just do more corporate philanthropy and cause marketing. We must find ways to make it possible to earn a return, while serving the people who have been left out.

So how do we connect the two?  His answer, is creative capitalism. And I agree.

The article cites several examples, including Toms, a shoemaker in California with a simple premise: buy one of our shoes, and we'll give a pair to a needy child. This marketing premise appeals to altruistic shoppers while helping the poor.

Or a Dutch nonprofit called the Access to Medicine Foundation that publishes a report card that show which pharmaceutical companies are doing the most to make sure that medicines reach the people in developing countries who most need them. Publicity is a tangible value, especially in the c-suite and for blue-sky corporate valuations.

There is a great value in being a good corporate citizen in today’s world. On every level, this is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do.

Please read this Luminary article we published several years ago discussing our own world-view on this important topic.

Thank you, Bill Gates, for inspiring all of us to reach even farther...to adapt Creative Capitalism to help improve both our world, and our bottom line.

Posted by Lauren Kingston

I recently helped with a presentation about customer service success and the importance of first impressions, among other issues. It's common knowledge how important first impressions are, but how they affect you in the long run is often ignored.

At first glance, and I hate to admit this, Paris Hilton is a master of the first impression. I see a tall, blonde socialite with too much money and attitude for her own good. That's the first impression to many and she has yet to sway public opinion in a different direction. Despite this, she has made millions by maintaining a reputation of wealth and controversy without breaking a sweat.

Envious at first, I have realized that her reputation is anything but. Even when she is 40 and married, she will be remembered as the former socialite who went to jail and ate a giant burger while washing a car. Not a reputation I would want to share with my kids.

What Paris proves is that your first impression begins with your looks and ends with your attitude. A good first impression is grounded in how you portray yourself - your looks only support and build upon a great attitude and demeanor. Working on how you carry yourself is the best way to make a good first impression and create a reputation that you are proud of. 

Posted by Jarrod Morgenstern

Call it "social media." Go to a "Web 2.0" conference. Look to the masses for crowdsourcing. Think of it as PR 2.0. Or The Long Tail. Or...

Whew. As communicators, we often get caught up in the names and labels we assign to new fields and we forget the actual importance of the technology.

Regardless of what you want to call it, "New Media" is here to stay and must be an essential component of the marketing mix. I think that the most identifiable characteristic is bringing the community to the content. The truly special thing about New Media is its transience. For the first time in modern civilization, content producers are hardly separated from content consumers. This enables each of us to receive the type of information that we need and to ignore all of the content we don't.

And marketers are paying attention to it too. According to this recent study by the University of Massachusetts, 39 percent of the INC 500 are blogging.

Before social media was vogue, if you weren't paying attention to your customers, your business probably failed.

Now, if your business doesn't get social feedback from its customers, it can never succeed.