Archive for March, 2010

The one with the right words wins

Mar
22

Written by: Mart Martin

It’s not new news that the role of public relations firms and advertising agencies is changing. The question is, into what?

The Web, in general, and social media, in particular, have organizations scratching their collective heads to try and figure out if the digital world is the responsibility of marketing or public relations or a hybrid of both. Same for branding.

I think the answer is simple: the one with the best way with words wins.

It starts with asking the carefully crafted questions to generate the information needed to create the message ingredients, be it a brand positioning, the elevator speech or Web copy. In addition to pushing the right buttons, the message must be original, tweetable (try it with your own positioning statement), and free of “Wallpaper Words” – those that become so overused that they simply blend into the background, never to register in the consumer’s mind.

In my next post, I’ll share some thoughts on some of my favorite (technically, my least favorite) Wallpaper Words. Why? Because it’s my passion. Seriously. Okay, not really, but now you get the idea.

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It’s hoops time: how can you help your team?

Mar
18

Written by: Glen Jackson

This is one of my favorite times of the year. March Madness is the ultimate college sporting event.  There are interesting match-ups, and the games always have their share of last-minute buzzer beaters.

Okay, here is a quick quasi hoops question: If you have a business team of five on the court, what position would you play?

When our firm started 15 years ago, I was a point guard. I played 40 minutes. I shot. I rebounded. I did a lot of “give and gos.”  It was non-stop action.

Now, my point guard days are over. We have faster, better point guards at JS. My new role is that of a players’ coach. I help call some of the plays, make sure the team on the court is right and, when needed, get into the game to help make an outlet  pass, take a shot or make a rebound.

Leaders of teams need to act like player coaches and not point guards. Let the team play. Guide them along. When needed, take off the sweats and get in the game but try, most of the time, to stay out of the way.

Do I really need to be at the meeting? If not, let someone else run it. Give them a taste of what responsibility feels like.

Your team will be better for it and so will your business.  And the bottom line is your business will grow, and you will win more games.   Here is to the “W” column.

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6 Rules for Local Politicians

Mar
15

Written by: Brian Brodrick

As the only public servant (or politician, as some might say) at Jackson Spalding, life often takes me to places where public relations and public service overlaps, and provides some interesting lessons in communications strategy.

As a professional communicator, I am constantly amazed at some of the basic mistakes local politicians and public servants make when attempting to educate their constituents.

Here are six simple rules for effective political communications for city, county, and state politicians:

  1. Write it before you say it. Taking time to write out your position – particularly on a complex topic or controversial subject matter – helps you better understand and defend your position and prepare for inevitable debate. While politicians at a local and state level have to be able to think on their feet in public settings, having written and reviewed positions on controversial issues – whether it is a land use challenge, an alcohol vote, or controlling the population of feral cats (yes, this is a controversial issue in several Georgia municipalities) – is key to consistency and veracity. Providing a written copy of your position to the local press can also help improve the accuracy of coverage as well.
  2. Throw out the polls. When it comes to local government, voters expect (and respect) leadership more than someone with their finger to the wind seeing which way the wind blows.
  3. Skip the Republican/Democratic national party talking points. Aspirational politicians fired up by their local party organizations often bring up issues like posting the Ten Commandments, national health care, or abortion at local government settings in an effort to build a record for an eventual run for higher office. This is a quick way to end a career before it gets started. Local voters are often skeptical of national positions and the parties that push them, and legal counsel is going to be sweating law suits as soon as these types of topics are introduced.
  4. Watch the e-mail. While state legislators’ e-mails aren’t subject to open records requests, those of local politicians are, even if they come from a work or personal e-mail. Keep all of your electronic communication professional, above board, and in line with what you would want to see in the newspaper or on your favorite (or least favorite) blog.
  5. Bring your “A game” to meetings. I can’t count the times I have watched televised meetings or attended public meetings where politicians arrive unprepared, give off negative body language, dress poorly, act disinterested, are disrespectful, or succumb to exhaustion after a long meeting. Even if poorly attended, public meetings are the public’s primary chance to participate in the democratic process outside of elections. Public servants who do not prepare and are disrespectful of these opportunities are selling themselves and their communities short.
  6. Avoid overt emotion — especially anger – in public meetings. Public meetings can be emotional, especially when times are tough. But there is nothing more offensive to voters than a haughty or impatient elected or appointed official. Sometimes, you just have to take it, no matter how unjustified an accusation or comment might be.

If you’re a local elected official, following these tips is even more important as revenues disappear and budgets shrink. Good communications is more important than ever.

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The simplicity of one

Mar
11

Written by: Trudy Kremer

Three months ago I was driving in Atlanta near 14th street. I looked up at a bilboard. It was stark white and had only black letters that said, “Google Puppy Mills.” No images, no paragraphs, just three words. Right in the middle of Midtown’s suits, starbucks and skyscrapers — a simple message that beckons a call to action.

That was three months ago and I have been thinking about it ever since. And I don’t have a dog. Heck, I don’t even have a pet. It was something about the simplicty of message that cuts through the clutter and made me stop to think. I don’t have to Google the words “puppy mills” to create a horrifying image in my mind.

In our daily communications as business leaders, we tend to clutter our messages, cram too much information in, to paint with a big fat heavy paintbrush and not a fine-pointed Sharpie. And our message gets lost.

Traditionally we have been told to stick to three points. Why not a single point? A single image? A single word? If your main message does not fit on a Post-It note, you are probably saying too much.

I Googled “Puppy Mills.”  Believe me. You don’t want to. But you don’t have to. You got the message in just three words.

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Five spokes of the communication wheel

Mar
10

Written by: Glen Jackson

There are five integral factors for communications success. Five spokes, if you will, that move the communications wheel forward with momentum.

The first spoke is the message. Drill down on what the main message is and make it stick. The right message is always simple, consistent and clear.  It is never padded, never cumbersome, never sounds like spin. People can see through all this stuff a mile way.  Spin is merely words without action, for instance. One of the most effective messages in corporate America was IBM’s Think mantra.  It was easy to grasp, relevant, had traction and meaning.  One word with powerful meaning.

The second spoke is the messengers. Messengers are those who naturally repeat and clearly remind people of the message. We are no longer living in a world of mass media. Those halcyon days are gone forever. Instead, we reside in a world of mass niches – niches that have been fueled by the explosion of digital media. Having multiple messengers, versus a single messenger, is essential when announcing positive or negative news. It is a total team approach. It requires discipline, focus, clarity and a core group of people, in unison, saying what needs to be genuinely transmitted in a dialogue, not monologue, fashion.

The third spoke is timing. News told too early or late, whether inside or outside a company, can invariably impact how it is received.  Be on time with your message. A simple way to ensure that this happens is ask when is the best time to say what needs to be said?  Really think it through. For example, frequently, negative news is best communicated at the end of the week. Other times, it is an earlier-in-the-week message — know the difference between the two options. All in all, use your timing wisely.

The fourth spoke is tone. This one is often overlooked. Don’t be tone deaf! Tone is all about how you sound when you communicate to others — happy, sad, serious, excited, gracious, contrite, etc. The best communicators control tone like a volume dial. They know when to turn it down and turn it up and, when called upon, push the mute button.  Great speakers, like presidents Kennedy and Reagan, were masterful at using tone to communicate effectively.  It was their secret weapon.  The right tone leads to messaging home-runs.

The fifth and final spoke is place. Think carefully about where you need to communicate the message. Imagine if President Lincoln had not given the Gettysburg’s address in Gettysburg or Reagan’s dramatic “Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall” speech was not delivered in front of the stark Berlin Wall. If you have an important message you need to hammer home, think ahead about where this place needs to be. Have others chime in with their opinions.

The message, messengers, tone, timing and place. These are the spokes to keep the wheel moving in the right direction.  Embrace the five and your communications will come alive.

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It’s March. How are your New Year’s resolutions?

Mar
8

Written by: Ashlee Stubits

This year, I gave up something VERY important to me.  Something I’ve nurtured for years.

I gave up caffeine.

For years, I religiously drank a cup of coffee in the morning and a Diet Coke (or sometimes two, depending on the day) in the afternoon.  After years of this bad habit, I decided to wean myself off slowly as part of my New Year’s resolutions.  That was one long week.  On a particularly rough day, my poor husband thought he was experiencing a form of exorcism.  I’m just saying, there may have been a crying hissy fit involved.

Now that we’re in March, and I’m still caffeine-free, I realize it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.  I’m more clear headed, more patient and am much less stressed by things that come up during the day.  There are definitely days where I have wanted to rip off someone’s arm to have their Diet Coke, but I know if I have just one, it will be all over!

That was just my silly personal goal, but from a communications standpoint, I also try to set some goals each year on how I can connect better with coworkers and friends.  Have you?  If not, now’s a great time to start thinking about how you communicate on a day-to-day basis.

Maybe your goal is to have more face-to-face communication with your coworkers.  Get off the email and walk over there today! Proactively call a client or contact you haven’t spoken to in awhile.  After the new year is a great time to reconnect with people.

Was your goal to have better grammar?  For starters, read Randall’s post here.  Another great way to improve your writing is simply by reading more.

In addition to how you communicate, think about what you communicate.  Twitter and facebook are great ways to be heard – but remember who reads your posts and don’t get in bad habits with them, either.  I have been shocked by the number of friends who complain about their jobs on facebook.   Remember that your colleagues and clients – and potential other business contacts – are reading your posts, just like you read theirs.  In person, what kind of vibe do you express in a meeting?  Make sure your nonverbal communication isn’t sending all the wrong signals.

Sometimes what you give up can give back in ways you can’t imagine.  Take some time this month to reflect on your “all year’s” goals and set some new ones when it comes to how and what you communicate.

Oh, and when you’re meeting in person and connecting with an old colleague, please drink a massive Diet Coke for me.

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A JS life in New York

Mar
5

Written by: Eric O'Brien

As the lone JS employee who lives and works in New York City, I thought my first JS blog post should be a collection of a few random thoughts about NYC life, media, PR and basically anything even remotely related to the city that never sleeps. So here goes…

Eric O'Brien

Eric O'Brien in snow on terrace

- It snowed about two feet in NYC last week. Two feet! Here I am on the terrace of JS NYC. Bottom line: I think Mother Nature needs a PR firm. She’s getting hammered for global warming, hurricanes, earthquakes, too much/little rain or snow and anything else even remotely tied to the Earth and its climate. I’ll keep an eye out for that RFP.

- The Wall Street Journal just announced that it’s starting a NYC metro section to better compete with the New York Times. This comes on the heels of it also adding more sports, fashion and cultural articles. Pretty soon, I think the WSJ will be a tabloid and start cannibalizing readers from that other News Corp bastion of pure journalism, The New York Post.  Page Six, coming to a WSJ near you soon.

- For a city of about 8 million people, NYC is incredibly efficient. And, with a foot in the travel industry via our client Delta Air Lines, I occasionally marvel at the various transportation options available for local, domestic or international travel. Three major airports, at least two major regional train stations, an incredible subway/bus system and a highway/road system that isn’t great but is made better by good communication and well-planned synchronization. The other day, it took me about the same time to drive from 1st St to 65th St on 1st Ave in NYC as it did to go a few blocks on Piedmont Ave in Atlanta. Seriously?

- You need thick skin to be a politician in New York (a moral compass or even just some common sense would help too). Actually, you need thick skin just to follow the exploits of NY-area politicians. You can’t make this stuff up. Really. Spitzer, Paterson, Rangel and Monserrate. If you don’t know, just Google. It’s amazing that the Bloomberg train keeps rolling along. You have to give him credit for that.

That’s my take for now. Gotta go so I can grab a couple newspapers for my upcoming flight to a city with no earthquake worries, limited media/entertainment options, zero transportation issues and the best politicians around…Los Angeles. Kidding. Thoughts on the above or anything else going on in NYC? Do tell.

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To your stylebook quick, it’s National Grammar Day

Mar
4

Written by: Joanna Singleton

It is officially National Grammar Day! Whether you were the favorite student in your English class or not, today is the day for well-written sentences and articulate conversation.

I had a journalism professor who would give you an “F” if your paper contained even one error. That was enough to scare me into AP style submission.

Enjoy these tips from The New York Times’ Learning Blog: http://tinyurl.com/ybnh9w

Unknown Grammarian

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Vision comes in many forms

Mar
3

Written by: Pat Hill

Mike Hanson

Mike Hanson

Today, a blind hiker started up the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail – solo. Mike Hanson will use GPS to tell him where he is and what’s around him and a white cane to tell him about obstacles and hazards. That’s it.

This guy’s got guts.

I logged onto Mike’s site, www.blindhiker.com, to learn about his journey, only to find a surprise: Not only are Mike and I the same age, we had very similar births: both born premature. In Mike’s case, he lost his eyesight due to receiving pure oxygen, which destroyed both his retinas. In my case, I lost my twin  brother, Paul. How different life can be, in an instant.

It took Mike over a year of preparation to get to today. Imagine if we, in our daily lives, had the same vision for the future, then boldly strode forward on our own journeys.

Today, be the blind hiker.

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The media landscape, on fire

Mar
2

Written by: Joanna Singleton

This morning I woke up to the sound of a helicopter hovering above our block. I ignored it and went back to sleep but minutes later my phone was buzzing. A text message from a friend across town alerted me to a four-alarm fire in my neighborhood off of Greenville Ave. in Dallas. Four beloved restaurants in original 1920s buildings were ablaze.

My texting friend was watching the old-school morning news on TV and had the scoop. My husband glanced at his phone to find an email and iPhone photo from our neighbor who had walked down to the scene. We flipped on the TV and watched the live streaming coverage until it was time to leave for work. Once at the office, we both checked the local news blogs for the latest and emailed each other back and forth with our findings. Twitter was full of tweets, but no new info. Google’s new Buzz was dead silent – guess it hasn’t caught on in my neighborhood.

We are constantly evaluating and responding to the changing media landscape in this business. Today’s fire gave me a snapshot of where we are (and reminded me of the excellent social media reporting our Athens office did during the Georgia Theatre fire last year).

We had five or more sources of information for news of today’s tragic fire. Traditional news held the competitive edge with its helicopter view of the scene, but iReporters and local bloggers were adding to the dialogue by the second. My husband and I read our news online and are up to speed on the latest in social media. Even so, our instinct was certainly to turn on the TV. Do you think we cling to traditional media in times of tragedy?

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