Archive for August, 2010

If your message is important, be direct

Aug
31

Written by: Trudy Kremer

A friend and client of mine recently linked me to a Nightline story about shock-and-awe PSAs.  The story is about how PSAs are getting grittier to get your attention.  I have to admit — the one about teen texting and driving stuck with me.  It graphically depicts teenagers in a car accident.  Blood and glass flying everywhere.  I cannot shake it.  Watch it.  You won’t be able to shake it either.

The Georgia Meth Project is taking a similar approach. Have you seen the billboards around town or the ads on TV?  They have a big goal — to stop thousands of people in Georgia from ever trying meth.  Can they accomplish it without a big dose of reality?

As we raise the bar on what and how we communicate, I often wonder if more subtle forms of communication are getting lost in the clutter.  Can we still roar with a whisper?  Can we motivate change without telling it like it really it is?

The other day I was driving (OK, so now you know where I get most of my ideas), and I drove under a digital sign that said “Smog alert — Use alternate transit!”  I drove by this sign all summer and thought nothing of it.  But later I thought what if it said, “You are polluting — get on a bus!”  Or better yet, “If you want your child to be able to breathe — carpool!”  That’s right.  Go ahead point your digital finger at me.  Maybe I will make a change.

I had an opportunity to visit a homeless relief center called City of Refuge in Atlanta and meet the director, Bruce Deel.  He uprooted his family to move them to the zip code synonymous for crime in Atlanta.  The highest number of murders, rapes, drug deals happen in 30314 every day.  He has been robbed more than 40 times.  He did not sugar-coat the story.  He did not just tell the nice parts.  He told it like it is.  And he has motivated change where there was no change in Atlanta.  They provide shelter, job training, rehab programs and are building an enormous medical center on a site where there was desolation before.  I suspect a lot of this progress was through Bruce’s ability to persuade, be genuine and tell it like it is.

How do we motivate change through words? When we don’t motivate change, is it because we are beating around the bush?  How direct is too direct?

In a world where there is value placed on 140 characters to communicate, is the best route to go straight for the jugular?  In the blink of an eye, I am already over my character limit.

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Driving your business includes braking

Aug
27

Written by: Glen Jackson

If you live in Atlanta, the foregone conclusion is you will spend your share of time in the car. My behind-the-wheel time has led me to a takeaway about the public relations role.

Companies that know how to use public relations in tandem with the sales and marketing function understand the dual role of PR. If sales and marketing serves as the engine of a company, the public relations function is that of a brake and an accelerator.

The public relations team advises when a company needs to cool down the “engine” and not head in a certain direction. The best PR counselors see trouble before it arrives and prepare the company for the downside or better yet helps the company avoid it altogether. Applying the brakes is what the seasoned pros in our field do. They understand the importance of planning and timing. They also understand the value of throwing a red flag in a meeting and not being afraid to courageously say, “I would not do that.”

This prowess always earns the trust of the CEO, and it leads to a seat at the table for major company decisions, the ultimate litmus test of respect in our field.

On the flip side, when the big story needs to be told to reach the right audiences, the PR role is that of an accelerator. The foot is now off the brake. The PR team determines the speed of acceleration and focus of direction for the story. They know when to “put the pedal to the metal” and get the news out there. Storytelling is so important in our business. People remember stories and retell them to others. It creates a retelling ripple effect.

The best drivers on the road know when to use the brake and the accelerator. It is instinctive, effortless and natural to everyone around them. In our business, it is important that we do the same when behind the reputational wheel. When we do it right, we earn the respect of the C suite and everyone else.

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Easy strategy for excellence: look up

Aug
23

Written by: Brian Brodrick

Exercise has always cleared my mind. Any good ideas and mental organization that occurs often happens during the 30-90 minutes of exercise I squeeze in most mornings before the world awakens.

This mental nourishment once came solely from a heaping plate of distance running. But after years of fidelity to pounding pavement, my body rebelled. I was forced to embrace the “Runner’s Wheelchair” – more commonly known as the bicycle – for part of my exercise diet.

Cycling in turn has offered freedom and the ability to travel much further – and to the chagrin of my wife – to be gone much longer.

Riding is different than running. A key difference is the temptation to keep your head down. Focus on the white line just ahead, take a glance at the tiny odometer and watch the miles spin away. Grind, push, get it done, and hammer home. Good workout. Mission accomplished.

Not really.

First of all, the joy in riding is often the scenery. Rolling hills, fog-shrouded forests, and moving water. Cattle waking up and roosters crowing. Anticipating and climbing the hill, and enjoying an easy descent.

Secondly, looking down is plain dangerous. Focusing on the white line prevents you from seeing the dead armadillo, the stalking Doberman, or the sleepy driver that can put a bloody end to a once-glorious ride.

The same temptations loom in business. Make the list, get it done, and do it well. The opportunity sits in front of most productive people each day. Many would argue that finishing your list and doing each task well is a good day’s work. But the problems are the same.

First, you miss the scenery: the pride in an intern the first time he works a press event, the first front page hit for a promising colleague, the progress of a mentee against challenging goals, the evolving esprit de corps of a team who grow together to accomplish more as a group than they can individually.

Danger also looms for leaders and professional communicators who focus too tightly on the white line. Leaders must have their eye on the outside world for their clients and their organizations. We must look further ahead than others, projecting around the curve, over the hill, or into the next day’s ride. We must focus on a balanced training program that yields success in terms of people, profit, and philanthropy.

So the next time you work through your list (or the next time you’re exercising), take a deep breath. Look around. Examine the road ahead. Anticipate the curves, the hills, and the years of training to come. Focus on the environment in your office and in your community. Are you considering the true race before your organization?

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Ignore this post to avoid the communications war

Aug
18

Written by: Eric O'Brien

I recently attended a “media relations summit” in NYC.

What’s that? Good question. It was marketed as good place for PR reps to interact with the media, so my main purpose was to meet and build relationships with the 100+ NYC-based reporters in attendance. However, during the course of the day, I found the conference to be an interesting forum on the current state of media/PR and a battleground in the now infamous “new vs old media” war.

Don’t believe me? Check out these juicy quotes from various attendees and panelists:

Is social media "just a modern way of convening at the campfire"?

“PR people are behind the curve and too focused on big, slow and old media outlets.” – Tina Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast

“We want to be first, but we also want to be right, first.” – a rep from one of the aforementioned big, slow and old media outlets

“Learn, then earn.” – again, a rep from one of the big, slow and old media outlets

“They’re parasites, but parasites that drive traffic” –Wall Street Journal exec on blogs like The Daily Beast and Huffington Post

“Have rich parents or two husbands.” – advice to those thinking of entering journalism

“We don’t need the media to communicate with customers anymore” – panelist from a major, multinational PR firm

“You cannot know nor respond to everyone and everything being said about you and your brand online. Instead, focus on the influentials.” – Pepsi spokesperson

“Social media is the most un-revolutionary idea in the history of communications. It’s back to the future. Just a modern way of convening at the campfire.” – social media panelist

“If your content sucks, people will ignore you.”  – social media panelist

So before you leave this campfire (and ignore this post?), what role does new/old media play in your life? Where is it going? Who knows but it will be a fun ride.

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Generation Robot? A case for unplugged creativity

Aug
5

Written by: Brian Steely

A recent article in Newsweek, “The Creativity Crisis,” reveals a disturbing trend. While American IQ scores continue to increase with each generation, the exact opposite is true of CQ (creativity scores), as measured by the Torrance Test.

Why is this important? Because innovation is the foundation of American ingenuity and success, and, “the correlation between lifetime creative accomplishment was more than three times stronger for childhood creativity than childhood IQ.”

While our country is reluctant to admit this might be a problem, other countries are racing to foster creative development among children.

I am a member of Generation X, and as such, I’ve witnessed amazing advances in technology. As a devout music lover, I cut my teeth on 45s. I distinctly remember the advent of tape cassettes and the Walkman. If someone had told me there would one day exist a pocket-sized gadget that could house my entire 3,000+ CD collection, I would have called them Buck Rogers. When I was a kid, our TV had about 20 channels, video games were just being invented, kids didn’t have cell phones and we’d never even heard of email or the Internet.

While I’m the first person to admit I love modern day technology (I’m sitting by a lake, typing this on my iPad), I do worry about the effect it is having on our children.

As adults rely on and emphasize technology, are we turning our children into a generation of robots?

Think about it.

In order to be successful in today’s world, you have to be technologically savvy. Schools, even some preschools, have computer labs or computers in the classrooms. Where does the funding for this come from? Well, too often it comes from taking away programs like art, music and physical education.

To further exacerbate the problem, thanks to “no child left behind,” public schools are obsessed with test scores. Teachers rely on rote memorization and a standardized curriculum to ensure kids will pass national testing. In doing so, programs such as creative writing fall by the wayside. This type of guidance in no way fosters creativity.

What it fosters is a generation of robots.

Unfortunately, the problem doesn’t end at the schoolhouse door – it follows our children home.

Without strong parental intervention, today’s kids spend the majority of their time inside, watching TV, playing video games and wasting time online. My generation spent our free time outside, coming inside only for meals. The rest of the day was spent in the woods building forts, playing games and getting lost in the imaginary worlds we created for ourselves. Kids today play in imaginary worlds that others create for them.

When today’s kids have a question, they Google it and look no further than the closest computer to find the answer. They have become accustomed to allowing others to think for them, hooked by the lure of instant gratification.

The irony of the situation is that my generation and previous generations are so creative we excel at innovating addictive gadgets. The latest iFad, video games, TV programs and movies can be like crack cocaine for kids. When my kids (who are limited in their screen consumption) are watching a show, they completely tune out the rest of the world. You literally have to pause the action to get their attention.

You can warn a child that ants bite and hornets sting but unless they experience the pain themselves, the words are meaningless.

My 3-year-old son is fascinated by insects. It used to be next to impossible to keep him from picking up anything he came across … until he was bitten by a few fire ants. Now he understands the importance of “watch out for the red ones,” and we no longer have to caution him.

Self-discovery, and the feelings and emotions that come with it, are all essential building blocks for creativity. Schools, computers and television can teach facts and video games can teach strategy, but life itself is what teaches you to think creatively.

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