Media used to be a solid thing: newspapers, TV, radio.
Now, with the Internet, and Web 2.0, it’s all beginning to blur. I’ve seen it. You’vve seen it. And now, someone has quantified it.
Ketchum and the University of Southern California Annenberg Strategic Public Relations Center recently released thier survey results which says that media isn’t quite as solid as it used to be. And because of it, target markets are fragmenting.
Shannon Nelson (the other great PR Shannon, who happens to be from Pierce Mattie) tells us that education and creativity is key in helping PR firms and their clients reach these …read more

Just got off the phone today, after trying to book a driving test for my son.
My question was a fairly tentative one, asking how I can book a time.
“I’ll need the number from your Driver’s Exam Receipt,” was the prompt answer.
Let’s backtrack here. There are some things that you only do once or twice in your life. Taking a driver’s test is one of those.
So, what is the likelihood that anyone calling to book a driving test already knows the procedure? Not high.
The person answering the phone would have been better off starting at the beginning, explaining that people need …read more

Why bother hiring an agency, if you’re not going to let them do their job?
At times I’ve been guilty of second-guessing agencies, and jumping straight to tactics before a strategy has been agreed upon. Tactics are the most visible aspect of a campaign, so it’s easy to zero in on them.
That kind of thinking undercuts the work of the agency to identify the end result that is desired, and how best to arrive at it.
Jay Moonah describes the dilemma well:
“If you are working with an agency, what you need to help your agency partners understand is WHAT you want …read more

One of my favorite bloggers is talking about the questionnaire he and his partner filled in for the architect of their home-to-be.
Darren Barefoot nails the whole questionnaire dilemma. If the questions ask you to say what you want, you won’t be able to describe the things that you don’t know you want.
The “worryingly abstract” questions asked by their architect were actually reassuring to Darren:
“There were questions about our relationships to and views on family, food, hobbies, passions, technology and so forth.
“As this is the first house I’ve built, I don’t know how common this approach is. Some might find these …read more

It’s easy to focus on the opinions of experts and executives.
But unless the end users of your product or service are primarily experts and executives, you need to break out of the Circle of Authority.

No one can tell you what’s right and what’s wrong like the people who actually use the services.
Surveys and focus groups are good, but don’t limit yourself. If you chance upon a customer, ask them some open-ended questions about their satisfaction, ease of use, and other things.
Don’t guide their comments away from criticism. You may not like to hear it, but you definitely need to …read more

As hired pens, speech writers are always faced with the dilemma of how hard to push back when we think a client is being unreasonable.
by Colin Moorhouse
I am talking about the CEOs who have given no thought at all to what they want talk about at the one and only meeting you are going to have with them.
Or the ones who won’t read their drafts out loud at least once before they face their audience. Or those who want to review the draft with you before they have even glanced at it – resulting in a lot of …read more

Any parent worth their salt will admit that some of the most objectionable behavior their children display is a direct or indirect result of parenting decisions (or failures to make decisions).
It’s the same for dog owners. What was tolerated as cute behavior in a puppy becomes a lifelong habit that loses its charm in a full-sized dog. The dog’s fault? Nope. The owner’s.
Clients are also the same. We like to complain about clients who are too picky, too vague, too cost-sensitive.
As Todd Defren notes, that’s how we train them.
The same can be said of our managers and co-workers. We behave …read more

Even a Jolly Old Elf who can travel through time on a sled pulled by flying reindeer needs to keep his image polished.
I spent a couple of hours in September coaching Santa (pictured at left before donning his hat and coat) via Skype on public relations. I can’t reveal all the word-of-mouth marketing and media placement plans we came up with, but I can share a few tidbits.
North Pole Inc. CEO Jessica Claus says it’s okay if I share the key messages we developed. (Oops! I guess I just revealed who wears the pants in that family!)
Here’s the list.
Santa’s Key …read more

This is a bit of advice that people in sales always drive home.
Don’t forget to ask for the business of the person you’re dealing with.

It’s not enough to explain why you could do a good job. You have to openly express the desire to take on the project, and ask to get the work.
But I’m not in sales, you’re saying. Really? If you’re serving internal or external clients, you’re in sales. Whether actual money is exchanged is less important than if there’s a consultant-client relationship.
Don’t leave any doubt that you are willing and able to do the assignment. Otherwise, you’re …read more

There are times when you should ask laser-focused questions to clarify what someone means. But more importantly, there are times when asking an open-ended question will serve you better.
Instead of asking questions that force a particular answer, let people say what’s on their minds.

A good open-ended question is: "What change in behavior or perception do you want to see as a result of this project?"
Another one: "What do you want your target audience to say about this project/product, if you could eavesdrop on them a month from now?"
Open-ended questions don’t overly narrow the possible answers. They let you gather information …read more